How Can I Heat My House Without A Furnace

Posted on January 13, 2021 by HVAC

furnace repair service

When we think about a warm house, the first thing that comes to mind is a furnace. Unfortunately, furnaces aren’t always there for us. The power might go out, you might not own a furnace, or your furnace might be broken and needs a furnace repair service provider to fix it.

Will you freeze to death because you don’t have a furnace? Absolutely not, as there are plenty of ways you can heat the house. If you are asking, how can I heat my house without a furnace, there are plenty of ways to do it. Here are some of these ways:

Use a kerosene heater.

Kerosene is a traditional heating fuel and has been used for eons. If you have the kerosene heater in the house, fill it with kerosene and fire it up.

If your furnace broke down and you don’t have money to repair it, you can buy the heater from your local store.

When making the purchase, buy a small heater designed for indoor use. You don’t want a large one that emits plenty of harmful carbon monoxide that puts your life and that of your loved ones in danger. You also should ensure the heater is ventless.

When placing the heater in the house, position it next to a window, and open the window slightly. This is to get rid of fumes and the powerful kerosene smell.

Fire up the woodstove

Almost every home has a wood stove, and it comes in handy when the furnace goes out on you. If you will be without the furnace for long and you have plenty of wood to use as fuel, you can set up a portable wood stove in your house.

You can do the work by yourself or hire a professional to help you out. When installing the wood stove, set it up by a window and have a chimney pipe in place to channel the smoke out.

Build a simple candle heater

If the power has gone out in the middle of a frigid night and there is no other option, you can warm the house using candles. It’s true candles aren’t the best heat sources, but they can come to your aid in times of emergency.

Build a simple candle heater with clay pots and place it away from pets and kits. Also, keep it away from curtains, books, furniture, and other materials that can easily catch fire.

Use wind

If you live in an area that experiences incessant power outages, think about alternative power sources. One of the best options is the wind.

In addition to wind generating enough power that you can store in a battery for later use, it’s more eco-friendly, so you not only have peace of mind (due to the presence of another power source), but you also play your part in conserving the environment.

Seal it off

Has the furnace gone out, and you absolutely don’t have any other way out? Seal off the house. Identify a small room with a lower ceiling, then place books, pillows, blankets, and other materials around.

When you do this, you keep the heat you generate from escaping and end up with a warm, comfortable house.

Put a rug on it

If your floor isn’t carpeted, rugs will add a layer of insulation that will go a long way towards keeping as much heat as possible in the house. When choosing rugs, ensure they are large and non-slipping. You don’t want to fall as you are walking, do you?

Have a party

The furnace going out isn’t the end of the world, is it? If you have small kids, ask them to accompany you and dance around the house. By doing this, you will have blood running much faster; hence, you generate enough heat that heats your body and the house.

Before the jig, remove glasses and other breakable items.

If dancing isn’t your cuppa, engage in yoga, jumping jacks, and other light activities that will get the blood flowing.

Prepare for winter

While you can survive without a furnace, it can be costly, especially if you have to buy heaters and other items. To prevent the furnace from going out on you, always prepare for winter. Before the season strikes, ask a furnace service Long Island to clean the furnace, inspect it and fix any issues it might be having.

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Oil Furnace Replacement Options

Posted on January 5, 2021 by HVAC

If your old oil furnace is functioning inefficiently or you no longer enjoy having it, you must be wondering if there are oil furnace replacement options. Luckily, there are plenty of options you can go for. Here are some of these options as given by oil burner repair service providers:

Gas furnaces

Gas furnaces make sense when looking to reduce your home’s heating costs and carbon monoxide emissions.

The cool thing with natural gas is you don’t have to coordinate home deliveries or worry about harmful odors or a leaking tank.

When you are shopping for a gas furnace, you will find it more expensive, but you shouldn’t worry about this as maintaining it is easy and less expensive, so you end up saving a lot of money in the long run.

Many gas furnaces have been shown to operate at 98% efficiency levels, which means your energy bills will be lower and, at the same time, lessen your impact on the environment.

