FAQs About Heating & Air Conditioning in Kent, WA

What’s more important is getting the right sized air conditioner or furnace and hiring the right contractor. The goal should be to get the properly sized equipment. Hiring a qualified contractor will help you with this.

Choosing the right contractor is probably the most important decision you have to make. You want to find a knowledgeable and experienced HVAC contractor since they will be making recommendations that affect your comfort and safety. To start with, make sure that the contractor is licensed, insured, and has a physical address. Ensure that you can contact their office and that it’s not just someone with a cell number. Next, make sure their training and credentials are up to date. As HVAC equipment increases in efficiency and features, it gets more complex and requires better technicians.

This is where choosing the right contractor makes all the difference. A qualified contractor will consider three main areas: the size of the area you have to heat and cool, the amount of heating and cooling required for your climate, and the condition of the “envelope” or part of your home or building that interfaces with the outside air. Within each of these categories, many factors affect the load and equipment size. Know that we will factor in all the above and recommend a piece of equipment that will serve you well for years to come.

Air Conditioning FAQs

The general rule of thumb is to schedule an HVAC maintenance and tune-up for the beginning of each heating and cooling season. That means you should schedule service for your air conditioner at the end of winter or the beginning of spring to prevent the need for costly air conditioning repair. While you’re at it, you should also make an appointment for your heat pump or furnace at the end of summer or the beginning of fall.

To save money on your electric bill when it’s hot outside, we suggest keeping your thermostat set no lower than 72 degrees with the fan set on auto (as opposed to “on”) during the summer.

Furnace System FAQs

Absolutely. Furnace cleaning is an important part of furnace maintenance. Not only does it improve both the performance and energy efficiency of your system, but most manufacturers require an annual service to remain covered by your warranty.

It is essential to take care of your furnace or heat pump via regularly scheduled maintenance. Depending on your situation, we may recommend maintenance once or twice a year. During this appointment, we thoroughly examine your system to make sure it’s operating properly.

Absolutely! A programmable thermostat helps make it easy to save by offering pre-programmed settings to regulate your home’s temperature in both summer and winter. Your programmable thermostat will do that whether you are home or not. Ask one of our team members to help you choose the right programmable thermostat. We’ll make sure it is installed properly and show you how to use it.

A heat pump transfers heat energy directly from one place to another. When it’s cold outside, your heat pump removes heat energy from the air outside and relocates it to the air inside your house. When it is hot outside, you switch it to cooling mode, and it does the same thing in reverse, pulling heat energy out of the air inside your home and depositing it outdoors.

Taking care of your home heating and cooling system is the single most important thing you can do. Properly maintaining your furnace includes regularly changing your air filters and having a yearly tune-up. This is essential to your furnace or heat pump’s performance and extends the life of your equipment.

A heat pump is energy-efficient because it doesn’t need fuel to produce heat. Additionally, they can heat and cool your home, which means less equipment to maintain and repair.

It’s important to have some understanding of ratings. The most common ratings are SEER, AFUE, and HSPF/COP. For central air conditioners, efficiency is rated in SEER. The heating industry uses a rating called AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) to measure the efficiency of converting gas into energy for heating. Heat pump efficiency can be expressed using HSPF and/or COP ratings. We’ll discuss the ratings with you and help you determine the relationship between higher upfront costs and long-term saving through lower utility bills.

ENERGY STAR® is an EPA voluntary program that helps individuals and businesses save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. Many ENERGY STAR products qualify for rebates and incentives through utility companies.

Yes! First, it is very important to regularly change the air filter on your heat pump or furnace. This one thing will help your equipment run at peak performance. Second, make sure you schedule a safety and performance checkup at least once a year.

This depends a lot on the home’s environment. For example, a home with many pets or someone with allergies will want to change their air filter more frequently than others. A good rule of thumb for average use is to change or clean your filter every three months, but that can increase to once a month for people with allergies and/or pets.

There are many things you can do to help your furnace or heat pump perform better. First, make sure that you change the filter in your heating and cooling unit regularly. Some homeowners do this monthly. Then, make sure to have your heat pump, furnace, or air conditioner serviced regularly. Further, the addition of a programmable thermostat will not only allow you to determine your comfort level but is also a big contributor to taking control of your heating costs.