Events and Updates | Ross Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.

What Size Furnace Should You Have in Your Home?

February 28, 2020 by Ross

Most people don’t realize that furnace size is a lot like shoe size — get the wrong one, and you’ll be uncomfortable the entire time you’re using it. Having your furnace sized correctly will make a huge difference in how comfortable your home is, not to mention your energy bill and the lifespan of your equipment.

Determining Furnace Size

How do you know what size furnace you should get? Well, that depends on a lot of factors, including your home’s location, age, design, insulation and even roofing. Unfortunately, most companies don’t know how to calculate all of these factors correctly — they just guess. Other companies charge a boatload to perform a personalized calculation (what’s called a “load calculation”).

Don’t let someone guess, and don’t overpay — call Ross to get an expert opinion. We’ve been working in HVAC for over 20 years, and we’ll make sure the furnace you get is the furnace you need, without unnecessary overhead or maintenance fees.

Want an inside look? Here are some of the key factors we consider when determining the right size furnace for your home:

1. Square Footage

The square footage of your home is the first step in determining the size of furnace that you’ll need. We want to have an accurate starting number, so it’s important to calculate this carefully, especially if you have any circular or angular rooms. We’ll also need to consider whether your air ducts go into every room — or floor — or if there are any areas that they miss.

2. Climate

The climate you live in determines how hard your furnace will need to work in order to heat your home in your specific geographic area. Unfortunately, Reno-Tahoe is smack dab in the middle of where a few different climate regions come together. That means your exact location will determine what heating factor (measured in BTUs, or British thermal units) we’ll need to multiply by your square footage.

3. Insulation

Once we’ve determined your climate, it’s time to evaluate your home’s insulation. There are a lot of variables that will impact the right size furnace for your home, including:

How new it is
How well-insulated it is
The number of floors
The shape of the layout
The number of “comfort zones” you want
How high the ceilings are
How shaded or exposed your home is to sunlight and the elements
The number of windows it has
What type of windows it has (including how old they are and how well they insulate)
Where the windows are located
What color your roof is
The condition your ductwork is in
What your ideal temperature is
How many people live there

We take all of these factors into account, and then we modify the climate heating factor that we calculated above so that we’re even more precise.

4. Furnace Efficiency

The exact model of furnace we’re looking at installing will also affect our decision, because furnaces all have different levels of efficiency. Furnaces range from 78% – 100% in their efficiency ratings, which has a significant impact on how many BTUs you can lose in spite of a furnace’s size. Furnaces also decrease in efficiency somewhat as they’re used and as they age.

Ultimately, there’s a lot of detail and nuance involved in calculating the appropriate furnace size for your home. Don’t leave your comfort — and investment — up to chance. Call Ross, and we’ll make sure you don’t overspend and get exactly what you need.

Join the Ross Service Club — It’s Free!

February 12, 2020 by Ross

Is there any reason why you shouldn’t be saving some extra cash on your furnace and AC maintenance? No, we didn’t think so, either. That’s why you should join the Ross Service Club!

Ross Service Club Members save 25% on their spring and fall maintenance costs. They also get 15% off any subsequent services and repairs.

Why Ross?

Why should you rely on Ross? We seriously know what we’re doing — with over 20 years of experience, owner Damian Ross is the person everybody calls when nobody else can figure out the issue. And for all you folks out there with oil furnaces, he’s one of the only journeyman-level oil furnace techs in the Reno-Sparks area.

But not only are we super knowledgeable, we’re also a local, family-owned and operated business. That means we treat every customer like a lifelong customer — because a lot of times, they are! We invest in our customers because they’re our friends and neighbors. We’re a permanent part of this community, and we want to do our part to take care of it. We take pride in providing affordable, trustworthy service to all of our customers.

How It Works

The Ross Service Club enrolls you in twice-a-year maintenance (which you should be doing anyway!), so you can have your heating system and air conditioning prepped in time for each season. Not only do you save 25% on these spring and fall maintenance visits, you get peace of mind and a smoother, cleaner experience out of your equipment.

