Michael Holigan: When it was time to choose the HVAC system for our project house, we wanted a system that was easy on allergies and energy bills. The system we chose will heat and cool our home efficiently and quietly. All of while keeping the air free of dust, pollen and other allergens.
Scott Curtis, with Lennox, was our consultant for the project. Well, Scott, I know that you are doing a lot of things now at Lennox, to help make the house more comfortable, to save us money, even make it smell better. Why don't we start with that furnace and you show us what you are doing is different?
Scott Curtis: Sure, Michael this is a variable speed furnace. What that allows us to do is control the rate of air flow through the furnace instead of just having it on and off.
Michael Holigan: So, when a thermostat kicks on for heat in the winter time, it doesn't just hit us with the big blast of hot air --
Scott Curtis: Correct, it will come on gradually and mix the air in house comfortably.
Michael Holigan: Good.
Scott Curtis: We also have a totally enclosed burner compartment. Knocks down on a lot of a noise that you would normally get from a burner in a furnace.
Michael Holigan: Okay, normally that travels through the duct work and that's what you hear in the house.
Scott Curtis: That's what you hear in the house. It also being variable speed allows us to have two stages of heat. So, we have a low fire and high fire. That way if you get a day that's not very cold outside, you can turn on the furnace and be careful about spending all the money on fully lighting it up.
Michael Holigan: I like saving money, and how about in the summer time when you are using it on the air-conditioner?
Scott Curtis: In the air-conditioning the variable speed also ups the efficiency of the air conditioner.
Michael Holigan: Yeah, so save money all year round.
Scott Curtis: Absolutely.
Michael Holigan: Okay you have must be the world's largest filtering system here in. Take me through these three units that you have got here.
Scott Curtis: Well, this is pretty special Michael. This filtering system will attack all three kinds of contaminants in the air, particularly bio-aerosols and chemical gases and others.
Michael Holigan: Wow!
Scott Curtis: The first filter here, is a just pleaded filter for things like dust, pollen, normal allergens. In the middle you have a set of UV lights and they would act in conjunctions with this catalyst. And, what would happen is it would illuminate catalyst, and a catalyst would oxidize the chemical gases and the odors in the house.
Michael Holigan: Okay, so it comes through this system, gets the big stuff out. The lights are working off the catalyst, and you are saying getting the odors out of it. What do you mean by stopping odors?
Scott Curtis: See you will have a smoker in house, let's say you are cooked fish for dinner. It would take those odors straight off of the house.
Michael Holigan: So, they are going to stop when air circulates through the system. They are going to be pumped back into the house -- .
Scott Curtis: Correct, it will actually destroy 50% of the odors in the house every 24 hours.
Michael Holigan: That is efficient, and I know that you have a fresh air exchanger up here also to help keep that air pure.
Scott Curtis: That's right. It will help us to exchange fresh air for stale air.
Michael Holigan: But Scott, you are going to bring fresh air in that we don't want pay to heat all that fresh air in the winter time or cool it in the summer time. So, how do you deal with this unit?
Scott Curtis: Basically, Michael we bring the fresh air in here. It crosses through this exchanger, we bring the stale air from the house in here and cross it to the exchanger. They exchange heat without mixing the air. And then you exhaust the stale air and you take the fresh air and pump it into the house. You exchange the energy, just enough to pay to reheat the cold air or the hot air from outside. And you have fresh air in your house.
Michael Holigan: I know on the other side of house you did something different to help us out. Tells about what you have got over there.
Scott Curtis: What we installed over there Michael was a Heap air-filter to remove 99.97% of all particulate pollen-dust out of the air.
Michael Holigan: So, if you suffer from any type of allergies then that would be the way to go.
Scott Curtis: It would be a very effective way to make you feel better in your house.
Michael Holigan: Scott, tell us what you are doing outside with the units to help save us money and cut down on the noise.
Scott Curtis: Sure, the first thing about the system Michael is, it is designed with the special fan-blade. If you notice that unique shape on there, designed to move air very quickly, quietly, and efficiently.
Michael Holigan: So, we are not going to wake up every time the unit kicks on outside our bedroom.
Scott Curtis: Not at all, you put it right outside of your bedroom it would be fine. Second, issue is with noise, would be, if you notice the compressor here, it's in a insulated compartment. We have taken the compressor completely out of the equations as far as the noise goes. Also this compressor is using R-410A refrigerant, which is the chlorine-free refrigerants, that means we are for the Ozone and safe for the environment.
Michael Holigan: No more freon.
Scott Curtis: No more freon. Another very neat little feature is the monitoring device we have on this. This device will actually tell the service tech when he comes up what is wrong with the air-conditioner, corn gluten instead of making him troubleshooting.
Michael Holigan: So you don't have to spend as much time to --
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you know monitor itself.
Scott Curtis: It will monitor itself. Exactly right, and it will also talk with his thermostat. So, if there is a problem, it will put a trouble light on that says, 'hey there is a problem please call your service tech'.
Michael Holigan: Perfect, so it's just like driving a car and a light coming on your dash. You know there is a problem and who to call and what to do.
Scott Curtis: Exactly, and when you utilize this thermostat with the variable speed furnace we have inside, it allows you to be very comfortable, because it will control humidity, independently of temperature.
Michael Holigan: So, lot of times you don't need hot or cold you just need to get some of the moisture out of the air.
Scott Curtis: Correct, and when you combine these systems together you give yourself a very efficient system.
Michael Hooligan's, quiet and save money.
Scott Curtis: Yes.
Michael Holigan: If you like more information about our project house or any other home improvement ideas, visit us at www.michaelholigan.com.
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