Touchstone Heating & Air Inc Blog | Air Conditioning and Heating Tips

Are Unusual Noises a Good Reason To Call For Furnace Repair?

January 22nd, 2014

If you have a forced-air furnace, you’re used to it making noise when it turns on. The blower fan has a motor that makes some noise, and there is also the noise of the warm air circulating throughout your house. But what happens when those noises don’t sound normal? Are unusual noises a good reason to call for furnace repair? Usually, the answer is yes. If you need Gainesville FL furnace repair services, call Call Touchstone Heating and Air Inc.

An unusual noise invariably suggests a problem that needs fixing, though the precise nature of the problem varies. The noise itself may provide a few clues. A rattling sound likely indicates something loose within the furnace, while a buzzing or humming suggests some kind of electrical problem. If the fan motor or some similar component runs into trouble, it’s apt to emit some kind of buzzing or grinding noise. Sputtering burners might also make unusual sounds and if the fan blades themselves are bent, they will make grinding noises as they rub up against their casing.

Whatever the exact sound, if you detect it, it means trouble. Ignoring it and hoping it will go away is probably the worst thing you can do in this situation, since the problem causing the noise will likely get worse until your heater breaks down completely. Instead, take careful note of when the noise first arose – At the start of the heating cycle? When it shuts down? Have whatever information you can get ready for when you furnace technician arrives.

Call the experts at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc. to pinpoint the problem and make repairs. We are available 24/7 for Gainesville, FL, furnace repair services.

Leaking Refrigerant and Heat Pump Repair

January 14th, 2014

Heat pumps use refrigerant to absorb heat from the air, which is either transferred to the inside or outside of your home, depending upon whether its in heating or cooling mode. That allows the heat pump to warm your home in the winter when temperatures are low and cool it in the summer when things get hot and muggy. All of that depends on the right amount of refrigerant, however. When it leaks, it can cause some significant problems. Here’s a basic rundown on leaking refrigerant and heat pump repair.

Refrigerant can leak out of the system at any point, but often seep out from a breached line or an imperfect fitting between two components. It’s often undetectable to the naked eye, though trained service professionals have tools to accurately pinpoint the source of the leak. In any case, the breach invariably lowers the amount of refrigerant in the system, which depends on a very specific amount of gas to work.

The cooling process takes place in the evaporator coils, which receives a set amount of liquid refrigerant from the expansion valve. Once it enters the coils the liquid evaporates, drawing heat from the surrounding air in the process. If the refrigerant levels are too low, the pressure will be too low, and you can wind up with frozen coils that won’t be able to absorb heat from the air.

Repairing the issue means hunting down the source of the leak and sealing it before recharging refrigerant levels to their recommended levels. The experts at Touchstone Heating & Air can help. If you need heat pump repair in Gainesville, FL, give us a call!

Why a Portable Generator Will Not Do the Job

January 6th, 2014

Here in Lake City, FL, a generator is a great addition to any home. Hurricanes are a regular fact of life here, and while our civic electrical system does a great job, occasionally losing power is to be expected. A generator means keeping food cold and comfort levels high, as well as maintaining contact with the outside world through radio, television and the internet. Some residents opt to use portable generators for such circumstances, which allow them to take the generator with them when they move. This can be a mistake. Here’s a list of reasons why a portable generator in Lake City will not do the job.

Size. Portable generators are usually very small, which will do in pinch but will struggle to meet your power needs for an entire household. A permanent generator, on the other hand, can be properly sized to meet the needs of your entire household, ensuring that you always have power when you need it.
Hazards. Portable generators can create toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, which can be a health hazard if the generator is run inside. Every time you use your generator, its imperative that you ensure it is vented properly. A permanent generator, on the other hand, will have its own venting system set up when it is installed, keeping you and your family safe while still providing reliable power.
Resale value. If you move away from hurricane country, chances are your need for a generator will diminish significantly, eliminating one of the big benefits of a portable model. A permanent model, on the other hand, will improve the resale value of your house, helping to cover the costs of installation.

For more on why a whole house generator is better than a portable one, contact the experts at Touchstone Heating & Air, Inc. We handle Lake City, FL generator issues of all varieties, and will install a permanent generator in your home that will make those hurricanes much easier to endure. We’re standing by to take your call, so don’t hesitate!

The Ball in Times Square

December 30th, 2013

New Year’s is a time for parties, fun and great traditions, some of which go back more than a century. Among them is the famous “dropping of the ball” in Times Square, an event which is broadcast to millions of people every New Year’s Eve. With 2014 nearly upon us, we thought we’d take the opportunity to look at the history of this popular New Year’s Eve festivity.

The idea began in 1907 at what was then the New York Times building at One Times Square. The newspaper’s owner, Adolph Ochs, had been celebrating the New Year with fireworks since 1903. He wanted make the event even more remarkable, and added the ball in December of 1907 to welcome in the New Year. The first ball was designed by Artkraft Strauss, who made it out of iron, wood, and light bulbs. It took six men to hoist the ball up the building’s flag pole; once midnight struck, the tremendous ball was carefully lowered, and all were allowed to marvel at it.

