Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions, you can always call us at 804-922-7372, or reach out to us via our contact page by clicking HERE.

Here are the answers to some of the questions we get asked most frequently.

What brands/manufacturers do you work with?

Great question! We work with all brands of heating and cooling systems!

What kinds of maintenance and service plans do you offer?

We offer different types of maintenance and service plans. Click HERE to fill out our maintenance plan online form, and we’ll get back to you ASAP with a solution we know will work for you!

What other services do you provide besides heating and cooling?

Virginia Climate installs and services hot water heaters, both traditional and tankless.  We also install and service generators.  

How do I choose a brand of HVAC equipment and what are the differences?

There are about six HVAC equipment manufacturers in the U.S. today, but they operate under more than 150 brand names.

So, what’s the difference? Typically, there are small differences on the very top-end products, such as who has the bigger touch-screen thermostat, or is it 98.4 percent or 98.3 percent efficient. But, these are insignificant at the end of the day. 

So, what’s the big, clear-cut difference? The installing HVAC contractor.

What can I do to prolong the life of my heating and cooling systems?
    1. Pre-season cleaning and check-ups. It’s important to get your system cleaned and checked before the start of each season, generally once in the spring (for cooling systems) and once in the fall (for heating systems). This will catch any problems before the season starts and ensure your system runs smoothly.Schedule maintenance cleaning and check-ups early to ensure you have a quality visit from a licensed technician.
    2. Checking air filters regularly. Clogged or dirty air filters can restrict the flow of air to your HVAC system, which creates extra stress for it by making the system work harder. This can cause costly damage to the blower motor because it has to work harder. Checking filters regularly can help avoid the build-up of dirt or dust, ultimately causing less stress on the motor and prolonging the life of your HVAC system.
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    4. Inspecting your equipment. Regularly inspecting your HVAC equipment can help catch small problems before they turn into big ones. While you’ll want a technician to inspect your ducts for air leaks and maintain your equipment, there are things you can check yourself.Keep an eye on any equipment that is vulnerable to excess corrosion or wear and tear. In the case of central air conditioning systems or heat pumps, any parts of the system that are located outside the house need to be visually checked for damage or a buildup of leaves and debris regularly. Out of sight, out of mind can’t become a habit, as the systems need to be checked even when not in use!In addition, every homeowner should regularly check for leaks in outdoor equipment. For example, finding an oily substance on outdoor surfaces could indicate a refrigerant leak, which can be a costly and damaging problem if not caught early.
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    6. Give your system a break. For a lot of homes in America, your HVAC system runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s a lot for any system to handle. Giving it a break can help to keep your system from being overworked and prolong its life.Installing and using a programmable thermostat can help with this, because it will allow you to adjust your temperature at night or when you aren’t home to a temperature that isn’t too high or too low. This way, when you return home, it’s less work on the system to get your house back to the ideal temperature. Overall, that slight ‘break’ for your system will make a big difference when it comes to the stress on it in the long run and will help you to get the max savings possible.
What if I need a new system and would like to finance it?

Virginia Climate is happy to provide financing.  Just click on our financing page and it will walk you through an application process.

What does BTU stand for?

British Thermal Unit (Btu) is the international measure of energy. A Btu is the amount of heat needed to raise 1 (one) pound of water by 1(one) degree Fahrenheit. In HVAC industry, Btu’s measure the quantity of heat a conditioning unit can remove from a room per hours. One BTU per hour is equal to 0293 watts.

What is the difference between a furnace and boiler?

The difference between a furnace and a boiler is that they operate in markedly different ways. A furnace heats air, and then a blower motor moves the warmed air through the home’s duct system. On the other hand, a boiler heats water, which then flows through a network of pipes in the home.

What is Virginia Climate's service area?

Click HERE to see our full service area!

What is the average life expectancy of equipment?

Most systems have a lifetime of 10 to 20 years. As your equipment gets older, it’s efficiency can decrease dramatically. You may notice that it gets noisier and needs repairs more often. When a unit begins to show it’s age, you have two choices. You can overhaul the system or replace it. Because heating and cooling technologies improve over time, a new system designed with newer, more energy-efficient equipment makes sense, especially if your system is 10 or more years old. We can estimate the cost of a new system as well as a payback schedule that will show you how newer technology will pay you back in lower energy usage.

Will a bigger sized system perform better?

No, you don’t want your air conditioner to be too big. Air conditioners control the comfort level in your home by cooling the air and by removing humidity. An oversized air conditioner will cool your home faster, but it will use more energy and will not remove humidity adequately.

A unit that is too big for your home will have short run cycles. It may take only a short time to cool the air, but the unit shuts off before enough air blows across the indoor coil where moisture condenses into water and drains from your system. Too much moisture left in the air can lead to mold and mildew problems.

These short run cycles also mean your system starts and stops more often which uses more energy and causes a lot of wear and tear. An air conditioner operates more efficiently during long run cycles.

The same holds true with heating systems. An oversized furnace will warm the house quicker, but it uses more fuel and causes greater temperature swings in the home.

How often should I change my air filter?

At the risk of telling you something you’re tired of hearing, replace the air filter in your furnace on a regular basis. Dirty air filters reduce the amount of air flowing through a system and make the furnace work harder to maintain the temperature. How often you change the filter depends on the type of filter you use, if you have pets and the size of your equipment. Please give us a call and we can give you proper guidance.

Why should I purchase a service agreement?

Without warranty coverage, a breakdown can mean significant expense in parts, labor, or both. However, with one of our service agreements, you avoid that unexpected significant expense. While no warranty can guard against every possible problem, we can explain the broad range of protection our service agreements afford.

 

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