The summer is coming to an end here in Portland, OR, and while we may have a few more hot days to come, you’re going to start using your air conditioner less and less and your heater more and more. Now is the best time to get your heater prepped for fall, when temperatures are still warm. A little care and forethought can make a big difference this winter, both in terms of monthly heating costs and in terms of reducing the risk of breakdown. Here’s a few tips on how to prepare your heater for fall.
The Clean Air Act Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Heating Maintenance’
Get Your Heater Checked Out Before the Summer Ends
Monday, July 20th, 2015Homeowners in Portland, OR don’t usually think about their heaters in the summertime. Not when high temperatures and higher humidity rightly put the focus on air conditioning. But cool weather will be here before you know it, and before it arrives, it pays to make sure your heating system is ready. A maintenance visit from a trained technician can do wonders in that regard, and getting your heater checked out before the summer ends can ensure that the fall and winter months are problem free.
Why Is Maintenance An Important Heating Service?
Friday, October 17th, 2014When people think of heating services, two thoughts commonly spring to mind: repair and installation. But there is another important heating service, one that can help keep your system running optimally year after year: maintenance. Maintenance involves much more than a quick once-over and changing your air filter; it’s a full tune-up of your system, and the benefits you gain from scheduling heating maintenance service far outweighs any costs involved with the service. For over a decade, Clean Air Act has been performing every kind of heating service for our customers, including maintenance. We know first-hand how important maintenance is for the health of your heating system, so if it’s been more than 12 months since your last maintenance appointment, call us today.
Reasons to Schedule Heating Maintenance
Fall offers a perfect window of time to schedule heating maintenance. Here are some reasons why scheduling maintenance is important:
- Helps prevent future repairs – an important part of maintenance involves the thorough inspection of your system. This inspection helps the technician to detect any existing or developing problems. If there are small issues, such as a worn fan belt or corroded wiring, the technician will repair these items during the appointment. Should more serious issues be discovered, you’ll be notified so that you can schedule repairs immediately. These actions help prevent small problems from becoming large ones, and help get you ahead of any needed repairs.
- Better energy efficiency – a system that is dirty and worn from last season won’t operate at the level it was designed to. This means that it can’t achieve the energy efficiency it’s supposed to. During a routine maintenance appointment, components are cleaned, adjusted and lubricated, which allows your system to work optimally.
- Extends life of equipment – a heating system that operates for a long period of time due to wear and tear can age prematurely. Maintenance keeps your system and its components in good working order, which helps prevent premature aging.
As you can see, there are multiple reasons why scheduling heating maintenance service in Portland is so important. Call Clean Air Act today and schedule your fall maintenance appointment with one of our specialists.
How to Keep Your Heating System Maintained During the Summer
Friday, March 28th, 2014Although summers in Oregon can turn unpredictable, residents still will need to use their heater on only a few occasions. Otherwise, it’s air conditioner season, and people will spend little time thinking about their heating systems until fall starts.
However, your heater needs some care and maintenance during the summer season to make sure that it is in prime shape for the end of the year. If you leave it alone for the next few months, it could cost you in money and comfort the next time you need it for an extended period.
Here are some ways you can maintain your heating in Oregon City, OR during the coming summer. For whatever professional help you need, contact Clean Air Act today and talk to our heating specialists. If you require repairs for your heater or air conditioning, you can reach us 24 hours a day.
Ways to keep your heater in good shape during its summer vacation
- Schedule a regular maintenance visit if you haven’t already: You should have your heater given a professional inspection and tune-up once a year, preferably in the fall before the cold weather starts. If you weren’t able to have a maintenance visit year, then it’s never too late to start. Before you shut it off for a long stretch, schedule a maintenance check-up that will see that it doesn’t have repair needs or serious cleaning and adjustment that should be done.
- Take care of impending repairs: Has your heater recently indicated signs that something in it needs fixing? If so, don’t let it go during the summer and think about taking care of it in fall or winter, when the problem might turn into a breakdown. Use the summer months to call in a repair technician to take care of the trouble. After all, the best time to have a heater down for repairs is when you don’t actually need it to keep you warm.
- Regularly change the air filter: If you use a forced-air system like a furnace or a heat pump, your air conditioner will use the same set of ducts and vents as your heater during the summer. That means it will also use the same filter on the return vent to prevent debris from entering the system. You need to keep this filter free from clogging, or else it will have a negative impact on both your AC and heater. Change the filter once a month during the summer when you are regularly using your air conditioner, and you’ll protect both systems.
Replace if necessary…
If you think your heater is coming to the end of its service (inflated bills this winter, too many repairs, etc.) then use the summer as a time to schedule new installation to replace it.
At Clean Air Act, we want your heater ready to go whenever the cold strikes. Call us for the assistance you may need to get the most from your heating in Oregon City, OR.
