For your body to be most efficient, your core temperature should be around 98.6 degrees. If it varies above or below that mark, it is often an indication that something is wrong. Your body’s defense-fever or chill.

In home building we use guidelines to determine the optimal efficiency of units that cool and heat your home. For air conditioning efficiency, it’s called S.E.E.R, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. For heat pumps, the guideline is called H.S.P.F., or Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. The higher the SEER or HSPF the more energy efficient the unit.

A properly sized air conditioner cools and dehumidifies your home. The direction your home faces; the effect of any shade trees; local temperature and humidity; square footage of the home; the number of stories; the number and size of windows and whether they are clear, double pane, low E or tinted; the amount of ceiling insulation and the number and lifestyle of your home's occupants must all be considered to properly size both the cooling and heating capacities of your installed mechanical systems.

Undersized systems will not cool your home properly on the hottest days. Overworked, the unit will use excessive electricity, run loudly and likely fail prematurely. It may even freeze over on the warmest days.

However, bigger is not necessarily better. An oversized system will not dehumidify the air properly and make the home feel hotter. Oversized systems cycle on and off more frequently, thus they tend to break down more often, cost more to maintain and wear out faster.

Similar problems occur when heat pumps are sized incorrectly.

It’s extremely important to have a knowledgeable and reliable HVAC contractor working with you through the home building process. Our mechanical contractor reviews all aspects of the home and works with you to select the system best suited for your individual needs.

We have taken the next step and attempt to build all Jim Beard Homes with multiple Energy Star rated systems. These include Energy Star rated appliances, upgraded HVAC units, windows, doors, insulation, ductwork, roofing shingles, etc. The Energy Star program was developed jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to promote the use of appliances and other mechanical systems that reduce energy consumption and have less negative impact on the environment. When you request the Energy Star rating for your home from your local power company and the home qualifies, you receive a lower rate per kilowatt hour on your utility bill.

We recommend Trane brand mechanical systems, installing them in most of our homes. Trane is an HVAC industry leader and a key member of the U.S. Green Building Council. They have made a major commitment toward developing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certification program. Building to LEED standards ensures efficiencies that generally result in cost savings over the life of a building.

The optional Clean Effects system by Trane is the first and only air filtration system that removes up to 99.98% of all allergens from the air passing through the filter, making it 8 times more effective than even the best HEPA filters and 100 times more effective than a standard 1" filter.

Determining the right size HVAC units for your home requires much information and design to make sure your home doesn’t have a ‘fever’ or ‘chill.’ We want allergens, as well as problems with your HVAC system, to be your least and last concern when you move in.