Carolina Climate Control Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Trane’

5 Facts About Trane HVAC Systems You Need To Know

Wednesday, May 13th, 2020

With the increasing number of heating and air conditioning options available to Lowcountry homeowners, it can be a challenge to know what make or model will work best for their particular home setup.

 

With dozens of brands – each with dozens of makes and models — and more options than ever when it comes to HVAC setups (traditional central A/C, mini-split ductless systems, geothermal, etc.), sorting through all of the information can feel like a daunting task when homeowners plan on replacing their HVAC unit.

 

With anything you plan on depending on for years to come, you’ll probably start by looking at who is making the product and what they do differently that makes them the right choice.

 

To help you out, we started by looking at 5 important facts about Mitsubishi ductless systems and today we’re going to look specifically at Trane HVAC systems.

 

Trane is a brand name that may be the most recognized in the HVAC world and you probably have some familiarity with, but here are 5 important facts that you should know that sets them apart from other manufacturers in industry.

 

1. Trane Is America’s Most Trusted HVAC Brand 6 Years Running

For 6 consecutive years now — including 2020 — Trane has been recognized as America’s Most Trusted HVAC system by Lifestory Research. Lifestory Research is an independent market research firm that collects thousands of opinions over 12 months in order to generate a trust quotient and star rating system for industry brands.

 

Among 12 different HVAC brands, Trane came out on top again in 2020 — ahead of competitors such as Carrier, Ruud, Lennox and Rheem just to name a few.

 

2. Trane Designs, Builds & Tests Its Own Parts

Unlike many other manufacturers, Trane designs, builds and tests most of its own parts it uses in their systems. Other manufacturers often assemble their branded products using parts made from a collective “pool” of mass produced parts from generic factories around the world.

 

To ensure the level of quality and control over its performance standards, Trane’s engineers have compiled over 1500 heating and cooling patents that they use in the products they produce.

 

This fine tuning of exclusive technology helps ensure that you, the homeowner, are getting something above and beyond anything else out on the market.

Spine Fin Coils vs Traditional Copper Coils

3. Trane Utilizes Spine Fin All-Aluminum Coils

Among one of those 1500 patents Trane engineers have produced, probably one the most sought after by Lowcountry homeowners is its Spine Fin aluminum coils.

 

The reason homeowners want or request this type of coil is because of its stronger resistance to corrosion (important for our area), and its higher efficiency compared to other types of coil types.

 

The unique design also helps prevent clogging from sand, salt, leaves and other obstructions that can cause recurring issues with your HVAC system.

 

4. Trane Systems Have The Quietest Sound Rating In The Industry

On top of being the most trusted HVAC brand and employing unique engineering standards, Trane systems also have the quietest sound ratings in the industry. If you’ve ever lived in a home, condo or apartment with a loud HVAC system, you know how annoying it is to listen to it during startup and operation.

 

With our hot and humid summers we have here in the Lowcountry, you can expect your system to run quite a bit more so if you want a system that is felt, but not heard, Trane is a good bet for your Charleston home.

 

5. Trane Has Its Own Installation & Maintenance Training Program

Trane, like other manufacturers, has its own warranty program for the equipment they produce. However, to offer even better warranties and better installation practices it has its own “Trane Comfort Specialist” program. They only designate the title of Trane Comfort Specialist to qualified local dealers that pass a certain criteria and testing standards.

 

So when you’re looking at researching local HVAC companies to install your Trane system, be sure to ask if they’ve received the Trane Comfort Specialist designation. That way you know you’re getting the best pricing, warranty, installation and service for your next heating and air system.

 

(Bonus) Trane Offers Special Financing & Rebates Each Year

When it comes to saving money on your air conditioning installation, Trane runs special promos and deals each year, exclusively through its local HVAC dealers.

 

These deals include special financing (0% APR for 60 months) and instant rebates like the current Unstoppable Event happening now through May 15th.

 

During the event, you can get up to $500 in instant rebates on a qualifying Trane system — something that doesn’t happen often, especially during the busy summer season.

 

As you can tell from what we mentioned above, Trane systems are incredibly engineered, built, tested and give Lowcountry homeowners the level of performance they need year-round here in Charleston.

 

“It’s Hard To Stop A Trane” isn’t just their tagline, it’s what you will believe when you install one in your Lowcountry home.

 

 

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HVAC Reviews: Trane ComfortLink™ II XL1050 Smart Thermostat

Monday, January 27th, 2020

We’re living in an age of advanced interconnectivity when it comes to household electronics.

