This commonly asked question does not come with one hard and true answer for all homes. There are a variety of factors which go into this decision and make it a unique choice point for all home owners.

While not necessary to match your equipment by replacing both the furnace and the AC at the same time, the largest factor for consideration is energy efficiency. Equipment that is updated and designed to communicate and work well together will provide your home with the most cost-effective results.

Energy efficiency is a concern not only for environmental impact, but also due to it’s ability to decrease monthly bills. In addition to less costly monthly expenses, homeowners can save money upfront on installation. Because the process is less complicated when installing an entirely new system versus one single half, contractors are able to reduce labor costs, thus saving you money.

Finally, warranty opportunities are a consideration. When only part of the system is replaced at a time, the manufacturer is no longer obligated to honor the warranty which comes with a new system. Although not always the case, this is worth discussing with your HVAC provider to create a plan which meets your unique home needs.

Looking at purchasing new HVAC equipment can be overwhelming. You are making a major purchase for your home, with little to no knowledge about the system you’re making decisions about. Add into that all the technical jargon, ratings, sizes, and multi-stage options…..well even a somewhat knowledgeable homeowner could find themselves with questions.

When purchasing a new air conditioning unit, one factor to consider is the SEER rating- or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. This number is an average of an entire season, to see how much energy a unit may use. There are minimum established requirements to be met here, and 13 SEER is the minimum. Although now the current standard has been raised, your home may have equipment with as low as 8 SEER due to changes in regulations over time.

Naturally, the higher your SEER rating, the more annual savings will be in cooling costs. This chart is a great visual to see where a front-end investment might prove to be highly beneficial over the long term.

Aside from money saving features, often systems with a higher SEER will also offer greater comfort. Typically, these units have a 2-stage or varible speed compressor in them. The downfall of a single stage unit is it can only run on one speed-leading to a system that is constantly turning off and on, resulting to uneven cooling. This fluctuation in temperature also inhibits the reduction of humidity in the home, further decreasing comfort.

Wisconsing Focus on Energy offers great rebates on high efficiency equipment, and Komfort Heating is proud to offer these as an instant discount to your system- saving you on both the initial investment, as well as over the long term.

As temperatures increase, so do humidity levels! Aside from general discomfort, excess humidity can cause corrosion, decay, termite infestation, as well as other insect infestations. This increase in humidity can also encourage the growth of mildew- exacerbating allergies and asthma.

While many homeowners opt to sleep with portable dehumidifiers in their homes- why might you choose to invest in a whole-home unit instead? Whole-home dehumidification systems:

• Can automatically control the humidity throughout your entire home, not just a single room
• They are located at the furnace, out of sight
• They are quieter than portable units
• They are self-draining, so no condensate to empty 1-2x daily
• Are more energy efficient than their single-room counterparts

Installation of a whole-home dehumidifier preserves the life of your carpets, furniture, wood cabinets and floors. It also makes the air in your home healthier and more breathable by minimizing mold and mildew- lessening the irritation of asthma and allergic reactions.

Installation of whole-home dehumidification systems is a quick and easy process. Skilled technicians will attach the equipment directly to your furnace, clean up after themselves, and leave you to enjoy your new, fresher air! With the energy savings over time, these systems ultimately cost less and operate with higher functionality than their stand-alone counterparts.

While Komfort Heating and Cooling continued essential operations through the duration of Governor Evers ‘Safter at Home’ order, we still want to take a moment in the face of mass openings and remind all our customers and supporters of our commitment to safety.

We will still be taking all precautions previously prescribed to prevent spread of disease. Our technicians will continue to be well-equipped with gloves, masks, and booties. They are still intent on maintaining social distance, and avoiding unneccesary exposure to our customers and their homes. We still ask that if you are sick or are experiencing symptoms of illness that you avoid requesting a service call out of respect for our team.

We are honored to be a part of the Walworth County Community during these times and will continue making all efforts possible to generate a positive impact on those surrounding us.

Indoor air quality has always been a top concern for the HVAC industry. According to the  US National Library of Medicine, indoor air pollution has been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has shown through research to have significant effects on individual comfort, health, and performance.

The populus spends nearly 90% of their time inside, where air pollutants can reach 100x the concentration found outdoors. Inhaled pollutants are proven to increase health concerns such as nausea, headaches, skin irritation, sick building syndrome, asthma, upper and lower respiratory disease, kidney failure, and even cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 700,000 people per year die from poor breathing conditions.

Over years, as technology and building skills have increased, our homes have become better insulated- allowing less air to move into our out of the home organically. While this reduces energy costs, it also restricts the natural replacement of clean air in homes. Think of how fresh your spaces feel after a nice spring cleaning, and an influx of new air through those open windows.

This sense of your home becoming more light and airy is not a perceptual trick. When the air inside becomes stagnant, it also becomes saturated with pollutants and contaminents. That feeling of heaviness and discomfort is also not just a trick of your mind, you can tell when the air you’re breathing just doesnt feel good. And this not-so-great-air is headed straight into your lungs, where the filtration process becomes the duty of your body.

Our natural in-body filter, the lungs, then take all of those germs, viral particles, allergens, mold spores etc, and clean them out of the air before you exhale. Which is fascinating from a scientific standpoint, however then your body has to do something with all that yuck it just encountered. As your body’s systems work together to now filter your lungs, just as the lungs did for the air, you move the pollutants and carcinogens throughout your body and various systems depending on how the body reacts to that particular compound.

While the incredible human body can withstand pollutants and contaminants to an impressive degree, ultimately long term exposure will lead to a build up in the system. This can result in the wide array of health conditions mentioned above.

Options to replenish/replace the air in your home more rapidly, to kill contaminants, and to remove other particulates from your air exist in great abundance. There is any number of solutions ready available to fit the IAQ needs of your home. Participating in free Indoor Air Quality analysis appointments allows HVAC techs to promptly read and assess the problems in your home, resulting in your ability to adress them effectively.

Taking command of the air in your home protects you and your family in both the short term as well as the long. Even if you don’t have asthma, or dry air in the winter, this does not mean your home is without it’s own unique threats to your health lingering in the air.