Serving Greater Pittsburgh Since 1933
24 Hour Service
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.
Maintenance. It’s one of those words you’ve probably heard, but maybe not given a whole lot of thought to in relation to your home comfort systems. If you own a vehicle, you probably have maintenance done for that, right? Maintenance is what helps you rely on its ability to keep getting you from point A to point B for years and years, as efficiently as possible.
Well, this same concept applies to your HVAC systems. Maintenance helps your air conditioner, and your heater, operate as efficiently and effectively as possible, for as long as possible. It reduces repair needs by as much as 85% and helps your systems retain 95% of their original efficiency rating.
And a maintenance program offers you even more. In fact, the question shouldn’t be, “are HVAC maintenance agreements worth the money,” it should be, “Can I afford to go without a maintenance agreement?” Read on to learn more!
You may be wondering how your HVAC system can have anything to do with your furry, four-legged pal, or vice-versa. But actually, having a pet can have a huge impact on not only your HVAC system but your overall air quality. Keeping your pet clean, changing the air filters, and taking some important safety steps that we’ll cover below will all help you keep a safe and healthy home for your pet(s) as well as the human members of your household!
Read on as we share some of our top HVAC maintenance tips for pet owners.
We probably don’t need to tell you just how important a well-functioning heating system is in our part of the country. We can deal with some pretty harsh winters, which can sometimes stretch into spring. A home’s heating system–no matter what type–is vital to helping your family getting through the cooler months comfortably and healthfully.
But even if you know how important it is to have maintenance done, you might be tempted to skip it. After all, it’s another cost to incur, and if your heater is on the newer side, who cares, right?
We really want to encourage our customers to put this notion aside and consider what they can save by having maintenance done, versus what maintenance will cost them. Because the truth is, skipping maintenance will cost you a lot more. Read on to learn the true cost of not maintaining your heater this fall.
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.
One of the most important things you can do for your air conditioner and for your heater is to schedule maintenance each and every year. When you sign up for a maintenance plan with a qualified HVAC contractor, this is taken care of! Learn more about HVAC maintenance and the benefits of joining a local maintenance program from the guide below.
The filters on your Pittsburgh air conditioning unit are vital for keeping out the dust and debris that make things like illness, allergies and air quality worse. And it’s important that you take personal responsibility for checking those filters. Sure, you have a Pittsburgh air conditioning professional visit your home once a year to check the air conditioning, but you should also check the system yourself on a semi-regular basis for possible filter degradation.
So, how often should you check? Think of it this way. There is no such thing as checking too much, but you can easily not check often enough. So, we recommend checking your filter at least once every 4 weeks. It may not always need to be changed during that four week checkup (sometimes it can last 6 weeks or longer), but it’s good to take a peek.
Why is this so important? Because filters that haven’t been checked and changed as needed have a habit of building up excess sediment and debris. Not a problem when it comes to actually working, but a huge problem when it comes to your energy bill. The harder a system has to work to keep you house cool, the more energy it draws and the more you pay to have cool air in your home. And it will break down much faster as a result of overwork and dirty filters.
If your filter is ready for a swap, here are some quick tips to get the job done:
Proper filter maintenance only takes five minutes and it will save you money every month you run your AC – not a bad deal for a few minutes’ work. If you need a complete tune-up for your air conditioner, give Boehmer Heating & Cooling a call today!
Every year millions of homeowners buy a new HVAC system for their home, some of them in Castle Shannon. And whether for heating, cooling or air quality, they make a huge investment in a new system that will be with them for years to come. Unfortunately, many of those people make big mistakes when buying their next system, so to help you avoid doing so, here are some simple things you should not do.
If you do things just right, your new HVAC system will last for years to come and provide steady, comfortable heating or cooling throughout that time. But, if you rush through things, make a hasty decision and neglect to do any research, you may have issues with your system in far less time than you’d like. Be smart and you’ll be rewarded.