We have answers for your frequently asked questions

No matter what your HVAC questions are, the techs at Halverson Brothers Inc in Menomonie and western Wisconsin have answers. Whether you have questions about picking new HVAC equipment to best practices on care and maintenance, we are here to help. Our online FAQs answers give you a rapid response for your convenience, but if you want to know more on any topic, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 715-352-4052.
Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for normal tune-ups, such as oil changes or inspecting probable concerns, your home comfort system should get the same kind of attention. Regular maintenance by a skilled technician provides a variety of benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems operate efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
Reach out to Halverson Brothers Inc at 715-352-4052 to get a comprehensive quote on replacement equipment.
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 left on the low setting, allowing 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.
Halverson Brothers Inc 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, running similar to cruise control to make tiny adjustments to help meet your comfort demands with energy efficiency. You can reach us at 715-352-4052 to learn more about the technology we carry.

Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a host of differences. Furnaces today are developed to offer 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 crafted to work with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers provide your heating system an extra lift 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 Halverson Brothers Inc for the efficiency standards for Menomonie and western Wisconsin.

Halverson Brothers Inc offers a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help cut back the amount of energy they require to work. 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 professional can keep your system operating at its top performance.
  • Zoning systems enable you to heat or cool only targeted areas of your home, so you wont have to pay to heat or cool spaces that aren't used.
  • Using 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 need when you're home and increase or decrease the temperature while you're not around, helping you save on heating and cooling costs.
Halverson Brothers Inc is well-known in the Menomonie and western Wisconsin area and you can rely on them to provide quality home comfort products. We offer 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 with lots 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 weekly, 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 difficult for airborne pollutants to escape. We offer products that help swap stale air for fresh, filtered outside air.
  • Good ventilation and regular 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 removing particles while destroying chemical vapors.
  • Programmable thermostats will help control the humidity levels and temperature to help prevent particles and germs from building up while also keeping your home comfortable.
We recommend that you meet with one of the technicians at Halverson Brothers Inc and have them perform an evaluation of your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you decide which equipment will be best suited to meet your needs.
Most homeowners believe that air conditioners make it cooler in your house, but it actually removes the heat from your house, sending the hot air outside. That hot air flows across a cold indoor coil where refrigerant in the lines sends the heat to the coil in your outdoor unit, releasing it outside. This procedure continues until the indoor temperature reaches the temperature you set on your thermostat.
Due to the increasing 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 by region and carry varying requirements based on your location. Halverson Brothers Inc will be able to answer any questions you may have regarding these minimum requirements and let you know what choices are available when you're looking 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 around the top of the sticker. M/N signifies model number while S/N is your serial number.
There are a handful of ways to determine what size system is the best fit for your home, but the most reliable way to determine the right size system is by having your local Halverson Brothers Inc 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.
The short answer is Yes. Dirt and other debris can hinder your systems ability to work efficiently. For heat pumps, it is common to have frost or ice on them during the winter, but they also include defrost controls to ensure they work efficiently in that type of weather.
Two-stage cooling means that your cooling unit has two levels of operation. When summer is in its hottest weeks, the high setting is used, and when its cooler or more mild, the low setting gets the job done. Most of the time, the lower setting will take care of your cooling needs, but even when the high setting is in use, you may not realize it because it can maintain such even temperatures for your comfort. This may also mean a quieter cooling system, greater efficiency 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 completed by a professional like those at Halverson Brothers Inc. Contact them at 715-352-4052 with any further questions you may have.
Picking the best thermostat for your cooling system comes with a lot to think through. Thats why its nice to have such a great variety of choices from Halverson Brothers Inc. Whether you're looking for a programmable or non-programmable thermostat or want to join the smart home trend, there are a number of thermostats that you have to select from. Some thermostats will depend on what type of heating and cooling system you have, but the team at Halverson Brothers Inc will be able to help determine what options meet your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a tad confusing due to their name, but they actually cover both your heating and cooling needs throughout the year. When its hot outside it runs like an air conditioner in that it removes heat from your home, but when it cools off, the process gets reversed and it collects heat from outside and brings it inside. Heat pumps are also very efficient, and might produce up to two or three times more heat than the energy it uses.
Of course we think you should 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 total system, efficiency might suffer.
  • 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 better heating and cooling efficiency, but also include 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 newer models. Buying a new indoor unit at the same time means you'll have a matched system to provide you with better comfort and efficiency for years to come.
The communication module on your home energy system might send the system's performance records for each module to a website. You should 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 regions, rain will clean the solar modules off automatically. If you reside in a dusty or industrial area, periodically spraying the modules with water could help improve performance. However, detergents and high-pressure hoses should never be used to clean solar modules.
The best thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Halverson Brothers Inc has programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help improve the efficiency of your HVAC systems. Check out our available products or contact us at 715-352-4052 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 Halverson Brothers Inc can help reduce these costs. If you're looking 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 higher the number, the more efficient the product. Besides purchasing a new home comfort system, think about these additional factors:

  1. Is your system typically maintained? Whether it's a furnace or air conditioner, HVAC systems will operate more efficiently after regular maintenance checks.
  2. Would you benefit from a zoning system? If there are rooms 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. Does your home have 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 your home allows you you the opportunity to divide parts of your home and control the temperature differently in each area. Zoning equipment is ideal for when you have spaces of your home that are rarely used or when you and your family are constantly in disagreement of what the temperature in each area of your home should be. Zoning systems are almost noiseless and efficient, enabling you to have more control over the comfort of your house. Learn more about the zoning equipment available from Halverson Brothers Inc.