Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for regular tune-ups, such as oil changes or inspecting probable concerns, your home comfort system should get the same kind of attention. Routine maintenance by a skilled technician provides numerous benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems operate efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost varies depending on the equipment size and different features, so we advise contacting Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating at 641-628-3621 to receive a quote.
With two-stage heating, furnaces may operate on two different levels: high and low. Since you can heat your home on the low setting most of the time, a two-stage furnace can operate longer and more efficiently. Two-stage heating also operates more quietly than traditional furnaces and can give you more even heat distribution and fewer temperature swings.
Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating offers several different brands and models that include advanced technology to help heat and cool your home more efficiently. Technology in the newer HVAC systems offers more precision when it comes to supporting your home comfort needs. If you would like more information, please call our experts at 641-628-3621.
Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a host of differences. Furnaces today are created to offer more even and efficient heating than ever before. Modern furnaces also better regulate temperature and air flow, moving more air over the heat exchanger than older furnaces.
Additionally, new furnaces are crafted to integrate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers offer your heating system an extra lift so it can deliver cool air around your home efficiently. Special features like variable speed motors will also help lessen noise associated with operating your equipment and easily meet your family's airflow needs.
The Department of Energy recently boosted the minimum efficiency levels for air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units manufactured after Jan. 1, 2015, since heating and cooling contributes significantly to a homes total energy usage. The requirements vary by region, so call Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating for the efficiency standards for Pella.
There are several ways to decrease your energy costs and one of the best ways is to make sure you have an energy-efficient HVAC system. Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating offers many highly efficient products that will help reduce the amount of energy you are using and save you money. In addition to looking for products that have the Energy Star® certification, high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, here are some other factors to consider:
- Remember to schedule routine maintenance and have an experienced technician take a look at your system to confirm its running efficiently.
- If you have clear areas of your home that you need to heat or cool, you may want to consider a zoning system. This allows you to target that area and eliminates wasted energy on heating or cooling areas that aren't used.
- Programmable or smart thermostats make it easier to maintain your home comfort while not using energy to heat or cool your space if you aren't home. It is an easy way to reduce energy costs and once you set it, you can walk away and be confident its going to take care of your indoor comfort.
Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating has been supporting the Pella community for many years and has been offering trustworthy and dependable service. Our service and the products we carry are of the highest quality and you won't be disappointed in the results. Our well-trained team is here to help you achieve your ideal home comfort.
There are four things to review when increasing your indoor air quality:
- The indoor air quality in your house starts to suffer when the air begins filling up with air pollutants. The biggest concern is removing these pollutants. Some to-dos to include on your weekly checklist is vacuuming, washing your linens and ensuring any cleaning products are stored properly.
- Especially in newer homes, the insulation is installed so well that it might be difficult for these pollutants to leave the home. While it helps to keep your home warm or cool, depending on the season, its beneficial to get some fresh air inside.
- Make sure that you have good ventilation and arrange routine maintenance on your system. And while that's important, you can also take your IAQ even further by using air filters, germicidal lights and purification systems to get rid of particles while eliminating chemical vapors.
- Smart or programmable thermostats can manage humidity levels as well as the temperature. This can help prevent germs and other particles from collecting while maintaining your home comfort.
Every home is different,, which is why we suggest that you contact our experts at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating to find out which solution will be best for your space. Our experienced technicians will conduct an assessment of your current system and discuss what your ideal home comfort looks like. That will help us decide which products will be most effective.
You may be surprised to learn that air conditioners don't technically make your home cooler; they actually remove the hot air and direct it outside. This hot air is pushed across a refrigerant coil on the indoor unit and then is sent to the outdoor unit where it is released. Your air conditioner pushes as much hot air outside as is necessary to reach the temperature you have set on your thermostat.
Minimum energy efficiency standards can vary by geographic location. Additionally, air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units made after Jan. 1, 2015, have higher minimum efficiency levels than products manufactured prior to that date. The team at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating can help you find out the minimum requirements for Pella, let you know if your current products meets those requirements or help you find a replacement air conditioner that does.
Your systems service panel has a white label on it, with your systems model and serial numbers at the top. M/N is the model number and S/N is the serial number.
Since equipment size needs are different for every home, the best way to find out the proper size equipment for your home is to have a technician from Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating come out to perform load calculation tests. The tests take measurements such as square footage, insulation value and amount, and more into account to determine your homes individual HVAC equipment needs.
