No matter what your HVAC questions are, the techs at Retro HVAC Service & Installation in Warminster have answers. Whether you have questions about selecting new HVAC equipment to best practices on care and maintenance, we can help. Our online FAQs answers offer a fast response for your convenience, but if you want to know more on any topic, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 267-485-6219.

Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for normal tune-ups, such as oil changes or checking out possible problems, your home comfort system should get the same kind of attention. Routine maintenance by a professional technician provides a variety of benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems perform efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost can fluctuate depending on the equipment size and different features, so we suggest contacting Retro HVAC Service & Installation at 267-485-6219 to obtain a quote.
Two-stage heating permits the furnace to heat at two levels of output: high for cold winter days and low for mild ones. Approximately 80 percent of the time, your homes heating requirements can be met when the furnace is set on the low setting, permitting your two-stage unit to operate for longer periods of time. Two-stage units also provide more even heat distribution, fewer temperature swings, quiet operation, better air filtration and energy efficiency.
Retro HVAC Service & Installation has a variety of brands and models that are more efficient than ever and make it easier to find the right fit for your home. There are innovative systems that make heating or cooling your home more automatic, operating similar to cruise control to make small adjustments to help meet your comfort demands with energy efficiency. Give us a call at 267-485-6219 to learn more about the technology we carry.
Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a host of differences. Furnaces today are developed to provide more even and efficient heating than ever before. Modern furnaces also better regulate temperature and air flow, moving more air over the heat exchanger than older furnaces.

Additionally, new furnaces are created to integrate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers give your heating system an extra bump so it can deliver cool air around your home efficiently. Special features like variable speed motors will also help reduce noise associated with operating your equipment and easily meet your family’s airflow needs.

The Department of Energy recently increased the minimum efficiency levels for air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units manufactured after Jan. 1, 2015, since heating and cooling contributes significantly to a homes total energy usage. The requirements vary by region, so call Retro HVAC Service & Installation for the efficiency standards for Warminster.
Retro HVAC Service & Installation offers a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help lower the amount of energy they require to run. Aside from selecting products that have received Energy Star® certification or achieved high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, you should consider the following:

  • Making certain that your system receives regular maintenance by a trained technician can keep your system operating at its top performance.
  • Zoning systems enable you to heat or cool only specific areas of your home, so you wont have to pay to heat or cool spaces that you don’t typically utilize.
  • Using a programmable thermostat allows you to set the temperature in your home around your schedule. They can be programmed to give you the comfort you need when you’re home and increase or decrease the temperature while you’re not around, helping you save on utility costs.
Retro HVAC Service & Installation is well-known in the Warminster area and you can depend on them to provide quality home comfort products. We feature a variety of innovative and high-quality products. We are dedicated to offering customers high-quality service and will make sure you find the appropriate solution for your home.
Improving your home’s indoor air quality starts with four basic strategies:

    • Poor indoor air quality leaves your home with lots of air pollutants floating around. So, to enhance IAQ, the first step is to get rid of as many pollutants as possible. You can easily do this by cleaning and vacuuming at least one time during the week, frequently washing linens and storing cleaning products safely.
    • Proper insulation is good for keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but it also makes it challenging for airborne pollutants to escape. We offer products that help swap stale air for fresh, filtered outside air.
    • Good ventilation and ongoing cleaning are a start, but air filters, germicidal lights and purification systems take your IAQ to the next level by capturing microscopic particles, killing germs and eliminating particles while destroying chemical vapors.
    • Programmable thermostats will help control the humidity levels and temperature to help prevent particles and germs from building up while also keeping your home comfortable.

We recommend that you meet with one of the professionals at Retro HVAC Service & Installation and have them assess your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you decide which equipment will be best suited to meet your needs.

