Frequently Asked Questions

Once a month for standard 1" thick filters.  High efficiency media filters should be changed once or twice a year as needed.  Electronic air filters should be washed once a month.  By all means, if you run air conditioning in the summer or have smokers in the house or extra dirt (like furry pets), you may need to change your filter more often.

The reason filters need to be changed so often is that restricted air flow reduces efficiency and makes your unit overwork.  Filters are cheap – service calls aren’t.

TIP: If you take the filter out and it looks clean (meaning you can see light through it), then you can go a little longer.  But if it looks dirty, it is.

Life expectancy of a gas furnace is typically 20-25 years.  If it’s over 15 years old, a new furnace will be so much more efficient that your utility savings may be worth changing your system sooner.  New  high efficiency furnaces are up to 98% efficient, meaning that for every dollar you spend on natural gas or fuel oil, 98 cents heats your home and only 2 cents is wasted through the flue or exhaust!  Compare that to a 15 year old furnace which may be only 70% efficient, and you can realize the savings easily.

Certainly if your heat exchanger is cracked, the time to change your furnace is NOW.  A cracked heat exchanger can allow carbon monoxide to enter your living spaces (if the burners are not burning cleanly and co is produced – which can happen very easily due to rust build up or spiders building nests).

Other reasons to replace a furnace or air conditioner have to do with federal, utility, and/or manufacturers’ rebates on high efficiency units.  If you want to know what is available, or if it’s the right time for you to upgrade your system, give us a call and we can help you with your decision.

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.  It is a measure of the electrical efficiency of an air conditioning system.  The higher the SEER  number, the less energy the air conditioner will use.  The current government minimum is 13 SEER.

We carry units that are up to 25 SEER – this translates into huge electrical savings!

A typical older furnace is either on "full blast" or off, giving you blasts of uncomfortable heat followed by noticeable temperature swing before it comes back on again. 

A modulating or variable capacity will only generate as much heat as is required on a given day.  In Central New York, we have to put in furnaces knowing it gets down to 10 degrees below some days and the furnaces have to be large enough to heat homes on the coldest days of the year.  Most of the time, the weather is milder, in the 20s, meaning that for the majority for the season, the furnace has more capacity than is required on many days.  Therefore, this can be inefficient and can cause noticeable temperature swings.  A modulating will give you smaller amounts of heat for longer amounts of time, circulating the air nearly constantly, and providing much more even heat distribution and temperature control.  A side benefit is that when they’re running at less than full capacity they are much quieter.  Plus, you’re only burning the amount of gas required for that day, which is more efficient.

An analogy – a traditional older furnace is like a car where you’re either at a full stop with your foot on the break of you’re pressing down the gas pedal all the way.  A modulating/variable capacity furnace is similar to a car with a smooth ride and the right amount of acceleration – more efficient and comfortable.

Similar to modulating (above) but it gives you high and low…but without the "in between" modulating mentioned in the previous question.

The heat exchanger prevents the exhaust gases from entering the living spaces of a home. If the crack is large enough, carbon monoxide can be blown through the ductwork, creating a life threatening hazard. This is the most common cause of irreparable furnace failure. Sometimes a heat exchanger is under warranty and therefore worth replacing…otherwise upgrading to a newer, high efficiency furnace makes more economic sense.

Manufacturers recommend annual cleanings of systems (and some even require proof of yearly cleanings in order to prevent voiding warranties). 

Here is why we recommend annual cleanings:

In addition to inspecting and testing all safety controls, cleaning burners, and lubricating motors, can often spot small problems that lead costly, larger problems when left unchecked.  We often replace furnaces long before their life expectancy due to small problems that were not addressed, leading to larger damage (e.g., a small water leak or clogged filters and drains).

Air conditioning coils get plugged with dust, lint, pollen, milkweed, cottonwood, grass clippings, etc.  Air conditioning drains become clogged with algae.  Indoor coils get moldy, giving off that "dirty sock" smell in the home.  Refrigerant levels can decline due to small leaks.  All of these problems lead to increased energy consumption and reduced cooling performance…and premature compressor failure! 

