Frequently asked questions.

Some things you can check before calling for service:

• Is thermostat on correct setting (cooling)?
• Check for signs of evaporator coil freeze up.
  • AC runs but never cools your home
  • Warm air blowing instead of cold
  • Ice build up around coil (at furnace or air handler)
  • Frozen line and/or ice build up near outdoor unit
  • Flooding near drain pan/base of furnace
• If you see signs of above we recommend following:
  • Turn off the AC
  • Change furnace filter. A dirty filter can restrict airflow. Filters should be checked on a regular basis and changed when needed.
  • Switch on the ‘Fan Only’. This will force warm air over the evaporator coils to help thaw.
  • Let sit so coil has time to fully thaw (recommend 24hrs)
• If problems persist call to schedule a service call. It may be that the coil requires cleaning, system is low on refrigerant (possible leak) or insufficient fan speed to keep air blowing over coil.

An experienced Comfort Advisor can help you make the right decisions that suit your needs and requirements. HVAC systems are based on many factors including square footage, age of home, insulation value, solar gain and heat loss to name a few. A comfort advisor can also help find the best option for your budget. Be sure to ask about air quality and sound levels.

When choosing an HVAC Contractor ask about licenses, certifications and years in business. Ask for reviews or testimonials. It is always a good idea to work with local businesses for service and warranty work. Make sure you are satisfied with the answers to the questions you ask.

Most systems last 15-20 years provided they have been installed properly and serviced annually by licensed professionals.

Modulating or Two-stage furnaces will operate at a lower burner rate and adjust as necessary to satisfy temperature which means a more efficient system from both a comfort and cost to operate standpoint.

Most new furnaces have an energy efficient blower motor and by running the fan constantly it will even the temperature throughout the home. Combined with a good filter you can keep the air clean while maintaining a comfortable living space.

A heat pump is an all-in-one heating and air conditioning system that works year-round to keep you comfortable. During warm months, a heat pump works as a normal air conditioner. It extracts heat from inside the home and transfers it to the outdoor air. In colder weather the process reverses, the unit collects heat from the outdoor air and transfers it to the inside of your home. Even when the air outside feels extremely cold the air still contains some heat. The heat pump pulls the heat from this cold outdoor air and sends it inside to warm your home. When there’s not enough heat in the outside air to meet the demand of the thermostat setting, an electric heater or gas fired furnace supplements the outdoor air to warm the home. Extremely efficient, this process produces two to three times more heat than the energy it uses.

Also, a heat pump can be an effective add-on option to use in conjunction with and existing gas furnace. With this dual-fuel option, the two systems share the heating load, but never function at the same time. Each system operates when it is most cost effective, the heat pump being the primary heating and cooling system. When the temperature drops below the heat pump’s ability to operate as efficiently as the gas furnace, the gas furnace will take over until temperature rises enough for the heat pump to operate more efficiently.

Two-stage cooling means the air conditioner or heat pump has a compressor with two levels of operation: High for hot summer days and Low for milder days. Since low setting is adequate to meet 80% of household cooling demands a two-stage unit runs for longer periods and produces more even temperatures. Longer cooling cycles translate to quieter, more efficient operation and enhanced humidity control.

With high efficiency ratings and innovative, industry-leading technology, Lennox® home comfort systems can go a long way toward reducing these costs. When selecting a new system, pay close attention to the SEER rating of the air conditioner and AFUE of the furnace. The higher the SEER or AFUE, the less your unit will cost to operate.

Beyond efficiency ratings, other factors to consider are:

• Maintenance – You can ensure your system operates at peak performance by scheduling annual maintenance checks.
• Zoning – A zoning system can drastically lower your heating and cooling costs. With zoning, you no longer have to pay to heat or cool areas of your home that are rarely used.
• Programmable Thermostats – According to the Department of Energy, a programmable thermostat can reduce your heating costs by up to 35% and cooling costs by up to 25%.

For more energy-saving solutions, contact your local Lennox Dealer.

Covering the unit is not necessary, especially if you have a heat pump that runs all year long. In fact, covering an entire unit may actually trap moisture which can cause damage.

During the cold winter seasons, your home loses moisture to the outdoors, and the humidity level may drop to as low as 10%. Indoor air that’s too dry can leave skin feeling itchy and dried out. Overly dry air is also one of the major causes of respiratory infections. The start of the heating season each fall causes many people to begin having repeated attacks of winter colds. While the weather is often blamed the actual cause may be dryness, which develops in the membranes of the nose, throat and bronchial tubes. Relative humidity has a significant effect on controlling the occurrence of airborne infections.

