Refrigerant laws are changing.  January 1st, 2010 the old chlorine based R-22 refrigerant is totally going out of production.  The only good news for all that are using it is, recycled refrigerant will soon be available to consumers, hopefully this will help to ease some of the price gouging out there.   If you are in the market for a new system you will want to make very sure that your new unit will use the new "Puron" R-410a refrigerant.  Carrier has been selling "Puron" systems for many years now, and currently leads the industry in R-410a equipment sales.  Many competitors have just recently changed their product line to "Puron".  I would use much caution when choosing the manufacturer of my new unit, because you definately do not want to choose a company that has just recently began manufacturing the R410a systems.  The base line efficiency for any equipment manufactured today is 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio).  Buy as much efficiency as you are able to afford.  Electricity just keeps going up in cost.  The two-speed units are the most efficient.  Two-speed systems start at 16 SEER and top out at 21 SEER for a conventional system.  Geothermal units will go much higher in efficiency.  Geothermal units are measured in EER (Energy Efficiency Rating).

Technology today moves at light speed.  Carrier Corp. has done an excellent job in leading the industry with the most technologically advanced systems available.  The Carrier Infinity System was developed in the 1990's. Development for this system took over 10 years and 300 million dollars.  It was not introduced for sale to the public until 2004.  The Carrier Infinity system will adapt itself to almost any environment.  It will control cooling humidity automatically.  Cooling humidity control is very important.  If you can maintain good humidity you will be more comfortable at a higher temperature, therefore you will save money on your enrgy bills.  Low ambient control will keep your system operating efficiently when you have a high indoor cooling demand and low outdoor temperatures.  This is a very useful feature in early spring and fall.  A variable speed indoor blower is almost silent when it is operating and will use less than half the energy of a standard blower.  The Carrier Infinity System has all of these features and more and are included at no extra charge.

 

Home Magazine, a consumer publication focused on home enthusiasts, recently awarded Carrier a 2007 Building Products Award. These awards are granted to innovative, eco-friendly, aesthetically pleasing items that make people's lives more enjoyable and their homes more functional. The Carrier Infinity System with HybridHeat™ technology was chosen for its innovative design and energy efficiency.