FAQS

What is the Tax Credit Energy Summary?

The 2009-2010 Energy Tax Credit and You

With the passage of President Obama’s Economic Stimulus Bill, homeowners may be eligible for a tax credit if they purchase certain types of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, water heating equipment, or make other energy-related improvements to their homes between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010.

As a leader in enabling homeowners to take control of their own energy management, Trane already offers systems that may help you save up to 60 percent on your energy bill.1 To add to that savings, Trane offers many products that are eligible under this new energy tax credit law. Depending on the type of system or product purchased, it is possible to qualify for a tax credit of up to $1,500 on your 2009 or 2010 income tax return. Read on to learn how the government’s new tax credit program works, which Trane products qualify, and how to apply for a tax credit.

How did the tax credit come about?
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the Economic Stimulus Bill) into law. This legislation combines spending and tax incentives designed to get the American economy moving again by investing in our nation’s roads and energy infrastructure, and by providing incentives for increasing the efficiency and performance of America’s homes and commercial buildings.

Which products are eligible?
Some — but not all — of Trane’s products may qualify for the tax credit. Click here to find a listing of the specific products that qualify, as well as print off your tax certification. In addition, you’ll find the government’s summary of Energy Star products that are eligible for HVAC credits. As always, you can also contact your local independent Trane dealer who can help you determine product model numbers if necessary.

How do I apply for a tax credit?
For qualified improvements, homeowners may be able to claim tax credits equal to 30 percent of the installed costs (up to $1,500). The new tax credits are retroactive to January 1, 2009 and expire on December 31, 2010. The $1,500 limit is for all improvements made during the two-year term, rather than $1,500 each year.
The tax credit applies as a direct reduction of taxes owed. In the past, IRS has directed taxpayers to use Form 5695 (the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit). It is expected that the IRS will produce new rules related to the recently enacted stimulus legislation, giving taxpayers further guidance on claiming tax credits. To fully understand how the new tax credit may apply to you and what you can do to obtain one, you should consult with a tax professional for advice on tax preparation, as this tax credit is subject to IRS regulations.

1 Potential energy reduction comparing an 8-SEER system to a 20-SEER system. Actual energy savings vary based on lifestyle, system settings, maintenance, climate and installation
*To download and print the government's summary of Energy Star products that are eligible for HVAC credits for homeowners, visit www.energystar.gov/taxcredit.

What do you need to know about buying your system?

Step 1: Consider your home

Before you talk to us, take a look at your current home environment and identify your comfort needs. Start by answering the following questions:
• Do your heating and air conditioning bills seem too high?
• Are any of your current HVAC system units too noisy?
• Do you have a problem with humidity in the summer? Dry air in the winter?
• Are there rooms that are always too hot or too cold?
• Do you have pets or do any family members suffer from allergies?
• Do cooking odors linger?
• Do you want more control over when and how your system runs?
• Do you want a system that’s easy to maintain?
• Is your current system still covered by a warranty?

Step 2: Figure out your system

Get a better of idea of which system can best meet your home comfort needs by talking to your Triangle Heating and Air specialist.

Step 3: Make an appointment with Triangle Enterprises

After considering your current situation and home system,we can help custom design a system and apply the precise Trane technology to achieve maximum efficiency, reliability and comfort.
Take inventory of your system
Make a note of the model numbers on your current equipment. The model number and serial number should be found on a nameplate on the back of your unit. Search your files for the available paperwork.
Be specific about your needs
Be ready to talk to your Triangle Enteprises about where you live, the structure of your home, and any specific comfort needs. This is especially important if you're in the market for the first time or installing a new system.
Get dealer analysis
Ask the dealer to perform a thorough structural analysis of your home to determine the proper system type and size for your home.
Think about financing
Remember, you're investing in your year-round comfort—not to mention the long-term comfort of you and your family. Ask your Trane dealer about various financing options being offered by the dealership.

Step 4: Install your Trane system

Ask your Triangle Enterprises technician to program the thermostat setting for you, go over the owner’s manual, and walk you through the (minimal) maintenance you can do yourself. Also, don’t forget to review the limited warranty information for your specific models.

Why A Trane HVAC System?

