Lorens Heating and Air Lorens Heating and Air
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Heating Company Salem, OR

Heating Company in Salem, OR

Salem’s Leading Heating Technicians

Sandwiched between ocean beaches to the west and the Cascade Mountains to the east, Salem sits beside the Willamette River in the heart of the Willamette Valley. It’s beautiful, busy, and cold in the winters. As part of the local community, Loren’s Heating & Air, a Carrier® Factory Authorized Dealer, strives to do our part to keep local residents and business owners safe, warm, and comfortable in their homes and businesses. Proud of our role as Salem’s leading HVAC installer, we are committed to the provision of quality service performed by highly experienced and fully trained heating technicians who have the knowledge and expertise needed to install and service Carrier® and all other makes and models of furnaces, heat pumps, and all other types of heating and indoor air quality equipment.

To learn more about how we can help you, schedule your free estimate today! Call (503) 386-4105 or contact us online today.

Furnace Efficiency

The efficiency of your furnace is a critical factor when looking at your monthly energy bills, your family’s comfort level, and whether or not you should consider replacing your existing model. Less efficient furnaces lead to higher monthly expenditures for your utilities, creating the possibility that the energy miser in your home is going to continually keep the thermostat lower than some family members would like in order to minimize the cost of heating the home.

With an efficient furnace, you don’t need to worry about replacing it to stay warm, because it is already delivering at a high performance. How do you know how efficient your HVAC unit actually is? You can guess, based on your energy bills and your level of comfort, or you can take a look at your unit’s AFUE rating.

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    We offer multiple financing options to suit your needs. See what works for you and your project!

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Understanding Furnace Efficiency

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency Ratings

The AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating system is in place to assist homeowners in identifying how well their furnace converts the fuel they consume into heat. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires furnace manufacturers to include this rating on their products. While the AFUE rating might sound too technical to understand, it is really quite simple.

The AFUE rating system can be broken down as follows:

  • Poor rating offering low efficiency: 77% and below
  • Good rating and mid-range efficiency: 78% to 90%
  • Excellent rating and high efficiency: 91% and up

The Department of Energy provides minimum AFUE requirements for all newly manufactured furnaces. This listing is broken down according to whether or not the furnace is weatherized (in-home versus in-garage). It is also divided into categories according to the type of fuel that is used to power the furnace, such as oil, gas, or electricity.

Furnace Replacement in Salem

Keeping AFUE ratings in mind, you then have to wonder whether or not your existing furnace is performing efficiently. Fortunately, you can call us to assess your furnace’s performance and provide you with the Salem heating installation that locals depend on. A thorough maintenance and service checkup will reveal just how well your equipment has been performing.

Alternatively, you can consider a few other factors that will indicate that it is time - probably past time, even - when you should call our team to install a new furnace. These factors include:

  • The age of your unit, particularly if it is more than 10 years old
  • How frequently you have had your unit serviced with a system checkup
  • Poor performance
  • Uneven air flow and heating
  • The existence of unusual noises and/or odors
  • Extremely high energy bills
  • Numerous calls to have your unit serviced or repaired

Our heating technicians are always ready to assist you with answers to any questions that you might have. We can make suggestions on which Carrier furnace might make a good addition to your home or business after getting to know you, your needs, and your property. Our company carries numerous units, including gas and oil models offering high efficiency. To learn more, contact us online today for furnace service in Salem, Oregon, and the surrounding areas!

Which Furnace Should I Buy?

The most common fuel types for furnaces include oil and gas. In general, a gas furnace is going to deliver better performance (due to above average AFUE ratings). As a result, a gas furnace is going to be less expensive to operate. Gas furnaces generally require less maintenance and operate more quietly than oil units.

In order to ensure that your furnace keeps your home comfortably heated without creating excessive monthly expenditures, you should determine what size furnace you need. If you need assistance or simply want to validate your decision, the team at Loren’s Heating & Air can assist you. 

In general, you should take the following factors into consideration:

  • The number of floors in your home
  • The square footage of your home
  • The amount of insulation that is currently in place
  • Your current heating needs

Carrier Furnaces

Carrier dates back to the early 1900s, when the founder of the company created the first air conditioning unit. Since then, the company has developed a global presence selling a wide variety of residential, commercial, and industrial furnaces in addition to air conditioning units and heat pumps. Their Infinity Series, Comfort Series, and Performance Series deliver AFUE ratings of 95% or more, providing the high efficiency that affordably heats homes.

