Mini Split Decision...

I, Jill, bought a new house last year that had electric baseboard heating, no a/c, and no duct. The best option financially and for comfort that I had was to install some mini splits in order to get central heat and air. I personally didn't have any experience with mini splits and it took some getting use to but almost a year later I can say I'm extremely happy with this decision! My entire house is electric and to date my highest electric bill, in the dead of winter, was about $200. My electric bill for April/May was about $100 and for May/June was $135. The units are pretty much always on and we even added a pool this year which runs a pump and uses even more electricity. The units are easy to use, easy to maintain, and do a great job at keeping a comfortable temperature throughout the entire house. What's even better is all of the rooms' temperatures can be adjusted individually so if the kids are too cold in their rooms they can turn the temperature up and it doesn't affect anyone else in the house who might be more comfortable at a cooler temperature. If a traditional HVAC system won't work for you and your set up you may want to consider adding a mini split system to your home. What are you waiting for? Call us today for a FREE estimate!

Summit Heating and Air Conditioning, LLC
4361 S. DuPont Pkwy
Townsend, DE 19734
(302)378-1203
(410)398-3233
www.summitcomfort.com

All Things Bryant

At Summit Heating and Air Conditioning LLC we pride ourselves on being a Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer (BFAD). You may be asking yourself, "Why?". Well, for starters Bryant Factory Authorized Dealers are few and far between as not just every Bryant Dealer qualifies to be a BFAD. There is a fairly extensive list of requirements that must be met in order to qualify such as offering 100% satisfaction guarantee, continued education, and being NATE Certified just to name a few. Want to know more about what being a Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer means to you?  Click Here!

Now that you know what it means to be a Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer let me tell you why we chose Bryant in the first place. Simply stated, "Whatever It Takes". This is Bryant's motto and we stand by it 100%! Bryant offers a superior product to some of the other brand names on the market. I'm not just saying this because I'm a Bryant Dealer- you're saying it too! In 2013 Bryant received Consumer Digest's Best Buy Award. Now that's saying something! Other companies claim to be unstoppable and I'm here to tell you that's simply not true. All units have failures at one time or another. Some come sooner than others. Failures come not just from normal wear and tear through time but also due to lack of maintenance, poor installation, outside sources beyond your control, and defective parts. Let's face it, parts are manufactured by men and women, who are human (in case you were wondering) and the reality is that humans make mistakes. Although many say they are, none of us are perfect! With that being said can I promise you that a Bryant unit will never fail due to a manufacturer defect? No! I can promise however, that Bryant will continue to make every effort to produce a high quality product as they do now and will stand behind that product as they do now- Whatever It Takes! As a Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer we offer a ten year parts warranty and one year labor warranty on every  piece of Bryant heating and cooling equipment that we install at no additional cost to the consumer. Additional options are available at no to low cost for extended labor warranties. (Just ask!) Don't be fooled into thinking that just because you've heard the name before or it's been around for a long time that the product is superior or unstoppable. Even some of the most well known names are giving consumers BIG problems. Do your research, shop around and find which brand and model are right for you! Ask your comfort consultant for a variety of options such as a "good, better, best" scenario. Searching for a budget friendly system but secretly desire a more efficient system? Also ask about financing- this can make the "best" scenario an affordable option.

In summary, don't rely on what you think you know from listening to others or even from your previous experience. Times are changing and so are the leaders in this industry. Summit Heating and Air Conditioning LLC stands behind Bryant in offering a quality product, installed by knowledgeable and skilled technicians, at an affordable price to consumers across the board - Whatever It Takes! Take us for a test drive and see for yourself.

Call the experts that care at Summit Heating and Air! 302-378-1203

Additional Resources:

Summit Heating and Air Conditioning LLC
Bryant
Furnace Sound Comparison

How To Be A Penny Pincher

Save Money the Cool Way!

With the ever rising cost of fuel, electricity, and overall cost of living there has never been a better time to learn how to pinch those pennies- after all, they do add up! Here are a few ways you can lessen the burden on your bank account and even help extend the life of our planet while continuing to maintain a sense of comfort in this heat that is sure to hit us hard this year! 

