Maintaining a comfortable and healthy living environment is critical when taking care of a home or rental property. An efficient HVAC system plays a vital role in achieving indoor comfort. However, which contractor you choose can make a significant difference when it comes to installation, maintenance, and repairs. Keep reading to learn why hiring a local HVAC contractor offers numerous benefits beyond just getting the job done.
Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration Blog : Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Benefits of Hiring a Local HVAC Contractor
Thursday, September 26th, 2024How To Choose the Right HVAC System for Your Home
Thursday, August 15th, 2024What to Know About Home Energy Tax Credits for Homes in Northern Virginia
Wednesday, April 10th, 2024The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit is a fantastic incentive for Northern Virginia residents looking to make their homes more energy-efficient and comfortable. Signed into law through the Inflation Reduction Act, this credit allows homeowners to deduct 30% of the cost of qualified upgrades from their federal taxes. For large, energy-saving HVAC projects and installations, this can translate to significant savings.
Northern Virginia home and business owners seeking reliable and comprehensive HVAC solutions can turn to Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc. With more than 25 years of experience, our highly trained technicians are knowledgeable, passionate, and dedicated to client satisfaction. Moreover, our repair, installation, and maintenance services keep your home comfortable and energy efficient. Call us today at (703) 339-3877 for more information on our heating and cooling services!
Below, we discuss the perks of energy tax credits and who they apply to:
Benefits of Home Energy Credits
Under the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, if you make an authorized improvement to your home after January 1st, 2023, you may qualify for a tax credit of up to $3,200 annually. Broken down, the maximum credit you can claim each year is $1,200 for energy efficient home improvements and $2,000 for qualified heating and cooling system installation.
However, the benefits of this energy credit extend far beyond saving money on your tax bill. By opting for energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment, you’ll use less energy overall, leading to a decrease in monthly utility bills. In turn, you’ll experience long-term savings and a smaller environmental footprint.
Additionally, energy-efficient upgrades can improve the comfort of your home. Energy-saving home heating equipment is designed to provide consistent and accurate temperature control, making it easier to maintain your desired heating comfort throughout your home. Same with your air conditioning equipment.
Who Can Claim Credits
The good news is that most Virginia homeowners can claim energy-efficient home credits. There are no income restrictions, so you can take advantage of this program as long as you own and occupy the residence where the improvements are made. However, keep in mind that the credit only applies to upgrades placed in service from 2023-2032, and taxpayers must install qualifying energy credit equipment. Eligible heating and cooling systems must have a thermal efficiency rating of 75% and include the following types:
- New electric or natural gas heat pumps
- New electric or natural gas heat pump water heaters
- New biomass stoves and boilers
Hire Us – a Professional Heating and A/C Service Company in Northern Virginia!
Ready to upgrade your home for optimal efficiency? Residents of Northern Virginia can trust Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc. for all HVAC, air quality, and commercial refrigeration needs. To learn more about our energy-efficient home systems and how you might be able to save money, call (703) 339-3877 today!
Air Quality COVID-19: Ensuring Healthy Air Quality in Your Home
Thursday, April 30th, 2020As a professional team of HVAC and indoor air quality experts, Oasis knows that we are living in uniquely challenging times. W also know that you are doing all you can to care for yourself and your family in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an essential business, Oasis is ready to assist homeowners like you across Northern Virginia. If you find yourself needing immediate repairs, contact our team for emergency HVAC assistance. As you and your loved ones continue to practice social distancing, your home comfort and indoor air quality have never mattered more. As we spend more time indoors, the air quality, and temperature can make a difference in how you feel.
5 Steps to Ensure Indoor Air Quality and Comfort
- Keep The Air Circulating in Your Home – It’s important to keep the air circulating through your home to increase the volume of fresh and clean air. To do this, turn on the circulate feature on your thermostat to keep the air moving throughout your filtration system. This will ensure the air is flowing through the filter and getting cleaned more often. *If you have an iComfort® Ultra Smart Thermostat, check out this video to see how you can adjust your fan mode.
- Replace or Upgrade Your Air Filter – You should make sure to change your filters on a seasonal-basis to reduce the amount of allergens and dust in your air. Now is a great time to make sure your filter is clean. If your filter is not clean, consider an upgrade to a higher-efficiency filter. When looking at air filters, you should look at the MERV rating, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This measures how successfully it filters pollutants. The higher the MERV rating, the higher the percentage of small-sized particles that are trapped by the filter. It is these fine-sized particles (smaller than 2.5 microns) that pass through our nose unfiltered and are known to possibly cause respiratory issues. It’s important to note that Lennox MERV16 filters contain a glass backing and should not be used to construct a mask, respirator or any application other than filtration associated with HVAC systems.
