Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for regular tune-ups, such as oil changes or inspecting possible concerns, your home comfort system should be subject to the same kind of attention. Regular maintenance by a trained 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 recommend contacting Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling at 515-207-6569 to get a quote.
With two-stage heating, furnaces may work on two different levels: high and low. Since you can heat your home on the low setting a majority of the time, a two-stage furnace can run 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.
Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling offers a selection of different brands and models that include advanced technology to assist with heating and cooling your home more efficiently. Technology in the newer HVAC systems provides more precision when it comes to supporting your home comfort needs. If you want more information, please call our experts at 515-207-6569.
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 designed to work with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers provide 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 reduce noise associated with operating your equipment and easily meet your family's airflow needs.
The Department of Energy recently raised the minimum efficiency levels for air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units made after Jan. 1, 2015, since heating and cooling contributes significantly to a homes total energy usage. The requirements vary by region, so call Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling for the efficiency standards for Des Moines.
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. Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling has many highly efficient products that will help lower the amount of energy you are using and save you money. In addition to searching 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 book routine maintenance and have an experienced technician take a look at your system to confirm its running efficiently.
- If you have specific 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 gets rid of wasted energy on heating or cooling areas that aren't used.
- Programmable or smart thermostats make it a breeze to maintain your home comfort while not wasting energy to heat or cool your space if you aren't home. It is an easy way to decrease energy costs and once you set it, you can walk away and understand its going to take care of your indoor comfort.
Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling has been serving the Des Moines community for many years and has been delivering trustworthy and dependable service. Our service and the products we carry are of the highest quality and you can be confident in the results. Our well-trained team is here to help you get your ideal home comfort.
There are four things to assess when improving your indoor air quality:
- The indoor air quality in your home starts to suffer when the air begins filling up with air pollutants. The biggest concern is removing these pollutants. Some to-dos to add to your weekly checklist is vacuuming, washing your linens and confirming 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 valuable to get some fresh air inside.
- Make sure that you have good ventilation and schedule routine maintenance on your system. And while that's helpful, 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 assist in controlling humidity levels as well as the temperature. This can help avert germs and other particles from collecting while preserving your home comfort.
Each house brings a unique situation, which is why we advise that you contact our team at Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling to find out which solution will be best for your space. Our experts will conduct an assessment of your current system and discuss what your ideal home comfort looks like. That will help us select which products will be most effective.
You might be surprised to know that air conditioners don't technically make your home cooler; they actually remove the hot air and direct it outside. This hot air blows across a refrigerant coil on the indoor unit and then is sent to the outdoor unit where it is released. Your air conditioner moves 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 equipment manufactured prior to that date. The team at Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling can help you find out the minimum requirements for Des Moines, let you know if your current products meets those requirements or help you find a replacement air conditioner that does.
Your systems service panel will have 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 differ for each home, the best way to determine the right size equipment for your home is to have a technician from Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling 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 limit your systems ability to function effectively. Its normal for heat pumps to have frost or ice on them during 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 most effectively 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 almost unnoticeable 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 improved humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a variety of reasons why it could be doing so. The most typical 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 fixed by a professional like those at Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling. Contact them at 515-207-6569 with any further questions you may have.
Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling offers a number of great thermostat options for your HVAC systems. The best thermostat for you will depend on a variety of 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 searching for something that can fit with a home automation system call Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling to hear about which thermostats you can choose from. Our team will help you find one thats best for 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 year-round. During the warmer months, heat pumps act like an air conditioner, capturing the hot air from inside your home and transferring 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 used.
At Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling, 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 most efficiency. When you replace one system but not the other, you may not see the same savings on your energy bills as if you had replaced them together.
- Thanks to technological advancements, newer systems mean improved efficiency. This is true for HVAC 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 more than 10 years old, they need to be replaced. Older models have outdated technology that is likely costing you money 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 reduce your energy bills and keep your home more comfortable.
Your home energy system may have a communication module that sends 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 by itself in most areas; however, if you live in a dusty area, you may 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 damage the product.
Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling can help you find the right thermostat for you based on your home and current heating and cooling equipment. We have a variety of programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats, which can help increase the efficiency of your homes furnace and/or air conditioner. View our thermostats or give us a call at 515-207-6569 for more information.
A significant portion of your monthly energy 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 Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling that can keep you comfortable while also decreasing energy costs. When it's time for you to look 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 review these tips:
- Keep your system operating to its best ability by scheduling routine maintenance. It helps uphold efficiency and make sure everything is operating properly.
- Consider a zoning system if you only have certain rooms that need to be heated or cooled. There is no need to consume energy altering 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 type of features-so you can find an answer that you are comfortable with.
A zoning system lets you parcel your residence and heat or cool each part differently. While these systems operate well for homes that have parts that are seldom visited, they could also be great in situations where you and your family disagree on the temperature in different parts of your house. There are a collection of additional bonuses of zoning systems, like efficiency and comfort. Browse our selection of zoning systems or give Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling a shout to see how a zoning system could benefit your home.