20
Jul

2019 Energy Star Most Efficient HVAC

  • By : Editorial
  • HVAC

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This Article Is About 2019 Energy Star Most Efficient HVAC.   Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C, in Plano, Texas provides full service plumbing maintenance, repairs and replacements for every plumbing component in your home.  Al’s sells and installs Rheem Professional Series gas & electric water heaters, and tankless water heaters.  Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C is near your home in Richardson TX, Garland TX and northeastern Dallas, TX.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX & Denton County, TX with no additional travel charge. We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX & Denton County, TX with no additional travel charge.

Al’s also provides maintenance & repairs for all brands of Central A/C, Heat Pumps, and Gas & Electric Furnaces.  Additionally, we sell and install new HVAC Systems from American Standard (same company as Trane) — A 2019 Energy Star Most Efficient HVAC Selected Products, Ameristar (same company as American Standard) and Coleman HVAC (same company as York HVAC). central air conditioner outside unit

Image Source: DreamsTime

2019 ENERGY STAR Most Efficient HVAC Products

For 2019, ENERGY STAR Most Efficient HVAC Designation Recognizes Select HVAC Products (among ENERGY STAR certified products).  These Central Air Conditioners represent the leading edge of energy efficient products for 2019.  These systems are designed to provide maximum comfort while using the least electricity (with the; thermostat, controller, or application as identified within the article).

2019 Energy Star Most Efficient HVAC

Includes These American Standard HVAC Systems

                        Outdoor Unit                                         SEER                                        BTU Capacities                                                                Indoor Unit

  • American Standard Platinum 18 Series  SEER 18                              24,600–54,000 BTU             TAM9 — Variable-Speed Air Handler / Multiple BTU Available
  • American Standard Platinum 20 Series  SEER 19.25–20                24,000–52,000 BTU            TAM8–  Variable-Speed Air Handler / Multiple BTU Available
  • American Standard Platinum 20 Series  SEER 19                                       54000 BTU                       TAM7A0C60   Variable-Speed Air Handler / 60,000 BTU

 

Note: The Article lists the Air Handler Models paired with the outdoor unit.   Air Handlers are not furnaces but American Standard offers gas furnaces that are compatible with the outdoor units shown above.

Click Here To Read The Entire Report – 2019 Energy Star Most Efficient HVAC Systems: Energy Star’s 2019 Selected HVAC Systems

 

Oxbox & Ameristar Value-Priced HVAC Sytems

New for 2019, Trane endorses the value-priced brand Oxbox.  We have an article (link below) about Oxbox HVAC.  Within the article we note that we cannot determine any difference between Ameristar HVAC & Oxbox HVAC components.

They are made by the same company, Ingersoll Rand.  Ingersol Rand also makes Trane & American Standard premier HVAC Systems.  Both their premier and value-priced brands appear to be identical products that are branded under two different names.  In most cases, they have the same model number, though the prefix before the number is different.  We attribute the prefix difference as representing the brand.

Click Here To Learn More About Ameristar & Oxbox Value-Priced HVAC Systems: Oxbox & Ameristar HVAC

 

Texas Cooling & Heating Represents 41% Of Total Residential Energy Bills

According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency ** Texas Homes Cooling & Heating Costs Represent 41% of  Total Residential Energy Bills.  In Texas, heating costs are 22% and cooling cost are 19%.

The perhaps surprising heating costs are because 1/2 of Texas home have electric heat.   According to Center Point Energy *** “Natural gas prices are consistently 2 to 3 times lower than electricity prices.

In Our Article We State:

  • 80% GAS Furnace: 60.2 MCF of Natural Gas X $9.71 per MCF:       $585.00 Annual Heating Cost 
  • 97% GAS Furnace:  51.2 MCF X $9.71 per MCF:                                   $497.00 Annual Heating Cost
  • Standard Efficiency Heat Pump 7,450 kWh X 0.1098:                 $810.00 Annual Heating Cost (around 35% less expensive than electric furnace)
  • Electric Furnace: 11,775 kWh X 0.1098 per kWh:                          $1,295.00 Annual Heating Cost 

** Source: https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/reports/2009/state_briefs/pdf/tx.pdf

*** Source: https://www.centerpointenergy.com/en-us/Services/Pages/natural-gas-electricity-cost-comparison.aspx?sa=mn&au=bus

Click Below To Read Our Article On The Heating Costs With Electricity Versus Natural Gas: 

AlsPlumbing.com Heat Pump & Gas Furnace Heating Costs

 

Top Ways You Can Decrease Cooling & Heating Costs. 

