boilers teetering on the edge of substitute ment
boilers may be think abouted an alternative form of warmthing for the houtilize , but for many houtilize owner that have had a boiler in their houtilize for years would never switch over to forced forced air. boilers do have their perks over the more normal forced air warmthers, and one of these perks is the ability to last for extremely long periods of time. some boilers can even go up to 40 years before breaking down entirely, and if you have never substitute d the boiler that is currently operating your houtilize , ask yourself, “how worn out is my boiler?” odds are the machine is getting on in the years and since everything has been working fine, you most likely have not even thought to check the condition of the system. doing so may have you leaning towards substitute ment in the very close to future.
2 giant worn out boiler hitchs:
- lack of energy efficiency: boilers that are over 20 years worn out, even if well maintained, cannot hope to be very energy efficient. these worn out systems were simply not built for energy efficiency and in many cases, the machine is somewhere around 50% inefficient. every time that worn out boiler kicks on it throw amethod tons of your cash, and unless you want to keep paying more than necessary, you should substitute the machine with a new energy efficient model.
- safety concerns: additional hitchs that you may be facing with the worn out boiler and not even knowadays about are safety concerns. that tired worn out machine has gone through thousands upon thousands of cycles. during each cycle the warmth exchanger expands and contracts and with time this process takes a toll on the metal. you could develop cracks or breaks in the warmth exchanger that could let carbon monoxide to leak into the houtilize . the only method to knowadays what kind of condition your warmth exchanger is in is to have it checked by a pro every year. this hitch is inevitable if the boiler lasts long enough, and you are greater off replacing the system when it begins to get on in the years that to attempt to squeeze some more unsafe years out of the machine.
the moral of the story is that your worn out boiler requirements to be substitute d! that is the bottom line and though you may not like it, replacing the system will have greater advantages than you could have every thought possible with that worn out system in the houtilize . upgrade right now and secure the safety of your wallet and your family.
Find your answers!
My heat does not work! Not something you want to be saying when it gets cold out and I understand the frustration of having no heat. Read More
can you afford to go green?
when energy efficient houtilize boostments first exploded onto the houtilize boostment scene, many of them were excessively expensive. yes, they offered beefy long term savings but not many houtilize owners could afford the initial investment that it took to have these boostments put ined. nowadaysadays, things are different. green boostments are more popular these days, and manufacturers are bending over backwards to give the consumer what they want. this results in the ability to go green on a budget. one of the giantger investments that you could create in your houtilize is the substitute ment of the hvac system, and most of the major hvac manufacturers have put out energy efficient systems that close toly anyone can afford.
get more than the minimum!
replacing the warmther or cooling system with a energy efficient system could conserve you hundreds annual on your utility bills, but to maximize the savings you need to upgrade to the highest efficiency machine that you can afford. in the past this meant going with the minimum efficiency requirements and at the momentadays that would mean that you would buy an 80% efficient warmther. just since you operate on a budget doesn’t mean you have to settle for the minimum standard.
a energy efficient machine you can afford
lennox houtilize comfort systems, one of the leaders in the hvac industry, has made energy efficient warmthing available to all in the creation of the g43 natural gas warmther. this machine, though it falls under the lowest price level offered by lennox, is able to compete with some of the high end machines in afue ratings. it is rated at 92.1% afue which creates it close toly 100% efficient with the fuel that it consumes. the machine may not have all of the gadgets that the high end machines have, but afue ratings are what add up to savings.
if you gave up on the idea of going green years ago since you thought you couldn’t afford it, take a different look. going green is more affordable than ever, and your worn out hvac system is a great place to begin your investigation of the world of energy efficient houtilize boostments.
kinds of warmthers and choosing the right one for your houtilize
right now consumers have many options when it comes to the kind of warmther that they can buy for their houtilize . gone are the days of only having energy inefficient warmthers to pick from, and nowadays is the time to really think about saving energy with a new system. when choosing a new warmther, pay the most attention to the gas warmther efficiency rating, which is measured as afue (annual fuel utilization efficiency). warmthers of the past with an afue of 60-80% were very normal. right now, warmthers have reached 95% afue and some are even higher!
understanding afue ratings
afue ratings can be a bit difficult to comprehendfor the average houtilize owner, but a great method to comprehendthis would be to utilize the example of cash. an 80% afue warmther distributes .80 cents worth of warmth for every dollar of natural gas that it burns. the remaining quantity is throw amethod d through your flue or chimney pipe during the combustion process. if you reside in the chicagoland area, you will operate your warmther for an average of 6-8 months per year. so , you should buy the highest efficiency machine that you can afford. the initial cost may be more, but it will pay you back from month to month in lower utility bills.
proper sizing of your hvac system
once you have chosen the right system for your houtilize , you must create sure that it is sized correctly if you will have any hope of reaping the advantages of its energy efficiency. why does it matter to have your hvac system sized correctly? a system that is not sized correctly costs you in loss of comfort, enhanced tune-up cost, and higher utility bills. properly sized systems will conserve you cash since it will run a correct cycle. when discussing warmthing and air conditioning systems, giantger is not almethod s greater and smaller does not almethod s conserve you cash. if your worn outer system seems to run forever or creates too many begins and stops, this could be a sign of not being sized correctly and not being energy efficient.