The wave of Internet of Things (IoT) device applications have touched nearly every aspect of our daily lives. From wireless home security systems to automated lighting & switches, to smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo, our ability to connect and control our lives is ever increasing.

Not to be left out of this connected age, Trane’s ComfortLink™ II XL1050 throws the HVAC industry’s hat into the smart home device lineup.

As you’ll see below, the XL1050 is one of the most advanced thermostats out on the market and gives homeowners and their local HVAC companies a whole new level of connectivity and control like never before.

What Exactly Is A “Smart” Thermostat?

While we’ve detailed the differences between analog vs. digital type thermostats, you may not know the difference between a digital vs. smart thermostat.

The primary difference between a digital thermostat and a smart thermostat lies in its ability to “learn” and adjust settings based on its inputs. While a regular digital thermostat may have advanced features like programmable schedules, it still heavily relies on user input for normal operation.

A smart thermostat does everything a digital thermostat does programmatically, but takes it to another level by tracking, measuring and adjusting its settings — automatically — to optimize the performance of your home’s heating and air conditioning system.

Essentially, all smart thermostats are digital thermostats but not all digital thermostats are smart thermostats.

How the XL1050 “learns” to optimize performance is by tracking and analyzing data from your home’s HVAC system operation. The system also works with variable speed systems like Trane’s XV20i Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps to optimize temperature and humidity by adjusting compressor & fan speeds — in real-time.

These real-time adjustments ensure not only extremely efficient system operation, but also provide you the most comfortable, reliable air conditions possible.

Next Level, Real-Time Diagnostics

Since the XL1050 receives all of your system’s performance data in real-time for performance optimization, it can also use that data to diagnose any potential issues your system may be have — also in real-time.

This diagnostic data is provided via the Nexia Diagnostics system and dashboard. This diagnostic dashboard can then be used by your local heating and air contractor (with your permission, of course) to assess your system’s health and notify you of any potential issues you may be having.

This data allows your HVAC company to know everything about your system before making any service calls. That means the service call time can be reduced, and also helps avoid any repeat visits to get your system back working again — both of which save you time & money on system maintenance & repairs.

Your Remote Access Smart Home Hub

The XL1050 comes with a built-in Nexia Bridge, making it a quick, plug & play smart home hub for more than just your heating and air conditioning controls.

Using Z-Wave wireless communication technology, you can connect up to 200 different types of smart home devices to your XL1050 that include lights, door locks, smart speakers like Google Home and many, many more.

All of these devices can be controlled via your Nexia app. While controlling your HVAC system comes free with the installation of the XL1050, adding additional smart home devices may require a modestly-priced monthly service subscription. Be sure to ask your local Trane dealer about subscription details.

Large, Full Color 7-Inch Touchscreen Display

For those of you that still like to operate things manually at your physical thermostat device, the XL1050 has you covered — and then some.

It’s large, 7-Inch full color touchscreen display allows you to do everything from small temperature adjustments to quickly viewing things like outdoor temperature, indoor humidity and even air cleaner settings.

You can even set a screen lock on your XL1050 that helps ensure other people don’t make any unwanted changes to your comfort settings.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to choosing a thermostat for your Lowcountry home, there are few options on the market that can beat the Trane ComfortLink™ II XL1050 in features & usability.

At Carolina Climate Control, we’ve installed several of these in Charleston homes and can say that homeowners are always wildly impressed with both the Nexia app/system and the money it potentially saves them via performance optimization.

So if you’re looking at getting an air conditioning replacement here this winter — or anytime this year for that matter — be sure to ask about installing the XL1050; you won’t be disappointed.

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How A Heat Pump Works & What To Look For When Installing A New One

Tuesday, October 15th, 2019

If you’re new to the Lowcountry, or to the southeastern part of the United States in general, you may be hearing the word “heat pump” used quite often when someone is talking about their HVAC system or air conditioning in general.

When many people first hear the term “heat pump” they’re thrown off by the word “heat” as only being related to cold weather conditions, when in fact this term is all-encompassing for all weather conditions here in Charleston.

To help take some of the mystery out of heat pumps for you, below is an in-depth look at what they are, how they work, and finally some important heat pump brands and manufacturers you should be aware of.

What Is A Heat Pump? And How Does It Work?