Next We Provide The Top Home Energy-Saving Upgrades + Top Habits That Save On Cooling & Heating Costs. 

For More Detailed Articles:

45 Ways To Lower Cooling Costs (Without Upgrading A/C):  AlsPlumbing.com 45 Ways To Lower Cooling Costs

Ways To Lower Heating Costs (3-Part Article): AlsPlumbing.com 20 Uncommon Ways To Lower Heating Costs (Part 1 of 3)

 

 Top Energy-Saving Home Upgrades

Given the long list of home expensive energy-saving upgrades you can purchase (such as Low-E windows), the upgrades below represent the best investments to lower cooling & heating costs:

  • Ductwork Inspection + Sealing Ductwork Leaks
  • Programmable or Smart Thermostat
  • Sealing Air Leaks Throughout The House
  • Attic Insulation

Ductwork Inspection To Determine If It’s Leaking

Up to 40% of cooled or heated air can be escaping into the attic from leaking ductwork.  Ductwork can have air leaks due to poor installation practices, or degradation of sealing materials which has occurred over time.  Also, it’s easy to bump a heat duct while working in the attic.  Though it may appear fine, an air leak may have just been created.

In older homes, ductwork installation practices allow for a large number of air leaks.   Older homes may have attic ductwork that is uninsulated and was never sealed for air leaks when installed.  In many homes ductwork was sealed with Duct Tape at the time of installation.  Duct tape fails very quickly in hot attics.  Mastic is what is needed to seal ductwork for a long time.  If only 1 leak is found, lower cooling costs can pay for the inspection and repair costs in as little as one year.  Mastic stays pliable for years, keeping the seal in tact.

Click To See A Substantial Ductwork Air Leak: Substantial Ductwork Leak

Click To See A Substantial Ductwork Air Leak: Substantial Ductwork Leak

Click To See A Substantial Ductwork Air Leak: Substantial Ductwork Leak

Click To See A Substantial Ductwork Air Leak: Substantial Ductwork Leak

Click To See A Substantial Ductwork Air Leak: Substantial Ductwork Leak

Click To See A Substantial Ductwork Air Leak: Substantial Ductwork Leak

Click To See Today’s Method Of Sealing Ductwork With Mastic: Ductwork Being Sealed With Mastic

Programmable Thermostat

programmable thermostat

SHOWN: Programmable Thermostat

Image Source: ShutterStock

Programmable Thermostats are inexpensive and easy to install.  Thermostats are the most cost-efficient way to lower cooling & heating costs — if your lifestyle allows temps to be adjusted during the day because no one is home, or at night.  These thermostats set your A/C cooler or warmer when you want (such as warmer during the summer while you are at work).

NOTE: Programmable thermostats are designed to reduce cooling and heating demand during times when the home is not occupied, or at night.  They provide little value for homes that are always occupied, or homes where the heat is not reduced at night.

Smart Thermostat

nest thermostat in heating mode

SHOWN: Nest Thermostat

Image Source: ShutterStock

You may be aware of the Nest Smart Thermostat, a sophisticated device with many capabilities.  The Nest Thermostat’s Buyer Satisfaction Rating Score is 4.5 Stars (out of 5) with 14,000 buyer reviews on Amazon alone (as of July 2019)!

The difference between the Nest Smart Thermostat and a Programmable unit is:

  • Nest will learn your cooling / heating habits
  • Nest programs itself.
  • Nest learns how long it takes to restore the temperature.  This ensures your home is the desired temperature at the desired time.
  • Nest goes on-line to get the outside temperature, then varies the reset time based on outdoor temperature.
  • Another notable feature is Nest’s ability to sense and control indoor humidity level (using the A/C).

Nest’s “Early-On” feature combines the thermostat’s schedule with the knowledge it has gained with the “Time-to-Temp” feature.  It learns how long it takes your HVAC System to reheat or recool the house (after the temperature was set back).   With this knowledge, it knows when to start the HVAC to achieve the desired temperature at the preset time.   If Nest learned that you arrive home from work at 6 pm, and you want the house to be 70 degrees, Nest will begin to cool / heat the house at the correct time, based on outdoor temperature.  It won’t start cooling or heating earlier or later than required.  Programmable thermostats can only reset at the times you tell them to.

