Home Heating & Cooling

Your Home is a Living and Breathing System.

Houses are built with many different building components and when they all work together as one system, heating and cooling expense is reduced and home comfort levels improve.

AppleBlossom has reduced heating and cooling expense for hundreds of satisfied homeowners across North Carolina since 2006.

Heating and Cooling Systems are One-Part of a Whole-House Solution

AppleBlossom’s HVAC technical skills, combined with our building science and energy efficiency knowledge, can address your home heating and cooling issues in ways that other companies cannot.

About 60% of the energy consumed in the average home is for heating and cooling. Technologies and new approaches to address home heating and cooling problems are rapidly changing.

Death by a Thousand Leaks

Having the most energy efficient air conditioner, furnace or heat pump will not deliver optimum results unless air leaks are blocked, insulation levels are sufficient and other potential problems are identified and fixed.

Otherwise, it’s like throwing money out the window.

Home heating & cooling systems require sealed and well-insulated ducts to circulate air. Even small air leaks in ceilings, floors, walls and doors must be blocked to prevent air from escaping or entering. High quality insulation installed properly in attics and crawlspaces slows down the transfer of heat and cold.

Service and Repairs

When your central heating or cooling system malfunctions or no longer provides good comfort levels, you expect prompt service for:

  • Air Conditioner Repairs

  • Furnace Repairs

  • Heat Pump Repairs

AppleBlossom’s top priority is to have your system back in operation as quickly as possible. We also look for underlying issues that cause malfunctions and high operating expense. You can expect a trustworthy and comprehensive assessment and quality repairs.

Replacement HVAC Systems

... Done Right

For many homeowners, replacing a central heating and cooling system can be the largest single home-related expense next to a mortgage.

If replacement of your air conditioner, furnace or heat pump is necessary, you can rely on AppleBlossom for quality and professional replacement.

About Builder Grade Units

If your home is 10 years old or more and still has its original central air conditioner, furnace or heat pump, chances are they are ‘builder-grade’ units.

The term ‘builder-grade’ refers to components that are of lower quality, are less durable and less energy efficient.

Replacing your old central air-conditioner, furnace or heat pump with an energy efficient model can reduce energy consumption, lower energy bills, improve comfort and increase reliability.

Before reviewing system replacement options, first we evaluate your existing heating and cooling system from top to bottom. Then we discuss your goals and analyze the multiple aspects of your home involving energy efficiency and comfort.

Heating and Cooling for Home Remodeling

Upgrading central heating and cooling system with energy efficient HVAC units, along with addressing other areas of home energy efficiency, can reduce energy bills up to 40%.

Energy reduction in monthly bills can potentially offset monthly financing for energy efficiency upgrades.

Cosmetic Remodeling vs. Energy Efficiency.

If you are a homeowner thinking about somecosmetic remodeling projects, consider delaying installation of those granite countertops or replacing old carpeting and invest in upgrades that can immediately reduce household monthly expense.

Replacing Windows DOES NOT Significantly Reduce Energy Consumption

Windows are energy sink-holes and replacing windows is rarely cost effective based solely on energy savings. Windows create 10 to 20 times more heat gain/loss than an adjacent insulated wall. It makes little difference if replacement windows have double or triple panes or low-E glass.

Do the Math

If 20 windows are replaced in your home for $400 each, it would cost $8,000. The amount of energy reduced is minimal and recouping costs typically requires decades.

For a typical home, investing in high efficiency heating and cooling upgrades and making other targeted energy efficiency improvements, is more prudent that replacing windows and can deliver immediate and often sizeable reductions in energy consumption.

Recommissioning HVAC Systems and Getting a Second Opinion

The term ‘recommissioning’ is normally associated with commercial HVAC systems but it can also apply to residential systems.

If you have encountered persistent reliability or comfort issues with your central heating and cooling system, maybe it’s time to get a second opinion.

AppleBlossom can evaluate all aspects of your heating and cooling system. If system replacement is unnecessary, we can service your air-conditioner, furnace or heat pump and return units to a baseline state of operation.

We recalculate load requirements, inspect supply and return ducts, perform required repairs and tune the system for optimum performance.

Heating & Cooling for Custom Homes

Building a custom home is an exciting time and there are many important decisions to consider. The best time to integrate quality energy efficiency measures, for the lowest possible cost, is during the home construction process.

Along with reducing energy consumption over the life of a home, energy efficiency measures will often minimize capacities for heating and cooling equipment and reduce up-front costs.

AppleBlossom can present a range of new home heating & cooling equipment options and we can also work with your architect or builder.

Our technicians will install heating and cooling equipment and perform final tests resulting in whole-house comfort all year long.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling and Hot-Water

Ground source heat pumps are among the most energy efficient technologies for providing heating and cooling and hot water.

The system extracts ground heat in the winter (for heating) and transfers heat back into the ground in the summer (for cooling).

Geothermal heating and cooling systems use up to 75% less energy than traditional methods.

When combined with energy efficiency lighting, such as LEDs, a geothermal heat pump could potentially enable heating, cooling and lighting of a home using only renewable energy (such as solar photovoltaics).

Call AppleBlossom to schedule a site evaluation and learn how we can design and install a geothermal heat pump system for your home.

Multi-Family Heating and Cooling

AppleBlossom offers service agreements for heating and cooling systems at multi-family complexes and buildings including: apartments, condominiums, town-homes and extended care facilities.

HVAC Preventive Maintenance

Our preventive maintenance plans for central air-conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps schedule routine tune-ups for early spring and fall – before heating & cooling seasons stress HVAC systems to their maximum levels.

AppleBlossom’s Energy Efficiency Crews

To ensure that your cooling and heating system operates at optimum levels, our BPI (Building Performance Institute) trained Weatherization crews can air-seal both new and existing homes and blow cellulose insulation into wall cavities, ceilings and floors.

Incentives

2011 Tax Credits

Federal tax credits for energy efficiency improvements have been extended into 2011. The credits include 10% of the cost of the improvement, up to $500, with a $200 maximum for windows, and several other set maximums.

  • 10% up to $500 for insulation, roofs, and doors.
     
  • Windows capped at $200, but qualification now ENERGY STAR.
     
  • Furnace and boilers capped at $150, and all furnaces and boilers must meet 95 AFUE.
     
  • $50 for advanced main air circulating fan.
     
  • $300 for air conditioners, air source heat pumps, water heaters, and biomass stoves.

Energy Supplier Rebates

Many North Carolina energy utilities provide rebates for energy efficiency upgrades. AppleBlossom can help identify incentives that may be available from your energy supplier.

Geothermal Tax Credits

Tax credits for geothermal heat pump systems are currently very appealing and qualify for both federal and North Carolina tax credits and can help reduce geothermal installation costs.