Reasons to Watch What You’re Breathing

Posted by & filed under air filter, carbon monoxide, hvac, indoor air quality, robin aire, video .

In this type of work, we see a lot of relieved faces. In weather like this, it’s usually when the heat comes back on after a simple repair. There’s just something about the feel of that warm air on a cold night that lets a homeowner relax and get comfortable again.

But sometimes the relief is about something that has been prevented. That can happen during one of our routine maintenance visits. If we show a homeowner a problem that’s been developing that could lead to a carbon monoxide leak, and then we present a simple solution for making that problem go away, we’re both relieved!

Carbon monoxide is a serious source of indoor air pollution – one that requires immediate attention. And though the danger may not be as high with other pollutants that can get in your home, you can still experience discomfort.

Oh, and you can find out about one of our recommended solutions for indoor air pollution in this helpful video.

The Routines of Saving Money, Protecting Family Health

Posted by & filed under furnace maintenance, furnace. heat .

Just think of it as any ordinary experience – you make a simple call that preserves a multi-thousand dollar investment, decreases your monthly energy expenses and protects your family from serious dangers that can come from faulty heating equipment operation.

Actually, there’s nothing routine about routine maintenance on your heater or furnace. It’s the type of decision making that the most discerning homeowners choose. That’s because it pays for itself in energy-savings, lengthens the life of a fairly pricey piece of equipment and detects dangers – particularly that of carbon monoxide leaks – that could prove to be a very serious risk for your family’s health and well-being.

Here’s what you can expect from a regular maintenance routine:

Longer Equipment Life – Just like with your car or truck, mechanical equipment needs to be maintained if you want it to operate efficiently and safely over the long term. And home comfort systems are very long-term investments. After all, you’ll want to keep it running safe and smooth for longer than most people keep their vehicles, so don’t you think it’s due a “professional pit stop” now and then? Absolutely. Taking care of your home comfort system is the best way to make sure it keeps taking care of you.

Energy Savings – Again, just like with your vehicle, poor condition can affect gas mileage, but better condition makes it better. Connections and systems in your heating equipment can get loosened or go lax over time, and that affects efficiency – which affects your energy costs. Routine maintenance is like pressing a “reset button.” It takes your system back to an earlier time when equipment was running efficiently and safely. And your energy bills show the difference.

Repair Savings – When you detect a minor problem before it becomes a major repair, you trade the major cost for a minor expense. And that’s a very good trade. In addition, you avoid the inconvenience of a breakdown at a most uncomfortable time – which would trade a routinely scheduled tune-up for an emergency service call. And that’s not a good trade.

Peace of Mind – Heating system tune-ups also come with all-important safety checks to detect the presence of carbon monoxide and other dangers. This importance cannot be overstated!

Schedule your routine maintenance now. Just call or email, and we’ll take care of you.

Planning Ahead for Your Next Furnace

Posted by & filed under furnace, furnace maintenance .

Hope you’ll take this thought with the optimism with which it is presented: “Nothing lasts forever.” There are lots of reasons why that’s a good thing. For example, do you really want to be placing your mobile calls on a phone the size of a man’s shoe (some seemed that large)? Do you want to be using a dial-up modem (if you know what that is) to check your email?

That’s what the march of time does. As technology improves, older stuff gets further and further behind. Outdated. Inefficient. Breaks down too often. Costs more to keep up than it does to replace.

We’ve all been there. And some of you may be in just that place with your home heating. So how do you know if you’re really there now? Well, when it’s time to replace your furnace, there are some signs you can look for. In particular:

Increasing Age/More Frequent Repairs – That speaks to the first point: nothing lasts forever. If you have a furnace 10 to 15 years or older, you’re facing a situation where you will need an increasing number of repairs. You’ll see this especially in the last two years of furnace life. Plus, as older models continue to age, their replacement parts will be harder to find – meaning, repair delays are another sign.

Higher Energy Bills – A furnace in its declining years will lose its efficiency, and you’ll see that in higher energy bills. In addition, since technology improves over time, the efficiency of these new systems is the best that’s ever been. So you’ll find you’re operating a piece of equipment that is far less energy efficient than the very high-efficiency models now available.

Inconsistent Comfort – Are some rooms too hot or too cold? Are you often adjusting the thermostat? The inability to stay comfortable is a sign that your furnace isn’t able to distribute air properly.

Strange Noises – Actually, this is a universal sign for almost any appliance or piece of equipment. If something doesn’t sound right, there’s probably a reason. Banging, popping and squealing noises, or a blower that turns on and off too frequently, are not the soothing, comforting background music for a cozy evening at home. Get it checked out.

As you keep your eye on frequency of repairs, cost of repairs, cost of energy bills and lack of consistent comfort, let us give you a big-picture look at your home’s energy use to help you in your decision.

Click here to request service.

Taking the Measure of Things

Posted by & filed under furnace, heating system, hvac, preventative maintenance, routine maintenance .

When you take a test, do you get testy? It’s funny how those words are so similar – and probably not a coincidence. If you’ve got school-age kids around, you might notice that they get testy when it’s exam time, or you might get testy when it’s time to see the grades!

Ultimately, testing is about measuring – and not just about measuring what has been learned in educational environments. For example, you’ve surely heard on your radio or television the break for the Emergency Broadcast System that begins, “This is a test.” Systems get tested to make sure they’ll be ready to do what they need to do when the time comes.

By the same token, you can think of a tune-up as a preseason test of your heating system. There’s a lot that needs to be measured and checked to ensure good performance during those heavy use days. To learn more about what typically takes place, contact us today!

“Wait and See” doesn’t really work…

Posted by & filed under heating system .

Many people get stuck in a limbo of sorts; they are not sure if their furnace just needs a tune-up, some minor repairs or needs to be replaced all together. They are so worried about paying too much or being talked into buying something they don’t really need, they do nothing at all and go with a “wait and see” approach.

This is the perfect time of year to take control of your heating system to ensure you will have nothing to be concerned about (at least, inside your home) when the really cold weather strikes.

Don’t Whine… Prevent!

Waiting until your furnace dies or is on the brink of death leaves you with nothing but problems. Not only does it leave you, your home and your family freezing until a new furnace can be installed, it also leaves you paying full price for a new furnace so there are no up-front savings. If you purchase a new furnace before the “busy season,” there all kinds of deals to be had.

The first thing you should do is have a heating comfort and energy analysis done on your system. Find out how old it is, what condition it is in, how much energy it consumes while producing heat and what likely repairs or problems will pop up this year. This analysis will give you the answers to questions you did not even know you had.

The additional bonus of having a new system is the money you save on energy cost each month. Saving money on utilities is never a bad thing. Contact Robin Aire Heating & Cooling, Inc. today!