This Article Is About The Latest HVAC Innovations That Lower Energy Costs

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).

Over The Years, Central A/C & Heating Systems Have Become More & More Energy Efficient.   With further HVAC Efficiency improvements becoming more difficult, the HVAC Industry is looking for additional ways to lower energy costs by reducing how much the system must run.

 Central A/C SEER (cooling efficiency) Advances Since 1980:

• SEER 6 or lower   Before 1980
• SEER 7 or lower    1980-1985
• SEER 8 or lower    1986-1991
• SEER 10-12           1992-2005
• SEER 13+              2006 to present
• SEER 14   Minimum SEER for a new Central A/C installed in DFW today.

2018 Highest SEER Central A/C Systems

• Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C’s highest SEER up to 22.   American Standard’ AccuComfort Platnum-20 Central A/C.

• Next highest is Amana AVXC20 & Daikin DX20VC — SEER up to 24.5.

Houston, Texas based Goodman also made Amana brand.  In August, 2012 Daikin (a Japanese, Global 1000 Fortune Company) bought Goodman.  Today all 3 brands are  made by Daikin.   In 2012, Daikin has a $453 million campus on 90 acres in Hockley, northwest of Houston.  It is a nearly 4 million square foot manufacturing plant.

• The highest Central A/C SEER is Lennox Signature Series XC 25 — SEER up to 26.

Click Here To See Some Of The Highest SEER Central A/C Systems: EnergyStar.gov Most Efficient Central A/C

New Innovations That Lower Energy Costs

By Allowing The HVAC System To Run Less

Though advances in SEER (cooling efficiency) & HSPF (Heat Pump heating efficiency) will continue, the increases will be less frequent.  In order to continue to lower energy costs, attention is being directed at reducing the amount of time the System must run.

Smart Thermostats

SHOWN: Nest 3rd Generation Smart Thermostat With Silver Trim Ring

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SHOWN: Nest 3rd Generation Smart Thermostat With White Trim Ring

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SHOWN: Nest 3rd Generation Smart Thermostat — ALL WHITE

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It’s common knowledge that automatic, set-back thermostats can lower energy costs by reducing the level of cooling or heating during pre-set times of the day.  Smart Thermostats take that feature a notable step further.

A traditional, automatic set-back thermostat readjusts at a preset time.    Smart thermostats adjust themselves based on outdoor temps & how long it takes the HVAC System to cool or heat the house.

Smart Thermostats go on line to get the outdoor temperature.  The Smart Thermostat also “learns” how long it takes the HVAC System to rewarm the house at various outdoor temps.  Knowing these two things, a Smart Thermostat will start the HVAC System earlier or later based on outdoor temp.  At Smart Thermostat will lower energy costs more than an Automatic Set-Back Thermostat.

If it’s 20 degrees overnight one day and 45 degrees the next, a Smart Thermostat will start the HVAC System later on the 2nd day.  This further reduces energy usage because the HVAC System starts to rewarm the house at the latest time possible that will ensure the house is at the desired temp at the desired time.   In areas with volatile outdoor temps (like DFW during winter).  Lower energy costs will be achieved by starting the HVAC no sooner than required.

Offering 3 settings, the Nest brand thermostat maximizes Heat Pump savings while ensuring your desired comfort level.  As it gets colder outside, the heat pump becomes less efficient (because there is less heat in the outdoor air to capture).   Once it gets cold enough, a heat pump will need assistance from auxiliary heating (usually an electric back up heat strip inside the furnace).

If you set the temperature back at night, the Nest will turn the heat pump on early enough to ensure the correct indoor temperature.  The colder it is outside, the sooner the heat pump must turn on (because the temperature of its heated air lowers).

Nest Allows Heat Pump Owners To Choose:

• Maximum Comfort — Uses the auxiliary heating more to raise the indoor temperature faster.

• Maximum Savings — Uses the Heat Pump as much as possible while minimizing the use of  auxiliary heating.  This setting will lower energy costs the most.

• Balance — Nest decides what is best, based on outdoor temperature.  When it’s warmer outside, Nest will use the heat pump more.  As it gets colder, Nest chooses when more auxiliary heating is best to ensure indoor comfort.

To Learn More About The Nest Smart Thermostat, Click On The Links Below:

Nest Thermostat Benefits: AlsPlumbing.com Benefits From A Nest Smart Thermstat

Nest Thermostat App:AlsPlumbing.com The Nest Thermostat App

Automatic Supply-Air Vent CoversKeen Home Smart Vent

Your HVAC System was designed and installed to operate with all the supply-air vents (those air comes out of) open all the time.  If too many vents are closed, pressure builds up in your ductwork.   Air pressure build up affects both ductwork and the furnace’s blower-fan.

