Posts By: Grant Meagher

Question: What Kind Of Thermostats Are There?

There are five basic types of automatic and programmable thermostats:

• Manual
• Digital
• Digital- Non- Programmable
• Digital- Programmable
• Remote Access
• Touchscreen
• Wireless-WiFi
• Smart

Most range in price, call and ask us which is best for you.

Think thermostats don’t matter? Think Again! Thermostats control as much as half of your home’s energy use. That is more than appliances, computers, stereos and lighting combined!

Question: How Do I Know What Type Of Heating System Is Right For Me And My House?

In order to determine the ideal heating system for someone’s home, let’s look at its most common types. Here in Southern California, there are a few different types of residential heat. We have Floor and wall furnaces, Ducted Central furnaces, and Ducted and Ductless Heat Pump systems.

Floor Furnaces And Wall Furnaces:

A Floor furnace are stand alone furnaces built into your floor. Often they connect to a wall to provide heat to multiple rooms at once. The heat they provide is often uneven. They are also unsafe, due to the fact that they do not have ANY safety features built in. Most floor furnaces are over 70 years old and have pre-date central heating. Because of this, there is a good chance that any original floor furnaces are rusting away. When rust is present, heat exchangers crack and introduce carbon monoxide into the home. Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer. I never recommend sticking with your old floor furnace.

Wall heaters are more common today and serve the same basic function. They have no moving parts, and they use an inefficient “standing pilot technology”. This means gas is burning in your furnace, whether you are using it or not. However, today’s wall furnaces have safety shutoff switches built in to prevent fires. They do NOT have anything to protect you against carbon monoxide. They also are mainly a one or two-room solution. If you want to heat more than one or two rooms at a time, consider a different solution.

Ducted Central Furnaces:

This is the most common type of heating in the United States. These furnaces are hooked up to ducts that run through your attic or crawl space to serve each room of your home. Heat is distributed through the ducts via “forced air”. If you have Air Conditioning, this air is also delivered by the furnace blower. These furnaces are rated in AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) and their counterparts are sized and designed custom to your home. Today’s furnaces are, by federal mandate, no less than 80% AFUE (efficient) and there are furnaces 99% AFUE. Depending on the climate in which you live. HVAC professionals will recommend a specific efficiency. Good contractors base their recommendations on “Return on Investment” or ROI. A good AFUE savings calculator can be found here.

Ducted Heat Pumps

Ducted Heat Pump systems appear on the outside to be very similar to Ducted Gas Furnaces. The basic concept remains the same, but instead of using gas and fire to heat your home, they use refrigerant. The most easy way to explain this is to say that it’s like running an air conditioner in reverse. Thus providing heat to the indoors and blowing the cold out. The heat is transferred in and out of your home through refrigerant pipes. Depending on your utility costs, Ducted Heat Pump systems are more economical in parts of the US than gas fired furnaces.

One advantage of any Heat Pump system is the ability to split your house into zones. We use VRV/VRF technology to achieve this at Thomson Air Conditioning. These high efficiency zoned systems are so state-of-the-art, you can’t even measure them with todays testing methods. We have tons of customers that are so exited about the value they achieve with their new zoned heat pump systems, they can’t wait to share their stories with you. We will post videos shortly, but in the mean time, you can read customer reviews here.

Ductless Heat Pump Systems

Ductless Heat Pump Systems have ALL the benefits of the traditional ducted systems with one major difference. …you guessed it. They have NO DUCTS! In energy models, up to 40% of energy loss is due to the duct system. We as HVAC professionals have figured out over the years that air is not a good way to transfer heat over a distance. Think about a pipe trying to carry 50 degree air through an attic that’s over 120 degrees. There’s no way to keep the heat in without incredible amounts of insulation. No ducts means no heat lost through duct work.

Cleaner Air Through Ductless

The absence of ducts also means there are no large holes in your floors and ceilings. Holes created by ductwork create so many problems, the state of California passed laws to reduce the amount of leakage created by these openings. You see, the area of your home inhabited by you is called (by us HVAC geeks) “the conditioned envelope”. The conditioned envelope of a home excludes unconditioned areas like your garage, attic and subfloor crawlspace or basement. And any holes going in and out of the conditioned envelope allows an opportunity for contaminants and unconditioned air to enter your home. Thus, no holes in your homes conditioned envelope means less energy lost.

I could go on for days about how cool ductless systems are.