•  Draw the shades/curtains while the sun is up. Rays from the sun are beautiful but they do bring in heat so keep them out of your home as much as possible! 
  
• If you have an attic make sure it is properly ventilated. Hot air rises but if it has nowhere to go it will back up into the rest of the house causing the temperature to rise.
  
• When running your a/c make sure to turn the dial to a higher temperature when you're not in the house so that it doesn't cycle on so much. What's the sense in keeping an empty house cool? If you have pets and/or lots of electronics you may only want to raise it so much as to not cause any harm. 
  
  
  •  Have a hard time remembering to turn the thermostat up and down? Have a programmable thermostat installed- set it and forget it! Take it a step further and get a Wi-Fi Thermostat. Not only can you program it but you can also control it from your smart phone!
• Stay hydrated! Try drinking half of your body weight in ounces to ensure proper hydration and avoid things like soda, coffee, and tea as much as possible as they can actually cause dehydration due to the caffeine and sodium content. Remaining properly hydrated naturally keeps your body at a lower temperature.
  
• Have your a/c cleaned and tuned every year. While there is a cost associated with this you can usually find a special early in the season making the cost minimal. By paying for this service you could save yourself hundreds or even thousands of dollars by catching problems before they get too bad or even develop! 
  
  
  • Reminder: A unit under warranty that does not have routine maintenance performed annually is subject to a void of the warranty if any repairs needed can be proven to be as a result of negligence (lack of maintenance).
     
• Make sure you check your filter(s) in your HVAC system regularly and clean or change them as needed. A dirty/clogged filter can restrict airflow through the unit causing the system to run harder and cycle more often. Not taking this action is like watering a plant, it's sure to make your electricity bills grow!

Stop dumping money into your a/c system!

Season Changing Tips

*** Season Changing Tips ***

Just a few things to consider as we transition into the Spring season......

1. Check and change (if necessary) the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

2. If you haven't changed your HVAC filter in the last 30-90 days it is time to do so. Also, regardless of when you last changed your filter if anyone in your home has been sick you may want to go ahead and change the filter now to keep the germs from continuing to circulate throughout your home.

3. Have your air conditioner and/or heat pump inspected and tuned up sooner than later. The cost of R-22 is climbing exponentially it seems and will only continue to get worse. If you need even ONE pound of R-22 refrigerant this year you may want to consider replacing. Refrigerant should never leave your system unless it has a leak. Unless you repair the leak you will continue to have to pour money into the system to make repairs and with the rising costs of R-22 refrigerant it could become a financial drain. By having routine maintenance performed you could potentially catch any problems before they actually occur.

4. The average central air conditioner has a life expectancy of about 12-15 years. If you have an R-22 condensing unit that is over FIVE years old you may want to consider getting a FREE quote on a replacement unit/system this year. By the year 2020 the production of R-22 refrigerant will be non-existent and the cost per pound leading up to that will continue to grow and become astronomical. This will make it difficult or even impossible for many families to be able to afford to make repairs to their systems. The federal tax credit is in effect for 2013 for installing a new HVAC system and can put $500 back into your pocket come this time next year. In addition to the federal tax credit you may also qualify for rebates or special financing offers if you act early in the season.

Be the bird. Get the worm.

CALL TODAY! 302-378-1203
www.summitcomfort.com

Don't Get Caught With Your R-22 Pants Down!

