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

Why Won’t the Furnace Evenly Heat My House?

Friday, December 21st, 2018

cold-man-with-thermostatA furnace system must have more than heating power to provide comfort to a house. It also needs to be able to evenly distribute heat around the different rooms connected to the ducts. After all, a furnace without a working air handler to move air from the furnace cabinet and into the ductwork isn’t much good!

One of the more frequent problems homeowners have with a furnace is when the heater creates hot or cold spots around the rooms. The family room may feel stuffy when the thermostat is set at a moderately warm temperature, while one of the upstairs rooms is as warm as an ice-skating rink.

We have many years of experience installing, repairing, and maintaining furnaces in Madera, CA and throughout the Central Valley. We’ve handled numerous repair jobs to fix uneven heating issues. Below are some of the more common causes of this problem we’ve dealt with. You can trust us to have your uneven home heating remedied.

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How Long Will My Furnace Filter Last?

Tuesday, December 4th, 2018

air-fliter-cuCalifornia has recently experienced a series of major fires. Thankfully for us in the Central Valley, these fires were in the north and south of the state. But we’re not strangers to these disasters: last summer wildfires scorched more than 1700 acres in Fresno and Mariposa counties. This caused a plunge in air quality for surrounding areas. When this happens, we recommend making an immediate change to the furnace filter on your HVAC cabinet. Otherwise, extra pollutants trapped in the filter will further drop indoor air quality.

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Important Gas Furnace Safety Tips

Tuesday, November 20th, 2018

inside-a-gas-furnaceYour gas furnace is going to turn on soon and settle in for another winter of warming your home. You want to make sure the furnace not only runs reliably, but also runs safely. Below we’ve listed a few tips that will help your family relax and enjoy a safe winter with a natural gas furnace in Fresno, CA.

Know the smell of gas leaks and how to react

You’ve probably heard that carbon monoxide is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, making it difficult to detect. However, natural gas manufacturers place a chemical called mercaptan into the gas to give it a distinct—and unpleasant—smell. Mercaptan is harmless, but it smells like rotten eggs—a smell most people associate with sulfur. If you notice this smell in your home, you may have a dangerous gas leak. Don’t wait to find out if it’s from the furnace or not! Leave your house right away, and don’t attempt to call for help while still inside.

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5 Mistakes With Your Gas Furnace to Avoid This Year

Wednesday, November 7th, 2018

Furnace-standardGas furnaces are the #1 way to heat homes in the Central Valley. In fact, they’re the #1 way to heat homes across the country thanks to their powerful heating ability and the lower cost of natural gas compared to electricity. Furnaces are dependable and energy-saving.

If your household is one of the numerous ones that uses a furnace for heating in Fresno, CA, we have some advice for what not to do this coming winter. These are common mistakes people make with gas furnaces that can lead to them working poorly or even becoming hazardous. We want you to stay safe all winter and enjoy the best performance from your gas furnace, so watch out for these 5 furnace mistakes.

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What’s a “Sealed Combustion” Furnace?

Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

natural-gas-burnerFall is the time for you to arrange to have your home’s furnace inspected and tuned-up. But it’s also the time to consider whether you need to have a new furnace put in before the cold weather arrives. Our service technicians can help you make the choice when they come to your home for regular heating system maintenance.

If you do decide on new furnace installation in Fresno, CA, we recommend considering a sealed combustion furnace. This furnace type is an important development in heating technology that has allowed newer heating systems to score higher efficiency ratings than before. And high efficiency isn’t the only benefit.

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Detect Water Heater Troubles Early: Some Tips

Thursday, May 17th, 2018

water-heater-tankUnlike heating and air conditioning systems, there’s no “season” for water heaters. The average water heater does more work during winter, but it still operates almost every day of the year to meet a household’s needs.

This means that your water heater could start to experience trouble at any time. Regular maintenance can help to prevent this, but there’s no way to make any water heater 100% malfunction-free. We have some tips on how to spot early on that your water heater is having problems. That way you can schedule timely repair services with our team.

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Need a Furnace Repair in April? Yes, Have It Done Soon!

Tuesday, April 24th, 2018

hands-opening-heating-cabinetIf you recently glanced at weather reports from around the country, you’ll have noticed how unpredictable April can be: snowstorms striking Vermont, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Central California never experiences anything so extreme (except up in the mountains), but April is still no time to risk having your heating system fail. So even though the calendar says it’s spring, don’t let that stop you from taking action with your furnace if it’s putting your comfort in jeopardy.

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Why You Should Use a Licensed and Insured Contractor

Friday, March 23rd, 2018

crossed-wrenchesIf you look at the home page of our website, you’ll see right under our name at the top of the page is our contractor’s license number: 463756. We have it displayed there because the license is what sets us apart from an amateur contractor. Each state has different requirements for licensing and regulation. Here in California, holding a license means a contractor has the necessary insurance and bonding required locally.

But what does this mean to you as a customer? Why should you turn to a contractor who has a license and insurance rather than to an amateur who offers low costs? One reason is the basic quality of the service you’ll get. But right now we’re going to look specifically at the importance of the license and insurance.

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Benefits to Upgrading to a High Efficiency HVAC System

Wednesday, February 14th, 2018

checkmark-greenAs spring approaches, it’s a great time to give some thought to making an upgrade to your old HVAC system. If your heating and air conditioning system is more than 15 years old, or it has started to require more repairs while running up steeper utility bills, this is probably the year to have the system replaced—and with one that’s more efficient than your old system was even when it was new.

Because of advances in heating and air conditioning technology, almost any system you have professionally installed will perform at better energy efficiency. But we recommend you look into a special high efficiency system for your HVAC in Fresno, CA. These systems cost more to install, but the benefits are tremendous and the extra costs will soon be paid back.

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Heating Troubles That May Be the Fault of the Air Filter

Wednesday, January 31st, 2018

air-fliter-cuModern heating systems are normally reliable, year after year, provided they receive a professional installation by licensed HVAC technicians and continue to have annual maintenance. But no system can ever be 100% reliable, and no amount of care can protect a heater from all malfunctions. At some point in your current heater’s service life, you may need to call for heating repair in Fresno, CA from our trained team.

One of the more common problems that affect forced-air systems (which include all types of furnace and heat pumps) is trouble with the air filter. This isn’t a filter for providing better indoor air quality, but the standard filter attached to the HVAC cabinet that stops dust and dirt from getting into the heater through the return air vents. An air filter clogs over time and must be replaced every 1 to 3 months so air can flow freely through the blower and heater.

If a clogged filter is left in place, it can lead to these heating problems:

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