Lots of homeowners believe that air conditioners make it cooler in your house, but it actually removes the heat from your house, moving the hot air outside. That hot air moves across a cold indoor coil where refrigerant in the lines sends the heat to the coil in your outdoor unit, releasing the heat outside. This process continues until the indoor temperature reaches the temperature you set on your thermostat.
Due to the amount of energy used by heating and cooling systems, the Department of Energy (DOE) increased the minimum efficiency levels for air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units manufactured after January 1, 2015. These levels are determined based on region and carry varying requirements based on your location. Retro HVAC Service & Installation can answer any questions you may have regarding these minimum requirements and let you know what choices are available when you’re searching for a replacement system.
You can find these numbers on a nameplate or sticker that is near your systems service panel. The sticker will be white with black letters and have both of these numbers located at the top of the sticker. M/N stands for model number while S/N is your serial number.
There are a couple ways to determine what size system is right for your home, but the most reliable way to determine the right size system is by having your local Retro HVAC Service & Installation technician come out and perform a load calculation. This calculation considers your homes: square footage, insulation value, amount of insulation, and a handful of other factors.
The short answer is Yes. Dirt and other debris can inhibit your systems ability to work efficiently. For heat pumps, it is common to have frost or ice on them during the winter, but they also feature defrost controls to ensure they work efficiently in those types of conditions.
Two-stage cooling means that your cooling unit has two levels of operation. When summer is its warmest, the high setting is used, and when its cooler or more mild, it operates on the low setting. Usually, the lower setting will take care of your cooling needs, but even when the high setting kicks in, you may not realize it because it can produce such even temperatures for your comfort. This may also mean a quieter cooling system, greater efficiency and enhanced humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a couple of reasons why it could be doing so. The most typical reasons include: dirty filters, low refrigerant, a dirty evaporative coil and a faulty blower motor or relay. A dirty filter is something you can change as a homeowner, but the others need to be done by a professional like those at Retro HVAC Service & Installation. Contact them at 267-485-6219 with any additional questions.
Choosing the best thermostat for your cooling system comes with a lot of considerations. Thats why its nice to have such a wide variety of choices from Retro HVAC Service & Installation. Whether you’re in the market for for a programmable or non-programmable thermostat or want to join the smart home trend, there are various thermostats that you have to choose from. Some thermostats will depend on what type of heating and cooling system you have, but the pros at Retro HVAC Service & Installation will be able to help determine what options meet your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a tad confusing due to their name, but they actually cover both your heating and cooling needs year-round. When its hot outside it works like an air conditioner in that it removes heat from your home, but when it cools off, the process gets reversed and it collects heat from outside and brings it inside. Heat pumps are also very efficient, and may produce up to two or three times more heat than the energy it uses.

Of course we think you should also replace your indoor system, but this is why:

      • All outdoor cooling systems have a matching indoor unit that they are intended to work with to ensure efficient performance. When they aren’t paired with the other piece as a complete system, efficiency might suffer.
      • As with a lot of products, advancements have brought about newer, more efficient ways of doing things. Heating and cooling systems are no different. These advances most importantly include greater heating and cooling efficiency, but also consist of improved air handling, filtering and noise pollution reduction to name a few.
      • Heating and cooling systems that are more than 10-15 years old usually need to be replaced. Not only do they have outdated technology, but they are also less efficient than newer models. Adding a new indoor unit at the same time means you’ll have a matched system to provide you with better comfort and efficiency for years to come.
The communication module on your home energy system might send the system’s performance records for each module to a website. You can visit this website to learn more about the system’s status, energy production and environmental benefits. The site also shares carbon offsets as it happens.
In most regions, rain will naturally clean the solar modules. If you reside in a dusty or industrial area, periodically spraying the modules with water may help improve performance. However, detergents and high-pressure hoses should never be used to wash solar modules.
The best thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Retro HVAC Service & Installation offers programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help enhance the efficiency of your HVAC systems. View our available products or contact us at 267-485-6219 to learn more.
Heating and cooling can make up a big amount of your utility bill. The innovative and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products available from Retro HVAC Service & Installation can help decrease these costs. If you’re shopping for a new heating or cooling system, look for products with high SEER ratings for air conditioners and AFUE ratings for furnaces. SEER and AFUE are a measure of system efficiency, and the larger the number, the more efficient the product. Besides purchasing a new home comfort system, don’t forget about these additional factors:

      1. Is your system typically maintained? Whether it’s a furnace or air conditioner, HVAC systems will work more efficiently after regular maintenance checks.
      2. Would you benefit from a zoning system? If there are areas in your home that are rarely used, a zoning system will allow you to heat or cool only the most used areas of your house.
      3. Have you installed a programmable or smart thermostat? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, programmable thermostats may decrease your heating costs by up to 35 percent, and your cooling costs by up to 25 percent.

Zoning systems give you the opportunity to divide parts of your house and control the air differently in each part of your home. These systems are ideal for when you have parts of your home that are infrequently used or when you and your family are often in disagreement of the perfect temperature for the house. Zoning systems are nearly silent and efficient, allowing you more control over the comfort of your home. Learn more about the equipment available from Retro HVAC Service & Installation.