Winter is the most stressful time of year for furnaces, which of course means that it’s also the time of year when furnace problems are most prevalent. If you’re using a furnace to keep your home warm this winter, you’re going to want to keep an eye out for any problems that may develop. The sooner you can get problems repaired, the more damage you can prevent. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some furnace problems that you should know about.
Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Gainesville’
Furnace Problems You Should Know About
Monday, December 28th, 2015The Problem of Short Cycling
Monday, November 23rd, 2015Winter is finally here, and that means you’re probably relying on your furnace on a daily basis. There are a couple of precautions that you need to take while you’re using your furnace that often, one of which is cleaning the air filter every couple of months. If you don’t do this, you run the risk of causing short cycling to occur in your system. Let’s take a closer look at short cycling, and the damage it can cause to your furnace.
Install a Zone Control System this Fall to Improve Your Heating
Monday, October 19th, 2015We have a bit of time before the cold weather really hits here in Florida. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare for it now. If you haven’t already scheduled heating maintenance for your system yet, you should. That’s not the only way to improve your home’s heating situation, though. Let’s take a look at zone control, and how it can help make your home more comfortable and energy efficient this winter.
Why Your Air Conditioner is Icing Over
Friday, September 11th, 2015If you notice ice building up on your air conditioner, you have a problem. While it may seem like ice is a sign that your air conditioner is doing its job, it’s actually an indication that your evaporator coil is malfunctioning. Air conditioner ice can become a serious threat to the system if it’s left alone for long enough. Let’s take a look at why air conditioner ice forms, and why it’s so dangerous.
What Qualifies as an Air Conditioning Emergency?
Monday, August 17th, 2015There are a myriad of different problems that can afflict an air conditioning system. Some of them are bigger than others, but all of them should be dealt with as quickly as possible. Even so, there are a handful of problems that can destroy the system if not fixed immediately. If you notice that your air conditioner is exhibiting symptoms of one of these problems, you should turn it off and call for emergency repairs. Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms of these problems that you should watch for.
When to Replace Your Ductless Air Conditioner
Monday, August 10th, 2015Ductless air conditioners, like all systems, have a natural lifespan. There will come a point when no matter how well you’ve taken care of it, you’ll have to replace your ductless system. What is important is that you recognize the signs that your ductless air conditioner is nearing the end of its lifespan. That way, you can have it replaced before it gives out on you. Let’s take a look at some of the signs that your ductless air conditioner needs to be replaced.
Keep Your Cool with these Energy-Saving Tips
Monday, July 6th, 2015Here in Gainesville, FL, our air conditioners operate at full blast all cooling season long. How else are we supposed to stay cool? While we don’t encourage anyone to go without cooling for too long considering the power of the sun and the high moisture content looming in the air, you may want to reduce your energy costs. We all know how expensive cooling can be, and we want you to find a happy balance between comfort and efficiency. Here are some ways to keep cool as we enter the hottest part of the year.
What Types of Thermostats Are Available for Upgrade?
Friday, March 20th, 2015There are a lot ways to improve your home’s comfort and achieve better energy efficiency, but one of these ways is often overlooked. What is it? Upgrading your home’s thermostat. Your thermostat is the control center for your HVAC system. It tells the system when to cycle and the temperature to achieve. The keys to better energy efficiency and comfort are being able to set your temperature appropriately and being able to set a precise temperature. For instance, there’s no need to heat or cool your home the same when it’s empty versus when it’s occupied. It’s also helpful to be able to set an exact temperature versus aiming for one with a thermostat that only provides a range of temperatures. So what types of thermostats can you consider for installation in your Gainesville home? Let’s take a look.
Digital
Digital thermostats can easily replace your dial or slide thermostat when you hire an expert for help. Digital thermostats have easily-ready faces, and the digital format allows you to set a precise temperature. This is important, considering each degree you can lower during heating season and raise during cooling season can save you up to 3% on your annual energy costs. Digital thermostats also have easy-to-use, intuitive buttons that allow for smooth operation.
