FAQs

Equipment pricing information is provided by your Direct Comfort brand online re-seller.  Installation pricing is dependent on your home’s design, duct work conditions, and many other variables.  A licensed contractor should be consulted on the specific needs of your home and to get pricing on installation.

Sizing the equipment properly requires the consideration of several factors. Among those variables are ceiling height, house insulation, window size and placement, and dozens of other variables. A professionally conducted load calculation is the foundation of an effective system and it should be completed by a qualified technician.

Three areas generally differentiate each Direct Comfort brand product – the energy efficiency rating of the unit, features found on a specific unit and the limited product warranty coverage. Your Direct Comfort brand reseller can help ensure that you understand the differences in limited warranty length coverage for the standard limited warranty* versus the registered limited warranty*, the product features for a unit (e.g. CoreSense^™ Diagnostics for Copeland Scroll^™ compressors to prevent the compressor from being damaged if the compressor exceeds operational limits) and the energy efficiency of a unit (e.g. SEER or AFUE rating) which can have an impact on your monthly utility bills in providing heating or cooling.

Purchasing a heating or air conditioning system is no small matter. However, if your existing system needs frequent or costly repairs, or is simply an older and inefficient unit, you should consider the benefits of purchasing a new unit. Too frequently, homeowners wait unit their current heating and cooling system fails before thinking about repair or replacement. A new Direct Comfort system can be as much as 55% more efficient than a system purchased just 10 years ago (10 SEER vs 18 SEER) , equating to significant energy savings over the lifetime of the system.

There are many heating and air conditioning systems to choose from today. Your Direct Comfort re-seller should be able to provide guidance in selecting the best unit or system to efficiently heat and cool your home. The size and age of your home, as well as the number of rooms, climate, local and regional utility costs, and utility incentive/rebate programs are all factors that will affect the selection of your new unit or system. 

Homeowners seeking to replace an existing system often choose a new unit with equal or higher efficiency ratings compared to their previous system. Replacing a unit that is 10- to 15-years-old may help reduce natural gas or electricity costs by up to 50%. Your actual savings will vary depending on the type of home, ductwork, insulation, and other factors that are part of your home environment.

You or your qualified installer can register your Direct Comfort equipment through our online product registration system at www.directcomforthvac.com.

The model and serial number can be found, typically, on the rating plate of your air conditioner or heat pump. This is generally found slightly above the refrigerant valves on the back side of the unit.

The serial number is likely a ten-digit code that helps identify the time the unit was produced, as well as the model number and many of the sub-components used on that specific unit.

Quite often, the model and serial number can be found on the rating plate on the inner wall of your furnace or air handler. 

The serial number is a ten-digit code that helps identify the time the unit was produced, as well as the model number and many of the sub-components used on that specific unit. 

No, you are free to use any licensed contractor to maintain your system and perform work in accordance with the Direct Comfort limited warranty conditional to the units you purchased.

Online confirmation of coverage is available using our warranty look-up tool at www.directcomforthvac.com.

For further information about your warranty, claims, or other warranty-related matters, contact Consumer Affairs at (877) 254-4729 or by mail to 19001 Kermier Road, Waller, TX, 77484.

The standard limited warranty is offered on all Direct Comfort brand residential products.  Direct Comfort equipment registered within 60 days of installation and  installed by qualified technicians receive the full registerd limited warranty.

The limited product warranty applies to heating and air conditioning units installed by qualified technicians that follow all local, state, and federal codes and regulations in owner-occupied residences.

Registration is not required to receive the standard limited product warranty coverage, but registration may entitle the owner to additional warranty coverage. (Please note that residents of California and Quebec do not need to register the product in order to get all of the rights and remedies of registered owners under the limited product warranty).

No, you must register your equipment within 60 days of the installation date (or closing date) to receive the additional rights and remedies available with registration.

Direct Comfort brand limited product warranties cover defects in materials and workmanship that appear under normal use and maintenance.

We do not provide service parts to consumers.  We will furnish a replacement part to a Direct Comfort servicing contractor.

• Damage or repairs required as a consequence of faulty installation or application.
• Damage as a result of floods, fires, winds, lightning, accidents, corrosive atmosphere, or other conditions beyond the control of the manufacturer.
• Damage or the need for repairs arising from the use of components or accessories not compatible with this unit.
• Normal maintenance as described in the installation and operating manual, such as cleaning of the coils, filter cleaning and/or replacement, and lubrication.
• Parts or accessories not supplied or designated by the manufacturer.
• Damage or the need for repairs resulting from any improper use, maintenance, operation, or servicing.
• Damage or failure of the unit to start due to interruption in electrical service or inadequate electrical service.
• Any damage caused by frozen or broken water pipes in the event of equipment failure.
• Changes in the appearance of the unit that do not affect its performance.
• Replacement of fuses and replacement or resetting of circuit breakers.
• Damage or the need for repairs resulting from the use of unapproved refrigerant types or used or recycled refrigerant.