compare and contrast your estimates
if this was occur ing to you and your worn out system is around 10 years worn out or worn outer, you do need to have it substitute d, but you must create sure your company is offering you a properly sized machine. yes, there is a cost to substitute ment of your system but overpaying your gas or electric company should not your only option. get many estimates from different companies and compare what you are being offered by each of them. pick the company that is the most transparent in their practices and that has a history of dependable and trustworthy work in your area. with all of this in mind during your hvac buy, you will end up with a new system that will exceed your expectations in method s that you could not have imagined.
quick tips to conserve energy
with the rising cost of energy, it is very important and practical to conserve electritown as much as we can. conserving energy not only assists us lower our electric bills, but it also assists protect our natural resources as well. there are a lot of method s to conserve energy. most of them are so simple, even your kids can do it. here are just some to get you begined:
5 tips to begin saving energy
1. turn off the lights when leaving a area at night. electrical lights consume a large quantity of energy especially if you are using incandescent lights which are energy inefficient kind of lights. create it a habit to turn the lights off and see how much you could conserve on your electritown bills.
2. unplug your appliances when you’re not using them. appliances that are plugged still consume energy even if they are turned off so to avoid this from occur ing, unplug everything that is not in utilize .
3. avoid opening your refrigerator if you’re not getting anything. if you open your refrigerator constantly, the refrigerator will work difficult er to cool it again. and of course this process of re-cooling consumes a lot of energy.
4. avoid using space warmthers if you can. if you are going to be running the warmther, space warmthers may offer a bit additional warmth, but if they are inefficient, the cost of the electritown will outweigh the advantage.
5. utilize solar panels in your houtilize . solar panels utilize energy from the sun and convert it to electritown that can be utilized by your appliances and additional electronic gadgets. it could cost you a lot to set up one in your houtilize but it will assist you conserve a lot of cash on your electric bills in the long run.
these are only some method s on how to conserve electritown. these tips would assist you bring down your electritown bills by around 10-40%. not bad right? so what are you waiting for? begin conserving electritown right now.
weed out the scam artists
hiring a correction technician for any house correction effort can be a challenging process. if you hire the first person you come across without doing any research, you may end up with major problems on your hands. house repairs small and grand can be very costly, and the last thing you want to do it loose your hard earned cash or cause damage to your house. so, how do you sort out the good guys from the bad guys? the bad guys can put on a pretty convincing act, but if you know what to look out for you will be able to easily tell the difference.
buisnesses who are looking to take your coin and run are not much different from con artists. they play the part of a legitimate business up until it’s time to get paid. when choosing a correction technician, you cannot choose based on your perception of someone’s character. the buisnesses that are the most successful are the charismatic type of people who can convince anyone to believe nearly anything they say. there is a way to see through this mask. here are a few tests that you can give your correction technician to see if he is worth hiring:
review the phonebook and ask around town: most people have old phone book lying around. the best buisnesses are usually the ones that have been in business for several years. if a business claims to have been in business for several years, there should be evidence of this in the phone book. if you cannot find a business number listed, this business should be avoided. your family and friends can also make suggestions that could help you choose a correction technician based on their knowledge.
time line an estimate: when you time line an estimate with a business, you can get a good look at how legitimate they are before they ever do any effort. many buisnesses offer free estimates, so it doesn’t hurt to review out a few different buisnesses before you sign a contract. when the man comes out to your house, take notice of the truck that he drives, the uniform he wears, and the paperwork he give you. legitimate buisnesses want to be as skilled as possible; a guy who is looking to make a quick buck couldn’t care less. the truck should bear the buisnesses name, the technician should be dressed in a business uniform, and the paperwork he provides should have the business symbol on it.
take your time: after you have an estimate done, take your time to look over all of the paperwork, and do not sign anything right away. an upstanding business will understand that you need time to review your options, but a scam artist will try and bully you into the sale right on the spot. if you are being pressured by the business, you should forget about them and start looking for someone else. as the house owner you have the power over the sale.
ask if the correction technician will get the home permits: if the correction technician you are looking at expects you or is unwilling to get the permits from the city, you could assume that they are not licensed, registered, or insured in your city. you need a business that is licensed and registered so that if a mistake is made they are held responsible. you also need them to be insured so that if a worker is injured at your house, you are not liable.
these tests should help you quickly weed out the guys who are just looking to take your coin and run. a couple other tips to keep in mind when hiring a correction technician are: never hire entryway to entryway solicitors, never pay in full upfront, pay by review of credit card, and get everything in writing. if you keep these tips in mind, you should be able to confidently choose a correction technician to handle all of your house correction needs.