Different Types of Furnace Maintenance
Friday, January 20th, 2012There are different types of maintenance tasks associated with keeping your automobile in tip top shape. Did you also know there are tasks that can be performed at various intervals to keep your Happy Valley home’s furnace in peak running condition?
For example, the most frequent maintenance task is checking the filters in your air handling unit. These are often called furnace filters but in reality, they serve the same function to filter air to and from your air conditioner, too. It might be easiest to just call them air filters. The frequency of replacing or cleaning air filters usually depends on the type of indoor environment you live in – like humidity levels, number of household pets or occupants, etc. In general, filter maintenance should occur every one to three months.
A less frequent maintenance task is cleaning the moving parts of the internal mechanism. You may only need to have your furnace cleaned every six months to a year, depending on its use. In some cases you can perform the cleaning yourself or it is included in an annual cleaning as part of a service agreement with a qualified heating and cooling contractor. A furnace can typically run at peak efficiency when it is cleaned on an annual basis.
You can also make it a regular habit of checking the motor bearings and fan belt, too. You can lubricate the bearings and tighten or replace the fan belt on a same schedule as cleaning the moving parts.
Other maintenance tasks related to your furnace, which may require longer interval times include ventilation system cleaning, or more commonly known as duct cleaning. Some homes don’t require this type of maintenance more than every five to ten years – perhaps longer. Unless there are unusually high levels of dust, allergens, or contaminants in the air, most ventilation systems can remain clean for several years.
Of course, you can turn all of your maintenance tasks over to a Happy Valley heating and cooling contractor – and have the most peace of mind.
HVAC Maintenance the Whole Family Should Know
Monday, November 14th, 2011If you think the most important thing a heating and cooling (HVAC) system can do is to provide an comfortable environment in your Cornelius home, you are right. But there is another thing an HVAC system does that is very important and it affects your entire family. It provides a safe indoor environment, too.
Besides warmth in the winter, a finely-tuned HVAC system can clean and filter the air you breathe. That’s important to people who suffer from allergies and is especially important for minimizing the spread of germs that cause colds and the flu. The key phrase in this paragraph is finely-tuned. If your HVAC system is not working correctly – out of tune – it can cost you a great deal in monthly utility bills and can be harmful to your health.
It is important for you and your family members to understand the basics of HVAC system maintenance so you can all understand the symptoms of improper maintenance and its consequences. For example, if anyone in your home is suffering from flu-like symptoms or are constantly drowsy or listless, they may be suffering from the a silent killer: poisonous carbon monoxide gas. This gas is formed during incomplete combustion of fossil oils like natural or propane gas. A malfunctioning furnace can emit carbon monoxide gases and you may never even realize it, until it is too late. Long-term exposure to the gas can cause brain damage and/or chronic sleepiness. It some cases, it can even cause death.
You may be able to diagnose the problem, but you aren’t qualified to test and repair a furnace that is creating deadly carbon monoxide gas. Your best bet is to call a qualified HVAC contractor who can diagnose the furnace and offer repair or replacement suggestions. But there are things you can do to prevent the build-up of carbon monoxide gas.
Check all exhaust vents, like chimneys and flues for any blockages. A blocked or partially blocked vent can cause the build-up of carbon monoxide gas. And never, EVER, use a gas or propane powered heater in an unvented area of your home. These types of heaters create various levels of carbon monoxide gas that needs to be circulated out of each room and replaced with clean, fresh air. So, your family can actively ensure that there is no debris, bird’s nests, animals, leaves, or snow in the ventilation system.
You can also “help” your HVAC system by keeping vents clean by vacuuming dirty vent grilles and, in general, keeping the home clean. The cleaner the home, the easier it is for your furnace to do its job and the easier it will be for you and your family will breathe. These are a few easy maintenance tips will keep you and your family warm – and safe – this fall and winter.
Make Your Heating System More Energy Efficient
Friday, November 4th, 2011Energy efficiency is what you want when it comes to heating your Fairview home. You want a furnace that provides the greatest degree of accurate indoor comfort while at the same time operating at peak efficiency to reduce energy usage and lower utility bills. That’s seems like a lot to ask of a simple mechanical system but you should expect it out of the furnace in your basement, attic, or mechanical room.
It is especially important today as energy costs have steadily increased, including electricity, natural and propane gas, and oil. The best way to combat rising prices is to have a furnace that uses less energy. It is a simple statement but one that bears repeating: higher efficiency equals lower operating costs.
Here are some ways to make your heating system more energy efficient:
- Clean or replace furnace filters on a regular basis. A dirty or clogged filter will make your furnace work harder and become much less energy efficient. Monthly or quarterly cleaning or replacements are easy to do and will result greater operating efficiencies.
- Inspect your home’s ventilation system for accumulation of dirt, dust, or debris. Have you recently added new carpeting? Do your pets shed? Is there a large number of people living in your home? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may need to inspect your ventilation system. You may need to remove the ventilation grilles to take a closer look. Wiping down the inside of your duct work or vacuuming the duct work with a hose attachment will often do the trick. You can also schedule a duct cleaning with a local professional duct cleaning contractor.
