Home Services HVAC

Honeywell thermostats are recognized as some of the best heat control devices a home can have. They also happen to have a tendency for using auxiliary heat pretty heavily. The problem is that excess auxiliary heat use can be a drain on your heating bill and may even contribute to higher energy bills. So, how do you turn this feature off?

Anyone with a boiler knows that repairs can be quite expensive, especially if you don’t keep up with maintenance. However, sometimes, repairs are out of the question, and you’re better off replacing the unit. That’s especially true if you notice one of many signs that indicate it's time to replace your boiler.

Nothing can make a home feel comfortable quite like a reliable HVAC system. Sometimes, that means that you need to upgrade to a new thermostat or add one. Can you have two thermostats and one AC unit?

Having a pet is a blessing and a curse in because all the joy you get from them comes along with many chores. Keeping up with these chores can help protect your clothes, furniture, floors, and HVAC system from damage and messes. That’s why we assembled an essential list of HVAC maintenance tips for pet owners.

It wasn’t until I owned my own home that I realized how coveted storage space is. Having an entire closet dedicated to a furnace seems like a giant waste of storage space. So, what about the attic? Could that be a practical place to install a furnace to save storage space on living floors?

When you’re reading about gas meter issues, chances are that you’ve heard mention of a gas meter lock. However, you might not have actually seen a lock on your meter. If you’re like many people who are new to HVAC work, you’re probably wondering what the meter lock is, and how you should remove it. The scoop on this part of your meter reading might surprise you.

Air ducts carry warm and cool air throughout your home when you run your furnace and air conditioner. Over time, air ducts get caked with dust, debris, dirt, and pet hair. This can significantly reduce the airflow throughout your home and strain your furnace. 

You rely on your air conditioner to keep your home cool and comfortable when it’s hot and steamy outside. But what happens when your house is humid with the AC on, leading to excess moisture in the air? Isn’t your AC supposed to take care of that?

During your regular monthly maintenance on your HVAC system, you notice something strange. Water seems to be dripping from your furnace exhaust pipe. You immediately wonder what is happening, why it is happening, and what you should do if you notice your furnace exhaust pipe dripping water.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems have a hot surface igniter (HSI) that can occasionally stop functioning. One of the more common issues you may run into with this is having the HSI glow, but no flame appears. So what do you do when this happens?

In the winter months, your heating system is one of your home’s main energy users. Since your home’s heating system has such a huge impact on you and your family’s comfort, it’s important that you consider all of your options. While you may already be familiar with forced air or hydronic heating systems, hydro-air heating is a less common choice. However, they are slowly gaining popularity largely because of their flexibility and reliability.

Of all the components within your furnace, there are a couple that are vastly more important than the others. When one of those components gets worn down or stops working, it can mean the difference between a comfortable home and having to be huddled up in blankets in your own home.

A properly functioning AC unit is a must in sweltering hot summers. It’s easy to panic if you notice your air conditioner isn’t working correctly. One common problem is an AC unit with a fan that is not spinning and that is hot.

The liquid line on your air conditioner is a big part of its proper operation. It is common for the line to become hot, and it is often due to it being dirty or underpowered. Follow along as we explore how you can cool down the liquid line on your AC.

While going through the process of building your home, you’ll eventually have to consider how the ducts will be designed. You cannot overlook the ductwork because doing so will affect the type of comfort you’re able to experience at home. However, when it comes to determining an HVAC duct sizing rule of thumb, you need to avoid generalizations.

The reset button on your furnace is a quick method to solve any short-term issues. But if your furnace keeps shutting off and requiring resets, this is a sign of deeper problems. Given that this is a fairly common problem in oil furnaces, we will be focusing primarily on solutions for those.

When homeowners have a furnace that works well, they’re not going to complain. Furnaces that are well-maintained can easily last 20 years or more. However, after a certain point, even the most reliable furnace will need to be replaced or repaired. If you’re like many homeowners, you probably are wondering when it makes more sense to replace rather than repair.

Whether you’re moving into your first home or you own an apartment complex, you’ll need a working water heater. Until it comes time to install one, you may not even realize how often you use it.

If you’ve heard much talk about furnaces and their specific components, you’ve likely come across the term “blower.” The blower, or blower motor, is one of the most essential components of your furnace.

HVAC systems have become indispensable. After all, an HVAC system will provide cool air indoors when it’s hot outside, and then make a room warm and toasty when the temperature outside drops.

It’s hard to imagine a world without air conditioning, even if air conditioners can be a mystery themselves. The average homeowner doesn’t have professional-grade knowledge when it comes to air conditioner amperage, voltage, and wattage. So, how many amps does an air conditioner use?