While the furnaces are great, be cautious of the setbacks they come with. One of these setbacks is they are larger than electric furnaces, so when you are shopping for them, ensure you have enough room to store them.

Since they are gas-powered, there is always the risk of leaks, so take good care of the furnaces, so they don’t leak.

Electric furnaces

From their name, electric furnaces use electricity to heat a house. The furnaces are a great option when you live in an area without access to natural gas.

The furnaces are usually smaller than gas furnaces, so ideal for you if you live in a small house. They also operate more quietly, so if you love a quiet house, these are the units to go for.

While the units have their perks, they also have their downsides. One downside is they are usually more expensive to purchase and operate. They are also less efficient, so you end up with high monthly energy bills.

Ductless heat pumps

The cool thing with these heat pumps is they don’t require you to install new ductwork. They are also small, so they can fit almost any area, providing you with the heat you are looking for.

The systems also cost less to purchase and operate. They are also highly energy-efficient and quiet.

When should you replace your oil furnace?

If you already have an oil heating appliance, don’t rush to install another heating system as it will be too costly. Instead, wait until your furnace gives clear signs that it should be replaced. Some of these signs include:

The furnace is old

Furnaces have a lifespan of between 16-20 years, so if your furnace is older than this, don’t wait to replace them during a planned home improvement project. Instead, replace them immediately.

Your energy bills are going up.

As they age, like other machines, furnaces lose their efficiency. If you have observed your heating costs are on an upward trajectory and you haven’t installed a new appliance in your home, it’s time to replace the unit.

You have been experiencing carbon monoxide intoxication symptoms.

When an oil furnace ages, it develops cracks in the heat exchanger, which triggers carbon monoxide to leak into your home. When this happens, you experience nausea, a burning feeling in the nose or eyes, flu-like symptoms, and disorientation.

If you have had these symptoms, you should consider replacing the furnace as soon as possible as the carbon monoxide can turn lethal.

The house feels stuffy.

Old furnaces lack the ability to moisturize and clean the air in the house, so if the air in your house has been stuffy or stale, it’s time to get a new appliance.

The furnace is making weird noises.

As they are nearing their death beds, furnaces make weird noises. If your appliance has been making popping, banging, squealing, or rattling noises, it’s time to get a new unit.

Also, consider getting a new unit if your blower turns on and off more frequently or blows cold air now and then.

Work with a professional

Regardless of the furnace option you settle at, ensure you work with a professional furnace repair service Long Island provider. The professional will help with the furnace installation and maintenance to keep it in top shape for a long time.

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What Does Furnace Cleaning Involve?

Posted on December 24, 2020 by HVAC

If you are a first time homeowner and you have installed the furnace for the first time, you must have heard you need to clean your furnace to keep it in top shape. Since you are doing this for the first time you must be wondering, what does furnace cleaning involve, right?

Before we go into details into what is involved in furnace cleaning, you should know you can go about it in two ways: you can clean the furnace by yourself or hire a furnace repair service provider to help you out.

Obviously hiring a professional is better, as the professional does a better job and you don’t have to get dirty. Although, you will have to spend some money, the money will be worth it.

Now since that is out of the way, let’s get into details of what is involved in furnace cleaning.

Furnace cleaning

This is an obvious one. After all, you are doing the cleaning. The professional should clean all parts of the furnace, including the fan blades, drain line, outdoor unit, and blower. These parts get dirty and dusty over time, and if you don’t clean them early enough, the furnace works harder than it should, leading to a high energy bill at the end of the month.

Inspection

Other than cleaning, the professional should also inspect the various parts of the furnace. The professional should inspect the air intake grilles and vent system and remove any present blockages.

The contractor should also inspect the heat exchanger for signs of corrosion or damage. The contractor also needs to examine the blower and remove any debris present, and inspect the electrical connections and tighten them or replace them if the wiring is damaged.

