Last December, Mary Gattis noticed a leak in the exhaust pipe of her oil furnace. Without much concern, she called her service company and scheduled a visit to address the leak and complete a regular tune-up.
However, when the furnace tech emerged from the basement, he delivered unexpected news. Mary’s furnace had a cracked heat exchanger, and it was not safe to use. The tech had to “red tag” the unit, meaning that Mary would be without heat until she could replace her heating system.
With meteorologists already predicting around 30 inches of snow for Lancaster County’s winter season, this was bad news.
Fortunately, a few months earlier, RegenAll’s Director of Energy Solutions, Andrew Pauls-Thomas, had visited Mary’s home to conduct a free Home Energy Navigator visit. In the visit, Andrew and Mary talked through potential ways Mary could save energy and reduce carbon emissions in her home. At that time, Mary was starting to think about alternative options for heating and cooling her house. After the visit, Andrew sent her a report with recommendations on how to move forward. That conversation would prove very useful.
Now in December, with her furnace out of commission, Mary had a decision to make. Would she simply replace her system with another oil-burning furnace? Or would she take a step down the path of electrifying her home and install a heat pump? With the Home Energy Navigator conversation in mind, Mary was able to envision new avenues, plan goals for her home, and communicate those goals to contractors.
“I was faced with an emergency situation,” Mary said. “Had I not had the Navigator consultation, I might have been inclined to jump into a replacement system without thinking more deeply about it.”
Mary got two quotes for a heat pump system and chose the installer that showed greater attention to detail. They carefully measured the square footage of Mary’s home and conducted a Manual-J calculation to ensure the system was the appropriate size for the house. The contractor worked with Mary to not only ensure the system was appropriately sized, but also designed in a way that met her aesthetic needs. She was able to select a ducted system that is more inconspicuous than a wall-mounted mini-split system.
Now, Mary’s home has a three-zone heat pump system that got her through one of the coldest Lancaster County winters in recent memory and kept her comfortable during the heat waves this past summer. Not only is she more comfortable, but she also no longer has to lug air conditioner units in and out of her windows. Plus, the system is much quieter than her old furnace.
“You don’t even know it’s running,” she said. “You just know you’re comfortable.”
If you are interested in having a RegenAll staff member visit your home and talk through efficiency and electrification options, you can schedule a free consultation today! Complete the Navigator Interest Form and we’ll be in touch. You can tell us a little about your goals and select a time for us to support you in your next step towards a more comfortable and efficient home!
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