FAQs & Myths

It looks that way when you read the ads but it is far from the truth. That is not to say that some are good or bad, it’s to say that we are not all the same. As with other products or services the consumer purchases, decisions based on a jingle, size of the ad, or cost is not always the best value.

Not legally in the State of Washington. There is a minimum of 3 licenses required for the Spokane area along with continuing education and manufacturer training. The Department of Ecology requires a refrigerant license for handling or purchasing refrigerant. The Department of Labor and Industries requires an electrical license for working on all energized equipment. The City of Spokane and Spokane Valley requires a gas mechanical license and an oil mechanical license (if working on oil). Idaho requires a state HVAC license. The technology of the mechanical equipment continues to change so a competent technician has to know the mechanics of the equipment, the process for heat rejection, venting, airflow, electrical, welding and how the equipment is controlled. Having someone work on your equipment who is licensed and knowledgeable will be a much greater value in the long run.

Yes. Your equipment is designed for the mechanical components to operate its best under certain specifications. When your equipment is operating with dirty filters or coils, worn or loose belts, low refrigerant, plugged condensate, over-fired gas pressures, or over-amping motors, it’s a recipe for failure, and it always seems like failures normally occur when the equipment is needed most. Our maintenance plans are designed to look at all of these areas to identify potential problems before they become catastrophic.

We have never heard a salesperson or seen a brochure on a piece of equipment that supports that statement when they are selling it however we hear many stories from people who are told this. We have seen equipment that is 10 years old that needs to be replaced but this is rare if the equipment was installed properly and has been maintained. From our experience, it is not uncommon for the equipment to be 30 plus years.

No. There are no filters that are designed to be a 30-day, 90-day or 180-day filter. A high quality filter is designed to filter the small particles in the air that passes through it. The air quality will determine how quickly a filter needs to be replaced. When the air is smokey, or there are high winds with dirt, filters will be affected. This also stands true for environments with pets, laundry equipment, activities that produce dust or airborne particles and spaces that have a high volume of doors opening and closing. When the air can no longer pass through the filter, it is time to change it. Using a low-quality filter doesn’t require replacing very often, but it does allow the particles to pass through to the blower and into your furnace. The costs for these repairs will far exceed the cost of replacing quality filters when needed.

The process for cooling the air doesn’t change based on the setpoint, so your mechanical system can’t cool the space any quicker for a 60F degree setpoint than it does for a 70F degree setpoint. This approach will increase your risk of icing up your equipment so it doesn’t cool or requiring your equipment to run for extended periods trying to catch up to the heat load in the space and taking days to get the comfort level where you want when the outside temperatures are extreme. Turning your system off at extreme temperatures to save utility costs will actually have the opposite effect.