Purl's Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Explaining AFUE Ratings for Gas Furnaces vs. Electric Furnaces

Monday, December 28th, 2020

natural-gas-burnerOne of the trickiest parts of navigating a new heating system installation for a house is figuring out energy efficiency ratings and what they mean. People want their heating systems to use less energy if possible, but they may not understand what the efficiency ratings mean and if it’s worth it to pay more to install a high-efficiency system.

Making the choice for a new central heating system is much easier when you have the assistance of our Madera, CA, HVAC experts. It’s our job to see you have the right heating system for your house, and we’ll assist you with figuring out efficiency ratings and all the other important factors that go into new system selection.

In this post, we’ll look at an example of where efficiency ratings can be confusing for homeowners, which is how the AFUE ratings for furnaces differ between gas and electric models.

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The Failed Furnace Control Board: A Major Furnace Problem

Tuesday, December 15th, 2020

electrical-schematicA natural gas furnace may burn gas to create the heat sent into the home, but the furnace also uses electrical power to run. This is why your furnace won’t work during a power outage, and also why you may need heater repair in Madera, CA to repair electrical components in your furnace at times. In fact, electrical malfunctions are among the more common type of furnace problems. We’re looking at one of these major malfunctions today, which is a failed furnace control board.

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How Often You Need to Replace the Furnace Filter

Monday, November 16th, 2020

man-with-furnace-filterWe hope you’ve already contacted our team for your annual heating maintenance. It’s the best way to ensure your heating system works at its best through the coming winter. During maintenance, one of the steps we take is to replace the filter for the furnace. A congested filter creates numerous problems for a furnace, including causing it to shut down when you need it the most.

Although changing the filter is a maintenance task an HVAC contractor in Fresno, CA will do, it’s one you’ll have to handle as well, since the filter must be changed over the season on a regular basis. You can ask us how to do the filter change so you can take care of the job yourself until you see us again for AC maintenance in the spring.

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The ENERGY STAR-Rated Furnace: What It Means

Monday, November 2nd, 2020

gas-furnaceYou may be in the middle of deciding on a new furnace installation for your home. Fall is the best time to have this job done. If you’re still on the fence about getting a new furnace, call our technicians for assistance. We’ll provide you with honest and straightforward answers about whether it’s time to send your current furnace to the scrapheap and put in a new one, or if repairs can keep a heating system working effectively and efficiently for a few more years.

If you choose to have a new furnace installation in Fresno, CA, you’ll face more decisions. We can help you with this as well. In this post, we’ll talk about installing a furnace that meets the ENERGY STAR requirements, a program by the Department of Energy that guides consumers to products that are energy efficient and have other beneficial features.

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Why Has My Gas Furnace Shut Down?

Tuesday, October 20th, 2020

furnace-isolated-whiteAs we move toward the end of the year, furnaces will begin to come to life all over the Central Valley, and they’ll remain working steadily through the winter and into spring. At least, we hope they work steadily. A furnace failure can put a family in a bad position. Fortunately, you can always call us for furnace repair in Fresno, CA and throughout the Central Valley and we’ll get your furnace back in shape.

Below we’re going to look at some of the reasons your gas furnace may have shut off. Many of these are minor problems that you can correct yourself. Not repair yourself, however. These are basic troubleshooting steps. Please don’t open the furnace panel and try to tinker around inside. You probably won’t be able to fix the problem yourself and it’s potentially dangerous to try. You must leave all service on a gas furnace to licensed professionals.

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Schedule Heating Maintenance Early This Fall!

Monday, October 12th, 2020

USA-LogoOctober is here, and if you haven’t thought about getting year heating system ready for the coming cooler weather—and that cooler weather will be here before you know it—now is the time. Heating maintenance is important every year, but this year you especially want your heating system to be prepared for the cold and give you few if any problems.

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Does Rust on My Water Heater Mean It Must Be Replaced?

Tuesday, March 17th, 2020

rusty-water-heaterWhen water meets metal, there’s a chance for rust to start. Although water heaters are in danger of corroding, they’re manufactured to resist rust for many years. If you keep up with regular maintenance for your home’s water heater, as well as calling for water heater repair in Fresno, CA when needed, you probably won’t encounter signs of rust until the system is into its second decade.

But rust can happen. The conventional wisdom about rust on a water heater is it means the time has come to replace the unit. Is this always the case? Let’s look a bit deeper.

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Can I Replace My Furnace in Mid-Winter?

Monday, February 10th, 2020

gas-furnaceThis question is one we can start to answer by first asking another question:

Why are you thinking about a furnace replacement in mid-winter?

How you answer this can help guide your decision, although we always recommend you call our technicians about heating in Fresno, CA before making a major choice. Expert advice is best for a large decision like this. We can offer some advice here, but general recommendations are no substitute for working directly with pros. Our technicians can examine your furnace and house and work to find the right solution, whether it’s a replacement, repairs, or something else.

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How an HVAC Contractor Can Help You Lower Your Heating Bills

Monday, January 13th, 2020

piggy-bankYou can find plenty of tips with an internet search on how to cut down your home heating bills. Many of these are common sense: “Wear warmer clothing and lower the thermostat” and “change the furnace filter every 1–3 months.” Good advice and easy for your household to do.

But the most effective methods of lowering winter heating costs, especially if those costs seem too high, is to work with an HVAC contractor in Fresno, CA. Our technicians have years of experience helping customers in the Central Valley enjoy better, less expensive comfort.

We’ve listed a few of the ways we can curb those heating bills with our services. The best method is to arrange for us to come to your house and look over your HVAC equipment. We’ll find what you need for more affordable heating.

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Signs You Have a Dying Water Heater

Monday, December 30th, 2019

Old-water-heaterWater heaters are built to last for years without suffering leaks, corrosion, or drops in performance. But no water heater is designed to last forever. Depending on how old your current water heater is and how well it’s been maintained, you may soon find yourself needing to have the unit replaced.

Below we’ll look at common warning signs that you should make “install a new water heater” one of your first priorities for 2020.

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