No matter what your HVAC questions are, the techs at Gilray Heating and Cooling in Wausau have answers. Whether you have questions about picking new HVAC equipment to best practices on care and maintenance, we are here to help. Our online FAQs answers give you a quick response for your convenience, but if you want to know more on any topic, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 715-515-7221.

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. Routine maintenance by a trained technician provides numerous benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems perform efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost varies depending on the equipment size and different features, so we recommend contacting Gilray Heating and Cooling at 715-515-7221 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. Around 80 percent of the time, your homes heating requirements can be met when the furnace is set on the low setting, enabling your two-stage unit to operate 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.
Gilray Heating and Cooling 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, running similar to cruise control to make tiny adjustments to help meet your comfort demands with energy efficiency. Give us a call at 715-515-7221 to learn more about the technology we offer.
Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a variety of differences. Furnaces today are designed to give 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 crafted to operate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers provide your heating system an extra lift 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 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 Gilray Heating and Cooling for the efficiency standards for Wausau.
Gilray Heating and Cooling carries a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help lower 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 technician can keep your system operating at its top performance.
  • Zoning systems enable you to heat or cool only specific areas of your home, so you wont have to pay to heat or cool spaces that aren’t used.
  • 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 desire when you’re home and increase or decrease the temperature while you’re not around, helping you save on energy bills.
Gilray Heating and Cooling is well-known in the Wausau 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 offering customers high-quality service and will make sure you find the right 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 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 one time during the week, 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 challenging for airborne pollutants to escape. We offer products that help swap stale air for fresh, filtered outside air.
    • Good ventilation and ongoing 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 removing particles while destroying chemical vapors.
    • Programmable thermostats will help control the humidity levels and temperature to help prevent particles and germs from building up while also keeping your home comfortable.

We recommend that you meet with one of the experts at Gilray Heating and Cooling and have them evaluate your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you choose which equipment will be best suited to meet your needs.

Lots of homeowners believe that air conditioners make the air in your home cooler, but it actually removes the heat from your home, sending 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 cycle continues until the indoor temperature reaches the desired level that you set on your thermostat.
Due to the increasing 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 regionally and carry varying requirements based on your location. Gilray Heating and Cooling will be able to 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 is white with black letters and have both of these numbers located around the top of the sticker. M/N denotes model number while S/N is your serial number.
There are a few ways to determine what size system is the best fit for your home, but the most reliable way to choose a system is by having your local Gilray Heating and Cooling 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.
The short answer is Yes, because dirt and other debris can hinder 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 feature 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 in its hottest weeks, the high setting kicks in, and when its cooler or more mild, the low setting handles the duties. Usually, 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 maintain 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 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 fix as a homeowner, but the others need to be completed by a professional like those at Gilray Heating and Cooling. Contact them at 715-515-7221 with any further questions you may have.
Identifying the best thermostat for your cooling system comes with a lot to think about. Thats why its nice to have such a great variety of choices from Gilray Heating and Cooling. 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 pros at Gilray Heating and Cooling will be able to help determine what options are best for your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a bit confusing due to their name, but they actually take care of both your heating and cooling needs all year. When its hot outside it runs 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 might 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 unit as a complete system, efficiency may be affected.
      • As with a lot of products, advancements have brought about newer, more efficient ways of doing things. Heating and cooling systems are no different. These developments most importantly include improved 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 feature outdated technology, but they are also less efficient than todays models. Buying 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 might send the system’s performance records for each module to a website. You can 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 be enough to keep the solar modules clean. If you reside in a dusty or industrial area, periodically spraying the modules with water may help improve performance. However, detergents and high-pressure hoses should never be used to wash solar modules.
The best thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Gilray Heating and Cooling sells programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help increase the efficiency of your HVAC systems. View our available products or contact us at 715-515-7221 to learn more.
Heating and cooling can make up a big amount of your utility bill. The innovative and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products available from Gilray Heating and Cooling 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 larger the number, the more efficient the product. Besides purchasing a new home comfort system, don’t forget about these additional factors:

      1. Is your system regularly maintained? Whether it’s a furnace or air conditioner, HVAC systems will operate more efficiently after regular maintenance checks.
      2. Do you need a zoning system? If there are areas 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. Have you installed 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 systems give you the ability to section off parts of your residence and control the air differently in each part of your home. These systems are good for when you have areas of your residence that are rarely 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, giving you more control over the comfort of your home. Discover more about the zoning systems available from Gilray Heating and Cooling.