Since then, the ball has undergone many changes in materials and design, and even the New York Times has moved to another building. But the tradition remains and the ball has dropped over One Times Square ever since. Today, the ball is electronically controlled, and uses LED lamps for its construction: designed by Waterford Crystal and weighing in at over 1,200 pounds.

A number of television broadcasts have helped carry the event over the years, but by far the most famous is “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” which first ran in 1972. The show was created and hosted by Dick Clark, who became a staple of the event as much as the ball itself. Clark hosted the show every New Year’s Eve from 1972 until his death in 2012. Since then, it has been hosted by Ryan Seacrest, who shared hosting duties with Clark starting in 2005.

Whether you’re watching the ball drop on TV or have some other New Year’s Eve plan in mind, we here at Touchstone Heating & Air wish you nothing but the best for 2014. Have a safe and happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

December 23rd, 2013

Holiday greetings from Touchstone Heating & Air! We hope you are having safe and pleasant season, enjoying your favorite traditions for this time of year. We wish you the very best, and we thank you for your business this year.

In honor of the season, here are some fun facts about one of everyone’s favorite holiday movies: It’s a Wonderful Life.

For years, one of the enduring December traditions in the United States was watching the movie It’s a Wonderful Life playing almost nonstop on numerous television stations. No matter the time of the day, you could turn on the TV set, flip through channels, and discover It’s a Wonderful Life playing. Whenever you needed him, you could find Jimmy Stewart shouting, “Hello, Bedford Falls!”

But now… It’s a Wonderful Life only appears on broadcast television a few times during December, and most families instead choose to watch the movie on video. What happened?

The reason goes back to the film’s initial wide release in January 1947. (That’s right, it opened after the holiday season. It was not even promoted as a holiday film.) It’s a Wonderful Life was a box-office disappointment at the time, and its studio, RKO Radio Pictures, lost more than half a million on it. The movie’s production company, Liberty Films, was sold to Paramount to avoid bank foreclosure. (A bit ironic, considering the movie’s plot.) In 1955, the National Telefilm Associates (NTA) took over the rights to It’s a Wonderful Life, which included the television syndication rights.

However, NTA failed to properly renew the copyright in 1974 because of a clerical error, which allowed the film’s images to enter into the public domain. Although the movie’s plot was still under copyright protection because it was adapted from a published story called “The Greatest Gift,” television stations across the world could now broadcast it with only minimal royalty payments.

In 1993, Republic Pictures, which now owned the NTA library, tried to enforce their claim to the copyright of the film, as they possessed the rights to “The Greatest Gift.” Republic Pictures succeeded, and licensed exclusive television rights to NBC. Suddenly, It’s a Wonderful Life vanished from local television stations, and NBC made the movie’s broadcasts—usually twice during December—into major events. As of 1998, Paramount again has the rights to It’s a Wonderful Life… 43 years after they lost them.

It’s still easy to make It’s a Wonderful Life a part of whatever traditions you observe during the holidays, whether through home video or television broadcasts. Despite its lackluster initial reception in 1947, Frank Capra’s film is now an inseparable part of December in the United States.

Have a great holiday week!

Things to Look for in a New Generator

December 18th, 2013

Florida means hurricanes, and hurricanes mean a loss of electrical power just when people need it the most. In cities like Gainesville, FL, generators are practically a necessity for any responsible homeowner. Generators can keep you warm and comfortable in the midst of a crisis, as well as maintaining key parts of your household such as a refrigerator (storing food) and radio or Internet services (keeping you in contact with the outside world). Buying a new generator is an important process, almost as important as keeping it fueled and maintained in anticipation of hurricane season. Her’ a list of things to look for in a new generator.

Sizing: By this, we don’t mean physical size (though that could come into play depending on where you wish to install the generator), but rather the amount of power it generates. You should determine exactly how much of a load you intend to place on your generator, then resolve to never go over it. Beware of ordering a generator that’s too small. Better to err on the side of a larger size and keep the generator operating than finding you need more power in the middle of a torrential rain.
Maintenance and fuel issues: Make sure you know what kind of fuel your generator uses and what its rate of fuel consumption is. Generators can run off propane, diesel, gasoline or similar fuels, and you want to make sure you have plenty stored with it. Calculating fuel consumption is just as important: you don’t want to run out of gas in the middle of a storm.

If you need Gainesville, FL generator service, talk to the experts at at Touchstone Heating & Air. We can discuss things to look for in and new generator, then perform an installation with courtesy and care. Pick up the phone and give us a call today!

How is Insulation Efficiency Rated?

December 10th, 2013

Insulation can help you make the most of your heating and cooling systems. Most people think that insulation works best in the winter, when it retains heat to keep your home warm. They thus tend to discard it out of hand, since our Florida winters are very warm. But insulation is equally effective during our hot summers, when it helps your home cool. Insulation is formed by numerous different kinds of material, making it hard for laymen to understand which one is the best. Luckily, a common rating system allows you to measure different types of insulation against a common standard. How is insulation efficiency rated?