There are now replacement vents that monitor both the Room Temperature & Ductwork Air-Pressure.  They automatically open & close as needed to correct temperature & air-pressure imbalances.  These automated vent covers lower energy costs by regulating airflow into rooms that are seldom used, or rooms that are frequently too warm to too cool.  The Keen Smart Vent replaces the existing supply-air vent cover.

• The primary focus for these vents is rooms that don’t need daily heating or cooling.
• Also, other rooms that regularly feel too hot or too cold will benefit.

This system of Automatic Supply-Air Vents allows up to 1/3 of total air vents to be replaced with motorized vent covers.   Smart Vents™ adjust airflow to over-conditioned rooms & redirects that airflow to the rooms that need it most. Temp Sensors and the Smart Bridge allow the Keen Home smartphone app to set schedules, set specific room temperatures, and control compatible thermostats.

Keen Vents recommends no more than 1/3 of your vents be Keen Home vents, to avoid damage to the furnace blower-fan.  You will likely replace no more than 4-6 vents.    Each room must be equipped with a Smart Vent + Temperature Sensor.  Additionally, the Keen Smart Bridge is required to interconnect all the smart vents, so each vent knows the status of all other vents.

10″ Wide Smart Vents

SHOWN: Keen SMART VENT 4” x 10″

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SHOWN: Keen SMART VENT 6” x 10″

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12″ Wide Smart Vents

SHOWN: Keen SMART VENT 4″ x 12“

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SHOWN: Keen SMART VENT 6″ x 12“

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Keen TRIM KIT’s —  Allows A Smart Vent To Be Installed In A Larger OpeningSHOWN: Keen TRIM KIT 6″ x 14″  This Allows A 6 x 12″Smart Vent To Be Installed In A 6 x 14″ Opening

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SHOWN: Keen TRIM KIT 12″ x 12″  This Allows A 6 x12″ Smart Vent To Be Installed In A 12″ x 12″ Opening

Click On Image To: See Product, Read Details, or Purchase From Amazon.comSHOWN: Keen Home Smart Bridge (inter-connects all Smart Vents)

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Note: At the time this article was written, Amazon did not yet stock Keen Smart Vent Temperature Sensors.

Click On Link Below To Purchase Keen Home KH-TS Temperature Sensor From Walmart.com:

Buy Keen Temp. Sensor From Walmart.com (SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PRODUCT)

Demand-Controlled Home Ventilation

Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) Is Making In-Roads Into Residential Environments.

We Provide Information For One Residential DCV System  Available. 

With new homes becoming increasingly air-tight, mechanical ventilation is required to ensure the home exchanges indoor air with outdoor air to eliminate the build up of indoor air pollutants.

Some new home builders install exhaust-vents that run 24/7 to ensure adequate air-exchange for the home.   If your home has an exhaust vent that you can’t shut off (most likely in the owner’s bathroom) — it is the mechanical-ventilation for the home.  While this system meets air-exchange requirements,  it has a negative effect on lower energy costs.

One flaw with this system is that it runs at one speed all the time, regardless of how many occupants are in the home & with no regard for the activities in the home (such as someone who cooks a lot versus someone who cooks very little).  As the number of occupants rises, need for mechanical ventilation rises too.  As compared,  during times of lower occupancy, Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) reduces ventilation and saves energy.  During times of less home mechanical-ventilation, the HVAC System runs less.

One of the factors related to lower energy costs is the volume of (heated or cooled) air being vented out of the home.  The introduction of outdoor air changes the indoor temperature, requiring the HVAC system to provide additional heating or cooling.  Energy Recovery Ventilation systems remove the heat or cool from the air they are exhausting and use it to warm or cool incoming fresh air.

Ventilation Is Needed To Control Two Types Of Indoor Pollution

• Pollution Created By People   
• A common way of measuring occupancy is using Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Sensors that measure how much Carbon Dioxide is exhaled into the space.
• When a space is vacant, the rate of ventilation can be decreased.

AND

• Pollution Created From “Off-Gassing”  From Building Products & Furniture  (a “new smell” is off-gassing) .

There Are Two Levels Of Ventilation Needed In Every Home

• Continuous, Low-Volume Ventilation Throughout The Entire Home.