Cleaning your furnace or air conditioner does not have to be done in the fall, as many people may think.  The important thing is having it done regularly, not what time of year it’s performed.  It’s convenient having both cleanings done at the same time , and Murray’s Heating often runs discounts on cleanings done in the spring.

The condensing unit manufacturers build the units to withstand elements much worse than we get in central New York.  Therefore, the only thing homeowners need to do is to cover the top with a piece of plywood and something heavy to hold the plywood down.  Of course, you’ll also want to make sure that any ice from the roof will not fall and damage the unit.  If you wrap the unit tightly with plastic or some other type of covering, sealing it tightly, you are allowing moisture to collect, and you’re creating a nice, cozy environment for mice and moles to live for the winter…and they love to chew wires!  So let the unit breathe and just protect the top so that leaves don’t fill it up and so that heavy icicles don’t damage the fan blades.  That’s it!

• Close windows and doors while running air conditioning.  Before your system can lower the temperature even one degree, it will first have to remove all humidity.  Any open window will only let more humidity in.
• If you’re away for the day, do not turn the air conditioning off.  If you like, turn it up a few degrees, but if you turn it off, you will return to an overheated home that takes a long time to cool.
• Are upstairs areas too warm while the lower level feels too cool?  This is very common since hot air rises and cold air sinks.  While it’s unrealistic to expect all floors to be the same temperature, try these suggestions:
  1. Keep upstairs doors closed at all times!  This will trap the cold air upstairs so that it cannot "fall" back downstairs again.
  2. Keep your thermostat’s fan control on the "ON" position. Doing so will mix the air throughout the house, circulating colder air back upstairs even when the compressor is not making cold air.
  3. Make sure basement vents, if any, are closed.
  4. Try partially closing registers on the lowest level, which will force more cold air upstairs.  Make sure upstairs registers are completely open and unobstructed.
  5. Close drapes and blinds to block out the sun.
• Replace furnace filters monthly!  Just as in the winter, the furnace must be able to "inhale" as much air as it blows out.  If the filters are dirty or plugged, the system will "ice up" and stop working. Sometimes half of our service calls can be traced to plugged air filters.
• Keep the area around the condensing unit outside clear of dirt and debris.  Trim foliage back at least 2 feet to allow for adequate air flow.
• Have the system cleaned annually.  The coils and fins, both inside and outside, must be clean for the unit to perform efficiently and effectively.  The small cost of a quick professional cleaning will be less than the increased electricity costs that a dirty air conditioning system causes.
• Run ceiling fans in reverse to help circulate cooler air and make the home more comfortable.

One caveat to keep in mind is that bigger is NOT better.  This is because an oversized heating system will create large, uncomfortable temperature swings.  An oversized air conditioner will not properly dehumidify the home, making the home cold, damp, and cave-like.

There are many factors that determine the size of your heating/cooling system, such as square footage, insulation, windows/skylights, layout of your home, ductwork size, etc.  There is no reliable rule of thumb to answer this question – an expert does need to come in and determine the proper equipment size.

One caveat to keep in mind is that bigger is NOT better.  This is because an oversized heating system will create large, uncomfortable temperature swings.  An oversized air conditioner will not properly dehumidify the home, making the home cold, damp, and cave-like.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made it a law that any significant leak must be repaired to protect the ozone layer.  In addition, continually adding refrigerant is frustrating – the leak isn’t fixed which leads to costly service calls and refrigerant.  Best to make the repair or replace the unit.

Certain benefits come from buying a service contract.  One is that it usually includes maintenance/cleanings of your equipment, and you are automatically called to have this done, which suits many busy households.  You’re also entitled to some significant discounts on part and labor if service is required, which could more than make up for the price of the contract. However, if your equipment is newer and still under warranty, a service contract is usually not worth buying.

It is recommended that you try to maintain the humidity in your home between 35 and 45%.  Some homes, in colder weather, experience condensation forming on the windows.  If this occurs, lower the humidistat setting until the weather is more mild so that mold and mildew growth is avoided.