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What Does the Energy Star Logo Mean on an Air Conditioner? - Austin HVAC Services

When you look over an HVAC system, from an air conditioner to a boiler, you may notice a blue logo on its cabinet with the name ENERGY STAR. This isn’t a commercial brand name: it’s an important notification to you, the consumer, that the unit meets government specifications for saving energy and assisting the environment. When it comes to choosing a new air conditioner system, the ENERGY STAR label is a key qualification that should factor into your decision about which model to have installed in your home.

At Intelligent Air Services, we’re familiar with many different models and brands of ACs, as well as the requirements for one to earn the ENERGY STAR logo. For your new air conditioning installation in Georgetown, TX, trust our experienced staff to help you navigate the crucial specifications so that you end up with a system that will not only keep you cool but will maintain lower utility bills as well.

The U.S. ENERGY STAR program

ENERGY STAR (which is always capitalized) is a voluntary program created and managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to guard the environment and help homeowners and businesses save money. The EPA initiated the program in 1992 under the authority of the Clean Air Act to boost the energy performance of products and buildings through a voluntary labeling system that indicates a product that meets standards the EPA sets for energy efficiency.

The minimum requirements for the ENERGY STAR label vary from product to product as well as region to region. Air conditioners are standardized for all the United States: a central air conditioning system must have a SEER rating (seasonal energy efficiency rating) and EER rating (energy efficiency rating) 15% greater than conventional models. The current product criteria for central ACs to earn the ENERGY STAR logo are at least 14.5 SEER and 12 EER. Beyond this, the system must achieve its efficiency through non-proprietary technology available from more than one manufacturer. In other words, energy-saving performance must be something available to all systems, no matter who makes it.

The U.S. EPA continually revises and updates the ENERGY STAR program to reflect changes in Federal minimum efficiency standards and recent technological advances. When you look at the ENERGY STAR logo on an air conditioning system, you will see a date indicating when the system was approved so you will know how up-to-date it is with current EPA standards.

However, keep in mind that just because an AC has the blue ENERGY STAR label on it doesn’t mean it will automatically be the best choice for your home. There are many different efficiency ratings for products that meet the ENERGY STAR qualifications; to locate the one that will keep your home cooled down as well as energy-friendly requires the knowledge of professional installers.

Call Intelligent Air Services for quality repairs, installation, and maintenance for air conditioning in Georgetown, TX. We are familiar with ENERGY STAR products and will find the ideal one for your home.

Summer temperatures on an average are over 90 degrees, with the warmest months – July and August – being closer to 100 degrees. No one wants to find out their air conditioner isn’t working on a 90 degree day. How do you avoid that? Schedule your air conditioning maintenance in Round Rock, TX with Intelligent Air Services right now, while it’s still spring.

HERE ARE A FEW REASONS TO SCHEDULE SPRING AIR CONDITIONING MAINTENANCE WITH INTELLIGENT AIR SERVICES

WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING MY MAINTENANCE APPOINTMENT?

Intelligent Air Services will complete the following during routine scheduled maintenance:

HOW DOES SPRING MAINTENANCE SAVE ME MONEY?

By having Intelligent Air Services inspect your air conditioner before the summer, you are taking steps to:

When your air conditioner is running efficiently, optimally and safely, you will see the potential savings in your energy bills and in the long run by extending the life of your system.

The warm weather is almost here – don’t wait for a hot July day to call us! Schedule air conditioning maintenance in Round Rock, TX with Intelligent Air Services today and be ready for the summer temps.

Posted in Air Conditioning

Keeping your home heated in the winter and cool throughout the sweltering summer months is a challenge in and of itself. Doing so in the most efficient, effective way possible adds a lot to the challenge of keeping yourself and your family comfortable. If you truly want to take control over the way in which you use your heating and air conditioning systems, contact Intelligent Air Services today. We can help you decide if using a zone control system is the right move for you. If you use a furnace, heat pump, or any other ducted HVAC equipment, a zone control system can make your home a more comfortable and efficient place to live.

