No matter what your HVAC questions are, the experts at Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning in Buellton have answers. Whether you have questions about selecting 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 805-691-7554.

Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for routine tune-ups, such as oil changes or checking out potential issues, your home comfort system should receive the same kind of attention. Scheduled maintenance by a skilled technician provides various benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems work efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost can fluctuate depending on the equipment size and different features, so we suggest contacting Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning at 805-691-7554 to obtain a quote.
Two-stage heating permits the furnace to heat at two levels of output: high for cold winter days and low for mild ones. Around 80 percent of the time, your homes heating requirements can be met when the furnace is set 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, better air filtration and energy efficiency.
Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning 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 805-691-7554 to learn more about the technology we offer.
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 designed to work with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers give your heating system an extra bump 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 increased 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 Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning for the efficiency standards for Buellton.
Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning carries a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help cut back the amount of energy they require to run. Aside from picking products that have received Energy Star® certification or achieved high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, you should 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 certain areas of your home, so you wont have to pay to heat or cool spaces that you aren’t using.
  • Having 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 want when you’re home and increase or decrease the temperature while you’re not around, helping you save on energy bills.
Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning is well-known in the Buellton area and you can rely on them to provide quality home comfort products. We feature a variety of innovative and high-quality products. We are dedicated to providing 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 with lots of air pollutants floating around. So, to enhance 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 one time during the week, frequently washing linens and storing cleaning products safely.
    • Proper insulation is good 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 have 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 getting rid of 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 recommend that you meet with one of the experts at Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning and have them assess your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you determine which equipment will be best suited to meet your needs.

Many homeowners believe that air conditioners make your home cooler, but it actually removes the heat from your home, 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 the heat outside. This procedure continues until the indoor temperature reaches the desired level that you set on your thermostat.
Due to the amount of energy used by heating and cooling systems, the Department of Energy (DOE) hiked up 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. Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning 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 can be found on a nameplate or sticker that is near your systems service panel. The sticker is white with black letters and have both of these numbers located at the top of the sticker. M/N denotes model number while S/N is your serial number.
There are a handful of ways to determine what size system will best suit your home, but the most reliable way to size a system is by having your local Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning 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 inhibit your systems ability to work efficiently. For heat pumps, it is normal to have frost or ice on them during the winter, but they also are built with 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, it operates on the low setting. Typically, the lower setting is able to 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 better humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a couple of reasons why it could be doing so. The most frequent 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 fixed by a professional like those at Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning. Contact them at 805-691-7554 with any other questions.
Picking 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 Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning. Whether you’re searching 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 pick from. Some thermostats will depend on what type of heating and cooling system you have, but the pros at Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning will be able to help determine what options fit your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a bit confusing due to their name, but they actually meet both your heating and cooling needs throughout the year. When its hot outside it operates 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 could produce up to two or three times more heat than the energy it uses.

Of course we advise you to also replace your indoor system, but this is why:

      • All outdoor cooling systems have a matching indoor unit that they are created to work with to ensure efficient performance. When they aren’t paired with the other unit as a complete system, efficiency might be affected.
      • As with most products, advancements have brought about newer, more efficient ways of doing things. Heating and cooling systems are no different. These improvements most importantly include improved heating and cooling efficiency, but also involve improved air handling, filtering and noise pollution reduction to name a few.
      • Heating and cooling systems that are more than 10-15 years old typically need to be replaced. Not only do they have 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 should visit this website to learn more about the system’s status, energy production and environmental benefits. The site also displays carbon offsets as it happens.
In most areas, rain will clean the solar modules off automatically. If you live 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 proper thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning has programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help improve the efficiency of your HVAC systems. View our available products or contact us at 805-691-7554 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 Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning can help decrease 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, consider these additional factors:

      1. Is your system consistently maintained? Whether it’s a furnace or air conditioner, HVAC systems will run more efficiently after regular maintenance checks.
      2. Do you need 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 reduce your heating costs by up to 35 percent, and your cooling costs by up to 25 percent.

Zoning your home allows you the ability to section off parts of your home and control the temperature differently in each part of your home. Zoning tends to be good for when you have areas of your residence that are infrequently used or when you and your family are often in disagreement of how hot or cold it ought to be inside. Zoning systems are quiet and efficient, allowing you more control over the comfort of your home. Discover more about the zoning equipment available from Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning.