FAQ
Quick List
- Why doesnât Broom advertise cheap prices like some others?
- Buying Thermostats from Big Box Stores
- Do I have a split system or a packaged unit?
- My ductwork is sweating?
- What is Condensate?
- Would a Bigger System be Better
- Why is My Outdoor Unit Covered with Ice
- Do Ceiling Fans Save on Energy Bills
Why doesnât Broom advertise cheap prices like some others?
Because we pride ourselves on being honest above anything else⊠and we donât offer âtoo good too be trueâ offers because we believe it is dishonest to try to fool customers into doing business with us. We could offer a $29 âvisual inspectionâ (like some offer) but we refuse to, because in order for anyone to make a living with those offers, the technicians are pretty much required to find something wrong with your system (or make something up you will believe) and charge way more than customary just to break even. Besides⊠a âVisual Inspectionâ⊠Really ?? Send us a picture of your system⊠weâll do the âvisual inspectionâ of the picture for free⊠thatâs what the offer is worth. NOTHING.
Remember⊠âIf it sounds too good too be true, it probably isâ
We give honest up front pricing and stick to it. Our technicians will NEVER low ball just to upsell later. It is wrong. Period.
Buying Thermostats from Big Box Stores
You can, and you might even end of saving $30-$40. However, since the highly trained HVAC professionals at the big box hardware stores, are usually busy helping someone load up the potting soil they just bought in the garden center, or find those cute little toilet seat covers with the pretty seashells on them, you are often left to figure out which one you need for your type of heating system, all by yourself. Footnote: All thermostats are not the same, they donât just look different, they work different for different types of heating and air conditioning systems. On a recent trip to buy some potting soil myself, (we already have a toilet seat with seashells), I found myself walking down aisle 187. About a 1/4 mile down the aisle, I stopped to catch my breath, and noticed they have thermostats for sale. And they were marked âHeat Pumpâ thermostats. However, upon reading the configuration information I found that they would Only run single stage Heat Pumps. A Single Stage Heat Pump ?
Who are they kidding, a Single Stage Heat Pump is really not a Heat Pump at all. It is an electric furnace, like you find in older apartments and mobile homes. Nothing wrong with calling that a Heat Pump I guess, except some unfortunate person looking for a âREALâ Heat Pump thermostat may pick this up and if lucky enough to get it installed, will be very proud of him or herself until they get the next power bill and find that the new âefficientâ thermostat they just bought actually INCREASED their power bill by around 300%. If a single stage Heat Pump thermostat is installed on a real âHEAT PUMPâ which is Two-Stage, one of two things will happen. Either your heat strips will run without the compressor ever coming on (power bill triples), or your heat strips will not come on at all and your system will likely never turn off and you will be very cold, and your power bill will only double. BEWARE !
Do I have a split system or a packaged unit
A split system consists of at least two major components, an outdoor condensing unit, and an indoor fan coil air handler unit or furnace and evaporator coil. In a split system the outside unit normally sits a few feet away from the house and has copper pipes going from the unit through the wall to connect to the indoor unit and looks similar to this⊠A packaged unit is a combined unit that sits right outside the house and connects directly to the building with only ductwork going through the wall.
My ductwork is sweating
If your ductwork is in your attic, it should never sweat. If it is call for service immediately. It is NOT uncommon for ductwork in the crawlspace under your house to sweat, especially in high humidity climates like South Carolina. However, it is important to know, sweating ductwork is a result of moisture under your home, not the cause of moisture under your home. If there is NO moisture under your home, then your ductwork will not sweat.
The most common problems we find causing sweating ductwork are:
- No vapor barrier on the ground to block the natural evaporation from the soil to the air in the crawlspace.
- Periods of very high outside humidity
- Water leaking from plumbing under the home
- Water entering crawlspace due to poor drainage around foot print of home
- Soil surface groundwater under home, sump pumps not working
There are a few problems with the air conditioning system that can cause ductwork to sweat even when moisture under the home is not excessive such as:
- Poorly insulated or poorly sealed ductwork
- Slow fan speed caused by motor going bad
- Restricted air filter causing low air flow (slower moving air through the indoor coil causes the air to become colder than normal and can cause outside temperature of the ductwork to be lower than design specs)
- Poor air flow through ductwork due to high percentage of supply registers being closed or blocked inside home
What is Condensate
Water condensing on a glass of ice water, or on the inside of windows during winter, or on your ductwork, is the result of those surfacesâ temperature cooling below the dewpoint of the air which is in contact with them.
How Often Should My Filters Be Changed
According to Energystar.gov, the filters on your home system likely need to be changed either once a month or once every three months, depending on the type youâre using.
Depending on where you live, the time of year, and how much youâre using your AC or heat, you may need to change your air filter more frequently. If your filter is starting to look dirty⊠Replace It.A dirty filter will slow down the air flow, making your system work harder to heat & cool it. This wastes energy and can result in higher energy bills.
What is the Average Life of an HVAC System
Most systems have a lifetime of 10 to 20 years. As your equipment gets older, its efficiency can decrease dramatically. You may notice that it gets noisier and needs repairs more often. When a unit begins to show its age, you have two choices â You can repair the system or replace it. Because heating and cooling technologies have improved so much in the last few years, newer more energy-efficient equipment often makes sense, especially if your system is 7 or more years old. We provide FREE in-home estimates. Call today to have your home inspected⊠FREE !
Would a Bigger System be Better
Sometimes, but not usually. HVAC systems should be sized according to the size of your home. A unit that is too small will not keep up in hot or cold weather and will run more than it should and cost more to keep you home comfortable. HOWEVER⊠A system that is too large for your home, can cause even bigger problems. When a system is too large it will not run long enough to remove the humidity. Humidity in South Carolina, who would have thought…  The system will start and stop frequently and your home will still be uncomfortable. High moisture inside a home can lead to other serious problems with your home and even your health. DONâT DO IT. Have a trained and knowledgeable specialist size the unit properly for your home and itâs specific loads. Rule of thumbs can be great, until they are wrong and you pay the price.
Why is My Outdoor Unit Covered with Ice
In the summer⊠You should never see ice. Ice on your system in the summer is always bad news.
In the Winter, if you have a Heat Pump, white ice or ice that looks like snow is ok. This is because a heat pump basically reverses in the Winter and puts the heated air inside and the cold air outside. The outside coils will be extremely cold and with even the slightest moisture in the air will cause the coils to frost over. If the âiceâ on the coils is Clear and thick, it may be sign your system is not defrosting properly. âSnowâ covered coils will automatically âdefrostâ every 30-90 minutes⊠but in the damp cold air, they may stay clean only a few minutes. Many people go years without noticing this. We get lots of calls from people that have moved from the north who have never had Heat Pumps asking if something is wrong. It is usually nothing wrong.
Do Ceiling Fans Save on Energy Bills
Ceiling Fans make you feel cooler by circulating air and therefore cooling your skin through evaporative cooling. When you are not in the room⊠turn them off. They are only costing you money since they donât actually cool the air⊠the motor actually adds a little heat to it.
Ceiling fans can, in many cases, like tall ceilings, increase your cooling requirements and energy usage because they pull hot air from up high down to you and thereby mixing the much warmer air from up high with the air you live in.
Planned maintenance is key to making sure your heating and cooling system is in top shape at all times. A lot of property owners see it as merely added expense but itâs not! Think of a planned maintenance agreement as an investment into your investment. Your HVAC system plays a role in keeping your home or business comfortable and energy-efficient, after all, so it definitely pays to have one in place.