Other inspections the contractor should do include:

  • Checking the burner and flame sensor
  • Inspecting the thermostat and calibrating it if necessary
  • Examining the belts for cracks and other signs of damage

Testing

If you have a gas or oil furnace, there is the risk of leaks and fumes coming about. The technician should test the gas or oil furnace and ensure everything is in top working condition. The technician also needs to test the airflow, pilot or igniter, fuel pressure, thermostat controls, and other parts of the furnace.

Lubrication

You need to lubricate the moving parts of the furnace to avoid damaging the parts.

Other adjustments

Other adjustments you should make to your oil or gas furnace include:

  • Inspecting the thermocouple
  • Examining the fuel for underlying issues
  • Checking and testing the burner, gas pressure, and pilot

How often should you clean the furnace?

For an optimally functioning furnace, you should clean the furnace once a year. If you use your system more often than other people or you suffer from allergies, have your furnace tuned up more frequently, such as twice or four times a year.

You also should consider cleaning your furnace before the cold season. The best time to do it is at the beginning of the fall or the end of summer.

In addition to it giving you peace of mind, the furnace will function in top condition throughout the heating season, doing the cleaning at this time ensures you get the heating contractors at a low cost as they aren’t busy at this time.

What do you get from cleaning your furnace regularly?

There are plenty of reasons why furnace contractors recommend you clean your furnace regularly. Some of these reasons include:

Saves you money

When you clean the furnace, you remove any clogging materials that might be preventing the appliance from running efficiently. So when you clean the furnace, the appliance functions optimally which sees you saving money as you don’t incur huge energy bills.

Peace of mind

What feeling do you have when you know the furnace is in good shape? You rest as you know there is no way the furnace can go out on you in the middle of a cold night, do you?

Furnace cleaning is one of the important furnace maintenance tasks you can undertake and when properly done you have peace of mind the furnace will be there when you need it.

You increase the life of the furnace

Like a car, when you regularly hire a furnace service Long Island to maintain your furnace, you increase the lifespan of the appliance. Records show that a well-maintained furnace can last for over a decade and you would love your furnace to last this long, won’t you?

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What Happens If You Put Furnace Filter In Backwards?

Posted on December 13, 2020 by HVAC

furnace repair service

For your furnace to function optimally, you know you have to replace the filter. For experienced homeowners replacing the filter isn’t a problem, but it might be a problem for new homeowners that might install it backwards.

What happens if you put the furnace in backwards?

You might think nothing will happen, but nothing is further from the truth than this. According to furnace repair service providers, installing the furnace backwards comes with plenty of negatives that include:

Short cycling

Short cycling is when the furnace turns on and off faster than it should. You might get away with installing the filter backwards with a new furnace, but it will short cycle if your furnace is old. Sometimes the effect is so severe that fire starts.

When you let the furnace short cycle for a long time, you put the furnace under more strain than it should, which significantly reduces the appliance’s efficiency.

Reduced efficiency

When you install the furnace filter backwards, you impede airflow, which reduces the appliance’s efficiency.

Installing the filter backwards also means that the air flows around the filter, throwing a lot of dust on the evaporator coil. When there is a lot of dust on the evaporator coil, you have reduced efficiency.

Besides the dust covering the evaporator coil, it also coats the blower fan, blower motor, and other internal parts of the furnace which further significantly reduces your appliance’s efficiency.

Poor indoor air quality

Reduced airflow, short cycling, and increased dust make the house uncomfortable to live in. The situation is worse in newer homes that are designed to be airtight. Here you will have to clean and dust the house more often than usual.

Increased risk of mold growth

As mentioned above, a backwards filter leads to more dust getting in the furnace and reduced airflow. The unfortunate thing is that dust is a food source for mold.

This means the longer you live with the filter in the backwards position, the higher the chances of mold growing in your home.

Mold comes with plenty of health negatives such as increased allergies, respiratory diseases, and many others.

How can you avoid installing the furnace the wrong way?

There are two ways to do it. One is to invest in knowledge. You need to read or watch videos on how to install the filter properly. To know how to install the filter in your specific furnace, read the owner’s manual.

