NEW CONSTRUCTION

Heating, air conditioning, and indoor air quality are important, and often overlooked items when building a new home or office. Attention should be given to sizing, zone control, and personal situations such as allergies, emphysema, or other breathing or comfort issues.

Arronco Comfort Air works with many builders to provide the best, most efficient system available within the acceptable budget. Arronco Comfort Air uses the latest software to help design and size the system from the original house plan. Then their years of experience come into play to assure proper installation and operation.

A system improperly designed or installed can make a very nice home an uncomfortable place to live. Too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, or widely varying temperatures through the different rooms can make living stressful and tiring.

Because the heating and cooling system in your house is built into the basics of the house, it is difficult and expensive to correct once construction is completed. There may not be room for a larger unit; a complete redesign may be required to add electronic filtration, humidifiers, etc. If the ductwork is poorly sized and routed, there can be wildly varying temperatures and excessive energy costs. This is very difficult to correct once the construction is completed. Whether you are a builder or a person buying a home, make heating and air conditioning a priority! What is more important than your comfort?

Some of the problems associated with using the incorrect system in new construction.

1. High noise levels from inferior equipment and installation
2. Improperly sized equipment can affect your comfort
3. Improperly sized ducting - results in inadequate or noisy airflow
4. Return air is sized too small - this can eventually damage your compressor
5. Ducting is often just "thrown on" and taped directly to the register boots. This will often pull free resulting in your heating your crawlspace or attic instead of your home. If not detected, this can cost you hundreds of dollars on utility bills.
6. Supply registers may not be placed correctly
7. Condensate drains are rarely placed and installed according to code. This can be very risky, especially for an attic system
8. No trunk line or improperly sized trunk line. Trunk should be made of fiberglass ductboard or metal and MUST be sized correctly.
9. Registers that are not adjustable or sized incorrectly
10. Will contractor still be in business six months or a year from installation to honor warranties if necessary?
11. Improper sealing of ducts, registers, plenums and equipment can cost you money throughout the year
Some items to consider when selecting the heating and cooling units.
1. A load calculation should be performed on the structure, and the homeowner should be shown the calculation and it's results
2. Equipment should be sized based upon the load calculation. Be aware that bigger is NOT always better.
3. Ducting should also be sized based upon the load calculation. Each room will need a different amount of air flow to maintain comfort and the ducts and registers should reflect this. (Zoning)
4. Return air (both grill and duct) must be sized correctly for the efficiency of the entire system. If the return air is too small, it may starve your system for air. Improper sizing can cause your compressor to cycle on and off and lead to premature damage and possible replacement. Replacing a compressor is not cheap.
5. Supply registers placement and size should also be determined by the load calculation. The same size register in each room is usually a sign of improper design. The size and placement of the registers is determined by the amount of air that needs to be delivered to each specific area of the building.
6. If you have an attic system and the secondary (emergency) condensate drain is not located above a window or door where it can be seen from inside the house, a leak could do serious damage to your ceiling. The primary condensate need not be visible, but if it should get plugged, the secondary drain comes into play and the homeowner needs to be alerted to the fact that the primary is plugged so repairs can be made. The secondary drain is a safety feature.
7. Each home should have a main duct or trunk that extends from the plenum of the unit through most of the length of the house. Some homes will require more than one trunk. But some contractors, to save money, simply do what is called an "octopus" run instead of using main trunk ducting. This means that all of the duct is flex and is simply connected to a large box. This gives you very little control over airflow.
8. Most (sometimes not all) registers should be adjustable by the resident or homeowner. Fixed flow registers are cheaper, but offer the homeowner no control over airflow.
9. You should only use HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) contractors who have an established track record. You want to be sure you have a reputable company to provide regular maintenance and tune-up service, as well as emergency repairs in the future.
10. The entire system should be sealed properly to prevent any leaks that could cost inefficiency and additional energy cost. This takes a little more time and materials initially, but could save you lots of money in the long run.

Another consideration:
The standard furnace and air conditioning system in new construction often does not include indoor air quality considerations. Because new homes today are designed and built to codes which require tight and insulated construction, there is very little air flow except through the heating and cooling system. The standard throwaway filter in many systems is very inefficient and does little to remove the impurities that affect the quality of life.

Arronco Comfort Air works with many local builders to provide the best indoor air quality heating and cooling systems available at competitive prices. Arronco stands behind their work with a 100% guarantee, and will be available for regular scheduled maintenance to keep your new system operating safely and at peak efficiency. Arronco’s highly trained salesmen can properly design the best system based on the new construction plans and make sure the installation is done correctly. In many cases, the properly designed system offers more control, better indoor air quality, and safer operation than lower cost alternatives, and it provides energy savings far beyond the initial cost differential.

If you are a builder or someone having a new home built, contact Arronco Comfort Air. We will be happy to answer your questions and provide a load calculation and recommendation for your new home. We will discuss options to improve air quality such as filter systems, humidity control, and ways to reduce energy costs such as geothermal systems, Call today for a free consultation.

Arronco Comfort Air
Maintaining your Comfort as Efficiently as Possible.