24 hour furance repair also recommends this great site: Local Furnace Repair report
thermostat misconceptions
misconceptions are a common part of everyday longevity. we hear someone rattle off a supposed “fact,” and without finding out for ourselves, we take their “fact” as truth. in some cases it doesn’t really have any effect on us, but the misconceptions that are held about thermostats could be costing you hundreds extra every annually in wasted energy. luckily, we are going to dispel these misconceptions just in time for the winter season.
misconception #1
setting back the thermostat doesn’t conserve energy, but it wastes energy and damages the heating when the house has to heat back up.
false! turning down the thermostat when no one is present in the house or when everyone is sleeping is a great way to conserve energy and save coin! many people assumed that because the house becomes so uncomfortably cold, the heating will have to use more energy than was saved by having the temperature set low. they also think that in the process of reheating the house, the heating will become damaged. both are simply not true. the u.s. department of energy has proven this wrong.
they found that in reality the same amount of energy it takes to heat up the house is nearly equivalent to the initial amount save by turning the heating down. once the temperature becomes stabilized at a lower setting, the perational savings start rolling in. so, the longer you leave the thermostat set at the lower setting, the more coin you will save. turning the thermostat back to between 55 and 60 degrees will save you 10-15% on your energy bills if done for at least 8 hours a day.
misconception #2
the higher you set the thermostat, the faster the house will heat up.
again, false! many people assume that setting the thermostat to a ridiculously high temperature will get the house to heat up quicker. however, this is a very costly misconception. the temperature that the thermostat is set at has nothing to do with how fast the heating creates heat. the only thing this will do is make the heating run for a much longer period of time. for instance, you set the thermostat to 55 degrees while on vacation. you return house and set the thermostat to 85 degrees hoping this will get the house warmer sooner. after a few hours the house is warm, but the heating continues to run and is trying to reach the 85 degree setting. if it is cold enough outside, the heating will never hit 85 degrees.
in the end, you have wasted tons of energy using the heating more then you needed, and if this becomes a habit, you will cut the heating system lifespan down. the heating needs to cycle on and off, and if it runs for hours and hours and hours damage is done to the components of the unit. what you should do is set the thermostat between 68 and 72 degrees and wait for the house to heat up. it will take the same amount of time to get comfortable, and you will save yourself a lot of coin.
keep these energy saving thermostat tips in mind this winter and stop believing these misconceptions. if you do so, you will save yourself a lot of coin and preserve the condition of your heating.
24 hour furance also recommends this great site: Chicato Heating Cooling
keeping you in the dark
when it comes to the warmther, cooling system, or duct work, the typical houtilize owner knowadayss or understands very little about how the system should work why certain parts may stop working. this often creates anxiety and confusion when there is a system breakdown, and if you are not careful, this could be the reason why you are taken advantage of by a less than scrupulous hvac company. when you don’t knowadays what is going on, how are you going to knowadays if your machine really requirements the repairs that your serviceman says that it does? you won’t! what you need to do is locate a company that is willing to educate their customers about how the system functions, why repairs are needed, and how to get the machine to work greater than it has in the past.
a lack of consumereducation
scammers are not going to be willing to educate you. doing so would cost them time and perhaps even the sale of a particularly expensive part or substitute ment. these guys just want to get in and out of your houtilize as fast as possible, do as little work as possible, and take as much of your cash as possible. hiring one of these fools could lead you to buy a new machine prematurely or a part that is simply not needed. a mark of a great salesman or serviceman is an ability to slow down and take the houtilize owner through the steps of repair or substitute ment one by one. this method the consumercan see exactly what is going wrong with the machine and comprehendwhy it requirements to be substitute d.
don’t settle and get a second opinion!
you can prevent this kind of fraudin your houtilize by hiring a service company and asking loads of questions. go online and research the hitch your serviceman has proposed and see if he can then show you why you need this part or this system substitute d. get a second opinion and perhaps even get a third if the advice they give contradicts one a different. whatever you do, don’t let the serviceman leave you feeling uneasy and confutilize d. there are many legitimate companys out there that are willing to educate their customers and will dedicate additional time and effort to each call to create you feel as ease. don’t settle for second rate, and pick your service company wisely.
Properly Sizing Furnaces
Properly Sizing Furnaces
When replacing a furnace you need to make sure that the replacement is sized correctly. It is all too easy to fall into the pattern of just looking at the BTU input rating of the old furnace and replace it with a new one with the same input. The key in terms of sizing is to determine the output (Btu’s – British Thermal Units) needed to heat the home not the input. As furnaces get more efficient the input rating is less in order to get the same output (Btu’s) needed to heat your home. Older furnaces range from 50% to 70% efficient and new furnaces now start at 80% and go up to 95+%.
Example:
100,000 Btu input of a 60% efficient furnace will give you 60,000 Btu output. 100,000 Btu 80% efficient furnaces will give you 80,000 Btu output.
So if you need a Btu output of 60,000 to heat your home, you would down size your input rating of the new furnace to 80,000 Btu’s. Depending on the manufacture of the new furnace, they will increase in size by 20,000 Btu’s each time.
Factors in correctly sizing your new furnace:
- Square footage of your home
- Ceiling height
- Windows
- Insulation in walls & attic
- Size of your existing duct work
Make sure your technician measures your home and does a load calculation and measures the duct work to ensure they allow enough air to move through the house for the new furnace. Newer furnace models rely on more air flow to heat your home then older models, so duct sizing is very important.
MADMAX