If you don’t have time for this, hire a professional to install it for you. The cool thing with hiring a professional is they not only replace the filters; they also inspect the furnace and fix any issues that might be present.

Understanding how the furnace works

The key to avoiding making a mistake is to understand how the HVAC system works. Airflow always goes from the return vents to the furnace where it’s re-heated.

The HVAC duct system works like a loop with a return side and supply side. The return side is usually larger than the smaller supply ducts. In a single home, you will have one or two large return ducts that extend the entire length of the house.

The supply side is the smaller side, and it supplies air to the house through the air vents. So if you look at your furnace and follow the furnace’s ends, you will have one large and another small duct.

For the air filter, it’s always before the HVAC equipment. The air always comes from the side of the duct with no HVAC components.

The blower fan, motor, evaporator coil, and other system parts are always downstream of the filter. And this makes sense as you need air filtered before it gets into the furnace.

You need to be observant.

It’s easy to install the filter backwards, even if you are experienced. All it takes is a loss of concentration, and you make a mistake. To avoid this, observe your actions. Also, consider hiring a furnace repair service Long Island to clean or replace the filter for you.

As mentioned above, the service providers don’t just do the basic work, they also tune up the appliance to ensure it’s in top working condition.

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What Does It Mean To Have Your Furnace Serviced?

Posted on December 7, 2020 by HVAC

Furnace service

furnace service

If this is your first time installing a furnace, your installation contractor must have told you to undertake furnace service. What does it mean to have your furnace serviced? You must be wondering.

Well, furnace service is the thorough inspection and tune-up of the heating unit, so it continues functioning efficiently and in tip-top shape throughout the heating season. If you want to save money, stay comfortable, and get the most from your heating appliance, you should have your unit regularly serviced.

What does furnace service involve?

The service involves inspecting all the heating system’s essential components and adjusting, testing, cleaning, and lubricating them as necessary. You can do the service by yourself if you have the necessary skills or hire a service technician (recommended) to handle the work for you.

Proper furnace service involves:

  • Inspecting the heat exchanger for signs of damage and corrosion
  • Inspecting the vent system and the air intake grilles and removing any blockages
  • Inspecting and cleaning the blower and removing debris
  • Inspecting the burner and flame sensor
  • Inspecting the thermostat and calibrating as necessary
  • Inspecting the electrical connections, tightening them, and/or replacing the damaged wiring
  • Lubricating all the moving parts in the heating system
  • Inspecting and testing the system’s safety controls and startup cycle
  • Inspecting the air filter, cleaning it, and replacing it as necessary.
  • Examining the belts for signs of damage and cracks
  • Inspecting the blower motor and testing its amp draw

If you have an oil or gas furnace, you have to provide additional services that include:

  • Inspecting the thermocouple
  • Examining the fuel line for potential leaks
  • Checking and testing the burner, gas pressure, and pilot

How often should you service your furnace?

At Sammechanical, we recommend you service your appliance during these times:

Before the cold season

When the cold season kicks in, you will be using the furnace almost all the time, so you want your furnace to be in tip-top shape before that time. Tune-up your appliance at the end of summer and the beginning of fall.

Once a year

For optimum indoor air quality, have your unit inspected at least once a year. If you have someone in your household suffering from respiratory disease or with a compromised immune system, you can have your unit serviced more often, such as twice to four times a year.

What do you get from regular furnace maintenance?

Other than having excellent air quality in the house, regular furnace maintenance comes with plenty of other benefits that include:

Saves you money

When you keep your furnace in top condition, you save money as the furnace runs highly efficiently. Like your properly maintained car that consumes little fuel, your properly maintained furnace also consumes little energy. Hence, you have lower energy bills at the end of the month.

You minimize the risk of a furnace breakdown.

During the cold winter months, the last thing you want is the furnace grinding to a halt. With regular service, the contractor can identify even the most minor issues and fix them before they worsen.

This translates to fewer system failures, reduced need for furnace repair, and minimal chances of the furnace grinding to a halt.

You maintain the warranty.