- Remove obstructions from around vents and grilles. You need a clean path for air to flow into and out of rooms. Restricted airflow makes your furnace work harder and become less energy efficient.
- Consider an upgrade to a two-speed or variable speed furnace. Most older furnaces operated on one speed, which cycled on and off and consumed a lot of energy. Today’s furnaces operate at lower speeds, consuming less energy and often remaining on to keep a steady airflow and prevent constant on and off cycling. These newer furnaces are much more energy efficient and cost less to operate.
- Adhere to a regular schedule of planned furnace maintenance. If you don’t clean and inspect your furnace on a regular basis, schedule service calls with a local qualified heating contractor. Your contractor will likely have a service agreement plan to fit your budget, which allows for annual inspections, priority emergency service calls, and discounts on parts and services.
Besides saving on energy costs, your efficient furnace will leave a smaller “carbon footprint.” Your efficient furnace will exhaust less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and maintain a more “green” profile. And being ecologically friendly can be just as important as saving money.
You can be assured that an energy efficient heating system will keep more money in your pocket this fall and winter.
Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 31st, 2011Happy Halloween! Candy and costumes make any day fun; we hope you have a fantastic time trick or treating! Remember to be safe this holiday, and don’t forget it is time to start thinking seriously about fall maintenance for inside and outside your house. A quick tune up of your heating system will save you some trouble during this upcoming holiday season!
Did You Change that Furnace Filter?
Friday, October 21st, 2011No matter what type of furnace you have in your Cornelius home, it’s important to remember to change or clean the filter on a regular basis. This is a relatively straightforward process and doesn’t require any professional help. However, if you’re not sure how to go about doing it, you can always have your heating technician demonstrate the process for you on their next regular maintenance visit.
Indeed, changing or cleaning out the furnace filter is an important part of regular furnace maintenance. However, it often needs to be done more than once a year. The specific amount of time that you can go between filter changes depends on many things, but typically it’s good to check on it once every three months or so.
If you have a lot of pets or if anyone in your family has severe allergies, it may be worth it to check and change the filter even more often. Check with the manufacturer to see what their recommendations are as well. Some high performance furnace filters can last up to six months or even a year, but you should still check on the filter periodically to make sure that too much hasn’t built up on it in between replacements or cleanings.
You’ll need to make sure you have the right type of filter to install as a replacement as well. You can get this information from the owner’s manual of your furnace, from the manufacturer or by taking out and examining the current filter in your furnace. Some furnaces also have filters that are meant to be cleaned and then put back in and the cleaning instructions are usually located near the filter itself.
Of course, in order to change your filter you’ll first have to be able to find it. Most of the time, the filter will be located near the blower towards the bottom of the furnace. However, if you’re not having much luck finding it, your owner’s manual should be able to tell you quickly where it is and how to remove it. Before you go to open the chamber and take the filter out, however, be sure you’ve turned off the power to the furnace.
Changing your furnace filter can help improve the air quality in your home and it is also very important when it comes to keeping your furnace running efficiently and effectively. The filters are there to trap airborne particles that can get into the blower and clog it up. When that happens, the performance of your furnace will likely drop and you’ll need to have a professional come out and complete the necessary repairs.
The Top 7 Mistakes Homeowners Make with Home Maintenance
Friday, September 30th, 2011Maintaining your Gladstone home is important, but it must be done properly. Learn these common maintenance mistakes so you can avoid making them yourself.
- Forgoing Annual HVAC Maintenance -Your home’s heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system should be thoroughly inspected each year. This is vital to keeping your house comfortable and energy efficient.
- Improper smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector maintenance – Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors should not just be installed properly, but also maintained properly. Test them monthly and replace drained batteries immediately.
- Ignoring manufacturer instructions – Not only instruction manuals are they important for proper installation of important equipment in your home, they also contain maintenance recommendations and schedules. Adhering to these instructions protects your investment in your home.
- Not replacing filters regularly – Speaking of regular maintenance, remember that the air filters in your furnace and air conditioning units need to be replaced regularly according to manufacturer recommendations.
- Not keeping gutters clean – Speaking of water damage, clogged gutters can overflow and cause problems in a hurry. Clean gutters and downspouts at the start of spring and regularly as needed.
- Insufficient cleaning (filters, ducts, vents, carpets, furnace room) – Keeping filters, vents and ductwork clean extends the life of your ventilation equipment and keeps energy costs down, as does vacuuming regularly and keeping your furnace room free of debris.
- Skimping on labor costs – Paying cheap rates for poor labor will cost more down the road when you have to hire another contractor to fix the first one’s mistakes.
There are other ways to err in home maintenance, but this list covers some of the more common doozies. In general, as long as you are careful, diligent and not afraid to call in professional help when needed, you will be just fine.