No matter what the weather’s like outside, you can rely on a Trane system to effectively heat, cool and clean the air in your home. With innovations that go beyond industry standard, Trane has provided families everywhere with comfortable, clean and healthy air for generations. Enjoy a Trane matched system tailored to your family's needs. Heating, cooling, and beyond.

What Is Central Cooling and How Does it Work?

The most common central cooling system is a split system, which includes an outdoor cabinet containing a condenser coil and compressor, and an indoor evaporator coil, usually installed in conjunction with your furnace or air handler. The compressor pumps a chemical called refrigerant through the system.

HOW IT WORKS: Once warm air inside your home blows across the indoor evaporator coil, its heat energy transfers to the refrigerant inside the coil. That transfer, in turn, “cools” the air. The refrigerant is pumped back to the compressor where the cycle begins again. The heat absorbed by the refrigerant is moved outside your home while cooled air is blown inside. Moisture that contributes to humidity is also condensed out of the air.
Your cooling system is usually combined with your central heating system because they share the same ductwork for distributing conditioned air throughout your home.

What Is Central Heating and How Does it Work?

Central heating systems have a primary heating appliance, such as a furnace, typically located in your basement or garage. All furnaces consist of four main components: 1) burners that deliver and burn fuel, 2) heat exchangers, 3) a blower and 4) a flue that acts as an exhaust for gaseous by-products. Depending on your situation, region and needs, you can choose from heating systems running on either gas or oil as fuel, or a hybrid packaged system that can use both fuel types

HOW IT WORKS: Combustion gases are generated by the burners in your furnace and passed over a heat exchanger. Air from your home blows across the heat exchanger to be warmed. It is then blown through a system of ducts to distribute around your home.

During warm seasons your heating system works with your central air conditioning. Air is cooled as it’s blown over your air conditioning unit’s cooling coil, often attached to the exhaust of the furnace, and then sent over the same air ducts throughout your home.

Triangle Enterprises can help you decide which central cooling and heating system is right for you. Trane matched systems can be customized with cooling and heating units that match your situation and let you choose from a range of energy efficiency.

What is a heat pump System is and how does it work?

A heat pump is an all-in-one heating and cooling system. It heats a home in winter and then cools it in summer. A typical heat pump installation consists of two parts: an indoor unit called an air handler and an outdoor unit similar to a central air conditioner. A compressor circulates refrigerant that absorbs and releases heat as it travels between the indoor and outdoor units.

HOW IT WORKS: What kind of magic does a heat pump perform to both heat and cool your air? Think of a heat pump as a heat juggler. Even in air that’s below freezing temperatures, heat energy is present. When it’s cold outside a heat pump extracts this outside heat and transfers it inside. When it’s warm outside, it reverses directions and acts like an air conditioner, removing heat from your home.

One advantage of a heat pump is that it moves heat instead of generating heat, giving you more energy efficiency. Also, it is powered by electricity, so you can save substantially on fuel consumption. For example, a Trane XL20i heat pump is among the HVAC industry’s most efficient, with a rating up to 19.00 SEER and 9.0 HSPF.

Note that heat pumps are best for moderate climates, keeping homes warm even when temperatures drop into the low 20s. A supplemental heating source may be needed for lower temperatures.

As a year-round solution for home comfort, Trane heat pumps can become a key part of your matched system. An independent Trane dealer can help you decide if a heat pump system is right for you.

How a Packaged Heating & Cooling System Works

Packaged systems offer a more minimalist approach to heating and cooling. The system contains the same components as your typical split-system—the evaporator, condenser, compressor and more—all working together in one space-saving unit. Packaged units are typically installed outdoors at ground level or on the roof, making them versatile for both horizontal or down-flow designs.

HOW IT WORKS: Packaged systems have been carefully engineered to give you all of your heating and cooling equipment in a single cabinet. Depending on your weather situation and energy needs, you can choose from four types of packaged systems, each working differently:
• Heat pump packaged systems that both heat and cool your home
• Air conditioner packaged systems that offer cooling solutions for warmer climates
• Hybrid fuel packaged systems that work as a heat pump, but can also provide gas heating for greater flexibility
• Gas/electric packaged systems that can switch from electric air conditioning to gas heating to give you more fuel options

Triangle Enterprises can help you decide if a packaged system is right for you. You can choose from Trane’s broad lineup of fuel choices, energy efficiency levels and air handling options for your matched system.