Most heating and cooling companies will require you to keep your furnace in top shape to maintain your furnace warranty. By regularly servicing your furnace, you keep your warranty valid, which ensures you are covered if something goes wrong during the warranty period.

You extend the life of the appliance.

Again using the car analogy, a properly maintained car tends to last for a long time. It’s the same thing with your furnace. When you take good care of your furnace, it tends to have a long life, often for more than a decade, letting you get the most from your investment.

What should you expect during furnace service?

The heating service repair Long Island provider will visit your home and ask to see the furnace and the adjoining ducts. The contractor will then proceed to inspect the unit and make any necessary repairs.

Once the service is over, you should expect increased furnace efficiency. You also will enjoy cleaner air as the appliance will be distributing clean air through a clean air filter.

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Can You Negotiate HVAC Prices?

Posted on November 28, 2020 by HVAC

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One of the ways to keep your furnace in top working condition throughout the heating season is to have an HVAC contractor inspect and tune it up. Unfortunately, HVAC companies don’t come cheap. If you are operating on a budget, you must be wondering, can you negotiate HVAC prices?

The cool thing is you can do it. Most homeowners believe that negotiating the price will vex the contactor triggering him to deliver poor quality services, but this isn’t the case.

Remember, you can’t live beyond your means, so it’s healthy to negotiate about the price. \

While this is the case, avoid undercutting the contractor too much as this can create a bad relationship or even put them off that they don’t want to work with you.

Remember, the purpose of the negotiations isn’t to win, but rather reach an agreement favorable to both of you. To achieve this, you need to observe these negotiating tactics:

Be aware of the average local price.

If you thought all HVAC contractors charge the same price everywhere, you are wrong. Different companies have different prices depending on many factors, one of them being the area the company is serving.

How can you know the average contractor prices?

Easy:

Ask for quotes from different heating companies serving your area.

As you are giving the companies information about what you want to be done, be as thorough as possible. This not only makes the contractor’s work easy, but it also shows you have done your homework, and the contractor will be cautious about giving you an overly-priced estimate.

Give the different companies the same details of the services you are looking for, then sit back and wait for the quotations to roll in.

Normally, you will have companies with ultra-high prices and ultra-low prices, but most of the quotes will be in the median range, and these are the ones you need to keep an eye on.

It’s always wise to avoid extremely cheap companies as they often provide cheap, low-quality services. Most companies also tend to have underqualified technicians, so you can’t have a good night’s sleep or have confidence in your heating system as you aren’t sure about the quality of the services rendered.

At the same time, it’s wise to stay away from ultra-expensive companies. While the companies tend to provide top-notch services at most times, sometimes they are exploitive.

Armed with the average price charged by contractors in your area, you can now negotiate with the technician you are looking to work with. Whenever they seem to veer off to the high end, remind them of the average price in your area, and you will definitely get a great deal.

Take advantage of the off-season.

Every industry has an off season and heating companies are no exeption.

Heating companies are busy in winter as this is the time most heating systems stop working. Since the companies have plenty of options at this time, they are less likely to take your negotiated price.

To have an easy time negotiating, do your furnace tune-ups in the fall or spring when most contractors aren’t too busy. At this time, the contractors are likely to listen to you and offer you additional discounts that will see you save even more money.

Suggest a quick payment option

Like everyone else, contractors don’t like waiting to get their pay, and you can take advantage of this. As you are negotiating the price, tell the contractor you will pay in cash or credit card if they agree on your price.

Offer to send referrals.

Every HVAC technician knows they are better off with many clients paying an average price than a few clients paying a premium but working with them once or twice a year, so if you sense the contractor is uncomfortable with your suggested price, let them know you are willing to send them referrals.

Remember, don’t commit to sending them a given number of clients.  Tell them you will talk them up to your friends, relatives, and workmates about their services.

You can also offer to leave a positive review on Yelp, Google, Facebook, or even their website.

Yes, you can negotiate, but don’t undercut the contractors too much.

You can get a great deal when you negotiate with your furnace repair service Long Island but don’t undercut them too much. As mentioned above, this can make them provide poor service that you aren’t looking for.

