Heating & A/C Blog
Replace your filter or else?
Homeowners, Heating & Air Conditioning is great when it is working safe and efficiently, no one likes to be inconvenienced with costly repairs that fail when you need the system the most. But, the truth is your system is only as good as its weakest link.
Break downs can be prevented
Systems don’t break randomly. Read and learn how you can prevent a system breakdown on the worst days of the year. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
November 12th 2020 – Tony Hudak
Unfortunately, break downs will occur for many reasons that cannot be avoided due to the age of your system or poor preventive maintenance. As a homeowner, renter or landlord the first and best thing you should do to help lessen the calls to the Heating or cooling company, is check and change your air filter on a regular basis, which by the way, is the same filter for both heating and cooling. I have been in this industry for over 25 years and in my experience, I’ve seen many customers with very dirty or blocked filters that will stop your heat or AC from working.
You don’t need to buy expensive filters! A decent 1-inch pleated filter should cost around $3 to $8 and will do the job, you may also save more buying online by the case, then having on hand when needed.
Too many Heating & AC contractors do not communicate with their customers the many filtration options available to suit their customer’s needs, habits or health concerns, especially when installing a new furnace, this is the most cost-effective time to do so.
Today’s technology has many great things to offer, take advantage, but also be aware! For instance, we sell many furnaces that have a feature called variable speed. With a variable speed furnace, the indoor blower is designed to run continually which has many good advantages, such as less energy consumption, less wear and tear on motors, it can improve hot or cold spots in problem areas of your home, and its filtering 24 hours a day. With that in mind, your filtering air all the time not just when the system is calling for heat or AC. So, now you will need to be even more diligent with filter changes if using a variable speed system
That’s why when purchasing new equipment, you need to be aware of your options, when we sell a variable speed furnace, we ALWAYS offer the option of a 4” media filter rack and it will typically need to be replaced only twice per year.
Enjoy your season with less stress on you and your system!
December 28th 2020 – Tony Hudak
When out on a service call, I am often asked the question,
“Why does my system break down on the coldest or hottest day of the
year?” Is it just bad luck?
Actually no. When we experience harsh or extreme weather our
heating or cooling system is working its hardest, constantly starting and
stopping, this alone is hard on a good working system.
But your system is only as good as its weakest link, in other words
unchecked, it could be just a matter of time before you experience a
break down, especially in extreme conditions.
These breakdowns can be minimized by having a preventive
maintenance service done before or just into the season, they are
called by many names like “Clean & Check” or “Tune up” This is when
you can get an accurate assessment on how dependable or not, your
system will be in the up coming season. It may be as simple as a basic
cleaning or maybe replacing a part that is worn. A good technician can
tell, with proper use of diagnostic tools & experience, if you have a
“Weak Link” A good and honest technician will advise you of any issues
found, and explain why and the cost before any parts are replaced.
This should have your system ready for the season with confidence.