Furnace Repair Services in Virginia

Effective January 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will update its efficiency and testing standards for residential and commercial HVAC equipment. All regulatory changes will differ by product type and region. Since the updated standards will result in price increases across all HVAC contractors, now is the time to buy the equipment you need for your home or business.

The minimum efficiency standards for residential and commercial air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured after January 1, 2023, will increase. This change will increase production efficiency and national energy savings while decreasing national energy consumption.

Northern U.S. & Canada

All split-system air conditioners, split-system heat pumps, and packaged units manufactured after January 1, 2023, must meet the updated standards. However, split-system air conditioners, split-system heat pumps, and packaged units manufactured before January 1, 2023, can be installed indefinitely. The efficiency rating for air conditioners will increase from 13 SEER to 15 SEER in these regions.

Southern U.S.

Split-system air conditioners manufactured before January 1, 2023, can’t be installed once the updated standards take effect. All installations of products that don’t meet the new standards must be completed by December 31, 2022. However, split-system heat pumps, single-packaged air conditioners, and single-packaged heat pumps manufactured after January 1, 2023, can be installed indefinitely. The efficiency rating for air conditioners will increase from 14 SEER to 15 SEER in both the Southwest and Southeast regions.

In addition to higher minimum efficiency standards, the M1 testing procedures used for residential and 3 to 5-ton light commercial, single-phase equipment manufactured on or after January 1, 2023, will increase. This change will produce more accurate SEER, EER, and HSPF efficiency ratings. Manufacturers will be required to re-test equipment using the new M1 Standard requirements as well as publish equipment efficiency ratings using the new efficiency metrics of SEER2, EER2, and HSPF2.

Electric Furnaces

Electric furnaces utilize a fan mechanism to distribute air to electric heating elements. Most electric heating systems will include a total of 3 to 6 heating elements that are engineered to regulate the temperature of incoming air from your home. Each of the elements in an electric furnace contain electric coils that utilize electricity to generate heat. The heating elements are activated on an individual basis to accommodate your heating requirements.

The internal fan in the electric furnace will alternate between different levels of speed that are dependent on the total number of heating elements that are being utilized. To avoid electrical problems, an electrical furnace is not able to use all of its heating elements at once. Electric heating systems rely on a sequencer that is engineered to activate individual heating elements in a pattern.

Gas Furnaces

Older gas furnaces rely on a small flame known as a pilot light to start the ignition process in the burners. However, modern gas furnaces utilize an electronic ignition system that is referred to as a hot surface igniter to start the ignition procedure. Once an activation signal is sent to the gas furnace from a thermostat, an electric igniter will set itself to a temperature that is warm enough to ignite the gas to the burners. The hot surface igniter will deactivate after the gas is ignited.

Unlike traditional pilot lights that are able to be easily blown out, the hot surface igniter in modern gas furnaces will rarely malfunction. Other types of gas furnaces utilize an intermittent pilot light to ignite gas and produce heat. An intermittent pilot light is a flame that is activated utilizing an electronic signal at the beginning of the heating cycle. While the flame of a traditional pilot light remains activated at all times, the flame from an intermittent pilot light is only activated when the furnace receives a signal from the thermostat. This helps save you money on your gas bill.

Snell Heating & Air Conditioning offers electric and gas furnace repair services in areas of Virginia such as Arlington, Centreville, Alexandria, and Reston. Give us a call by phone (703) 543-9649 or schedule an appointment online to receive assistance with a furnace tune-up, installation, or repair.

The top variable to consider prior to choosing a size for your new furnace is the total square footage of your home. Other things to consider prior to purchasing a heating system are the surrounding climate, operating schedules, natural gas accessibility, and the current cost of your electric bill.Before you begin comparing digital thermostats and furnace models online, you should be familiar with British Thermal Units (BTU’s). A BTU is a metric that is utilized by professionals in the heating and cooling industry to gauge the total heat output that is produced by a furnace. Understanding this unit of measurement is vital because it will help you purchase the correct furnace for your home.

Purchasing a furnace that doesn’t provide a sufficient heat output will leave many rooms, enclosures, and spaces throughout the home cold during the Winter season. Since this furnace will not be able to meet the heating demands of your home, it will run constantly throughout the day, increasing your electric or gas utility bills.

On the other hand, buying a gas furnace that is too big for your house will cause overheating issues throughout the upper and lower levels. In addition, the furnace will continuously activate and deactivate in a short timespan, which may cause damage to the internal components of the furnace. Most gas furnaces that are manufactured today will feature a BTU rating of up to 100,000 BTUs.

Snell Heating & Air Conditioning recommends investing in a furnace that is able to supply up to 45 BTUs of warm air per square foot in your house. Our team offers trustworthy and safe furnace installation, repair, tune-up, and maintenance services to homes in areas of Virginia such as Centreville, Alexandria, and Arlington. Give us a call by phone at (703) 543-9649 to receive help.

A standard gas furnace will activate when it receives a signal from the digital thermostat in your home. Once the interior of the house reaches the pre-programmed temperature, the furnace will deactivate. While there is nothing wrong with traditional gas furnaces, you may notice an abundance of cold spots throughout the home at the completion of the heating cycle. Modulating gas furnaces were engineered to combat this common heating issue. Unlike traditional gas furnaces, a modulating furnace is usually not operating at full capacity.

These heating systems will operate continuously at a low setting throughout the day to provide an even distribution of heat in each room and area of the home. In addition, modulating furnaces are able to operate at 98% efficiency. As a result, little to no energy is wasted throughout the heating cycle. Snell Heating & Air Conditioning offers electric and gas furnace repair, installation, and tune-up services in Virginia. Give us a call by phone at (703) 543-9649 if you need assistance repairing or replacing a furnace.

A single stage gas furnace is equipped with one blower and valve that can be turned on or off to allow or prevent gas from traveling to the burners. This type of heating system operates on an intermittent schedule throughout the day to maintain the pre-programmed temperature on the thermostat. On the other hand, 2 stage furnaces are widely utilized in cold areas since they feature a minimum and maximum heat output setting to help save energy. This type of gas furnace will alternate between low and high operational patterns throughout the day. The alternation is dependent on the outdoor temperature and climate.

60% of the total capacity is utilized while the 2 stage gas furnace is on the low setting, saving you money and energy. In addition, this type of furnace produces little to no noise throughout standard operation while the low setting is activated. Do you need a 2 stage gas furnace for your home? Snell Heating & Air Conditioning offers affordable furnace repair and installation services for small to large homes in Virginia. Schedule an appointment online to learn more about the latest furnaces on the market.