Expert HVAC & Plumbing Services in Beaufort, SC
Living in the historic coastal city of Beaufort, SC, means enjoying beautiful waterfront views and stunning antebellum architecture, but it also requires managing heavy Lowcountry humidity, corrosive salt air, and intense summer heat. At Howell-Chase Heating and Air Conditioning, we understand the specific toll this coastal environment takes on your home’s mechanical infrastructure. With over 30 years of experience serving the Lowcountry, our NATE-certified technicians and licensed plumbers are fully equipped to keep your home comfortable, safe, and efficient year-round.
Whether you are managing an aging HVAC unit struggling against the thick summer moisture or dealing with sudden plumbing leaks that threaten your property's historic integrity, we bypass temporary fixes in favor of long-term, high-quality solutions. From routine cooling tune-ups to 24/7 emergency interventions, our team is ready to protect your coastal investment. Learn more about our comprehensive heating and cooling capabilities.
Defending Your Coastal Home Against the Heat
The suffocating summer moisture in Beaufort demands an air conditioning system that operates at absolute peak efficiency. When your condenser is choked by salt-air corrosion or your ductwork is quietly leaking cooled air into your attic, your home’s mechanical backbone goes into relentless overdrive. This chronic stress rapidly degrades your equipment and causes your monthly electricity bills to spike. We specialize in proactive system care to halt this financial waste. By fine-tuning your compressors and ensuring optimal airflow, we help you maintain a crisp, cool indoor sanctuary. To keep your system running efficiently season after season, explore our air conditioning maintenance options. If you suspect your system is already struggling, it might be losing Freon—read up on the warning signs of low refrigerant so you know exactly what to look for.
Elite Plumbing and Leak Mitigation
A truly resilient home in Beaufort relies on much more than reliable air conditioning; it requires a tightly sealed, high-capacity plumbing network. Historic homes in the area often hide aging, brittle pipes that are highly susceptible to silent pinhole leaks, while coastal ground settling can strain main sewer lines. The resulting water damage can be absolutely catastrophic to your property’s foundation and drywall. Our dedicated team of fully licensed plumbers is equipped to manage the most complex water delivery and drainage challenges imaginable. We provide rapid interventions to secure your infrastructure before a minor drip turns into a flooded home. For fast assistance, visit our plumbing repair services, or if your historic home needs a complete water line overhaul, learn about our specialized repiping installations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our FAQs
The SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is how the efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment is measured. The SEER is the amount of cooling your system will deliver per dollar spent on electricity, as compared to other systems. For example, a 3-ton unit may have a SEER efficiency rating of 13, 14, or 15. The higher the SEER the more efficient the system will be. The SEER rating of any given unit can range anywhere from 13 to 21.
Each split system cooling unit has a nominal SEER rating. This rating can be increased with the upgrade of the same series indoor unit. The SEER rating of a system is based on the combination of equipment installed in the home. The outdoor equipment (heat pump or air conditioner), as well as the indoor equipment (evaporator coil and furnace, or air handler), play a vital role in the total rating.
Your heating and cooling systems work incredibly hard to perform their functions for your home every day. The constant stopping, starting and continual operation can wear down any machine if the proper care and maintenance is delayed. However, by performing regular maintenance, you can maximize the lifecycle of your heating or cooling unit and guard against many common equipment failures. Preventive maintenance inspections performed on a regular basis can uncover leaks, rust, rot, soot, frayed wires and corroded electrical contacts. You should have maintenance completed on your system regularly to ensure maximum efficiency and prevent possible problems that may occur in the near future.
Heat pumps and air conditioners require a professional tune-up twice a year; in the spring and fall. Inspections on boiler and furnace systems should include ductwork, pipes, dampers, valves, the chimney, registers, radiators, pumps, blowers, fuel lines, oil tank and every part of the actual furnace and boiler. Meanwhile, heat pump and air conditioning unit inspections should also include inspections of the fan, compressor, indoor coils, outdoor coils, and refrigerant lines.
As your local Trane dealer, we are your troubleshooting expert, and are glad to help you. In addition, Trane also provides a network of troubleshooting technicians at Trane Distribution centers across the country which we will utilize to address your concern. Should we encounter a situation that requires additional factory help, we will contact our factory supported Service Manager(s) for assistance.
Standard filters work to keep your system and its ductwork clean, but they don’t really improve indoor air quality. To do that you need a media air cleaner. The media filter rests between the main return duct and the blower cabinet and will improve dust and particle removal up to seven times that of a standard filter. However, upgrading to a pleated media filter will remove everything from dust to airborne viruses from the filtered air. Always choose a filter that matches your blower’s capacity. For optimal efficiency and filtration, we recommend that you replace your disposable filters at least once a month. If you have washable filters, they should be cleaned once a month.
Filters for your Trane unit are made from higher-quality materials than those of the disposable filters found in retail stores. For that reason, replacement Trane filters can only be purchased through a Trane dealer. However, keep in mind that some Trane filters are reusable, and can be washed by hand in cold water.
There are many factors that affect the sizing and specifications of your system, including square footage, insulation, window surface and configuration, geographic location of your home, duct sizing and arrangement, and many others. We can perform an in-home load analysis to determine which equipment combinations will perfectly suit your home and your family’s needs. Depending upon the construction of your home, one (1) ton of air conditioning can cool anywhere from 300 to 800 square feet of home. The only way to ensure the size of the system you purchase will be large enough to heat or cool your home, but not any larger than you need, is to have your home’s individual heating and cooling needs evaluated by a licensed professional.
Dependable Trane products are among the longest lasting heating and cooling products available. For your specific equipment, there are many variables that affect life expectancy, including, of course, the regularity of routine maintenance.
As a Trane dealer, we are the best resource for identifying and supplying the correct, current parts for your system, as well as pricing and availability.
Under the standard factory warranty, Trane covers parts that fail during the warranty period due to defect in the part. The warranty does not cover labor. A warranty certificate was included with your homeowner information packet and is specific to the model numbers, serial numbers and installation dates of your products. All Trane equipment that we install is registered with Trane Corporation to ensure your 10-year parts warranty. If you cannot find your warranty certificate, we will also be able to provide you with that information. With a Total Comfort Plan, you’ll have a ten-year parts and labor warranty on your Trane equipment.
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Why Choose Us?
Howell-Chase Heating Air Conditioning, provides expert heating, cooling, plumbing, and emergency HVAC repair for homes and businesses across South Carolina—available 24/7 with trusted service and top-quality solutions.
- Locally Owned & Operated
- Certified Trane Specialists
- One-Year Labor Warranty
- Same-Day Emergency Service
- Energy-Savings Options
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee