Though you’ve most likely forgotten about it, your furnace is an important appliance that serves a crucial function in your home. Besides making sure that you are continued to be kept comfortable and warm throughout the winter months, keeping your furnace well–maintained can ensure fuel efficiency, saving you money on your heating bills. An ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure, and full maintenance will take only a few hours, a few dollars, and a few basic tools.

The Importance of a Furnace Tuneup

More importantly, many warranties contain language saying that damage to units caused by improper maintenance is not covered under warranty. So how can you renovate and reinvigorate your furnace to get the most bang for your buck throughout the year?

Annual Furnace Check-Ups

You should be going to the doctor at least once a year for a check-up to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that nothing is wrong. In the same vein, your furnace should get a check-up once a year to look for problems that may have arisen. This is especially true if the unit is more than ten years old. Unless you already have significant experience in working on a heating system, it’s a good idea to delegate this to a qualified technician. Additionally, to ensure safety,  make sure that all of the power to the system has been turned off before doing any work on any kind of heating or cooling system.

The technician should

• Inspect the thermostat, or control, to make sure that everything is calibrated and operating properly. A faulty thermostat could prevent the system from turning on or could cause it to turn off and on repeatedly.
• Clear the air filter, or perhaps change it altogether. To check the filter to see if a replacement is needed, hold it up to the light. Regardless of the length of time that the filter has been in place, if it looks clogged you should replace it with a new filter.
• Inspect the belts on the blower, if one is present. If the belts seem over-worn or frayed, replace them with belts of similar size.
• Check all of the controls and electrical components.
• Use a vacuum to dust the inside of the furnace unit and clean the air filter blades.
• Oil the motors if necessary. Some motors are permanently lubricated and sealed, while others have covered oil ports for lubrication. If the latter is true for your unit, it should be lubricated annually.
• Inspect the heat exchanger for possible cracks. A crack could allow carbon monoxide into your home, which is extremely dangerous. Carbon monoxide can lead to flu-like symptoms, and a serious leak can be fatal.
• Check the air flow and the mixture of fuel/air.
• Ensure that the flues and chimneys are properly connected and that they are in good condition. Check the flue to make sure that there aren’t any holes. Make sure that these aren’t blocked.

If your furnace runs on oil or gas, it needs some extra inspection. If this is the case, your technician should also:

• Examine, and if necessary, replace the thermocouple. This makes your furnace less likely to have a catastrophic incident, such as an explosion.
• Check the combustion gases and compare the results to the furnace’s specifications.
• Check that the electric ignition or pilot is properly functioning.
• Test the burner to see if it is operating correctly, and clean the burner if they find it to be necessary.
• Check the fuel lines for leaks. Leaks could pose a fire hazard or could allow fumes to escape that could cause serious harm.
• Test the manifold gas pressure. This will ensure that the right amount of fuel is able to reach the burners. This too will reduce the risk of something going wrong.

After the inspection, remember to turn the power back on.

Ongoing Furnace Maintenance

Here are some tips on how to be a responsible homeowner and give your furnace the regular maintenance and care it needs.

To get the most out of your furnace on a daily basis, ensure that you

• Program your thermostat so that it is more effective. When you’re sleeping or out of the house, automate it to use less energy. This can have a huge impact on savings -by turning a thermostat 10 to 15 degrees lower for 8 hours a day, a family can save up to 15% on their heating bill annually.
• During cold weather, when the furnace is under heavy use, ensure that your air filters are changed once a month. A filter as cheap a $1 can adequately protect the blower and motor. More efficient filters are available for a higher cost.
• Keep open the registers and vents. Closing a vent can add pressure and increases the risk for an air leak occurring in your system, causing energy waste and costly repairs.
• Every couple of months, vacuum the vent covers along with the register. This will remove dust and debris, which can reduce efficiency if too much is built up.

Basic maintenance should also include cleaning other parts of your unit of debris such as dirt, which can waste fuel and lower efficiency drastically. All the main parts of the furnace -the filter system, the blower, and the motor- should be cleaned regularly.

