by Unico Marketing Team | Jul 18, 2023 | Cooling, Custom Homes, Energy Effeciency, heating
Heat pumps are a hot topic these days when it comes to home heating and cooling. If you’re considering a renovation or new custom home, you might be wondering, how does a heat pump work? We’re here to help with the basics of heat pumps and to shed light on the physics behind them.
Why Use a Heat Pump?
One of the biggest advantages of a heat pump is that one system works for both heating and cooling. Simply put, heat pumps move heat from one space to another, depending on where it’s needed. So, in the transition between seasons when temperatures can fluctuate, the system will automatically shift between heating and cooling to maintain a perfectly comfortable temperature, without the need to worry about whether to fire up the furnace.
How Does a Heat Pump Work as an Air Conditioner?
Modern air conditioners have always worked through the concept of moving heat from one place to another. A component known as a condenser contains liquid refrigerant that absorbs heat energy inside the home. The refrigerant is moved through the system to the outdoor portion of the air conditioning unit, where the hot air is discharged.
Here’s a breakdown on the physics of how a heat pump works to keep you comfortable.
1. The evaporator coil contains a refrigerant liquid, which is very cold and easily absorbs heat. The unit uses a fan that blows the indoor air over the coil and heat is absorbed by the refrigerant. The resulting cool air is circulated into the home.
2. The refrigerant is then pressurized, and the pressurized heat causes the liquid to become a gas.
3. The hot gas moves through the system to an outdoor unit.
4. The compressed gas is hotter than the surrounding environment, even in the summer. So when the gas enters the condenser coils in the outdoor unit, heat is released into the outside air.
5. The refrigerant becomes cooler and turns back into a liquid.
6. The refrigerant is circulated back to the indoor unit, where an expansion valve reduces the pressure and allows the refrigerant to cool enough that it’s ready to absorb more heat.
Why Does a Heat Pump Work All Year?
Heat naturally wants to move to a place with less heat. The refrigerant has a freezing point lower than 32° F, making the refrigerant so cold that it still absorbs warmth from the surrounding air. In regions with mild winters, a heat pump is all you need to stay warm and comfortable all year long.
How Does a Heat Pump Work with a Furnace?
Heat pumps use electricity rather than burning fossil fuels, making heat pumps more energy efficient than a furnace or boiler during the spring and fall. However, when the temperature reaches below freezing, a heat pump requires more energy to collect the heat energy from outside, and it becomes more efficient to use a furnace.
A system with a heat pump will automatically switch between the furnace and the heat pump when it becomes more efficient. In colder climates, homeowners save money with this type of dual system through lower energy bills.
How Would a Heat Pump Work in Your Home?
Unsure how a heat pump would work where you live? A Unico Preferred Contractor can create a custom heating and cooling system design for your home and determine what you’ll need to make it operate most efficiently. Find your local contractor to schedule a free quote.
by Unico Marketing Team | Jul 11, 2023 | Custom Homes, Older Homes
When you own an older home, finding a contractor to install a new HVAC system can be a difficult process. Aside from vetting potential candidates, older homes have unique challenges like outdated ducts and vents that need to be addressed.
The good news is that with a little advice, and by asking the right questions, the process of finding the right contractor becomes more straightforward. Join the industry experts at Unico as we break down some helpful tips you can use today.
Start Your HVAC Contractor Search by Starting a List
The first step to finding the right contractor for your older home is creating a list of potential candidates for the HVAC job. An easy place to start is by asking your family, friends, and neighbors if they know of any HVAC contractors they trust. Put any suggestions you receive on the list and be sure to get the details of the project if they had any work done on their older home.
To add some more options to your contractor list, HVAC system manufacturers can help you out. For example, Unico has a “Find a Contractor” tool on the website. By putting in your ZIP code, you’ll be able to find local HVAC contractors in your area that have experience installing the Unico System in older homes. These Unico Preferred Contractors (UPC’s) can thread the small ducts through the walls and ceilings to make your older home comfortable without intensive remodeling.
Make Sure the Contractor Aligns with Your Chosen HVAC System
No matter what type of HVAC system you’re looking to install in your older home, the right contractor should have experience with it. This helps ensure that the system isn’t just installed properly, but that you’re also paying for the right amount of work. If a contractor is installing a particular HVAC system for the first time, you could end up risking:
- – Paying for extra work hours that are used to figure out installation best practices.
- – Any damage that a contractor causes to your older home’s structure.
- – Long-term energy costs from the HVAC system not being installed properly.
- – Paying for another installation to fix issues from the first attempt.
When you start contacting HVAC contractors, be sure to ask them if they have experience with the system you want. If they say yes, ask for references. That way, you can call them and hear about what another homeowner’s experience was. You’ll get insight into how they’d rate the contractors’ work, details about how efficiently the HVAC system is running, and more.
Questions to Ask HVAC Contractors Before Hiring Them
Once you’ve narrowed down the list of potential HVAC contractors, asking some specific questions will help you find the best pro for the job. We recommend questions like:
- Can you talk about your experience working on older homes? – This question is not only a great icebreaker, but it will help you identify if the contractor understands the nuances of an older home like outdated ducts, air leakage, etc.
