Heating System Inspection For Winter Warmth

Along with routine maintenance, a home heating system will need to be inspected annually, usually before the cold winter months, to make sure it is working properly and will be able to keep you and your family warm. A heating system inspection should be done by an experienced HVAC professional. This inspection will ensure that your furnace is running efficiently - saving you money on energy bills and adequately heating your home.

A heating system inspection should be done before the cold season begins. There are specific things a professional HVAC contractor will look for, depending on your type of heating system. If you have oil, electric, boiler, natural gas or heat pump, a licensed HVAC professional will make sure your unit is able to provide the right amount of heat for your home.

An HVAC inspection usually starts with the fuel source. An inspector will check for leaks and cracks in the pipes that deliver the fuel to your unit. It is easy to spot leaks if you use oil as your heating fuel, because you will be able to see the drips. However, if you have natural gas, a leak detector will have to be used to locate areas that show leakage. An inspector will check the pilot light to make sure it is burning a steady blue flame. If it is a yellow flame or is sputtering, the burner is not operating properly. If your unit is electric, the inspector will check for frayed or corroded wires at the point of furnace contact.

The next thing an HVAC inspector will look at is the ventilation system. If the system is not ventilated correctly, it could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning and illness. The ductwork and/or chimney will be checked for any loose connections or cracks.

Once the system is running, they may notice issues with the thermostat, blowers, pumps and controls. Having your heating system inspected before the winter months will give you adequate time to have the necessary repairs made before it gets too cold.

You can make sure your system passes inspection by performing routine maintenance on your HVAC system all throughout the year. The easiest way to keep your system working properly is by regularly changing the air filter. It is amazing how much damage dust and dirt can do to an HVAC system, so be sure to replace filters every 1 to 2 months. The more you use your system, and various factors such as the dustiness of your home and whether you have pets, can determine how often you'll need to change the filter.

Make sure your vents and registers are clear of dirt and debris, and not blocked by furniture. Blockages in the ventilation and registers will cause your HVAC system to work harder, costing you excess money.

With routine maintenance and an annual home heating inspection, you can expect a longer, safer and more efficient life out of your HVAC system. The cold of winter will be no match for a properly cared for heating system.

Give Your Furnace an Assist This Winter

The cold months of winter can keep homes feeling drafty. In an attempt to stay warm, many people raise the temperature on their thermostat, providing more heat to the house, but increasing their energy bill. Is there another way to stay warm without breaking a budget? There are several techniques that can be practiced at home to keep it toasty during the winter while still saving money.

Most people heat their homes through central air, which circulates throughout the house. The heated air is supplied through various sources, such as heat pumps or gas furnaces. These heating systems will heat an entire house whether the rooms are being used or not. For a family that uses one or two rooms during the day, a space heater, ceramic heater, or electric fireplace can serve as an option to provide warmth.

A space heater is a unit that is portable and is used to heat a small area. Heat is provided by warming an element that radiates heat, keeping the space around the unit comfortable. Space heaters are ideal for situations where only one to two rooms of a house are being used. A ceramic heater works in a similar fashion, although the central heating element is ceramic, making them safer than space heaters.

Both types of heating systems generate similar amounts of heat. An alternative to a portable space heater or ceramic heater is an electric fireplace. Electric fireplaces are stationed in a particular area of a room, generally on the wall where they resemble an actual fireplace in appearance. They also generate heat, keeping the room warm and comfortable.

Portable heaters have evolved in recent years. They are safer than ever and come with several security mechanisms, such as automatically turning off if tipped over. They should still be recognized as a source of heat though, and treated carefully. Items such as clothing or curtains should be kept away from these heaters, and they should also be turned off when not in use.

Space heaters and electric fireplaces are useful ways to save money on a heating bill. Instead of turning up the heat in a house for rooms of the home that are not being used, these small heaters will provide warmth to the immediate area. They are inexpensive to purchase and the amount of electricity for operation is much less than that of central heating for the house, and they may be turned off when not in use. Homeowners may even opt to turn down their central thermostat and use a space heater or electric fireplace instead.

The result will be lower energy bills due to less central heating and use of smaller amounts of energy from the portable heaters. Saving money during cold winter months is still possible with some basic energy saving ideas. Keeping the house at a lower temperature and using space heaters or electric fireplaces to warm an area will save money on heating costs. The warmth of a space heater also provides a snug and comfortable atmosphere that will keep off winter's chill.

Welcome Winter by Eliminating Excess Furnace Noise

The arrival of colder temperatures is evident everywhere you look-sweaters and scarves have replaced shorts and sandals, the colorful leaves of autumn are long gone from the trees, and breezy open windows have given way to the familiar roar of the home furnace. But for some, starting up the furnace on that first chilly night of the winter season brings a grim reminder of a problem that has been pleasantly absent over the past few months: a disturbingly loud furnace.

Furnace noise originates from several sources. A loud furnace motor can be a major nuisance, and is the sound source targeted in most furnace soundproofing projects. Airflow through ducts can also be a source of unwanted noise, particularly when components are old or otherwise in poor condition. Even with a furnace situated in a basement or remote mechanical room, unwanted noise can travel easily through walls, ceiling and openings and carry throughout the home.

Furnace rooms are usually surrounded at least partly by a system of ducts and pipes within the walls and ceiling of the room. At the inception of any furnace sound reduction endeavor, it is important to realize that the presence of such openings makes it impossible to completely eliminate the transmission of furnace noise into other parts of the home. Therefore, the goal in controlling furnace noise is to minimize unwanted sound transmission by isolating the furnace room from the rest of the home as much as possible. If your furnace is particularly loud, it may be a good idea to rule out any mechanical defects before implementing a sound reduction treatment. Performing preventative maintenance, if needed, is better than an emergency repair on a frigid day.

Fortunately, combating noise from a furnace can be accomplished inexpensively and with minimal effort. Controlling furnace noise involves containing noise within the furnace room, a task that can be approached in a couple of ways. One option for blocking the transmission of furnace noise is lining all wall surfaces with a heavyweight soundproofing membrane such as dB-Bloc, and establishing a disconnected surface by adding a layer of drywall onto a set of horizontal furring strips that have been attached atop the vinyl membrane. The added density coupled with the disconnected wall surface serves to collapse a majority of sound waves before they have the chance to enter adjoining rooms. An even simpler and more popular solution is to line walls with sound control blankets, which can be custom cut by a soundproofing supplier to match the dimensions needed for optimal sound control in your furnace room. Such blankets are a simple and cost effective solution, and can even be customized with openings to fit snugly around pipes and ductwork to optimize results. Such sound control blankets may also be affixed to a ceiling for added noise control.

An important aspect of sound reduction treatments aimed at decreasing unwanted furnace noise is ensuring that adequate protection is afforded for the application. An experienced soundproofing consultant and supplier can provide recommendations as to what treatments would be most effective based on the individual characteristics of your project.