Posts Tagged ‘Boiler’

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Heat Loss Solutions: Boilers

November 11th, 2010

Heat loss is a problem that is usually associated with forced air furnaces. Leaky duct work and drafty rooms are among the biggest complaints that these units are known for. Boiler owners often assume that because they use radiators instead of vents and duct work, they don’t have to worry about heat loss. However, heat loss is still an issue that even boiler units can be affected by. There is simple fix that any homeowner can create even if you do not have a single “do it yourself” bone in your body! What is the solution to this problem? Radiant panels.

Heat Loss in Boilers

The truth is that boilers would not have this problem is radiators were installed in the center of every room in the home. But, this would not only be inconvenient for furniture placement but also horribly unattractive. No matter which type of radiator you have in your home, vertical, horizontal, baseboards, ect…, odds are it is smashed up against a wall in the corner of each of the rooms in your home. This is where the problem comes in. » Read more: Heat Loss Solutions: Boilers

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Posted in Boiler, Go Green, Heating, Insulation, Money Saving

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Turn Off the Furnace; Fire Up the Stove

November 2nd, 2010

Gas isn’t getting any cheaper. As another winter season approaches, we are all faced with the need to provide heat for our homes. Most homes have furnaces or boilers that are gas powered, and they provide somewhat reliable heat for our families throughout the cold months. The only problem is, by the end of the winter, you have paid an arm and a leg to the utility companies that provided the gas to keep your furnace going. It seems like every year we pay more and more, and there really isn’t much we can do to change this fact. Or is there? » Read more: Turn Off the Furnace; Fire Up the Stove

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Posted in Go Green, Heating, Home Improvements, Money Saving, Value

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Carbon Monoxide in Your Home

September 9th, 2010

Carbon monoxide could be leaking in your home right now, and unless you have a detector installed, you wouldn’t even know that it was happening until you were poisoned. Yet, every day your run your furnace, boiler, or hot water tank you are risking a carbon monoxide leak. To prevent something like this from happening to your family, you need to be aware of what causes this type of leak, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Furnace and Boiler Heat Exchangers

Gas fired furnaces and boilers use a heat exchanger to heat the air or water that they use to heat your home. In a furnace or boiler, combustion is created when the gas mixes with air and ignites the burners inside the unit. The burners then transfer the heat to the heat exchanger. Every heat exchanger has two sides. One side is in contact with the harmful combustion gases, and the other side is in contact with the air or water that is going to be circulated through the home. This way the combustion gases like carbon monoxide and never in contact with the air that we breathe. We are protected by the barrier created by the heat exchanger. In a furnace, there will be a draft inducer motor that will filter the toxic gases outdoors. » Read more: Carbon Monoxide in Your Home

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Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Heating, Information, Safty

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Boiler or Furnace: The Battle between Hot Water and Hot Air

August 23rd, 2010

If you own a home in the United States of America, more likely than not you have a forced air furnace heating your home. Though this type of unit makes up the majority, hot water and steam boilers are in a close second. But, is a furnace really what is best? There are certain things that every homeowner should consider before converting or buying a new system to meet their HVAC needs.

The Pros and Cons of Furnace Ownership

Do you want to hear the good news first? Furnace units have gained so much popularity with homeowners and building contractors for two main reasons. First, forced air furnaces allow a room or home to heat quickly. Second, air conditioning units are easily hooked up into a forced air system, and this type of cooling system is the best way to cool home when compared to the other options out there: window or wall units, portable air conditioners, fans, etc… » Read more: Boiler or Furnace: The Battle between Hot Water and Hot Air

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Boiler, Furnace, Go Green, Money Saving

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Get Your Boiler Ready for Winter

August 17th, 2010

With winter encroaching on our summer fun as every day passes, now is the time to check the heating system and make sure that we are all prepared for the snow, sleet, and freezing temperatures that are soon to become our reality. If you have a boiler system, you have special steps that you must take to properly care for your type of system.

Testing the boiler

Clean out the boiler room-

No matter where your boiler is located in your home, the space should be kept impeccably clean. This room should not be used for storage unless it happens to be fairly large, and the boiler can have a good 4 feet of space between it and anything else. You should sweep out the area to keep any dust or debris away from the boiler fan or pilot light. Dust can clog up these parts and cause system failure. If the pilot is blocked you are risking a gas leak. Also by keeping the area clear, you will be able to see if there are any leaks in the tank while there is still time before a fire or explosion. » Read more: Get Your Boiler Ready for Winter

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Posted in Boiler, Contractors, Heating, Money Saving, Safty

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Furnace tune ups and fall check lists

September 9th, 2009

After a record mild summer in the Midwest it almost feels like karma is set to slap us in the face come this winter and it appears the farmers almanac and every meteorology group seems to be supporting that feeling.

So, what do you do in order to get ready for the fall and winter months?  There are the basics.

  1. Check your windows, doors, insulation, and seals around doors and windows!
  2. Get your furnace or boiler checked out early
  3. Stock up on your supplies now before lines build up

Your basic house check is easy to do while it’s nice and comfortable out like it is now.  Just do a walk around your house.  Check for wear and tear on your caking and seals around your windows and doors.  It’s also a great time to save money as most companies are running sales this time of year.  It’s easier on there installers and most people have not started thinking about that nasty draft around there windows or doors.

Getting your furnace or boiler checked out is a must.  And not just because it’s the main focus of this site.  If your furnace is not running optimally, your throwing money way.  Above that, your local HVAC companies get swamped as soon as the weather turns.  So doing a little preemptive checking can save you some major amounts of time and discomfort.

Lastly, check your supplies.  Here in the midwest we’ve been lucking out these last several years so you may not have needed to break out or even look at your basics like shovels, ice scrapers, and space heaters.  While a space heater is probably one of the least energy efficient ways to keep your house warm, if your heat goes out, it’s a great way to keep your water lines from freezing up until that HVAC guy shows up to fix your problem.

If you don’t have the space heaters and your unit goes out.  Don’t worry, check with your HVAC provider.  The better ones will often carry these on the trucks in cases where they don’t have the right part.  If you get the right company they will take care of you.

If your looking for some good basic information try this link for furnace repair and tune ups or this link for boiler repair and tune ups?

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Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Heating

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Heat your home with a wood-burning furnace or boiler

August 11th, 2009

by Marge Padgitt

The Wood-burning Furnace/boiler is designed to heat an entire house or building. Many wood-burning furnaces may be installed alongside an existing gas furnace (provided a separate flue is available), using the existing supply ducts to distribute heat, or outside the home in a shed, or in its own covered steel shed. » Read more: Heat your home with a wood-burning furnace or boiler

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Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Heating

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