Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Services

Valley Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning is the North Bay’s HVAC contractor for all your heating, air conditioning, ventilation, duct work and indoor air quality issues.

We are  a family owned and operated business and has been serving residents of Santa Rosa, Calistoga, Napa, Healdsburg, Windsor, St Helena, Rohnert Park and surrounding areas for more than 15 years.

We operate our business on the principles of integrity, reliability, quality service and honesty and we  specialize in all aspects of residential and commercial heating and cooling. Our main goal is to deliver superior service with excellence and to cultivate a long-term relationship with our customers.

1. Our Services

1.1 Furnace and Heating Repairs & Installation

When it comes to furnace and heating repairs & installation in the Santa Rosa, Sonoma, and Napa areas, you should know that we have invested in professional expertise and quality equipment to meet the needs of our customers.

If you need to update or replace your existing heating system, or you want your existing setup to perform at peak efficiency, our NATE certified technicians are available to provide the best installation, repair, and maintenance services. Our friendly and efficient experts are always committed to providing the highest level of service in the business.

We will do whatever it takes to help you get the comfort solution you deserve. We are available to assist you at every step of the way, from the selection and installation to the financing. Our expert technicians can also help you maintain your heating system and make sure the equipment is running as efficiently and comfortably as possible. Since we know the impact that a damaged heating system can have on your quality of life at home, we provide emergency repair services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

2. What is HVAC?

HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning and is an umbrella term covering several kinds of technology responsible for providing heating, cooling, and comfort in residential as well as commercial buildings and vehicles.

HVAC is considered as a specific type of mechanical engineering since it deals primarily with the following branches of science: heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics. HVAC technology is traditionally designed and used with two goals in mind: improving air quality and setting a comfortable temperature within a given space.

2.1 Heating

The “Heating” part of HVAC refers to technology that warms the interior of buildings, residential as well as commercial.

Raising the temperature in such places can be accomplished in numerous ways, and several distinct forms of technology that are commonly used to achieve this goal exist. Furnaces are the most common type of heating apparatus in many homes throughout the United States, although some homeowners opt to use alternative methods including hydronic systems and geothermal heat pumps. There is even considerable diversity within the realm of furnaces since different types can be powered by various means.

2.2 Ventilation

Most residential and commercial HVAC systems rely on a central network of ducts to carry treated air throughout the buildings where they are installed. Once this air moves through the ducts, it is released into the building via numerous vents placed at strategic locations on the walls, ceilings, or floors.

Ducted systems are also referred to as forced-air models because of the blower that “forces” the air through the system. However, there are also other kinds of HVAC systems that do not use ducts to move air. A combination of ductless split-system air conditioners and stand-alone space heaters are common alternatives in smaller spaces with reduced heating and cooling needs or less space for ductwork.

2.3 Air Conditioning

Air conditioning is undoubtedly one of the essential functions your HVAC can perform. When the weather outside is too hot, what better way to cool off than by turning on the AC and enjoying a refreshing afternoon indoors?

3. Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency

What is Indoor Air Quality?

Temperature is only one goal of HVAC technology. The other is improving indoor air quality. High-quality air can be defined as air which is fresh, free from pollutants or chemicals, and of optimal humidity. It should also be free from allergens such as dust or pollen that can affect individuals with particular respiratory conditions.

HVAC and Energy Efficiency

It is vital for all HVAC owners to ensure that their systems are as energy-efficient as can be. An efficient HVAC will save its owner money on their utility bills each month, whereas an inefficient system can produce the opposite effect. Remember the more power your air conditioner must use to create the atmosphere you want, the more you will have to pay for it.

Energy efficiency problems in HVAC systems can typically be attributed to one of the following factors:

• Airflow problems that prevent proper circulation within the system and force it to work harder than it should.
• Wear and tear that causes key components to underperform while drawing the same amount of power as usual.
• Electrical issues or fuel leaks that result in wasted energy (and may also pose significant safety hazards for as long as they remain unchecked).

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4. The ‘N’ Components of an HVAC System

Some parts of your HVAC are critical to the way it functions. For example, your system would be rendered useless without a working compressor, since the compressor performs one of the core functions of the refrigeration cycle (and the system would not be able to cool the air in your home without it).

However, certain parts of your HVAC can fail without shutting down the entire system as a result. Components that are designed to fail without completely stopping the system have what is called N+1 redundancy. This means that if they fail, there is at least one backup part that can go into use for them. N components typically include fans and pumps, although each system is designed differently.

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7. Types of Systems and Their Benefits

There are several diverse types of air conditioners and heaters available throughout the United States. Take care to learn about your options before buying, so that you can select the kind of product that will work best for you.

AC – Air Conditioning Systems

The most common types of air conditioners in the United States include:

• Split system air conditioners: most ducted systems fall into this category of air conditioner. These air conditioners use a compressor to move refrigerant between two coils—the evaporator coil (inside the building) and the condenser coil (outside).
• Heat pumps: these systems are essentially air conditioners that can reverse the refrigeration cycle to move heat from outside into the building when they need to warm the space. They often supplement this heat with small electric heating coils (especially in periods of frigid weather, when there is limited heat in the outside air to absorb). However, this additional heat can be less cost-effective than a standard furnace if it is relied upon too heavily.
• Packaged central air conditioners: packaged central air conditioners are most common inside mobile homes and other small buildings that do not have room for ducted systems. They house the compressor, condenser, and evaporator in the same large unit. This makes them more compact than ducted systems—although the unit housing these components is relatively bulky, and can throw off the decor of buildings upon which it’s installed since it typically must be placed against an outdoor wall or on top of the roof.
• Ductless mini-split systems: these systems use the same principles behind a standard split system air conditioner—but instead of using a network of ducts, the outdoor and indoor units each sit on opposite sides of a wall in the room they are intended to cool. As such, they can be cost-effective ways to cool a single room, but the price of purchasing multiple units for different rooms in a building can make them impractical for larger homes and commercial spaces.

Heating

Just as there are several types of air conditioners, there are many kinds of heating systems available to consumers. They include:

• Forced air furnaces: these are the furnaces most common in home and commercial HVAC systems. They often use gas to heat up the air and blow it into the building through a central series of ducts and vents—although electrical heaters are also becoming popular with modern homeowners. Older furnaces may also use heating oil, although this is typically seen as a less efficient and environmentally-friendly source of fuel.
• Water heaters: heating up water and running it through a network of tubing beneath baseboards is an excellent way to keep the floors warm in winter and provide radiant heat for your home—provided you do not spring a leak. These systems also tend to have higher installation costs, and cannot use the same infrastructure to cool spaces.
• Geothermal and electric heat pumps: electric heat pumps use electrical power to supplement the refrigeration cycle when put into reverse, but geothermal pumps draw heat directly from the ground. As such, they are extremely energy efficient. However, they cost much more than other heaters at the initial point of purchase.

8. Thermostats

The thermostat is essentially the brain of an HVAC. It tells the system whether to use the furnace or the air conditioner to achieve the temperature you want and turns them off when they have altered the temperature in the space to the desired level.

Conventional thermostats must be set and adjusted manually, but there are several “smart” thermostats available that can adjust themselves to maintain optimal energy efficiency in your building.

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