A standard limited product warranty is offered on all Direct Comfort brand residential products.

Anything that prevents airflow from making its way to the outdoor coil can negatively affect the efficiency and performance of the equipment. Make it a priority to keep the space around the equipment clean and clear.

Covering the outdoor unit in the winter months prevents unwanted debris from accumulating on the outdoor unit and later impeding airflow to the outdoor unit. At the same time accidentally operating the outdoor unit with a covering in place could cause significant system damage. It is recommended that high voltage power always be disconnected from the outdoor unit whenever a cover or anything obstructing airflow is introduced.

Proper maintenance is key. If all recommended maintenance and service actions are taken, an air conditioner can last up to 15 years and a gas furnace up to 25 years.

Here are several tips to help you keep your system running at its most efficient level:

• Keep your thermostat at a constant temperature; the recommended temperature is 78º, even when no one is home.
• Change your filters every 3 months.
• Check the outside condensing unit regularly for any grass clippings or leaves stuck to the coil. If it is dirty:
  • Disconnect the power at the circuit breaker FIRST!
  • Use a shop-vac with a brush attachment to vacuum off the debris.
  • Run water from a garden hose through the coil until the water passing through it is clear.
  • Turn the power back on.
• Have the unit serviced twice a year by a licensed service company.

Heating and cooling systems work incredibly hard to perform their functions for your household all year long. The constant stopping, starting and continual operation can wear down any machine quickly and unexpectedly if proper care and maintenance is delayed. However, by performing preventive maintenance and servicing your system regularly, you can maximize the life-cycle of your heating or cooling unit and guard against many unexpected failures.

At least twice a year, we suggest that homeowners schedule a professional tune-up for the central heating and cooling system in their home.  Heat pump and air conditioning unit inspections should include inspections of the fan, compressor, indoor coils, outdoor coils, duct work, and refrigerant lines.  Qualified technicians may recommend additional inspection steps depending upon other factors such as the type and age of your system. 

Standard furnace filters work well to keep your system and its duct work clean, but they don’t really improve indoor air quality. To do that you need a media filter. The media filter rests between the main return duct and the blower cabinet and will improve dust and particle removal by up to seven times that of a standard furnace filter. However, upgrading to a pleated media filter will remove everything from insecticide dust to airborne viruses from the filtered air.

Although modern technology has made significant advances in air filters over the past decade, a fractional amount of dust still finds its way past heating and cooling filters and into your home’s ducts. As this dust accumulates throughout your home, it creates the perfect environment for the possible growth of mites and bacteria. To check your ducts for dust buildup, pull off several supply and return registers and see how much dust has accumulated. If you choose to clean your system, your best option is to contact a professional duct cleaner.

Although duct cleaning has little effect on the actual air quality, it will eliminate a house-wide breeding ground for bacteria in addition to helping your heating and cooling system operate more efficiently. If you are installing a new system, you should consider cleaning the ducts at the same time. New systems are often more powerful than old systems and can stir up dust that is sitting in the existing duct work. 

Two-stage cooling utilizes a multi-, or two-speed compressor. A high-stage demand from the thermostat will cause the compressor and circulating fan to operate at 100% cooling capacity and the indoor fan to operate at the high-speed setting designated at the furnace or air handler. A low-stage demand from the thermostat will result in up to  35% speed reduction at both the compressor and indoor unit circulating fan. Two-stage cooling generally results in extend operation at low speed, providing more comfort and using less electricity than single-stage systems.

A high-efficiency gas furnace with modulating gas valve and variable-speed blower provides outstanding efficient and economical heating performance. Unlike single-stage gas furnaces that operate 'all ON' or 'all OFF,' a modulating, variable-speed gas furnace minimizes energy use by running at the lowest possible fan speed, and producing just the right amount of heat to keep a steady, comfortable temperature in your home.

In many applications it's too much to expect one thermostat to provide perfect conditions to every room in your home. What is comfortable for the sleeping area may be uncomfortable for the living area and vice versa. Zoning divides your home into areas with common heating and cooling requirements by the use of additional thermostats and zone dampers installed in the duct system. Zoning allows you the ability to leave unoccupied areas without heating or cooling, in some cases saving money on energy costs. A properly designed zoning system allows you to simply set the temperature in each zone to your desired comfort level and the equipment and zone dampers will do the rest.