With central heating, people are confined indoors with unnaturally dry air for many months each year. Humidifiers help to keep comfortable levels of moisture in the air, which is essential for your respiratory health. Adding humidity make for a more comfortable indoor climate. This will allow the temperature to be lowered.

Whole-house humidifiers work like old-fashioned room humidifiers: They put moisture into the air, making harsh, dry air easier to breathe. A major difference is that they improve the air in every room of your home—no more carrying a humidifier from room to room in the winter.

Signs of poor ventilation include moisture buildup on windows or walls and smelly or stuffy air. Lingering home odors are another indication of a ventilation problem.

Opening a window or turning on ceiling fans can keep the air in your home moving but this can also waste energy when your heating or cooling system is on, increasing utility bills. It also invites pollen and other allergens into your home. A Healthy Climate ventilation system offers an easy and innovative way to improve air circulation and reduce particle concentrations throughout your home.

A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) uses virtually noise-free fans that draw in fresh, cool outdoor air, while removing stale air. An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) performs the same function, but utilizes a rotary energy recovery wheel. In both cases, the units transfer the temperature and moisture properties from one air stream to the other, without allowing the two airflow streams to mix. Both units offer easy access for change of filters and necessary maintenance, making them not only energy efficient but also easy to use.

In a sense, ventilation systems are like the lungs of your house. They take in fresh outdoor air for circulation, while expelling odors, chemical vapors and pollutants outside your home. So when you’re inside, you’re always breathing in air that feels better. Best of all, Healthy Climate solutions like the energy-recovery ventilation system transfer stale indoor air to the outside without wasting the energy you’ve spent heating, cooling and dehumidifying it.

At one time, it was possible to achieve natural ventilation in our homes by simply opening a window. However, with growing concerns about rising energy costs, we have been busy making homes “tighter” from an efficiency standpoint. Armed with weather stripping and caulk guns, we have eliminated air leaks from our homes. Unfortunately, that means contaminants have no way to escape.

Pollutants in your home’s air can cause poor indoor air quality, which in turn may cause dizziness and headaches, plus aggravate allergies and asthma. That’s why Lennox offers ventilation systems that help remove contaminants by exchanging stale, recirculated indoor air with fresh, filtered outside air.

“Indoor air quality,” or IAQ, is a relatively new topic in environmental safety. While a lot of attention has been placed on outdoor pollution over the past few decades, the focus on indoor air quality is just beginning. The quality of a home’s air mainly has to do with the amount of pollutants inside, but it’s also determined by humidity and ventilation levels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that concentrations of pollutants can be up to 100 times higher indoors than outdoors. The American Lung Association estimates that most people spend 90% of their time indoors, so clean indoor air is very important.

Allergies and asthma are two health problems that can be helped with clean indoor air. When airborne irritants are removed, allergy and asthma sufferers often find relief from their symptoms. Even healthy people who have never suffered from allergies can benefit from clean air. Dust, smoke and other particles float around in the air, causing your drapes and furniture to gather dust. By removing airborne dust particles, you reduce the amount of exposure your respiratory system has to them.

The air inside the average home is up to five times more polluted than the air outside. For some people, this may mean no more than a runny nose or watery eyes. But, for others, particularly children, seniors and those who suffer from respiratory ailments, the effects may be devastating and long lasting.

Cleaning the air

Reducing the amount of pollutants in the air is the most effective way to improve indoor air quality. Filtration products capture contaminants that can’t be removed through vacuuming and regular cleaning.

The Healthy Climate® Carbon Clean 16 Media Air Cleaner combines industry-leading MERV 16 filtration with activated, carbon-coated fibers to remove airborne dust, pollen, pet dander and other particles that can aggravate allergies and asthma. It’s compatible with any heating and cooling equipment, and it clears the air throughout your entire home.

Another highly effective filter option for removing allergens is a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) system. Its performance is equivalent to a MERV 17 filtration efficiency or higher.

The PureAir™ air purification system and PureAir™ S air purification system filter out allergy-aggravating particles, while also removing odors and chemicals. They clean the air inside your home better than any other single system you can buy.    

Clearing the air

Today’s homes are built to be energy efficient. That means they’re better sealed than ever against drafts and the elements. While this can have a positive impact on your household utility bills, it can have the unwanted side effect of trapping stale, contaminated air inside your home. Healthy Climate® Energy- and Heat-Recovery Ventilators (ERV/HRV) can improve the quality of your indoor air by bringing in a steady supply of fresher air from outside.

