Serving the Monroe / West Monroe area
If your heater is having a problem, we always advocate for prompt repairs. Getting something fixed right away can make the difference between a small repair (and a small bill) and major components being damaged and needing to be replaced (which means a much larger bill). But there are times when it just doesn’t make sense to pay for a repair. How can you tell whether you should keep investing in your old heater or get a new one? Let us explain the 50% rule.
Most people are experts in just one or two areas. Someone might be great at fixing cars but at a loss when it comes to computer problems. Someone might be brilliant at gardening but a terrible cook. No one should feel the need to be an expert at everything. That’s what experts are for! When it comes to your own home, you should feel empowered to learn some basics about the systems that keep it running.
While you should always leave the actual repair to the experts, you don’t have to stay in the dark about your own heating system. The most important thing to know is when to call in the experts.
How can you tell when your heater is working fine and when it’s in dire need of repair? Here are some clues you’ll spot if your heater is in trouble.
When your heater needs to be replaced, the installation is a significant part of the cost. It can be tempting to hire an amateur, someone with some home-improvement skills but no regular heater installation experience, and no specific training. They might be a cheaper option. Or, if you’re a DIY enthusiast, you might wonder if you can do the installation yourself.
What are the benefits of having a qualified technician install your heater, and what are the risks of amateur installation? We’ll give you a full rundown of the reasons why a highly-trained professional should be the only person installing heating equipment in your home.
We often talk on this blog about the importance of having repairs done promptly when any part of your HVAC system is experiencing problems. Delaying repairs can cause small problems to worsen, put strain on other parts of the system, or even cause damage to unrelated components.
The trick is knowing how to catch problems early, and one of the best ways to do that is listening to the sounds your furnace makes. Pay attention to the sounds you hear when all is going well. They should be steady and consistent, and not very loud. Once you’re familiar with the good sounds, you’re more likely to notice right away when strange sounds occur. What strange sounds might you hear when your furnace is having trouble, and what kind of trouble do they indicate? Read on to find out.
Sometimes, homeowners are reluctant to spend money on regular maintenance for a heating system that seems to be working just fine. They may imagine that they should save that money for when repairs are needed, or when their heater needs to be replaced. However, they are incorrect. We believe it’s important for our customers to be well-informed about all issues surrounding their home comfort systems, and information about how they can save money is definitely part of that. Heating maintenance will actually save you money in several different ways, and we’ll tell you all of them.
Gas furnaces have many components, and it can be easy to get confused about terms like “flame sensor” and “pilot assembly” and be unclear about just how critical a part is to your furnace’s ability to function. For simplicity’s sake, let us state for the record that without a heat exchanger, you don’t have a furnace. While other components are also very important to the function of your heater, and all problems should be addressed promptly by qualified technicians, a cracked heat exchanger is an emergency causing not only heating failure but also serious safety hazards.
So we’d like to help you understand what a heat exchanger is, how it works, why it might crack, and what to do if it does so that you can navigate that situation with the seriousness it requires.
Heating a home is expensive. Even in Louisiana, there is a good stretch of the winter when we need to keep our heat on all the time, and that can be very costly. Sometimes, though, we are paying for more than we need. We’d like to share some tips for making the most of your heat and decreasing your utility bills this winter. And not only that: minimizing the amount your heater needs to work means minimizing wear and tear on the system, so you require fewer repairs. It can even help your heater to have a longer lifespan, so it will keep you cozy for many more winters.
As winter approaches, you may be thinking about your heater and having some concerns. Did it work well last winter, providing as much heat as you needed, and easily raising the temperature in your home when you adjusted the thermostat? Did it work efficiently, keeping your energy use steady and your utility bills affordable? Is it still new enough that you are confident in its ability to keep you and your family warm for another winter?
If the answer to any of those questions is no—your heater struggled to warm your home, your utility bills have risen, or your heater is well over a decade in age—you might be considering replacement. When it’s time to choose a new heating system for your home, there are several key considerations you should keep in mind.
As we settle into fall, enjoying the break in the hot weather and all the festive seasonal activities and celebrations, let’s not forget that the time will soon come when you need to run your heater. If you’ve had maintenance done, as we recommended in our last blog post, you’re already on the right track. But it’s also important to be aware of how your heater might signal that it is in need of repairs. Keep an eye out for these six signs, and schedule repairs if you notice them.
It’s tempting to think that autumn will last forever, keeping your home in that beautiful temperature range that doesn’t require either air conditioning or heating. But the truth is that cold days will come, and you want your heater to work when they arrive. Plan ahead, schedule now, and you can be sure your home will stay comfortable all through the winter.
There are some major benefits to prompt, regular heater maintenance every fall before the heating season begins. They fall into four main categories: safety, comfort, environmental impact, and financial benefit.