Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1.  There are a lot of other heating, cooling and electrical contractors in the Kansas City area.  Why should I choose C.M. Mose & Son Inc for my HVAC needs?
   
2. Should I replace my current air conditioning or furnace?
3. What is a SEER rating?
4. What size air conditioner or heat pump will I need?
5. How can I save money on my utilities?
6. Every time there is a storm my power goes out.  What can I do about it?

Do You have questions for us? Click here to send us an e-mail.

1.   There are a lot of other heating, cooling and electrical contractors in the Kansas City area.  Why should I choose C.M. Mose & Son Inc for my HVAC needs?

Since 1954 C.M. Mose & Son has served Clay, Wyandotte and Platte counties.  Many things have changed during the past 55 years, technology has improved and other companies have come and gone, but one thing has remained the same---our company focus on outstanding customer service and the very best quality technicians and products. 
Some companies will try to tell you that one air conditioner, heat pump or furnace is the same as any other.  We disagree. Just like a Cadillac is not the same as a moped we believe that American Standard and Kohler products are far, far superior to any other brand currently on the market.  They are not the cheapest but they are the BEST. We believe the VALUE is far more important than price. We recognize that even the best quality material is not going to live up to expectations if those materials are not installed and serviced correctly.  We hire only the most technically competent HVAC service and installation personnel.  We also continue to train and update skills through continuing education opportunities.  You can be sure that a C.M. Mose employee will be the best in the industry.

2.   Should I replace my current air conditioning or furnace?

It's a hot summer morning and you wake up to a house that feels like you left the furnace running all night. This is odd because you set the air conditioner to run before you went to bed. If your air conditioner is running hot air, you know you have a problem!
Your first instinct is to call for a quick repair job. Repair seems to be the least expensive way to go but it may not be at all. In the long run, replacing your broken unit might be the best way to go. How do you decide?
Making that decision to replace or repair can be a difficult one to determine when you are sweating buckets and just need to get the job done – now!

• Age of the system - Typically speaking an air conditioner is expected to last 12-18 years although there are numerous examples of air conditioners that have been running much longer. (Your location, maintenance, and typical use of the A/C unit will impact this quite a bit.) If your air conditioner is coming up on the seventh year mark and simple repairs don't seem frugal, then you are likely going to want to opt for replacement. On the flip side, if your air conditioner has been operating for less than five years, you might want to consider repairing it since it likely has a number of good service years left.
• Overall satisfaction of the system - If your air conditioner has been running well up until this time, you have reason to believe that it will continue to run well with a few repairs. At the same time, if your system has caused you any kind of headaches up until this time, you might feel now would be a good time to replace it.
• Cost of operation - Many A/C units 15-20 years old could have a SEER rating that is 1/2 of current high efficiency units. That is essentially a 50% savings in energy which will impact your yearly cooling bills in a large way.
• Cost to repair - If you are looking at spending $500 - $750 just to repair your old system now may be the time to replace it.
• Cost to replace - When assessing whether or not to repair, always try to get a free estimate. Some repairs are just too costly to even consider and so in this case replacing will be the best way to go. Once you have your estimate this can guide your decision to repair or replace smartly. Remember that you want to make the best decision, not the cheapest one.
• How often is the system used - A system that gets infrequent use due to your local climate may make repair seem a more fiscally responsible option.

3.   What is a SEER rating?

Central air conditioning units are rated for efficiency using the "seasonal energy efficiency ratios" or SEER. The higher the SEER number the more efficient the unit is and the better job it does of cooling your home with less energy. Less energy used means fewer dollars spent on energy bills which is of course a good thing.
Like most energy appliances air conditioners have made great strides over the last several years. In the late 1980's the average SEER rating for an air conditioner was around 6.0. In 1992 the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) who regulates the minimum SEER rating of new air conditioners in the United States mandated that all units sold must have a 10 SEER rating or higher. Today the minimum level allowed to be sold is 13 SEER and manufacturers offer high efficiency units ranging from 16 SEER all the way to 20 SEER!

It is important to note that there is a difference between the air conditioner size (or capacity) and it's efficiency rating. A 3 ton air conditioner (36,000 BTU/hr) which is 8 SEER will cool at roughly the same rate as a 3 ton air conditioner with a 12 SEER rate. When we talk about efficiency we are really talking about the amount of energy used to create the 36,000 BTU/hr. To put it another way, SEER is similar to the MPG rating your car has while the size of the AC unit is similar to the amount of horsepower that your car has.

