Home Heating, Should it be a DIY Project? - By: Norman Fleming, Posted on: 2007-07-24

So the time has come to update your home heating and air conditioning system. It's a decision that every homeowner wants to put off as long as possible, but who wants to get caught without heat or air conditioning if it breaks down? Don't wait that long. You'll also want time to investigate before you choose a new unit for your home. There are many different things to consider before you spend $5,000 or more.

Luckily for those of us who are looking to replace old heating and air conditioning systems today's models are more energy efficient than models just ten years old. Heat pump systems are far superior and can actually cost 40% less to run than an outdated system. If you've an old heat pump system you probably feel that it never warms efficiently. Even more pleasant with today's newer models is that when you want cold air the air truly comes out of the system cold, and if you want heat the air will be hot.

Whatever type of heating or air conditioning you're replacing check the SEER rating. SEER or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a gauge of how efficient and cost effective the unit will be. The higher the SEER the more energy efficient it is. The higher the SEER rating the more expensive the unit is too. You'll want to try to balance out cost and efficiency.

Talk with your friends and family to see who they may have used if they've recently had heat pumps installed. Contact several different manufacturers to see what costs are. Some of the most trusted home heating installers are Trane, American Standard, Lennox, AirPro, Thermal Zone, Grandaire and Guardian. Compare the size of the units, add-ons and warranties. It's also important that you feel comfortable that the salesman and the installer are familiar with the units they sell. You should never feel pressured and should always get an estimate in writing.

Don't forget what you can do yourself to save heating and air conditioning costs. Weather strip and caulk around doors and windows. Check the insulation in your attic and basement. Think about adding a blow in insulation in your walls. Wrap any water pipes that are in unheated basements to prevent freezing. Most dial thermostats get inaccurate over time. Install a new digital thermostat so that you can get an accurate temperature reading in your home.

Most home heating experts advise against any type of DIY heating. It's generally a task that is over the heads of most DIY homeowners. Installing a heat pump means updating sheet metal and your electric box. You'll need to have refrigeration gauges to check the final pressures in the unit. It's too much. Also, think about warranty coverage. Rudd and Goodman sell installation kits for heat pumps and air conditioning systems. If you're comfortable with it you can try to install it, but what if you have a problem? Who do you call? It's generally not worth the money you'll save.

One type of DIY heating is solar. Solar panels are relatively easy for those with DIY experience to install. There are many different makes of solar panels for passive solar power, they are Carmanah, Duralite Global Solar, Kyocera, Mitsubishi, Photowatt, Schott, Schuco, Shell, Sun Power, Sun Tech, SunWize, Uni-Solar, Webel and Yingli. Depending on the size you want panels can be bought by watt, from 1 watt to 5 watts to 200 watts and greater. Best of all passive solar panels require virtually no maintenance and last for decades.

If you decide to purchase a window air conditioner or portable room air conditioner make sure that you buy the correct size. Don't go without knowing exactly how many BTU your room requires. It's based on multiplying the length of your room by the width of your room to get the square footage. Buy based on square footage needs. You should take into consideration number of windows and height of ceiling. If you've lots of windows on a south facing side and very high ceilings you may want to add more BTU power. A window air conditioner that is too large will not cool efficiently.

Article Source: http://www.southerncaliforniarealestateagent.com/submit-real-estate-articles

Author: Norman Fleming is a home heating expert. For tips about home heating and air conditioning and window air conditioners and portable air conditioners on his site.
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