Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Month: January 2017

We have still got a lot of sub-freezing Heating__iStock_000002445972_Medium-300x225weather headed our way before this winter season is over. How has your heater fared so far? If you’ve been unimpressed with your aging heater’s performance, if you’re a bit shell-shocked by the cost of heating your home this season, you may be thinking about replacing your heater once the weather finally warms up once more. If this is the case, then we strongly recommend that you consider the use of a hybrid heating system in Fort Collins, CO.

A hybrid heating system is unique in that it actually utilizes two different methods of heating in order to strike a balance between reliability and efficiency. More on that below.

Before we go any further, we do just want to remind you that even the most dependable equipment from the best manufacturers in the industry will falter if not expertly installed, serviced, and maintained. That is why you should leave all of your heating services to our technicians. 

What Does “Hybrid” Heating Mean?

A hybrid heating system is one that uses a heat pump and a secondary system in order to heat a home. Typically, this means a gas furnace is used in conjunction with the heat pump in order to maximize both efficiency and reliability. The systems won’t run at the same time. Instead, the most efficient and effective system for any given scenario will be the one heating the home.

Why Is Hybrid Heating Necessary?

Modern heat pumps are much more effective in extremely cold climates. However, they still have their limitations. Unlike environments such as that in Oregon or Washington, we have extremely cold weather during our winter seasons. Single digits are not at all uncommon during the nights. While a modern heat pump may be able to handle that level of cold, it is likely not going to do so efficiently. If the system winds up having to make up the difference by generating heat with electricity, it will be substantially more expensive to run. That is where the gas furnace comes into play.

When Should I Switch to Gas?

The great thing about a hybrid heating system is that you don’t have to choose which system you run when. For the most part, the heat pump is going to handle the heating of your home. Heat pumps transfer existing heat into the house, which is why they are so incredibly efficient. When the efficiency of the heat pump drops below a certain point, using natural gas to heat the house will make more sense. The system will automatically make this switch for you. Once the heat pump is able to resume its efficient heating, the system will make the switch back over to that heating method.

You Get Cooling, Too!

Because a heat pump does double duty, offering cooling for the summer season as well, a hybrid heating system is all that you’ll need for year-round comfort. This versatility, along with the system’s efficiency and reliability, really make it difficult to contend with. If you’re ready to take advantage of all that hybrid heating has to offer, give us a call.

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

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When you heat your home—or cool it, for that matter—you want to do so in the most efficient manner possible. Nobody wants to overpay for their comfort. That is why so many homes are constructed so tightly these days.

The problem is that, by sealing up your home extremely tightly, you can actually put your indoor air quality at risk. If your home does not have sufficient insulation, you may be able to cut down on unwanted heat transfer. Your air quality will likely fall as a result, however. An ERV helps you to enjoy both great efficiency and outstanding indoor air quality. 

Recover the Energy You’ve Paid For

Ventilating your home is important if you don’t want the air within to go stale and decline in quality. However, you obviously are not going to throw your windows open in the middle of winter to let the fresh air in. That would waste the energy that you’ve used to heat your home, right?

Well, when you use an energy recovery ventilator in Timnath, CO, you can bring fresh air into your home while recovering the energy that you used to heat it in the first place. The outgoing warm air basically pre-cools the incoming fresh, but cold, air. In the summer, the heat exchange just goes in the opposite direction. The incoming hot air has some of its heat removed by the outgoing cool air.

In the process, the humidity of the air streams is also balanced. This serves to further boost the quality of the air in your home. No longer must you choose between fresh, clean air, comfort, and your budget. ERVs work year round to strike the balance between these factors.

Schedule your indoor air quality services with the professionals at Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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The most popular home heating system is probably the furnace. Furnaces are forced air heaters, meaning that they heat air directly and then distribute this heated air throughout the house in order to warm it up. However, there are some drawbacks to this operation.

While forced air heating is great if you want to heat your home promptly, issues like duct leaks and hot air getting trapped at the ceiling can lead to problems with efficiency and overall comfort. These issues are resolved with radiant heating. So how does radiant heating work?

Radiant Heating in Loveland, CO

Despite their popularity, forced air heating systems are applying heat to something that doesn’t hold it all that well. The air in your house is not going to maintain heat as well as, say, water or your floors would. That is why hydronic heating is such a popular method of radiant heating.

With a hydronic system, you use a boiler to heat water. That water then circulates throughout the house via a system of tubes installed beneath your floors—or, in some cases, behind your walls. The heat from the water in those pipes is applied to the construction materials, and it then radiates out into the living space.

In-floor radiant heating is especially beneficial, as it keeps the heat down in the living space. Hot air rises, and it can be frustrating to have chilly feet and legs even as your furnace works away. In addition to hydronic systems, radiant heating may be achieved with the use of electric cables installed in the floors. Electricity is more expensive to purchase than fuels like natural gas, however, so the boiler is typically the preferred system for radiant heating.

If you have any questions about radiant heating in Loveland, CO, give Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning a call. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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When the chill of winter is in full swing, you want your heater to act fast in order to heat your home successfully. Obviously, that means that you don’t want to be dealing with a heater that is too small to do the job effectively. However, you also don’t want your heater to be bigger than it needs to be. This can cause just as many problems as a heater that is too small, in fact.

If you think knowing the square footage of your home is all that you need to get the right sized heater, think again. There is much more to consider when sizing your heater in Wellington, CO. Fortunately for you, our technicians are here to guarantee that your heater is of the right size for your home.

But Bigger Is Better, Right?

Wrong. This misconception is one that many homeowners share, and it is one that results in serious heating issues for many homeowners. Here are a few of the ways in which an oversized heater will fail you.

First of all, you’ll be wasting money as early as the time of purchase. If your heater is too big for your home, you’ve already paid for more heating capacity than you’ll ever really need. Keep that money in your pocket by buying an appropriately sized system.

Secondly, an oversized heater is probably going to short-cycle. This means that it will actually bring the temperature of your home up too quickly. That may not sound like a problem, but it will cause the heater to switch on and off more frequently than it should. This puts a lot of wear and tear on the system, and drives up energy costs.

An undersized system will also drive up heating costs and suffer excessive wear and tear. It will run longer than it should as it struggles to heat your home, and that will burn through energy even as you live in less comfort than you deserve. Avoid all of these issues by scheduling your heating services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning.

Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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There is no denying the popularity of the furnace in Windsor, CO. Things get cold around here during the heating season, and you really need to know that your heater is going to get the job done. Using a properly sized and professionally installed furnace guarantees it.

That being said, deciding that you want to use a furnace isn’t quite enough. You also need to decide if you want to use a natural gas or an electric furnace. We’ll cover some of the pros and cons for you.

Gas vs. Electricity: Which to Choose?

For most homeowners, the natural gas furnace is the clear winner. Natural gas is a versatile fuel, used in applications for cooking, heating water, and even fueling the clothes dryer, as well as in heating homes. It is also quite clean-burning, for a fossil fuel, and the fact that it is piped directly into the house means no on-site storage or delivery is necessary.

Of course, electricity has a lot of uses as well, and it too eliminates the need for fuel storage and the risk of running out. However, the fact of the matter is that electricity just costs more to purchase than natural gas does. Because electric furnaces don’t lose heat to flue gases, they are actually incredibly efficient. Even so, the purchase price of natural gas makes it the more affordable fuel choice in most every situation.

Some homeowners may not have access to natural gas, however, or just may choose not to pipe this fuel into their homes. If this is the case, electricity is certainly a fine alternative. Whichever furnace you choose, you can count on us to install and service it properly.

Call Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning for all of your heating needs. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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