Twice a year. You should have a cooling tune-up done in the spring and a heating tune-up done in the fall. Air conditioning units are like any other piece of machinery; you must have them properly maintained to maximize their performance, efficiency, and life-span.

Like any product you want to keep in good shape, HVAC equipment requires proper care in order to provide the maximum benefits. Trained professionals can service your heating and cooling products to make certain they're working at their top potential and help prevent more costly repairs in the middle of the hottest or coldest months of the year.

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 lot of the time, a two-stage furnace can work longer and more efficiently. Two-stage heating also works more quietly than traditional furnaces and can offer more even heat distribution and fewer temperature swings.

Modern furnaces are created with a host of innovative features older furnaces don't have. Todays heating systems offer more even heating and are better at regulating airflow. Although the air coming out of your vents may seem cooler than your old furnace, the airflow is much better and more efficient.

Another benefit of modern furnaces is their ability to work with other HVAC products as part of a high-efficiency whole home comfort system. When combined with a high-efficiency air conditioner, furnace blowers can more easily accommodate add-on cooling. Other innovations, such as Precise Comfort technology and variable speed motors, will help your furnace operate more efficiently and quieter than ever.

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. Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning has many highly efficient products that will help lower the amount of energy you are using and save you money. In addition to searching for products that have the Energy Star® certification, high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, here are some other factors to consider:

• Remember to book routine maintenance and have an experienced professional 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 could 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 a breeze 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.

There are four things to assess when improving 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 removing these pollutants. Some to-dos to include on 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 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 assist in controlling humidity levels as well as the temperature. This can help stop germs and other particles from collecting while preserving your home comfort.

Since equipment size needs differ for each home, the best way to figure out the proper size equipment for your home is to have a technician from James Deboer Contracting Ltd. come out to perform load calculation tests. The technician will calculate the square footage, insulation value and amount, to help determine your homes HVAC equipment needs.