No matter what your HVAC questions are, the experts at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating in Pella have answers. Whether you have questions about selecting new HVAC equipment to best practices on care and maintenance, we can help. Our online FAQs answers offer a fast response for your convenience, but if you want to know more on any topic, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 641-628-3621.

Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for regular tune-ups, such as oil changes or looking at probable problems, your home comfort system should receive the same kind of attention. Scheduled maintenance by a skilled technician provides various benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems perform efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost can range depending on the equipment size and different features, so we suggest contacting Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating at 641-628-3621 to get a quote.
Two-stage heating permits the furnace to heat at two levels of output: high for cold winter days and low for mild ones. Approximately 80 percent of the time, your homes heating requirements can be met when the furnace is kept on the low setting, permitting your two-stage unit to work for longer periods of time. Two-stage units also provide more even heat distribution, fewer temperature swings, quiet operation, better air filtration and energy efficiency.
Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating has a selection of brands and models that are more efficient than ever and make it easier to find the right fit for your home. There are innovative systems that make heating or cooling your home more automatic, running similar to cruise control to make minor adjustments to help meet your comfort demands with energy efficiency. Give us a call at 641-628-3621 to learn more about the technology we provide.
Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a variety of differences. Furnaces today are designed to provide 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 created to operate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers offer your heating system an extra bump 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 increased 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.
Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating carries a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help reduce the amount of energy they require to work. Aside from selecting products that have received Energy Star® certification or achieved high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, you should consider the following:

  • Making certain that your system receives regular maintenance by a trained technician can keep your system operating at its top performance.
  • Zoning systems enable you to heat or cool only targeted areas of your home, so you wont have to pay to heat or cool spaces that you don’t typically utilize.
  • Installing a programmable thermostat allows you to set the temperature in your home around your schedule. They can be programmed to give you the comfort you want when you’re home and increase or decrease the temperature while you’re not around, helping you save on utility costs.
Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating is well-known in the Pella area and you can depend on them to provide quality home comfort products. We offer a variety of innovative and high-quality products. We are dedicated to offering customers high-quality service and will make sure you find the right solution for your home.
Improving your home’s indoor air quality starts with four basic strategies:

    • Poor indoor air quality leaves your home filled with air pollutants floating around. So, to increase IAQ, the first step is to get rid of as many pollutants as possible. You can easily do this by cleaning and vacuuming at least weekly, frequently washing linens and storing cleaning products safely.
    • Proper insulation is ideal for keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but it also makes it challenging for airborne pollutants to escape. We have products that help swap stale air for fresh, filtered outside air.
    • Good ventilation and regular cleaning are a start, but air filters, germicidal lights and purification systems take your IAQ to the next level by capturing microscopic particles, killing germs and getting rid of particles while destroying chemical vapors.
    • Programmable thermostats will help control the humidity levels and temperature to help stop particles and germs from building up while also keeping your home comfortable.

We advise that you meet with one of the experts at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating and have them assess your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you choose which equipment will be best suited to meet your needs.

