Heat Pump Trouble?

Do these simple checks and you might avoid an air conditioning or heating service call:

• Are the filters clean?
• Is the breaker tripped?
• Are the door panels secure?
• Is there frost and/or ice on the piping and/or coils? If yes, schedule your FREE service call right now to avoid possible damage to the equipment. If these things check out o.k. but you still have a problem, schedule your free air conditioning or heating service call online!

Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. How does a heat pump work?
A. A heat pump is a lot more simple than most people realize. A heat pump is an Air conditioner with a special valves added to it so it can run backwards in the winter to heat your home. Just like an air conditioner cools your home in the summer by absorbing heat from inside the home and releasing it outside, a heat pump runs backwards to absorb heat from outside and release it inside.

Q. How can it do that when it is below freezing outside?
A. The coldest anything can possibly be is -459°F(absolute zero). When the outdoor temperature is 10°F, for example, there is 469°F worth of temperature available to the heat pump. The heat pump absorbs as much of this heat as possible and releases it inside the home. Thanks to the way heat pumps use refrigerant to do their heating, they can be up to 400% efficient. Compared to the most energy efficient gas furnaces at about 96% efficient, heat pumps are a wise choice for reducing a homes energy consumption. Please keep in mind that this is a brief and simple description of how a heat pump works and they require specialized training to install them so be sure to discuss your options with one of our N.A.T.E. Certified technicians before making your decision.

Furnace Trouble?

Do these simple checks and you might avoid a heating service call:

• Are the filters clean?
• Is the breaker tripped?
• Are the door panels secure?
• Is the gas on?
• Is the pilot lit?

If these things check out o.k. but you still have a problem, fill out our appoinment form and schedule your free heating service call online!

Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. How does a furnace work?
A. A furnace works by using the heat energy from gas to heat your home. Gas burners burn the gas inside a metal chamber called a heat exchanger. The fire inside the heat exchanger heats up its metal walls and a fan blows air across the outside of the heated metal walls and into your home. The hot metal walls of the heat exchanger heat up the air being blown past them and the air transfers the heat into your home through the air ducts.

Gas furnaces can be up to about 98% efficient, meaning that for every $1 you spend to heat your home, $.98 of it is turned into heat, and the rest is wasted up the chimney. Gas furnaces are very popular because of their simplicity and their ability to operate at very low outdoor temperatures. A properly designed and installed furnace heating system may be a good choice for you. Be sure to discuss this option with your N.A.T.E. Certified technician.

Air Conditioner trouble?

Do these simple checks and you might avoid an air conditioning service call:

• Are the filters clean?
• Is the breaker tripped?
• Are the door panels secure?
• Is there frost and/or ice on the piping and/or coils? If yes, schedule your FREE service call right now to avoid possible damage to the equipment.

If these things check out o.k. but you still have a problem, then schedule your free air conditioning service call online!

Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. How does an air conditioner work?

A. An air conditioner works by using refrigerant (freon) to absorb heat from inside the home and transferring it outside, thereby leaving the air colder inside. A fan blows the warm air in the home across a cold coil (looks like a car radiator) that has cold freon flowing through it. The cold freon in the coil absorbs the heat in the air and brings it outside to the air conditioner through the freon pipes. When the freon gets to the air conditioner, it releases its heat to the outside air and goes back to coil in the house to absorb more heat. This process is continued until the home is cooled down. Air conditioners can be very sensitive to airflow, dirt, weather, freon charge, operator error and many other conditions that can be properly diagnosed by your N.A.T.E. Certified technician. then to schedule your free service call with your N.A.T.E. Certified technician.

Accessory Trouble?

Your heating and cooling accessories are the things that make your system perform better and keep your comfortable and healthy. Sometimes they stop working and it takes awhile to realize it. Answer the questions below to see if you have accessory problems:

• Does your home seem more dry than usual?

  Humidifier
  A humidifier is a device that works with your furnace to maintain comfortable levels of moisture in your home during our cold dry winters. When it stops working, the home can start to feel dry, your skin and sinuses will dry out and the home may start to feel colder as well. To see if your humidifier is working properly, check the following:

  • Is the water supply to humidifier turned on?
  • Is the seasonal damper in its proper position? (open for winter, closed for summer)
  • Is the unit plugged in?
  • Is the wicking pad in good condition?