When the weather begins to cool off furnaces start to warm up. Most of the time, the sound of furnaces waking from hibernation reminds as above spending the cold nights of winter in the warmth and security of our homes. Sometimes, however, the sounds were here are a bit less comforting.

Periodically, your furnace will turn on to reach a desired temperature before shutting off. This is called cycling, and the frequency in which it occurs depends on a few factors.

Back when I used to have to get up early for school, I’d pour hot water on my car’s glass to get the ice off. It didn’t take too long for a crack to develop. I still occasionally use hot water on frozen items as a way to speed-defrost, even if it’s not a good idea. I’ve even done it with heat pumps. But, should anyone really try this on something as delicate as a heat pump?

Don’t ignore your instincts if you suspect your gas furnace has a cracked heat exchanger. Not repairing a damaged heat exchanger in a timely manner can cause serious health issues for your family. Among the toxic gases released into the air is carbon monoxide. It’s important to check to see if it’s cracked and then stop all use. But, how do you tell if it’s broken?

Your home’s HVAC system is one of the most important systems when it comes to your safety, your comfort, as well as your home’s value. That’s why minor issues with your heating system still deserve a lot of attention, even if it’s something that is as simple as a furnace that’s blowing warm air rather than hot air. Speaking of, what does that even mean?

Adding some warmth to your home through the winter can keep your space cozy and comfortable. Many people opt for a furnace blower to help push the hot air through the house effectively. While this is a great solution to heat a home, sometimes the furnace blower can become quite loud. Fixing a furnace blower yourself is possible for the technical and savvy DIY homeowner.

A heat pump is a multi-functioning system for homes. It can create a cool space in the summer months and a warm and cozy space when it’s cold outside. Whether in winter, spring, summer, or fall, you want your heat pump working correctly. 

Proper planning is critical when installing appliances. If you rush the initial planning, you risk creating more problems in the future. Especially when it comes to propane furnaces, your initial blueprint is essential. There are many reasons to chooses a propane furnace. Some people don’t live close enough to town for natural gas. Others might be looking to replace an old propane furnace. Regardless, if you wonder which areas of the house are appropriate for installation, you’ve come to the right place.

Trying to obtain a permit can be tricky for homeowners, especially when you don’t know if you need one or not. While you often need permits for large construction projects, what about smaller jobs, like replacing certain components? It can be hard to determine if you need a permit to replace a furnace?

If you live somewhere cold, you are used to your utility bills increasing as temperatures drop. Unless you heat your home exclusively with a wood fire, you can expect to pay a high price to keep your home warm and cozy in the winter. While a higher utility bill is common in the winter, it shouldn’t shock you when you read your monthly bill. 

Your old A/C system is on the fritz, so naturally, you’d call the repairman to come to fix it, right? Unfortunately, depending on how old your system is, the solution may not be that simple. If you have an air conditioning unit manufactured before 2010, you may be required to rebuild or replace it.

The HVAC system in your home is one of the most crucial components of the entire structure. No matter where you live, you will have need of heating, cooling, or both more than likely. When your HVAC system is working optimally, you don’t even notice other than the fact that you live in comfort.

Is there a drastic difference between the temperatures in the upstairs and downstairs of your house? If this is something new, you must be confused about why it is happening. After all, we all want to be able to expect what the temperature of a room will be before stepping into it. There’s nothing more frustrating than thinking you’ll have a peaceful sleep in an air-conditioned room only to find it’s more like a sauna instead.

With the winter months coming fast, ensuring that your furnace motor stays in good condition is paramount. Because of this, it is good to be aware of what causes a furnace blower motor to go bad. Having this knowledge will prepare you for quick action should a repair be required.

Our furnaces are quite the piece of equipment. There are a number of components within that allow it to deliver heat into our homes, keeping us warm even when the temperatures are subzero. And just like any other type of equipment, things can go wrong.

Central air is one of the most essential components of a clean and comfortable home. While it’s still viewed as a commodity, installing a central air conditioning system in new homes is pretty standard. However, if you have an older home and want to install one, this can prove to be difficult on your own.

Your air conditioning system is one of the most appliances in your home. Having central air is much more convenient than using a window-mounted unit, too. Instead of keeping a single room cool, it keeps the entirety of your home cool and comfortable.

As the days get shorter and the nights long and cold, a reliable furnace becomes an essential fixture in the home. When the temperatures dip below freezing, your furnace is even a lifesaver. It helps keep you and your home warm, and with the assistance of your thermostat, you stay in a temperature-controlled environment throughout the winter months. So it might cause shock and alarm when you notice your furnace, instead of keeping your home warm, is blowing out cold air at night.