- *High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are regarded as the gold standard in air filtration, because they’re usually in use at hospitals. They’re effective at trapping 99.97–99.99% of indoor pollutants, including pollen, pet dander and smoke in homes.
- Get A Good Night’s Sleep – There’s a direct correlation between your body’s temperature and your sleep cycle. Research suggests that the ideal sleep condition sits between 60 – 67 degrees. If that seems on the cool side, there’s a reason: your core body temperature drops to a lower level during sleep. An overly warm temperature interferes with your brain’s messages that it’s time to get some shut-eye.
- Adjust Your Temperature for Your Fitness Routine – As you’re practicing social distancing, you’re likely adjusting a majority of your daily routines, including how and where you exercise. Practicing traditional yoga calls for a temperature between 70 – 76 degrees, but you might want to raise or lower your thermostat by a few degrees depending on your personal preference. You also want to keep in mind your home’s humidity, airborne pollutants and even a general perception of how the air “feels.” A good HVAC system integrated with the right indoor air quality solutions lets you control all of these factors so that your workout leaves you feeling great inside and out.
- Call the Professionals – Whether you have questions around upgrading your air filter, seasonal maintenance, repairing or replacing your air filter in Lorton VA and across Northern Virginia, our dealers are here for you. Before you try to correct a system error or make a purchase on your own, contact our team for an expert’s opinion.
Call on Oasis and Lennox to Enhance Your Air Quality in Response to COVID-19
We know these are challenging times. If you need us, Oasis and Lennox are here to help in Lorton, VA, Alexandria, VA, Burke, VA and across Northern Virginia. We are fully committed to keeping your air, and your home, perfectly comfortable. Here’s to home.
*Based on in-duct testing that shows Healthy Climate® filters reduce airflow restriction. Greater restriction of airflow creates a greater load on a unit’s fan motor, increasing energy consumption.
A Reminder about Changing Your HVAC System Air Filter This Winter
Tuesday, April 14th, 2020Whether you use a furnace (electric or gas) or a heat pump to provide cozy indoor temperatures for your family during the winter, you need to pay attention to an important maintenance task: regularly changing the air filter. A forced-air system like a furnace must draw air from inside the home to heat it and then send it out through the ventilation system. The filter prevents debris that the blower fan will draw in from the rooms from entering into the furnace or heat pump and damaging components. (It isn’t specifically designed to improve air quality, however. You need to install a special set of filters for that.)
Leaking Water Heater
Tuesday, February 11th, 2020What Your High Energy Bill Could Mean
Tuesday, January 15th, 2019It’s the end of the month, and you’re going through your bills. You’ve paid your rent or mortgage, the credit cards, and the water and internet bills. You come at last to the electric bill, only something looks different. This month, the energy bill is through the roof. It’s higher than it’s ever been, and you can’t begin to imagine why. You think back through the last month and can’t remember having the heat cranked up, or leaving the lights on all night. So what’s going on?
A few possible culprits could be causing an unusually high electric bill. Some of them are fairly harmless, but some of them the may indicate a severe problem lurking beneath the surface. If you happen to notice an anomaly such as this in your electric bill, don’t ignore it. The problem could be more serious than you think.
There’s Ice on My Heat Pump—Is This a Bad Sign?
Thursday, December 28th, 2017If you know even a little bit about the operation of the heat pump that keeps your household cool in summer and warm in winter, you’ll understand that the outside unit needs to absorb heat from the ambient air and carry it indoors in order for it to work in heating mode.
Should you notice that there is ice developing along the outdoor cabinet of the heat pump, it may worry you. Is this normal during the winter?
The answer is, confusingly, both yes and no. But we will quickly unconfuse you below:
The Difference with Quality Professional Furnace Installation
Tuesday, December 26th, 2017We understand that homeowners are on the hunt for ways to save money, especially at the end of the year when finances often get a bit tight and everyone is starting to plan for the year ahead. Unfortunately, the quest to find bargains on services often ends up backfiring.
For a service like the installation of a furnace to handle the heating for the rest of the winter, you never want to go to any contractor who isn’t qualified and experienced to handle the job. And don’t even think about taking on furnace installation as a “do-it-yourself” experiment!
Why You Should Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat
Thursday, December 21st, 2017What kind of thermostat do you have in your house to control the HVAC system? If it’s a manual one that uses sliders or dials, or a no-frill digital model that can only raise or lower the temperature, then we need to talk. It’s time to upgrade to a digital programmable model—especially if you have updated your HVAC system at some point during the past few years. There are many benefits that come with replacing an old thermostat with an advanced model. Here are a few: