Great question…many answers. First and foremost is MAINTENANCE. The equipment needs to be cleaned and serviced by a licensed professional at least twice per year. Studies have shown that lack of proper maintenance can reduce equipment efficiency by 5-10%. In
addition, most of today’s filters need to be changed a minimum of every 90 days, and don’t skimp on the filter. You should use a filter that
has a high efficiency rating to help keep your air and equipment clean.

After thorough cleaning, the service technician will adjust the Freon levels in your air conditioner to the manufacturer’s specifications. Keep in mind that an over charged unit is just as bad as an under charged unit when it comes to energy consumption. On the heating side, the burners should be cleaned for maximum performance, as well as adjusting the gas pressure, and cleaning the blower wheel.

We also recommend that you leave your indoor blower running continuously. This will ensure that the air in your home is being constantly circulated to reduce hot and cold spots, while wringing our every dollar of heating or air conditioning your system can produce. You may also want to consider a programmable thermostat to set back the temperature while you are away or sleeping. However, you must use your programmable thermostat sensibly. Short (less than 8 hours) or severe (more than 7 Deg. F.) set back periods won’t save much energy, but may shorten the life of the equipment while being stressful on your home and furnishings.

Fiberglass batts are very good in attic walls with a minimum of R-13. If the ceiling is to be installed on rafters, there should be air space above the insulation. If there is only room for 3" insulation in a rafter space, a foam board can be installed on the rafters before the ceiling is installed. A minimum of R-19 should be installed in the ceiling.

In the majority of homes, cleaning and inspection once every one-two years is adequate. The type of air filter you are using and the frequency of maintenance on your heating and air conditioning equipment can have a significant affect on the duration between cleanings. The purchase of a good quality air cleaner will protect your heating and air conditioning equipment, duct system and your home, while scheduled maintenance will extend the life of the equipment and increase its efficiency.

Replacing your system is one of the biggest financial decisions you will make. The reason for this is that the life expectancy of a system is around 12 years and once your system is installed you now have given the power company and/or gas company the right to send you a bill for the next 12 years.

When choosing a contractor, pick a company to install the unit based on quality and customer service, not solely on price. The name brand of the equipment is as important as the installing contractor. Another thing to keep in  mind when replacing a system is that the duct system you are connecting to is sealed tight with the proper amount of return air. With the new higher efficiency units, you also have to be careful that you replace your system with the proper sized unit so you don’t end up with a house that is cool but has high humidity.

Do the homework, pick quality contractors, and find someone you trust and you will have a successful installation that will bring you years of comfort and the least amount of overall cost.

First, get to know the company itself. If you get a good feeling when they answer the phone and when talking with them, you will be comfortable dealing with them. Ask them if the employees are uniformed and have photo IDs. If they are a local, family-owned HVAC business you know they want to work with you more closely and have national training and testing. You should be able to get a written price up front for the work to be done. When the service professional comes to your home, look for a clearly identified truck, uniform, and knowledge in service and products. Good companies use floor protectors to keep dirt and dust out of your home. Expect to pay a few dollars more for a really qualified contractor than you would for someone less desirable. The added confidence and peace of mind is well worth the small difference.

During the summer months I would recommend you set your thermostat back during the day when you are not home. However, I would not recommend that you go over your desired temperature more than five to seven degrees. Another recommendation would be that you have a
programmable thermostat installed that would automatically change the setting for you once it was programmed. Our company has had people save as much as 30 percent on their utility bills just by setting the temperature back when no one is home.

Increased efficiency, reliability, and control of your home's indoor environment are the main reasons for choosing a new Trane heating and air conditioning system. “Trane’s split system air conditioning units and heat pumps all have fully louvered panels to protect the outdoor coil from damage, as well as powder paint finishes and weather-resistant screws. 

Trane is the only manufacturer to offer all-aluminum outdoor coils, the patented Spine Fin™ coil. Trane’s Spine Fin outdoor coils provide greater heat-transfer capabilities, thus resulting in higher efficiencies and greater resistance to corrosion than traditional copper/aluminum coils. Our XL19i model is among the highest SEER ratings (cooling efficiency) systems in the industry. (*ARI Directory listings for XL19i) Trane's gas furnaces feature self-diagnostic controls, a heavy steel 40 high, insulated cabinet, hot surface igniter, multi-port in-shot burners, one-piece heat exchangers with no welds, durable pre-painted finish, and some of the highest efficiencies in the industry, making Trane an obvious choice. 

Trane is also the variable-speed airflow experts. Our variable-speed furnaces and air handlers can do things other manufacturer's products
can't, such as superb humidity control with Comfort-R Enhanced Mode. This feature allows the coil to get cold faster and the furnace blower
to slowly ramp up and down, or to operate at 50 percent of cooling speed in the FAN ON position. This provides greater air circulation and
filtration, even temperature distribution, humidity control, and quiet performance. 

Variable-speed motors are the most efficient motors as well, increasing the overall efficiency of your heating and air conditioning system. And when it comes to cleaner air, our revolutionary new TRANE CleanEffects is the industry's most effective whole-home air filtration
system, capable of removing up to 99.98% of the allergens and harmful particles from your family's air. 

TRANE CleanEffects whole-house air cleaner, programmable thermostats, two-stage heating and air conditioning, and other reliable,  durable products. 

Your Virginia Air Mechanical Representative will be happy to provide you Trane Literature at any time.  Who can recommend a home
comfort system to meet my needs? 

Trane’s products come to you through your local independent Trane dealer, Virginia Air Mechanical. who can explain the advantages of different types of systems for your home or region of the country, as well as select the right products to meet your personal comfort needs. 

We can also discuss the benefits of higher efficiency, variable-speed airflow with Comfort R Technology 

We choose Trane for it's reputation and customer satisfaction, You should too!

We offer Air Duct Cleaning service and follow-up visits afterwards to help keep your home clean. Also, in some cases, we suggest a better filtration system than you have. Duct cleaning and Filtration Systems go hand and hand.

This a good question and you will find many different systems on the market with different bells and whistles. I would suggest looking at the overall price and Quality of the system. In most cases we can install a straight change-out with a Simple Trane Product in your home around $4000 or less However, we suggest if you are going to be staying in your home for 5 years or more, we suggest the purchase of a 10 year product with the best warranty available for a little more. We have a few different financing plans so we can usually make each dream a reality.