Your questions answered: HVAC FAQs

No matter what your HVAC questions are, the pros at Precision Mechanical in Rapid City have answers. Whether you have questions about picking new HVAC equipment to best practices on care and maintenance, we can assist. Our online FAQs answers provide a quick response for your convenience, but if you want to know more on any topic, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 605-206-3766.
Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for normal tune-ups, such as oil changes or checking out possible concerns, your home comfort system should be subject to the same kind of attention. Regular maintenance by a trained technician provides a variety of 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 Precision Mechanical at 605-206-3766 to obtain 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 work longer and more efficiently. Two-stage heating also runs more quietly than traditional furnaces and can give you more even heat distribution and fewer temperature swings.
Precision Mechanical offers several different brands and models that incorporate advanced technology to cool and warm your home more efficiently. Technology in the newer HVAC systems offers more precision when it comes to meeting your home comfort needs. If you want more information, please contact our experts at 605-206-3766.

Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a number of differences. Furnaces today are developed 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 work 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 boosted 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 Precision Mechanical for the efficiency standards for Rapid City.

There are several ways to reduce your energy costs and one of the best ways is to make sure you have an energy-efficient HVAC system. Precision Mechanical has many highly efficient products that will help reduce the amount of energy you are using and save you money. In addition to shopping 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 ongoing maintenance and have an experienced contractor take a look at your system to make sure its running efficiently.
  • If you have specific areas of your home that you need to heat or cool, you could 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 simpler 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 reduce energy costs and once you set it, you can walk away and be confident its going to take care of your indoor comfort.
Precision Mechanical has been assisting the Rapid City community for many years and has been providing 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 reach your ideal home comfort.

There are four things to consider when increasing your indoor air quality:

  • The indoor air quality in your space starts to suffer when the air begins filling up with air pollutants. The biggest concern is eliminating these pollutants. Some to-dos to add to your weekly checklist is vacuuming, washing your linens and making sure any cleaning products are stored properly.
  • Especially in newer homes, the insulation is installed so well that it might be challenging 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 arrange 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 manage humidity levels as well as the temperature. This can help prevent germs and other particles from collecting while sustaining your home comfort.
No two homes are alike, which is why we recommend that you contact our pros at Precision Mechanical to find out which solution will be best for your space. Our team will conduct an evaluation of your current system and determine what your ideal home comfort looks like. That will help us decide 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 move 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 transfers as much hot air outside as is necessary to reach the temperature you have set on your thermostat.
Minimum energy efficiency standards vary by region. 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 Precision Mechanical can help you figure out the minimum requirements for Rapid City, let you know if your current equipment 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 Precision Mechanical come out to perform load calculation tests. The tests take factors 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 in the colder months, but many include defrost controls so they can work efficiently regardless of the weather conditions.
When an air conditioner 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 one for harsher weather that demands the system work harder. Two-stage cooling also enables more even temperatures so you don't experience extreme differences in temperature. Aside from better efficiency, other benefits of two-stage cooling include quieter operation and better 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 fix as a homeowner, but the others need to be done by a professional like those at Precision Mechanical. Contact them at 605-206-3766 with any further questions you may have.
Precision Mechanical carries a number of great thermostat options for your HVAC systems. The best thermostat for you will depend on a couple 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 Precision Mechanical 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 can tackle 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 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 Precision Mechanical, we do recommend replacing both your indoor and outdoor units at the same time because:
  • Outdoor systems are now built to work with their matching indoor system for the highest efficiency possible. When you replace one system but not the other, you may not see the same energy savings 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 greater heating and cooling efficiency, they also include benefits such as better air handling, filtering and noise reduction.
  • If your heating and cooling systems are 10+ years old, they need to be replaced. Older models have outdated technology that is likely contributing to higher energy bills 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 decrease 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 check 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.
Precision Mechanical 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 improve the efficiency of your homes furnace and/or air conditioner. Take a look at our thermostats or give us a call at 605-206-3766 for more information.

A large portion of your monthly energy bills can be attributed to your heating and cooling system. It makes sense, because our home comfort is a vital aspect of our day-to-day lives. Fortunately, there are high-efficiency solutions from Precision Mechanical 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 think about these tips:

  • Keep your system operating to its best ability by scheduling routine maintenance. It helps sustain efficiency and make sure everything is operating properly.
  • Consider a zoning system if you only have specific rooms that need to be heated or cooled. There is no need to waste energy altering the temperature in a room that is never, or rarely used.
  • The U.S. Department of Energy indicates 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 number of features-so you can find an option that you are comfortable with.
A zoning system enables you to parcel your house and heat or cool each part differently. While these systems function well for houses that have parts that are seldom used, they could also be great in situations where you and your family cant agree on the temperature in certain areas of your residence. There are a number of additional pluses of zoning systems, like efficiency and comfort. Browse our selection of zoning systems or give Precision Mechanical a shout to see how a zoning system could fit in your home.