For most homeowners in Canada, heating and cooling equipment represents a significant investment. HVAC accounts for better than 50% of your home’s energy costs, so it’s essential to have equipment that efficiently delivers comfort without driving your energy costs through the roof. Here are a few things to consider when balancing HVAC installation with operational costs, something which we were able to do with the help of Mersey Heating.
Acquire the right size for your equipment
Correctly sizing your heating and cooling equipment is critical as it directly affects your operational costs. Undersized systems have to work constantly to heat or cool your home because they cannot keep up with the energy demand. Overtaxed equipment leads to frequent breakdowns, increased repair costs, and premature wearing out of your equipment, all of which cause your operational costs to soar.
Oversizing your equipment isn’t good, either. Oversized installations shut off before they provide adequate cooling or heating. Constant on-off cycling also raises your fuel bills and increases the likelihood of repairs resulting from wear and tear.
Consider the lack of maintenance and how it can increase the costs
After investing in HVAC installation, prudent homeowners want to protect that investment. Lack of maintenance is the No. 1 reason operational costs soar. Protecting your equipment with a maintenance plan is a sensible way to control your costs and ensure continued comfort.
This means that no matter the scenario, you would have to ensure that at least once every season, you are getting your HVAC equipment checked out, since it is entirely possible that there might be certain issues, which would only increase if you do not focus on them before starting to use that equipment for the rest of the season.
Take into account the building square footage
Merely taking into account the square footage of your home when planning for HVAC installation isn’t enough. The number of doors and windows, amount of insulation, the integrity of your ductwork, and sunlight along with shade effects all affect the size of your heating and cooling equipment. They also affect its efficiency after installation. Operational costs will skyrocket if your ductwork has leaks or your roof and walls have little or no insulation.
These are some of the factors that you need to consider, especially since it is currently August, which means that you have ample time to ensure that you get your equipment checked out before winter arrives.