Benefits

25% off spring and fall HVAC system maintenance.
Extended 12-month warranty on all repairs.
Guaranteed prices on repairs before any work begins, no matter how long the repair takes.
Discounted diagnostic fee for all service calls.
15% discount on labor and parts for any repairs.

How to Join

Ready to start saving money, preventing problems and getting better performance — and more comfort — out of your system? To join the Ross Service Club, call us at (775) 425-2525 or drop us a line today!

Why Does Furnace Size Matter?

February 5, 2020 by Ross

This time of year, we’re extra grateful to be warm and cozy. Whether it’s after work, errands or a day of skiing, it’s nice to be able to come home and just get comfortable. And we couldn’t do it without our trusty furnace’s hard work. However, our furnace needs to be the right size in order to do its job well.

Furnaces come in a ton of different sizes. Which size is right for your home depends on a lot of factors, including square footage, layout, design, insulation and roofing. Most companies don’t actually know how to calculate proper furnace size — they just guess. Others will charge you a hefty fee to do a personalized calculation. But if your furnace is too large or too small, it can have a huge impact on your comfort, energy bill, and the lifespan of the furnace itself.

Furnaces That Are Too Small

If your furnace is too small, you’re going to be uncomfortable. It’s going to struggle to keep your entire house warm, so the temperature is going to be uneven. That means there are going to be cold spots. What’s worse, on the days and nights the cold really decides to kick in, your furnace is going to have a really hard time keeping up with the dropping temperatures.

Because your furnace will have to work around the clock to do its job, that means you’re going to have higher energy bills. Your furnace is also going to wear out faster and need to be replaced a lot sooner.

Furnaces That Are Too Big

If your furnace is too big, you’ll (surprise!) also be uncomfortable. Why? Because the average pace for that big furnace is going to be overkill in your house. Instead of just cold spots, you’ll have hot and cold spots. Your furnace will turn on and off in short, quick cycles, so you’ll have some areas it heats up too much, too fast — and other areas it isn’t on long enough to heat up at all.

Constantly switching on and off not only uses more energy and hikes up your energy bill, it also means your furnace is working harder, so it’s going to need maintenance and repair more often. It isn’t going to live as long as it could, either.

Furnaces That Are Just Right

If your furnace is just right, it will be able to keep pace with all but the coldest days and nights without working too hard. It also won’t turn your house into a dry sauna if it runs for any length of time. Instead, your furnace will heat your home in steady cycles of activity, using energy efficiently. This nice rhythm keeps your energy bills down and gives your equipment a longer life.

The moral of the story? Don’t guess when it comes to furnace size, and don’t let someone else guess for you, either. Call Ross to get an expert opinion. We’ve been working in HVAC for over 20 years, and we’ll make sure you get the furnace that’s right for you.

Ross Heating and Air Conditioning

Email: Contact Us

Phone: (775) 425-2525

5 Ways to Save Money on Your Energy Bill in 2020

January 29, 2020 by Ross

If 2020 is the year of 20/20 vision, that means we should have the clarity to avoid unnecessary bills and repairs before they become a reality. Here are 5 things you can do to save money on your energy bill while taking great care of your HVAC system at the same time.

1. Change your air filter.

We’re not talking once a year. We’re talking regularly. Like every 2-3 months when your system is working hard. Why? Because otherwise your furnace is going to have to work a lot harder to push air through a gunky screen, and that means you’re shortening its life. Keep in mind that a furnace is a lot harder to replace than an air filter, not to mention it’s something you don’t need to pay a pro to do for you. Heck, you can even buy a reusable air filter that you just take out and rinse off every so often, and then you’re not spending extra money or creating extra waste.

2. Keep your vents open.

We’ve all been tempted to close the air vents in certain rooms or on certain floors. It makes sense when you’re thinking, “No one’s using the guest room right now,” or, “Upstairs is always warmer, so let’s close the vents on the main floor.” What we often don’t realize is that closing the vents is not only going to make your furnace work a lot harder, just like a gunky air filter would, but it will also put increased pressure on your air ducts. What does that mean? You’re creating leaky ducts.

