We always recommend that homeowners arrange for heating maintenance during the fall. We’re deep into the fall now—it’s past Halloween—and the temperatures are making their slow and sure drop down to what will eventually be the full cold of winter. So if you haven’t gotten your heating maintenance done yet, right now is a great time to have it done.
Red Rock Mechanical, LLC Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category
Haven’t Scheduled Heating Maintenance Yet? Now Is the Time!
Monday, November 8th, 2021
How to Tell You Need a New Boiler
Monday, March 1st, 2021
You’ve had the same boiler for many years providing your home with warmth through the winters. In fact, that boiler may have been in place for decades, since boilers are able to last longer than other types of heating systems like furnaces and heat pumps.
However, as the winter winds down, you might start to wonder when you’ll need to replace the boiler. It can’t last forever, and you suspect your boiler may be getting close to a point when the next boiler service in Plattsburgh, NY you schedule will be a new installation.
Below we’ve put together a list of some of the common indications that it’s time to replace your boiler.
Some Helpful Facts About Electric Ignition Gas Furnaces
Monday, February 15th, 2021
Once upon a time, the way gas furnaces ignited their burners was with a standing pilot light. You’re probably familiar with at least a few of these older furnace models since they have a long history. A small gas flame stays lit throughout the winter and, when natural gas flows to the burners, this flame is responsible for igniting the jets to start the heating cycle.
Today, electronic ignition systems have replaced the pilot lights. An electric ignition gas furnace is more energy efficient since it doesn’t have to use gas throughout the winter just to keep the pilot light on. This type of ignition is also more reliable: no more worrying about the pilot light going out.
However, electric ignition gas furnaces can still run into issues, and you may require furnace repair in Burlington, VT to get yours back to work. We’re going to look closer at these ignition systems and provide helpful facts about them.
Why the Heater Is Shutting Off Too Early
Monday, February 1st, 2021
You expect the central heating system in your house to run long enough to reach the temperature set on the thermostat. That’s its job. A heater should complete a full heating cycle that distributes warmth throughout the house, leaving few cold spots. But if your heater is shutting down after running for less than 15 minutes, or even less than 10 minutes, the house won’t get warm enough. A few rooms near the center of the house may be comfortable, but the rest of the house will be literally left in the cold.
Why Won’t the Burners in My Gas Furnace Light?
Monday, January 18th, 2021
This is something that will cause a sudden pit of panic in your stomach: it’s a cold winter day and when you turn the furnace on … nothing happens. The burners won’t ignite and you can’t see the blue color of the flames in the cabinet. That means no heat for the house.
There’s no reason to panic, however, since you can always get the furnace repair in Burlington, VT you need with a call to our professionals. Although there are a few simple troubleshooting steps you can try when a furnace isn’t responding, don’t attempt to make any actual repairs yourself. Only trained professionals can safely repair a gas furnace.
Why Won’t the Boiler Heat the Home as Well Anymore?
Monday, December 21st, 2020
The heat a boiler sends into a house, whether from radiators, baseboard heaters, or in-floor elements, feels wonderful during cold winter days. But what if one morning you wake up to discover that the house isn’t warming up as well as it should? You check the thermostat to make sure the settings are right, and then you might try raising the thermostat setting to make up the difference. But you shouldn’t have to do this: the boiler is supposed to meet the standard household demand for comfort, and pushing up the thermostat to attempt to compensate may lead to more trouble.
What’s wrong? Do you need to call for heater repair in Essex, VT to fix the boiler? Or is it time for a new boiler? We’ll look into the possibilities below.
Ways to Troubleshot (Not Repair!) a Faulty Gas furnace
Monday, December 7th, 2020
We want to be clear about this from the start: Only a trained, licensed HVAC professional should repair a gas furnace. This is a matter of safety—although even if it were safe to tinker with a gas furnace on your own, you’d still only want a trained professional to touch the system to make sure the repair is done right. In many jurisdictions, it’s illegal for anyone without a special license to work on an appliance connected to a gas main.
In this post we’re making a distinction between trying to repair a gas furnace and going through basic troubleshooting steps when a furnace isn’t working properly. There’s nothing wrong with making checks on a furnace before you call us for heating repair in Plattsburgh, NY. Often, the problem with a non-working furnace is something simple you can correct on your own. Just don’t take any steps where you need to get tools and open up the furnace! That’s the point where you’ve gone past troubleshooting and might get into actual trouble.
Does a Gas Furnace Dry Out the Air in a House?
Monday, November 9th, 2020
This is a question we often hear, because it’s almost conventional wisdom that a gas furnace makes the air inside a home drier during winter. But conventional wisdom isn’t always correct, and false information spreads fast today.
So let’s confront the question here: Does a gas furnace really dry out the air in a house? If it does, that’s a major concern because dry air in winter can create comfort problems and even health issues.
Make October Heating Maintenance Month!
Monday, October 12th, 2020
If we had to select the best month for scheduling heating maintenance in Plattsburgh, NY, it would be October. There is no truly bad month for heating maintenance: it’s important that it gets done each year, so having it later or earlier is better than never. But October is when you’ll get the most from having professionals inspect and tune-up your heating system.
Why is this? For one, it’s in the “Golden Zone” where it’s early enough to beat out the first serious cold weather of the year but late enough that the heater will be in prime shape for when those cold snaps first make their chilling debut. It’s also a time of year when HVAC technicians like ours have less crammed schedules because we aren’t dealing with as many emergency calls for failed ACs or heaters. You can schedule maintenance for the most convenient time.
Facts on Condensing Furnaces and How One Can Benefit You
Monday, March 2nd, 2020
If you have a furnace in your house that’s more than 15 or even 20 years old, any replacement system will have a higher energy efficiency rating. This because standard for gas furnaces have changed dramatically over two decades, and even the new mid-efficiency models have a higher standard than the mid-efficiency models at the start of the 21st century.
If you upgrade to a new furnace at the end of this year’s heating season, you can expect energy-saving performance. And if you want a major efficiency upgrade, one of the best options is a condensing furnace. These furnaces score some of the highest AFUE ratings (efficiency ratings) of any heating system on the market, with as little waste as 2%.
