Frequently Asked Questions: Answered
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Industry studies consistently show that 90% of new home heating or cooling systems don’t run at their expected efficiency levels. This leads to more wear and tear on the system, wasted energy and higher utility bills, and comfort-robbing problems like large temperature swings and poor humidity control – much of which defeats the purpose of installing a new system.
When we install any new system, we design and install it to operate at maximum efficiency. In addition, most new furnaces and new boilers are built to operate at sea level – which is obviously not the case in the Front Range and especially not in the high country. Our installations are designed for our environment and the manufacturing process is actually completed in the home, which requires skilled technicians with training and experience in high-altitude systems. Finally, our meticulous inspection and testing procedures verify that the unit is performing at peak efficiency.
We simply carry only the best equipment available for our industry.
We sell and install top-performing, American-made heating and cooling units, and other HVAC products.
We consider such quality factors as initial costs, performance efficiency, maintenance expectations, consumer reports, and available warranties and services to customize the best long-term heating solutions for our customers.
We are a Rheem® Pro Partner and chose Rheem as our primary provider precisely because their products best meet our criteria.
Our duct cleaning service thoroughly scrubs out your dryer vents and furnace ducts. Duct service will help clean your indoor air, removing pollutants and particulates that may aggravate allergies. In addition to creating healthier air in the home, clean furnace ducts and clean dryer venting allow your heating and cooling systems to operate at better efficiency, providing consistent, comfortable air throughout the home.
It’s also good to be aware that dirty and clogged dryer vents are a serious fire hazard. Keeping your dryer vents clean will help reduce the risk of a house fire.
NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence and this third-party training and testing organization only certifies the finest technicians in the HVACR (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration) industry.
Our technicians take classes, attend training seminars, and continually study the latest advances and techniques used in our business. We carry a variety of different certifications, and that translates to the absolute best all-around service for our clients.
Regular inspection and maintenance of your heating and cooling systems are vital to ensure their long life and proper operation. During the course of our mechanical work, we’ve seen some installations done by other companies and found some pretty nasty problems. We’ve seen newer installations that leak carbon monoxide into the home! We found an 18-month-old furnace almost rusted away inside from a water leak. We’ve discovered high-capacity heating equipment running through low-capacity ducting, which is a very serious fire hazard.
Our reasonably priced maintenance contracts may well pay for themselves with lower utility bills. They provide ongoing peace of mind and enable us to discover any safety issues that may be present in older heating equipment. We recommend maintenance agreements for any home with systems that are older than five years.
If you don’t want to buy a new system, protect yourself with a maintenance contract to help extend the life of your current heating and cooling systems.
We want our customers to have only the best experience with All American Heating! We stand behind our service with guaranteed workmanship, extended warranties on installations, and transparency in our business with customer reviews. We strive to provide the best service and we always want to hear about your experience – good or bad.
We believe that there are few companies who go to the lengths we do to back up our claims. And we do it because our core values are Honesty, Fairness, and Dependability – and because we care about the people we serve.
Here are some things you should be aware of when purchasing a new home with a radiant heating system or considering a radiant heating system installation.
Radiant floor heating is not new. The ancient Romans built fires under masonry floors. Over the ages, it has appeared and reappeared. Thanks to modern technology, you don’t have to be a Roman Emperor to have warm feet. Of course, the best feature of radiant heat is the level of comfort, but it also offers energy savings. Radiant flooring systems can heat small homes with very low water temperatures.
Over the years, different home amenities and technologies become popular. Some fade, and some stick. First, it was wood boilers, then solar heating, and nowadays, it’s radiant flooring systems. But consumers should be cautious about choosing a product and an installer. Failures can result in extensive damages, lawsuits, and settlements. Two such cases include polybutylene and Heatway Entran (which uses rubber tubing). Once upon a time, polybutylene tubing was used extensively for radiant heat – but it had no barrier. We often see boilers that fail because of non-barrier tubing. When we replace these systems, we install a heat exchanger to protect the new boiler from the old tubing.
Before you decide on a radiant floor heating installation, do your research, make sure the company whose name is on the product is actually the one that built it, and be sure the tubing that your installer uses has an oxygen barrier to protect your system and your home. All American Heating is happy to evaluate your home and make a recommendation on the type of system that will work best in your environment.
Methods of installation have been developed to install the heat tubes in ceilings & walls, as well the floor.
There are several methods for installing tubing in floors.
In a concrete slab is hands-down the best method; the mass is a great sink, and you can run very low temperatures.
Many homes are conventional, wood-frame construction, so methods have been developed to incorporate the tubing into the structure. The most common and effective way is a lightweight, concrete over-pour.
Methods of attaching the tubing to the underside of the floor are very common in retrofit applications. The most effective method of this type employs aluminum plates to transfer the heat by way of conduction directly to the subfloor.
The least effective method is called joist-bay heating. The idea is that the tubing heats the air in the space of the joist bay. This is the fastest, easiest, and cheapest installation method, but it is also the most expensive and least durable.
Installation methods in which the tubing is placed closer to the surface are the most effective. It allows the use of lower water temperatures and delivers much quicker response times. Some very well-developed products are available which make these systems easy to install, such as Wirsbo Quick Trak and RauPanels.
There are many factors that should be considered in the installation of radiant floor systems but they are too numerous to list in this short article.
Whatever you decide to go with, make sure it is a decision you are willing to live with for years to come. The initial cost is only part of the selection process. Cheaper systems tend to cost more in the long run.