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How Long Do Heat Pumps Last? Heat Pump Repair Service Providers Answer

Posted on November 14, 2020 by HVAC

Heat Pump Repair Service

You must have heard the good things about heat pumps: they are easy to maintain, more efficient than furnaces, among many other things. The big question with most homeowners is, how long do heat pumps last?

According to heat pump repair service providers, the units’ durability depends on the type of heat pump, where you have installed it, and how often you maintain it. Despite all these factors, on average, the heat pump will last about 15 years.

What affects the heat pump lifespan?

One of the major factors that will determine how long the appliance will last is how well you maintain it. To give your heat pump a long life, you need to take good care of it. At least once a year, hire a technician to inspect it and fix the problematic areas.

Other things you should do to give your appliance a long life include:

Keep the coils clean: Dirty coils restrict airflow, causing the heat pump to stop working. At least once a year, hire a professional HVAC technician to clean the coils chemically.

Clean the fins on the outside of the condenser unit

Clean or replace the air filters regularly according to the manufacturer recommendations: When you go for a long time without giving attention to your air filters, they clog up and block airflow to the evaporator coil. You need to keep the air filters clean for an efficient and durable heat pump.

Keep the outdoor unit clear of plants: Experts recommend ensuring that the plants don’t grow within 18 inches of the outdoor unit.

Environmental factors can also affect the lifespan of the appliance. For example, if you live in snowy areas, ice can build up on the outdoor coil impeding the appliance’s ability to generate heat.

To minimize the effect the environment has on your appliance, get an appliance designed for that area. For example, if you live in cold areas, get a heat pump with an excellent defrost cycle.

Signs it’s time to replace your heat pump.

Even with the best care, when your heat pump passes the 10-year mark, you have to replace it. Common signs it’s time to replace your heat pump include:

Your energy bills keep rising

Like the furnace, the heat pump loses efficiency overtime and dirt, dust building on the coils, motors aging, and metal elements corroding cause the heat pump to consume more energy than it used to.

If your appliance is more than 10 years and your energy bills are going up every month, don’t bother hiring a repair professional to look into it. Simply replace the unit.

The heat pump isn’t as comfortable as it used to

Have you noticed your heat pump struggling to reach the set temperatures or having warm/stuffy spots? It might be time to replace your unit.

Another sign of decreased comfort is having high indoor humidity during summer. When operating at optimal performance, the heat pump should remove the moisture from the air. If your appliance is no longer doing it, it’s a sign you need to replace it.

You constantly need to replace the unit.

It’s normal for appliances to break down, and when it happens occasionally, you should get a repair professional and fix the problem.

Unfortunately, when your appliance is on its death bed, it breaks down more frequently that you have to have the technician’s contact details on speed dial.

When your appliance breaks down every other week, hiring a repair technician will be synonymous with pouring money down the drain. Instead of keeping hiring the technician, simply replace the unit.

Unusual noises are coming from the system.

Heat pumps are designed to run smoothly with little friction and internal resistance, so if your appliance is making weird noises, you have a problem you should address as soon as possible.

In most cases, the HVAC system’s noises come from faulty ductwork, dirty filters, worn out motors, loose vents, and many other factors. When the noises come for the first time, ask an experienced heating service repair Long Island professional to look into them, but if the problems keep coming about, it would be wise to replace the entire system.

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Oil Tank Replacement: Heating Oil Tank Installation Guide

Posted on November 6, 2020 by HVAC

oil replacement

Heating oil storage tanks have been around for decades, and when properly installed and maintained, they can provide years of safe fuel storage. If you live away from the electrical grid or you want a backup heating system, you should install the oil tank in your home.

To avoid spills and ensure you are on the right side of the law, you have to follow the right oil tank installation tips. To help you out, here are a heating oil tank installation guide to follow:

Don’t use a refurbished oil tank.

Although, a refurbished tank is cheap, you shouldn’t use it. Remember, any oil tank replacement was made for a reason. Either the tank was too old, or it could have been leaking. Re-using a tank is simply inviting problems, so don’t do it.

