Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Month: October 2016

We all want to live comfortably during the coldest times of the year. We also want to do so without facing high heating costs. While there are issues beyond the homeowners’ control that can lead to inefficient heating, many causes of a subpar heating performance are the result of user error. Here are a few tips to help prevent you from making it harder than it should be for your heater to heat your home.

 

Are You Turning the System On and Off?

Winters are cold enough in this part of the country that you should be running your heater regularly throughout the winter. You may think that you can save some money by shutting your heater off when you leave for work in the morning. But shutting your heater on and off multiple times throughout the day can have a negative impact on efficiency and the condition of the system. A better alternative is to use a programmable thermostat. You can maintain more moderate temperatures throughout the day when you’re away from home, but you won’t have to start heating your house from scratch when you get back. Heaters use more energy when starting up than when running in full cycles, and you shouldn’t force your heater to play catch-up every night.

Are You Cranking Up the Temperature?

Let’s say that we have a warmer than usual day. You may turn your heater way down, or even shut it off. What do you do when the temperature drops back down to low levels, however? If your reaction is to crank the thermostat up to 80°F, you need to adjust your habits.

Turning the thermostat up very high doesn’t make your heater heat the home faster. It just turns the system on as usual, and gives it a very high target. The system will run longer than necessary, your home will get warmer than you need it, and the heater will likely struggle to reach an unattainable goal if the weather is extremely cold outside. Run your system regularly, and make small adjustments here and there as needed.

Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning is the company to call for heating services in Loveland, CO. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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We recently talked about strange boiler sounds and what they may mean for your home heating system. Strange sounds are a common sign that you need heating repairs in Wellington, CO, but they are far from the only indicator. Here are a few more tips that should help you to get out ahead of heating repairs.

Cold Spots in Your Home

If your heater is not the right size for your living space, or if it was not properly installed, then it may never have heated your whole home effectively. However, if your heater used to work just fine in this regard, but is now leaving cold spots throughout your house, it is likely that there is a problem with the heater that can be repaired. Uneven heating is likely the result of a damaged heat distribution system. This may mean that you need to have ducts repaired, or even that the hydronic heating pipes are compromised. That can lead to serious problems for your home, so schedule service immediately.

Increased Heating Costs

Not all problems with your heating system are going to make themselves immediately known. Some issues won’t necessarily impede the heating process, but they will cause the efficiency with which your heating system operates to drop. That is why it is important to monitor the costs associated with running your heater. If they spike without clear reason, you are likely dealing with a heating problem compromising the efficiency of the system.

Strange Odors

Just like strange, unfamiliar sounds can signify a problem with your heating system, so too can strange odors. When you first turn a system on for the year, you may smell a burning odor. This could simply be dust burning off of heating elements or burners. If the issue persists, though, or if you should smell fuel when running your heater, you need to have a professional come assess the situation and complete any necessary repairs.

Schedule your heating services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning, the company you can trust. 

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When it comes to home heating systems, few can rival the boiler. Boilers are renowned not only for the efficiency with which they operate, as no energy can be lost via duct leaks, but also for their reliability. Even so, it is important to remember that no heating system is perfect. Eventually, you’re going to require professional boiler repairs.

As with any heating system, it’s always best to have your boiler repaired as soon as you are aware of any problems with it. There are a few warning signs that may indicate that something is wrong with a boiler. Strange sounds are among the most common indicators that boiler repairs in Loveland, CO may be necessary.

 

What Sound Is Your Boiler Making?

Boilers run nearly silently, as they do not use fans or blow air throughout the house. If you start to notice unfamiliar sounds coming from the boiler, or even if the boiler is just operating louder than usual, it is possible that a serious problem is brewing. What noises are your boiler making?

  • Banging when starting up. This could mean delayed ignition. If your boiler is not starting up properly, fuel can build up in the combustion chamber. Then, when ignition occurs, a booming sound will be heard as the fuel combusts. This could result in a dangerous situation.
  • Rumbling. A rumbling boiler is not a boiler that is functioning properly. If your boiler is rumbling, it could have a layer of scale at the bottom. Boilers are not really supposed to boil water, but the water between the scale and the burner may get hot enough to boil. This is a common trouble in homes with hard water.
  • Gurgling or bubbling. This could be the sound of air in the system. If you have air trapped in the system, then you’ll have to bleed it out. A professional technician can bleed air out of your boiler lines and the expansion tank.

Schedule your boiler services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning.

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Cold nighttime temperatures will soon be matched with chilly days, and your heater is going to start playing a bigger and bigger role in your day-to-day life. If you are serious about living comfortably throughout the coldest time of the year, then you need to get serious about your heating system. If it doesn’t have another productive season left in it, you cannot put off your heating replacement in Loveland, CO any longer.

Age Does Play a Factor

We understand that you want to use your heater for as long as possible. Everyone is looking to get the best return on their investments, after all. However, you cannot afford to push your heater beyond a reasonable point. All mechanical systems will fail eventually, and if your system is approaching or has already surpassed its expected lifespan, you may want to replace it before it breaks down entirely. After all, this is likely to happen just when you need your heater the most.

So Too Does Reliability

Frustrating as it may be to replace a heater that has not had a very long lifespan, doing so can help you to not only avoid discomfort, but mounting repair bills as well. If your heater is out of warranty, and is requiring frequent repairs, replacing it may simply make the most financial sense. The fact that your heater can be repaired does not mean that repairing it makes the most sense.

Get the Heater You Want

Some homeowners have their houses built from the ground up, HVAC systems included. Many homeowners buy existing houses, though, which come with a heating system in place. If you have a heater that you wouldn’t have chosen for yourself, that is as good a reason for replacing it as any. You should be 100% satisfied with your heater, and that may mean replacing a functional system with one that better suits your user preferences.

Schedule your heating services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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We are now late enough into the year that, if you have not scheduled a necessary heating replacement, you really need to get moving. It definitely won’t be long before your heating system is in regular rotation, as you can tell by how much things have cooled down around here already. If you are ready to invest in a new heating system, a hybrid heater is absolutely worth your attention.

Of course, a hybrid heating system will only function as reliably, safely, and efficiently as possible if you schedule your hybrid heating system services in Fort Collins, CO with trained professionals. Call our number to do so. That way, you can reap the full benefits of your new hybrid heating system.

Hybrid Heating: The Best of Both Worlds

Are you familiar with heat pump technology? A heat pump is an HVAC system that allows you to both heat and cool your home with the use of just one system. During the summer, the heat pump works just like a central AC system. In the winter, though, a heat pump reverses its refrigerant cycle. That allows the outdoor coil to function as the evaporator coil, and for the system to evaporate refrigerant in order to absorb heat from the air outside. After compression, this refrigerant’s thermal energy is used to heat air for distribution throughout the house.

This is a very efficient means of heating your home, as you are transferring heat, rather than generating it. The process requires only a small amount of electricity. However, heat pumps can struggle when temperatures are exceptionally cold, especially for longer periods of time. A hybrid heating system pairs the versatility and efficiency of a heat pump with the tried-and-true power and reliability of a furnace. You can use the heat pump to cool your home all summer, and to heat it for most of the winter. When the heat pump starts to struggle, the furnace can automatically take over, so that you are still using minimal energy without compromising your comfort.

Schedule your hybrid heating services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Forced air heating systems are very popular, and offer prompt comfort thanks to their method of heating air and then distributing that heated air throughout homes via ductwork. However, there are a few potential drawbacks to using a forced air heating system in your home. Many of these drawbacks are made clear by the benefits that radiant heating has to offer.

There is no heating method or system that is going to be a perfect fit for every home or homeowner. There is certainly one, though, that is right for your personal preferences and heating needs. Read on, and you may just decide that radiant heating in Laporte, CO fits the bill.

Why Choose Radiant Heating?

The major difference between radiant heating and forced air heating is that a radiant heating system does not heat air to distribute throughout the house. Instead, a radiant heater applies heat directly to surfaces in the home. Electric panels may be installed in walls, or coils beneath the floor. Because of the cost of electricity, though, hydronic heating systems, in which water heated by a boiler is circulated beneath the floor via hydronic tubing, is generally preferred.

The heat applied to the walls or floors then radiates out into the living space, and warms objects within that space. This includes not only furniture, but also human bodies. The result is very even heat distribution, and outstanding comfort. Another result is very efficient heating, and that is one that is a big benefit of radiant heaters.

When you use ductwork to distribute heated air throughout a house, you run the risk of encountering air leaks in that system. When that happens, you are going to struggle to heat your home evenly. The system will have to work harder than it should in order to overcome the challenge, driving up heating costs. Plus, leaky ductwork can negatively affect air quality, distributing pollutants throughout the house.

Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule your heating services. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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