Category: Installation

The Ductless Mini Split: An Innovative Solution for a Unique Situation

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

A ductless mini split could be the solution to your home’s unique heating and cooling situation. One of its main advantages is that a mini split doesn’t require ductwork to operate, extending installation options beyond where ductwork is located and often minimizing costs, too.

There are several other distinct advantages to using a ductless mini split, including:

  • Flexible installation – You can install as many as four indoor air handlers, which gives you the ability to select four spaces to receive heating and cooling. A separate unit is installed outdoors, and a central conduit connects the indoor and outdoor units. The outdoor unit will need to accommodate drainage, but it can be located up to 50 feet away from the indoor units. To install the air handlers, your technician will need only to drill a small hole to run the conduit, requiring minimal adjustments and construction to your home.
  • Zoned heating and cooling – Each indoor air handler is controlled by its own thermostat, so you can effectively provide zoned heating and cooling to the spaces. With the ability to increase cooling, for instance, to a ductless mini split located in an enclosed porch, you can provide as much cooling as necessary to that space, without also increasing cooling to other spaces in your home—spaces that don’t need more cooling.
  • An efficient system – Heating and cooling systems that rely on forced air through ductwork are susceptible to high energy losses. Because ductless mini splits don’t rely on ductwork, you’ll get a more efficient heating and cooling process.
  • Lower installation costs – Extending and retrofitting ductwork is a costly endeavor, and mini splits bypass that cost. However, to ensure optimal results, you’ll want to hire an expert who’s familiar with mini splits, as their location and size will dictate efficiency and performance.

A ductless mini split is an efficient, flexible solution to your home heating and cooling needs. For more information, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical, serving the Greater Charlotte area as a local, family-owned company since 1972.

Choose an HVAC Contractor That Will Work to Your Ultimate Satisfaction

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

The comfort of your family in your home is undeniably related to efficient heating and cooling. Insulation and ventilation are important factors in keeping your family effectively comfortable and safe. To ensure that your home’s heating and cooling needs are sufficiently met, you need a professional, reliable and cost-effective HVAC contractor.

Here are a few things you should consider when selecting your HVAC contractor:

  • They should be able to answer your questions and service your home with the highest professionalism and expertise.
  • Be sure they are licensed by the State & local municipality to perform the work. (not all companies are licensed even thought it is a NC State requirement)
  • If they have an online presence, it should look professional and provide you with proof of their knowledge, reliability and professionalism. They should be members of organizations that recognize the company’s value and proven commitment to their profession and the community.
  • Their technicians and installers should be professionally trained and certified by North American Technician Excellence (NATE), a professional organization that tests, qualifies and certifies technicians in all phases of heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
  • They should be familiar with the specifics of the local climate, and how weather conditions can affect your HVAC performance at different times of the year.
  • Whether it’s for scheduled maintenance, emergency service or a standard service call, your chosen HVAC service provider should have a proven history of successfully servicing residential clients in your area.
  • Your chosen HVAC contractor should provide you with a written guarantee that their services and products will be to your 100-percent satisfaction.
  • Customer service, including telephone and online communication, should be friendly, considerate and professional at all times.
  • For your safety and theirs, technicians should be clean and proceed with strict adherence to safety regulations. They should be able to be trusted on your property, in your home and with your family and possessions.

Acosta has delivered more than 40 years of professional service to Charlotte-area residents, and we are ready, willing and able to answer any and all questions relating to your HVAC systems. For information or service, please contact us today.

Dealing With a Tagged Furnace: How to Make Smart Decisions When You’re Seeing Red

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

When your local HVAC professional inspects your furnace during a maintenance call, he is obligated to respond to any safety issues he finds. For this reason, an unexpected result of preventive maintenance might be a red-tagged furnace. If your furnace is red-tagged, it means that an HVAC or utility company inspector has found a critical safety problem, most often a cracked heat exchanger, and that the furnace must be shut down and not used until the problem is resolved.

If this happens to you, it’s only normal that you’d be angry and frustrated enough to see red. However, it’s important to remember that decisions to red-tag a furnace are not made randomly, especially during the winter. If your furnace has been red-tagged, the unit is dangerous to operate and should be taken seriously as a genuine threat to the lives of everyone in your home.

A cracked heat exchanger can let dangerous carbon monoxide gas leak into your living areas. Usually this substance is safely expelled through the furnace’s ventilation system, but a crack or hole in the heat exchanger lets it leak into your home before it can be vented. Humans cannot detect carbon monoxide, and in the right concentration, it can kill.

In most cases, heat exchangers must be completely replaced. This can be expensive, with new heat exchangers often costing hundreds or thousands of dollars. The cost of replacing a heat exchanger may be more than that of replacing the entire furnace unit.

Consider replacing the exchanger if your furnace is under 10 years old, if the exchanger is covered under warranty, or if the repair costs less than 25 percent of total system replacement. Otherwise, a new furnace may be your best and safest option.

For 40 years, Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical has been providing professional services to customers in Charlotte and surrounding areas. Contact us today for more information on how to handle a red-tagged furnace, and for expert advice on whether it’s better to replace a cracked heat exchanger or the entire system.

Buying a Furnace On the Internet: That Deal Could Cost You

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

If you’re facing the potentially costly prospect of buying a furnace, you could be tempted to look online for a cheaper unit. However, before sending your credit card information to an Internet dealer, there are a few issues to consider. What looks like an Internet bargain could end up being an expensive mistake.

Installation problems

You may have difficulty finding a licensed HVAC contractor willing to install a furnace you’ve purchased online. Many contractors refuse to install such equipment because they cannot offer or honor a warranty on it. Others may install in very limited cases. Contractors usually charge the same amount to install a unit you purchased online as they would to install a furnace you bought from them, further limiting your savings.

Unreliable warranty

Warranty issues may not only limit the number of contractors willing to work with equipment bought on the Internet, they may also leave you with parts or an entire furnace that won’t work, and a seller that won’t replace defective goods.

Incorrect purchase

When buying a furnace from a local HVAC supplier, part of what you pay for is professional expertise. Homeowners may not have the technical knowledge to purchase the correct furnace. A system purchased online may be too small or too large or it may not fit the physical layout of your house. It may also simply be the wrong type of equipment — a propane furnace, for example, will not work if you only have a natural gas connection.

Safety issues

Equipment purchased online may arrive damaged and unsafe to use. If the furnace is installed by an unlicensed individual, you could be violating local safety regulations. Worse, the unit itself may be dangerous to operate if fuel supplies aren’t properly hooked up or if carbon monoxide is not safely vented out of your home.

Contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical today for expert in-person help with choosing and installing a heating system that will fit both your home comfort needs and your budget. We’ve been providing professional heating and cooling services to customers in Charlotte and surrounding areas for 40 years.