A zone control system consists of a set of dampers that are installed directly in your ductwork system. These dampers are wired to a control panel, and they adjust to temperature demands depending on how you choose to heat and cool your home. By using multiple thermostats throughout the house, you can create different temperature zones. What this means is that you no longer have to heat and cool your entire house to the same temperature. This is a great benefit to homeowners everywhere.

ENJOY ENERGY EFFICIENCY & COST SAVINGS WITH CUSTOMIZED HEATING & COOLING 

Have you ever wanted to keep your guests in the living room comfortable, but doing so came at the expense of heating or cooling unoccupied bedrooms upstairs? With a good zone control system in Austin, TX, you won’t have to do so any longer. Simply heat or cool those zones you wish to and adjust bedroom temperatures accordingly when the time is right: before bed.

Not only can a zone control system help you to cut down on heating and cooling costs, but using one can actually help to make your home a more comfortable place to live for everyone therein. How many arguments have you been involved in or bore witness to regarding the proper temperature settings at the thermostat? When you use a zone control system, you won’t encounter such unpleasantness. This equipment allows different people to enjoy different temperatures in the areas of the home in which they are sleeping, studying, and so on.

Make your home more comfortable and cut down on heating and cooling costs by allowing Intelligent Air Services to handle your zone control system services. Call us at (512) 323-2500 now to get started.

One of the great things about owning a home today is the great variety of gadgets, appliances and HVAC equipment available to make your life more comfortable. Of course, choosing how to heat and cool your home is a more difficult decision to make than deciding on the right coffee maker. That’s why the Austin, TX heating and air conditioning specialists at Intelligent Air Services are here to ensure that your home is warm all winter long and that you are able to beat the heat during the hottest days of summer. You may not know it yet, but a quality heat pump could be just what you need for efficient year-round comfort!

A heat pump is a great HVAC option for a few different reasons. First of all, these systems are able to both heat and cool your home, something that a furnace or traditional central air conditioning system simply cannot aspire to. During the summer months, the heat pump works just like an air conditioner, removing heat from the air in your home and then redistributing that heat throughout the building. Once the cooler weather arrives, though, a heat pump in Austin, TX can just as easily work in the opposite fashion, reversing its operation to heat your home back up. The way it does so is the big selling point of heat pump technology.

Heat pumps do not generate heat the way a system such as a furnace does. Instead, heat pumps make use of the ambient heat in the air outside to warm your house up. How is this possible? Well, even when it is not that hot out, the air outside retains some heat. By absorbing that heat and utilizing the heat transfer process to bring it into your home, heat pumps are able to use just a small amount of electricity to keep you warm and cozy. Our fairly mild winter weather helps to ensure that a quality heat pump in Austin, TX can handle anything that the heating season can throw at you.

Does heat pump installation sound intriguing to you? Click below to learn more!

Our Heat Pump Services

Air conditioners operate via refrigeration, which involves the use of a chemical blend called refrigerant, a set of coils, a compressor, the expansion valve, and a fan, among other vital parts. The refrigerant absorbs heat from a home inside at the evaporator coil, when it evaporates into a gas. It lets off the heat at the condenser unit outside as it condenses into a liquid. A fan blowing over the indoor coil moves cool air into the room.

A heat pump has an extra component known as a reversing valve that allows the refrigerant to move the opposite direction, absorbing heat from the outside to bring into your home. The indoor coil becomes a condenser while the outside coil is for evaporation. Check valves help redirect the refrigerant so it flows through components the right way and so that it can avoid certain parts, like the expansion valve.

Heat pumps do have a balance point at which they struggle to gather enough heat from the outside air to heat a home. That’s why most installers add on strips of electric heating elements (that resemble the inside of a toaster) as a backup heating source, although a furnace may also be used in some cases.