 In 2004 The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) began to phase out ozone-depleting HCFCs as part of the clean air act. This impacted the HVAC industry in 2010 when manufacturers were no longer permitted to produce equipment already filled with R-22 refrigerant. They continued to manufacture R-22 condensing units only filling them with nitrogen and upon installation have the technician charge the unit with refrigerant. In 2011 production of R-22 refrigerant experienced its first required cut back with an even more significant cut in 2012 of 65%. This caused a surge in cost to purchase the refrigerant for HVAC companies and consumers alike. The final stages of the R-22 phase out are scheduled to be completed by 2020 making the refrigerant completely unavailable. Until that point prices will continue to rise making it difficult or even impossible for many homeowners to repair units leaking R-22 refrigerant. The average life expectancy of an air conditioner is 12-15 years with most repairs beginning in years 8-10. What does this mean for you? If your existing system has an R-22 condensing unit and is five years old or older you should start thinking about replacing! The cost of repairs will continue to rise year after year for R-22 compatible units and likely the cost of replacing your R-22 with R-410A will continue to rise as well as we get closer to completion of the phase out due to the rise in demand for replacements. The benefits to replacing the entire system now is affordability, the incredible financing available at 100% with no money down, and manufacturer rebates! Don’t get caught with your R-22 pants down... call to schedule your FREE estimate today!

(302)378-1203 Northern Delaware

(302)678-3002 Central Delaware

(410)398-3233 Maryland

Email: CustomerService@summitcomfort.com

Web: www.summitcomfort.com 

Things to Remember:

•  2010, R-22 units only allowed to be manufactured and sold dry.

•  2012, R-22 production cut by 65% with more cuts expected annually.

•  2020, R-22 will no longer be available for purchase.

•  The most economical time to replace with an R-410A system is NOW!

For more information please visit:

EPA Clean Air Act, R-22 Phase Out Information

'Tis the Season to Change Your Filter!

Changing the filter in your HVAC system is one of the least expensive, easiest, and yet one of the most important things to do when it comes to routine maintenance and preservation of your system. Changing of the filter should happen once every 30 days, ideally. Filters are relatively inexpensive and can be found in most stores that carry home improvement items such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc.

While the process of airflow through your HVAC system is simple enough to understand not everybody has a clear understanding and/or they just don’t think about it. When your system is running in the spring and summer months it is pulling air from the inside of your home and through the filter, cooling it, and then pushing it through the ventilation into each room of your home. The air is then recycled through the return vents and goes through the same process until the inside temperature of your home reaches what it was set to, at which point it shuts off. Your system will continue to cycle this way as temperatures fluctuate and each time it cycles on and pulls air from inside your home it is also pulling in dust and pollen that was let in through windows and doorways, and carried in on your clothing from the outside, which is then caught by the filter. Some people will spend the extra money for a filter that promises to catch more of these allergy offenders thereby reducing or even eliminating allergic reactions within the home, providing more comfort. While these filters may help with one’s allergies they also inhibit airflow within your HVAC system. A regular filter is the same as one that reduces allergens. The difference is the size of the holes in the filter. By having smaller holes in the filter you are able to catch smaller particles and allow less to pass through. The particles stay on the filter and over time build up until the filter is removed and cleaned or replaced. As they build up on the filter they begin to restrict air flow. Take a kitchen sink strainer for example; there are two different kinds of strainers. One strainer has large holes and the other is more of a mesh. If I were to pour a pot of broccoli and water into the sink while using the large holed strainer the water would quickly drain but some of the smaller particles from the head of the broccoli would go through the strainer and down the drain as well. If I were to do the same thing using the mesh like strainer none of the broccoli would go down the drain but the water would have a much more difficult time draining also. By restricting the air flow in your HVAC system during the cooling season it could cause your air conditioner to freeze up, a motor to burn out, or cause other costly repairs.

During the winter months it is equally important to mind the frequency of changing your filters because of the increase in germs and illness. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz humidity during the summer months is denser than germs therefore creating a ceiling between us and the germs, preventing sickness. In the winter months when the humidity is lacking there is no protective barrier which is why people get sick more frequently.  Much like the air conditioner your heater pulls air from the inside of your home, goes through the filter, heats it, and then pushes it through the ventilation to each of the rooms in your home. Therefore if someone in your home gets sick the germs continue to cycle through your ventilation time and time again. Changing your filters will aid in reducing the longevity of a germ induced illness and prevent it from reinfecting that person as well as others. Changing your filters regularly during the heating season will also help to prevent costly repairs.