A new furnace can be more efficient than an older, worn-down unit, allowing you to save money on monthly energy and gas costs. It can also help you to keep you more comfortable as technological upgrades have made today’s furnaces some of the most high-performance home comfort systems to hit the market. But if your furnace isn’t precisely the right size for your home, it may actually cause a lot of trouble. Be sure you work with trained professionals when it comes to any heating installation, and read on to find out what goes into sizing a furnace and why it is such a vital part of the job.
Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog : Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category
Sizing a Furnace: An Important Consideration for New Installation
Monday, September 21st, 2015Don’t Hold Off for Any Longer: Repair Your Faulty Heating System Today
Monday, September 14th, 2015The weather is changing quickly, and soon enough we’ll be shutting off our air conditioning systems for good. When you turn on your heating system, you may notice some problems at start up that developed last winter or over a long period of disuse. While these problems may appear to be minor, it’s so important that you get them fixed ASAP.
Can Heating Maintenance Really Save You Money?
Tuesday, September 8th, 2015Heating technicians throughout the area are encouraging customers to take the time now to get their heating systems into shape for the wintertime. Most HVAC companies offer a heating maintenance service that involves an inspection of the heating system as well as a tune-up of major and minor components.
Why It’s a Good Idea to Start Thinking About Your Heating System Today
Monday, August 31st, 2015Temperatures are generally still a bit higher than is comfortable, which makes it hard to imagine that cooler weather is approaching. When you’re still going inside to turn on the AC and beat the 80°+ weather, your heating system might be the last thing on your mind. But maintaining your heating system today can actually save you a whole lot of money and hassle later on.
How Does Zone Heating Work?
Friday, February 20th, 2015If you’ve been looking for a way to customize your heating, you may want to consider the installation of zone heating in your Woodland Park, CO, home. Zone heating allows you to heat your home in independent zones, as designated by you. There’ll be no more complaints about being too hot or too cold, issues with uneven heating or wasting energy heating space no one is in. So how does zone heating work? We’ll explain below.
The Main Components
These are the main components in a zone heating system:
- The motorized dampers
- The main control panel
- The thermostats for each zone
The first step of any zone heating installation is determining with your technician what the zones will be. Zones can be individual rooms, a group of rooms, a floor of your home, etc.; the decision is yours. Once the zones are designated, your supply ducts are outfitted with motorized dampers that are connected to a main control panel. The technician will then install a thermostat into each zone and connect each thermostat to the control panel. When the system is operational, the control panel will open and close the motorized dampers as needed to maintain the temperatures set in each zone.
Why Consider Installing Zone Heating?
Here are some reasons why zone heating may be a good choice for your home:
- Customized comfort – as mentioned above, zone heating systems allow you to customize your comfort throughout your home, increasing comfort and functionality.
- Better energy efficiency – a zone heating system allows you to use only the heating you need because you can shut down a zone without affecting the rest of your duct system.
- Less wear on your heating system – when you use only the amount of heating you need, your system runs less; this helps reduce the amount of wear on your system.
If zone heating in your Woodland Park, CO, home sounds like it may be a good option, call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today!
Reasons to Consider a Commercial Boiler
Friday, January 9th, 2015Having your commercial space be warm and comfortable throughout the winter months is critical to your business. As such, you’ll want to choose a system that will be durable and reliable for years to come. One such system to consider is a commercial boiler. Boilers are found in all kinds of properties, from residences to churches and schools because boilers can effectively heat various-sized spaces. Here are some factors to consider about the installation of a commercial boiler in your Fountain, CO business space:
- Easy zoning – boilers use a system of pipes to deliver the hot water or steam that heats your space. It is very easy to set up different heating zones with this piping, which will allow you to customize your comfort as you want.
- Efficient – today’s boilers have an average efficiency rating over 80%, and condensing boilers have efficiency ratings over 90%.
- Fuel choices – boilers can be fueled by gas, oil, propane, electricity and solid fuels, such as pellets or wood.
- Choices for outlets – the heat from boilers can be dispersed throughout your business space by radiators, hydronic radiant floor heating or baseboard heating; you can even create a combination of outlets.
- Quiet – boiler systems are very quiet; in fact, the only noise made is when the boiler is heating the water.
- Good for allergy sufferers – forced air system keep air circulating constantly, kicking up dust and dirt that can agitate indoor allergies.
- Comfortable heating – the heat from boilers comes from a surface, not from blown hot air, so the heat is gentle and to many people, more comfortable.
- Balances indoor moisture – forced air systems can create a very dry atmosphere; because boilers heat in radiant manner, the moisture levels stay more stable, which can feel better for skin, eyes and noses.
The installation of a commercial boiler in Fountain, CO, should be handled only be a trained commercial heating expert.
Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning technicians have been serving residential and commercial customers since 1970, so if you are ready for a new commercial heater, call us today!
Is Installing a Furnace Safe for My Home?
Friday, January 2nd, 2015Long ago, furnaces were not always considered the safest systems to install in a home. But today’s models are some of the most efficient, safe, and reliable heating systems out there, able to detect safety hazards quickly and activate features to shut down the unit or turn off the gas right away. New furnace installation should be very safe for your home, as long as you choose professionals for the job.
Furnaces used to operate using a standing pilot light, meaning that the pilot light had to remain lit at all times. Today’s manufacturer’s don’t use standing pilots, but even if your current furnace still has one, it probably has a safety feature that models built decades ago were not equipped with. Very old furnaces had no safety mechanism in place to prevent gas from continuing to leak out if the flame were to ever go out. This posed health and safety hazards that were later corrected with a piece called the thermocouple. The thermocouple senses when there is no longer a flame and shuts off the gas immediately.