Why Is Furnace Maintenance Important?

Furnace maintenance is very important when it comes to prolonging the life of your heating system. Maintenance includes having your system cleaned and checked for any possible parts that could use replacement or be causing your system to not run properly. We offer heating maintenance plans for our Salem customers to provide our expert services twice annually: once in the fall time and once in the springtime. We recommend having your furnace maintenance before you turn your unit on for the season to prevent any surprises when the cold weather hits. This allows us to check the unit to make sure everything will be functioning properly, all winter long. If you call us for a maintenance agreement, we will be more than happy to get you added to the schedule right away.

Heating Resources 

While our technicians are available 24/7 to address your emergency needs, we also offer a number of helpful tips and guides in the blogs linked below. Check out the following resources for more information on your furnace: 

The team at Loren’s Heating & Air is standing by, ready to assist you with your maintenance, installation, and heater repair services in Salemcontact us today! Not looking for heating service? We also offer expert cooling services for year-round comfort. 

Customer Reviews

  • “I am so very pleased with this company! I recommend them to anyone! They are fair, honest and professional!”

    - Susie N.
  • “They provided clear answers to my questions on the purchase beforehand. They also responded quickly when I had questions.”

    - Dawn W.
  • “I have nothing but praise for the quality and timeliness of their service.”

    - James R.

Heating & Cooling FAQ

  • Why should I get a new HVAC system?
    It can often be difficult for home and business owners to tell if it’s time to upgrade their heating and cooling system. Loren's Heating & Air can assist you in this process. We want you to understand the pros and cons of continuing to repair and maintain your current system versus upgrading and making the investment in a new system. Some of the most important things to consider are increased energy efficiency, updated components, rebates and incentives, better home comfort and indoor air quality, and more effective heating and cooling.
  • Why are air conditioner efficiency ratings important?
    In 2006, the Federal Government made it mandatory for all central air conditioning systems to have a minimum SEER of 13. SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is a measure of the cooling system’s performance. On the highest end of performance, cooling units are rated as high 23 SEER. As with anything, the better performance, the higher the cost. For a system with moderate to good efficiency, you should look for a model with a SEER rating of between 14 and 18. The EER, or the Energy Efficiency Rating, provides an indication of the cooling capacity of the system that you’ve had installed. The higher the EER number, the better the system’s cooling capacity.
  • What are the different types of air conditioner refrigerant?
    If you have an air conditioning system that requires the old type of refrigerant, R-22, your system is still usable but only reclaimed or recycled R-22 can be used to service your air conditioner. R410-A is now the required standard for newer systems and has less environmental impact relative to the older refrigerant. Eventually, you will need to replace your air conditioner with one that uses R410-A, or have it modified so that it can use R410-A. The type of refrigerant your AC uses is only one of many reasons to consider upgrading, and if your existing unit is outdated, now might be a good time to look into having it replaced to boost energy efficiency, lessen environmental impact, and make sure you are operating a safe system. Not only will an upgraded cooling system make it easier to have your unit serviced, but it’ll also save you money on your annual cooling costs. Loren's Heating & Air in Salem, OR, offers the highest quality air conditioner replacement services.
  • How is furnace efficiency measured?
    Furnace energy efficiency is calculated with the AFUE, or the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating. The AFUE is a rating that compares how much heat a furnace will produce relative to the amount of energy necessary to produce the heat. If a furnace is rated at 85 percent AFUE, it means 15 percent of the energy used is lost and 85 percent actually becomes heat for your home or business.
  • What is indoor air quality and why is it important?
    Indoor air quality, or IAQ, is a measurement of the amount of airborne particles and pollutants inside your home or building. Because properties are being constructed to be more energy efficient, they are also becoming more airtight, meaning that fresh air often does not have a way to enter and circulate. This is one of the reasons why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air, leading to a host of allergy and respiratory issues. Fortunately, IAQ products such as air filters, air purifiers, and humidifiers work in conjunction with your central AC and heating unit to decrease the prevalence of dust, dander, bacteria, viruses, mold spores, and other potentially harmful particles in your indoor air. Our team can work with you to find the right solution to fit your needs.
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Why Your Neighbors Choose Us

  • Nearly 50 Years of Industry Experience
  • 24/7 Emergency Services Available
  • Financing & Free Estimates Offered
  • Efficient and Dependable Service