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The holiday season is a time for joy, family gatherings, and cozy nights by the fire. But along with the celebrations come hidden dangers that could put your home, guests, and family at risk. From fire hazards to HVAC breakdowns, there are several threats to be aware of this time of year. Fortunately, most of these issues can be prevented with a little planning, preparation, and scheduling HVAC maintenance in Pittsburgh, PA. Here are 10 holiday hazards to watch out for.
With all the heat and humidity that August brought, it may seem strange for us to already be talking about furnaces. But the truth is, when winter hits our area, it hits hard. The best thing you can do for your home and for your family is to be prepared!
This means making sure your air quality is taken care of, you have a generator ready in case any storms bring power outages, and you have scheduled heating maintenance. This last point is the one we’re going to talk about today.
HVAC maintenance is a service we recommend once for your furnace or heating system each fall, and then once more for your cooling system each spring. The timing of your HVAC maintenance appointments doesn’t matter as much as the consistency of these appointments. Each system should be professionally tuned up and maintained at least once a year.
Read on to learn why this is so important, especially if you have a gas-powered furnace!
It may seem like it’s way too early to even think about our heaters. After all, this past week was in the mid-high 80s! Yet, there is no denying that once October hits, it’s pretty clear that cooler temps are here to stay. When that happens, you want to ensure you have a fully effective and highly efficient heating system to keep your household warm, comfortable, healthy, and safe.
We usually recommend that folks schedule this important heating service in the Fall, before they need their systems the most. The key here is consistency–we would like to see you scheduling your furnace or heat pump maintenance every year or every 6 months, respectively. Yes, it’s best to schedule your heater maintenance when temps are still on the warmer side, but it’s better to have it done routinely than not at all! Wondering why? Read on!
As we transition into cooler weather, technicians tend to catch a break, as AC systems are shut off and heating systems have barely started to run. You probably won’t be able to tell if your heating system is not working correctly quite yet (unless it’s completely broken down), so we don’t expect a lot of calls for heating repair or replacement until late fall or winter, when temperatures really begin to take a dive.
You might think that we’d be excited to get some relief from emergency AC and heating calls, but the truth is that we care about your heating system, your health, and your home. We don’t want you to have to make emergency heating calls in the winter, and we definitely don’t want you to risk your health and safety by putting off service. That’s why it’s time to call in technicians for annual heating maintenance!
It’s that time of year again: soon enough, HVAC companies all around the country (that’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractors) will be flooded with calls about heating service. Colder temperatures will lead to inevitable heating equipment failures, some of which may have been preventable.
That’s why we always recommend contacting a heating service technician as soon as possible. Early repair or replacement of heating equipment, along with a routine tune-up in the fall, helps to keep heating costs manageable and prevent you from dealing with a heating system breakdown when you can’t afford to wait for a technician.
Are you sure your heater is ready to start running when winter comes around? It may have been working just fine last season, but that doesn’t mean you should skip out on service this year. Professional heating system maintenance is the only way to know your heater will be safe, to catch repairs early, and to save a little more money next season.
You’ve probably seen a thick, stubborn layer of dirt on things sitting in your garage, or maybe on items that have been in your basement for a long time. That same layer can and will accumulate on your heating system and its components, gumming things up and making operation cumbersome and difficult. Annual maintenance is the best solution for getting rid of that stubborn layer, and experts at Boehmer Heating & Cooling are ready to take your call and schedule you for professional heating maintenance in Pittsburgh.
We know many of you haven’t even turned off your AC yet, but it is the time of year to start thinking ahead to the heating season. Specifically, it’s time to make sure your heating system is ready to go for that first chilly morning in the fall all the way into next spring, and the best way to do that is to schedule heating maintenance with your Boehmer Heating & Cooling technician. Our thorough tune-up for your heating system will help ensure that you get the warmth, comfort and performance you need all winter long in Upper St. Clair, PA – just give us a call!
Geothermal systems serve as a viable alternative to traditional gas furnaces, using the ambient temperature in the ground itself to heat your home. They usually cost more to install than gas furnaces, and may require certain types of property to function as they should, but they make up for that with lower month-to-month costs and a reliability that can’t be beat.
The system basically works like this: a trained technician installs pipes under your yard, which circulates a water or a mixture of water and anti-freeze. This liquid absorbs heat from the ambient temperature of the ground, and then goes to a heat pump. The heat pump heats the air and circulates it throughout your home. In the summer, this process is reversed to cool your home.
Some geothermal systems are planted horizontally, with the pipes at least 4 feet beneath the surface. This usually needs a large property lot for it to work, but makes it easier for the technician to reach it if there’s a leak or some other repair is needed. For houses that don’t have a lot of spare space, there are vertical installations in which pipes are installed running down from 100 to 400 feet deep. While this takes less space for installation, the pipes may be trickier to reach in the event of a problem.
Whatever the particulars of the system, they’re extremely easy to use once they’re in place. They’re also extremely efficient, which will lower your monthly heating bills as well as raising the resale value of your home. Call the experts at Boehmer Heating & Cooling for a consultation. Our trained professionals can discuss your options with you, then set up an installation schedule that works for your circumstances.
Cold weather demands adequate household heating in order to maintain your family’s comfort during the winter months. Pittsburgh is as cold as they come, and a good furnace or boiler is an essential part of your home. You may ask yourself “why schedule routine heating maintenance in Pittsburgh?” especially if your furnace or boiler isn’t breaking down. In point of fact, routine maintenance is the best way to save money on heating.
With machines that see a lot of use, such as your furnace, refrigerator or air conditioning unit, trouble doesn’t arrive all at once. Problems build up over time, exacerbated by normal wear and tear and fed by an “out of sight out of mind” approach to upkeep. Components can become dusty. Clogs can build up in flow lines. Old components can become worn out, leading to leaks, loose fittings and overheating motors. Every little issue like that forces your heater to struggle a little more get your home to a cozy temperature. Every little problem means additional cost to your monthly heating bill. And as the months and years go on, those problems can build up, adding more stress to the system until it suffers a serious breakdown. Since the heater does the most work in the winter, that may mean it stops functioning right at the point where you need it the most.
A routine heating maintenance plan can avoid all of that. A service technician can clean the heater’s components, tighten any loose cogs, replace minor components and identify potential problem areas before they get out of hand. That allows you to address upcoming issues in a timely fashion – preventing more expensive repairs down the line – as well as improving your heater’s overall efficiency (which saves money on those monthly energy bills). If you wish to schedule routine heating maintenance in Pittsburgh, contact the pros at Boehmer Heating & Cooling. We have years of experience installing and maintaining all manner of heating systems, and can set up a maintenance schedule that fits your specific needs. Call us today and let us show you what we can do for you.