Lots of homeowners believe that air conditioners make your home cooler, but it actually removes the heat from your house, directing the hot air outside. That hot air moves across a cold indoor coil where refrigerant in the lines sends the heat to the coil in your outdoor unit, releasing it outside. This procedure continues until the indoor temperature reaches the temp that was set on your thermostat.
Due to the high amount of energy used by heating and cooling systems, the Department of Energy (DOE) raised the minimum efficiency levels for air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units manufactured after January 1, 2015. These levels are determined based on region and carry varying requirements based on your location. Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating can answer any questions you may have regarding these minimum requirements and let you know what choices are available when you’re searching for a replacement system.
These numbers can be found on a nameplate or sticker that is near your systems service panel. The sticker is white with black letters and have both of these numbers located around the top of the sticker. M/N denotes model number while S/N is your serial number.
There are a few ways to determine what size system will best suit your home, but the most reliable way to choose a system is by having your local Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating technician come out and perform a load calculation. This calculation considers your homes: square footage, insulation value, amount of insulation, and a variety of other factors.
The short answer is Yes. Dirt and other debris can hinder your systems ability to work efficiently. For heat pumps, it is common to have frost or ice on them during the winter, but they also include defrost controls to ensure they work efficiently in those kinds of weather.
Two-stage cooling means that your cooling unit has two levels of operation. When summer is its hottest, the high setting kicks in, and when its cooler or more mild, the low setting gets the job done. Usually, the lower setting is able to take care of your cooling needs, but even when the high setting is in use, you may not realize it because it can produce such even temperatures for your comfort. This can also mean a quieter cooling system, greater efficiency 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 fix as a homeowner, but the others need to be completed by a professional like those at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating. Contact them at 641-628-3621 with any further questions you may have.
Picking the best thermostat for your cooling system comes with a lot to think about. Thats why its nice to have such a great variety of choices from Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating. Whether you’re searching for a programmable or non-programmable thermostat or want to join the smart home trend, there are a variety of thermostats that you have to select from. Some thermostats will depend on what type of heating and cooling system you have, but the team at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating will be able to help determine what options fit your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a little confusing due to their name, but they actually take care of both your heating and cooling needs year-round. When its hot outside it runs like an air conditioner in that it removes heat from your home, but when it cools off, the process gets switched around and it collects heat from outside and brings it inside. Heat pumps are also very efficient, and may produce up to two or three times more heat than the energy it uses.

Of course we think you should also replace your indoor system, but this is why:

      • All outdoor cooling systems have a matching indoor unit that they are designed to work with to ensure efficient performance. When they aren’t paired with the other unit as a complete system, efficiency may suffer.
      • As with many products, advancements have brought about newer, more efficient ways of doing things. Heating and cooling systems are no different. These developments most importantly include greater heating and cooling efficiency, but also include improved air handling, filtering and noise pollution reduction to name a few.
      • Heating and cooling systems that are more than 10-15 years old usually need to be replaced. Not only do they feature outdated technology, but they are also less efficient than newer models. Getting a new indoor unit at the same time means you’ll have a matched system to provide you with improved comfort and efficiency for years to come.
The communication module on your home energy system might send the system’s performance records for each module to a website. You should visit this website to learn more about the system’s status, energy production and environmental benefits. The site also shows carbon offsets as it happens.
In most areas, rain will clean the solar modules off automatically. If you are located in a dusty or industrial area, periodically spraying the modules with water could help improve performance. However, detergents and high-pressure hoses should never be used to wash solar modules.
The best thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating offers programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help improve the efficiency of your HVAC systems. View our available products or contact us at 641-628-3621 to learn more.
Heating and cooling can make up a significant amount of your utility bill. The innovative and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products available from Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating can help reduce these costs. If you’re looking for a new heating or cooling system, look for products with high SEER ratings for air conditioners and AFUE ratings for furnaces. SEER and AFUE are a measure of system efficiency, and the greater the number, the more efficient the product. Besides purchasing a new home comfort system, think about these additional factors:

      1. Is your system regularly maintained? Whether it’s a furnace or air conditioner, HVAC systems will run more efficiently after regular maintenance checks.
      2. Do you need a zoning system? If there are spaces in your home that are rarely used, a zoning system will allow you to heat or cool only the most used areas of your house.
      3. Are you taking advantage of a programmable or smart thermostat? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, programmable thermostats may lower your heating costs by up to 35 percent, and your cooling costs by up to 25 percent.

Zoning equipment gives you the opportunity to divide portions of your home and control the temperature differently in each area. Zoning tends to be ideal for when you have spaces of your residence that are rarely used or when you and your family are constantly in disagreement of how hot or cold it ought to be inside. Zoning systems are nearly silent and efficient, enabling you to have more control over the comfort of your family home. Discover more about the zoning equipment available from Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating.