Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Month: February 2016

Spring is just around the corner, and that means that before long you are going to be turning to your air conditioning system once more. As temperatures begin to rise, you need to know that your air conditioner is in the great condition necessary for operating as efficiently and effectively as possible. That means that your system must be well-maintained.  Scheduling routine air conditioning maintenance in Wellington, CO is the only way in which you can hope to get the very best performance that your air conditioner has to offer. Some homeowners fail to stick to a routine maintenance schedule, though, and that is when they wind up in trouble. 

The Season Doesn’t Matter As Much As Annual Completion

Some homeowners get hung up on the season in which their air conditioner is maintained, but in truth this is not the most important consideration to make. While many homeowners may choose to have their system tuned up before going into a new cooling system, others prefer to have it done at the end of the cooling season, just after the AC has completed its work for the year. Either case is fine, so long as you stick to the schedule that you decide upon.

For instance, if you have your air conditioner tuned-up at the close of the heating season, you really don’t need to have that system tuned-up again in the springtime. You should wait until fall, and stick to that once-a-year schedule. If you have your system tuned up in the spring, though, and realize the following year that you’ve forgotten to schedule service, you shouldn’t wait until the end of the coming cooling season to schedule service. This means that your system will have two summers under its belt without maintenance service, and that is too much of a risk to take.

If you have any questions, or if you’re ready to schedule professional AC maintenance, give Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning a call today.

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Replacing a water heater may not be the most exciting way in which to spend your hard-earned money, but you must remember just how important your water heater is in your day to day routine. If you are serious about living conveniently and comfortably, then you are going to need a bountiful supply of hot water supplied throughout your home. If your water heater is no longer able to serve its function properly, then a water heater replacement in Loveland, CO is advisable. You will ideally replace your water heater before it breaks down entirely, which is why we’ve provided a few examples of when you may want to consider a water heater replacement.

 

Subpar Performance

Does your water heater consistently leave your hot showers running cold? If this has always been an issue, then it is likely that your hot water heater is just not large enough to handle the demand for hot water in your home. Replacing it is likely the only way in which to resolve this issue. If this is a relatively new development, though, it could be due to an operational problem of some kind. In many instances, repairs will be possible. Just remember that there is no rule saying that a water heater that can be repaired is actually worth repairing.

Frequent Repair Needs

There comes a point when your water heater is just not going to be worth investing in any longer. We understand that it may go against your instinct to opt for replacement over further repairs, but you must consider the ongoing cost of keeping your water heater up and running, as well as its age. If it is nearing the end of its projected lifespan, or requires repairs on a regular basis, it probably makes more sense financially to invest in a new system.

Low Efficiency Levels

Over time, your water heater is going to start operating at lower efficiency levels. There’s really nothing that can be done to stop the effects of time, though routine maintenance will certainly keep your system functioning as efficiently as possible for as long as possible. If your system is still costing too much to run, though, or always has due to a low efficiency rating, then investing in a newer, more efficient system can actually help you to save some money in the long run.

Call Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule your water heater service.

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During the winter season, it can be difficult to strike the right balance between comfort and energy efficiency. You pay to heat your home, after all, so you don’t want to let the energy that you’ve used to heat the air go to waste. However, you also want to keep your home sufficiently ventilated so that indoor air quality remains high. It may seem like you’re destined to remain between a rock and a hard place, but there is actually a pretty simple solution to this problem. Just give us a call to schedule a heat recovery ventilator installation in Fort Collins, CO.

What Is a Heat Recovery Ventilator?

A heat recovery ventilator is a device that facilitates the exchange of heat between incoming and outgoing air currents in a home. During the winter season, when the air outside is fresh but cold, the HRV brings that air in in order to maintain great indoor air quality within the house. In order to prevent it from making your home too cold, though, the HRV passes this incoming airstream very near the outgoing one. This allows the system to pre-warm the incoming air with the outgoing warm, but stale, air. The process works in the summer time, too, with the outgoing air cooling the incoming air, HRVs are more common in areas such as ours, though, with very cold winters.

Benefits of Heat Recovery

There are a couple of ways in which heat recovery can benefit the homeowner. First of all, it helps to keep the air quality in a home high. This can help you to fend off allergy attacks, and even illnesses. Additionally, a heat recovery ventilator allows you to ventilate your home sufficiently, without putting efficiency on the chopping block. If you think that your home could benefit from the use of an HRV, give a member of our staff a call today.

Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning is here to handle your IAQ service needs.

