“DIY,” or “Do It Yourself” can be a great approach for lots of things. After all, if it can potentially save you time and money, what’s the harm?
But it’s important to realize that this philosophy only goes so far.
Yes, using your own know-how to do some landscaping or change the oil in your car can be a great idea, but is it for installing things like an AC?
The answer is no, and in this article, we’ll explain exactly why.
We understand—when it gets as cold as it does here, and never really warms up to the point we need our air conditioners to run for weeks on end, it’s easy to forget about these cooling systems and the service they need. Still though, however briefly you’ll need your air conditioner for, it’s wise to keep up on your annual maintenance appointments, so when you do need it, you can ensure it works as efficiently as possible.
Just like a tune-up for your care, an AC maintenance tune-up is vital to the overall performance of your air conditioner in addition to repair prevention.
Are 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!
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!
We 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.
First 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.
For 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.
Wouldn’t it be great if our appliances and home comfort systems lasted forever? Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case, no matter how well it is built or cared for. Your household air conditioner is no exception—it has a limited lifespan, and when it nears the end of that lifespan, it’s a good idea to have the system replaced before it suffers from an absolutely breakdown.
Given the time of year it is, you don’t want to wait until it actually breaks down to look into replacement options or consider if your system is about to call it quits. We want to help you determine when your air conditioner is on its final leg!
This way, you can arrange for replacement at a time that is convenient for you, rather than experiencing an emergency situation and needing to rush into your AC installation decision. So, how exactly can you tell if your air conditioner is about to call it quits?
As you might imagine, summertime is the most likely season for your air conditioner to call it quits—or at the very least, start to experience operational problems. After all, it’s getting much heavier use than it does in the spring or fall. All mechanical systems accumulate wear and tear over the years.
There’s good news, though! You can usually avoid surprise repairs or sudden air conditioner breakdowns with routine professional maintenance. This gives our pros the chance to uncover any signs of repair needs or malfunction. It also allows us to comprehensively clean out the system to make sure it is properly functioning.
Even with diligent tune-ups, however, it’s always wise to be aware of the sounds you should (and should not) hear coming from your cooling system. The following sounds indicate something is wrong and you should give our techs a call right away.
Spring may officially be here, but colder temps are hanging around. Sure, soon we’ll be able to turn our attention to our air conditioners—if you haven’t already now is a great time to schedule maintenance—but that doesn’t mean our furnaces aren’t done doing their part.
Your furnace has already put in months of hard work. During this final stretch of cooler weather is when it’s most likely to suffer from a malfunction, or possibly a full breakdown, if it’s not properly cared for. If you had maintenance done before winter began, then you’re probably in good shape. But what if you had a need for heating repair in Puyallup, WA that you didn’t take care of? Should you schedule repairs now, even though you won’t need your furnace again ‘til next fall?
