Heating and air conditioning in Delaware County, PA: older homes and what to check
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What sets Delaware County apart for heating and cooling?
Older houses heated mostly by gas. The Census Bureau estimates that 22.1 percent of the county's 229,715 housing units were first built in 1939 or earlier, the second-highest share of the five counties after Philadelphia, and only 3.5 percent have been built since 2010, the lowest share of the five. Gas is the main heating fuel in 62.6 percent of the county's 216,946 occupied homes.
| Main heating fuel | Delaware County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Gas | 62.6% | 56.4% |
| Electricity | 22.9% | 25.3% |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 13.2% | 14.0% |
| Other fuels | 0.9% | 3.8% |
Figures are from the Census Bureau's Delaware County profile. The county's own history page explains the age: it describes considerable residential building after the First World War in Upper Darby, Drexel Hill, Havertown and Springfield, continuing after the Second World War in places such as Westbrook Park and Marple Township.
What does an older house mean for HVAC work?
It may mean a boiler and radiators rather than a furnace and ducts. The Census counts fuel, not equipment, so it cannot tell you which you have, but it is the first thing a contractor needs to know, because it decides what replacement and cooling options make sense.
- If you have a boiler. ENERGY STAR's certified gas boilers are rated at least 90 percent AFUE, about 6 percent more efficient than the federal standard, using features such as electronic ignition in place of a standing pilot light. In a single-family house, Pennsylvania's Boiler Division says installation is exempt from its inspection as long as no business is run from the home, though the local construction code still applies.
- If you want air conditioning and have no ducts. ENERGY STAR names older homes with radiators or baseboard heat that have never had central air as one of the situations where ductless mini-split heat pumps are being used. Mini-splits can cool and heat individual rooms or the whole house.
- If you have ducts that were added later. ENERGY STAR advises asking the contractor to inspect the duct system, perform a leakage test and make the necessary repairs as part of a quality installation.
Why does gas heat put carbon monoxide on the list?
Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists worn or poorly adjusted furnaces and boilers, and flues that are blocked, disconnected or leaking, among the sources of it. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises having the heating system professionally inspected and serviced each year, and says the inspector should check chimneys and flues for blockages, corrosion and disconnections. When equipment in an older house is replaced, ask how the new unit will be vented. ENERGY STAR notes that certified boilers can use sealed combustion, which draws outside air to the burner.
Who issues permits in Delaware County?
Your own municipality. The county says it is divided into forty-nine municipalities, and under the state's construction code regulation each one's building code official issues the permit to install or replace heating and cooling equipment. Rules and fees can differ from one township or borough to the next. The regulation allows an emergency replacement to go ahead first if the permit application follows within 3 business days, which matters when a boiler fails in January.
Where can you take a complaint?
Delaware County has its own consumer affairs office. It offers voluntary mediation and takes complaints about home repair and remodeling, among other things, and it refers suspected criminal or fraudulent cases to the District Attorney or the state Attorney General. The Office of Consumer Affairs is in the Government Center Building, 201 West Front Street, Media, and its phone number is 610-891-4865.
With 30.4 percent of the county's occupied homes rented, many residents depend on a landlord to arrange heating repairs, so it is worth knowing where a dispute can go.
State registration, which most HVAC companies need, is covered in what Pennsylvania requires of HVAC contractors. National price ranges for boilers, furnaces and mini-splits are in the cost guide. Businesses serving the county are on the Delaware County HVAC contractors page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Chester County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Your County at a Glance: History, Delaware County
- Consumer Affairs/Weights & Measures, Delaware County
- Ductless Heating & Cooling, ENERGY STAR
- Boilers, ENERGY STAR
- Boilers and Unfired Pressure Vessels, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
- Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- 34 Pa. Code § 403.62. Permit requirements and exemptions., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)
- Carbon Monoxide's Impact on Indoor Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- HVAC Quality Installation, ENERGY STAR