Programmable
A programmable thermostat is one that brings all the digital benefits, but that also allows you to create programs for heating and cooling your home. With a programmable thermostat, you no longer have to worry about constantly remembering to adjust your thermostat when leaving and arriving home, or have concerns about vacation times. These types of thermostats allow you to program 4 temperature changes per day for up to 7 days, and if you are in a routine, you can loop the program continuously.
Smart
Smart thermostats are the ultimate in control and convenience. These types of thermostats offer all the benefits that digital and programmable thermostats do, but with many added features, including remote access. This means you can program your thermostat, track and monitor energy use, all from any smart device.
The best way to gain the benefits of any thermostat installation in Gainesville is to hire experts for the work, so call the specialists at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., today!
Is Your Commercial AC Ready for Summer?
Friday, March 6th, 2015Having a comfortable atmosphere in your business space is critical to your business’s daily operation, and with spring almost here, it’s time to schedule commercial AC maintenance for your Gainesville business. You may be saying to yourself that your system just had a maintenance appointment this fall, but it’s recommended that commercial systems are scheduled for maintenance bi-annually. Why? Commercial HVAC systems are large and complex, and many systems perform both heating and cooling. Plus, you don’t want to risk experiencing poor performance from your system just because you didn’t schedule maintenance. Only trained commercial experts should work on your commercial HVAC system, so call the experts you can trust: Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc.
What Are the Benefits of Maintenance?
Maintenance is a full tune-up of your commercial HVAC system, so there are a number of benefits to scheduling AC maintenance:
- Better energy efficiency – staying on budget with heating and cooling costs can be tough, but maintenance helps your system to work optimally, which reduces the system’s energy usage.
- Better comfort – the cleaning and adjusting your system receives during a maintenance appointment allows it to achieve your set temperature without a problem, ensuring that your office space will be comfortable.
- Prevents repair – during a maintenance appointment, the technician will closely inspect your system and its working parts to make sure there are no existing or developing problems. Should a problem be discovered, you’ll be alerted.
- Extends life of the system – each year your system goes unmaintained, it loses 5% of its energy efficiency; conversely, following through with bi-annual maintenance keeps your system operating within 5% of its original efficiency level. Keeping your commercial AC in good working order year after year helps extend its life, which is great for you and your business.
Always Call a Commercial Expert
Commercial HVAC systems are very different from residential ones, so it’s important to always call for a commercial expert when needing any kind of work for your business’s HVAC system.
The commercial experts at Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc., have the commercial experience needed to perform any kind of commercial HVAC work, so call us today!
What Is a Hybrid Heating System?
Thursday, January 15th, 2015Although many people outside of Florida assume that we have warm, sunny weather all year long, residents know that the weather can get very chilly. And since your air conditioner uses so much energy the rest of the year, you may dread running your heater if the system you currently own is somewhat inefficient. So when you need to replace your heater, you might decide to go with a hybrid heating system, one of the most energy-efficient heating systems available.
Hybrid heating systems contain both a heat pump and a gas furnace, so that homeowners get the efficiency of a heat pump and the performance of a gas furnace. A hybrid heating system is a heat pump first and foremost, but it uses a furnace as a backup. Let’s look at how a heat pump and furnace work to see how this unit can help your home to run more efficiently.
Heat pumps are essentially just air conditioners with a couple of extra components and settings that allow for both heating and cooling. In air conditioning mode, refrigerant moves from the compressor unit to the indoor air handler, absorbing the heat from the home and then moving it back outside. In heating mode, refrigerant moves in the opposite direction via an additional component called the reversing valve. The reversing valve allows refrigerant to flow the other way while check valves help it to avoid passing through the components reserved for cooling mode.
Moving heat from one area to the next is a very efficient way to heat a space, usually more so than generating heat. But generating heat via combustion, as a furnace does, means reliable heating in any weather. Furnaces don’t rely on outside conditions to heat a home, and all of the parts are located indoors. While a heat pump may struggle to heat when outdoor temperatures drop too low, a furnace typically will not. This means it’s there a source of heating when the temperatures drop or when a component of your heat pump breaks and you need a backup source.
Call Touchstone Heating and Air Inc. to learn about all of the ways homeowners benefit from installing hybrid heating systems in Gainesville.