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How to keep the house warm and save on heating bills this winter? We have invited Josh Tyack from @BonneyPlumbing to give the best #hvac tips. Josh talks in this video about home heating, the best types of heating systems, uncovers the most common issues with heating, and how consumers can save costs by using the #heating system effectively.
00:00 - Introduction
00:00 - About Bonney Plumbing
01:19 - How to keep the house warm and save on energy bills
02:09 - Cheapest ways to heat the house in winter
03:03 - Best types of heating systems
03:39 - HVAC system life expectancy
04:45 - HVAC issues
05:54 - Most reliable HVAC systems
07:18 - Best and worst HVAC brands
08:03 - HVAC maintenance
09:23 - HVAC warranty
11:08 - HVAC tips
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Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Hi guys, this is Isla and welcome to Peace Consumer Channel
0:03
Winter is coming and today we're going to talk about a very important topic
0:08
Heating and air conditioning systems in your house. For that reason, we have invited Josh Tayek, an HVAC systems expert
0:17
who will answer all our questions about those systems and how to make its lifespan longer
0:23
hi josh once again and could you please tell us a few words about uh about yourself and your
0:34
experience as an hvac expert all right my name is josh tye i've been in the hvac field for
0:41
over 21 years now i started from the ground up and new construction did a lot of service work
0:47
installation and i've pretty much done everything we do here in the residential world and i have
0:52
done a little commercial as well. Well, we like to do segments on various topics for homeowners
0:57
from changing filters to making your air conditioners work better in the summertime
1:01
and heaters in the wintertime, indoor air quality, plumbing, electrical, various topics to help
1:07
educate homeowners on little things they can do on their end to either catch issues before they pop
1:12
up and or just get ahead of anything that comes down the road with owning equipment
1:16
How to keep house warm and at the same time save the bills
1:21
Well, the best way to keep the house warm is to use a term we call set it and forget it, which means you want to pick a temperature in the home wherever you're comfortable
1:31
Common misconception is there's a right number. It's really about what you're comfortable with and what you're comfortable paying for, if you will
1:38
Some people like 68. Some people like 72. If you'd like your environment to stay in that range, set the temperature there and then leave it alone
1:47
Even if you're gone, it's better to keep the environment at one set temperature than it is to let it cool off and try to spend all that time warming it back up
1:56
You're actually going to spend a lot more money. I like to think of it as taking a trip on a long distance
2:01
Don't drive 100 half the way and then 50. Set it at 65
2:05
Get there safely, nice and controlled, and it's going to be more efficient. What is the cheapest way to heat the house during the winter
2:14
Well, it really depends on geographically where you are. Some areas do not have access to gas and propane, and they're subject to electric only. Some places you're allowed to burn fires, and some places you're not as far as in your fireplaces
2:27
So depending on where you're located, the best way, once again, to actually cost effectively heat your home, depending on what you're using, is kind of tailed back to my last answer, which is not letting you get too far away
2:40
So if you do burn fireplaces for heat, do it in the morning, warm up the home
2:46
It should carry throughout the day. Keep your blinds closed. Don't let the cold air come through the windows, depending on that situation
2:54
But honestly, at the end of the day, when you need to be warm, you're going to have to turn something on
2:58
And once again, you kind of have to find that comfort point of where you're physically comfortable and what you're willing to pay for
3:03
Then what is the most efficient way of heating? I personally feel that in our location here in Sacramento, in the general area, gas furnaces and propane are actually the most efficient
3:15
They put off a very high BTU rate, which is a British thermal unit, kind of how we gauge how much heat can be produced
3:21
They going to heat up a space very quickly as opposed to electric which cannot create quite the volume of heat that a gas furnace can But they both are very efficient especially with the modern technology
3:35
So it really does go back geographically to what you have at your disposal
3:39
How long does a standard HVAC unit last in the house? I mean, how long can you expect it to work properly
3:48
Commonly in our area, they're going to go between 12 and 15 years is the average lifespan
3:53
which means somebody got about eight years out of it. Somebody got 20, 25
3:58
There are quite a few factors that go into when you decide to change your unit
4:03
Is it doing what you want it to do, period? At the end of the day, it's a comfort device
