Central Heating

For most American homeowners, the energy required for heating and cooling the largest chunk of their energy bill. The industry that maintains and creates central heating systems is called the HVAC industry. HVAC is not so commonly used by consumers, but it is a good acronym to know. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning - or the mechanical systems used to keep interior temperatures comfortable. In today's world most Denver HVAC systems are combined into one system called central air or central heat.

The central air unit pumps warmed or cooled air through your house through a system of ducts. Compared to older systems like fans and swamp coolers, central heating is more efficient and less invasive than older systems. The units that modern Denver air conditioning services companies operate on now are becoming increasingly efficient, but the average home still uses about half of its energy on central heat. So you can still save a significant amount of money by upgrading your air conditioner.

So next time your furnace breaks, resist calling the local Denver furnace repair company, and instead consider installing a new energy-efficient central heating system. A modern Energy Star certified compressor with a programmable thermostat will save you money while working faster to adjust your interior temperature.

Some central HVAC units pair a air conditioning unit with a furnace, while others use just a heat pump for both heating and cooling. Heat pumps are much more efficient at heating than furnaces. Temperate climates are especially good for heat pump central heating and air because their effectiveness diminishes the further from norm the temperature gets.

Heat pumps and central ac units work by transferring the heat or cold between the outside air and the inside, usually by using some sort of conductive liquid called a refrigerant. For cooling, the compressor then pumps this cool dry air from the outdoor unit around the house.

When shopping for a new HVAC system for your house, you can use some industry benchmarks to help make your decision. AC units are measured by SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the SEER number, the better the unit is at cooling without using a lot of energy. The Energy Star label also means the unit is more efficient than average. For heat pumps, the industry uses the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. Just like SEER, a higher HSPF means less energy required for the unit to do its job.

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is an important factor to consider not just in heavy industry involving lots of chemicals. In today's polluted world, any large job must be monitored for air quality. HVAC ventilation technology has advanced over the years. New central heating and air conditioning technologies have emerged to deal with new environments like data centers and indoor pools. The Denver Museum of Fine Arts contracted a Denver HVAC company to build UV filters that kill foreign microbes in the exhibits. These technologies are filtering out into other parts of the heating ventilation and air conditioning industry.

People do stupid things when times are rough though. Reports of people holding off replacement of their Denver air conditioning filters have come out. What these people don't realize is that filter replacement is cheaper in several ways. For one thing, a clogged filter makes the machine work harder to push the same amount of air - leading to increased energy bills and lower system life. The cost of a replacement filter is usually much lower.

Commercial customers usually don't have the same problems as residential customers, who might not even know they have a filter on the system. Companies and large buildings usually have their own building managers, or a Denver HVAC company on call.

Residences have started installing high-efficiency air filters. Companies are bundling the filters as part of a standard indoor air quality upgrade package. Bundling the filters is a good way to get customers to accept new technology that is beneficial to both parties.

In addition to energy savings, contractors have been pushing filters by educating customers about breathing unclean air and respiratory issues that result. For situations where the customer uses the vent without heating or cooling, a blower is needed to circulate the air. Industrial clients should already have good ventilation, but other clients may need education on how air movement benefits air quality, and the control mechanisms those HVAC systems use - whether they be a thermostat, programmable fan or custom air conditioning company installed controls.