According to This Old House, most systems have a lifetime of 10 to 20 years. As your equipment gets older, its efficiency can decrease dramatically. You may notice that it gets noisier and needs repairs more often. When a unit begins to show its age, you have two choices: you can overhaul the system or replace it. Since heating and cooling technologies improve over time, a new system designed with newer, more energy-efficient equipment makes sense, especially if your system is 10 or more years old. Call JPM Heating & Air Inc today if you have any questions about your air conditioning in Santee, CA. We can estimate the cost of a new system as well as a payback schedule that will show you how newer technology will pay you back in lower energy usage.

No, you don't want your air conditioner to be too big. Air conditioners control the comfort level in your home by cooling the air and removing humidity. An oversized air conditioner will cool your home faster, but it will use more energy and not remove humidity adequately. A unit that is too big for your home will also have short cycles when it runs. It may take only a short time to cool the air, but the unit shuts off before enough air blows across the indoor coil where moisture condenses into water and drains from your system. Too much moisture left in the air can lead to mold and mildew problems. These short cycles also mean your system starts and stops more often, which uses more energy and causes a lot of wear and tear, according to our team. An air conditioner operates more efficiently during longer cycles. The same holds true with heating systems. An oversized furnace will warm the house quicker, but it uses more fuel and causes greater temperature swings in the home. For more information about the impact of appliance size on your heating and air conditioning in Santee, CA, call us today.

At the risk of telling you something you're tired of hearing, our team recommends that you replace the air filter in your furnace on a regular basis. Dirty air filters reduce the amount of air flowing through a system and make the furnace work harder to maintain the temperature. How often you change the filter depends on the type of filter you use, if you have pets, and the size of your equipment. Please give us a call and we can give you proper guidance. This can ensure you keep your air conditioning in Santee, CA working efficiently.

Proper air filtration is just as important to the health of your heating and cooling system as it is to the health of your family. Without proper filtration, dust and dirt can build up on your system and impact operation and efficiency. A high-efficiency filter will remove more dust, dirt, pollen, mold, and other particles from the air. If you suffer from allergies or other respiratory problems, you should strongly consider a high-efficiency filter. No matter what type of filter you have, make sure you change it regularly.

Without warranty coverage, a breakdown can mean significant expenses in parts, labor, or both. However, with one of our service agreements, you avoid that unexpected significant expense. While no warranty can guard against every possible problem, we can explain the broad range of protection our service agreements afford. Call us today for more information about how a service agreement can go in tandem with service for your air conditioning in Santee, CA.

With a high-efficiency air cleaner, you can remove up to 99% of the pollen and spores that find their way into the home, according to our team. There is also a great reduction in household dust, dirt, smoke, and other air pollutants. Your indoor air will become cleaner and fresher while reducing the allergens and dust that circulate throughout the house. With a whole-house humidifier, you can relieve the irritating discomfort of dry indoor air. The humidifier can reduce itchy skin, scratchy throats, static electricity, and damage to your furnishings and woodwork. Since humid air also feels warmer than dry air, you do not have to set the thermostat as high to feel the comfort you want. A lower thermostat setting will reduce the costs of your energy bill, so you won't have to pay as much for your heating and air conditioning in Santee, CA.

Duct cleaning refers to the cleaning of the various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems. This includes the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit. For more information about duct cleaning for your heating and air conditioning in Santee, CA, call us today.

There are several ways you can lower your monthly energy costs associated with heating and air conditioning in Santee, CA. Let's look at some.

Upgrade to a high-efficiency air conditioner: Swapping your old, inefficient air conditioning system for a highly efficient one can cut electricity bills by one-third, according to our team. Consult one of our professional technicians to ensure your system is the right size for your home, and you aren't over or under-cooling for your space's needs.

Turn up the temperature: To save electricity during the summer, set the temperature above 75°, as every degree below this will add an extra 3-5% to your energy bill, according to our team.

Install ceiling fans: Change the direction of airflow on your ceiling fans. In the summer, the blades should operate in a counter-clockwise direction as a way of creating a nice, gentle wind. We've found that this creates an optimal atmosphere in any room.

Have annual cooling maintenance performed: Having annual cooling maintenance performed on your air conditioner by a licensed technician will help ensure it operates at its peak efficiency and help catch any potential breakdowns before they occur.

Don't block vents in well-used rooms: Keep your supply and return air vents free of objects like blinds, carpets, or furniture so your air conditioner can operate efficiently and there is even air distribution throughout the house.

Upgrade to a high-efficiency furnace: We've seen that new high-efficiency furnaces use up to 50% less fuel than an older system. That means it can save you up to 25% of your home heating costs in one year, and within a few years, you'll have recovered the initial cost of replacing/upgrading your furnace. Let us show you the advantages of replacing your old furnace today.

Have annual heating maintenance performed: Having annual maintenance performed on your furnace by a licensed technician will help ensure it operates at its peak efficiency and catches any potential breakdowns before they occur.

Install a programmable thermostat: A programmable thermostat enables you to control your home's temperature when you're away or asleep. 

Don't block vents: Keep your supply and return air vents free of objects like blinds, carpets, or furniture so your furnace can operate efficiently and there is even heat distribution.

Install ceiling fans: Change the direction of airflow on your ceiling fans. In the winter, the blades should operate in a clockwise direction helping to push the warm air from the ceiling down into the room.

With a traditional heating and cooling system, if you wanted to save more, you had to use less. A Hybrid Heat system, however, combines the benefits of intelligent control for both gas and electric heating to create an intuitive system that can actually react to changing conditions. No matter what the temperature is outside, a Hybrid Heat system will automatically select the fuel source most efficient for your home, which means you'll stay warm in the winter, stay cool in the summer, and save money all year long. To design a Hybrid Heat system for your home, we professionally match one of our heat pump units with a natural gas furnace. Contact us to see how much energy you can save over your existing system and to learn more about improving your heating and air conditioning in Santee, CA.

Variable-speed fans operate on a simple principle: they are able to spin at different speeds depending on the heating and cooling needs of your home. Usually, they operate at lower speeds, delivering a steady, reliable stream of warm or cool air to your home. This helps control humidity levels, utility costs, and system noise. When conditions become more extreme, the fan speed increases so that the system can meet increased demand, guaranteeing that on even the hottest days or coldest nights, your comfort needs will be met. We're proud to provide reliable and efficient equipment for heating and air conditioning in Santee, CA.

Two-stage cooling is a method of cooling that can better manage the coolness of your home while outdoor temperatures are changing. It can also better maximize indoor comfort and energy efficiency. Two-stage cooling systems are typically the most energy-efficient systems out there. They can be made by having one unit with two compressors: one small and one large. The small one is typically capable of putting out about 50% of the capacity of the larger one.

The second way to have two-stage cooling is to have a single-scroll unloading compressor. This compressor can unload its capacity down to about 66% of maximum capacity, according to our team. Both these methods of getting two-stage cooling allow the unit to run at a lower stage when the high stage is not needed. By doing this, significant energy is saved. Two-stage heating has the same principle as two-stage cooling: it allows the unit to adjust itself based on the amount of heating that is necessary. Two-stage heating is a good way to save on heating costs. A heat pump system would have two different-sized compressors: a small and a large one. The compressor that is used at a given time would depend upon the need. If only a small amount of heating is necessary, the smaller compressor would be used to save energy. The large compressor would only be used when a large amount of heating was needed. A gas furnace that is two-stage has a modulating gas valve that regulates gas flow depending upon the need.

For more information about this type of heating and cooling, call us today. We're happy to answer your questions related to air conditioning in Santee, CA.