If you’re a fan of Back to the Future like I am, the first capacitor you probably heard of is a Flux Capacitor. Though that item is fictional, there are real capacitors, and most major appliances have at least one they require to run. Your air conditioner unit isn’t much different. So, how can you tell if your unit’s capacitor went bad?

Your furnace is a complicated piece of equipment. There are various components working in unison at all times and when one of them goes bad, it is imperative to identify the problem in short order. The last thing that you want is for your furnace to continue failing, leading to bigger and more expensive repairs.

You need a permit to install a mini-split or replace one. The installation process of a mini-split is complex and requires working with wires, piping materials, and chemicals. Replacing a mini-split can be a dangerous job, but a professional can handle it safely.

No home is complete without a reliable HVAC system, but that doesn’t always come cheap or easily. That’s especially true when one part, like the air conditioner, fails, and it makes you wonder if the other components will fail, too. So, should you replace your thermostat at the same time as your AC unit?

Every component of your HVAC system affects its performance and your comfort at home. That even applies to small parts such as furnace filters that many homeowners overlook. So, does furnace filter thickness matter?

A blower motor that works in A/C mode and not heat mode is a perplexing problem. Diagnosing these kinds of problems can be a challenge for a homeowner. Before you call an expensive repair technician, there are some things you should check yourself.

Reversing valves are some of the more important small parts of an HVAC system, especially if you run a heat pump during the winter. During the winter, reversing valves have a tendency of getting locked into place. This makes it very difficult for the valve to adequately do its job. If your valve gets stuck, don’t get frustrated. Get good at loosening it up instead.

When you live in a cold-weather climate, your furnace becomes one of the most important tools at your disposal during those cold months. Your insulation can only keep so much of that cold out before your furnace needs to intervene and warm things up.

We all rely on air ducts to deliver hot and cool air throughout our homes and keep us comfortable. Naturally, it can be pretty disconcerting when you notice foul and musty odors coming from your air ducts. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how to make your home's air ducts smell better.

If you are like most people, you occasionally will want to turn your thermostat up or down a notch. When you do, you probably are going to expect your furnace to react to the switch fairly quickly. Sometimes, though, you might notice that your furnace isn’t as quick to react as it once was. Did you ever wonder what’s going on with that issue?

Refrigerant is essential for an AC unit to absorb and release heat throughout the system. Without refrigerant, this exchange won’t happen, and it can explain why your AC evaporator is freezing up. Several signs indicate that your refrigerant level is low, such as high bills, and a long cool-down time.

A dirty AC condenser cannot properly transfer heat as it’s supposed to. Once this happens, the condenser will stay hot, and cold air won’t circulate throughout your home. Not only does this render the system ineffective, but it can also cause long-term damage.

Nothing is more annoying in the HVAC world than when your furnace won’t kick on. It can also be intimidating at first because we all know that furnace problems sometimes lead to expensive repairs. So, what should you do when the pilot light is lit, but the furnace won’t kick on?

Heat pumps offer an alternative to central heating or furnaces. They basically take the warm area from one area and move it over to another. They are more efficient than furnaces, which burn fuel to create that heat source.

If you recently noticed a strange pool of water near your HVAC unit, then you probably have been thinking about checking out the condensate pump. Condensate pumps are a vital part of most air conditioning units. This is doubly true if you live in a humid environment prone to lots of moisture. It’s normal to wonder if your pump’s actually working. So, how can you tell if it is?

Many people don’t think about their air filters until it’s time to change them. However, it can be confusing when you notice that your filter is dirtier than it should be. So, why does my AC filter get dirty so fast?

Experienced HVAC technicians and contractors have less to prove than others. That’s not to say that a new company can’t be equally trustworthy. However, it’s a good sign if an HVAC contractor has been around for 5 to 20 years or longer.

When you install a furnace in your home, you expect it to run for long periods of time. This is especially true when you’re still working on making your home warm. This includes the furnace blower as well. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

Thermostats act as the heart of every home’s AC system, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get glitchy. A common issue that you might have with a digital thermostat happens when your thermostat’s face suddenly goes blank, then turns back on. It’s almost like a reboot…except it’s not supposed to happen. If this happens to you, you might be wondering what this means for your HVAC system.

Dry air can be a real problem, especially inside your home during the coldest months of the year. Humidity already tends to be lower in the coldest weather, and as you raise heat in your home, you may actually continue to decrease the relative humidity. Before you start to get dry and itchy skin, or experience static cling every time you put on your clothes, you might want to address the humidity issue. But how do you fix the problem of dry air in a house?

With the cold winter months coming up, it can be frustrating to find that your heater is not working. Whether you are alerted by unusual noise or abnormal cold, having your furnace fail to ignite your burners is not a great experience. So what causes this issue, and what do you do about it?