No matter what your HVAC questions are, the techs at Precision Mechanical in Rapid City have answers. Whether you have questions about choosing new HVAC equipment to best practices on care and maintenance, we can help. Our online FAQs answers give you 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 605-702-0850.

Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for regular tune-ups, such as oil changes or inspecting potential concerns, your home comfort system should receive the same kind of attention. Scheduled maintenance by a skilled technician provides numerous benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems perform efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost can fluctuate depending on the equipment size and different features, so we suggest contacting Precision Mechanical at 605-702-0850 to get a quote.
Two-stage heating enables 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 give more even heat distribution, fewer temperature swings, quiet operation, increased air filtration and energy efficiency.
Precision Mechanical has a variety 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, operating similar to cruise control to make small adjustments to help meet your comfort demands with energy efficiency. Give us a call at 605-702-0850 to learn more about the technology we provide.
Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a number of differences. Furnaces today are designed to give 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 integrate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers provide your heating system an extra boost 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 created 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.
Precision Mechanical carries a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help reduce the amount of energy they require to operate. Aside from selecting products that have received Energy Star® certification or achieved high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, you can consider the following:

  • Making certain that your system receives ongoing maintenance by a trained technician can keep your system operating at its top performance.
  • Zoning systems enable you to heat or cool only specific areas of your home, so you wont have to pay to heat or cool spaces that you aren’t using.
  • 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 desire when you’re home and increase or decrease the temperature while you’re not around, helping you save on heating and cooling costs.
Precision Mechanical is well-known in the Rapid City area and you can trust them to provide quality home comfort products. We feature a variety of innovative and high-quality products. We are dedicated to providing 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 full of 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 one time during the week, 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 ongoing 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 eliminating particles while destroying chemical vapors.
    • Programmable thermostats will help control the humidity levels and temperature to help avoid particles and germs from building up while also keeping your home comfortable.

We advise that you meet with one of the professionals at Precision Mechanical and have them evaluate your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you decide 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, sending 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 cycle continues until the indoor temperature reaches the temperature you set on your thermostat.
Due to the high amount of energy used by heating and cooling systems, the Department of Energy (DOE) increased 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. Precision Mechanical can help answer any questions you may have regarding these minimum requirements and let you know what choices are available when you’re in the market for a replacement system.
These numbers can be found on a nameplate or sticker that is near your systems service panel. The sticker will be white with black letters and have both of these numbers located at the top of the sticker. M/N stands for model number while S/N is your serial number.
There are a handful of ways to determine what size system is right for your home, but the most reliable way to determine the right size system is by having your local Precision Mechanical technician come out and perform a load calculation. This calculation considers your homes: square footage, insulation value, amount of insulation, and a number of other factors.
Yes, because dirt and other debris can impede your systems ability to work efficiently. For heat pumps, it is normal to have frost or ice on them during the winter, but they also are built with defrost controls to ensure they work efficiently in those types of conditions.
Two-stage cooling means that your cooling unit has two levels of operation. When summer is its warmest, the high setting kicks in, and when its cooler or more mild, it operates on the low setting. Typically, 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 generate such even temperatures for your comfort. This can also mean a quieter cooling system, greater efficiency and better humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a couple 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 done by a professional like those at Precision Mechanical. Contact them at 605-702-0850 with any other questions.
Identifying the best thermostat for your cooling system comes with a lot to think about. Thats why its nice to have such a big variety of choices from Precision Mechanical. 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 experts at Precision Mechanical will be able to help determine what options are best for your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a little confusing due to their name, but they actually meet both your heating and cooling needs throughout the year. When its hot outside it operates like an air conditioner in that it removes heat from your home, but when it cools off, the process gets turned 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 suggest you 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 part as a whole system, efficiency might be diminished.
      • As with a lot of 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 involve 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 consist of outdated technology, but they are also less efficient than more recent 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 may send the system’s performance records for each module to a website. You can 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 reside in a dusty or industrial area, periodically spraying the modules with water may help improve performance. However, detergents and high-pressure hoses should never be used to clean solar modules.
The right thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Precision Mechanical sells programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help increase the efficiency of your HVAC systems. Browse our available products or contact us at 605-702-0850 to learn more.
Heating and cooling can make up a big amount of your utility bill. The innovative and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products available from Precision Mechanical can help decrease these costs. If you’re searching 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 larger the number, the more efficient the product. Besides purchasing a new home comfort system, don’t forget about these additional factors:

      1. Is your system typically maintained? Whether it’s a furnace or air conditioner, HVAC systems will work more efficiently after regular maintenance checks.
      2. Would you benefit from 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 the comfort of sectioning portions of your residence and control the air differently in each part of your home. These systems are ideal for when you have areas of your residence that are seldom used or when you and your family are always in disagreement of how hot or cold it ought to be inside. Zoning systems are almost noiseless and efficient, allowing you more control over the comfort of your house. Learn more about the zoning systems available from Precision Mechanical.