Health and Air Quality

Complete home comfort is about more than just temperature—it's also about maintaining a healthy home environment with quality indoor air.

Dusty, dirty homes at any temperature can mean discomfort. The air in today's tightly-sealed, well-insulated homes can become stale as the same indoor air is circulated and re-circulated. In fact, indoor air quality is among the Environmental Protection Agency's top 3 health concerns. The agency reports that with dust, pollen, pet dander, mold, skin flakes, chemical fumes, cigarette smoke and more, the air inside your home can be 2-5 times dirtier than the air outside.

Although we usually can't see them, air pollutants are all around us, already inside our homes, and waiting to come in from outside. From our yards to our kitchens, dangerous air pollutants threaten our home health and air quality. Plus, each season brings its own dangers, from mold in the fall and winter to pollens and high humidity in the spring and summer.

Fortunately, Air Solutuions offers a wide range of dependable air quality solutions, including humidifiers, ventilators, UV lamps, media filters and air purifiers, can together eliminate up to 99.9% of the pollutants threatening your home's health.

Heating and Cooling with Hybrid Heat Systems

Hybrid Systems combine the strengths of two heating sources to deliver the warmth and efficiency you deserve this heating season. Yet it also cools your home in the summer and there's money savings potential there as well. The Hybrid Heat system is so efficient, the cost to heat with it is less than with any gas furnace alone — even a 100% AFUE furnace!

A Hybrid Heat System provides more control over your monthly energy bills by allowing you to choose the most economical method of heating. As conditions change, the system automatically switches between the two sources to maintain greater efficiency than with a single-source heating system.

Because Hybrid Heat provides the flexibility to react to changing energy costs, it's an excellent investment for long term peace of mind, comfort, and protection against unpredictable fuel cost increases. Hybrid Heat Systems deliver exceptional performance using a heating source that provides its most energy-efficient comfort during moderate heating conditions. As the temperature drops outside, the system automatically switches to your second heating source when that becomes the most economical way to keep your family comfortable during more extreme outdoor conditions. Just as you would with any typical heating system, simply set your desired comfort level, and let the Hybrid Heat do the rest.

Efficiency Ratings Explained

How ratings affect cost savings

In your mission to find the perfect system for your family, you will come across several important industry-standard efficiency ratings. The higher efficiency your product, the lower your long-term energy costs will be. And as always, Air Solutions Heating & Air Conditioning is just a call away to help you choose the heating and cooling products that are right for you.

AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency)

AFUE is the standard measurement of efficiency for gas and oil-fired furnaces. Given in percentages, this number tells you how much of your fuel is used to heat your home and how much fuel is wasted. The higher the AFUE rating, the greater the efficiency.

Cost Savings: If you have an older furnace (with an AFUE of approximately 60%), you could save up to 40% on your heating bills by replacing it with a new high efficiency furnace! The cost to replace your old, inefficient furnace is paid back through lower utility bills.

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)

SEER is the measure of efficiency by which the cooling process of air conditioners and heat pumps is rated. The higher the SEER number, the greater the efficiency–and therefore greater energy savings. Today, U.S. regulatory agencies require all new products to have a 13.0 SEER rating or better.

HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor)

HSPF is the efficiency measurement used to gauge the efficiency of the heating mode of heat pumps. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency and cost-savings. Today's models are required to have a 6.8 HSPF.

Cost Savings. : Higher efficiency in heat pumps and air conditioners usually means higher equipment cost but lower utility bills. If you live in a warm and/or humid climate, you will probably see the higher cost of a high efficiency air conditioner or heat pump paid back (through lower utility bills) in a few short years.