Most people will call for air conditioning repairs as soon as they notice a problem with their systems. That’s all well and good, but prompt repairs aren’t the only way to keep your air conditioner healthy. In fact, they’re arguably not even the best way. Preventive maintenance is a big part of ensuring that your air conditioner has a long and healthy life. It’s so important, in fact, that most manufacturer warranties list it as a requirement for continued protection. Read on to find out more about why air conditioning maintenance is so important, and why you should schedule it this spring.
Sound Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Tacoma’
Why Spring Air Conditioning Maintenance Is So Important
Monday, May 18th, 2015Why You Should Consider Installing a Zone Control System
Monday, May 11th, 2015Summer is almost here, and that means that people are getting their air conditioners ready for the hot season. While plenty of people know to schedule preventive maintenance and prompt repairs for their air conditioning system, they don’t often think about other ways to improve how their homes are cooled. A central air conditioner isn’t perfect, and it has a number of disadvantages that prevent it from cooling your home as well as it should. Not to worry, though. There is a way to solve for these disadvantages. All you need is a zone control system. Read on to find out more about zone control systems, and why you should consider installing one.
3 Common Summer Air Conditioning Problems
Monday, May 4th, 2015We enjoy mild weather here in Tacoma, WA, but summers can be surprisingly warm. A reliable air conditioning system helps you get through those heat waves comfortably. If it breaks down, you need a repair service to move fast. And while you should never attempt to fix a broken air conditioner yourself, it pays to know what kind of problems your system may experience this summer. That lets you give the technician a better idea of where to look, which can cut down on repair time considerably. Here’s a list of 3 common summer air conditioning problems.
Why is there Ice on My Heat Pump?
Wednesday, March 11th, 2015Finding ice on the outside of your heat pump is not uncommon, especially in cold environments. Most people tend to assume that this indicates a problem with the heat pump. This isn’t necessarily true, though there is a way to tell whether you need to call for heating repair for this. First, let’s take a look at why ice forms on a heat pump in the first place. Then, we’ll tell you how to identify if you need to call a professional or not.
The Cause of Heat Pump Ice
A heat pump works by evaporating refrigerant to absorb thermal energy from the surrounding outside air. It then sends that thermal energy inside to heat the home. There are two effects to evaporating refrigerant in this way. First, the temperature in the surrounding area drops as the thermal energy is siphoned out of the air. Second, condensation begins to form on the heat pump coil and the surrounding casing. The combination of those two effects causes ice to form on the heat pump.
When is Ice on My Heat Pump a Problem?
So, the question remains about when ice on the heat pump is a problem. Well, if left unchecked, the ice will continue to build up until it completely encases the heat pump. This is a problem because it cuts off the supply of thermal energy from the surrounding air, essentially preventing the heat pump from heating the home. Now, the heat pump is designed to address this problem by using a defrost cycle. Basically, the heat pump will periodically reverse the refrigerant flow in the system to melt the ice off the outside unit.
The problem you should be aware of is that the defrost cycle can sometimes malfunction. If this happens, there is nothing to prevent the ice from eventually covering the entire heat pump. So, the best way to tell if you should call a professional for this is to note the amount of ice on the pump. If there’s only a little ice, there’s no reason to worry. If there is a large amount of ice, or the ice is slowly growing over time, you should call a technician to check your defrost cycle.
If your heat pump needs repairs, call Sound Heating. We provide quality heating repair services in Tacoma, WA.
Energy Saving Tips for the Winter
Monday, January 5th, 2015If you’re looking for ways to save some energy as the new year begins and the heating season is in full swing, there are a few ways to do so without shutting off your heating system altogether. Sometimes, all a heating system really needs is a brief tune-up. Other times, you’ll need to install a new part, like a thermostat. And while it may be the case that you need a new heating system entirely, there are many affordable options to choose from with efficiency ratings that will far exceed your existing unit’s level of efficiency.
Here are a few of the ways you can upgrade your heating system for maximum savings.
- Set the thermostat to an energy-efficient temperature. A programmable thermostat allows you the ability to decide the temperature you expect your heating system to reach at different times of the day. Try setting the heater to kick in only when the temperature drops below 68 degrees. When you’re away or asleep, you can set your thermostat ten degrees lower, and program it to begin to heat up again 30 minutes before you wake up or arrive home. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, consider having a technician install one.
- Schedule heating maintenance every year. Another way to make sure you continue to save energy every year is by scheduling maintenance. As the heating system goes on, parts of your heater are bound to become a bit worn down. And when your heating system goes unused throughout the cooling season, pieces will get dirty and parts may even loosen or fall into a state of disrepair. It’s a good idea to schedule regular maintenance with a heating professional in order to prevent any sudden repair needs and keep your unit in top shape and at peak efficiency.
