Furnace and Air Conditioner Combo
Air conditioner and furnace combination units use the same blower to distribute conditioned air throughout your home. They also function with smart thermostats to provide individualized control.
If you choose a different brand for your furnace and AC could invalidate your warranty on both units. The synchronization of the two units could save time and money on maintenance and repairs.
1. Energy Efficiency
Modern furnaces and AC units are extremely energy efficient, especially when they’re paired together. By choosing gas furnaces with an air conditioner with an impressive SEER rating, you will reduce your utility bills throughout the year. For the best efficiency results make sure you have a professional perform an energy calculation for your home. This will allow you to determine which size and type of system is right for your home.
Furnaces create heat by burning fuel using propane gas or natural gas. The steam is circulated through ductwork, which warms the air inside your home. Then, during the summer, an air conditioner uses a refrigerant–generally a cool gas called freon–to evaporate into a liquid and cool the air that circulates through your home’s ducts. The combination of these two systems functions as a Goldilocks power couple, ensuring that your home’s temperature will always be just right, never too hot or cold.
Think about a variable-speed AC unit if you wish to boost the efficiency of your system. This technology allows your air conditioner to operate at a lower rate, which helps to better remove moisture from the air, which results in less humid indoor air.
Heat pumps are a great option for homeowners living in mild climates. They can provide heating and cooling without burning fuel. These units transfer heat from your home into outside air, which reduces the energy cost and affecting the environment.
A hybrid system that incorporates a heat pump with a traditional gas furnace for back-up warmth during the coldest months — is an alternative. A new high-efficiency heat pump will utilize the same technology to transfer heat from one part of your house to the next and will be paired with a gas furnace for back-up during the coldest winter temperatures.
If you replace your old, inefficient HVAC system with a new, high-efficiency furnace and air conditioner combo, you can reduce your energy costs by up to 40 percent. To maximize savings from your new system, make sure you have the proper insulation and weatherization, as well as thermostat settings.
2. Longevity
The lifespan of a furnace is between 15 and 30 years, while an AC unit can last for 15 to 20 years. In general, an HVAC system is replaced when a component starts to show signs getting old or suffers from serious malfunctions which affect its performance. The homeowner will usually have to decide if they want to replace their furnace or air conditioner when this occurs. It might seem counterintuitive but investing in a new HVAC unit when the old one is still in good working order is often the best choice for homeowners. They will save the cost of repairs and also reduce the energy bills.
The purchase and installation of two HVAC systems new can be expensive. However the furnace and air conditioner combo is less expensive. You’ll only need to maintain your system every year instead of twice as often if you have separate units.
A high-efficiency system is a different way to reduce the cost of an air conditioner. The majority of modern gas furnaces come with an AFUE rating that is at least 80% while most AC units have an SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) rating of up to 16 or more. This will help you save money on your energy bills, and lower your home heating and cooling costs.
If you select a furnace-AC combination from the same manufacturer, you will also enjoy an excellent energy efficiency because the two systems are compatible. If you select two different brands, keep in mind that a combination that is not compatible will affect their efficiency and longevity.
Mismatched units could cause serious issues that could lead to dangerous refrigerant and CO leaks. These problems can also damage your HVAC system and ductwork.
A specialist from Georgia Air Repair can perform precise HVAC repairs on all kinds of equipment. It’s important to remember that most manufacturers will not honor their warranties if the units are mixed and mixed. Selecting the same brand of air conditioner and furnace will ensure that the unit is installed correctly, repaired and performs optimally over its lifetime.
3. Convenience
Both HVAC systems can work seamlessly together when you install a furnace and air conditioner combination. The units have shared components, such as the blower fan that distributes temperature-controlled air through your home’s duct system and into rooms of your choice. Selecting a unit specifically designed to work with your other HVAC component will save you time and money in the long run. It will also help to ensure that your existing and new components will work well without voiding either one’s warranty or causing problems with the HVAC system.
A furnace and air conditioning combo in your home will provide you with year round comfort. In contrast to window air conditioners, which only work in the summer months and can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning in winter, these units are properly installed to cool and heat your entire house. They are also more robust and reliable than other kinds of heating and cooling systems.
Additionally, you can save on energy costs by making use of a furnace and air conditioner combination unit. While traditional HVAC systems come with SEER ratings of up to 10, a combo unit is more SEER-rated, giving you greater energy savings and convenience. You could save money by using an air conditioner in conjunction with a gas or electric furnace, based on your utility rates.
If you’re planning on purchasing your air conditioner and furnace using a loan, you may be interested in a combo unit instead of two separate units. Credit card purchases of two HVAC systems can adversely affect your borrowing capacity for years. Your credit score will remain unaffected by purchasing a single AC/heater combo unit on authorised credit.
A furnace and air conditioner combo can also permit you to make use of existing ductwork, which makes the process much simpler than replacing only an AC unit or a new furnace. The replacement of both the air conditioner and furnace will require extensive ductwork that could be expensive.
4. Versatility
A furnace and AC combo is a great choice for those living in moderate climates. It can heat your home efficiently in the winter, and cool it down in the summer. Also known as gas-electric systems this type of HVAC system makes use of propane or natural gas to heat your home in the winter and electricity to cool it down during summer. This makes it more versatile than an air conditioner and furnace combo that can only function on one mode at a time.
Air conditioners utilize a chemical called freon to cool your home. The AC unit is first compressed by the freon, and then evaporates to circulate cool air through your home. It also absorbs heat from surrounding air, which helps keep your home cool. If your home is not adequately insulated, the evaporation process could cause the air in your home to lose its cooling ability. This occurs when the refrigerant or heat exchanger wears out.
Furnaces heat your home using combustion, but they are less efficient at heating than air conditioners. Air conditioners are also less able to handle cold temperatures. This is why many people living in mild climates opt for a heat pump oil furnace combination. This kind of HVAC system is a combination of energy-efficient features from a heatpump with the reliability of an oilstove.
The key to choosing the best combination of AC and furnace is making sure it’s properly sized for your home. A HVAC professional can help determine the HVAC system is the most suitable for your home. They’ll look at factors like the size of the room, insulation, and humidity levels.
A technician with expertise in cooling and heating will also help you determine the proper size furnace and air conditioner you need. They will take into consideration your heating and cooling requirements and any future expansion plans you might have for your home. They’ll also inform you which incentives and rebates you can receive.
Before you buy a new HVAC system, you should get three estimates from various contractors. Then, you can compare the costs and AFUE ratings of each system. Be aware that a professional installation of your HVAC system is required to ensure your warranty.