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Hopefully you aren’t looking for a heating replacement in February. If you are, it probably means that you’ve suffered a catastrophic failure with your existing system. If this is the case, or if you are just planning ahead for a replacement once the coldest time of the year is behind us, then you are wise to consider the installation of a boiler in Loveland, CO. Needless to say, for all of the boiler’s potential benefits, you will only enjoy the best performance possible from your boiler if it is expertly installed and serviced. Read on, and let us know when you are ready to have a boiler installed on your property.

They Are Very Durable

Boilers are among the longest lasting of all residential heating systems. They can really take a beating, as they simply have fewer moving components than other systems, such as furnaces and heat pumps. They don’t use forced-air distribution, so you won’t have to worry about issues with fans or damaged ductwork in your home.

They Are Very Efficient

Furnaces heat homes very efficiently. Why? Because they do not use forced-air heating distribution systems, there is no risk of energy loss via air leaks. They apply heat to surfaces in the home directly, via radiant heating, or may use baseboards or radiators. In any event, you won’t have to worry about air that you’ve paid to heat leaking out of a forced-air distribution system.

They Provide Comfortable, Even Heating

When you heat a home with a furnace, the heat comes on fast and strong. The problem is, though, that heated air tends to rise up to the ceiling, where it can be trapped. This can leave the actual living space in your home cooler than you’d like, and your furnace will have to play catch-up. With the use of a boiler, the heating may be more gradual, but it can ultimately result in greater comfort.

Call Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning if you think that a boiler is right for your home.

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It’s now February, and hopefully you won’t find yourself in need of a heating replacement before making it out of winter and into spring. If you are planning on replacing an old, ailing, or inefficient system once this winter is over, though, you’ve likely already started to weigh your options. One great system to consider is the geothermal heating system. Geothermal heating systems are unique in the residential heating industry, and can offer certain benefits that other systems just cannot match. Let us install and service your system if you decide that geothermal heating is right for you.

Outstanding Efficiency

When you use a furnace or a boiler to heat your home, you are paying to generate heat. With a geothermal heating system, though, you are not generating heat. Instead, heat pump technology is used to facilitate a heat transfer process. An antifreeze solution courses through the geothermal loop buried in the ground, and absorbs its heat. This heat is exchanged with the refrigerant in the compressor, and that refrigerant is compressed, boosting its thermal energy. That thermal energy is then used to heat air for distribution throughout your home, with only a very small amount of electricity used in the process.

Great Reliability

Air source heat pumps are now more dependable than ever before, but they still draw heat from the air. That means that there is the potential for them to be overwhelmed in cases of extreme cold. Temperatures beneath the ground, on the other hand, are quite constant. Because of this, geothermal heating systems are extremely reliable.

Heating and Cooling

During the summer season, the geothermal heat pump can double as an air conditioning system. Heat is removed from the air in your home, and it sinks into the ground outside. This means that you can live comfortably all year long, while using just one HVAC system.

Schedule your geothermal heating services in Loveland, CO with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning.

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We’ve still got a good stretch of very cold weather ahead of us, but many homeowners throughout the area are already turning their thoughts toward the spring season. Something that you may want to think about is replacing your furnace at the close of this heating system. Modern furnaces have quite long lifespans, but no heating system is going to last forever. Read the following blog post, give the condition and performance quality of your furnace some serious consideration, and remember that it is better to replace a furnace by choice, rather than out of necessity born of a complete breakdown during the coldest time of the year.

How Does Your Furnace Work?

Does your furnace heat your entire home evenly and effectively? If not, it could be due to the fact that it is poorly maintained. However, if you are diligent in scheduling routine heating maintenance, but still find that your furnace is incapable of heating your home satisfactorily, a furnace replacement in Fort Collins, CO may be your best option. It is possible that your furnace is just not of the right size for your home, or that it is too worn out to function effectively. Whatever the case, a replacement just may be necessary to resolve the issue.

Does It Cost a Lot to Heat Your Home?

Great as it would be to heat one’s home for free, the fact of the matter is that you are going to have to pay to heat your living space. You shouldn’t have to pay an exorbitant amount to do so, though. If you bought a cheap furnace years ago because it was all that you could afford, you may want to upgrade to a more efficient system now. Perhaps your system is just old enough that it has lost some its efficiency capability. In either event, a replacement may be in order.

Is It Reliable?

High heating costs can be frustrating, but remember too that frequent repair needs can also add up. Just because a system can be fixed does not mean that it is worth fixing. If your furnace is unreliable, or if you’re just sick of shelling out money to have issues repaired, consider our furnace replacement services.

Schedule your furnace replacement in Fort Collins, CO with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning.

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