Furnace Upkeep to Consider

Your furnace is one of the most important investments you will make concerning your home comfort and indoor air quality. Therefore it is important to protect that investment by performing regular manufacturer required maintenance. Keep in mind that there are many things you will need to let one of our professional technicians do during a scheduled maintenance check, since they have the training and the tools for the job; do not try to perform any furnace maintenance you have not had the training for. If you routinely check your furnace and schedule appointments to have it professionally checked, you will be saving money on costly repairs, especially since many furnace warranties lose their validity if you cannot prove that you have been performing the manufacturer required maintenance checks.

Self-Performed Maintenance

Aside from the professional maintenance checks, there are a few things you can do to make sure your furnace is running at top condition, saving you money on energy costs. First, you should make sure your furnace filter is fresh, changing it for a new one if it has become saturated with dust and debris. This is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to keep your furnace running at its peak efficiency. Second, an even cheaper way of keeping your furnace working efficiently is to keep the area around it clean and clutter free. Too much dust and clutter build up can affect your furnace’s performance and the indoor air quality of your home. While you are doing these simple checks, you can also look around your furnace to make sure it does not have any cracks or leaks, which can cause it to run less efficiently while pumping dangerous carbon monoxide into your home.

Manufacturer Required Maintenance

While self-checks are a good practice to maintain, they are only a form of upkeep until the scheduled maintenance checks by a professional technician. When a technician comes into your home for the manufacturer required maintenance, you can expect the technician to check your furnace’s fan belts, blower, and burners. He will also make sure the wiring is in good condition and the thermostat is working properly. Other things he may do are check for gas leaks, make any necessary adjustments, and do a general cleaning of the furnace unit. All of these things will elongate the life of your furnace and, potentially, the life of its warranty, so make sure to schedule at least one of these checks a year to guarantee your furnace is in the best shape it can be.

Furnace Replacement

Eventually, every furnace, no matter how well cared for will need to be replaced. Hopefully, this time will not come soon, especially if you have recently installed a new furnace in your home, but if you are living in an older home with an older furnace, sometimes it may come to that point when regular maintenance is no longer enough. In that case you will need to purchase a new heating system that will last for years to come and will hopefully be more energy efficient than the last. But until that time comes, even if you are working with an older furnace, abiding to the manufacturer’s required maintenance standard will help keep your furnace running safely and efficiently for many years to come.

Infrared Heating for Your Home Comfort

A lot of people don't consider having infrared heating, but in fact it's a very efficient way of increasing home comfort and can even lead to lower fuel costs. There are numerous advantages to choosing this type of heating, as it's very efficient and safe and is able to put out heat that can be evenly distributed. It's been estimated that your heating bill could be reduced by up to half, just by using an infrared heater that is capable of warming up to 1000 ft.² of living space.

How Does Infrared Heating Work?

The way infrared heating works is really quite clever, and is one of the things that make it so efficient. A lot of heaters warm up a room unevenly, but you'll find this is never a problem with infrared heating as the warmth will surround you, greatly increasing your home comfort. The reason it is able to do this is due to convection heating. Once the air is heated on the infrared heating elements, it's pushed back into the room through using fans. This means the heat can be evenly distributed right throughout the room, and unlike a lot of heating systems there's no need to use ceiling fans to push the heat back down. There's another advantage to choosing infrared heating, as of this type of warmth works by heating up objects in the room, so once you turn the heat off the objects will continue to emit heat back into the room. This is much more efficient than merely warming up the air in the room, as once the heater is turned off the air quickly loses this warmth. 

A Safe and Effective Way of Heating Your Home

Infrared heating really is a safe and effective method of heating your home, and if you're looking for a portable heater and then this would be an excellent choice. This particular heating system uses infrared waves they cannot be seen by the naked eye to heat up objects which is very similar to the way the sun operates. On a hot sunny day many people choose to wear light-colored clothing to reflect back to heat, as dark clothing tends to absorb the warmth. This is a perfect example of the way infrared heating warms up objects such as clothes, making you feel much warmer. This method of heating doesn't rely on anything being burnt to produce the warmth, so it's extremely safe. The better quality heaters have a built-in air filters that can trap up to 97% of dust particles found in the air, as well as allergens. Some of the more sophisticated models even have ultraviolet air cleaners that help to get rid of viruses and bacteria that are airborne. Infrared heating is the perfect way to stay warm while staying healthy.

Save Money by Using Infrared Heating

If you are worried about energy prices then you'll love having an infrared heating system as you should enjoy lower fuel costs. Infrared heating is a very efficient way of warming up a room, as they need relatively little energy, and certainly less than a heating system using propane, wood, kerosene or electricity.

