Tag Archive for heat exchanger

Kate Miller | December 17, 2012
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Yet Another Reason to Have Your Furnace Maintained

By now you have heard many times the importance of having your furnace cleaned and maintained on a yearly basis, and yes, we are going to take the time today to remind you once again of the value of having this service performed. When you schedule your yearly maintenance check this winter, make sure that the heating and cooling company you choose will include a heat exchanger inspection as part of the maintenance service.

Decaying Heat Exchangers

Like any other appliance in your home, age has an impact of the condition of your furnace or boiler heating system. What was once a solid, sound device can turn into a dangerous contraption with age or neglect. The heat exchanger absorbs heat during each cycle and passes it to the air that will be circulated throughout the home. The constant heating during cycles and cooling in between cycles can take a toll on the system and cause cracks in the heat exchanger. Read more

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Kate Miller | October 18, 2012
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Are HVAC Tune-Ups a Scam?

It is that time of year again! Fall furnace maintenance season has arrived and your mailbox has probably been packed with offers from various HVAC companies for their cleaning services. Many people have this service performed every year, others never have it performed, and then there is the small group of skeptics. If this service is worth the cost, they are more than willing to have it performed, but they do not want to waste their hard earned money on a service that is basically a scam. So, are HVAC tune-ups a scam? The short answer is “no,” but if you choose the wrong HVAC contractor for your cleaning, the answer could most definitely be “yes.”

Benefits:

A cleaning that is properly performed by a professional HVAC technician will have many benefits for the home including: Read more

Category: Consumer Protection, Heating, Helpful Tips, Maintenance | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | January 11, 2012
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Boilers Teetering on the Edge of Replacement

Boilers may be considered an alternative form of heating for the home, but for many homeowner that have had a boiler in their home for years would never switch over to forced central air. Boilers do have their perks over the more common forced air furnaces, 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 replaced the boiler that is currently operating your home, ask yourself, “How old is my boiler?” Odds are the unit is getting on in the years and because everything has been working fine, you probably have not even thought to check the condition of the system. Doing so may have you leaning towards replacement in the very near future.

2 Big Old Boiler Problems:

  • Lack of Energy Efficiency: Boilers that are over 20 years old, even if well maintained, cannot hope to be very energy efficient. These old systems were simply not built for energy efficiency and in many cases, the unit is somewhere around 50% inefficient. Every time that old boiler kicks on it waste tons of your money, and unless you want to keep paying more than necessary, you should replace the unit with a new high efficiency model. Read more
Category: Boiler, Heating, Helpful Tips, Money Saving, Safety | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | November 30, 2011
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Why Does My Furnace Cycle On and Off Every Few Minutes?

The average homeowner is not a furnace repair expert, so when something goes wrong with our system we often rely on the pros to make it all make sense. However, it is difficult to just trust a stranger at their word especially if you have never used that company before. That is why it is smart to get at least a general idea of some of the potential causes of your problem. A popular problem that many homeowners face is called short cycling. If this is a problem in your home, you will notice that the furnace turns on and off every few minutes and the temperature set on the thermostat is never reached. This can be very frustrating and disruptive for the homeowner and there are several causes that could be contributing to this problem. Some of the more common causes of this problem include:

  • Filthy Filters: A dirty filter will stop the proper amount of air from getting into your furnace. This leads of overheating that will trip the furnace to turn off as a safety mechanism. Simply change the filter and you could be back in business.
  • Lack of Air Flow: Snow and other debris can block the ventilation system of a high efficiency furnace. If this is your problem, the harmful gases created by the furnace will back up into the unit and force a protective shut down which will look like short cycling. Clean away the obstruction and you may be able to restore proper operation. Read more
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Kate Miller | January 10, 2011
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Protect Yourself from Furnace Repair Scams

Successful scam artists are some of the best actors in town. They are equipped with the props and costumes that a legitimate company would have, and their performance is very convincing. Thousands of homeowners fall victim to their act, and end up handing over hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for services that are illegitimate. The furnace repair industry has its fair share of fraudsters just like any other, but when homeowners know how to protect themselves from their scams, they lose their ability turn a profit. That is why we should all take note of these 3 common furnace repair scams before we have our furnaces serviced this winter season.

  • Scam #1: Demanding Upfront Payment- A common scam that many illegitimate contractors will use involves convincing the homeowner to pay in full for services before they are performed. The serviceman may tell you that he needs a certain amount of money right when he walks in the door, and then after tinkering around with the furnace, demand payment for repairs before actually fixing anything. Once payment is received, the serviceman will pretend that they have to order a part or come back later to finish the work. After the serviceman leaves, he is never heard from again. Read more
Category: Consumer Protection, Contractors, Furnace, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | December 1, 2010
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Repair or Replace?: 8 Tips to Consider

  1. High Energy Bills: This is always the first selling point that most HVAC contractors will propose, and it really is something that should be considered. Older furnaces are often around 65% or less efficient with the gas that they consume. That translates into high utility bills every month, and the problem will only get worse with time. A new high efficiency unit will greatly reduce those bills, and pay itself off in savings in a matter of a few years.
  2. Age of the Furnace: If your furnace is in the 15 to 25 years old range, replacement should be considered.  The typical forced air gas powered furnace lasts for about 25 years with proper maintenance. Even if the unit is working fine right now, the older it gets, the higher the chances are that you will experience failure of some of the major components in the unit. Read more
Category: Furnace, Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Heating, Money Saving, Safety | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | September 9, 2010
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Carbon Monoxide in Your Home

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

Category: Boiler, Furnace, Heating, Helpful Tips, Safety | Tags: , , , , ,
Kate Miller | April 5, 2010
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Understanding Your Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger is the core of a home heating system. Whether it is a furnace or boiler, the heat exchanger is one part of the unit that cannot be ignored in regards to maintenance and efficiency. To do so may be deadly. So whether your unit has recently been diagnosed with a bad heat exchanger, or if you are just curious as to what your heat exchanger does, hopefully this will clarify your understanding of this vital component to your heating system. Read more

Category: Boiler, Furnace, Heating, Safety | Tags: , ,
Guest Blogger | October 28, 2009
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Cracked Heat Exchanger

Cracks in your Heat Exchanger?

I recently got a phone call from a friend who was told his heat exchanger was cracked in his furnace and it was leaking carbon monoxide into his home.

The technician told him he should replace the furnace, due to its age of 11 years old and not being sized correctly. I asked him if the technician was certified by the Heat Exchanger Experts.

He called the technician and who said he was not certified but had been doing it a long time and new what he was doing. I told him to get a second opinion and call a qualified company that had technicians that are certified with the Heat Exchanger Experts.

Most of your certified HVAC companies offer a small fee (around $250 to $400) to pull the heat exchanger out and inspect it for cracks or flaws. This is a small price to pay for piece of mind for you and your family, and if you end up purchasing a new furnace they usually apply the fee toward the purchase price of the new furnace.

My recommendation is to get your furnace heat exchanger inspected. Carbon monoxide is odorless and is the biggest silent killer during the heating season. Carbon monoxide detectors are a great addition, but you can eliminate the risk by having your furnaces heat exchange inspected. Some furnaces will have a failed heat exchanger the first year they are installed. Sizing the furnace incorrectly is the biggest problem with failed heat exchangers.

MADMAX

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