Don’t Delay on This Important Furnace Repair!

February 10th, 2020

natural-gas-burnersAre you one of the many homeowners in our area who uses a gas-powered furnace to keep your household comfortable? If so, we understand why! These powerful systems are durable and help you achieve optimal comfort. But, there is one potential safety risk to be aware of, and that’s a cracked heat exchanger. Of all the furnace repair needs you might ever need, this is the #1 need not to ignore or delay.

Just like any other powerful piece of equipment or appliance that produces combustion gas, an ill-maintained furnace can create health and safety hazards. No, furnaces aren’t inherently dangerous, but they can become so if you skip maintenance or delay a necessary repair like this one.

Cracked heat exchangers aren’t something that typically afflicts newer heating systems, but rather those around 10-15 years old. Read on to learn more!

Continue Reading

Furnace Installation: Not a DIY Project

January 27th, 2020

technician-working-on-furnaceThe fact that you’re reading a post on furnace installation leads us to believe that you’re in the unfortunate position of having your heating system break down on you right in the middle of the coldest month of the year. We understand the sense of urgency here, but we really cannot stress how vital it is to your system’s operation and your safety to leave a job of this caliber to the pros.

There are a variety of reasons for this. There is a great deal of work that goes into each and every heating system installation we do. This work contributes to your comfort, your heater’s efficiency, and your home safety. This is especially true in the case of a gas-powered furnace

Below, we’ve uncovered a few reasons why furnace installation is not a DIY, or “do it yourself” project. Read on, and when you’re ready to, give us a call to discuss your heating options!

Continue Reading

How to Use Your Heater and Pay Less Doing So

January 13th, 2020

animation-of-house-on-seesaw-with-money-symbol

When it comes to using our home comfort systems, we often think that the only way to save money is to use the systems less—but what if we told you this isn’t the case? What if we told you, you could use your heater more than you did last year, and save money? Some of the tips we’re about to share cost nothing more than a bit of your time, while others cost a little upfront to save you more later.

Read on as we uncover some ways to use your heater as much as you need to in order to stay comfortable, and pay less doing so!

Continue Reading

It’s Not Too Late! Prevent Heating Repairs Today

December 30th, 2019

jets-of-gas-furnaceHave you scheduled your heating maintenance appointment yet? The ideal time to do this is typically at the beginning of fall, in order to get your tune-up in before temperatures drop too low and you need your heating system the most. But it’s more important that you have this service done consistently, so if you haven’t yet scheduled your tune-up, now is the time!

Heating maintenance is what’s going to keep your system in good shape this season, and help fend off the worst of repair needs. It’s never a bad idea to have maintenance done—it’s a necessity, not a luxury. We do understand why heating maintenance may seem unnecessary, especially if nothing is apparently wrong with your heater right now—but we’d like to help your heater stay that way. So read on, and discover some of the best benefits of heating maintenance:

Continue Reading

Do Heaters Dry Out Indoor Air?

December 16th, 2019

wall-vent-near-floorThis is a common problem we have homeowners come to us with—they’re using their heaters but finding that it’s drying out their indoor air, so they want to use them less, but then they’re uncomfortable. We certainly don’t want you to be uncomfortable for the sake of your indoor air quality! Dry air is a frustrating problem, for sure, but ceasing use of your heater won’t help.

The thing is, modern home construction has our homes sealed up so tightly against the elements, that it blogs out many things like allergens and pollutants, while keeping your heated or air-conditioned air inside your home. This is great for HVAC efficiency! But dry air is certainly a beast. The reason we say ceasing heater use isn’t the answer is because installing a humidifier is the answer!

Continue Reading

Is Your Furnace Making These Strange Noises?

December 2nd, 2019

woman-covering-her-earsWe aren’t going to say your furnace should never make noise. After all, there’s no such thing as a completely soundless forced air heating system. You’re going to hear it turn on and off, and you’re going to hear the fluctuation of the ductwork as the temperatures change within them. You’ll also hear the air coming through your vents. But the thing about these noises is, you’ll always hear them—from day one.

What we want you to be concerned with is those noises that seemingly crop up out of nowhere—they’re unfamiliar, odd, or loud and unsettling. Some might be quieter than others, and therefore seem not as ominous. But the fact of the matter is, these types of furnace noises shouldn’t be ignored and repairs shouldn’t be delayed. Waiting on repairs of this nature can leave you with a completely broken down furnace right when you need it the most.

So, what noises, in particular, should you be attuned to?

Continue Reading

How to Boost Furnace Efficiency and Reduce Heating Costs

November 18th, 2019

seesaw-design-with-house-and-money-symbolThe holidays aren’t here quite yet, but with Black Friday right around the corner, the shopping is soon to begin. If you’re going to be out joining in the fun, or hey even if you have a budget you want to keep in control this time of the year, then you definitely don’t want to be spending more money than necessary on your furnace usage.

“Yeah, so, should I just not use my furnace?”

Let’s face it, that’s not really an option with our winters—and it doesn’t have to be! There are a number of things you can do that cost nothing, in order to boost your heater efficiency and keep some of that money in your wallet for yourself. So, what can you do?

Continue Reading

Why a Cracked Heat Exchanger Is Bad News

November 4th, 2019

jets-of-furnace-firingFirst off, it’s important to note that when we’re talking about heat exchangers in this particular post, we’re talking about those within gas-powered furnaces and heating systems. These gas-powered appliances are not inherently dangerous, but they can become so if not properly cared for.

Like most powerful appliances, or any appliance that generates combustion gases, a furnace could potentially create health and safety hazards if it’s not maintained on an annual basis, or if it isn’t repairs as soon as symptoms of a problem appear. Treat your gas-powered system well and you’ll have few things to worry about. Ignore a cracked heat exchanger, and that won’t be the case.

Continue Reading

Do Boilers Need Maintenance?

October 21st, 2019

top-of-boiler-with-pressure-gaugeFor most homeowners, the furnace has long time been the heating system of choice for their homes. Boilers are an alternative to this, mostly found in homes that don’t have a network of ventilation ductwork. If you have a boiler, it operates by circulating hot water through pipes to terminal points in your home, like radiators and baseboard heaters, where the heat then radiates into the rooms.

Most homeowners who utilize these heating systems enjoy the comfort and energy savings (not to mention subsequent monetary savings) they bring. They also appreciate how rarely their boiler needs repair. Boilers have fewer moving parts than furnaces after all, so they wear down slower and will require less fixes over their lifespan.

However, this doesn’t mean that they never need maintenance! Your boiler should never miss a routine fall maintenance appointment. For any type of heating system, we recommend annual maintenance.

Continue Reading

Could a Bad Thermostat be Hurting Your HVAC Efficiency?

October 7th, 2019

hand-setting-manual-thermostatWe’re fortunate to live in an area where our air conditioner use is brief. But that also means we’re using our heaters a lot. True, we don’t get the bitterly cold temperatures that folks in other parts of the country have to deal with, however considering how consistently we use our heaters, don’t you want to do everything you can to save energy and money?

Well, your thermostat use plays a big role in this. If the compressor is the heart of your HVAC system, the thermostat is the brain—if something is wrong with the thermostat then something is wrong with the whole heater or air conditioner. Read on to learn more!

Continue Reading