What is a Dual Fuel System?

A dual fuel system is the best of both worlds.  It is a heat pump and coil coupled to a gas furnace with an outdoor thermostat to tell the system which heating system to use.  In heating mode, the outdoor sensor helps the thermostat decide which fuel type is most efficient based upon the outdoor temperature and thermostat settings.  When it is very cold outside (below 32F) a gas furnace is more efficient than the electric strips in a heat pump.  However, when it is above freezing outside the heat pump is more efficient and the thermostat uses it to heat your home.

What is a Geothermal System?

Geothermal
A geothermal heat pump or ground source heat pump (GSHP) is a central heating and/or cooling system that pumps heat to or from the ground. It uses the earth as a heat source (in the winter) or a heat sink (in the summer). This design takes advantage of the moderate temperatures in the ground to boost efficiency and reduce the operational costs of heating and cooling systems, and may be combined with solar heating to form a geosolar system with even greater efficiency. Geothermal heat pumps are also known by a variety of other names, including geoexchange, earth-coupled, earth energy or water-source heat pumps. The engineering and scientific communities prefer the terms "geoexchange" or "ground source heat pumps" because geothermal power traditionally refers to heat originating from deep in the Earth's mantle.[1] Ground source heat pumps harvest a combination of geothermal power and heat from the sun when heating, but work against these heat sources when used for air conditioning.[2]

Like a refrigerator or air conditioner, these systems use a heat pump to force the transfer of heat. Heat pumps can transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space, against the natural direction of flow, or they can enhance the natural flow of heat from a warm area to a cool one. The core of the heat pump is a loop of refrigerant pumped through a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle that moves heat. Heat pumps are always more efficient at heating than pure electric heaters, even when extracting heat from cold winter air. But unlike an air-source heat pump, which transfers heat to or from the outside air, a ground source heat pump exchanges heat with the ground. This is much more energy-efficient because underground temperatures are more stable than air temperatures through the year. Seasonal variations drop off with depth and disappear below seven meters due to thermal inertia.[2] Like a cave, the shallow ground temperature is warmer than the air above during the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. A ground source heat pump extracts ground heat in the winter (for heating) and transfers heat back into the ground in the summer (for cooling). Some systems are designed to operate in one mode only, heating or cooling, depending on climate.

The setup costs are higher than for conventional systems, but the difference is usually returned in energy savings in 3 to 10 years. System life is estimated at 25 years for inside components and 50+ years for the ground loop.

What are the different refrigerant types?

Refrigerant Types in a Central Air Conditioner
There are 2 different types of air conditioning refrigerant currently used in residential cooling systems. R-22, commonly referred to a Freon and R410A, a blend considered to be more environmentally friendly, sometimes called Puron.

R410A (sometimes known as Puron), is the industry's choice to replace R-22 in central air conditioning systems. It is less reactive with the environment while having the same home cooling characteristics of R-22. R410A is not interchangeable with R-22—you choose one or the other and your air cooling equipment is designed to operate with it. When you purchase a R-410A system, a new line set is included with your central air installation as well as a new evaporator coil. Our experience with R-410A has been excellent. New cooling systems have been dependable and efficient, as well as operating quieter! R-410A is the refrigerant of the future!
• Less reactive with the environment
• Replaces R-22 in the year 2020
• Cannot be used with R-22 systems
• Quiet and dependable

R-22 also known as Freon has been used for decades as the refrigerant in central air conditioning systems. However it has been linked to Ozone depletion and has therefore been banned from being manufactured after the year 2010. It's price will increase as the supply decreases.

What is a Seer Rating?

Seer Ratings
The efficiency of air conditioners is often rated by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) which is defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute. The SEER rating of a unit is the cooling output in Btu(British thermal unit) during a typical cooling-season divided by the total electric energy input in watt-hours during the same period. The higher the unit's SEER rating the more energy efficient it is.