Bartels Heating & Cooling Blog: Archive for February, 2014

Reasons to Look into Carrier Greenspeed Technology

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

The technology of furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps continues to surge forward each year. The furnaces of today have an energy efficiency far superior to models manufactured a mere ten years ago. If you are thinking about making a change in your home’s comfort system, now is an excellent time to look into the cutting edge technology available.

One of the best advances in heating and cooling is Carrier’s Greenspeed technology. We’ll explain why you should consider a heat pump or furnace in Hamilton, OH equipped with Greenspeed Intelligence. Call Bartels Heating & Cooling, your local Carrier dealer, for more information and to schedule a great installation.

What is Carrier Greenspeed technology?

Carrier, the company that invented mechanical air conditioning over a hundred years ago, constantly strives to lead the industry in innovation. Greenspeed Intelligence is an exciting recent advance in heating and cooling from Carrier that combines whisper-quiet operation, high energy-efficient performance, and ideal comfort.

Greenspeed Intelligence is designed to pair with the Carrier Infinity product line, such as the modulating Infinity 98 gas furnace or the variable-speed Infinity 20 heat pump, and improve upon their existing Infinity systems. Greenspeed can control the heating or cooling system to run at anywhere from 40% to 100% capacity depending on a home’s current needs, which results in better comfort levels and a significant reduction in power use. With variable speed, the system runs longer but at a steadier capacity, so it can operate at 40% capacity most of the time while maintaining the ideal level of heating or cooling for your home.

The amount of energy you can save with Greenspeed Intelligence is significant: the Infinity 20 heat pump with Greenspeed enhancement can run up to 69% more efficiently than other forced-air heat pumps.

Other benefits you’ll receive with Greenspeed: quiet operation from the reduced capacity, precision temperature control, and easier addition of air purifiers and humidifiers.

Call to find out more about Greenspeed technology

Are you interested in having installation of a heat pump or furnace in Hamilton, OH equipped with the Greenspeed difference? At Bartels Heating & Cooling, we have the equipment and skills necessary to install a heating/cooling system with Greenspeed so you can enjoy years of high efficiency and serene comfort. We are local Carrier dealers and can handle all your needs for home comfort.

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3 Ways to Avoid Heating Repair

Monday, February 17th, 2014

Here in Fairfield, OH, heating repair is no small matter. We need our heaters to function on a daily basis when the snow falls, and any problems need to be fixed quickly before the indoor temperature drops. A good heating repair company will respond in a timely fashion, but even better than repair is avoiding a breakdown in the first place. The more prevention you can exercise, the greater the chances that your heater will continue to function as it’s expected to.

Here are 3 ways to avoid heating repair:

  • Schedule a maintenance visit before heating season starts. A technician will come to your home and clean the dirt off of the heater’s interior components, as well as tightening loose fittings and running the heater to see that everything is functioning as it should. Not only does this reduce the chances of a breakdown, but it helps the heater run more efficiently, cutting down on monthly energy costs.
  • Don’t crank the heat way up. Many people falsely assume that turning the heat up means that the furnace will warm your home faster. This isn’t true. Most furnaces have just one fan speed, and the others don’t have more than two or three. That means that turning it up won’t warm your house any faster. It will just increase the strain on your system, and with it, the chances of a significant breakdown.
  • Watch for signs of trouble. Not every problem results in the heater shutting down. Many times, they will keep running until the problem gets worse, wasting energy in the bargain and raising the cost of repairs when it finally does give up the ghost. You can prevent this by listening for strange sounds, monitoring the functioning of the heater and checking you monthly bills to see that they’re not going up unexpectedly.

For more ways to avoid heating repair in Fairfield, OH, or to schedule a maintenance or repair visit, call Bartels Heating & Cooling. Contact us today to make an appointment!

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Who Wrote the First Valentine’s Day Poem?

Friday, February 14th, 2014

The celebration of Valentine’s Day is often seen as a modern institution, even if the roots of the holiday go back to Late Antiquity and the figures of St. Valentine of Rome and St. Valentine of Terni. It’s difficult to separate our view of February 14th from the more recent phenomenon of greeting cards, comical cupids, and specialty treats from candy companies.

However, not only are some of these traditions older than we might think (mass-produced Valentine’s Day cards were an enormous success in early 19th-century England), but the earliest Valentine’s Day love poem comes from none other than the first great English author, Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote in the second half of the 14th-century.

Chaucer’s most famous work is The Canterbury Tales, an enormous collection of linked stories in poetry and prose. But his 700-line poem “Parlement of Foules” has the special distinction of being the first surviving record of a connection between Valentine’s Day and romantic love. Chaucer probably composed the poem in 1381–82. At the time, he was a member of the court of King Richard II, holding an important bureaucratic position in London. The date suggests that Chaucer wrote “Parelment of Foules” to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of the English king to Princess Anne of Bohemia.

The poem follows the dream of the narrator, where he walks through Venus’s temple and discovers a meeting of birds where they all choose their mates. This is where the mention of St. Valentine’s Day appears (English modernized):

For this was on St. Valentine’s Day,                                                                         

When every bird cometh there to choose his mate.                                                                  

The poem also contains a familiar Valentine’s image, Cupid with his arrows:

Under a tree, beside a well, I saw

Cupid our lord his arrows forge and file;                                                             

And at his feet his bow already lay.

When Chaucer mentions St. Valentine’s Day, is he referring specifically to February 14th? Late winter isn’t a time when birds in England would mate. However, the date for the start of spring—when some birds would have started nesting in England—was on February 23rd in the calendars of the time, certainly close enough for Chaucer to take poetic license and nudge it a bit to match with Valentine’s Day.

Love birds remain a popular symbol of Valentine’s Day even now, and for this we can thank Chaucer. In fact, he may very well have invented the link between love and Valentine’s Day, although we will probably never know for certain.

Whoever started these traditions, all of us here at Bartels Heating & Cooling hope you have a wonderful February 14th!

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Boiler Problems Caused by Rust

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

Your boiler is a key part of your household, providing dependable heating even during the coldest parts of winter. That’s no small consideration. Rust is a concern with any kind of metal equipment, let alone that relies on water to do its job. As closed loop system, the boiler isn’t supposed to have problems with rust. But no system is perfect, and when rust forms in your boiler, it can cause serious trouble very quickly. If you need boiler repair in West Chester, OH, call Bartels Heating & Cooling today.

Rust is caused by oxidation, which entails oxygen, water and metal. When a leak springs up in the system, oxygen can enter into in, starting the oxidation process and creating rust in the metal. It can occur in the main boiler itself or along any of the pipes and radiators it uses to heat your home. But wherever it occurs, trouble is bound to follow. The rust corrodes and east away at the metal of the boiler, making the walls thinner and more prone to damage.  Eventually, it will breach the metal, resulting in a leak and necessitating replacement of whichever parts have been overcome by the rust.

A number of preventative measures can avoid boiler problems caused by rust. A trained professional can use certain chemicals to keep oxygen from oxidizing inside the boiler. However, you usually need to call in a service technician to remove the rust and correct whatever problem created it in the first place. If you need West Chester, OH, boiler repair service, call Bartels Heating & Cooling. If you spot rust in your boiler, don’t hesitate to contact us right away.

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