Leaky ducts are a terrible drain on your energy bill — far worse than heating or cooling an extra room or two. In the average home, about 20 to 30 percent of the air that moves through the ducts gets lost due to leaks, holes and poor installation. That’s a huge amount of what you’re paying for every month on your energy bill, so it’s best to keep your vents open and avoid making your ducts even leakier.

3. Get your air leaks fixed.

Like we said above, air leaks in your ducts are a huge drain on your HVAC system — to the tune of 20-30 percent. You can prevent them from becoming worse by keeping your vents open, but you can also get them fixed. Sealing and insulating your ducts will often pay for itself through savings on your energy bill. It will also help improve the air quality in your home, because leaky ducts often pull in dust from your insulation and musty crawlspaces.

4. Don’t heat — or cool — an empty house.

You’ll save as much as 10 percent on your energy bill every year just by turning your thermostat back 7-10 degrees, 8 hours a day. Do this while you’re away on vacation, when you leave for work in the morning, or even while you’re sleeping. For instance, if you like to keep your house at 68 degrees, turn it down to 60 while you’re gone. The math works out so that you save more energy by lowering the temperature than you spend by reheating your house when you get home — which means you’re saving money. You can program your thermostat to do this for you, so your house is comfortable by the time you get home from work. If you have a smart thermostat, you can control the temperature settings from anywhere using an app on your phone. If you have an old thermostat and want to upgrade, contact us!

5. Give your HVAC system some regular maintenance.

Think about some of the things you use every day, like your car or your bathroom sink. How often do these things need attention, maintenance or even a little sprucing? Usually pretty often. Your HVAC system is the same way. It puts in a lot of work, and it needs a little TLC in return. Giving your HVAC system maintenance 1-2 times a year from a trained professional will help it do its best work for you. In return, a more efficient system will cost less each month, last longer, and give you a more comfortable home.

Make use of these tips to save money on your energy bill this year. If you have any questions about how to apply any of these tips, feel free to get in touch! We’re more than happy to help. Happy New Year!

Ross Service Club

October 3, 2019 by Ross

Winter is just about here and it’s time to get your system ready. This fall, take it one step further and consider joining the Ross Heating and Air Conditioning Service Club and we can help make sure your heating systems runs efficiently and reliably all winter long. The Service Club enrolls you to have your heating system and air conditioning prepped in time for each season. You get piece of mind as well as a cleaner experience out of your system and save almost 25% in the process.

The Benefits of Preventative Maintenance

Peace of Mind

Automatic, period inspection, lubricating, adjusting and cleaning of your heating and cooling system keeps it running at peak, trouble-free efficiency. Potential problems are spotted before they cause trouble.

15% Off All Repairs

Just for being a Ross Preventative Maintenance customer, you receive 15% off all your repairs — including parts and labor.

Competent Experts at Your Service

A competent, trained, dependable staff of experts looks after and “worries” about your equipment and its performance. We work with you to schedule your service calls when convenient.

Price Protection

Your agreement price cannot be raised during the effective dates. Prices will not be raised for following renewal periods without first notifying you.

Service You Can Trust

Our skilled experts know their business. Rely on them and our reputation to give you fast, dependable and fair service. Planned Service inspections reduce the number of emergency calls by revealing potential problems that can be corrected inexpensively before causing major repair bills. Regular system tune-ups will also reduce your utility bills by keeping your system operating at peak efficiency.

*** Annual Inspection Included During Regular Business Hours ***

Return Your Comfort System To Factory Fresh Conditions

When you invest in the Service Club Agreement Plan, we will provide you with two service calls: an air conditioning precision tune-up and a combustion adjustment, professional cleaning, and safety inspection. Plus:

We extend the warranty on all repairs to 12 months for Ross Service Agreement customers.
We offer guaranteed prices on all repairs before work begins, no matter how long the repair takes.
You’ll receive a discounted Diagnostic Fee for any service call.
You’ll receive a 15% discount off labor and parts for any repairs.

What are you waiting for? Join the Ross Service Club today! Call us at (775) 425-2525 or send us a message here.