Expert Heating Services

A. The two positions are usually found if you have a central air cleaning system. The “automatic” setting means the fan’s cycle will be controlled by the temperature in the room.

However, if your home is equipped with an air cleaner or you wish to keep a continuous flow of air, switch the setting to “on.” Central air cleaning devices only work when the furnace is circulating air, so if you wish to get the most from your air cleaner, you should keep the setting to “on”.

A. This is a good idea for several reasons. A cleaning means that your furnace will operate more efficiently, and thus, cost-effectively. The cleaning also includes a thorough safety check of the entire unit for cracked, defective, or damaged parts; if your parts are damaged, carbon monoxide could leak into your home without you even knowing it.

Why not sign up for our Preventive Maintenance Program? You’ll not only save money over regular service calls, but you can have peace of mind knowing that your furnace is being properly maintained. We will even handle the yearly reminder for you.

A. We recommend 55 degrees. It’s low enough to save you energy and money but warm enough to protect your pipes and other vital parts of your home.  On average, it will take 1 hour per degree to reach your desired temperature once you return.

A. You can adjust the registers on the wall or floor in the room where too much heat/cooling is present so that the registers are partially closed. For example, to get more heat upstairs during the winter, partially or fully close the registers downstairs to force more airflow to the registers upstairs.

Another possible solution is a furnace equipped with a variable-speed blower motor. These furnaces are designed to overcome airflow problems in a home, thus keeping the airflow steady throughout the entire house. These types of furnaces can also save considerable amounts of money in operating costs.

A. You should change your standard furnace filter every 6-8 weeks. Use your own judgment as to when to change it, but don’t let the filter get clogged, as this can cut down on the efficiency and/or cause damage to the unit.

A. Standard 1″ throw-away furnace filters are between 5-10% particle efficient. This means these filters will only trap about 5-10% of what passes through them. You can improve the efficiency of the filtration of your heating and/or cooling system by upgrading to either a media or electronic-style filter.

A media-style filter’s particle removal efficiency is 60-65%, while an electronic-style filter is 90-95%. By upgrading to either of these, you will also cut down on maintenance costs on the system since dirty systems are the #1 cause of malfunction.

A. Have your system checked annually for tiny cracks or perforations caused by the heat exchange. If you don’t, and your furnace is burning inefficiently or incompletely, carbon monoxide can escape and fill the house, causing serious health problems, and potentially death, to occupants of the home.

A. A two-stage furnace operates on two stages: low and high, which have preset BTU outputs. On most days, the furnace will operate at the low stage to only provide the heat you need to stay comfortable. On very cold days, however, this furnace will use the high stage and give the full BTU output of the furnace to produce more heat for the home.