The Drawback Of Ductless

The only drawback is that they must be installed in the conditioned envelope (where you will see them) I have them in every room of my house, but many people don’t want to see what they’re not used to. Check out some of our ductless installs on our blog here

Conclusion:

If you have any questions about what type of system is right for you, please Give us a call and ask for me (Josh the Owner) or any of our project managers. I love to talk about this stuff. I don’t even care if you use me as your contractor. I’m just happy to help.

You can also email or call any of us directly. Our contact info is on our Meet the Team page.

Here’s a quick example of a multi-zone ductless heat pump installation in Lakewood, CA

Easy, No-Interest Financing Available For Orange County Heating & Air Projects!

As Orange County’s premier certified Daikin Comfort PRO, Thomson Air Conditioning is happy to provide our customers with easy, no-interest and low-interest available financing for our residential customers.

Get your new system installed or your current HVAC system overhauled in time for winter weather! Call us today for an estimate.

Through Thomson Air Conditioning, you can now take advantage of 100% unsecured financing on your next energy efficiency home improvement which allows you to make no payments and pay no interest if the loan is paid in full during the first 12 months!

• 100% Unsecured Financing
• Loan Amounts from $1,500 – $55,000
• 12 Months of No Interest & No Payments
• 84 Month Loan Term if Loan Not Paid off within First 12 Months
• Quick & Easy Application Process

Click Here to Get Pre-Approved!

About Daikin

Daikin is a leading brand recognized worldwide for improving indoor comfort environments. The company is a global leader in the manufacture and marketing of residential, commercial, and industrial heating and cooling systems and refrigerants. The company is one of the largest in the world dedicated solely to the heating, cooling, and ventilating industry.

Since the founding of the company over 80 years ago, the Daikin brand has appeared on millions and millions of systems throughout the world delivering Comfort for Life. When someone purchases an HVAC system, they are seeking comfort on many different levels, and the Daikin brand delivers excellent options for each consideration. A goal of the Daikin brand is to design and deliver the most intelligent, precise, customizable, and energy-efficient products as possible.

Comfort for Life is knowing your Daikin brand heating and cooling system is built by a company dedicated to social responsibility; saving precious resources; and empowering its employees on a worldwide basis.

With the Daikin brand, you get comfort delivered from one of the most innovative, energy-efficient, and dependable manufacturers on earth.

AC INSTALLATION SERVICE LAKEWOOD CA

When you think of AC installation, I am sure you think of the actual benefits, and cool comfort long before you think of the actual work involved, and the money required to undertake such a task. Yes, an AC is something you cannot live without if you happen to live in an area where the hot summer months can become uncomfortable to such an extent that it affects your daily routine.

If you are looking for a friendly, competent, and trusted AC installation service in Lakewood CA, look no further than Thomson Air Conditioning. We provide a temperature-controlled environment that will make your home, your sanctuary.

Benefits – Invaluable

Air conditioning carries with it a multitude of benefits, some of which have probably not even crossed your mind yet.

• Energy Efficiency: Air conditioning systems that run at maximum energy efficiency will ensure that your operational costs are kept to a minimum.
• Control: An AC unit allows you the freedom to control your own environment at a temperature that is comfortable for you.
• Reduces Humidity: Your AC unit draws moisture out of the air which in many cases makes the heat more bearable, and it also allows you to breathe more easily.
• Quiet: These units are fairly quiet when in operation which ensures that while you are kept in comfort, you will not be disturbed by unwanted noise.
• Air Quality: As long as your AC, vents, and ducting are well-maintained and regularly cleaned, your air quality will be impeccable. The health of your family members will improve, and there will be less instances of allergy-related bronchial ailments due to less allergens, particles, and mites in the air circulating.
• Sleep: Sleep is improved when you are comfortable, and the air is easily inhaled. Good sleep allows you to rest properly which will improve your energy levels and your mood.

We, at Thomson Air Conditioning, know the benefits and seek to provide all our customers with the rewards of excellent AC installation service in Lakewood CA.

Looking For Quality?

Call us today for your AC installation service in Lakewood CA. At Thomson Air Conditioning we ensure that you feel the benefits from the start. Call us now at Thomson Air Conditioning (562) 201-3014.

Why Is It Important To Have Regular Maintenance On My Heating And Air Conditioning System?

You wouldn’t buy a brand-new car and expect to never have to put air in the tires, change the oil and check out any unusual noises, would you? In the same way that an automobile requires periodic maintenance for optimal performance, a home comfort system should be regularly inspected by a qualified technician.