Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I service my heating and cooling equipment?

Before each season - Spring and Fall.

Comfort Cooling

How does an air conditioner work?

An air conditioner seems as if it cools your home's air, but it actually makes your home less warm by removing heat from the indoor air and transferring that heat to the outdoor air. Heat is extracted from the home by passing indoor air across a refrigerant coil in the indoor unit. Refrigerant lines then carry the heat to the outdoor unit.

Why should I zone my house?

A zoning system is designed for the many ways you use your home. Maybe you're caught up in family "thermostat wars"? Or perhaps you have unoccupied areas that do not need conditioning? A Lennox® zoning system allows you to divide your home into separate areas, giving you the comfort and control you've always wanted.

The main benefits of residential zoning are:

• Comfort - Zoning meets the specific temperature and airflow requirements of one area, without affecting other areas.
• Efficiency - A properly designed zoning system can save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs each year.
• Control - Zoning divides the home into different areas and comfort into different levels, giving you more choices and control than ever before.
• Quiet Performance - When integrated with variable speed and/or two-stage HVAC systems, zoning allows your heating and cooling equipment to deliver peak performance and efficiency without continually operating at peak capacity. Lower speeds mean lower sound levels.

Comfort Heating

Will my new furnace work differently than my old one?

Furnace technology has advanced significantly in recent years. Modern furnaces are designed to provide more even and efficient heating than past furnaces, which can impact both how your system operates and what you notice about your system. To better regulate temperatures and airflow, modern furnaces move more air over the heat exchanger than older furnaces. The air that comes out of your furnace registers may not seem as warm as the air from your old furnace, but overall airflow is improved. Better airflow means higher comfort. Also, new furnaces are designed to integrate with high-efficiency air conditioners, so furnace blowers are more powerful to accommodate add-on cooling. Since cold air is much heavier than warm air, your system needs an extra boost from the blower to deliver cool air throughout your home. If you have an older home, this performance boost could produce unfamiliar sounds because air duct systems were originally designed for heating only. To minimize sound levels, choose a variable speed product which automatically changes speeds to meet the airflow needs of both heating and cooling cycles.

What is two-stage heating?

Two-stage heating means the furnace has two levels of heat output: high for cold winter days and low for milder days. Since the low setting is adequate to meet household-cooling demands 80% of the time, a two-stage unit runs for longer periods and provides more even heat distribution. Longer, low-capacity operation has many advantages:

What is a variable speed furnace?

The term "variable speed" refers to the furnace's indoor blower motor, which moves at different speeds to precisely control the flow of heated and cooled air throughout your home. Better airflow control has several benefits:

• Electrical efficiency - Variable speed motors can actually save you money on your energy bills, as they consume less electricity than standard motors.
• Cooling efficiency - Variable speed technology also means you will gain heating efficiency or AFUE.
• Zoning - Variable speed motors are excellent for zoning, which allows you to customize your comfort in different areas of your home and control your energy bills.
• Air quality - A variable speed motor can also help clean the air in your home. When the fan is in constant operation (indicated by the "Fan" setting on your thermostat), the motor will continue to slowly circulate air, allowing filters to capture more contaminants.
• Humidity control - A variable speed motor combined with a SignatureStat™ Home Comfort Control allows you to control the amount of humidity in your home for improved indoor air quality and comfort.

What are furnace ratings?

Furnaces are rated by the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratio, which is the percent of heat produced for every dollar of fuel consumed.Like the miles-per-gallon rating on your automobile, the higher the AFUE rating, the lower your fuel costs. All furnaces manufactured today must meet at least 78% AFUE. If your furnace is 10 - 15 years old, it very well may fall below the current furnace minimum and waste energy.This doesn't mean that you should only select a furnace based on its AFUE rating. The efficiency rating is just one factor to consider when looking for a new furnace. Furnaces use electricity to run fans and motors. The amount of electricity used varies greatly depending on the type of furnace. Be sure to check electricity usage prior to making a purchase decision.