4:07
If it's not keeping you comfortable, that might be a reason to change it. Have you noticed a real big change in your efficiency usage
4:14
So there's a reason to find a more efficient unit. And then is it still under warranty as it kind of runs into breakdowns
4:21
We a lot of times relate them to cars. If you have a really good car that's taking care of you and it needs a set of tires, you put a set of tires on it
4:29
If the engine blows up and it has 200,000 miles on it, you really start to ask yourself, does it make sense to replace it or to repair it
4:36
So there are a lot of factors that go into when we do it, but the average lifespan is 12 to 15 years
4:42
I think that's a reasonable expectation for most homeowners. What are the most common issues one possibly could have with the HVAC systems
4:50
Are there any issues along the way or mostly like in the end of its lifespan, let's say
4:57
Well, I wish that there was a formula that could prevent everything
5:00
If I had the crystal ball, I would take care of everybody at one time. The reality is we as homeowners need to make sure that we are periodically getting them checked out
5:09
So if there are certain parts that are running low or out of specifications, that we get them taken care of before they create bigger issues
5:16
changing our filters regularly is the number one responsibility of homeowners. The whole purpose of these machines is to condition the air and the environment
5:24
which means we have to circulate the air. So a dirty air filter can actually cost the efficiency
5:30
can cost the lifespan of the equipment, and can actually create these premature repairs that we as homeowners feel pop up
5:38
So you can lose any variety of parts. There are a lot of electrical devices, motors and boards and so on
5:44
But a lot of these products are designed to go 10 to 15 years with minimal interaction except for the wear and tear parts
5:51
What are the most reliable HPC units? Maybe you have some favorites, let's say, among the devices or units you're using
6:02
Well, I got to be honest. In the 21 years, I've worked on every major brand there are
6:08
And they all have good years and bad years and are subject to changes like any manufacturer
6:18
Train, Lennox, Rude, these are all good brands. And really all these major names are good equipment
6:26
It boils down to how it's assembled that particular day on the product line
6:32
You know, they're all subject to pulling different parts together from various vendors. And if you get a bad set of parts and you put them into a hundred units
6:39
you could have some failures on it. It doesn't necessarily mean the brand names are problem
6:44
So with that said, I I'm pretty open to if it turns on and runs
6:48
I can make it work. And then what do I have to do to take care of it? I don't necessarily have a favorite
6:53
I mean, if you want personal experience in my last two homes I had one with a Lennox I had for 11 years and I had no problems I also fixed a lot of Lennox throughout the years I currently have a train system and so far
7:06
I'm happy with it, but I've also fixed a lot of train systems. So no, I don't think that you have
7:12
to pay for one specific brand to get one specific result. Maybe there is any brand, any HVAC brand
7:19
that you would never recommend to a customer? No, I don't think that's the case
7:26
The most important thing with any HVAC system is the day of installation
7:31
I can take the most expensive system that we could sell and improperly install it
7:38
and I will make it perform worse than the least expensive piece of equipment that is installed correctly
7:45
So really, I try not to beat up the manufacturers of the equipment too much
7:49
because I just don't see anyone being that much better than the other
7:54
What I look at is, you know, how do they cost? What can I afford
7:59
How are the warranties and guarantees? And do they stand behind their product? Kind of like a lot of things we tend to buy
8:04
What about HVAC maintenance? So can a homeowner fix it themselves? Well, I believe there are quite a few things that a homeowner can do by themselves
8:14
As I referenced earlier, changing the filters regularly is our responsibility and something that really you should be doing at least six times a year
8:23
Most of us only do about three or four, but the more filters you change, the easier it breathes
8:28
In regards to outdoor air conditioners or condensers, as we call them, homeowners can periodically wash them down with a hose
8:35
You won't hurt it. We tend to forget that it's outside in the rain already. So by washing those side panels, which are actually how it filters air, we help keep it clean
8:45
um after that there are things someone can do i don't necessarily recommend it because
8:51
everything is made of sheet metal it's very sharp a lot of the things that we test require specific
8:57
tools so if you have the tools and you understand them of course you could do your own maintenance
9:03
but i think filters keeping things clean and periodically having a professional uh professional