- Consider a new heating system. No homeowner wants to hear the bad news about their home heating system, but the fact is that any unit will lose its ability to heat a home efficiently over time. Sometimes, a new heating system is your best option. But new heaters are designed to be far more efficient than those built decades ago thanks to new government standards and advancements in technology.
Call Sound Heating to learn more about maximizing the efficiency of your heating. To schedule heating service in Tacoma, call us today!
Ground Source vs. Air Source: Which Kind of Heat Pump Is Better?
Friday, December 19th, 2014Heat pumps are becoming more common, and that has caused a huge jump in demand for accurate information and advice on their selection and operations. The question “which kind of heat pump is better?” has become quite common, and it’s not hard to see why. Homeowners are always careful to make sure that they get the best fit for their needs and their home. They don’t want to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in a system that isn’t going to take good care of them. With that in mind, let’s attempt to answer this question.
Air Source Heat Pumps
The core of this question has to do with where the heat pump gets the thermal energy that it uses to heat the home. First, though, let’s discuss how heat pumps work. A heat pump is not a combustion-based system, like a furnace or a boiler. Those systems create heat by burning some kind of fuel. Instead, a heat pump draws heat from one area and deposits it in another.
Air source heat pumps do this by using two different units, an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The outdoor unit is installed outside the house, while the indoor unit is installed inside. When the heat is turned on, the outdoor unit will siphon thermal energy from the surrounding air and send it inside to heat the house.
Like all heat pumps, an air source heat pump is very energy efficient in most cases and will save money on heating bills. However, in climates that routinely reach sub-zero temperatures there isn’t enough thermal energy to make an air source heat pump worth it.
Ground Source
Ground source, or geothermal, heat pumps draw their heat from the ground instead of the air. They do this by relying on an underground pipe loop filled with refrigerant. When the heater turns on, it cycles this refrigerant through the main unit and siphons heat from it instead of the air. This solves the problem with air source heat pumps because the temperature underground remains fairly constant, regardless of the weather outside. Thus, they always have a renewable heat source to draw on. Unfortunately, they also require more space to install the loop.
If you’d like to know more, call Sound Heating. We provide heating services throughout Tacoma.
Options for Hydronic Heating Systems
Friday, December 12th, 2014People have kept themselves warm with hot water for a millennia, but it wasn’t until about a 100 years ago that use of hot water was harnessed to heat entire homes. What are we talking about? Hydronic heating systems: systems that use hot water, or its byproduct, steam, to heat your home. Lots of innovations have happened over the last century in the heating industry, giving homeowners lots of choices when it comes to home heating.
If you’ve decided that hot water is the way you’d like to heat your home, you have a few choices for outlets:
Radiators
Radiators have been the staple outlet for hydronic systems since boilers were first produced. Radiators are still great for providing heat, and these days you can choose from a wide variety of styles to fit just about any home. Conventional radiators are the types with “ribs” – tubes that carry the hot water or steam through the radiator and release the heat. Radiators heat effectively and do so gently. Air bubbles can develop in radiator so it’s important to release the air once a year to ensure air lock doesn’t occur.
Baseboard Heating
Baseboard heating works similarly to radiators, but the configuration of the outlet itself is different from a standing radiator. As the name suggests, baseboard heaters are placed on the floor and are part of the baseboard of the room it’s placed in. The piping has fins attached so that when the hot water or steam flows through the pipe, the fins can radiate heat along with the pipe, similar to the ribs of a conventional radiator. The piping and fins are covered, and there are many types of baseboard covers available to complement your décor.
Radiant Heating
Hot water or steam can also be used in radiant heating. With radiant heating, flexible PEX tubing is installed onto subflooring and the hot water or steam flows through, heating the floor above it. Radiant panels for walls and ceilings can also be hydronic, but electricity is preferred. As with radiators and baseboard heating, circulating pumps push the water through the system.
Hydronic systems offer a gentle, comfortable heat for your home. If you think a hydronic heating system is a fit for your home, call Sound Heating today and schedule your heating installation in Tacoma with one of our HVAC experts!
Types of Gas Furnace Safety Mechanisms
Friday, December 5th, 2014Because a furnace is usually hooked up to the gas line, some homeowners may worry about the safety of their home and family. Unfortunately, gas furnaces are sometimes unfairly written off as unsafe since they deal with combustion gases that could be hazardous. In reality, today’s furnaces are actually incredibly safe and contain key features that help to protect your home. These features should always work properly so long as the unit is properly installed and continuously maintained.
Be sure to call a technician whenever you suspect that a component of your furnace is not working, like the Tacoma heating experts at Sound Heating, or for routine maintenance and inspection every year. For now, take a look at some of these key furnace safety features, so you can rest easy knowing your furnace won’t cause you any harm throughout the night.