- Do you handle any permits that are needed for the job? – Most local governments will require permits for the work to be done. A good HVAC contractor will know what the permit landscape is and help you sort it out without any hassle.
- What work is covered in the project quote? – When you’re getting an HVAC system installed in an older home, it’s important to have all the bases covered. By having the contractor go through the project quote, you’ll get insight into exactly what their plan is.
Find the Right HVAC Contractor with Unico
If you’re looking to install an HVAC system into your older home, make Unico your first choice. With the Unico System, there’s little to no remodeling required. There’s less dust, less mess, and less installation time to make your home more comfortable. Plus, Unico has preferred contractors across the country ready to help.
Take the hassle out of finding the right contractor and explore Unico Preferred Contractors in your area today!
by Unico Marketing Team | Jul 6, 2023 | Custom Homes, Energy Effeciency, Indoor Air Quality, Limited Space, Quiet, Reduced Humidity, Space-Saving Solutions
For anyone who’s having a custom home built, it’s natural to have high expectations. Homeowners have the opportunity to create their dream home with custom touches that impact interior design and more. But what about the comfort that comes from a state-of-the-art HVAC system? The right HVAC system gives custom homes the level of lasting comfort these dream projects deserve.
Help set your project up for success by learning these 3 things buyers want from their custom home HVAC systems.
Indoor Comfort is a Top Priority
When a buyer invests in a custom home, they want the interior to be well-designed and comfortable. They’re trusting contractors like you to bring their vision to life, which includes installing an HVAC system that meets their needs. To ensure that the home you’re building has even and consistent indoor temperature, consider a small duct/high-velocity (SDHV) solution like The Unico System.
For starters, the innovative duct system makes it easy to install and can fit within almost any home design. Small, flexible ducts installed throughout the home create a comfortable and even temperature environment that’s draft-free. The Unico System manages airflow and motor speed according to the needs of each individual room. The SDHV system also dehumidifies better than any other system, while being small enough to be installed wherever you need it.
Traditional HVAC systems dump air into a room, which causes drafts and pockets of uneven temperatures, leading to homeowners being uncomfortable. Through an air principle called aspiration, The Unico System creates a gentle mixed motion of air around each duct to create an even temperature. It’s one of the custom home HVAC features that keeps the temperature differential two degrees or less from what’s set on the thermostat compared to the roughly 10-degree swings common with traditional systems.
Ability to Blend In
Buyers of custom homes want an HVAC system that does its job in the background and goes unnoticed. With many traditional systems, the bulky ducts can be an eyesore that interferes with the aesthetics of a room and are also noisy, reminding you of its presence every time the system kicks on. Fortunately, The Unico System solves both issues with its unique design.
Thanks to the inner nylon core used in the tubing to absorb sound, the high-velocity Unico System turns on and blows air virtually silently. In fact, many custom homeowners describe it as “whisper quiet.” Your buyer will be able to feel comfortable, even temperatures without hearing the system running.
In terms of aesthetics, The Unico System makes it easy for ducts to fit in with interior design. There are a wide variety of outlet choices that will blend in with a custom home’s floors, walls, and ceilings while providing even heating, cooling, and ventilation throughout each room.
Energy Efficiency
Buyers of custom homes want energy-efficient HVAC systems since they’re more likely to save on monthly utility costs. But what they may not realize is having the right ductwork makes a huge difference. Many traditional HVAC systems leak air in the seams along the vent and inside the ductwork. Plus, traditional ducts are uninsulated, resulting in thermal loss before air even reaches the vents. This causes the custom home to be less energy-efficient despite the energy-efficiency of the HVAC system itself.
The SDHV Unico System was specifically designed for simplicity and keeping air inside the ducts to prevent leakage. According to third-party testing, traditional HVAC systems can lose up to 25% of the air they put out because of leaks in the ductwork. The Unico System loses, on average, just 5%.
Impress Custom Home Buyers with The Unico System
The Unico System has everything buyers are looking for in a custom home HVAC system. But our support for your projects doesn’t stop with an SDHV product. Our Design Services team is a free resource that will help you find the best application for our system. Give buyers of custom homes the comfort and efficiency they’re looking for with The Unico System.
by Unico Marketing Team | Jun 27, 2023 | Custom Homes, Design Flexibility, Energy Effeciency
If you’re a custom home builder, you know that every aspect of the project needs to be planned so there are fewer surprises on the job site. An important consideration for any custom home is deciding on what type of HVAC system you’re going to install. After all, HVAC systems affect every room in the home on multiple levels from design, aesthetics, comfort, and more.
To make this crucial decision easier for your next project, learn three important things more custom home builders are prioritizing in HVAC systems.
Custom Home Builders Want to Use Their Trusted Contractors
With some traditional HVAC systems, custom home builders need to use contractors that are identified by the manufacturer, often called “certified pros”. It throws more unknowns into your project, and you can’t be certain that the skill of outside contractors will match your craftsmanship. That’s why more builders want to work with HVAC systems brands that let them use installation contractors they know and trust.