Here is a simplified look at SEER efficiencies:

• An 8 SEER unit would use twice as much energy as a 16 SEER unit would for the same cooling.
• A 12 SEER unit would use 1 1/4 times as much energy as a 16 SEER unit would for the same cooling.

So, the 8 SEER unit will use significantly more energy than the 16 SEER model. The next question is what that means from a practical point of view. In other words, how much money did I save with the higher efficiency air conditioner?

Now for the more complex version:
Let's take a test case and look at the dollars and cents. Assuming a 3 ton or 36,000 btu unit will run for approximately 4 months, on average 8 hours of the day, with a kilowatt hour cost of $.07.
8 SEER Model
36,000 BTU/hr X 960 hours / 8.0 SEER = 4,320,000 X $.07 = 302,400 / 1000 watts/KW = $302.40 to run per year.
16 SEER Model
36,000 BTU/hr X 960 hours / 16.0 SEER = 2,160,000 X $.07 = 151,200 / 1000 watts/KW = $151.20 to run per year.

4.  What size air conditioner or heat pump will I need?

Air conditioner size is rated using the number of BTU's or British Thermal Units of heat that it can remove per hour. (1 BTU is the amount of energy to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.) You may also hear ac size referred to in "tons" which is the equivalent of 12,000 BTU's. (12,000 BTU's is the amount of energy required to melt 1 ton of ice in one day.) An average central air conditioner size would be between 3-6 ton or 36,000 - 72,000 BTU's/hr. Note: the size or capacity is not directly related to how efficient an air conditioner is.
In order to determine the correct size of central air conditioner for your home you must consider:

• Local climate
• Age and size of your home
• How many windows and size of the windows in your home
• Level of insulation your home has
• Level of shade that falls on your house walls, windows and roof
• Direction that your home faces

While all that information may seem like overkill it really isn't.  In order for your ac unit to work as efficiently as possible it must be carefully sized to your specific house and environment.
Installing an air conditioner that is too small will result in:

• Increased energy bills since the unit must run additional hours trying to keep up with the heat of the house.
• A home that is not comfortable since the unit is unable to cool quickly enough to "get on top" of the heat.

If you install a central air conditioner that is too large the unit will cycle (turn off and on) too often which will result in:

• Less humidity being taken out of the air in the house. In a humid climate de-humidification is essential to the temperature feeling comfortable.
• Less consistent temperature in the house. More wear and tear on the ac compressor and other parts of the unit.

5.  How can I save money on my utilities?

Below you will find a list of common tips for saving money on your air conditioning.

• Set your thermostat higher - at least into the mid 70's F. It's the simplest and best way to reduce cooling energy bills.
• Clean the indoor and outdoor coils of your air conditioner unit.
• Keep the refrigerant for your central AC at the proper level. (Typically done by a professional)
• Avoid running appliances (such as a dishwasher) that radiate heat until cooler times of the day such as early morning and night time.
• Make sure your house is closed up tightly during the day. Open windows or doors will allow more heated air to enter the home.
• Check (and change as necessary) your AC/Furnace filters regularly.
• Make certain your ductwork is cleaned yearly. Dirty ducts will make your ac unit less efficient. Additionally, dust from the ducts will be spread through the house increasing the number of air pollutants.
• Make certain your attic ventilation is adequate. Inadequate attic ventilation will create a great deal of heat in the attic which will raise the temperature of the rest of the house.

6.   Every time there is a storm my power goes out.  What can I do about it?

Your home is a busy place, and a commercial-grade KOHLER® automatic home generator keeps that rhythm going by providing dependable protection during unexpected power outages. Available with 8.5 to 100kW output capabilities, KOHLER® home generators provide worry-free emergency power to support your electrical needs for days, or even weeks. Clean, quiet, automatic backup power - just what your family needs to be safe and comfortable.

• Automatic, hands-off operation
  In the event of a utility power outage, the transfer switch - working in tandem with the generator - automatically starts the generator to restore power to the home, whether you're home or away. 
• Fast backup power
  KOHLER home standby generators restore power within 10 seconds of an outage. 
  For the homeowner, standby power can mean the difference between staying put and moving out. With a Kohler commercial- grade residential power system, you've got a potent ally on your side when the lights go out - power for life without interruption.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed!