Your questions answered: HVAC FAQs

GV Heating & Air in Crystal and Twin Cities can answer all your HVAC-related questions. Before you get on the phone, browse these 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 particular topic, give us a call at 763-535-2000. Our experts can give you the information you’re looking for in an instant.
Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for routine tune-ups, such as oil changes or looking at potential concerns, your home comfort system should be subject to the same kind of attention. Scheduled maintenance by a trained technician provides numerous benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems work efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost varies depending on the equipment size and different features, so we advise contacting GV Heating & Air at 763-535-2000 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 operate longer and more efficiently. Two-stage heating also works more quietly than traditional furnaces and can give you more even heat distribution and fewer temperature swings.
GV Heating & Air offers several different brands and models that include advanced technology to assist with heating and cooling your home more efficiently. Technology in the newer HVAC systems gives more precision when it comes to meeting your home comfort needs. If you would like more information, please call our experts at 763-535-2000.

Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a number of differences. Furnaces today are developed 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 work with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers give 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 reduce 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 GV Heating & Air for the efficiency standards for Crystal and Twin Cities.

There are lots of ways to reduce your energy costs and one of the best ways is to make sure you have an energy-efficient HVAC system. GV Heating & Air offers many highly efficient products that will help reduce the amount of energy you are using and save you money. In addition to looking for products that have the Energy Star® certification, high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, here are some other steps to consider:

  • Remember to book ongoing maintenance and have an experienced technician 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 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 simpler to maintain your home comfort while not consuming 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 understand its going to take care of your indoor comfort.
GV Heating & Air has been supporting the Crystal and Twin Cities 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 will be satisfied with our solutions. Our experienced team is here to help you achieve your ideal home comfort.

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

  • The indoor air quality in your house 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 making sure 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 important to get some fresh air inside.
  • Make sure that you have good ventilation and perform 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 assist in controlling humidity levels as well as the temperature. This can help avert germs and other particles from collecting while maintaining your home comfort.
Every home is different,, which is why we recommend that you contact our experts at GV Heating & Air to find out which solution will be best for your space. Our experienced technicians will conduct an assessment of your current system and chat about what your ideal home comfort looks like. That will help us select which products will be most effective.
You may be surprised to learn 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 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 GV Heating & Air can help you determine the minimum requirements for Crystal and Twin Cities, let you know if your current systems 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 is the model number and S/N is the serial number.
Since equipment size needs differ for each home, the best way to figure out the right size equipment for your home is to have a technician from GV 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 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 winter, but many include defrost controls so they can work efficiently regardless of the weather conditions.
When a cooling systems has two-stage cooling, it means that there are two levels of operation. This lets the system work as efficiently as possible since there is one level for milder weather and one 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 better humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a couple 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 done by a professional like those at GV Heating & Air. Contact them at 763-535-2000 with any additional questions.
GV Heating & Air has 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 GV 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 can tackle both your homes heating and cooling needs, offering you one HVAC system that can be used year-round. 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 used.
At GV Heating & Air, 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 highest efficiency possible. When you replace only one of your systems, you may not see the same energy efficiency levels as if you had replaced them together.
  • Thanks to technological advancements, newer systems mean better efficiency. This is true for heating and cooling 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 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 lower your energy bills and keep your home more comfortable.
Your home energy system could have a communication module that delivers 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 impact 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 might 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.
GV Heating & Air can help suggest 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 enhance the efficiency of your homes furnace and/or air conditioner. Browse our thermostats or give us a call at 763-535-2000 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 vital aspect of our day-to-day lives. Fortunately, there are high-efficiency solutions from GV Heating & Air that can keep you comfortable while also decreasing energy costs. When it's time for you to shop 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 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 booking routine maintenance. It helps uphold efficiency and make sure everything is functioning 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 regulating 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 number of features-so you can find an solution that you are comfortable with.
A zoning system enables you to divide your residence and heat or lower the temperature in each space differently. While these systems work well for buildings that have rooms that are rarely used, they could also be beneficial in situations where you and your family argue about the temperature in different parts of your residence. There are a number of additional pluses of zoning systems, including efficiency and comfort. Look through our selection of zoning systems or give GV Heating & Air a call to see how a zoning system could fit in your home.