AND

• Short-Term, High-Volume Ventilation In Areas Such As Baths & Kitchen.

Demand-Control Ventilation (DCV) Automatically Adjusts The Rate Of Ventilation 

When Needed (such as during a shower).

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NOTE: The information provided here is as a courtesy to our readers.  Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C does not endorse any specific brand of Demand Controlled Ventilation system only because we don’t have comprehensive knowledge of all brands available.

American Aldes Whole-House Demand Control Ventilation System

This Product Provides:

• Whole-house ventilation.  
• Bathroom “on-demand boosted ventilation” to only the room(s) being used as any given time.
• Both types of ventilation are regulated to minimize the heating & cooling demand that the ventilation system creates.

The residential DCV System shown above is available now.  It has a central ventilator-box with 4 openings to accommodate air coming into it from 2 bathrooms, kitchen, & laundry room.  The box has a continuous-duty fan that provides continuous, whole-house exhaust-ventilation for a typical home by removing air from the home where it most likely needs to be removed (baths, laundry room, & kitchen) .  Additionally, when needed, the system “boosts” (increases the rate of ventilation) temporarily, such as during a shower in a bathroom.  By minimizing both the volume of air exhausted and removing the heat or cool from the air before it’s exhausted, this system will lower energy costs.

The System Has “Energy Recovery”.  This Means:

• The system removes most of the heat (or cool) from the air it’s exhausting from the home.
• The system uses this (recovered) heat or cool to warm or cool incoming fresh air.
• This minimizes the system removing heated or cooled air from the home.
• This saves on heating & cooling costs.

Click Below For A YouTube Video Demonstrating How The Central-Ventilation Systems Works. 

American Aldes Whole-House Ventilation System

Helpful Information As You View The Video:

• Red arrows are warm & humid air (from inside the home) — heading into the Ventilation Box. 

• Blue arrows are cold,  fresh air coming into the home from outside.

          AND

• Blue arrows are cooled exhaust-air air (with its heat removed) being vented out of the house. 

• Purple arrows are air being recirculated throughout the home (coming from the Ventilation Box).   

• When the pipes (from the bathrooms) temporarily turn green — that represents the baths having boosted (high-volume) ventilation.

B. For Large Homes, the company also makes a central ventilation system just for bathrooms.  The ventilator serves 2-5 bathrooms, and can be expanded to serve up to 8.

Because it ventilates in “zones”,  the system provides high-volume ventilation to only the bathroom being used.  All other bathrooms continue to receive only low-volume (whole house) ventilation.

Click Here To Read About A Residential Demand-Ventilation System That Is Available Today:  Aldes.us Residential Ventilation Solutions

Click Here To Read About The Actual Ventilator Equipment: Aldes.us Mpvs150 & Mpvs200 Multi Port Ventilators

Airside Economizer

The purpose of an Airside Economizer will lower energy costs by using outdoor air to cool or heat the home when weather conditions allow.  An airside economizer is an automatically controlled duct & damper system that allows the HVAC System to supply outdoor air to eliminate or reduce the need for air conditioning or heating during mild weather.

Click Here To See A Brochure: CoolMizer Brochure

CoolMizer delivers cool outside air by selectively introducing outdoor air into a ducted heating and/or cooling system. Utilizing the system’s blower-fan, air is drawn into the home through an opening controlled by dampers and distributed through the duct system.

The introduction outside air (versus running a/c or furnace) is based upon outdoor temperature & humidity level.  When heating or cooling is needed, and outdoor conditions are favorable, the system opens dampers to draw in the outside air.  If the outdoor temp is not enough to meet the indoor need, the CoolMizer with turn the a/c or furnace on (at its lowest operating mode) to “assist” by minimally cooling or heating the outdoor air it is drawing in to the home.

Motion-Activated HVAC

Though Motion-Activated HVAC Is Mostly In Commercial Applications Currently, It’s Making In-Roads Into Residential Environments.

Though this innovation is currently mostly in commercial applications, it’s starting to make inroads into residential HVAC.   Perhaps you have been in a Target store and noticed that the frozen foods cabinets light up as you enter their area.  This motion-activated system reduces the amount of time the display cabinets’ lights must run.  Like the frozen foods displays at Target, in a home with “Occupancy Sensors” the HVAC System comes on when someone is present.

Click Here To See One Type Of Motion-Sensor Being Sold Today: Infrared Occupancy Sensor For HVAC

This Article Was About The Latest HVAC Innovations To Lower Energy Costs

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).