Your furnace can be a valuable tool and a great friend. Take care of yours and it’ll take care of you. It will lead to a much much happier and warmer household for you.

The post The Importance of Tuning up your Furnace appeared first on KCS Heating and Air.

Replacing the filter of your furnace is crucial to your home’s comfort and the efficiency of the system as well. If you have to think long and hard about when was the last time you have cleaned or replaced your air filter, now would be a good time to do it or at least consider it. There are several reasons why replacing the furnace’s filter is important. If you have a clogged filter you will have an inefficient system. When the filter for your furnace is clogged with grime, dirt and grime your system will have to work twice as much to move air through your home. Your energy bills will increase as well as the carbon monoxide while draining your budget. Not only do dirty air filters hurt the cost of your pockets, but they can also harm your health. With a dirty air filter, it allows dust dander and mold to circulate throughout your home. Meaning your family is susceptible to breathing in these things which can bring some health concerns worse such as asthma, allergies and other respiratory concerns. Having a clean filter is able to trap these nasty contaminants in order for your family to breathe freely.

Another reason clogged filters need to be replaced is your furnace’s lifespan will be reduced significantly. When your system has to work harder in order to heat and cool your home, the result is much more than an increased amount of energy bills. It also can potentially cause your system to overheat and burn out. The stress placed on the blower and the entire unit can lead to unanticipated failure. A clogged filter is actually one of the top reasons people call when they have a system that has completely failed. It is much cheaper to replace your furnace’s filter before it is time to when an easy swap of the air filter will fix the problem. By neglecting your air filter you are causing an all too much costly mistake that could have been avoided.

Although a clogged air filter does not always lead to your furnace failing it does lead to more costly maintenance. Ductwork that needs to be cleaned regularly due to dust circulating through your home or a blower that just stops working can both be avoided with simple routine air filter replacement. Surely spending your money elsewhere is more appealing than replacing and repairing parts of your furnace. This is why considering making air filter replacement a part of your usual schedule is needed. Your home will also be cleaner with a clean air filter. Having a clean air filter cuts down on the amount of dust accumulated in your home as it will not circulate through your home’s furnace. This will reduce the time spent on cleaning such as dusting and more time to spend doing the things you love to do.

Most likely with all the benefits, you are now aware of you are more willing to commit yourself to change your air filter more frequently. The question now is how frequently does the filter need to be changed? This will depend on the demand actually placed on your filter and the type you use, but a good general idea is to change it every other month. The good news is that the act of replacing a filter for your furnace is a very simple job once you know what you’re doing. Meaning there are ways that you could accidentally make a mistake which could be purchasing the wrong filter for your furnace or by putting it in backward. If the air filter is placed in backward this will block the air flow instead of cleaning the air. Here are some simple steps you can use to make this an easy to do task.

What filter do you currently have? You can find this out by first turning off the furnace if it is currently on. Remove the filter for your furnace located inside the furnace or inside of the return air vent. Check for an arrow on the actual filter which indicates the airflow direction. Have a permanent marker handy to draw the direction of the airflow on the outside of your furnace. This way you will always know the correct way to install the filter when needing to replace it. Take note of the filter size which will be printed on the frame made of cardboard. Now some filters that have a plastic frame opposed to cardboard indicated the frame is a reusable model. If this is the case in your situation this actually means you will have to clean it periodically by using a vacuum and water, preferably outdoors. Be sure the filter is completely dry before you reinsert it into the furnace.

Now you need to get the right replacement filter for your furnace. To purchase furnace filters you will be able to find them in local home centers, hardware stores as well online. Typically the disposable filters are 1 or 2 inches thick. There is access in stores and even online to check ratings of furnace filters which is known as whole-house air filters, use this for a right-sized model that was effective at removing smoke, pollen, and dust when the air is passed through at both high and low speeds. Most places can also test the thickness of furnace filters even some up to 5 inches and they often provide superior air cleaning. However, if your furnace is not already equipped to handle a thicker type filter it would need to be modified by an HVAC professional.

Now that you have purchased the new air filter for your furnace it is time to put it inside. Looks for the markings which will indicate which side of the filter should be facing the furnace. Then take the filter and slide it into place and be sure to replace any cover that goes over it. A good idea is to keep a record of the date you have changed the furnace’s air filter that way you will know exactly when you need to change the filter again.

