Many people end up in Florida because they hate the idea of too much cold weather. Most of us are quite glad that truly cold days are so few and far between. That does mean, though, that when it is chilly outside, we tend to want heaters to function properly so we can ignore the outdoor climate for a bit!
All in all, heating systems don’t get much of a workout in our area. Still, they run into problems just like any other heating system! Because of their setup and the amount of usage, though, these problems may be a bit different from what you’d expect in other climates. Here are some common problems that come up with heaters in our warm climate.
In this part of the country, we don’t see a lot of gas heaters. Electric furnaces do a fine job of warming up Florida homes (although we do recommend a heat pump to the energy-conscious Floridian instead). A major benefit to electric furnaces is that they are so durable, which is why it may be surprising when you notice yours has run into trouble, or won’t start up at all.
When is the last time you had a professional HVAC technician (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) in your home? If you’re like most people, you only call in an HVAC company when something goes wrong, or when you need a new system installed. This means it may have been years since your last visit, but we think this is a mistake.
So you’re looking for a new furnace and you’ve got a lot on your plate. You’re probably buried in comparisons between fuel types, AFUE vs HSPF ratings, and a dozen other considerations. So, it can be pretty tempting at times to just go with whatever furnace fits in the space you have available just to get the whole process over with. We don’t recommend that for a number of reasons, one of the most important being this: size matters. If the furnace you install in your home is too big, or too small, you’re going to be amazed at how quickly things are going to turn sour for you.