Heating/Air Conditioning

AirStar will fix your existing HVAC system, and/or we can install and maintain a new one. We are a Rheem dealer, but can repair and/or maintain almost any major brand available.

We also recommend maintenance contracts, where you pay a reasonable annual fee for us to come out and provide preventative maintenance on your system. This often keeps it in overall better shape, which in turn will lengthen the life of your system and minimize long-term problems. Plus, you get the added benefit of discounted service rates for any problems that do arise!

To get the most from your investment, the systems we prefer to install are the ones qualifying for tax credits. See below to browse available systems and offerings. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, give us a call and ask!


Heat Pumps – Full System
Air Conditioning Units
Gas Furnaces
Gas/Electric Packages

 

Heat Pumps – Full System
This is the all-in-one electric system that provides year-round indoor comfort.

Things to look for in your heat pump system:

  • Outside systems. When choosing a system to be placed outdoors, features that are important include a louvered, galvanized steel cabinet to protect the condensing unit from outdoor hazards. The cabinet needs to be powder-painted with a high-quality enamel for improved durability and appearance.

  • Important tubing. Copper tubing in the evaporator and condensing coil. Copper tubing is a good conductor of heat and is virtually immune to corrosion. And unlike fragile aluminum tubing, copper tubing is relatively simple to repair in the field.

  • Noise levels. With some units, the outdoor fan can be a bothersome source of noise. Rheem units have a grill design that minimizes air restriction which allows the fan to operate more quietly. Also, the fan is mounted on the underside of the grill. This protects it from the elements and it directs airflow upward, away from plants and shrubbery.

Here are standard Rheem units we offer that qualify for tax credits:

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Air Conditioning Units
When the summer heat is at its worst, you’ll want your family to have the best, most reliable cooling comfort possible. Here are a few things to consider:

  • Efficiency. The best units are efficient, operating on minimal electricity to hold utility bills down. They provide steady, dependable performance year after year when properly maintained. Good systems are quiet, long-lasting, and low in service needs.

    Much like automobile manufacturers, today’s air conditioner manufacturers are required by law to evaluate and rate their equipment according to its energy efficiency. This rating is known in the industry as a SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the equipment. High SEER models are generally more expensive, but can easily make up the difference by reducing your home energy bills over the long run.

    Most new homes with central air come equipped with a standard builder’s model. However, when replacement becomes necessary, property owners can upgrade their air conditioning by specifying a more energy-efficient system.

  • Size. Obviously, an air conditioner that’s too small won’t keep your home sufficiently cool. But what many don’t realize is that an oversized system will cycle (turn on and off) more than necessary, wasting expensive energy and possibly putting undue strain on the compressor while also increasing the humidity in the house. A good dealer will determine the optimum size for your home by making a careful study of your cooling requirements, which would include window dimensions and exposure; floor space, insulation and local climate; heat-generating appliances; the direction your home faces; and even the amount of your home’s exterior shaded by trees.

    They will specify the cooling capacity of the system in either Btu/h (British thermal units of heat removed per hour) or refrigeration tons (one ton being equal to 12,000 Btu/h).

  • The compressor is the heart of a condensing unit; on a hot day, it works long and hard. Scroll compressors are recognized by the industry as the leader in reliability, efficiency and quiet operation.

  • Other features to look for include: louvered steel cabinets that protect the coils from damage and expensive repair bills, and fan noise minimization.

Here are standard Rheem units we offer that qualify for tax credits. All four include a great conditional unit replacement, which means that if a compressor goes bad within ten years, customers will be given a whole condenser system, as long as the warranty is activated within 60 days of purchase, and the unit still has its original owner (if not, the parts will be replaceable).

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Gas Furnaces
When the time comes to replace a furnace in an existing central heating system, or to install a totally new system, you want equipment that minimizes costs and delivers dependable office comfort for your family – season after season. In choosing a gas furnace, keep in mind that even the higher efficiency gas furnaces are only about 80% efficient, due to the price of gas as well as the efficiency of the furnace system itself. However, if this is your choice, AirStar will provide you with the most efficient gas furnaces available, including some that qualify for tax credits.

In choosing your gas furnace system, here are some things to consider:

  • Efficiency. The best furnaces keep a home warm and comfortable, and provide steady, dependable performance year after year. They are quiet, long-lasting and low in service frequency and cost.

    When a furnace loses or wastes heat, it requires more energy to keep your home warm. Some furnaces lose heat through the walls of the furnace cabinet. Energy-efficient furnaces like the ones we offer significantly reduce this loss with a blanket of insulation that lines the inside of the cabinet walls.

    When a gas furnace is not in operation, most send a steady, wasteful draft of warm household air traveling up the venting system and out the roof. Those with AFUE ratings of 78% and better feature an induced-draft blower that works in conjunction with a hot surface ignition system to pull hot gases through the heat exchanger at a constant and controlled rate of flow. As the burner cycles off, the draft blower stops, keeping the heating air in the system.

    Pilot lights also can be wasteful. An electric ignition eliminates the need for a constantly burning pilot. This feature alone gives up to 6% higher efficiency. In combination with an induced-draft blower, this can improve furnace efficiencies by over 20%.

    Most gas furnaces vent combustion by-products and gases by allowing the warm air to rise naturally. However, on occasion, proper venting of combustion by-products may be restricted due to blockage, deterioration of venting systems, malfunctions, or other causes. An induced-draft blower maintains a constant draft through the heat exchanger, which assures proper venting of the furnace combustion chamber. The systems we offer also feature a pressure switch that continuously monitors venting; and in the event it senses a vent flow restriction, it will automatically shut down theheating system for your safety.

    A high-efficiency furnace generally wears a higher price tag, but it can make up the difference by reducing operating costs over the long run. And with today’s consumer interest in efficiency, such equipment enhances the bottom line of your home.

The three varieties of the Rheem system we offer that qualify for tax credits are the best on the market! They provide 95% AFUE, a stainless steel heat exchange (which means no rust), and an ignition system that doesn’t need thermo-coupling to light. All three are modulating furnaces, where function varies between 40-100% based on your needs – only using as much power as you need to satisfy your thermostat. They also include a variable fan (which will use less energy and provide more use out of your heating coil), and a great warranty.

For a lower-cost but comparable alternative, we also offer 2-stage furnaces. Though they don’t qualify for the available tax credits, they offer some efficiency – instead of the furnace turning on at 100% all the time, it instead turns on in two stages: 70% and 100%. Ask us (links to Contact Us) for more information!

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Gas/Electric Packages
A package heating and cooling unit is one in which all heating and cooling components are located in one cabinet. These are the two preferred Rheem packages we offer:

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