- Furnace Limit Switch: The furnace fan limit switch, at its most basic function, is a part that tells the fan when to turn on and off. This keeps your fan from continuously blowing after your home has reached the desired temperature. But it is also an important safety mechanism on any furnace that keeps the furnace plenum from overheating so that there is no damage to the unit and so that flames cannot escape.
- Thermocouple: The thermocouple is a feature that protects the combustion chamber from filling up with unburned gases. If the standing pilot light were to go out, the chamber could fill up with these gases which would lead to an explosion in some cases. The thermocouple is a simple component that senses when the pilot light is off and closes the gas valve.
- Flame Sensor: In today’s furnaces, the thermocouple is actually no longer necessary for most modern units. Older furnaces required a standing pilot, while most of today’s units use hot surface ignition or an intermittent pilot instead of requiring the pilot to remain on. For these furnaces, a mercury sensor performs a similar job to the thermocouple.
If you’re worried about the safety of your furnace or need a professional to troubleshoot strange sounds or other indications that a furnace is in a state of disrepair, you should talk to the professionals at Sound Heating. We offer repairs, maintenance, and installation for heating systems in Tacoma and the surrounding area.
How Does a New Thermostat Help with Heating?
Friday, November 28th, 2014Although the thermostat is a physically small component of the heating system in a home, it is one of the most important. When a thermostat begins to malfunction, it can have a huge effect on how well your home is heated; and if the thermostat stops working entirely, you won’t have the ability to turn the heater on or off.
However, you can have a perfectly working thermostat but still suffer from inferior heating because the thermostat is out-of-date and in need of an upgrade. If you still have an older manual thermostat or a standard digital thermostat without programmable features, you should call Sound Heating today and talk to our heating experts about updating your heating system with new controls. We install and service a variety of thermostats to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of heating in Tacoma, WA and the surrounding areas.
Ways That a New Thermostat Will Mean Better Heating
- Improved precision: If you are still using a manual thermostat with sliders and dials, you are missing out on precision temperature settings. Digital thermostats are much more accurate, which will help you with comfort as well as energy savings.
- Programmability and energy savings: Most digital thermostats today come with programming. These programs vary from simple (one setting for the morning, one for the evening) to complex (settings for each day of the week) so you can choose the right kind for your budget. Programmable thermostats allow you to enjoy comfort without wasting energy: if you want the house warmed up before you come home each evening, but you don’t want to drain energy running the heater all day, you can program the thermostat to turn the heating system on a half hour before the time you plan to return.
- Zone control: To fully update your thermostat, have multiple thermostats installed as part of a new zone control system. Zone control uses dampers inside the ductwork to control the flow of heat to different parts of the house. A network of wireless thermostats manipulates each of the dampers. You can turn heating on and off from a central thermostat, or change the temperature in individual rooms using the local thermostats. Thanks to wireless technology, it is easier than ever to set up a zone control system for a home.
Because there is a large variety of thermostats available, you need trained professionals to help you choose the one that will do the job you need for your home. Call Sound Heating today: we offer many different thermostat models and brands, and our professional installers will see that you receive top quality service that will benefit your heating.
Common Heating System Repairs to Look Out for
Friday, November 14th, 2014Any type of heating system may have its advantages and drawbacks. A furnace, the most popular choice for home heating in the United States, is a reliable heating system that works in any home with a set of ducts. Though older models were rather inefficient, today’s units use far less energy to heat the air than they once did. Many people choose a heat pump for heating instead, which is an extremely efficient type of system that also allows for air conditioning. These can have a very long lifespan, but you may need an additional source of heating for nights when the temperature drops too low. Finally, the boiler is one of the most durable systems available, requiring fewer repairs because of how little energy is utilized to heat and circulate water.
However, you can buy the best heating system available on the market today, and it will still encounter repairs at some point in its life. And any time you run into a repair need, you should schedule immediate service to make sure the problem doesn’t worsen and hamper efficiency or that you suddenly lose heating in the middle of the night. Be on the lookout for any of the following common repair needs for any type of heating system.
- Strange Noises: Unusual noises from your heating system usually indicate that something is wrong. In a heat pump, it could signal compressor damage. In any type of forced-air heating system, loud noises can indicate trouble with the motor. And with a boiler, an unusual noise could indicate kittling, pump damage, or a number of other issues.
- Reduced Heating: Of course, you probably know to call a plumber when your heating system delivers no heat at all. But what if there is simply not enough heat? If it’s tolerable, the repairs can wait, right? Waiting to schedule repairs will only cause parts to become worn down, and your unit may break down in the middle of the night without warning.
- Short Cycling: Short cycling is when your unit starts up and runs for a short while, only to turn off before the heating cycle is completed. Some of the most important components of a heat pump, furnace, or boiler may be responsible for this problem although it could simply indicate a faulty thermostat.
Don’t wait to schedule heating repairs in Tacoma with a trained professional. Call Sound Heating for friendly, professional service today!