The Story:
Amy, a long time Tri-Cities resident, hired our crew to
replace her old air conditioning equipment in her beautiful, Richland home.
Like many others, Amy’s home was built in the late 90s. Her HVAC system had worked well for many years,
but she noticed her utility bills rising with each new season.
Instead of waiting for her equipment to fail, she decided to
preemptively upgrade both her outdoor and indoor unit.
However, if she was going to make an investment in her home,
she needed to see significant monthly savings
to justify the money spent on newer, more efficient equipment.
This is a very reasonable expectation.
After discussing some options with us, Amy decided to upgrade both her heating and cooling systems; acting as the workhorse would be an American Standard 20 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating)
heat pump along with a high efficiency gas furnace to support the heat pump during the winter.
This case study will show how Amy’s decision to upgrade her equipment resulted in an annual savings of over $500.
The Problem:
Amy’s old air conditioning and gas furnace units used
a lot of energy to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home
during the summers and winters.
Gas bills were climbing each year, and Amy knew it wouldn’t be long until either her furnace or air conditioner catastrophically failed.
She needed to upgrade, but wasn’t sure what kinds of products
and technologies were available today.
The Solution:
A Chinook Heating & Air technician- experienced in residential HVAC installs- assessed the home and gave Amy a “Good, Better, Best” set of choices. He made sure she understood what was available and gave her recommendations based on her needs.
Amy decided she wanted a very high SEER (high efficiency) heat pump to replace her old air conditioner. In order to maximize her monthly and yearly savings, she purchased an American Standard- a brand that has proven to be one of the most reliable brands you can buy.
Our crew arrived bright and early around 7:30am and prepped the home (and themselves) to keep the project as clean as possible.
The old equipment was removed and hauled away so that Amy didn’t have to worry about disposing of the filthy, 20 year old equipment and trash.
Her new air conditioning equipment was set into place, brazed together, charged with refrigerant, safely wired for proper operation, and the thermostat was programmed.
Our technician taught Amy how to use her new smart thermostat, showed her how to properly maintain the new equipment, and answered a few of Amy’s questions about how a heat pump works.
Once the new equipment was installed and operational, our crew did a final sweep to make sure they’d left Amy’s home in better shape than before.
The Results:
When summer hit, Amy’s new AC system ran flawlessly. Several months later she was curious to see how much money her new 20 SEER heat pump had been saving her.
Due to the high SEER rating of the heat pump and the nature of how a heat pump works, Amy’s energy bills were both lowered by 32% overall- translating into a savings of over $500 a year on her energy bills.
These savings are specific for Amy’s lifestyle, who spends most of her days at home. This requires her AC system to run 24/7, but for the average household in the US, American Standard claims a savings of 50% is typical for a 20 SEER AC unit.
We, the crew at Chinook Heating & Air, have installed countless AC and heat pump systems like Amy’s all over the Tri Cities area for over 25 years.
Every home and project is unique, but most folks should expect to have a new system installed and operational before the end of the first day!
If you’re looking to upgrade your home’s HVAC system, call our front desk at (509) 736-1121 to schedule a free estimate with our comfort consultant.