9:09
come in and take a look at them is really the best way to go because we have the tools we have
9:13
the understanding of what we're looking for and we can then provide you the information for you to
9:18
make a decision on what you think should be done with your equipment at this time if anything needs
9:23
to be done. Is there such a thing as HVAC unit warranty or something like that? Because we're
9:32
actually receiving lots of complaints on the American Home Shield, let's say. I'm sure that
9:37
Our audiences as well would like to know more about it. Okay
9:43
So there's a few different things I would touch on in that particular question
9:47
If you look at it from the manufacturer standpoint, a lot of the warranties that are put in place can be anywhere from five to 10 years
9:54
And the fine print will say that they recommend that you have a licensed contractor actually evaluate the system periodically to honor the warranty
10:02
When you move over to these home warranty companies they are an insurance company in essence And in my experience insurance companies are going to try to do what best for the bottom line I don want to make it sound like they not out to do the right thing but they typically going to hire contractors who can do the work to their specifications not necessarily the homeowners or the best interest of the manufacturer So once again I strongly recommend reading the fine print because they have a lot of the same rules and regulations which is regular maintenance
10:36
They will not cover rodent damage or acts of God, and they don't cover unmaintained systems that get dirty because they're going to basically say that you did not maintain it or keep it clean
10:49
and that would void your warranty. There's quite a few brands out there
10:53
I want to say they're all out doing the right thing, but I've met quite a few situations where they don't
10:59
So there's a time and a place where they have value. Whatever makes the homeowner feel good, I would say go ahead and do
11:05
And we're here to help when we can. Is there any way to keep your home warm without power
11:12
Well, one of the biggest factors that go into keeping a dwelling warm without power is challenging because once again, now we're talking about fire
11:20
but, you know, fire or something to that nature. Insulation in the home is very critical
11:27
It's what keeps the heat in or the cool in and keeps the heat or cool out of the actual dwelling or the residence
11:34
which is actually, once again, what we're trying to do, which is condition your space
11:40
You know, windows, if your windows aren't newer, I believe it's every 10 years or so
11:45
they say there's a significant change in the value of window quality that can make a huge factor
11:50
having trees over your house in the summertime to keep the shade on them can be huge factors
11:56
not opening windows and doors and the basic things we're kind of taught by our parents which is you
12:03
know shut the door when you come in close the windows and do your best to keep the heat in
12:07
the insulation though is probably one of the number one things that most people
12:12
should really look at increasing homes are very well insulated but there is a threshold where
12:18
So insulation works 24-7 and 365 days a year doing its job, trying to keep that exchange of the hot and cold in the environment
12:26
What would be your top life hacks for the homeowner? How to keep their houses warm this winter
12:34
Once again, number one homeowner responsibility in every home is to check and keep your filter clean regularly
12:41
It is literally what is controlling that airflow. Greatly benefits your indoor air quality
12:46
It was designed for the machine, not for us. However, now we're taught that it helps us, but that is going to be your number one responsibility. After that, once again, set your temperature, let it do its job. Keep your ears open for strange noises
13:03
you know, I go back to the car reference. If you hear a noise today that you didn't hear before
13:07
turn it off. See if it goes away. If it doesn't get a professional in there, leave it off
13:11
and have it taken care of. After that, I do recommend yearly maintenance. I really do. And
13:17
if you're not into yearly maintenance, at least every year or two, have someone take a look at it
13:22
find your local professional or find a neighbor who has someone pay for a tune up and have someone
13:27
come out and tell you how things look. Because a couple hundred dollars in the beginning could
13:31
save you a couple thousand dollar repair if it snowballs and takes out more than one object at
13:35
the same time. Well that's all for today. I hope Josh and I have answered all your questions regarding
13:41
HVAC systems and home efficiency. And of course if you find this video useful don't hesitate to
13:47
hit the like button, subscribe to our channel and leave all your impressions in the comment section
13:53
See you next time
#Home Improvement
#HVAC & Climate Control
#Air Conditioners
#Air Filters & Purifiers
#Heaters
#Household Fans