  • Nest Connects To Your Home’s Wi-Fi
  • You Can Operate It From Your Cell Phone with the Nest App.
  • It Details Your Heating / Cooling Energy-Use History.
  • It Notifies Your Cell Phone If Your Home’s Temperature Is Too High Or Too Low, due to a possible shutdown of the HVAC system.

Click Here To Learn More About The Nest Thermostat:  AlsPlumbing.com Nest Thermostat

Identify & Seal Air Leaks

Click Here For The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Brochure Dedicated To Sealing Your Home From Air Leaks: DOE Sealing Your Home

According to the U.S. Dept. Of Energy (DOE) — Air Leaks Account For Up To 30% Of Total Cooling & Heating Loss

Where  Homes Leak Air:

  • 31% Floors, Walls, & Ceilings
  • 15% Ductwork
  • 14% Fireplace
  • 13% Plumbing Penetrations Through Walls
  • 11% Exterior Doors
  • 10% Windows
  •  2% Electrical Outlets & Switches

Source: U.S. Department Of Energy (DOE)

The older the home, the more air it leaks.   A newly built home in Texas can have no more than 3 Air Changes Per Hour.   An Air Change is an exchange of the home’s entire indoor air with outside air through leaks and / or mechanical ventilation.   A typical home built in 1970 has as many as 17 ACH!   All the air leaks in a typical older home would be the equivalent to having one window open all the time. **

** Source: https://www.nrdc.org

Note: We perform dictwork inspections and sealing. 

We do not perform Energy Audits or Home Weatherization Services.   

To Find Air Leaks, Have An Energy-Audit Done For Your Home.

There are services that only do Energy Audits.  Others also perform the required energy upgrades for a fee.

blower door test

SHOWN:  A Doorway Temporarily Equipped For A Blower Door Test 

Image Source: ShutterStock

* An Energy-Audit includes a “blower door test”.  This temporary door-enclosure allows the house to be “negatively pressurized” which causes air to flow into the home at every place the home is leaking air.  This is the easiest and most comprehensive way to identify all places where the home is leaking air.

Click Here For A YouTube Video Showing A Blower-Door Test: Blower Door Test

 

Attic Insulation

measuring insulation level in attic

Image Source: ShutterStock

The energy saving benefits from adding insulation (if needed) will pay for the insulation in a few years.   Insulation is quick and easy to add to any attic.  Also, thicker attic insulation dampens outside noise entering the home through the roof & ceilings.  PLUS it saves year-round by lowering heating costs.  Texas’ current Building Code requires R-38 attic insulation in newly built homes.

In Our Article (link below) We State:

Texas Homes Insulation Levels That Were Common And Became Required By Building-Code:

           Attic Insulation                           Wall Insulation

  • 1950’s:         none                                     none
  • 1965-1970: R-13 (3.5″ BATT)              R-6 (2″ BATT)
  • 1970’s:         R-19 (6  ″ BATT)               R-6  (2″ BATT)     *3
  • 1980’s:        R-30 (9″  Blown)               R-13 (3.5″ BATT) *4
  • 2014:           R-38 (15″ Blown)               R-15                        *5
  • *3 Source: https://snuggpro.com/blog/item/many-homes-built-prior-to-1980-were-built-without-insulation-in-the-walls
  • *4 Source: https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/insulation-code-change_o
  • *5 As required by the 2012 Edition of the International Building Code (IBC)

Click Here To Read The Entire Article: Lower Heating & Cooling Costs With Attic Insulation

 

Today, TX Building Code Requires R-38 Attic Insulation

The U. S. Dept. Of Energy (DOE) Recommends Of R-30 – 60 for DFW / Climate Zone 3

TX Building Code requires R-38.  We will use the Department Of Energy mid-point of R-45 attic insulation for Zone 3.

  • A standard 6″ batt of insulation has R-19.
  • 1 inch of blown fiberglass insulation provides R-3.25.
  • R-19      6 inches of batt fiberglass insulation
  • + R-19  + 6 inches of blown fiberglass insulation
  • If no batt insulation exists, 11 inches of blown fiberglass insulation is needed

(DOE) Recommendation For DFW Attic Insulation Of R-30 – 60

For The Mid-Point of R-49:

  • R-19      6 inches of batt fiberglass insulation
  • R-26  + 8 inches of blown fiberglass insulation
  • If no batt insulation exists, 14 inches of blown fiberglass insulation is needed

NOTE: We Do Not Provide Insulation Services.

