During the summer, ceiling fans are a great way to have increased comfort while also reducing the work load on your air conditioning system. In the regular operation of a ceiling fan, the rotating blades force room air down and create a “wind chill” effect: the movement of the air pushes away the heat envelope from around your body, allowing you to release more heat and feel cooler.
Purl's Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category
Reverse Your Ceiling Fans This Winter to Help with Heating Bills
Tuesday, January 19th, 2016Finding an HVAC Contractor: Certification, Licensing, and On-Going Training
Monday, January 4th, 2016Why Are Furnaces Today More Energy Efficient?
Monday, December 21st, 2015Technology improves with each year, and this applies to gas furnaces as much as it does to computers and smart phones. Although gas furnaces have been around for a long time, they have undergone many improvements to make them both safer and more effective.
One area where gas furnaces have seen a tremendous enhancement is in energy efficiency, i.e. how well a furnace converts its energy source into actual heating power. At one time, the average furnace would only convert 60% of its fuel into thermal energy, wasting 40%. But today, most furnaces waste less than 20%, and there are special high-efficiency furnaces that only waste 3%. This is one of the reasons you should consider replacing an aged furnace (15–20 years old or more), even if it’s still working at providing your house with heat. You could save large amounts on your monthly heating bills with a newer furnace.
Some Checks to Make on Your Furnace During the Winter
Friday, December 18th, 2015We want to open this blog by emphasizing that only trained professionals should handle furnace repairs. Although we’ve provided a list of tips below for ways to check that your furnace is operating as it should, you should never attempt to diagnose a problem or perform a maintenance task (other than changing or replacing the filter) on your own. If you suspect that your furnace has a fault or it’s running inefficiently, call our service technicians. We’re here to serve you seven days a week.
The Importance of Having Your Furnace’s Heat Exchanger Checked
Monday, November 23rd, 2015We emphasize scheduling fall heating maintenance for a number of excellent reasons: not only does this help your heater achieve the longest lifespan possible while working at its highest energy efficiency, but it also keeps it running safely. This is especially crucial if you use a gas-powered furnace, as many homes do. Although gas furnaces are not immediately “dangerous” appliances, they can pose hazards from carbon monoxide if they don’t receive regular inspections and tune-ups.
The key component of a gas furnace that requires a professional inspection each fall is the heat exchanger.
The Advantage of a Two-Stage Furnace
Monday, November 16th, 2015Are you considering installing a new furnace during fall in time for winter? If you are, there are a number of options available that can improve your home heating and energy efficiency. One of these is the two-stage furnace. We’ll take a look at this type of furnace and what advantages it offers.
What Is a Two-Stage Furnace?
A two-stage furnace goes go through two stages at providing heat. The two stages in the name refer to the furnace’s fan motor, which is why these heaters are also referred to as variable speed furnaces. In these two-space furnaces, the fan motor can work at different speeds to control the dispersal of the heated air into the ventilation system. Where a single-stage furnace runs at the same level constantly (“high”) a two-stage furnace can also run at 65% of full capacity. The furnace changes between the two stages automatically to react to heating requirements.
Why This Is an Advantage
The main benefit of using this type of furnace is that it consumes less energy when the unit doesn’t need to run at maximum power all the time. Because the fan can still operate to circulate air through a house even when the furnace isn’t on, a two-stage furnace will help with better airflow. This will improve indoor air quality, help control humidity, and also create more comfortable conditions in general. So not only does the furnace work at higher energy efficiency, it will probably need to run less than other furnaces.
Two-stage furnaces are also quieter than single-stage models. If a loud furnace is something that bothers your household, switching to a variable-speed model can be a helpful change.
Make sure that you talk to professionals before you make a decision regarding a new furnace. Expert installers will help you make the best choice for your home’s future heating.
Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning has been serving Fresno, CA since 1952. Call us 7 days a week for service.
