Your questions answered: HVAC FAQs

Lakeside Heating & Air in Chelan and Wenatchee can answer all your HVAC-related questions. Before you get on the phone, look to see if we already responded to your question online. If you don’t see your question on the list or want more information on a subject, give us a call at 509-284-4265. Our techs can offer you the information you’re looking for in a jiffy.
Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for normal tune-ups, such as oil changes or checking out potential issues, your home comfort system should receive the same kind of attention. Routine maintenance by a professional 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 advise contacting Lakeside Heating & Air at 509-284-4265 to get a quote.
With two-stage heating, furnaces may run on two different levels: high and low. Since you can heat your home on the low setting a lot 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 offer more even heat distribution and fewer temperature swings.
Lakeside Heating & Air offers many different brands and models that include advanced technology to help heat and cool your home more efficiently. Technology in the newer HVAC systems offers more precision when it comes to matching your home comfort needs. If you want more information, please reach out to our experts at 509-284-4265.

Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a host 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 operate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers give 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 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 created after Jan. 1, 2015, since heating and cooling contributes significantly to a homes total energy usage. The requirements vary by region, so call Lakeside Heating & Air for the efficiency standards for Chelan and Wenatchee.

There are many ways to lower your energy costs and one of the best ways is to make sure you have an energy-efficient HVAC system. Lakeside Heating & Air has many highly efficient products that will help lower 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 things to consider:

  • Remember to arrange ongoing maintenance and have an experienced technician take a look at your system to ensure 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 reduces wasted energy on heating or cooling areas that aren't used.
  • Programmable or smart thermostats make it easier to maintain your home comfort while not using 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.
Lakeside Heating & Air has been serving the Chelan and Wenatchee 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 will be satisfied with our solutions. Our knowledgeable team is here to help you get 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 important, 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 help control humidity levels as well as the temperature. This can help prevent germs and other particles from collecting while maintaining your home comfort.
No two homes are alike, which is why we recommend that you contact our experts at Lakeside Heating & Air to find out which solution will be best for your space. Our experienced technicians will conduct an evaluation of your current system and discuss what your ideal home comfort looks like. That will help us decide which products will be most effective.
It may come as a surprise that air conditioners don't technically make your home cooler; they actually remove the hot air and move it outside. This hot air is pushed 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.
Different regions have different minimum energy efficiency standards. Additionally, air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units made after Jan. 1, 2015, have higher minimum efficiency levels than HVAC products manufactured prior to that date. The team at Lakeside Heating & Air can help you figure out the minimum requirements for Chelan and Wenatchee, let you know if your current equipment meets those requirements or help you find a replacement air conditioner that does.
Your systems service panel should have a white label on it, with your systems model and serial numbers at the top. M/N signifies the systems model number and S/N is the serial number.
Since equipment size needs vary by home, the best way to find out the correct size equipment for your home is to have a technician from Lakeside Heating & Air 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 affect your systems ability to function effectively. Its not uncommon 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 enables the system to 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 slight 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 enhanced 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 fixed by a professional like those at Lakeside Heating & Air. Contact them at 509-284-4265 with any other questions.
Lakeside Heating & Air 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 in the market for something that can fit with a home automation system call Lakeside Heating & Air to hear about which thermostats you can choose from. Our team will help you find one thats right for your system, your family's needs and your budget.
A heat pump covers 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 directing 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 it uses.
At Lakeside Heating & Air, 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 most efficiency. When you replace just one of your systems, you may not see the same energy efficiency levels as if you had replaced them together.
  • Thanks to technological improvements, newer systems mean better efficiency. This is true for HVAC 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 over 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 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 monitor 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 tips on monitoring performance.
Rain will clean the modules automatically in most areas; however, if you live in a dusty area, you could 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 harm the product.
Lakeside Heating & Air can help you find the right thermostat for you based on your home and current heating and cooling equipment. We carry a selection 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 509-284-4265 for more information.

A large portion of your monthly utility bills can be attributed to your heating and cooling system. It makes sense, because our home comfort is an important aspect of our day-to-day lives. Thankfully, there are high-efficiency solutions from Lakeside Heating & Air that can keep you comfortable while also reducing 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 select air conditioners with high SEER ratings and furnaces with high AFUE ratings. These ratings measure efficiency, so the larger 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 sustain efficiency and make sure everything is operating properly.
  • Consider a zoning system if you only have targeted rooms that need to be heated or cooled. There is no need to consume energy adjusting 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 solution that you are comfortable with.
A zoning system enables you to parcel your house and heat or cool each space differently. While these systems work well for homes that have parts that are seldom used, they can also be beneficial in situations where you and your family disagree on the temperature in certain areas of your residence. There are a collection of additional benefits of zoning systems, including efficiency and comfort. View our selection of zoning systems or give Lakeside Heating & Air a ring to see how a zoning system could work for your home.