Homes Plus
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/342833
SPECIAL TO HOMES PLUS WAUKESHA — Air conditioners are important to have when the weather gets warm and humid during the summer months. But what does it take to purchase one. "The first thing a consumer needs to understand is that when buying a new air conditioner, bigger is not always better," said Duane LeBlanc of Dave Droegkamp Heating and Air Conditioning in Hartland. "Customers tell me that they want a big unit because they want the house to cool faster. But air conditioning doesn't work that way. There is nothing more critical in air conditioning than sizing it properly. If an air conditioner is improperly sized, there will be tremendous cooling capability, but not dehumidification. Improper sizing will result in short cycling, which means it won't run long enough to dehumidify. So you feel cool, but it's a damp cool. A rep- utable, quality contractor won't oversell for what you need." New technology The newest air conditioners are two- stage, meaning the compressor has two lev- els of operation: high for hot summer days and low for milder days. Since the low set- ting is adequate to meet household-cooling demands 80 percent of the time, a two-stage unit runs for longer periods and produces more even temperatures. Compared to a single-stage unit, a two-stage air condition- er can remove twice as much moisture from the air. "Air conditioning has aligned with fur- nace technology, where they can run a low cool and a high cool," LeBlanc said. "If you are running it on low, you are running more efficiently with less power consump- tion and you are maximizing dehumidifica- tion and spending less money." LeBlanc advises to check any new pur- chase for its warranty, especially for coils and compressors. "Coils and compressors make up the lion's share of the cost of the equipment, so you want to get a warranty that is going to cover the cost of those components at the 10-year mark rather than the two-year or five-year mark," he said. "If a compressor isn't under warranty, I would never recom- mend replacement because by the time you pay for a compressor, its installation, and bringing that unit back on line, you've spent two-thirds of the cost of a new one." The dealer makes the difference When choosing a contractor to buy and install your air conditioner, choose one that is reputable, licensed, NATE-certified (North American Technician Excellence, a program that qualifies technicians as experts in residential HVAC) and a member of a professional organization such as Mil- waukee/NARI. "Check reviews on Angie's List and the Better Business Bureau. Do your research ahead of time," said Doug Erd- mann of Burkhardt Heat- ing & Air Condi- tioning in Brown Deer. When having an air conditioner installed, the contractor also should pull the permits for the homeowners. "A lot of homeowners don't know they need permits," Erdmann said. "If a con- tractor says he won't pull the permit or asks the homeowner to do it, that's a hint that it is not a reputable company and they may not be licensed. Maintenance "Maintenance should be done on an annual basis as recommended by manufac- turers," said Wayne Abendschein of 1st Choice Heating & Cooling of Waukesha. "Air conditioners last between 17 and 22 years, but their life span can be shortened by not having the proper maintenance done." Abendschein explains that a technician will check the refrigerant levels to make sure the contactors and the furnace filter are clean. "The furnace filter is more important for air conditioning than for heat," he said. "With air conditioning, you need the prop- er amount of air flow and with a clogged fil- ter, you are not getting the right amount of air to allow the cool air to go through." Abendschein said there are signs you need a replacement unit. "The unit is not cooling as well as it used to, there is a build- up of one service call a summer for the past couple of summers, and there is a need to add refrigerant," Abendschein said. R22 The EPA has mandated that the refriger- ant used in air conditioners, R22, be phased out due to its ozone damaging properties. The phase-out has been going on for about 10 years and by 2020, R22 will no longer be available. Consumers find that when they have an older unit of air conditioner that needs the R22, it is very expensive to obtain, which makes purchasing a new unit more desir- able. Consumers also should be aware that refrigerants cannot be mixed and matched. "When buying, make sure you get an air conditioner that is made for the new refrig- erant," Abendschein said. "There are still some units on the market that use the R22, so make ensure that your unit that is made for new refrigerant, R410-A." HOMES PLUS JULY 2014 4 12645 W. Townsend (2 blocks N. of Burleigh, enter off 124th St. only) Free Estimate 262-783-4004 Mon. - Fri. 7am-5pm • Sat. 8am-12pm www.lifetimedoor.net 2 3 6 5 5 8 0 0 5 18 Full-size Doors On Display, Our Installers Are Licensed & Bonded 16'x7', 25 Gauge...Non Insulated Steel $ 685 Lifetime Door Co. TRUCKLOAD SALE on Garage Doors & Door Openers Installed Tax Included $ 835 • Two-Sided Pre-Finished Galvanized Steel • R-10 Insulated • 5 colors to choose from • Lifetime Warranty • Other Sizes Available • 2000 Garage Doors in Stock Special! - Take down and haul away old door for FREE! 16x7 SAVE $ 240 NOW Model 3265 Full Year Warranty, parts and service on installed operators. ORDER A LIFTMASTER 1/2 HP GARAGE DOOR OPENER & GET 2 REMOTES & KEYPAD. $ 320 Lifetime Motor Warranty WHY PAY MORE? "CALL LIFETIME DOOR!" Installed Tax Included ✑✍❚❁❐❆✿❄❉■❂❁▼✿❁❂❃❄❅❆❇❈❉❊❋●❍■❏❐❑❒▲▼◆❖◗❘❙❚❀✑✒✓✔✕✖✗✘✙✐✍✝✻✽✼✛✌✎✏ ✡✢✣✤✥✦✧★✩✪✫✬✭✮✯✰✱✲✳✴✵✶✷✸✹✺❞✁✠✃✄☎✾✆☛✈✉✿☞❛❝❜✚✜✞✟ 2-nobel_extralight_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸` ⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 3-nobel_extralightitalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸ `⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 4-nobel_light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄ ‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶• ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 13-nobel_blackitalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§ ¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 4-nobel_condensed_extralight_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 15-nobel_condensed_light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 16-nobel_condensed_book_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 17-nobel_condensed_regular_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 18-nobel_condensed_bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚— ±"'»ÚƯ˘¿Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 19-nobel_condensed_black_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸` ⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 20-Helvetica_Neue_LT_Std_55_Roman_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶• ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € 21-Helvetica_Neue_LT_Std_75_Bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;',./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£ ¢§¶•ªº–"'«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ""'' '" € Marvin windows and doors can provide a whole new perspective, not the least of which — better energy efficiency for your home. With the most available ENERGY STAR ® options, prefinished interiors (available in 6 wood species), and 19 standard exterior colors, we'll help you customize the perfect combination of glass, styles and finishes for your new home. It's all part of four generations of innovation and craftsmanship backed by an unwavering commitment to service and support from Bliffert Lumber Waukesha. ©2012 Marvin ® Windows and Doors. All rights reserved. ®Registered trademark of Marvin Windows and Doors. 548 W. Sunset Dr. Waukesha, WI 53189 (262) 542-6666 www.bliffertlumber.com 238703001 Plan ahead before buying air conditioner unit