Red Rock Mechanical, LLC Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Corrosion and the Furnace—Yes, It Can Happen

Monday, December 9th, 2019

rusted-furnaceWhat sort of home appliance do you think is most likely to corrode? You’ll probably think of the water heater, or shower heads and other water-using fixtures. You probably don’t think about your gas furnace rusting. It doesn’t use water to warm your house, after all. It applies heat to the air through a metal heat exchanger that contains hot combustion gas.

But furnaces can rust, and many do. It can be a minor irritation, a sign the furnace is too old and needs to be replaced, or even a major safety hazard. Let’s look a bit more into how corrosion can affect a furnace and what it means.

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Tips for How Often to Change the Furnace Filter

Monday, November 25th, 2019

man-holding-furnace-filterWhen heating season starts (a.k.a. “winter”), your home’s furnace will get down to steady work. That means you’ll have the semi-regular job of keeping an eye on it. This isn’t an intense job, only a reminder to keep your senses open to any of the signs the furnace is in trouble—and to remember to change the furnace filter on a regular schedule.

But what is that schedule? You may often hear advice to “change the furnace filter regularly” through the winter, but instead of a definite schedule you’re given a range of months. Which one is right? Is there a solid answer for how often to change the filter?

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No Matter Your Heating System, It Needs Fall Maintenance!

Monday, October 28th, 2019

autumn-backgroundHow do you keep your home toasty during the cold winters in Vermont and New York? The majority of homes use natural gas furnaces, but there are many that rely on boilers, electric furnaces, in-floor radiant systems, heat pumps, and dual fuel systems. Our heating technicians work with all these types of heaters in Burlington, VT. It’s one of the reasons we’ve had so many years of success and built up a loyal client base. Whatever you use to heat your home, you can trust us to install, repair, and maintain it.

We want to focus on that last part: maintain. Your central heating system needs to have professional maintenance each fall before the cold winter arrives. And this applies to all types of heating systems, from furnace to heat pump. Skipping maintenance can lead to higher bills, inconsistent performance, repair needs, an early replacement, and even safety hazards.

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Shutting Down Your Furnace for the Season

Monday, April 29th, 2019

burners-in-furnaceIt’s a nice feeling knowing you won’t need to turn your furnace back on for several months—it means the warm weather and summer have arrived. You’re coming closer to the day when you’ll turn off your home’s furnace and leave it off.

But should you do more than just turn the furnace off? What about shutting it down entirely for the season? We’ll take a look at whether this is a good idea or not.

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Is It Too Late to Bother With Heating Repair?

Monday, April 15th, 2019

hand-holding-wrenchIf the heating system in your home is still working the way it should during the last few cold days of spring, you can probably shut it down for the summer without much worry. As long as you remember to schedule maintenance for it in fall before the first cold settles in for the end of the year, you shouldn’t need further heater service in Burlington, VT for a good long strength.

However, if you’ve noticed anything wrong with the heater at the time of year, please take steps to have the system inspected and, if necessary, repaired. You might believe that heating malfunctions in spring aren’t a big deal since the heater is about to shut down for the season. But the truth is that a heater should never be allowed to run or be left it sit for a long stretch of time if it needs a repair.

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How Long Can I Expect My Furnace to Last?

Monday, April 1st, 2019

Furnace-standardYou probably know that the furnace in your house won’t last forever. Any type of machine that does as much work as a furnace during Vermont and New York winters will wear down to the point where it needs to be replaced.

To get the best return on investment in your furnace, you want it to last as long as possible—although not so long that it becomes a huge energy waster, develops safety problems, or become unreliable. Knowing how many years you can expect from your furnace will help you anticipate when to replace it.

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Can My Furnace Explode? (And a Few Other Questions)

Monday, March 18th, 2019

gas-flames-furnaceFurnaces are found in more homes than any other type of central heating system. Ironically, they’re also not well understood by the average homeowner, and that’s probably because they are so common; they’re easy to take for granted.

You don’t need to be a furnace expert to have a good working furnace—that’s why you have professionals like us to help with any furnace service or other heater repair in Burlington, VT you may require. In fact, only professionals with licenses to work on gas-powered heaters should ever handle service on a furnace.

But extra knowledge is always helpful, and homeowners often have questions about the furnace. Below are two of the most urgent people have—plus a bonus one that pops up as well.

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Pick a Maintenance Plan—And Enjoy Great Heating This Winter

Monday, October 29th, 2018

mom-and-daughter-in-snowWow, the end of the year is moving up fast! Of course, it seems like it does this every year. If you’ve found the winter has surprised you more than once by striking before you can get your heating system ready, then we recommend you find a heating maintenance plan in Plattsburgh, NY and get on the schedule with professionals.

We Have a Maintenance Plan to Fit You

Taking care of your heating system so you’ll have as worry-free a winter as possible is a big part of our job. We offer two different maintenance plans to provide you with the regular inspections and tune-ups necessary for top heating system performance each year:

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October Is Here: Time to Think If Your Heating System Needs Work

Monday, October 1st, 2018

service-blue-markerThe recent rains should serve as a strong reminder: it’s definitely fall, and we’re on the road to winter. Air conditioners will soon turn off for the rest of the year and furnaces and boilers will fire up (or heat pumps switch over to heating mode).

Now, before that happens, ask yourself if your heating system needs work. Can you trust it to make it through another tough winter season?

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Last Minute Furnace Repairs—Don’t Ignore Them

Monday, April 2nd, 2018

hand-holding-wrenchThe weather is still cool-to-cold here, and who knows what sudden shifts may occur through the rest of April and even in to May? You are probably still running your furnace during the evenings and sometimes the days as well. If you think your furnace is showing signs that something is wrong, like a loss of heating power or strange sounds from the cabinets, make sure you call a professional to repair the system right away.

When you read that last sentence, did a pestering voice in your head say, “Why bother? The furnace is about to shut down for the warm season. There’s not much point in hustling to get a minor problem fixed now. Wait it out.”

Please don’t listen to that nagging part of your brain! Ignoring furnace repairs, no matter the time of year, is bad for your comfort, your bills, and even your safety. We’ll explain further.

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