Will a Solar Heating and Cooling System Keep My Home Warm during winter?

Choosing a green and renewable energy source to heat and cool your home is all very well, but are they really that efficient and will you be kept warm during winter? The quick answer to this is definitely yes, and solar energy can be a great way to lower fuel costs and actually get something for free, which is quite remarkable these days. It's an excellent way of lowering your dependence on fossil fuels, and it's always a good feeling to know you are doing something to help everyone have a cleaner environment. There are various types of solar heating and cooling systems, so you can choose the one that will do the most to increase your home comfort, and which will give the greatest energy savings.

Choosing a System That Is Tied in to the Electricity Grid

This is the type of system that will be suitable for most people. It can be extremely effective, and is the least costly of all solar and heating systems that can be used for residential homes. The idea behind this system is that you can use your own electricity, generated by your own photovoltaic cells to lower fuel costs, but if your own system doesn't produce sufficient electricity for your needs then you're tied into the national grid so there's never any concerns about being left without power. Another huge advantage of this system is that if your photovoltaic cells produce excess electricity, then this is fed back into the grid. This particular system is called net metering, and will give you the wonderful experience of seeing your electricity meter turned backwards. These types of systems often have rebates available from the government or local utility companies which can make them highly affordable and efficient.

Choosing a System That Isn't Tied into the Electricity Grid

These types of solar heating and cooling systems are often referred to as being off the grid, as they aren't tied into any type of local electricity grid. The idea is that they are capable of producing all the power needed by the home. This type of system is much more expensive, and is only really suitable for homes in remote locations that don't have access to local power lines. Although most people wouldn't choose to have this type of standalone system, it can be an excellent way of being more self-sufficient in a remote location.

Finding Out More about Solar Heating and Cooling Systems

If you are thinking of installing a solar heating and cooling system to keep your home warm and cozy this winter then it's essential to get the correct advice from a properly qualified installer. They'll be able to assess your home and decide where the photovoltaic cells should be located. They can also perform tests to assess how much electricity your home will be able to produce on a monthly and annual basis. You also need to have a roof that is sufficiently big enough for the solar modules, and you'll need to find out if there are any restrictions on solar installations in your neighborhood. Once your solar heating and cooling system is installed, then you can look forward to many years of free electricity production.

What Are Air Exchangers and Why Might I Need One this winter?

Fresh air is essential for a healthy home, and while it's easy to get fresh air into the house during summer, it can be something of a problem during the winter months. This is especially true for newer homes that have been built with energy savings in mind, and are often sealed up tightly to prevent heat loss. While energy savings are always good, a lack of ventilation can have a huge effect on the health of your family. If your home is sealed up tightly, then the air within it can be up to ten times more polluted than the fresh air outside. This might sound like a staggering figure, but when you think about it it's easy to see how it could happen. It's easy for pet dander, plant pollen, and other airborne microbes to build up. Even worse, some homes may be at risk of radon which is a very toxic gas. All this can have a detrimental effect on the health of your family, and at the very least can increase the risk of suffering from allergies and asthma. This is where an air exchanger comes into play, and can be hugely beneficial in keeping your home environment fresh.

Different Types of Air Exchangers

There are various different types of air exchangers on the market. These include air exchangers that only remove stale air from the home, and which are called exhaust only air exchangers. These are generally suitable for rooms that might suffer high levels of pollutants such as the kitchen and bathroom. Another type of air exchanger uses a fan to push outside air into a home, and is typically used to ventilate the rooms that are used most such as bedrooms and living rooms. This type of system is called a supply only air exchanger. The most sophisticated air exchanger uses both of these systems to remove stale unpolluted air and to replace it with fresh air from outside, and is called a balanced system. This kind of system works in conjunction with your HVAC system, and although vents can be installed in every single room in the home, most people choose to only have them in the bedrooms and living rooms, as well as other rooms that may have higher levels of pollutants. 

Does This Type of System Cool down a Home?

While you have been reading this you might've been wondering whether you’d just be better off opening a window or door to let in fresh air, as it sounds as if these air exchangers result in a home losing heat. In fact balanced systems utilize a way of recovering heat from the air extracted so it can be introduced into the cold air from outside. During the summer months the system works in reverse, producing a cooling effect and helping to lower fuel costs.

Air exchangers can incorporate Filters

Air exchangers often have filters in them that are very effective at removing dust and pollen from the inside air, and which will filter incoming air to make sure you and your family remain as healthy as possible. These can give your family year-round protection, and can help keep your home relatively dust free.