Greater Efficiency for your HVAC System

Tyler Teague began his career as an “HVAC guy,” but knew there had to be a better way to service air-conditioning units. Teague knew that one of the biggest problems with HVAC units, whether in a commercial or residential setting, was oil fouling. According to HPAC Engineering, oil fouling is “the
buildup of a film of contaminated oil (which has relatively poor thermal conductivity) on the heat-transfer surfaces of HVACR systems.” Teague checked out possible solutions and launched EcoPlus Home Energy in the Phoenix area. He offers consumers two great products: a synthetic lubricant that helps protect new and existing HVAC units, and a smart thermostat that can help you control the efficiency of your HVAC unit.

Why Oil Fouling is a Problem

Teague compares the oil fouling problem to plaque buildup in the human heart. When plaque builds inside the arteries, your heart must work harder. To help overcome the inefficiency, humans can take a medication, exercise, or have
surgery to clean out arteries. Oil fouling does to an HVAC unit what plaque does to the human body. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) concluded that over its lifetime, a cooling system can lose up to 30% of its efficiency due to oil fouling. In units more than 20 years old, that number can increase to 40%.

The EcoPlus lubricant reduces the oil buildup in your system. According to Teague, the one-time application of EcoPlus will reduce unit runtime, increase efficiency by up to 35%, and can even make your compressor less noisy. Teague
explains that the one-time treatment of EcoPlus can double the life expectancy of a new cooling system.

“The average AC unit is expected to last 12 years,” he says. “The average cost for a new unit is $7,800.”

That works out to about $650 each year just for the cost of the AC unit. Teague explains that by extending the life of your AC unit by even five years, that is a $3,250 benefit.

After the EcoPlus application, most AC units immediately blow air that is four to eight degrees cooler. Most homeowners notice a difference within 20 minutes.

“Instead of it taking 10 or 15 minutes to cool down to temperature,” Teague says, “it takes just three to five minutes. Our product helps your AC unit run less, which means the unit lasts longer and it costs you less.”

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Teague is pleased with the environmental benefits of EcoPlus. Not only is the treatment more cost-effective for homeowners, but it also helps reduce carbon emissions.

“For every treatment of EcoPlus, it reduces your carbon footprint by 1,695 pounds of CO2,” says Teague.

That is the equivalent of planting 48 trees. The best part about EcoPlus is that it’s not a one-time savings. It is an annual savings over the lifetime of your HVAC.

Building a Better Thermostat

There is no doubt that AC units work hard in Arizona. Most people take it for granted that you set the thermostat to a temperature, and the cold air blows into the room to cool it down. When the room reaches the chosen temperature, the AC unit shuts off. Teague now offers a new thermostat that helps you get the most efficiency out of your HVAC.

“This is ideal after our treatment,” Teague explains. “It does everything the popular smart thermostats on the market do and so much more.”

For example, you can take advantage of the extended blower feature. When an AC unit hits the designated temperature, it immediately shuts off the compressor. However, Teague realized that those cold coils offer a savings opportunity.

By continuing to blow air across the cold coils for one to three minutes after reaching the designated temperature, the homeowner receives “free air” without the compressor working. With thousands of AC unit cycles each year in
Arizona, it can be a significant savings.

There are other smart advantages to the EcoPlus thermostat. “It is the only thermostat that can monitor your system 24/7 against inefficiencies, anomalies, and breakdowns,” explains Teague.

The thermostat learns and measures efficiencies. It can send you alerts if the system goes down, if there’s a leak, if it needs a tune-up, or anything else that might show an inefficiency. “As long as the house stays cool, most people don’t realize the unit is not running efficiently.”

After installing the EcoPlus thermostat, customers download an app. This allows a service technician to control the thermostat without having to go inside the home.

Geolocation services let homeowners change the thermostat settings without needing to interact with the app.

“Your AC unit is the most expensive appliance you own,” says Teague. “It’s crazy not to have it run as efficiently as possible.”

Find more about EcoPlus online at www.ecoplusaz.com.

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Susan Lanier-Graham is a freelance writer and speaker based in AZ and
TX. Find out more at www.wanderwithwonder.com.