Many people suffer with pollen allergies, which tend to be terrible right around now for those who react to tree pollen. But there are many other things that can float around in your air causing allergic reactions and respiratory symptoms as well as other types of illness. What allergens are in your air besides pollen? How can you improve your indoor air quality and breathe easier? We’ve got some info for you.
Your air conditioner is a complex and delicate piece of equipment. It has many components, each doing separate and critical jobs that come together to create the cool air that you require in your home during the summer. And those components work hard for months, and then sit unused and gathering dust for months before being asked to start working hard again.
Your air conditioner requires maintenance! It deserves some pampering and preparation for this summer’s demand for cooling. What exactly does AC maintenance accomplish? What are the benefits? We’re so glad you asked! We’ll tell you all about it.
A broken-down air conditioner is an unpleasant, sweaty hassle. But with summer approaching, you know it’s something you might end up dealing with. Of course, it would be terrible to wait for a technician and pay for a repair if the problem was something you could easily fix yourself. But you’re not an HVAC expert. How would you know what to do?
It’s important to leave actual repairs to the professionals. Opening up an air conditioner and tinkering around is unsafe for you and for the air conditioner, and it will void your warranty. But there are some simple things you can definitely sort out yourself if you know what to look for. Here’s a quick checklist you can use to troubleshoot a broken-down air conditioner before you decide repairs are necessary.
A heat pump is very much like an air conditioner. Almost all of the components are the same or very similar. This means that when there’s a problem with how it’s working, chances are, it is one of the same problems that air conditioners encounter. This could be something like a problem with the blower fan motor, or refrigerant leaking from the coils somewhere.
However, there is one type of problem that heat pumps can have which is totally different from anything you’ve had to deal with from an air conditioner before. This is because of the one way that your heat pump really differs from an air conditioner. A heat pump can switch between heating and cooling with a component called a reversing valve. This part can fail, leaving your heat pump stuck in one mode.
In general, we always advise against postponing heating repairs. If something is going wrong with your furnace, continuing to run it while it struggles can worsen the problem. In addition, a struggling heating system will use more energy in order to keep trying to get the job done. This means postponing repairs will drive your utility bills up.
But it’s just about springtime! Surely if there was any time to put off heating repair, it would be now. You’re almost done running the heat. Can’t your furnace repairs wait until fall? Certain heating problems are bigger concerns than others. Here’s what you should never delay repairing.
We’ve almost made it through another winter! Spring is coming soon. If you’ve been looking forward to being able to turn off your heating system, you’re almost there. And there’s no doubt that it’s a relief—especially when it comes to paying your utility bills—when you can stop heating your home. But what if your relief is because you were afraid your heating system wouldn’t make it through the winter?
If you’ve got a struggling heating system, and you know you’ll need to replace it in the near future, we urge you to start that process now. Why would you replace your heating system at the end of the season? There are a few major benefits you’ll enjoy if you don’t wait until fall.
Boilers are truly fantastic heating systems. They’re great at keeping the temperature in a home very consistent. They use water to heat, so they don’t blow around dry air and dust like a forced-air furnace does. And they’re also less likely to require repairs than a furnace. This is because they have fewer moving parts and are less prone to corrosion.
But you know the one basic truth of the universe: nothing works perfectly forever. If you keep running that boiler, eventually, you’re going to run into a problem that requires repair. But there is something you can do to make it even less likely that your boiler will need repair: annual maintenance. It has other benefits, too!
Homeownership can be unexpectedly challenging. When you were frantically sorting out down payments and closing costs and inspections and moving trucks, you probably imagined that once the house was officially yours and you were moved in, you would be able to relax. You could breathe a sigh of relief and simply settle in.
While everyone was busy congratulating you on owning a home, did they bother to warn you about any of the things you should expect? Did they tell you about routine maintenance, or did they give you a fruit basket and go on their merry way? We’ll give you clear instructions on caring for your home’s heating system, so you won’t have to wonder, guess, or simply wait until something breaks down.
Boilers are fantastic heating systems. The heat they provide is very even, keeping your whole home perfectly comfortable. They’re longer-lasting than pretty much any other option, sometimes running for three decades before they need to be replaced. And they also require fewer repairs than other types of heating systems, largely because they have fewer moving parts which can break down.
However, no system is perfect. Nothing works forever without encountering a single problem. So on rare occasions, your boiler will have trouble and need repairs. It’s always best to have boiler repairs done promptly so the problems won’t get worse. How can you tell it’s time for repair? Listen for these sounds.
We talk a lot on this blog about heating maintenance. We really want everyone to know just how important it is. Yet the fact remains, not everyone has their heating system maintained every year. There are even folks who never have heating maintenance done! We’re concerned that they might be trying to cut expenses by not scheduling maintenance, when the truth is, they’re actually increasing their expenses.
If you’ve thought that paying to have a technician maintain your heating system sounds like a bill you don’t want to have to pay, please consider what we’re about to tell you. Heating maintenance will definitely save you money, and we believe in it so strongly that we’ve got a great offer that will save you even more.