Get a brand new tank you are sure will stand the test of time. While it will be much more expensive, it will be worth it.

Trained installers should do the installations.

Regardless of the type of oil tank you are installing, ensure trained and experienced installers do the work.

Avoid installing the tank by yourself at all costs. This is because DIY installation has been shown to lead to increased chances of damage and high cleanup costs when spills happen.

DIY installations are also not covered by the warranty, leaving all the burden on your shoulders in the event of an accident.

Install the tank at a safe place, away from fire

It’s rare a new, properly installed tank will cause fire, but it’s always good to be safe than sorry. To be safe, ensure the oil tank is:

  • 1.8 meters away from non-fire rated eaves of the building and non-fire rated buildings such as garden sheds.
  • 750 millimeters away from any non-fire-rated boundaries such as a wooden fence.
  • 1.8 meters away from openings such as doors and windows in a fire-rated building such as a garage or brick-based house.
  • 600 millimeters from any foliage

If you wonder what a non-fire-rated means, it’s any material or item that hasn’t been tested or proven to reduce or inhibit the spread of fire.

If the area you are looking to install the heating oil tank doesn’t allow you to secure the tank under the recommended distances, place a protective barrier around the tank that will last for at least 30 minutes in the event of a fire.

Make it easy for deliveries.

Most homes require at least two oil deliveries a year based on their oil usage and oil tank capacity. Although most delivery companies will try to work with your location, do your part and make their work easy during installation.

Some homeowners install the tank inside the house, such that they have to be at home for the company to access the tank. Don’t do this.  Install the tank in an easily accessible area by the fuel delivery company, whether you are at home or not.

Have a strong foundation

If installing an above ground tank, ensure it has a strong foundation. The tank should be on a cement pad equal to or larger than the tank’s outside diameter. It also should be at least three inches thick.

The tank’s legs should be 12 inches high, made of steel, and should provide at least six inches of clearance between the top of the tank and pad.

If you live in snowy areas, you can put the tank on a pressure-treated wood platform on top of the pad to protect the tank from heavy snowfall. Once on the pad or platform, secure the tank with threaded floor flanges.

Conclusion

These are the tips to consider when installing your oil tank. To ensure the tank is in tip-top shape all the time, have it regularly inspected by a reputable and experienced OFTEC heating engineer. If you can’t find an engineer, get HVAC companies Long Island experienced with oil tank maintenance to do the work.

Remember, the buck doesn’t stop with the repair company. You also should play your role as a homeowner. Clear debris and regularly inspect the tank for cracks, bulges, oil spots, and other signs. This will help you identify problems when they are in their early stages and organize for a replacement if necessary.

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Furnace Repair Service: How Do You Know If Your Furnace Is Broken?

Posted on October 31, 2020 by HVAC

Furnace Repair Service

You should seek a furnace repair service when the furnace stops working. While this is an obvious sign it’s time to repair your appliance, sometimes the signs aren’t obvious, so you will hear new homeowners asking, how do you know if your furnace is broken?

Are you one of the people asking this? Here are signs your furnace is broken:

The carbon monoxide keeps going off.

Your carbon monoxide detector should never go off and you ignore it as it’s an indicator something is terribly wrong with your appliance. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is extremely deadly.

When your detector goes off, it means there are high carbon monoxide levels in the air, which puts your life and that of other family members at great risk.

Your carbon monoxide detector can accidentally go off, but if it keeps going off, you have a problem in your hands that you should address immediately. In most cases, the detector will go off when there are leakages in your unit, so if it keeps going off, it means you constantly have leakages that are a sign of a broken or failing appliance.

Your house doesn’t get warm enough.

The furnace is supposed to keep your house warm. If you have turned on the furnace and set it, but it’s not heating the house as well as you expected, it’s a clear sign you have a problem that you should address as soon as possible.

The furnace will fail to heat the house properly if you have worn out parts or the blower isn’t working properly. The furnace also won’t heat the house properly if you have a belt that is about to break.