You may have options based on your home’s design. The system can actually be located in several different places. A system with up-flow application might be located in the basement, while a system with a horizontal application may be found in your attic. A self-contained, or single package unit, could be located outside on a slab or on the roof. Your garage could house an up-flow, down-flow or horizontal application system.

AFUE is the abbreviation for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratio. AFUE is used to rate furnace efficiencies by dividing the ratio of heat output by heat input. This measurement describes how well fuel, gas or oil is consumed to produce heat by a furnace. As the AFUE rate increases, the efficiency of your furnace also increases, lowering your fuel costs. Furnaces manufactured in the United States are required to have at least an 80% AFUE.

HSPF is the abbreviation for the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, which is a rating of the efficiency level of the heating operation of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF, the more efficient the heating performance of a heat pump. New units in the United States have HSPF ratings from 7.0 to 9.4.

R-22 is the common name for hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). R-22 has been used as a refrigerant by HVAC manufacturers for over 40 years, but studies in the past decade have shown that HCFCs contain chlorine.

R-410A is the common name for an emerging hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) that is being used as a refrigerant in the HVAC industry. R-410A does not contain chlorine  and is being seen as the most likely replacement for R-22 by HVAC manufacturers.

The AHRI directory contains rated values for air conditioners and heat pumps.  These explain how a “split system”, which is an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, perform as a paired set.  This is a more precise measure for the equipment that you are considering for your home.  Please click here to see definitions of EER, SEER and HSPF, the most common measures of a units efficiency.  Note that the AHRI data include information for all models still being sold, including those currently in production (“active”) and those which are no longer currently in production but are still available (“discontinued”).

Because of a variety of factors, for split systems, not every pairing of outdoor unit and indoor unit will work adequately.  Our engineering team spends extensive time ensuring that the combinations we certify performance will work correctly in your home.

For more information see, “What is an AHRI-matched system?”

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is the trade association representing manufacturers of heating, cooling, water heating, and commercial refrigeration equipment. AHRI is an internationally recognized advocate for the industry, and develops standards for and certifies the performance of many products, including the ones sold by Goodman. For more information AHRI, visit www.ahrinet.org.

In the case of a “split system” air conditioner or heat pump, an AHRI-matched system represents a combination of a given outdoor unit, indoor unit, and/or furnace listed on the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance. AHRI’s voluntary certification programs conduct third-party laboratory testing to confirm manufacturers’ claimed performance ratings. The ratings associated with such combination are certified in the form of an AHRI Certificate of Product Ratings. For more information, visit www.ahridirectory.org.

ARI stands for “Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute.” The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) was formed in 2008 after a merger of ARI and the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA). All former ARI Performance Certified marks have been replaced by AHRI Certified marks. All standards developed by AHRI are now known as AHRI standards.

R-22 is a pure HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) refrigerant which has properties that make it a good heat transfer medium. The EPA barred this refrigerant from being used in new systems effective January 1, 2010. Production in the United States shifted to R-410A refrigerant, which is a binary blend HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) that also has good heat transfer properties.

Effective 1/1/2015, the U.S. Department of Energy changed from a national standard for air conditioning, to regional standards. As a result, the required SEER of an air conditioning system differs by Region. Specifically:

• The minimum SEER for Northern states is 13 SEER for split system air conditioners and 14 SEER for single package air conditioners.

• Northern states consist of AK, CO, CT, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT,NE, NH, NJ, NY, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, UT, VT,WA, WV, WI and WY, as well as the U.S. Territories.

• The minimum SEER for Southeastern states is 14 SEER for both split system air conditioners and single package air conditioners.
  • Southeastern states consist of AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, HI, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA and the District of Columbia
• The minimum SEER for Southwestern states is 14 SEER for all air conditioners with a minimum EER of 12.2 for split system air conditioners with capacity less than 45,000 BTU/hr, a minimum EER of 11.7 for split system air conditioners with capacity greater than or equal to 45,000 Btu/hr, or a minimum EER of 11.0 for single package air conditioners.
  • Southwestern states are AZ, CA, NM and NV.

Heat pumps are a national standard, with a minimum 14 SEER and 8.2 HSPF for split system heat pumps and 14 SEER and 8.0 HSPF for single package heat pumps. Full information on Regional Standards can be found here. Definitions of SEER and EER can be found here.

Different refrigerants have different properties, are matched with different oils and require different components in the system. It is very important to have proper oils and components in the system for peak performance and good reliability.

ENERGY STAR^® certified products have higher efficiency ratings than standard models, will cost less money to operate and are generally better for the environment. ENERGY STAR products are third-party certified by an EPA-recognized Certification Body. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For more information, visit www.energystar.gov/.