Category: Heating

Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying a New AC or Furnace

The purchase of a new air conditioner or furnace is one of the larger expenses you can expect during your home’s lifetime. If the system you buy does its job properly, you’ll receive the benefits of reliable household heating and cooling. On the other hand, if your new heating or cooling system doesn’t work reliably and efficiently, you may end up paying the price for decades to come. Here are some of the key pitfalls to avoid when purchasing a new residential furnace or AC. Buying a System That’s Too Big or Small Each residential air conditioner and furnace on the market is designed to deliver cooling or heating to a home of a certain size and layout. Unfortunately, many consumers mistakenly purchase a system that’s too large or too small for their home. Potential consequences of this mistake include early furnace or AC failure, unnecessarily steep monthly utility costs and a perpetually uncomfortable building interior. Failing to Check Your HVAC Contractor’s Background No matter where you live in the U.S., you probably have access to a number of skilled and reputable heating and cooling contractors. Unfortunately, you also likely have access to disreputable contractors who do such things as

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What Size Heat Pump Do I Need?

There are several important steps in the process of selecting the right heat pump for your home. You need to determine the best type of heat pump for your home and climate (air source, water source or ground source), decide on your desired efficiency rating, and select the installation method and features of your new heat pump. Finally, you need to size your heat pump properly to make sure that you are heating your home effectively and efficiently. Correctly sizing your heat pump is very important, and fortunately there is a standard sizing method used nationwide. This method, created by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, is known as the Manual J method for sizing heat pumps. The Manual J method considers eight variables to help you size your heat pump with confidence. The Right Size Saves Money Getting the right size heat pump really does make a significant difference to the efficacy, reliability and efficiency of your HVAC system. Heat pumps that are too small or too large for a home can have a number of negative consequences, including higher energy costs, drastic temperature differences inside, poor humidity control and frequent on-and-off cycling that strains the system. Consulting an experienced and

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Heating and Cooling Tips

Your HVAC system is responsible for cleaning, heating and cooling the air in your home. This article contains heating and cooling tips and tricks that will ensure air conditioning in your home is smooth and efficient. Ventilation Ventilation is an important part of your home and should be properly cared for. Proper ventilation will not only control humidity in your home, but also prevent growth of mold and other moisture-related problems. Make it a habit to clean the ventilation more often and also check to ensure the ductwork is properly sealed. Energy Savings HVAC systems take up a lot of the monthly energy bills, especially during extremely cold seasons. To save money on energy bills, switch to a newer and more energy efficient unit. It is also important that you adjust the thermostat settings to suit your current weather if you are to lower energy bills. Maintenance To ensure your air conditioning unit serves you for the longest period of time, it is important to perform maintenance checks every few weeks. The easiest way to maintain your unit is by cleaning and replacing the filter every two to three months. It would also be wise to have a professional inspect

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Why You Should Care About Maintaining Your Home’s HVAC

Did you know that your HVAC should be inspected about twice a year? With spring right around the corner, you’ll want your AC to be checked out so you and your family can be as comfortable as possible once the heat hits. Once the colder months of the year roll back around, it is important to make sure that your home’s heater is in proper working order. Neglecting regular maintenance for your HVAC can cause you to run into some costly problems. Be wary of these serious issues that you can run into: Bad air quality in your home It is much more likely that you will experience more sick days during the winter than you would in the summer. This is due greatly to a lowered immune system in the colder months. However, if you are breathing in dirty air due to a heater that isn’t working properly, this will not help you in your efforts to stay healthy. If you regularly maintain your heater, you will have much cleaner air to breathe in your home. Costly repairs that could have been avoided If you were to never change the oil in your car, you would eventually have to invest in a whole new

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Three things to do before you replace your furnace

If you are noticing that your furnace is not performing as well as you may want it to, it is important for you to invest in a new one as soon as possible. Purchasing a furnace replacement will ensure that you are prepared for the colder season, without having to worry about putting the task off too late. A good furnace should always be purchased with a few considerations in mind in order to make the most of furnace efficiency. To begin the purchasing process, look into your heating capacity and think about what type of furnace will best suit your needs. This involves performing a check of your house in order to take a few things into consideration, such as the size of your home, the occupants, and the placement of the windows. HVAC professionals can help make this process simpler and more effective. Investing according to fuel efficiency can be another good way to make the most of your furnace’s functions. All furnaces come with a fuel efficiency rating that you can use as a measurement system to determine which ones will be right for you. Usually, the closer that the number is to 100%, the better its

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Heat pumps vs. furnaces for heating

