Bartels Heating & Cooling Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Furnace’

How to Make Your Heating System More Efficient

Monday, November 13th, 2017

money-out-chimneyAs the temperatures outside drop, the cost of heating your home becomes higher and higher. This is to be expected, of course, as the furnace has to run for longer to keep you warm. However, at some point during your homeownership, you may find out that you pay much more than you should have to! Maybe a neighbor tells you that they pay way less than you do to heat a similarly sized home, or perhaps you’ve just realized you’re spending more than you did last year.

It might be possible to get your heating system running at a higher efficiency so that you can save more over time. Read our tips and speak to our team to learn more!

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5 Signs You Need Heating Repair

Monday, October 30th, 2017

heater-radiator-womanWorried your heater could break down at any moment? If you don’t know the signs that a heater needs repair, maybe you should be. It’s never fun to have to repair a heating system, but it’s even worse when your heater has broken down completely, calling for an emergency repair that could cost you even more.

Experts say it’s important to repair a heating system early in order to avoid sudden system breakdowns and higher repair costs. In addition, the sooner you repair your system, the lower your monthly bills may be, and the longer your system can last. Check out the signs you may have a heater in need of repair sooner rather than later.

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How to Prevent Furnace Repair

Monday, October 2nd, 2017

heating-furnace-repair-technicianMost people never call in a contractor until something in the home breaks. And yet, when it comes to your heating system, many of the repairs you make within a year are largely preventable. The furnace is something you want to avoid repairing in the middle of the winter, when you need your heating system the most. Getting ahead of furnace repairs and maintenance early in the season will help you keep things under control later on.

Let our expert technicians help you understand why it’s important to keep a furnace well-maintained, and what you can do to prevent repairs. Follow these tips in order to make sure you’re safe and comfortable in colder weather.

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Which Heating Installation Is Best for Your Home?

Monday, September 18th, 2017

natural-gas-burners-flame-furnaceThe chill of winter gives you an excuse to curl up in bed with a blanket for a little longer, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to keep warm. Of course, your home’s central heating system is the most effective way to cool off, assuming you have one that’s the right fit. Sizing, efficiency rating, style of heater, and more have an effect on whether you feel warm enough throughout the winter (and not just on lazy mornings spent in bed).

Let our heating experts help you locate the best heating installation for your home—before temperatures drop any more. Give yourself time to consider your options, if you can. Contact our team, and check out the guide below for a primer on the best heating installations for any home.

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3 Reasons to Schedule Furnace Maintenance Today

Monday, December 5th, 2016

If your furnace fails in the middle of winter, what will you do? Will you be able to bear the chilly temperatures that hit your home for more than a few hours? In most cases, a call to an emergency heating technician is necessary. But that means unexpected costs and a lot of stress that you were not prepared to deal with.

But when you schedule furnace maintenance each year, you may never have to worry about this possibility. In today’s blog, find out how furnace maintenance makes your life a lot easier.

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The Truth about Electric Heating Systems

Monday, November 21st, 2016

People find lots of different ways to stay warm when the cold picks up. While you might love to huddle up by the fire with a blanket on, many homeowners don’t have this option. And so, they have to seek out an alternative.

Electric heating systems are sometimes preferable to gas heating, due to the lower risk to your home and family, since you don’t have to worry so much about carbon monoxide or gas leaks. But there are some things we think you should know about the different kinds of electric heating systems available to you.

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Upgrades Available with New Furnaces that You Might Not Know about

Monday, February 1st, 2016

You might assume that all furnaces are fairly similar. But year after year, new advancements in technology make some furnaces more effective and efficient than others. And with optional upgrades like smart thermostats and zone control available, there’s no better time to get a new whole-home heater for a new home, or if an old system needs replace-ment.

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3 Things You Should Know about Your Furnace

Monday, January 25th, 2016

Chances are high that your home heating system is a furnace. There is no whole-home heater more common in the US. And we think there are a few things you should know about this system you use every single day, even though you may have very little background on it in the first place.

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What to Check before Calling for Furnace Repair

Monday, February 16th, 2015

When your furnace stops working or begins to malfunction, your first instinct is probably to call an HVAC technician to examine your system. That’s a good habit to develop, but before you call for professional help there are a few things you should check first. It is possible that your furnace malfunction is actually very minor, and something you can fix yourself. Even though you will likely need to call a professional anyway, examining certain parts of your system beforehand can help isolate and identify the problem. Let’s take a look at what you should check before calling for furnace repair.

The Thermostat

The core of any central heating system is the thermostat. It is the brain of your furnace system, which will not act without an order from the thermostat. As such, a malfunctioning thermostat can pretty effectively cripple your entire furnace. If your furnace stops working, you should always check your thermostat before doing anything else. Examine the display on the thermostat and make sure that all the information and settings are correct. An incorrect display is a sign that something is wrong with your thermostat.

The Air Filter

The air filter is responsible for protecting your furnace from dust and debris that blows in from the ducts. Though it does this job well, the filter has no way to rid itself of any particles that it collects. If not cleaned or changed out every 1-3 months, the air filter can become clogged. This restricts the air flow through the system, trapping heat inside the furnace and causing it to overheat. When this happens, it trips a device called the “limit switch,” which shuts the furnace down as a safety measure. If your furnace suddenly shuts down and won’t restart, it is possible that it overheated due to a dirty air filter. If you replace your dirty air filter, that might be all that is needed to solve the problem.

If your furnace is experiencing any sort of issue, call Bartels Heating & Cooling to make an appointment today. We provide professional furnace repair service throughout the West Chester area.

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How a Furnace Limit Switch Helps Keep You Safe

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

Your furnace is manufactured with a number of safety mechanisms to help keep you, your home and your heating system safe. One of these safety mechanisms is the limit switch. The limit switch is part of your blower assembly, but is also part of your overall control system. This is why, should a problem develop with your limit switch, your furnace may experience operational issues. To understand more about the limit switch on your furnace in Hamilton, it’s important to learn what it is and how it works.

What Does a Limit Switch Do?

The limit switch is a device that has two functions: first, it won’t allow the fan to turn on until the air generated inside your furnace is warm enough and second, it acts as a kill switch to the burner should the air temperature around the heat exchanger become too hot. The reason the limit switch can turn off the burner is that when the temperature around the heat exchanger becomes too high, the heat exchanger can crack, allowing the toxic byproducts of combustion into your home.

Common Problems with Limit Switches

Like other components in your heating system, the limit switch can malfunction. The most common sign of a malfunctioning limit switch is the continuous operation of your furnace’s blower. Just as the limit switch won’t allow the fan to turn on until the warm air has reached the right temperature, the limit switch also shuts down when the air cools to a certain temperature. However, when a limit switch starts to go bad, it may not turn off at the end of a cycle; the result is a continuously-running blower.

A second problem is common with a limit switch is that won’t allow the furnace to operate. For example, if the air flow in your system is significantly reduced by a clogged air filter, there won’t be enough air circulating through the system; this can cause the heat exchanger to get too hot. Once the limit switch senses this, it turns off the burner.

It is very important that all the safety mechanisms on your furnace in Hamilton work correctly in order to keep you, your family and your home safe. If you suspect your limit switch may be experiencing problems, call Bartels Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment with one of our professional furnace repair and maintenance experts.

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