If Only 5% Of Your Attic Floor Is Not Covered With Insulation

The Overall R-Value Of The Entire Attic’s Insulation Is Reduce By Up To 1/2!

It’s common for people working in the attic to kick insulation out of their way.   It’s wise to do any required work in the attic before insulating.  After insulating, keep workers out of the attic unless it’s absolutely necessary, and check to see if they moved insulation out of their way.

Click On Image To: View Product, See Details, or Purchase From Amazon.com

Image Source: Amazon.com

With a Non-contact Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer, you can check the temperature of your ceilings while standing on the floor inside your living space.  This allows you to determine if there is insufficient or missing insulation anywhere inside your attic. 

Click Here To See A Thermal Image Of Missing Attic Insulation: Thermal Image Of Missing Attic Insulation

 

Adopting Habits That Lower Cooling & Heating Costs

  • The single habit of checking your furnace filter each month (and replacing when needed) can reduce cooling costs by up to 15%.

dirty air filter on left. New air filter on right.

Image Source: CanStockPhoto

  • Cleaning a dirty Outside A/C Unit can reduce cooling costs by up to 35%!

Click Here To See A Before & After Cleaning Of Outside Central A/C Unit’s Coils: Before & After Cleaning A/C Outside Unit Coils

 

  • Cleaning the Indoor Coiling Coil (inside the furnace or ductwork and can’t be seen without removing a panel) will have a similar effect on cooling performance and costs as cleaning the outside A/C unit.
  • During summer this coil is wet when the A/C is running (it’s what removes humidity).  This makes it a prime surface for dust to stick to.
  • Furnace filters allow some dust through.  Over a long period of time, the indoor cooling coil can become clogged and requires cleaning.
  • If the furnace was operated without a filter, the indoor cooling coil can become completely clogged in a very short period of time.

Click Here To See A Clogged Indoor Cooling Coil: Clogged A/C Cooling Coil

 

  • Clean the Coils Under The Refrigerator At Least Once Per Year.  If you have shedding pets, this needs to be done more frequently.  The coils can clog to the point the refrigerator is starved for the air it needs to cool itself.   The more clogged the coils are, the longer the refrigerator must run, while generating heat the entire time.
  • An EPA study reported that even a little dirt on condensing coils will increase its energy use by up to 35%.  **

** Source: https://www.permatron.com/case-studies/the-high-cost-of-dirty-refrigeration-coils

Click Here To See How Dirty Neglected Refrigerator Coils Can Get: Completely Clogged Refrigerator Coils

Is There An Energy Hog Living In Your Kitchen?

old refrigerator

Image Source: ShutterStock

A refrigerator built around 1985 uses 1,400 kWh and generates 475,000 BTU of heat per year.   A new Energy Star refrigerator uses 350 kWh and generates 119,000 BTU of heat.  As compared to a 15 year old refrigerator, a new refrigerator uses about 1/4 of the electricity and produces around 1/4 of the heat.

Your A/C must remove refrigerator-generated heat during the summer.  When considering replacing your refrigerator, consider both the electricity used by the refrigerator plus the electricity used by the A/C to remove the refrigerator’s heat.    Over the lifetime of the new refrigerator (as compared to a 15 year old one) — the savings in electricity, used by both the refrigerator & A/C (to rid the house of the heat generated by the refrigerator) will pay for the new refrigerator.

SOURCE: http://www.theunitconverter.com/btu-to-kilowatt-hour-conversion/1400-btu-to-kilowatt-hour.html

 

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Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C in Plano, Texas provides maintenance & repairs for all brands of Central A/C, Gas & Electric Furnace, and Heat Pumps.  Additionally we sell and install new HVAC Systems from American Standard (same company as Trane), Ameristar (same company as American Standard) and Coleman HVAC (same company as York HVAC).

Al’s also provides full service plumbing maintenance, repairs and replacements for every plumbing component in your home.  Al’s sells and installs Rheem Professional Series gas & electric water heaters, and tankless water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in Allen TX, Frisco TX and McKinney TX.  We service all homes in southern Collin County TX & southern Denton County TX with no additional travel-charges.

Call Al’s today to discuss any concerns or problems you have with your HVAC System or Plumbing.  We will arrange an appointment at your convenience and offer 24/7 Emergency Service

 

(972) 422-7301

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