Arthur Hagar has been meeting the needs of builders in the Fort Worth area for over 50 years. We look forward to being a part of your next construction project. We have provided the limited warranty, maintenance responsibilities, and a few miscellaneous tips for your customers below.
LIMITED WARRANTY and MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES
In order to get the most out of your new home comfort system we have provided the following helpful information on your warranty, maintenance responsibilities, and have also given you several helpful tips on the use of your system.
Warranty Information You are covered by a limited warranty. Copies of the warranty and factory information were left for you in your home at the time of move in. In general, you are covered against defects in material or workmanship by us for one year. Manufacturers warrant key components such as compressors (part only, no labor or incidentals) for an additional 4 years and in some cases cover all parts (excluding incidentals and labor). Abuse, damage or acts of nature are not covered under warranty. Your new heating and/or cooling system requires an active maintenance effort on your part to prevent damage due to neglect. Extended part and labor warranties are available through us, please call today.
Maintenance
Air Conditioning It is necessary to clean contaminant build up off of the outdoor coil two times each year. If your home is surrounded by construction or cottonwood trees you may need to clean it more often. Trim back all grass, weeds and brush, pick-up paper, plastic, etc. to keep these items from interfering with airflow. Drain lines should be cleaned each spring and checked every other month in the cooling season.
Test your air conditioning system early each spring on a warm day. Set the thermostat to “cool” and the temperature to 3° to 5° lower than the actual room temperature. Allow the system to run at least 30 minutes before trying to determine if the system is working or not.
Heating Test your heating system early each fall on a cool day. This will allow you to verify that the system is working properly and will “burn off” the dust on the heat exchanger or electric coils. Do not store any items within 3 feet of the furnace. Note: Today’s gas furnaces do not have a manual pilot light.
Filters To preserve the life of your system replace your furnace filter monthly or as the manufacturer recommends. Standard disposable filters should be changed and discarded monthly. It is critical that you replace your filter with the correct size to prevent by-pass air from polluting your system. If your system is equipped with a washable filter, it must be washed at least once a month.
High efficiency filters will improve the indoor air quality in your home and are designed to catch smaller particles such as allergens and microscopic dust particles. They have also been proven to be one of the most important safeguards in preventing indoor air pollution build-up inside your system.
High performance media filters normally need to be changed between six to twelve months. High performance filter replacements are available for purchase by calling today.
NOTE: Most department store type of upgraded filters, such as 1" paper-pleated filters are more restrictive than a standard filter due to the materials of which they are constructed. Although these filters do a better job of filtering the air they can also reduce airflow, system performance and capacity.
Heat Pumps Heat pumps require the same maintenance as an air conditioner. Snow and ice build up must be kept away from the outdoor unit during winter months.
System Sizing We have sized your air conditioning system to comply with code and industry guidelines Air Conditioning Contractors Association of America (ACCA) Manual “J” method. A properly sized system uses less energy than an oversized system that cycles on and off similar to the way a car has higher fuel efficiency during highway vs. city driving.
Cooling As outside temperatures approach 90°, the cooling system will run continuously until temperatures normalize. Your cooling system removes both humidity and heat from your home. Proper sizing ensures the system has necessary run time to properly dehumidify your home. Your lifestyle may temporarily impact comfort in an area of your home resulting from showers, cooking, windows not covered with drapes, (especially on the sunny sides), and other activities in the home.
Heating Gas furnaces do not achieve peak efficiency until 5-10 minutes of run time. Proper sizing ensures that the system will run at its peak efficiency instead of wasting fuel. As outdoor temperatures approach single digits the furnace will run non-stop until temperatures normalize.
Miscellaneous
Candle Burning Use only clean burning candles in your home. Candle burning can cause an accumulation of “black soot” in the home. If soot is noticed in your home, discontinue candle burning. Low soot or soy candles can be purchased.
Seasonal Balancing Each room may need to have vents adjusted when the temperatures change outside unless your system has a zoning option. Temperatures will not be exactly the same in each room. It is normal for temperatures to vary by 2° from room to room. Vents in rooms that are too warm in the heating season or too cool in the cooling season can be shut off completely.
Standard Fan Operation The fan can be operated continuously to better circulate the air in your home and reduce temperature variances in both heating and cooling. Running the fan continuously is not recommended during the cooling season in Southern states, or homes with high humidity.
Variable Speed Fan Operation The fan can be operated continuously to better circulate the air in your home and reduce temperature variances in both heating and cooling. And since variable-speed can run at lower speeds, it cleans, circulates and dehumidifies air more effectively.
Noises Metal ductwork will expand and contract as it is heated and cools down, some ticking is normal.
Thermostats Mechanical thermostats are designed with as much as a 2° variation (3° with heat pumps).
Programmable thermostats are designed with as little as a 1/2 degree variation resulting in increased comfort during normal use.
Startup Time Delays Some systems are equipped with a time interlock control that will prevent the compressor from operating for up to 5 minutes between cycles. This delay may be noticed when setting the thermostat for a cooler temperature in the cooling mode and finding that the unit does not start immediately.
Heat Pump Defrost Cycle It is not uncommon to see moisture vapor (steam) rising from the outdoor unit during defrost cycle when outdoor temperatures are below 45 degrees. Do not become alarmed as this is a normal occurance.