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Hey – we make mistakes, we’re human, right? Well, the HVAC industry is no exception. Comprised of humans like us, sometimes HVAC contractors tend to have a few hiccups, but there are some major ones you should look out for when hiring an HVAC contractor.

5 Mistakes Made by HVAC Contractors

In the article written by Energy Vanguard’s Allison Bailes, they cover some of the top snafus made by heating and air conditioning techs and we’re going to go through the top five today. While not all HVAC contractors make these mistakes (ahem – KCS Heating and Air), a lot do so it’s important to keep a homeowner lookout on these common mistakes.

Combustion Safety

A lot of the time when HVAC contractors get calls about carbon monoxide, they immediately check the furnace for cracks and if nothing is found, chock it up to a false alarm, replace the carbon monoxide detector batteries and go on their merry way; however, this has the propensity to leave the homeowners in a dangerous situation if it truly wasn’t a false alarm. “The problem is that most HVAC contractors don’t know much about backdrafting of combustion appliances. Nor do they test for it.”

As an HVAC contractor, they should be testing for gases and depressurization when it comes to responding to carbon monoxide calls. HVAC professionals should take these precautions lest they are met with a phone call the next day at the homeowners are in the hospital suffering from CO2 poisoning.

Ignoring Air Flow

When it comes to HVAC, airflow is everything but it’s also really not understood well by most HVAC contractors. Ductwork is often the wrong size for the home leaving inefficiencies and leaks. If HVAC contractors truly understood airflow, most ductwork systems would be much larger than they are.

“Mike MacFarland of Energy Docs, an HVAC contractor in California, told me last year at Building Science Summer Camp that he pretty much never does a system changeout without also doing a duct changeout. Why? Because he knows that the existing ductwork, even if it’s relatively new, probably wasn’t sized right, is too leaky, and would lead to more trouble and expense than just starting over.“

Ignoring Home Performance

HVAC contractors find themselves in crevasses, crawl spaces, and attics of homes yet fail to advise the homeowner on possible performance upgrades like insulation and air sealing, yet often it’s never mentioned to the homeowner. In the world of “home comfort,” it seems like a lot of heating and air conditioning contractors forget the latter word, even though it would benefit not only their business but the living conditions of those in the home.

HAC – Forget the V

Often in the wild world of home comfort, we focus on heating and air conditioning, but ventilation finds a backseat to furnaces and AC units. With new construction codes requiring homes to be built tighter than ever, ventilation is nearly a requirement of all HVAC professionals in order to correctly move air throughout the space. From measuring air flow to negative and positive pressure, and pressure balance, if your HVAC contractor doesn’t understand ventilation, you need a new contractor stat.

HVAC Math Problems cause Problems

Not understanding HVAC math can equal big problems for homeowners. With the constantly changing technology in the HVAC world, “the way things were” mentality has got to go. HVAC systems are so different now and as such, the math and mentality towards them must also change. Calculating heat loss and gain vary depending on the system, the home size, and other things. “HVAC systems are complex technology. If you’re relying on rules of thumb or doing things the way you’ve always done them, then you’re not serving your customers well.”

When it comes to the world of HVAC, mistakes can happen, but the ones listed above are more than just simple mistakes, their incorrectly understanding the HVAC world as it is today. When selecting your HVAC contractor, it’s important to keep an eye out for these common mistakes and choose a contractor who you feel comfortable in making your home comfortable.

The post 5 Biggest Mistakes HVAC Contractors Make appeared first on KCS Heating and Air.

As we get into summer, and as air conditioners across the world again get fired up, HVAC companies will get hundreds of phone calls from customers whose A/C’s won’t keep up. A very common diagnosis for air conditioners that can’t keep up is low refrigeration. Before you give the go head to your HVAC professional to “charge” the system, which is the term used to refill to the appropriate level, there are a few things you need to know. One of the things you need to know, and many people ask is what is Freon and what its purpose is in an air conditioner.