The common measuring system is known as the R-value, which is determined by dividing the thickness of the material by its thermal conductivity (or ability to conduct heat). An easier barometer of insulation’s R-value is to compare the temperature on one side of the material with the temperature on the other side. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation works and the more effectively it can insulate your home.

Here in Florida, you want to look for insulation with a rating of no lower than R30 for your attic and R25 for your walls. The attic is usually the more important area to insulate, since heat escapes through the ceiling. Anything up to R60 is recommended, and the higher the R-value, the more efficiently your home will stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

If you’re looking to add insulation to your Gainesville, FL home, or perhaps replace your existing insulation with something more efficient, then it pays to contact experts to help. Here at Touchstone Heating & Air, our experts can advise you on the kind of insulation that is right for your home. Give us a call to set up a consultation today. You’ll be glad that you did!

Which Heating System is Best in a Warm Climate?

December 3rd, 2013

Here in Gainesville, FL, heating takes a bit of a back seat to air conditioning, which is more important during our long summer months. That may lead some homeowners to dismiss the need for a quality heater. This is a mistake. Heating systems play a vital role in keeping our homes comfortable, and just because we have fewer chilly nights than elsewhere in the country doesn’t mean that comfy heater isn’t welcome when the thermometer starts to drop. Florida does offer a rather unique climate, however, which can play a role when selecting a good heating system. Which heating system is best in a warm climate? It depends, but some of the more popular options are outlined below.

Gas furnaces. Gas furnaces rely on a centralized unit that distributes heat through a series of ducts. Furnaces can be very efficient, and they can heat your home very quickly.
Heat pumps. Heat pumps combine the functions of a heater and an air conditioner into a single unit, making them very effective in all climates. They work especially well in climates like ours, where the temperature rarely drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes them an excellent choice for our area.
Geothermal systems. Geothermal heat pumps rely on the ambient temperature of the ground itself, which never changes no matter what the weather’s like. It involves a series of pipes filled with a heat exchanging fluid buried under the ground, which means it usually needs a fair amount of land space to work. The installation process is also extensive. On the other hand, they don’t cost much to run, and they last a very long time with few maintenance needs. Like air source heat pumps, they can both heat and cool your home.

All three of these units run well in warm climates, but which one is best depends on your individual circumstances. In Gainesville FL, heating advice and installation can be provided by the experts at Touchstone Heating & Air. Call us today and let us help you make the most of your heating system!

The History of Thanksgiving

November 25th, 2013

Thanksgiving is upon us: a time to get together with relatives, eat some great food, watch a little football or the parade, and stop to appreciate the good things we have in life. Beyond all that, however, there’s a fascinating history to the holiday and its traditions.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 in the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. Records are spotty at the time, but indicate that the harvest was particularly good that year due to help from the local Native Americans. The meal was probably much different than the one we’re used to, with venison and fish more likely than turkey, but the general principle was unchanged.

It wasn’t a few centuries later, however, that Thanksgiving became an annual tradition. George Washington called for a “national day of Thanksgiving” in 1789, and again in 1795, but they were both “one shot” declarations, rather than a call for an annual tradition. Individual cities and states picked up the ball, but it wasn’t until 1863 that Thanksgiving became a national once-a-year event. President Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November to be a Thanksgiving “to heal the wounds of the nation and restore it.”

From there, it remained a tradition until Franklin Roosevelt signed a law in December of 1941 making it a federal holiday. The law also changed the date from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday in November, making it a little earlier in some cases (which Roosevelt hoped would give the country an economic boost).

Wherever you celebrate the holiday and whoever you choose to celebrate it with, we wish you nothing but happiness and joy this Thanksgiving.

Why You Cannot Afford to Put Off Heating Repair

November 19th, 2013

We concentrate on our air conditioning during our sultry Florida summers, and focus on heaters only when temperatures start to drop. That can entice some Gainesville, FL homeowners to put off heating repair for a time; for example, to limp through the winter and worry about repairs before the next heating season rolls around. In most cases, this is a mistake. Here’s why you cannot afford to put off heating repair in Gainesville, FL.

It boils down to stopping small problems before they get bigger, or to put another way, paying a little now to avoid paying a lot later. In many cases, a problem with your heater won’t necessarily shut it down; you’ll still be able to warm your home and “limp forward” until you can address the issue properly. The difficulty is that the faulty component – whatever it happens to be – invariably puts more stress and strain on the heater as a whole. That forces it to work harder to heat your home, which raises your monthly energy bills, as well as increasing the risk of another component suffering a breakdown as well.

It’s not hard to see how this scenario will go. You’re invariably paying more to heat your home as long as the problem remains in place, charging a “deferment tax” in exchange for not contacting a repair person immediately. Add to that the potential of a much larger repair bill, as well as a shortened lifespan for various components working under the strain, and waiting for repairs may end up costing you a great deal more than addressing the problem directly.

We all want to be frugal in these tough times, and that’s actually why you cannot afford to put off heating repair in Gainesville, FL. If you need to address a heating issue, call Touchstone Heating & Air to help you out. Don’t wait until next spring to handle your problems; pick up the phone and call us today, and save yourself money in the long run!