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Certified Comfort Institute Contractor

Comfort Institute, Inc. (CI) is an international indoor comfort research, training and consumer protection organization based in Bellingham, Washington with trainers and offices located throughout the United States and Canada.

Comfort Institute's Consumer Protection Division provides homeowners with valuable consumer information and tips that cover many aspects of home comfort including ways to reduce or completely eliminate common problems such as:

• hot and cold spots
• excessive dust
• allergy and asthma suffering
• dry or damp indoor air
• unhealthy indoor air
• noisy or unreliable heating/cooling equipment
• excessive utility bills

Government and utility research has proven that most new "high efficiency" heating and cooling systems don't deliver anywhere near the comfort and low utility bills they are capable of. Comfort Institute is dedicated to informing North American homeowners about why this happens and how to avoid it. Refer to our Free Special Reports section.

Comfort Institute also provides training and support to a network of independent comfort contractors across North America. These programs help member contractors solve problems like those listed above for their homeowner customers. They also help contractors provide the highest possible quality of heating and cooling service and installations, at competitive prices.

Important Studies

North Carolina Alternative Energy Corp.
This non-profit organization examined air conditioning manufacturers' efficiencies versus the actual efficiencies that resulted after installation.

• 90% of the units tested exhibited some sort of energy-wasting problem<
• 50% had an improper refrigerant charge
• 40% failed to meet minimum airflow criterion. 20% were barely inside the range specified by manufacturers.
• A deficiency of only 20% in indoor airflow reduces the efficiency rating by 17%.
• A 15% return air leak from a 120° attic could reduce efficiency by 50%!

Texas A&M University
A 23% refrigerant undercharge could result in a 52% efficiency loss.    

Florida Solar Energy Center
Researchers found that by repairing leaking ductwork, cooling energy was reduced by an average of 17.4%.  

Honeywell
A typical heat pump would lose almost 50% of its efficiency after 20 years, even if a typical "dust stop" filter had been installed.  Also in 20 years, a unit's efficiency could degrade  by 50% if it is not properly maintained. This would double the energy cost!

Louisiana State University & Gulf States Utility
Consumers could save about $30 per month just by making sure that their air conditioning system is cleaned and serviced regularly.

• LSU determined that without proper air filtration, over time, air flow can be reduced by over 30%
• Capacity can be reduced by over 12%.

Whole House Comfort Checkup

A Whole House Comfort Checkup Is A Thorough Evaluation Of All Your Home's Comfort Systems. As a Comfort Institute member contractor, Convenient Heating & Cooling offer a Whole House Comfort Checkup service as described below. Contact Convenient Heating & Cooling today for yours!

• Buying A New Comfort System? As recommended by DOE and EPA, before buying a new indoor comfort system, you should ask your heating and cooling contractor for diagnostic testing and computerized equipment sizing calculations.


• Do You Have Hot or Cold Spots? A Whole House Comfort Checkup will get to the bottom of why, and what you can do about it.


• Is Your Indoor Air Too Dry or Too Humid? Improper humidity control can cause static shocks, dry skin and bloody noses in the winter and mold, mildew and structural damage in the summer. A Whole House Comfort Checkup will identify ways to help you control the humidity in your home.


• Do Family Members Suffer From Allergies or Asthma? Your home may be contributing to your suffering. A Whole House Comfort Checkup will help identify ways to make your home healthier and safer.


• Are Your Utility Bills Too High? According to the Department of Energy, the typical home wastes 25% to 40% of the energy put out by the central furnace, heat pump or air conditioner. Are you throwing away 25¢ to 40¢ out of every utility dollar? Find out if you are and how to stop it!

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