The official end of winter and the start of spring is March 20, less than a month away. But as anybody who has lived for a few years in Northwest Vermont and Northeast New York can tell you, the weather is extremely unpredictable during this last period of winter. The saying that March “enters like a lamb and leaves like a lion” (and sometimes vice versa) is a short way of saying that you never quite know what the temperatures are going to be like until it finally settles into spring weather. Your heating system still has some work ahead of it.
Red Rock Mechanical, LLC Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category
The End of Winter: Watch for These Heating Troubles
Monday, February 27th, 2017
There’s Water around My Furnace… What’s Going On?
Monday, February 20th, 2017
Most people have a basic idea about how gas furnaces operate: a pilot light or electronic ignition system lights gas burners, which generate the heat that warms up the air sent into the house. This process doesn’t sound like it involves water at any point. So when a homeowner notices that there is water coming out the base of a furnace, it seems strange.
This does happen with furnaces, and if you see it occurring with yours, you almost certainly need professional heating repair in Plattsburgh, NY or elsewhere in Northeast New York or Northwest Vermont. A number of problems might be at work, ranging from minor malfunctions to the need to replace the entire furnace. But no matter what, you must have trained technicians on the job: a gas furnace is potentially dangerous if someone without licensing and training tries to work on one.
The Benefits of a Boiler for a Home Heating System
Monday, February 13th, 2017
If you are currently in a situation where you have to make a decision about a heating system for a new home, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of choices available. The most common way to heat a home is with a furnace, which must have a network of ducts to carry heated air to the various rooms. Heat pumps are another form of forced-air heating that relies on a ventilation system (although there are also ductless mini split heat pumps).
A boiler system, on the other hand, is an option that runs differently from forced-air heating. A boiler uses radiant heating, which is heating up objects in rooms so they send out heat waves through the space. Boilers can use radiators, baseboard heaters, or in-floor piping to spread warmth around a house.
Selecting a boiler for winter heat is a major choice, but there are a number of reasons that you may wish to make this your choice for your new home heating in Burlington, VT:
Groundhog vs. Groundhog: No Matter Who’s Right—Be Ready for More Winter!
Monday, February 6th, 2017
Here in Vermont and Northeast New York, we’re divided between the two most famous Groundhog Day prognosticators. On the one hand, there’s Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania. On the other hand, there’s Staten Island Chuck in… Staten Island. Sometimes the two make similar predictions. This year it was different. We would love to think that Staten Island Chuck is right, since he predicted an early spring.
But let’s be honest: Groundhog Day accuracy isn’t something you should use to plan for your home heating needs over the next six weeks. There’s still cold weather ahead, and you want to make sure that your heating system will make it through to whenever it is that spring comes to the rescue. We have some advice on how to do this.
More About Furnace Efficiency: Why Are New Furnaces More Efficient?
Monday, January 30th, 2017
Last week we went into details about gas furnace efficiencies, specifically the AFUE rating and whether it means you’ll save energy with a high-efficiency furnace or not. It’s a question that is best left to a professional to answer.
However, we want you know that we definitely encourage consumers to look into high-efficiency furnace options when they start looking around for a new installation or a replacement for an older heater. The AFUE ratings of furnaces are higher than they’ve ever been: older furnaces used to average between 56% and 70% AFUE ratings, which meant wasting between 44% and 30% of the natural gas the furnace burned. Today, furnaces range from 85% to 98.5% AFUE, and the ENERGY STAR requirement for a furnace is 90%.
But why exactly are furnaces able to perform at such energy-saving levels today? There are several reasons.
Does a High AFUE Rating Guarantee I’ll Save Money with a New Furnace?
Monday, January 23rd, 2017
Planning for a new furnace installation in Plattsburgh, NY means balancing out multiple factors to find the right furnace model to meet your home’s heating needs. You probably already know about at least one important furnace stat: AFUE, which is the standardized measure for furnace energy efficiency. Does it make sense to purchase only a furnace with the highest AFUE rating you can find? Is that a guarantee you’ll save money on heating your home in the future?
There’s a Simple Answer—But It Needs a Longer Explanation
The simple answer is: “no.” AFUE is not a guarantee you’ll save money. AFUE is information about how the furnace performs, but it doesn’t automatically mean the furnace will reduce household energy bills during the winter. We’ll explain further how AFUE is measured and how it can affect your decision for furnace installation.
Why Isn’t My Gas Furnace Providing Heat?
Monday, January 16th, 2017
This is definitely not a question you want to find yourself asking during a winter in Northwest Vermont! But if you do run into the situation of a furnace that simply isn’t doing what it’s supposed to, you’ll need to get to the bottom of it fast. In some cases, you can remedy the trouble on your own. Others will require you call on heating professionals.
Is Your Furnace Tripping the Circuit Breaker?
Monday, January 9th, 2017
Furnaces, if they receive annual maintenance in the fall, will run with few problems during each winter. However, repair problems can still crop up, and one of the more common ones is when the furnace causes a circuit breaker to trip. This will cause the furnace to stop working until the breaker is reset. Sometimes this will only happen once.
But if the furnace continues to trip the circuit breaker, there might be something wrong with the furnace or the electrical panel that will require professionals.
Let’s Keep Your Heating an Energy-Saver through the Winter
Monday, December 12th, 2016
No question about it… winter has already arrived here in Vermont. It doesn’t matter that the actual start date of winter is December 21. Vermont’s winter snow doesn’t follow any timetable!
If you’ve already had heating maintenance done for your furnace or heat pump (make sure to do this every fall), then you are already off to a good start with a heating system that will work at the highest energy efficiency throughout the season. But there are more steps you can take now that the winter is here to see that the heater gives you the best value for your comfort until spring arrives:
The Dangers of a Cracked Heat Exchanger in a Furnace
Monday, November 21st, 2016
Are you one of the many people who use a natural gas furnace to provide heat for the winter? If so, then you probably understand why they’re so popular for home comfort: gas furnaces are dependable and provide a level of heating that few other systems can top—and that’s especially important in our part of the country, when it gets cold.
You need to take some special precautions with gas furnaces, however. They aren’t automatically dangerous—they’re built with safety uppermost in mind—but they may run into some troubles that might lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. (Always have CO detectors in your home if you use natural gas.) Perhaps the most worrying problem is a cracked heat exchanger, which we’re going to look at now.
