At Tilson Homes, we are committed to long-lasting HVAC systems that match our energy efficiency goals. That's why we work with experienced partners and quality suppliers to design a plan sure to keep your family comfortable in any season.

A Right-Sized HVAC System

At Tilson Homes, we spend a lot of time, effort, and energy with our HVAC partners designing the right-sized air conditioning system for our homes. We use Manual J software to calculate the cubic footage of your home using its square footage and ceiling heights. We also consider factors like the number and size of the windows in your home, the zip code where you're building, and what direction the house will face. All of this information is used to calculate the proper tonnage for the home. There is such a thing as putting too much tonnage on a house. The air conditioning system is designed to condition the air by extracting the moisture out of the air. Your cold air is a byproduct of the dehumidification process. If your air conditioning system is too large for your home, it will reach the desired temperature and shut off before it has cycled through all the air in your home.

Dehumidifier in Spray Foam Houses

In a spray foam insulated home, we will also include a dehumidifier. Spray foam houses are sealed so tight that humidity can build up in the home. Your dehumidifier runs every hour or so to remove moisture from the home.

Matched HVAC Systems

The air handler and the outside condensing unit make up a matched Lennox® system. Tilson Homes chooses to install matched systems because it increases the length of the manufacturer's warranty. Many builders don't do this since it is not required by code.

Drain Pans and Float Switch

Both the air handler and the dehumidifier have a drain pan. We also install a float switch on the drainage pan, even though it is not required. The float switch is essential if the drain line on your air handler starts to fill up for any reason once the AC system is producing water. If the drain pan fills, the float switch will send a signal to the thermostat to turn off the unit. Turning the unit off prevents the drainage pan from overflowing with water, flooding your home, and causing a nasty ceiling problem.

Single Media Filter

We improve air quality in your home with the 4-inch thick media filters that we install on all Tilson Homes. These are easy to pick up at any local hardware store. It is one filter for the entire house, so you don't have the separate 1-inch filters in all the different return airs. You'll replace these once every six months. It helps filter out additional particulates or anything that might be floating around in the air.

Air Returns in Every Room

We work to eliminate hot zones and cold zones in our customers' homes. Since we're building your home really tight, we put a return air in every room with a door on it. This ensures the air being returned to the air handler is reading an accurate temperature throughout the home and not just from one or two spots in the home.

Duct Blaster and Blower Door Tests

To ensure your home is built to the most rigorous energy standards, every Tilson home is inspected by a third party performing a duct blaster and blower door test.

Programmable Thermostat

We include Wi-Fi enabled, programmable thermostats able to sync to your phone. The thermostat controls the air quality of your home in addition to the HVAC system. It controls the dehumidifier if your home has one, as well as the fresh air intake of the home. Plus, you can program them for when you're going to be away or at home. The phone app allows you to control the system from anywhere.

At Tilson Homes, we are committed to long-lasting HVAC systems that match our energy efficiency goals. That's why we work with experienced partners and quality suppliers to design an approach sure to keep your family comfortable in any season. To find out more about Tilson Home's energy-efficient building design and products, browse the resources below.