Heating & Cooling Frequently Asked Questions

Buyer Beware! At Mountaineer Heating & Cooling, we partner with several manufacturers to make available a product line that will accurately meet each application, of which there are many. Many of these manufacturers, including Trane, Water Furnace, Mitsubishi Electric, Aprilaire, and Honeywell (for specific products), prohibit online sales in order to ensure the products are installed by authorized contractors who are individually trained for each product. Any purchase made from web-only retailers or from internet-only sites OR any product where a model or serial number has been removed, replaced or altered in any way WILL NOT BE COVERED BY A MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. Remember, a digital or paper copy of a generic warranty statement will not be satisfactory for warranty claims, as each product has a serial number that must be registered with the manufacturer by a licensed and authorized installer. MHC registers the warranty on all products purchased and installed and will provide customers with a copy of the original written warranty.

As a general practice, MHC will only install the products we provide.  Products purchased from a source other than a licensed, authorized contractor are often previous generation, reproductions, remanufactured, discontinued or in less than “new in box” condition and do not carry a manufacturer’s warranty.  This policy applies only to new installs, as our Service Department will gladly provide diagnostics, repairs, and tune-ups on all brands of equipment, regardless of who installed it.

Unit of measurement for determining cooling capacity. One ton equals 12,000 Btuh.

Located in the furnace, the heat exchanger transfers heat to the surrounding air, which is then pumped throughout the home.

Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. A measure of heat pump heating efficiency. The higher the rating, the more efficient the heat pump. The US government’s established minimum HSPF rating for furnaces is 6.8%.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. A measure of cooling efficiency for air conditioners. The higher the SEER, the more energy efficient the unit. The government’s minimum SEER rating is 10.

A combination heat pump or air conditioner with indoor components such as a furnace or blower coil. Split systems should be matched for optimum efficiency.

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A measure of a furnace’s heating efficiency. The higher the AFUE percentage, the more efficient the product. The US government’s established minimum AFUE rating for furnaces is 78%.

The indoor part of a central air conditioning or heat pump system that moves cooled or heated air throughout the ductwork of your home. An air handler is usually a furnace or a blower coil.

The part of a heat pump or air conditioning system that is located inside the house in the air handler. It is here that the refrigerant evaporates as it absorbs heat from the air that passes over the coil.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, poisonous, flammable gas produced when carbon burns with insufficient air and is deadly to humans.

The ability to partition a home into various zones, thereby providing the opportunity to control comfort levels in each zone.

We offer heating and cooling repairs, furnace and heat pump service, AC repair, system installations, maintenance plans, ductless mini-split solutions, indoor air quality products, geothermal systems, and seasonal checkups for homes and businesses.

Yes. We service and repair 99% of HVAC brands. The only exceptions are oil units and minisplits from brands outside Mitsubishi, Trane, and Carrier.

We primarily serve Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and West Jefferson, along with surrounding areas throughout Watauga, Ashe, and Avery Counties.

Our team strives for fast turnaround, however, we are typically about 7-10 days out. During peak high temps and low temps, we can be 2-3 weeks out. However, we make every attempt to move calls up as quickly as we can get to them, especially emergency calls and repairs. We do offer exclusive after-hours service seven days a week for gold membership holders and give priority scheduling to our silver and gold members.

Yes. Our maintenance plans include seasonal checkups, priority scheduling, repair discounts, and after-hours access for customers invested in protecting the life of their system.

We install high-efficiency systems from Trane, Mitsubishi Electric, WaterFurnace, Bosch, and other trusted brands. Options include heat pumps, furnaces, ductless mini-splits, dual fuel system, and geothermal systems, and geothermal units.

Yes. You’ll receive a clear, simple, upfront proposal with no hidden fees. Every installation estimate includes a certified Manual J Load Calculation so the system is sized correctly for your home. We will not provide a verbal guesstimate or estimate without performing a Manual J Load Calculation under any circumstances.

It’s a required engineering calculation that determines the exact heating and cooling needs of your home. It ensures your system works efficiently and lasts longer. North Carolina requires this by law and licensing requirements so we take pride in the fact that we do 100% of time, for our customer's protection and ours.

Absolutely. Our technicians are trained to diagnose and repair both older and newer systems. If repairs aren’t cost-effective, we’ll walk you through replacement options without pressure.

We install electronic air cleaners, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, UV treatment, specialized thermostats, and home automation enhancements.

We offer heating checks to ensure your heat operates safely and efficiently, and cooling checks to prepare your AC for warmer weather. These help reduce repair risks and energy costs.

Yes. We partner with synchrony financing so you can upgrade your home’s comfort system with flexible payment options.

Frequent breakdowns, rising energy bills, inconsistent temperatures, and aging equipment often signal that replacement may be more cost-effective. We evaluate your system and provide honest guidance. We always make recommendations that are in our customer's best interest and not necessarily what is the 'easiest' thing for us. We are here to serve our customers, not to make business easy on ourselves.

We regularly install Trane, Mitsubishi Electric, WaterFurnace geothermal systems, Bosch, and other highly reliable options that withstand mountain weather.

Yes. We install smart thermostats—including Trane, Honeywell, and others—and provide concierge setup so you can control your climate from anywhere. We do not recommend NEST thermostat systems due to their inefficiencies and how poorly they interact with and control the system at large, so we do not provide these options as part of our line-up.

We are a commercial license holder, but we are not accepting new commercial customers at this time or in the near future.

We handle everything from ordering equipment to full installation, removal of old units (99% of the time), tuning, testing, warranty registration, and teaching you how to use your new system. Your home is left clean and comfortable.

Give us a call, or text us, at 828-264-6625, stop by our office at 220 Postal St, Boone, NC 28607, or request service through our website.

Homeowners in Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, and West Jefferson consistently trust Mountaineer Heating & Cooling for reliable repairs, certified installations, honest pricing, and friendly, small-town service backed by over 40 years of experience. We were the first HVAC contractor in Watauga County so we are the leader in high-quality, high-efficiency systems for our service area.

You’ll find Mountaineer Heating & Cooling at 220 Postal St, Boone, NC 28607, serving Watauga, Ashe, and Avery Counties with dependable heating and cooling solutions year-round.