A heat pump — very simply — is a piece of equipment that moves heat from one place to another. In our case, an air source heat pump is used to transfer heat in (during the winter) and out (during the summer). You may see something called a ground-source heat pump as well, more commonly referred to as geothermal heat pump, but you can review that topic in our other geothermal heating and cooling blog posts.

The heat pumps we’re referring to have the unique ability to transfer heat in both directions. That is, it can pull heat out of your home in the summertime and into your home during the wintertime.

When you have a furnace installed, it creates the heat on its own (using gas, electricity, etc.) to heat your home — heat pumps, generally speaking, do not create heat on their own. They pull/absorb any ambient heat from a source (the air outside) to warm your home.

In the summertime, a heat pump will operate exactly like any traditional central air conditioning system — pulling out the warmth and humidity in your home and transfer it to the outside air.

Heat Pump Manufacturers & Brands

With numerous manufacturers of heat pumps available for you to choose from it can be hard to know exactly which one will best fit your specific comfort needs here in the Lowcountry.

Like we always say, if you don’t happen to know something or don’t have experience with a certain area of expertise, rely on the people who eat, sleep and breathe it, day-in and day-out: your local HVAC company in Charleston.

If there’s one thing all HVAC companies hate, it’s faulty equipment — including heat pumps — so when they recommend a manufacturer it means they’ve most likely had great experience with them and they have happy customers because of it.

One manufacturer of heat pumps that continuously makes our customers happy is Trane.

Trane continues to innovate upon an already great set of heat pump lines, which is why we almost always tend to recommend going with them.

As Trane Comfort Specialists, we also can offer better pricing and longer warranties when you get your heat pump installed.

As you can see from what we reviewed above, heat pumps can play an important role in your personal home comfort here in the Lowcountry and also help save you money in certain circumstances.

Should you have any other heat pump questions or HVAC questions in general, you can always contact us anytime — we’ll be glad to help.

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Get Unparalleled Indoor Humidity Control For Your Lowcountry Home With Trane’s Variable Speed Air Handler

Thursday, May 26th, 2016

Here at Carolina Climate Control, we get a chance to review a lot of the newest HVAC and refrigeration products available on the market. Everything from variable speed air conditioners and heaters to commercial walk in coolers.

With summer quickly approaching and temperature & humidity levels rising, we’d like for you to read about one of best new product combinations we’ve been installing in the Lowcountry this year: Trane variable speed air handlers & smart thermostats.

The variable speed air handlers, together with Trane’s thermostats have been allowing our customers extra control over their indoor humidity levels in their Lowcountry homes.

What Are Air Handlers?

Air handlers are special indoor HVAC equipment used to regulate & circulate air throughout your home. They work in coordination with your outdoor unit of your cooling system, using a “blower” to ensure that the conditioned air from the outside unit reaches every part of your home.

Many air handlers also have air filtration components that remove dust, pollen and other irritants from the air conditioned air of the outside unit.

What Is A “Variable Speed” Air Handler?

Most air handlers operate at one speed or multi-speed (5 speeds, for example) in order to regulate the air in your home. So when you’re adjusting the temperature in your home, your air handler will be blowing air at either one fixed speed or at one of the multi-speed rates depending on the difference between current temperatures and your desired temperature.

The main disadvantage of these types of air handlers are they are wildly inefficient (especially the single speed versions) and make it hard for precise temperatures and humidity levels to be reached. Also, the sound levels while operating can be quite noisy.

Variable speed air handlers offer a continuous range of operating speeds to maximize efficiency and drastically reduce noise while operating.

What Makes Trane’s Air Handlers The Best?

Trane is an industry leader for many innovative products, but for variable speed air handers, the Trane difference is that it uses 14 exclusive patents like its refrigerator-styled insulation between a double wall construction. This construction essentially eliminates sweating and condensation and allows less moisture and dust particles in, improving indoor air quality.

Trane also uses more efficient blowers which reduce carbon emissions and noise while allowing more granular control over humidity.

Trane Thermostats & Diagnostic Monitoring

Bringing all of that together, the Trane XL824 thermostat allows you to precisely control the temperature and humidity in your home remotely, using the Nexia smart home system. Nexia also allows you to send your local HVAC company real-time diagnostics of your system so they’ll be able to catch any maintenance needs and system malfunctions in advance.

The combination of these Trane products really has put many Lowcountry homeowners in total control of their home’s comfort levels; if you’re looking to do the same, feel free to let us know — we’ll be happy to get you the ultimate humidity control for your home.

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