The thermostat is programmed to recognize when the heating strips are needed, but it’s important to note that these require a lot of energy to use and should be in use sparingly. Heat pumps are efficient because they only use electricity to move heat from place to place, but the additional heating strips are inefficient because they actually generate heat.

To learn more about heat pumps in Austin, TX, call (512) 323-2500 today. We have the answers you need to determine if a heat pump is a right option for you. When it comes to heat pumps, you can’t go wrong with Intelligent Air Services.

You have an air conditioning system to keep you cool during the summer months. You also have a heater to keep your home warm and cozy when the temperature drops. You may even have an air filtration system in order to keep the pollutants that infiltrate your home under control. What about the humidity within your house, though? Is there anything to keep that in check?

Humidity imbalance is a serious problem that many homeowners are suffering from, sometimes without even realizing it. There are a lot of issues that can come along with very humid or overly dry air. Fortunately, there are also plenty of warning signs that you need a humidifier or dehumidifier in Austin, TX.

Here are some tips from the pros at Intelligent Air Services:

SIGNS THAT YOU NEED A HUMIDIFIER IN AUSTIN, TX

Texas is a pretty warm place to be for most of the year. It can also be a very dry place. Don’t let low humidity levels set your comfort back. If you frequently wake up with a sore throat, suffer from nosebleeds frequently, or have very dry, itchy skin, you may need more moisture in the air within your home. You may also notice that your pain is chipping or that wooden fixtures are splitting. All of these problems indicate that you need to increase the humidity throughout your house. With a whole-house humidifier in Austin, TX you can do just that. To learn more about how such humidifiers work, how they integrate into existing HVAC equipment, or to schedule service, just give us a call at (512) 675-6997. We are happy to restore proper humidity levels to your home.

SIGNS THAT YOU NEED A DEHUMIDIFIER IN AUSTIN, TX

It is also possible that your home may suffer from too much humidity in the air therein. This is every bit as problematic as having too little moisture in your air. High humidity levels can make areas of your home feel stuffy and uncomfortable. It can also lead to problems with biological pollutants, such as mold, which thrive in damp surroundings. You may find that there is a lot of condensation on your windows and pipes, or that wallpaper is peeling back from the walls. Whatever tips you off, the right dehumidifier is just what you need to resolve this humidity crisis.

Do you need a humidifier or dehumidifier for your Texas home? Contact Intelligent Air Services today

It is a sad fact that heating and cooling our homes seem to only get more and more expensive each season. Because of the rising trends we see in fuel prices, many homeowners are looking for more efficient ways in which to keep comfortable throughout the year. One great way of doing so is to use a geothermal heating and cooling system in Austin, TX. With the right geothermal heating and cooling system, you can cut heating and cooling costs without sacrificing any of your comforts. Contact Intelligent Air Services today if this is a goal that intrigues you.

How you may wonder, is a geothermal heating and cooling system able to both heat and cool your home, let alone so efficiently? The secret lies in the heat transfer process that geothermal heating and cooling systems utilize. During the summer months, a geothermal heat pump will act in much the same way that a traditional air conditioning system does. Heat is removed from the air in your home, and that cooled air is then sent back throughout the house via a system of ductwork. The difference is, by reversing this operational process, a geothermal system in Austin, TX can use existing heat in order to warm your home up in the winter.

A geothermal heat pump uses a geothermal loop system to absorb heat from beneath the ground, where temperatures are fairly constant. The antifreeze solution within this loop system makes its way to the heat pump, where the heat is transferred to the refrigerant therein. Because drops in temperatures do not affect heat beneath the ground as much as they do the air, geothermal heating and cooling systems are even more reliable than air source heat pumps. Needless to say, only a skilled professional can handle your geothermal installation in Austin, TX. Give us a call today if you’d like to learn more.

Whether you want to save some money when heating and cooling your home or if you want to do so in a more environmentally friendly manner, a geothermal system in Austin, TX is a great option to consider. Intelligent Air Services is the company to call with any questions you may have. Let us help you decide if going geothermal is the right choice for you.