The Clean Air Act Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Portland’

Why Isn’t My Furnace Starting?

Monday, April 1st, 2019

cant-figure-out-why-furnace-isnt-startingThere are many different ways that a furnace can malfunction. But a furnace that fails to start is probably the easiest to understand.

A furnace that turns on but doesn’t deliver hot air is something that’s hard to test and diagnose. Meanwhile, a furnace that turns off and on without thoroughly heating the home is another set of potential problems on its own.

If your furnace doesn’t turn on at all, there’s a good chance that it can easily be fixed by restoring some connections or having a quick maintenance check performed. Allow us to explain…

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Are Geothermal Heaters the Most Efficient?

Monday, March 18th, 2019

geothermal-loopsIf you’ve had your HVAC system for a few years already, you understand that the only thing better than a working heater is an efficient heater. Getting comfort at the lowest possible monthly price can become a game in itself, as you try to instill the best heating habits and arrange for maintenance checks at the right time.

However, aside from getting maintenance and changing the air filter on your heater, there are few things you can do to make a serious impact on your efficiency. At that point, what you’d need is a more efficient heating system.

In this post, we’ll talk about if geothermal systems are truly the key to efficient heating in Portland, OR.

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Dangers of Not Replacing the Air Filter

Monday, March 4th, 2019

air-filterThe air filter is one of the simplest, least-technical parts of your entire heating system. Yet, it can be the one that causes the most problems. It’s often the simplest functions that can be the most important, after all.

Whether you’re using a furnace or a heat pump, you can expect to find an air filter in any forced-air heating system. Their purpose is to prevent dust and dirt from damaging sensitive components inside the machine, and they’ll need to be switched out every few months. Here’s what can happen if you wait too long to replace it.

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All About Radon Testing and Mitigation

Monday, February 18th, 2019

radon-testingHeating and air conditioning is one half of HVAC. The other half is ventilation and indoor air quality. Simply controlling the temperature of the air is not enough to give you a complete portrait of home comfort.

Normally, you would fix your air quality issues by installing humidity controllers or air purifiers. These devices directly improve your comfort by balancing moisture in the air and by removing germs.

However, there is a very serious part of indoor air quality that often goes understated: radon exposure. If your home has unsafe levels of radon, you’ll want to have it addressed immediately.

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Furnace Not Working? It Could Be…

Monday, February 4th, 2019

interior-of-furnaceIs your furnace refusing to work? It’s tough to say what the problem is without being there. At the very least, we can help you narrow it down. Identifying a problem is one thing, but fixing it is another.

We don’t recommend any DIY work on furnaces, as any improper repairs can cause electrocution or damage to the furnace. With that being said, your furnace problems could be caused by:

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Go Ductless for Winter

Monday, January 21st, 2019

woman-operating-ductless-systemDuctless mini split systems are becoming more popular by the day, but for the most part, most homeowners are still using ducted systems. These include systems like furnaces, central air conditioners, and standard heat pumps.

While ducted systems are a great choice, there are plenty of reasons to lose the ducts and go with a ductless heat pump instead. The only issue is that most people don’t realize how beneficial it can be to make the switch. Here are a few of those benefits:

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Short-Cycling is Your Furnace’s Cry for Help

Monday, January 7th, 2019

furnace-inspectionYou can learn a lot about the condition of your furnace by listening to it. Now don’t get us wrong… We’re not implying that we’re mystical furnace gurus who can actually communicate with furnaces. We’re just going off our experience and our expertise on heaters!

There are many noises and strange behaviors your furnace can make, but in this post, we want to focus on one in particular: short-cycling. This is what happens when your furnace rapidly turns on and off. The first sign you’ll most likely notice is the sound of the furnace constantly clicking on and off. Keep reading, though, and you’ll understand how short-cycling is a sign from your furnace that it’s in danger.

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Winter Is Here, It’s Time for Duct Cleaning

Monday, December 24th, 2018

ductcleaning-before-afterWe’ve just officially entered winter. We know you’d much rather be thinking about the holidays and family, but there’s one thing you need to get out of the way. Take care of it now and you won’t have to worry about it later:

Duct cleaning.

Although you can get duct cleaning any time of year, we find it especially beneficial to have it done in winter (and preferably before winter).

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Consider a High Velocity Heating System for Your Home

Monday, December 10th, 2018

man-stays-warmThe most common heating options for homes consist of heat pumps and furnaces. But the “common” doesn’t account for every type of home! For smaller or older homes, those types of heaters just aren’t possible.

In comes the high-velocity heating system. Not only are these systems great for traditional homes, but they’re also actually growing in popularity due to the benefits of their unique features. Of course, only qualified heating experts in Portland, OR can install them. Let’s look a bit closer into these systems to see what makes them so different.

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Furnace Maintenance Isn’t Just Another Chore

Monday, November 26th, 2018

furnace-maintenanceWhen most homeowners are told that their HVAC system needs maintenance, they usually file it away in a section of their mind where all the other “you should” things go. You should go to the dentist every 6 months. You should exercise three times a week for twenty to thirty minutes. You should not eat sugar. You get the idea…

We won’t act coy about it—we’re fully in support of the idea that every HVAC system needs routine, annual maintenance in Portland, OR. Not just to keep your running smoothly, but for you and your family’s safety. At the least, we’ll do our best to really show you how maintenance fits in the big picture of HVAC performance.

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