Yes debris can inhibit your systems ability to function effectively. Its common for heat pumps to have frost or ice on them in the winter, but many include defrost controls so they can work efficiently regardless of the weather conditions.
When a cooling system uses two-stage cooling, it means that there are two levels of operation. This lets the system work more efficiently since there is one level for milder weather and a second for harsher weather that demands the system work harder. Two-stage cooling also enables slight temperature changes so you don't experience extreme differences in temperature. Aside from better efficiency, other benefits of two-stage cooling include quieter operation and enhanced humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a number of reasons why it could be doing so. The most common reasons include: dirty filters, low refrigerant, a dirty evaporative coil and a faulty blower motor or relay.
A dirty filter is something you can take care of as a homeowner, but the others need to be done by a professional like those at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating. Contact them at 641-628-3621 with any other questions.
Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating offers a number of great thermostat options for your HVAC systems. The best thermostat for you will depend on variables such as whether you want one that's programmable or not. No matter what kind of thermostat you'd like or if you're looking for something that can fit with a home automation system call Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating to hear about which thermostats you can choose from. Our team will help you find one that fits with your system, your family's needs and your budget.
A heat pump takes care of both your homes heating and cooling needs, offering you one HVAC system that can be used in all four seasons. Throughout the warmer months, heat pumps act like an air conditioner, capturing the hot air from inside your home and moving it outside; in the cooler months, this process is reversed. Heat pumps can be very energy efficient and may produce two to three times more heat than the energy it uses.
At Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating, we do recommend replacing both your indoor and outdoor units at the same time because:
- Nowadays, outdoor systems are built to work with their matching indoor system for the highest efficiency possible. When you replace just one of your systems, you may not see the same savings on your energy bills as if you had replaced them together.
- Thanks to technological innovation, newer systems mean improved efficiency. This is true for heating and cooling products as well. While the advancements focus on higher heating and cooling efficiency, they also include benefits such as better air handling, filtering and noise reduction.
- If your heating and cooling systems are over 10 years old, they need to be replaced. Older models have outdated technology that is likely adding to your energy costs due to poor efficiency. So by replacing your indoor system at the same time as your outdoor equipment, both your systems will provide better energy efficiency that helps you lower your energy bills and keep your home more comfortable.
Your home energy system may have a communication module that delivers performance stats to an online site or portal. You can visit this to review your system's status, the amount of energy being produced and the positive influence you are having on the environment. You can also take a look at your owner's manual for recommendations on monitoring performance.
Rain will clean the modules naturally in most areas; however, if you live in a dusty area, you could see improved performance after periodically spraying the modules with water. Please note that high-pressure hoses and detergents should never be used to clean solar modules, as they can ruin the product.
Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating can help you find the right thermostat for you based on your home and current heating and cooling equipment. We offer a number of programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats, which can help enhance the efficiency of your homes furnace and/or air conditioner. View our thermostats or give us a call at 641-628-3621 for more information.
A big portion of your monthly utility bills can be attributed to your heating and cooling system. It makes sense, because our home comfort is a critical aspect of our day-to-day lives. Fortunately, there are high-efficiency solutions from Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating that can keep you comfortable while also decreasing energy costs. When it's time for you to search for a new HVAC system, there are a couple things to consider. You'll want to look for air conditioners with high SEER ratings and furnaces with high AFUE ratings. These ratings measure efficiency, so the greater the number the better off you'll be when it comes to saving on energy costs. You can also consider these tips:
- Keep your system operating to its best ability by booking routine maintenance. It helps sustain efficiency and make sure everything is working properly.
- Consider a zoning system if you only have specific rooms that need to be heated or cooled. There is no need to use energy regulating the temperature in a room that is never, or rarely used.
- The U.S. Department of Energy says that programmable thermostats can save up to 35 percent on heating costs and 25 percent on cooling costs. There are a lot of programmable and smart thermostat options that are easy to use and vary in the amount of features-so you can find an solution that you are comfortable with.
A zoning system enables you to parcel your house and heat or air condition each area differently. While these systems work well for buildings that have parts that are seldom occupied, they can also be helpful in situations where you and your family cant agree on the temperature in various parts of your residence. There are a number of additional bonuses of zoning systems, such as efficiency and comfort. View our selection of zoning systems or give Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating a ring to see how a zoning system could work for your home.