HVAC systems now come with higher efficiencies than ever, with air-source cooling equipment surpassing the 25-SEER mark and gas furnaces achieving more than 98 percent AFUE. Customers who pay for these highly efficient (and expensive) systems expect them to achieve those ratings and provide superior comfort, and, if they don’t, they are often disappointed and even angry.
When high-end equipment does not live up to consumer expectations, the culprit is almost always improper installation. According to a recent report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an improper installation could increase household energy use for space heating and cooling as much as 30 percent over what it should be, thanks to issues such as improper refrigerant charge, incorrect airflow, oversized equipment, and leaky and/or undersized ducts.