  If everything seem o.k. and the home still feels dry, click here to schedule your free service call online and we’ll send your N.A.T.E. Certified technician to solve your problem.

• Are you or your family having more breathing problems than usual?

  Air Cleaner
  An air cleaner is a device that works with your furnace to clean the air and remove allergens, dirt, dust, dander, pollen and any other airborne particles that are in the air in your home. When it stops working properly you may start to notice more dust, more breathing problems and reduced heating and cooling performance. To see if your air cleaner is working properly, check the following:

  • Is the unit clean?
  • Is it plugged in?
  • Does the indicator light turn on while the furnace fan is running?
  • Does filter fit tightly and easily in its housing?

  If everything seem o.k. and the home still seems dirty, click here to schedule your free service call online and we’ll send your N.A.T.E. Certified technician to solve your problem.

• Are you dusting the furniture more often than usual?

• Are some areas of your home not heating/cooling properly?

  Zoning
  A zone system is a set of valves in your air ducts that open and close to heat and cool separate areas of your home. The valves are controlled by thermostats in the zones and a main control panel, usually located near the furnace. When your zone system stops working properly you will notice that areas of your home become uncomfortable, even though the thermostat is set properly.

  To see if your zone system is working properly, check the following:

  • Turn on the thermostat in the zone that is not working and see if you feel warm or cool air coming from the vents in that zone.
  • Is your thermostat set properly?

  If everything seem o.k. but there are still uncomfortable areas in your home, click here to schedule your free service call online and we’ll send your N.A.T.E. Certified technician to solve your problem.

• Is your system acting erratically?

  Thermostat
  A thermostat is a device used to control the operation of your heating and cooling system. It is mounted on the wall in the home and can be digital or analog. When the thermostat stops working properly you will notice your heating and cooling system will run erratically or not at all. To see if your thermostat is working properly, check the following:

  • If it is digital, is information displayed on the screen?
  • Does the heating and cooling system start when you turn it on at the thermostat?
  • Are the breakers tripped?
  • Does the heating and cooling system stop when you turn it off at the thermostat?

  If everything seems o.k. but your system still doesn’t work properly, click here to schedule your free service call online and we’ll send your N.A.T.E. Certified technician to solve your problem.

• Do you hear a snapping sound coming from the furnace when it runs?

  Ventilator
  A ventilator is a device that exchanges stale indoor air for fresh outdoor air. When your ventilator stops working you will notice the air in your home seems stale, odors linger longer and the home has a general “stuffy” feeling.

  To see if your ventilator is working properly, check the following:

  • Is the unit plugged in?
  • Are filters in the unit clean?
  • Are the dampers open?
  • Is the control working properly?

  If everything seem o.k. but your home still feels “stuffy”, click here to schedule your free service call online and we’ll send your N.A.T.E. Certified technician to solve your problem.

• Is it always hot upstairs and cold downstairs, or vice-versa?

  Zoning
  A zone system is a set of valves in your air ducts that open and close to heat and cool separate areas of your home. The valves are controlled by thermostats in the zones and a main control panel, usually located near the furnace. When your zone system stops working properly you will notice that areas of your home become uncomfortable, even though the thermostat is set properly.

  To see if your zone system is working properly, check the following:

  • Turn on the thermostat in the zone that is not working and see if you feel warm or cool air coming from the vents in that zone.
  • Is your thermostat set properly?

  If everything seem o.k. but there are still uncomfortable areas in your home, click here to schedule your free service call online and we’ll send your N.A.T.E. Certified technician to solve your problem.

Air duct trouble?

Are some rooms in your home too hot or too cold? If so, you probably have a problem with you air duct system. Your air ducts are the tubes in your floor or ceiling, or both, that move the air from your furnace to the rooms in your home. A properly designed and installed duct system should be able to keep your entire home comfortable all year long, assuming your furnace and a/c are working properly. If some of the rooms in your home are too hot or too cold, it could be because your ducts are broken, crushed, disconnected or not the right size for the job. The only way to accurately diagnose an air duct problem is to have your N.A.T.E. Certified technician inspect the air ducts. Click here to schedule your free service call online.