What Kind of System is Right for my Home?

Key Factors:

Whether you are evaluating heating, cooling and related air quality systems for a new or existing home, the best choice in systems for your home depend upon a number of key factors such as:

• Your comfort expectations
• The physical size and construction of your home
• Your geographic region
• Energy sources available and affordable
• Budget considerations
• If an existing home, the type of system that is being replaced

Types of Systems

Understanding the various types of systems that are available, from a general perspective, will help you understand the solution options available. However, determining the fine details of each of the options, evaluating them based on the above criteria, and deciding on needed accessories and controls should be information that your contractor’s sales consultant should present to you.

Let’s first look at the main systems categories. They are:

• Gas Furnaces
• Central Air Conditioning
• Heat Pumps
• Special Purpose (Small Packaged) Systems
• Boilers

Air Quality Products

There are a number of accessories that further enhance the cleanliness, freshness and comfort of your home’s air. Some monitor and control indoor humidity, some purify the air, and some enhance the performance and fine-tune the efficiency of the primary systems. Such accessories include:

• Air Cleaners
• Humidifiers
• Thermostat Controls
• Zoning Systems

Size Matters

It would be very simple if selecting the system right for your home just involved selecting a favorite brand. However, there is no “one size fits all” solution within any one brand and various models have advantages in certain situations. It takes careful assessment of your home and then matching the brand and model options to those exact needs. The ability to determine the options and provide comparisons takes professional knowledge and training.

These are some of the considerations that you and your contractor will discuss:

• If you are replacing an existing system, a look at the type and the brand of the existing system will help determine if there are physical and financial reasons to consider a similar type and brand.
• Second, various climates demand differing heating and cooling approaches. In colder regions, like we have in Wisconsin, a furnace or boiler combined with air conditioning is the most common. However, there are options to this that may be demanded by special needs.

Know your Options

Energy resources are very important from both a financial and availability standpoint. You may also have personal preferences that need to be considered. Whether natural gas, oil or electricity is a solution depends upon such considerations. Most important is to have a professional guide you through the comfort, air quality and security expectations and needs of you and your family. Once determined, those requirements need to be matched with your budget. In short, your most important choice is that of a trusted, reliable HVAC design and installation partner!


Know what it all means

Your heating, air conditioning and air cleaning systems are a sizable investment. As you work with your contractor and heating cooling vendor, it helps to know as much of the terminology as possible so that you can ask the questions that are important to your needs.

This comprehensive HVAC glossary will help you become familiar with terms that will enable you to converse fluently with an air conditioning dealer or service representative.