Has the time come to choose a new heating system for your home? Chances are, you will need to decide between a furnace and a heat pump. Almost all American homes use one of these two systems, and while both work well they also have many differences. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each system will help you to choose the very best heating equipment for your home. Fuel And Power Furnaces get their energy from either electricity or fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil or propane. Urban homes use electricity or natural gas (provided by utility companies), while homeowners outside the utility supply range may opt for tanks of oil or propane. Any kind of fuel-based furnace comes with a small risk of carbon monoxide exposure and of fuel ignition resulting in a fire or explosion. Heat pumps run on standard residential electrical power. Since they do not run on fuel, they produce no carbon monoxide (which is a byproduct of fuel combustion) and have no risk of ignition. How They Work Furnace systems use thermostats to detect the indoor temperature of a home and turn the furnace on the temperature falls below a set level. The system

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Making the Right Choice: Replace or Repair My Equipment?

The act of replacing or repairing your air conditioner is not one that should be taken lightly. It is very important especially because it relates directly to the quality of life you lead. There are essential questions to ask when contemplating on whether to repair or replace it. Has it exhausted its useful life? How much have I spent so far on its repairs? For how long have used this air conditioner? Consult an expertMost experts especially those you have heard long working relations with will give you an excellent report on things as they stand. This will enable you make the right decision on the course of action to take. An expert will be able to determine the extent of damage to the equipment and the probability of lasting for a certain period after a repair. AgeAs equipment ages its level of inefficiency increases and should therefore be replaced. The machine may have exhausted its useful life and all it does is break down. When a machine is constantly in need of repair, then it is high time you replaced it. If it is just few times, then it can be repaired and used for a while. Cost of

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Main Causes of Heating and Air Conditioning Inefficiency

When you notice a sudden increase in your utility bills or your home is not as cozy as it should be, there could be a problem with your heating and air conditioning units. After all, they account for about half of your overall energy consumption. Several factors can cause them to become inefficient. Some of these are evident, while others require scrutiny. Heating and Air Conditioning: What Causes Poor Energy Efficiency? Faulty heating and air conditioning systems not only compromise your home’s comfort and energy efficiency but can also affect your health. That is why when you notice any of these problems, always seek the help of an expert. Improper Size. A unit that is too small for your home will work harder to regulate the proper indoor temperature. Conversely, a unit that’s too big will cycle on and off many times, which wastes energy. When investing in an HVAC system, have a professional to measure your home’s energy loss rate to identify the right size for your needs. Outdated Unit. According to the Department of Energy, the service life of an HVAC system is about 15 to 20 years when properly maintained. Most older units, however, operate efficiently for about 10 years. When

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A Furnace Tune Up Today Can Prevent Costly Repairs Later

The best way to take care of a home’s heating system is to have the furnace maintained by a professional. An Annual Furnace Maintenance inspection will keep a furnace in proper working order, which prevents issues that could arise later. During a normal preseason furnace maintenance inspection a technician will go over the internal and external components of a furnace. By checking the wiring system, cleaning the burner, checking pipes and connectors for leaks, changing the filter, clearing vents if necessary and calibrating the thermostat to regulate the temperature, serious mechanical problems can be avoided. Think of the maintenance required for a furnace to be similar to that of a car. Regular inspections and maintenance keeps a car running longer, the same is true of a furnace. Over time a lot of furnace parts can wear down, dirt can build up in orifices, leaks can be caused, and a furnace can start to struggle to work. A dirty filter will also cause a furnace to struggle and consume more energy to operate. Changing the filter regularly can lengthen the life of a furnace, improve efficiency, and prevent respiratory illnesses. Having an expert HVAC inspection can help prevent costly emergency repairs

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Carrier Donates to Georgia Northwestern HVAC Program

The Chattanooga based firm, Carrier Enterprise, has donated funds to assist with training students attending Northwestern Technical College in Georgia. Recently, the Tennessee firm provided a Carrier touch-screen Wi-Fi thermostat to the college as well. Carrier gave the college more than $10,000 worth of equipment and training. This will be used for the ventilation, air conditioning and heating program taught at the college’s campus in Walker County, Rock Spring. It has been widely reported that Carrier donates to Georgia Northwestern HVAC program, as a way of training the next generation of techs to service the Infinity air Conditioning System. Undoubtedly, this system is among Carrier’s best models. Another benefit of this training arrangement, is that when industry representatives visit the college, students get the chance to network with them. Hence, students learn the right information and meet the right people. In addition, at its’ Chattanooga premises, Carrier trains students of the college free of charge on how to service its’ products. Inspired by Willis Carrier’s early twentieth century work on air conditioning systems, Carrier is a leading global brand in refrigeration, air conditioning and heating solutions. Nowadays, Carrier products are used the world over, in almost every area of day

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