But modern furnaces don’t actually need a standing gas pilot light. Instead, they use an electronic ignition system to light the burner only when heat is needed. If the burners don’t light up after a few seconds, a flame sensor shuts off the gas valve. A few other parts are also in place to protect you and your family, such as the air pressure switch that shuts off the gas when combustion gases are not venting properly and the limit switch which keeps the chamber from overheating.
When you choose professionals for the job, your new furnace installation should go smoothly. Your new furnace won’t just be as safe it can possibly be; it will also help you to save money from month to month if you work with an expert to choose a unit with a high AFUE rating and the ENERGY STAR seal of approval. And if you follow up your new installation with annual heating maintenance, you can protect your home safety for years to come.
The experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning are trained to give you the most thorough maintenance visit possible and install your new Colorado Springs heating system safely and with utmost accuracy.
3 Common Signs that It’s Time to Schedule Furnace Repair
Thursday, December 18th, 2014Have you noticed anything unusual with your furnace lately? Oftentimes, homeowners sense something strange with the furnace, but they still don’t suspect their system is in trouble. This means they’ll end up waiting to schedule repairs until later on assuming that there is no risk for their unit at the present time. But many of these same people end up discovering this is not true in the most jarring way—when a sudden heating breakdown occurs.
When you notice any type of problem with your unit, small or large, it’s time to call for heating repair. A furnace problem is indicative of a single part or many parts that are wearing down, and when this happens all of the other parts have to work a little bit harder to keep up. This means that the other parts could become worn down as well until a component failure causes your entire unit to stop working. Look for the following warning signs and call a technician at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning for heating repair in Woodland Park.
- Low Heating Capability: If you feel some heat, but the unit never quite seems to reach the temperature you desire, you may think that heating repair can wait. But this means that something in the unit is not quite right, and an eventual failure is unfortunately inevitable.
- Unusual Noises: Strange noises are indicative of a number of problems, from a faulty electrical control (often a buzzing noise) to a gas buildup in the furnace (a banging noise which can be very dangerous).
- Short Cycling: “Short cycling” is a term used to describe a heating system that starts up only to shut down shortly afterwards. If your system is short cycling, it could be for number of reasons. You may simply have a faulty blower motor or a malfunctioning thermostat. Or your flue gases are not venting properly, causing the safety control to shut off the unit after running for only a short time.
Don’t delay! Contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule service with quality technicians heating repair in Woodland Park today!
Commercial Heating Installation: A Job Best Left to the Professionals
Monday, November 17th, 2014Replacing an older commercial heating system is a tough decision that takes a lot of careful consideration. You may have just begun to notice reduced heating capability or other problems with your business’s heating system. Or, maybe multiple repair needs in recent years have led to the decision to replace. But finding the right technician for the job can be a stressful situation when you’re not certain how to find someone you can trust.
When you finally make the choice to replace your older commercial heating system, be sure to call on specialists with experience in commercial units. This is simply the only way to ensure that the installation is done properly and that there are no safety hazards remaining after installation. Ask your technicians about their previous experience on large commercial units or search through their website to find out more information about the company. While it may seem as though any heating technician will be sufficient, only a select few know the ins and outs of large commercial units.
One of the foremost reasons to have your commercial heating system installed by a specialist is sizing. Commercial systems can be very difficult for the average technician to size, as there are a lot of factors that must go into the decision. Technicians make precise calculations based on the size of the business, the number of rooms, units, or offices, and the number of people in the building, as well as factors like insulation and the placement of windows. Whether or not you need zone control to vary the temperature throughout the building is also an important consideration that a residential technician may not be prepared for. If your heating system is too small, you won’t get enough heating power, while if it is too large, it will consume too much energy and may have a problem due to short cycling.
Another reason to only rely on trained and experienced technician is time constraints. For a busy commercial property, you want heat restored as soon as possible so that you can get back to work and keep your customers, clients, employees, and/or tenants happy and comfortable.
When you want installation completed quickly and thoroughly, choose the experts on commercial heating in Colorado Springs. Call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today!
3 Common Reasons for Boiler Repair
Monday, November 10th, 2014Boilers may operate in different ways than most other heating systems. They are still imperfect, however, and that results in their occasional need for repairs. Below, we’ll take a look at three of the most common reasons for boiler repair, and what can be done about it.
Kettling
Over time, minerals in the water can build up in the heat exchanger of your boiler. After a few years, these minerals can form deposits large enough to actually restrict or even block the flow of water through your boiler’s heat exchanger. This causes a massive buildup in pressure, as the water evaporates and expands inside the heat exchanger. The result is a rumbling sound, called “kettling.” If left alone, this condition can cause extreme damage to your boiler. If your boiler is making this kind of noise, turn it off and call a professional immediately.
Pilot Light Won’t Stay On
If your pilot light won’t stay on, chances are you have a bad thermocouple. The thermocouple is a metal wire that acts as a sensor for the pilot light. When it senses the heat from the pilot light, it opens the gas valve to keep fueling the flame. A bad thermocouple has often lost the ability to sense the heat from the pilot light. As a result, the gas valve stays closed and smothers the flame.
Boiler Keeps Turning Off
If your boiler keeps turning itself off shortly after being turned on, it is likely that something in the system is triggering a safety measure. Usually, these measures trigger when the system is in danger of overheating or even exploding. Honestly, though you’ll need an HVAC professional to determine the exact cause for you. It is quite possible that your boiler is overheating or experiencing a pressure spike. It is equally possible, however, that a malfunctioning thermostat or blocked water line is the cause. Either way, it’s not something you should ignore.
If you are experiencing problems with your boiler, call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide boiler repair services throughout Fountain, CO.
