No matter what your HVAC questions are, the pros at Prestige Plumbing and Air in Cape Girardeau have answers. Whether you have questions about selecting new HVAC equipment to best practices on care and maintenance, we can help. Our online FAQs answers offer a fast response for your convenience, but if you want to know more on any topic, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 573-266-2048.

Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for normal tune-ups, such as oil changes or checking out probable problems, your home comfort system should receive the same kind of attention. Scheduled maintenance by a skilled technician provides numerous benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems work efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost can range depending on the equipment size and different features, so we suggest contacting Prestige Plumbing and Air at 573-266-2048 to receive a quote.
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 kept on the low setting, allowing your two-stage unit to run for longer periods of time. Two-stage units also provide more even heat distribution, fewer temperature swings, quiet operation, improved air filtration and energy efficiency.
Prestige Plumbing and Air has a selection 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, functioning similar to cruise control to make small adjustments to help meet your comfort demands with energy efficiency. You can reach us at 573-266-2048 to learn more about the technology we provide.
Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a host of differences. Furnaces today are designed to provide 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 created to integrate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers give your heating system an extra boost so it can deliver cool air around your home efficiently. Special features like variable speed motors will also help decrease noise associated with operating your equipment and easily meet your family’s airflow needs.

The Department of Energy recently raised the minimum efficiency levels for air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units made after Jan. 1, 2015, since heating and cooling contributes significantly to a homes total energy usage. The requirements vary by region, so call Prestige Plumbing and Air for the efficiency standards for Cape Girardeau.
Prestige Plumbing and Air offers a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help lower the amount of energy they require to operate. Aside from selecting products that have received Energy Star® certification or achieved high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, you might consider the following:

  • Making certain that your system receives routine maintenance by a trained technician 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 you aren’t using.
  • Installing 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 utility costs.
Prestige Plumbing and Air is well-known in the Cape Girardeau area and you can depend on them to provide quality home comfort products. We feature a variety of innovative and high-quality products. We are dedicated to giving customers high-quality service and will make sure you find the appropriate solution for your home.
Improving your home’s indoor air quality starts with four basic strategies:

    • Poor indoor air quality leaves your home filled with air pollutants floating around. So, to improve 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 great 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 routine 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 eliminating particles while destroying chemical vapors.
    • Programmable thermostats will help control the humidity levels and temperature to help stop particles and germs from building up while also keeping your home comfortable.

We suggest that you meet with one of the professionals at Prestige Plumbing and Air and have them evaluate your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you decide which equipment will be best suited to meet your needs.

Lots of homeowners believe that air conditioners make it cooler in your house, but it actually removes the heat from your home, directing the hot air outside. That hot air goes across a cold indoor coil where refrigerant in the lines sends the heat to the coil in your outdoor unit, releasing the heat outside. This procedure continues until the indoor temperature reaches the temp that was set on your thermostat.
Due to the high 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 regionally and carry varying requirements based on your location. Prestige Plumbing and Air can help answer any questions you may have regarding these minimum requirements and let you know what choices are available when you’re in the market for a replacement system.
These numbers are located 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 at 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 right for your home, but the most reliable way to choose a system is by having your local Prestige Plumbing and Air 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 impede 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 are built with defrost controls to ensure they work efficiently in those types of conditions.
Two-stage cooling means that your cooling unit has two levels of operation. When summer is its hottest, the high setting kicks in, and when its cooler or more mild, the low setting handles the duties. Most of the time, the lower setting can take care of your cooling needs, but even when the high setting is in use, you may not realize it because it can generate such even temperatures for your comfort. This can also mean a quieter cooling system, greater efficiency and improved humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a variety 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 change as a homeowner, but the others need to be done by a professional like those at Prestige Plumbing and Air. Contact them at 573-266-2048 with any further questions you may have.
Identifying the best thermostat for your cooling system comes with a lot to think through. Thats why its nice to have such a big variety of choices from Prestige Plumbing and Air. Whether you’re in the market for 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 choose from. Some thermostats will depend on what type of heating and cooling system you have, but the team at Prestige Plumbing and Air will be able to help determine what options fit your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a tad confusing due to their name, but they actually meet both your heating and cooling needs throughout the year. When its hot outside it works like an air conditioner in that it removes heat from your home, but when it cools off, the process gets turned around and it collects heat from outside and brings it inside. Heat pumps are also very efficient, and could 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 intended to work with to ensure efficient performance. When they aren’t paired with the other piece as a total system, efficiency might be affected.
      • As with many products, advancements have brought about newer, more efficient ways of doing things. Heating and cooling systems are no different. These improvements most importantly include better heating and cooling efficiency, but also consist of 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 more recent models. Buying a new indoor unit at the same time means you’ll have a matched system to provide you with improved 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 may visit this website to learn more about the system’s status, energy production and environmental benefits. The site also shares carbon offsets as it happens.
In most locations, rain will be enough to keep the solar modules clean. If you are located 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 rinse solar modules.
The right thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Prestige Plumbing and Air offers programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help improve the efficiency of your HVAC systems. View our available products or contact us at 573-266-2048 to learn more.
Heating and cooling can make up a significant amount of your utility bill. The innovative and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products available from Prestige Plumbing and Air can help decrease these costs. If you’re searching 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 larger the number, the more efficient the product. Besides purchasing a new home comfort system, consider these additional factors:

      1. Is your system typically maintained? Whether it’s a furnace or air conditioner, HVAC systems will run 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. Are you taking advantage of 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 the opportunity to divide parts of your residence and control the air differently in each room. Zoning tends to be good for when you have areas of your residence that are rarely used or when you and your family are constantly in disagreement of how hot or cold it ought to be inside. Zoning systems are nearly silent and efficient, giving you more control over the comfort of your home. Find out more about the zoning systems available from Prestige Plumbing and Air.