What Exactly Is the Heat Exchanger?

November 6th, 2023

If you were to ask HVAC technicians about the most important component in your gas furnace, many of them would likely say the heat exchanger. But to explain what this component is and why it’s so important, we’d need to dive into the internal processes of your furnace and see where all the pieces come together.

Don’t get us wrong, if you’ve been told by a licensed technician that your heat exchanger is faulty or is in need of repairs, don’t ignore this advice. A broken heat exchanger can lead to devastating consequences like leaking gas or carbon monoxide in your home. Also, if your heat exchanger is having problems, then it’s likely there are other issues inside your furnace as well that need to be addressed.

All of this can be fixed or at least addressed properly with professional furnace service in Waverly, IA, but as you’ll soon find out, the more you know about your furnace’s components, the more comfortable you’ll be with getting help.

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5 Quiet Signs of a Disgruntled Furnace

October 25th, 2023

Furnaces come in all shapes and sizes, which means that when they’re encountering problems, they display themselves with different symptoms. Sometimes, a furnace will make a booming noise, and other times it will click rapidly as it tries to start up. And sometimes, unfortunately, a furnace will make no noises at all and will work incorrectly until you detect something else.

What kinds of symptoms could be displayed that aren’t sounds? Well, that’s what this blog topic is going to cover. Heating systems are machines that work exactly as well as their parts require them to. Any slight change in how a furnace would ideally or efficiently work, is usually a sign that something is misaligned, broken, or not set up properly.

Our team can help you when encountering this kind of problem. Before you panic, make sure you schedule an appointment for heating repair in Cedar Rapids, IA with our team. Then, we’ll get into the details!

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Why Efficiency Matters

October 23rd, 2023

The HVAC industry has changed a lot in the past few decades. If you could see the air conditioners that were being manufactured just 20 years ago, you’d realize that we’re far into the future at this point. If your favorite genre is science fiction, then we’re happy to tell you that the modern HVAC industry is basically like a science fiction book at this point. With high-efficiency air conditioners and heat pumps that can handle cold weather, things are looking bright!

However, one thing that has become prominent in the past few years has been efficiency. You can’t really escape it, and it’s on the forefront of everyone’s mind, from a climate activist to a renter who is trying to save money to pay bills. The more efficient you can be, the less money you have to spend on a regular basis and the better off you’ll be in the long run.

So, what is efficiency and how does it relate to HVAC in Des Moines, IA? We’ll get to that down below. Hopefully, after reading this blog post, you have a new appreciation for high-efficiency HVAC system and the professionals who maintain them!

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Calculating Your Heating Efficiency

October 23rd, 2023

People are a lot smarter these days when it comes to using energy for heating in the fall and winter. With helpful apps that can keep track of our comfort preferences, to notation software and smart homes that operate automatically, a homeowner has never been more empowered to take control of their home efficiency and reach new heights.

But all of this calculation has to start somewhere. It’s not very helpful if you make up how much energy or fuel you think a furnace or heat pump consumes. There are specific rating systems like AFUE, SEER2, and HSPF that can help you fully understand just how much energy you’re using, and how to curb it and save money.

Yes, this blog is going to be all about heating in Cedar Rapids, IA, but more importantly how you can calculate your home’s efficiency using some basic arithmetic.

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3 Noises Your Furnace Shouldn’t Make

October 23rd, 2023

It’s the season for scary movies and falling leaves, which is the best season for a lot of people. While you’re cuddled up with the family watching some midnight horror movies, or if you’re baking a delicious pumpkin pie, you might want to be wary of some spooky noises that you notice on your own!

In all seriousness, furnaces are supposed to work behind the scenes. You might hear a click, and a gentle “whoosh” as air moves from the system to the vents in your rooms, but that’s basically it. Anything more than that and you might have a problem on your hands.

Of course, it’s impossible to completely diagnose a problem with a blog post. But we want to empower our customers to do a little detective work when finding out if they need heating repair in Waterloo, IA, or if the sound was just a one-time thing.

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Why a New Thermostat Is a Big Deal

October 16th, 2023

Thermostats aren’t really like your HVAC system. HVAC equipment is big, bulky, and does a lot of work to heat or cool your entire home. This is why it’s so important and often so expensive to repair or replace this kind of technology. So, anywhere you can find a bargain is going to help you afford your next heating or cooling repair or installation.

That’s why we’d like to talk about thermostats today, since they’re the unsung heroes of heating and cooling. They make our lives more convenient, they’re modern and sleek to fit in with our modern home aesthetics, and they also help to keep us energy efficient. New thermostat upgrades can go a long way in making your home a sanctuary of efficiency and comfort, as long as you invest in them.

Let’s talk about why you might benefit from a smart or Wi-Fi thermostat installation in Cedar Rapids, IA, and how it could make noticeable improvements to your lifestyle.

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4 Tips: Getting Your Furnace Ready for Heating Season

October 9th, 2023

It’s officially fall and for many people, it’s their favorite season. From planning Halloween costumes to enjoying pumpkin-spiced treats, there’s a lot to look forward to.

However, there’s one crucial element you need in order to get the most enjoyment out of autumn, and that’s a well-functioning furnace in Grimes, IA. With our frigid winters and extended heating season, it’s essential to make sure your furnace is ready to tackle the cold weather headed its way. 

So here are some of our top tips for making sure your furnace will sail through the heating season. From something as simple as changing the air filter to making sure you schedule furnace maintenance with our team, here are 4 essential tips.

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What Can You Do With No Heat?

October 9th, 2023

So the cold temperatures are finally coming along and your heater has broken down. It’s a busy season so no matter which HVAC professional you call, they’re all giving you dates that are a few days in the future before they can get your heating system working properly. So, what do you do?

This is an unfortunate situation for a lot of homeowners this season, and no matter what we say on our blog, schedules can always get hectic and out of control. We want to first start by apologizing if this is your situation. It’s frustrating and no family deserves to be without heat, no matter who they are or where they live.

But the most important thing is that you and your family follow along our step by step guide to ensure that you don’t get hurt or live your lives uncomfortably while you wait for a trusted technician to help you with HVAC in Cedar Rapids, IA.

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It’s Time to Get Your Furnace Checked

October 9th, 2023

A furnace isn’t just a tool you use during the fall, winter, and spring–it’s an appliance that we depend on to live our lives. Temperatures are likely to soon dip below freezing, and at that point, it’s going to be practically impossible to live your life at home without a fully functioning furnace system. Don’t worry, we’re not trying to scare anyone, but heating is an important part of daily living.

That’s why services like furnace maintenance and furnace repair are so vital. If you call early, our team can pinpoint any problems before the cold temperatures reach us, and early enough for you to save a bit of money as well.

So today we’d like to give a PSA for homeowners out there to invest in their furnace repairs. But we’d also like to give a few reasons why early furnace repairs in Waterloo, IA are going to save you money in the long run.

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When Is It Time to Replace My Sump Pump?

October 2nd, 2023

This is an excellent question, but it’s easy to be fooled by it.

Shouldn’t you just replace your sump pump when it’s broken? This is likely how a lot of our customers are responding to it and it makes sense. If your sump pump were like any other appliance, a television or a washing machine, you’d just replace it when it breaks down. But it’s not just like any other appliance, it’s special and requires different care.

Your sump pump is a preventative appliance, meaning it’s designed to prevent catastrophes from happening (like a basement flood). This means that if it’s not working, you need to know that it’s not working, otherwise you risk losing a lot.

Not only should you schedule sump pump service in Cedar Rapids, IA when it’s needed, but you should also be maintaining the system and ensuring that it’s ready to be replaced ahead of the next torrential downpour.

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