With the Unico System, you can use the contractors you already know. There’s no hassle with this process since Unico is invested in putting your work in the spotlight. The Unico team is happy to train your contractors on how to install our HVAC systems. In fact, we can send a trainer to your job site for a one- or two-day training session. We have manufacturing reps across the country and offer a two-and-a-half days in-factory training once a month.
Builders Want an HVAC System with Design Flexibility
Traditional HVAC systems have the potential to throw off the entire design of a custom home. You have to figure out how to incorporate the ducts, see what the physical configuration will be, all while ensuring it doesn’t compromise the architectural integrity of the home. When you have a custom home HVAC system that offers design flexibility, many of these time-consuming building hassles fade away.
With all the work you put into designing and building a home, don’t let the HVAC system throw things off. It’s one of the main reasons why more custom home builders are choosing the Unico System. The Unico System uses less than one third of the space in the built environment than a traditional system. It can easily be installed in the attic or a closet, so you don’t have to compromise on the custom home design layout. The flexible ducts of the system can be easily woven through ceilings, floors, and wall cavities making installation less construction dependent.
The design flexibility of the Unico System let outlets have a custom look that complements the style of a home’s aesthetic. There is a wide variety of outlet choices that are designed to blend in with the style chosen for your custom home project. Plus, Unico System outlets can be installed in ceilings, floors, and even sidewalls to have a less invasive presence than traditional HVAC systems.
Energy Efficiency is a Major Priority
Builders need to be able to provide tight low-load custom homes to their customers given how in demand they are with buyers. Since more home building projects need tight airflow for added energy efficiency, the small duct / high velocity (SDHV) nature of the Unico System caters to both those needs. Think of it as a custom home HVAC system that was specifically designed to increase energy efficiency.
Third party testing showed that traditional HVAC systems can lose up to 25% of the air that the air handling unit puts out through leaky ductwork. Inconsistent temperatures and high energy bills caused by this statistic often brings down the satisfaction of custom home buyers. In comparison, the Unico System only loses an average of 5%. That means lower energy usage for homeowners and builders get a reliable HVAC system that works towards their tight, low-load standards.
The Unico System is Here to Support Custom Home Builders
The Unico System has everything that custom home builders are looking for in an HVAC system. Our team is committed to supporting builders like you by providing additional assistance with your projects. Contact the Unico Design Services team for a free consultation on the best application of our system for your specific custom home project. For a custom home HVAC system that works with you, choose Unico.
by Unico Marketing Team | Jun 20, 2023 | Custom Homes, Design Flexibility, Energy Effeciency, Indoor Air Quality, Reduced Humidity
You’re probably familiar with traditional HVAC with metal ducting through the home. But mini ducts, like Unico, have a completely different design, which makes them quieter, more efficient and more comfortable. If you’re updating your HVAC, Unico mini duct heating and cooling is a far better choice than traditional heating or air conditioning.
The Problems with Conventional Systems
Winter brings dry air, which can be tough on your skin. Plus, it dries out your nose, which makes you susceptible to viruses and other contagions. A gas furnace makes these conditions worse because the flame used to heat the air eliminates the moisture. Unico uses electric heat, which doesn’t consume oxygen or remove moisture from the air.
Traditional, metal ducts leak air through gaps at the seams, causing heat and air loss, which is a major waste of energy. Homes with traditional ductwork lose up to 60% of their heated air before it reaches the register.
The Unico mini duct system are designed to prevent thermal loss. The tubes are built with a nylon core, which is then wrapped with insulation, and finally wrapped with an outer vapor barrier to stop moisture from entering or exiting the air stream. Also, The Unico System uses a lock-and-release connector that clicks into place, giving Unico an airtight fit.
Why Unico is Better Than Conventional Ducting
Ever hear the heating or air kick on? When the furnace or AC unit blasts air through a home with traditional ducts, it causes vibration, which generates noise and echoes through the metal ducting. Owners of The Unico System don’t even hear it running, thanks to the sound attenuators, which prevent vibration, and the nylon insulated core that absorbs noise.
Nobody wants their HVAC system taking up living space. If you’re renovating an older house, wouldn’t you want ducting that you can hide away inside existing walls and ceilings? Adding a traditional system during a home renovation often requires adding soffits or dropped ceilings to hide the ducting. But mini ducts are made of flexible tubing, which can be threaded through the ceiling and maintain the home’s interior design.
New custom home builders also prefer Unico for its compact design. Builders of custom homes design beautiful interiors to satisfy homeowners’ personal styles. A mini duct system is perfectly designed to feature the architecture and not the HVAC.
The Best HVAC System Available
You want home heating and air conditioning that creates a comfortable environment that’s energy efficient, quiet and unobtrusive. That’s not too much to ask, and Unico delivers!
What to learn more about whether the Unico System is right for you? Find a local contractor to learn more
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