We have answers for your frequently asked questions

Kapaun & Brown Inc. in Marshalltown can answer all your HVAC-related questions. Before you get on the phone, browse these to see if we already responded to your question online. If you don’t see your question in this list or want more information on a topic, give us a call at 641-812-2028. Our experts can offer you the information you’re looking for in no time.
Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for regular tune-ups, such as oil changes or looking at potential problems, your home comfort system should get the same kind of attention. Scheduled maintenance by a skilled technician provides various benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems perform efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
Call Kapaun & Brown Inc. at 641-812-2028 to get a comprehensive quote on replacement equipment.
Two-stage heating allows 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 run for longer periods of time. Two-stage units also offer more even heat distribution, fewer temperature swings, quiet operation, improved air filtration and energy efficiency.
Kapaun & Brown Inc. has an assortment of brands and models that are more efficient than ever and make it easier to find the best match for your home. There are innovative systems that make heating or cooling your home more automatic, functioning similar to cruise control to make tiny adjustments to help meet your comfort demands with energy efficiency. You can reach us at 641-812-2028 to learn more about the technology we provide.

Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a number of differences. Furnaces today are created 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 integrate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers offer 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 lessen noise associated with operating your equipment and easily meet your family's airflow needs.

The Department of Energy recently boosted 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 Kapaun & Brown Inc. for the efficiency standards for Marshalltown.

Kapaun & Brown Inc. offers a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help reduce the amount of energy they require to work. Aside from choosing 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 regular maintenance by a trained expert 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 don't typically utilize.
  • Using 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 heating and cooling costs.
Kapaun & Brown Inc. is well-known in the Marshalltown area and you can rely on them to provide quality home comfort products. We carry 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 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 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 advise that you meet with one of the experts at Kapaun & Brown Inc. and have them assess your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you choose which equipment will be best suited to meet your needs.
Many homeowners believe that air conditioners make it cooler in your house, but it actually removes the heat from your house, moving the hot air outside. That hot air moves across a cold indoor coil where refrigerant in the lines sends the heat to the coil in your outdoor unit, releasing it outside. This process continues until the indoor temperature reaches the temp that was 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. Kapaun & Brown Inc. can help answer any questions you may have regarding these minimum requirements and let you know what choices are available when you're looking for a replacement system.
These numbers are located on a nameplate or sticker that is near your systems service panel. The sticker should be white with black letters and have both of these numbers located around the top of the sticker. M/N stands for model number while S/N is your serial number.
There are a couple ways to determine what size system is right for your home, but the most reliable way to determine the right size system is by having your local Kapaun & Brown Inc. technician come out and perform a load calculation. This calculation considers your homes: square footage, insulation value, amount of insulation, and a variety of other factors.
Yes, because dirt and other debris can inhibit your systems ability to work efficiently. For heat pumps, it is not unusual to have frost or ice on them during the winter, but they also include 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 its hottest, the high setting starts up, and when its cooler or more mild, the low setting handles the duties. Typically, the lower setting is able to take care of your cooling needs, but even when the high setting starts up, you may not realize it because it can produce such even temperatures for your comfort. This may also mean a quieter cooling system, greater efficiency and enhanced humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a variety of reasons why it could be doing so. The most typical 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 Kapaun & Brown Inc.. Contact them at 641-812-2028 with any other questions.
Choosing the best thermostat for your cooling system comes with a lot of considerations. Thats why its nice to have such a big variety of choices from Kapaun & Brown Inc.. Whether you're searching for a programmable or non-programmable thermostat or want to join the smart home trend, there are various thermostats that you have to select from. Some thermostats will depend on what type of heating and cooling system you have, but the team at Kapaun & Brown Inc. will be able to help determine what options are best for your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a tad confusing due to their name, but they actually take care of 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 switched around and it collects heat from outside and brings it inside. Heat pumps are also very efficient, and may produce up to two or three times more heat than the energy it uses.
Of course we suggest you also replace your indoor system, but this is why:
  • All outdoor cooling systems have a matching indoor unit that they are designed to work with to ensure efficient performance. When they aren't paired with the other piece as a total system, efficiency might suffer.
  • As with many products, advancements have brought about newer, more efficient ways of doing things. Heating and cooling systems are no different. These developments most importantly include greater heating and cooling efficiency, but also include improved air handling, filtering and noise pollution reduction to name a few.
  • Heating and cooling systems that are more than 10-15 years old normally need to be replaced. Not only do they consist of outdated technology, but they are also less efficient than newer models. Adding a new indoor unit at the same time means you'll have a matched system to provide you with even more comfort and efficiency for years to come.
The communication module on your home energy system may 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 shows carbon offsets as it happens.
In most regions, rain will be enough to keep the solar modules clean. 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 wash solar modules.
The proper thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Kapaun & Brown Inc. has programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help enhance the efficiency of your HVAC systems. Browse our available products or contact us at 641-812-2028 to learn more.

Heating and cooling can make up a large part of your utility bill. The innovative and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products available from Kapaun & Brown Inc. can help reduce 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 greater 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. Could your home use 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. Does your home have 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 you the opportunity to divide areas of your house and control the air differently in each area. Zoning tends to be good for when you have areas of your house that are infrequently used or when you and your family are often in disagreement of the perfect temperature for the house. Zoning systems are almost noiseless and efficient, allowing you more control over the comfort of your house. Discover more about the zoning systems available from Kapaun & Brown Inc..