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Quality Installation Checklist

Improperly installed central air conditioning systems waste energy. If you are purchasing a new system, it is important to know the following information to help make sure you get a quality installation that optimizes your system’s efficiency and your comfort.

Find a Qualified Contractor

To find a qualified contractor, look for one who is licensed, well-trained and experienced. Search for companies employing technicians certified by North American Technician Excellence. Contractors with NATE-certified technicians can be found by entering your zip code into the Contractor Locator.

Proper Sizing

Studies show that more than half of home heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are oversized — often by as much as 60 percent to 80 percent. An oversized system may cost more to buy and install, raise your utility bills, remove less humidity and fail more quickly. An undersized system may struggle to cool your home and may even freeze over on the warmest days.

A properly sized and installed system offers optimal efficiency, as well as better humidity and temperature control to increase your comfort.

  • Ask the contractor to do a load calculation for your home. To install the right size system, a qualified contractor will determine your home’s heating and cooling requirements based on a variety of factors such as the home’s size, number and type of windows, insulation amounts, and so on.

It is important to note that replacement equipment should not be based on the size of the original system since it may not have been properly sized for the home.

Proper Matching

Split air conditioning and heat pump systems typically consist of two parts: an indoor (coil) unit and an outdoor (condensing) unit. These two parts are specifically designed to work together as a coordinated “team” to provide top performance and maximum efficiency and comfort. So if you install a new high-efficiency outdoor unit, but don’t include a new, equally efficient and properly matched indoor unit, the results could be uncomfortable, frustrating and expensive.

Simply replacing just one of your cooling system’s units may offer you the lowest price, but it won’t give you the best value. The system may still operate, but it won’t perform up to the promised energy efficiency level and provide you with the level of comfort cooling you expect.

At worst, improperly matched indoor and outdoor units can create undue stress on your cooling system, resulting in an unnecessary, premature failure.

  • Make sure your installer verifies the system being installed is properly matched and achieves a certified energy efficiency rating by providing you with an AHRI Certificate of Certified Performance that demonstrates that the system and its certified efficiency ratings are listed in the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance as a “certified matched system.”
  • Know what type of refrigerant is being used in your new system. If you choose a new system using a non-ozone depleting hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant, you must replace your indoor and outdoor units with a properly matched combination designed to work using this refrigerant. If you do not change both units, your system will prematurely fail.

Ductwork

Leaky ducts can cause health problems and waste energy. Ducts that are too small may cause the HVAC system to use more energy and deliver less comfort. Small ducts may also lead to early equipment failure.

  • Reviewed the condition of your central forced-air duct system with you.
  • If ducts are to be repaired, the contractor explained how they will measure the duct leakage after the repairs.

Airflow

If the furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump does not have the proper amount of airflow, the system may waste energy, create health and safety problems, fail to keep you comfortable, and may cause the system to fail sooner.

  • Measured and documented the airflow in your central forced-air system.
  • Measured the conditioned air flowing into each room to ensure that each room receives the appropriate amount.
  • Tested to be sure the warm and cool air you are paying for is staying in your home and not escaping into unconditioned spaces. This is especially important when ducts are located in the attic or crawlspace.

Venting

  • Reviewed with you the condition of your furnace or boiler venting system. When fossil fuel is consumed, combustion gases are produced. If these silent threats are not removed by the vent system, you could suffer grave health problems.
  • Tested the new furnace or boiler venting system.
  • Verified that all of the combustion gases are vented outside your home.

Refrigerant

  • Measured the refrigerant charge in your air conditioner or heat pump. Undercharging or overcharging these systems can significantly reduce their efficiency, and in more extreme cases, can shorten the life of critical components such as the compressor.

Electrical

  • Ensured the system’s electrical requirements were met and in safe working order. Sometimes new equipment has different electrical requirements than the system being replaced.

Firing Rate (Does not apply to A/C or heat pumps)

  • Tested the firing rate of the new furnace or boiler.
  • Measured, and possibly adjusted, the firing rate to ensure proper operation.

Controls

  • Tested the thermostat.
  • Ensured that the system operates properly in all modes and the thermostat is fully compatible with the new equipment.

Documentation

  • Provided a copy of the installation checklist with a record of all measurements taken during installation. These benchmark measurements will be used by future technicians to ensure that the equipment continues to perform as it should.
  • Provided a copy of the owner’s manuals and manufacturer’s warranty. These documents provide valuable information for warranties, future maintenance or repairs. You should know what the manufacturer and the installing company will do in the event of a problem.
  • Provided a copy of the recommended maintenance requirements for the new equipment. If a maintenance program is offered, it should inform you of the components inspected, time frames for inspection, and other factors involved. These requirements are explained in the national standard for residential HVAC maintenance.
  • Provided an AHRI Certificate of Certified Performance. This certificate provides proof that the air conditioning or heat pump system was properly matched. It will include the certified efficiency rating for each piece of equipment installed whether it’s a central air conditioner, heat pump, furnace or boiler.