To find out which indoor air quality products are right for you, contact your local Lennox Dealer.

The PureAir and PureAir S systems reduce concentrations of pollutants through a process called photocatalytic oxidation (PCO). Similar to the process used by the Department of Defense to combat germ warfare, PCO combines nature’s three most powerful air purifiers:

1. Ultraviolet light
2. Titanium dioxide, a nontoxic substance found in the earth’s crust
3. Hydroxyl radicals, particles derived from hydrogen peroxide

The PureAir PCO process involves three steps:

1. The pleated media filter captures particles and bioaerosols like pollen and pet dander, removing them from the airstream.
2. As the odor- and chemical-filled airstream flows over the UVA light, the airstream is exposed to the catalytic surface (titanium dioxide-coated mesh filter).
3. The light energy activates the catalyst, which generates hydroxyl radicals. These particles, which are more than twice as powerful as chlorine, break down the odors and chemicals into carbon dioxide and water.

Filtration systems are designed to reduce airborne concentrations of particles and biological pollutants. The PureAir™ air purification system and PureAir™ S air purification system use hospital-grade filtration and patented photocatalytic oxidation technology to attack particles and germs, plus chemical vapors and home odors. In fact, they are the only single systems that can safely remove chemical vapours such as tobacco smoke.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a filtration system, starting with sensitivity to allergens. The more sensitive a person is to allergens, the greater the need for a high-efficiency filtration system.

Efficiency

The efficiency of the air filter should be a top consideration. Efficiency is based on the size of the particles captured by an air filter. The higher the efficiency, the more effective it will be. Look for the filter’s MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) number, the industry standard for rating filters based on their performance. Residential filters typically have an MERV range of one to eight. Higher ratings ranging from 10 to 16 indicate more efficient filters. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) systems use hospital-grade filtration technology with a performance that’s equivalent to a MERV 17 filtration efficiency or higher. The higher filter efficiency not only helps clear the air, but it also improves airflow. Generally, the more efficient a filter is, the less airflow reduction there will be.

Cost

Cost is another major factor—both in terms of the initial purchase price and expense of maintenance and upgrades. Purchasing a filter of reasonably high quality can save you money over the long term. Inexpensive filters may not provide the level of filtration you need and may also require frequent filter replacement.

Type

Among the many filtration products available are pleated filters, which are constructed of fiberglass or synthetic fibers woven into a more dense material. The pleats are arranged in V-shaped forms to increase the area of the filter material without increasing the face area. This increases the particle-holding capability.

Germicidal lights use intense ultraviolet light to sterilize surfaces. Each solution removes allergy-aggravating particles and germs.

Electronic air cleaners (EACs) take recirculated air and pass it through a prefilter that traps large pollutants. Then, ionizing wires give a positive electrical charge to remaining particles. A negatively charged collecting section captures the particles. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are also very effective at small-particle removal. An optional carbon canister can help control odors and chemicals.

To find out which indoor air quality products are right for you, contact your local Lennox dealer.

You wouldn’t buy a brand-new car and expect to never have to put air in the tires, change the oil and check out any unusual noises, would you? In the same way that an automobile requires periodic maintenance for optimal performance, a home comfort system should be regularly inspected by a qualified technician. This helps to reduce emergency service calls and helps to keep equipment running efficiently.

Furnace is checked for CO to be sure it is safe to operate (looking for cracks in the heat exchanger), the burners are checked and cleaned if necessary, the condensate trap is cleaned and the filter is replaced.

Air Conditioners require little maintenance provided you are using a good filter and change it as necessary. Technician will inspect the indoor coil and clean outdoor unit to allow good airflow through the coils which keeps the compressor from over heating and allow it to run efficiently.

Air Exchangers (HRV/ERV) have an internal filter that is washable. The trap will be cleaned and the outdoor vents will be inspected.

For ductless units the filters, coils and drains on indoor heads will be inspected and cleaned. The outdoor condenser will also be washed.

There are many types of HVAC equipment and all should be cleaned and inspected annually by a licensed professional for efficiency and safety.

Different manufacturers offer different warranty levels. The Lennox Equipment Limited Warranty is a 5 year basic coverage on all units.  The Lennox 10-Year Extended Limited Warranty program extends the basic coverage for an additional 5 years with registration.