First, Freon is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) that has been linked to ozone depletion, so it has quickly been phased out of use. Since 2015, it has been illegal to use Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), including the ozone-depleting refrigerant gas R22, in refrigeration, heat pump and air conditioning (AC) systems. R22 is commonly used in AC systems predating 2004 and its ban has had a major effect on air-conditioning costs. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should or need to go out and buy new HVAC equipment right away. Unless, of course, you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, have equipment that contains the refrigerant known as Freon, and are concerned if your equipment will be compatible with new refrigerant that meets federal guidelines, which a professional should be able to inform you of over the phone. We are providing you with a short history of Freon and what has happened to its use, so that you may better understand how to determine the best course of action with your air conditioning units.

The History of Freon

CFCs were first synthesized in the 1890s, however, they were extremely dangerous and flammable. In the 1920s, another team was formed by General Motors to find a safer alternative that was more stable and nontoxic. Frigidaire, a division of GM, received the patent for a refrigerating apparatus. In 1930, GM and DuPont came together and formed Kinetic Chemicals to produce Freon.

Freon is a colorless gas that is also known as R-22. Dupont trademarked the name Freon. CFCs have been used in refrigeration and aerosol cans for many years, but in 1974, a researcher at the University of California hypothesized that CFCs were destroying the ozone layer. It took years of research by the National Academy of Science, but eventually, the United States banned the use of CFCs in aerosol cans. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol, which is an international environmental agreement, established the phase-out of CFCs.

Not only does Freon itself harm the ozone layer, but the manufacturing of Freon releases another product into the atmosphere. This gas, called HFC-23, is also harmful and contributes to global warming. Although Freon is highly restricted and regulated in its use, older appliances still use and release this harmful gas. Some people have even used this compound to “huff.” Inhaling Freon produces a high that is similar to what is felt from drinking alcohol, and doing so can freeze the lungs or cause brain damage. This is another lesser known reason why the refrigerant has been banned along with other HCFC’s.

Things you need to know About Air Conditioning Freon

1) Know what kind of refrigerant your air conditioner or heat pump uses and how low it is.

R22, which is commonly known as freon, was the most prominent refrigerant in use until a few years ago when the EPA mandated production be stopped. In its place, R410a (Puron) refrigerant has taken over as the primary refrigeration used. Once you know the type, the HVAC professional should be able to give at least a range of estimate on how the system is on refrigerant.

2) Why is my refrigerant low?

Air conditioners and heat pumps are closed loops systems. Unlike gas in your car, refrigeration doesn’t just disappear over time. If your system is low causing a lack of cooling, there is likely a leak in the system.

3) To leak test or not?

Knowing that your system has a leak, there are two ways to go about repairing. If you’ve never had the refrigerant recharged on your system, you can do so without a leak test. Depending on the age and condition of your air conditioning, your system might have a slow leak which may be able to hold the new refrigerant. However, if you’ve already had refrigerant added in the past or are concerned that the leak is more significant, a leak test is required before adding any additional refrigerant.

4) What kind of leak test will be done?

Everyone has their opinion on which leak test is the best, but many times the technician on site will offer up an opinion on which he thinks will identify your issue in the most cost-effective way. There are devices that detect refrigerant that is out of the system, that a technician can run along joints and coils of the A/C system. We can evacuation the system and put it under high-pressure nitrogen test, where the joints, coils and other problem areas are coated in soap bubbles to detect air leakage. There are additional tests outlined by the EPA here, which meet their high standards. The bottom line is that your HVAC professional should detail the type of test and cost before proceeding.

5) Where’s the leak and how much is the repair?

Depending on what the leak test shows there are really two distinct directions. It is likely an easy fix in a visible joint or valve that can quickly be repaired, or it’s something more significant in the evaporator or condenser coil. The former because of the limited expense is an easy go-ahead if it’s an R410a system. If you are dealing with a coil and an R22 system, you should probably discuss the replacement of the full system because of the significant expense of both the equipment and refrigerant.

Knowing these things will assist you in making the appropriate decision, and taking the best action concerning your HVAC equipment. At the very least, you’re a certified air conditioner freon expert!

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