Monthly Archives: March 2018

No one likes to be told that their furnace needs to be replaced. Often times we spring for repairs and repairs and repairs, our furnace “nickel and diming” us every chance it gets. How can you know when you need to just replace it rather than repair a part of it? Is there a way to know for sure if you have a failing furnace?

  1. Weird Noises

Do you hear clunking, rattling, buzzing, or any other variation of a noise you may not have heard before? If you start hearing strange noises when your heating system is running, it might be time to consider replacing your furnace as you may have a failing furnace. Sometimes a pop, squeak, or squeal may indicate the need for a repair rather than an outright replacement, but you should be on the lookout for any strange noises anyway. No one wants to be stranded on the coldest night of the year without heat.

  1. Increased Heating Bills

Has your consumption of oil, propane, natural gas, or electricity suddenly and drastically increased? The culprit could be your furnace. Older units are much less energy efficient as newer units, and the longer their life, the less efficient they become over time. A failing furnace can be much less efficient than a working one.

  1. No Heat or Cold Air

Yikes! You’ll probably notice this problem pretty quickly. If your furnace just isn’t putting out hot air at all, it could be signs of a major problem. You’ll want to speak with an HVAC technician to get the full scoop as to why your furnace isn’t producing as hot (or not hot at all) air as it used to. Your HVAC technician will be able to diagnose if you have a failing furnace or not.

  1. Lots of Little Repairs

A furnace that is going out may start asking little repairs constantly. Much like cars, as furnaces age, the more things will need to be replaced on them. Maybe some wiring one month, and then a blower motor the next. The availability of the parts you need can also indicate how well a repair may go, and whether you should start thinking about replacing your slowly failing furnace. The older a furnace gets, the harder it is to find parts for it. If you can’t even find a manual online for your furnace, it’s probably time to consider replacing it.

  1. Your Furnace Is Old

The average life expectancy of a furnace is between 16 and 20 years. If your furnace is that old or well over that age, you might want to start shopping around for a new one before an emergency situation occurs.

If you don’t know how old your furnace is, answer this question: does your furnace have a pilot light? If so, it’s certain to be over 25 years old!

Need to talk to an HVAC pro about your furnace? We’ve got you covered. Contact us today!

Everyone’s heard of a dehumidifier, but when do you actually need one? Chances are, if you are seeing these signs, you may be scratching your head on what to do. Having excess humidity in the home may not feel so bad for you physically, but it can cause all kinds of havoc in your home.

1. Mold Spots that Won’t Go Away

You keep getting moldy areas in your house, and no matter how you clean them, how many times you do it, or with what, they keep coming back. Mold is a great indicator that something in your house is too moist, and usually that can be handled with a dehumidifier. Most often you’ll see this in the shower as you’re adding more moisture onto your home on top of what’s already there when you take a hot steamy shower. Check the corners of your bathroom, your ceilings, and around your toilet. Do you see spots of mold? It’s either time to take cooler showers or time to invest in a dehumidifier.

2. Inside Window Condensation

If your windows are condensating on the inside, it may be an indicator of trouble. Not only do you have excess moisture in your home, but this moisture can freeze and cause structural damage on doors and windows as the ice expands and contracts. This can also become a breeding spot for mold. You may want to invest in a dehumidifier and check all of your window and door seals as well.

3. Water Damage

Is the paint flaking off of the ceiling in your bathroom or elsewhere? You could have water damage, and not from a leaky roof. Having excess humidity in your house means that over time paint will stop adhering and materials will get soggy and “wet”. Time to buy a dehumidifer!

4. Musty Smells

If you keep smelling something that smells old and musty, it could be because of excess humidity in your home. Since humidity can breed mold, it’s easy for mold to get started in window draperies, carpeting, or even closet clothes. You may go crazy washing everything in your house, but a solution may be as simple as a dehumidifier.

5. An Unbearable Summer

Not everyone likes to click on the AC as soon as the temperatures start to rise. If you like to wait it out, you might find that sometimes in the summer your house is just unbearable. You feel wet and sticky, even when the hot days outside aren’t so humid. The reason is that your home is already humid inside, and the day isn’t helping. A dehumidifier can take the moisture out of the air and make it not so “thick”, allowing you to breathe better and feel more comfortable, even if the temperature stays the same.