‘Right-sizing’ Your HVAC System

(ARA) – Renovating your home can meet your family’s changing needs, not to mention increase the value of your property. But whether you’re considering remodeling a bathroom or adding an entire second story to your home, it’s important to ensure your heating and cooling system can handle the bigger or better space.

Properly sizing your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system can lead to greater comfort, lower energy costs and better indoor air quality. American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning offers the following tips for homeowners who are planning a renovation project:

• ‘Right size’ your HVAC system. Home renovations are the perfect time to assess your home comfort needs and your HVAC system. For example, adding square footage to your home may strain your existing system.

  You can contact a professional HVAC contractor to conduct a ‘load calculation’ to determine the capacity and capabilities of your current system against your planned renovation. This important step helps match the right system for your home’s size and your family’s needs, such as ensuring rooms are evenly heated or cooled. Proper equipment sizing can also extend the life of your investment, since all components are efficiently operating at the right time, speed and temperatures.

• Save energy costs. If your home is more than eight years old and still has the original system, you may be missing opportunities to decrease your home’s energy bills while increasing your family’s comfort. While overhauling your HVAC system may seem like a chore, the latest heating and cooling systems are more effective and efficient than ever.

  Upgrading to a new, more efficient system will likely save you more on energy bills than you spent on the new unit, according to National Geographic’s Green Guide. Furthermore, by replacing or upgrading your current system as part of your home renovation, you can create a matched system in which every component is designed to work together and has the highest possible energy efficiency ratings. Ask for ENERGY STAR-qualified products that meet strict guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Clean your home’s air. Today’s homes are better sealed and insulated – often as a result of a home renovation project. This is great news from an energy standpoint. But it also means pollutants and allergens are being sealed inside your home.

  Installing a whole-home air cleaner, like the American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning AccuClean, as part of your heating and cooling system can help clean the filtered air in every room of your home. American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning AccuClean’s patented filtration technology removes up to 99.98 percent of airborne particles and allergens from the filtered air your family breathes, including dust, dander, pollen and bacteria. It also removes more than 99 percent of the common flu virus from the filtered air in your home, according to a new Harvard-led research study.

Whatever your home renovation project involves, a perfectly sized and matched HVAC system can help you enjoy your new or remodeled space even more. For information on how to choose a system that’s right for your home or to find an American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning independent dealer near you, visit www.americanstandardair.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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