Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing - Advice, Discussion and Tips from ARS®/Rescue Rooter®. Welcome to the ARS/Rescue Rooter Home Connect, your online resource center for information, answers and interactive advice about air conditioning, heating, plumbing and drain maintenance. As part of our commitment to providing exceptional service, we created the ARS/Rescue Rooter Home Connect to be a useful tool with many helpful ways to find what you need.
My HVAC system sometimes runs continuously all night (6 or 7 hours straight) because of the windy wintery weather and the fact that my doors and windows are old and not air-tight. I plan to get my windows and doors replaced, but it may be a few months before I do. Can my HVAC system handle this demand until then? I have the temperature set at 65 to 66 degrees, and my HVAC system is only 10 months old.
We appreciate your question but unfortunately there are so many unknown factors that must be considered to be able to give you a complete answer. The very first question I have is have you checked the air filter lately? If not I would recommend you start there. If you have checked it and it's clean, then we can mark that one off the list. As with any home, when the outdoor temperature decreases the heat loss in the home increases requiring the furnace to run longer. Heat loss can be defined as a value lost through windows, doors, floors and even insulation. Heat gain is just the opposite and is a term used in the summer. It is very important when purchasing a new furnace, air conditioner or a complete system that the contractor perform a heat loss/heat gain calculation on the home. Since every home is different, this calculation will tell the contractor exactly what size equipment is necessary to heat your home properly and the most efficiently. Yes, updated windows and doors would definitely help but don't forget that attic insulation it is just as important when calculating a home’s heat loss/heat gain. I would recommend you call the contractor who installed the equipment and have them check the equipment to make sure it is operating properly and at peak efficiency. While they are there, I would ask if a heat loss/heat gain calculation was performed on your home. You might be surprised at their answer. Please don’t hesitate to call the ARS/Rescue Rooter branch in Manassas, VA at (703) 631-3650 for assistance with your situation.
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