Some Important Gas Furnace Safety Tips for Winter
Monday, November 9th, 2015The majority of homes in the U.S. use natural gas furnaces to supply them with warmth through the winter. Not only is natural gas a less expensive fuel source than electricity, oil, or propane, but a gas furnace can achieve extremely high levels of heat output. A well-maintained furnace can keep back the chill of even the coldest days.
How to Get the Most from Your HVAC System This Coming Winter
Monday, October 26th, 2015Fall is the time of year to start preparing your home for the cold weather that will soon arrive. You can’t simply trust that your heater and its ventilation system will do the job they are supposed to without some assistance, both from you and from professionals. Below are a few steps you can take to see that your HVAC system will perform at top level during the coming winter season:
Is It Time to Have a New Furnace Installed?
Monday, October 19th, 2015It’s October, and although we’re still experiencing warmer weather (mixed with rain), the cooling-off period is not far away. Before we know it, winter will arrive and settle in for its regular stay. Now is a good time to consider making any necessary major changes to the heating system that serves your home. You don’t want to try to arrange for the installation of a new furnace during the coldest period of winter, after all!
If you have a furnace in your home that has served for more than 15 or 20 years, it may be time to retire it and have a new furnace installed. The job isn’t as difficult as you imagine, especially when you call on experienced HVAC professionals like the ones at Purl’s Sheet Metal.
Some questions to ask about your current furnace
To help you think about whether your furnace is ready for replacement, ask yourself a few of these questions:
- How old is the furnace? Check when the furnace was installed. Most gas furnaces have a life expectancy between 15 and 20 years, and electric furnaces a bit longer than this. If you have a system that is over 20 years old, then it’s probably time to have it replaced—even if it shows no outward signs of failing or performance issues. It’s better to get ahead of the problem. And with 20 years of service, the furnace has already returned your original investment in it a few times over.
- Have winter energy bills been rising? Take a look over your energy bills for the past few winters and see if there is a pattern of increasing costs. If you cannot account for a noticeable rise because of greater use of the system, then the issue is probably a furnace that is declining. If the furnace has received regular maintenance and still shows this loss of efficiency, then it is too old to continue to work effectively.
- How often does the furnace need repair work? A furnace should need few repairs during its first few years of service (provided it has routine inspections and tune-ups). After that, it might need a repair every few years. When it needs repairs once or twice a year, or if the repair total to keep it running annually exceeds $500, then you are spending too much on fixing it and should instead put the money toward a replacement.
Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning offers heating replacement in Fresno, CA and throughout the Central Valley.
When Is the Best Time for New Furnace Installation?
Wednesday, February 25th, 2015No matter how well you take care of your furnace, you will eventually have to replace it with a new one. Parts break down, wear out, and even go out of production. Eventually, the cost of repairing all of your furnace’s problems will outweigh that of a new furnace installation. The sooner you recognize that your furnace has reached the end of its service life, the more money you can save by replacing it. If you have any questions regarding whether you should repair or replace your furnace, call the skilled technicians at Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning.
Let’s take a look at some of the indicators that you should have a new furnace installed.
Increase in Repairs
Every system will occasionally run into problems that require professional repair. As a system ages, however, the frequency and cost of those repairs will increase. As wear and tear accumulates on the furnace, the individual parts of the system will begin to fail. Since each part wears out at a slightly different rate, this will eventually result in multiple parts failing in rapid succession.
Decrease in Efficiency
Not all drops in heating efficiency are a sign that a furnace needs replacement. There are several different issues that could contribute to a loss of heating ability. However, a furnace that seems to be permanently handicapped, even after multiple repairs, is a sign that you should replace the furnace with a new one.
Age
An older furnace doesn’t necessarily need replacement, but you need to take age into consideration when other symptoms, like those above, start to appear. If your furnace is older than its manufacturer’s estimate lifespan and experienced other performance issues, it’s a good idea to look into replacing it. If you have an older furnace and that is still performing fine, make sure you continue with regular professional maintenance and consult with your technician about when a replacement is cost-effective.
If you think you need a new furnace installation in the Madera area, call Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning to schedule an appointment.