If you are confident in your DIY skills, open up the appliance, and check the genesis of the problem. Begin with the air filter. Is it clogged and dirty? If it is, clean it.

Next, check the vents. Can you see all of them? Also, check whether the vents are blocked. If they are, unclog them.

The blower occasionally blows cold air.

The blower is supposed to blow warm air, so if your blower is blowing cold air, you have a problem. When the blower is blowing cold air, it means heat is backing up into the system, so somewhere along the line, the warmth isn’t circulating properly enough.

When this happens, the system’s inner working overheats, and the system sends a blast of cold air to regulate things out.

When this happens once, it might not be an issue, but if it happens many times, the stress from the sudden temperature swings can weaken and even crack the furnace components.

If you notice cold air coming through the vents, call a professional to fix the appliance as your furnace is at the blink of breaking down.

You are experiencing banging noises.

Banging noises are a sign something is broken or loose. Sometimes you will even hear a belt slapping against the inner parts of the furnace. Any scratching, banging, rattling, or squealing sounds are a sign something is wrong, and you should pay attention to it and find out the cause before things worsen.

Your appliance is giving off unusual smells.

Even if you are using a gas furnace, it shouldn’t give off a smelly gas, so if your appliance does it, chances are you have a gas leak that you need to pay attention to.

Your energy bills are going up every day.

It’s common for your energy bills to go up during summer as you are using your furnace the most at this time, but you should be wary when you have a sudden, sharp rise in your energy bills.

If the change in energy consumption coincides with weaker heating, your furnace is broken or is at the brink of breaking.

Your appliance keeps breaking down.

How many times do you have to repair your furnace in a month? Most appliances will run without any problem for even a year, so if you have the phone number of your heating service repair Long Island professional on speed dial, you are in deep problem as it means your appliance keeps on breaking down.

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Heating Service Repair: How Do I Know If My Furnace Needs Cleaning

Posted on October 16, 2020 by HVAC

heating service repair

Furnace cleaning is one of the most basic practices you can do to keep your heating unit in top shape. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t know when to clean it, so you will often hear them asking, how do I know if my furnace needs cleaning?

To help you out, here are signs it’s time to clean your furnace as given by heating service repair professionals:

You have excess dust in your building.

Have you noticed your house is much dustier than before? Chances are the dust is also rubbing off to your appliance. If your HVAC unit is dirty and you haven’t replaced your filters in a while, chances are your appliance hasn’t been removing debris and dust from the air, and it’s instead spreading them through the ducts to your entire building.

If you don’t clean the furnace early enough, the grimy buildup will cause your appliance to fail, leading to plenty of furnace problems.

The furnace frames are yellow.

In a properly functioning furnace, the flame should be blue. Sometimes the flame will burn orange or yellow when there is an incorrect mix of gas and oxygen, which is a sign of a dirty burner.

If you don’t get rid of this problem early enough, you risk having a carbon monoxide leak, which is dangerous.

The cool thing is you can fix this problem by cleaning your gas furnace. You can do the cleaning by yourself or hire a professional to help you out.

You can’t remember when you last cleaned your appliance.

To run optimally, your furnace needs cleaning, so if you can’t remember the last time you cleaned it, you have been neglecting it, which is dangerous. Don’t even inspect the appliance to confirm whether there is a lot of buildup dust. Go ahead and begin the cleaning.

Your energy bills are going up every day.

Your energy bills can go up for various reasons. If your furnace is pretty new, you haven’t added a new appliance, and your electricity bills are on the rise, take a look at your heating appliance. Is it dirty? Do the cleaning.

You can smell the dust.

Do you smell dust when you turn on your appliance? That’s a clear sign there is a lot of dust built up in your appliance, and you should get rid of it as soon as possible.

How do you clean the furnace?

To effectively clean the furnace, you need to follow a set of steps. These steps include:

Step 1: Shut down the system

You don’t want to get hurt when you are cleaning the system, so begin switching off the fuel and electrical supply. In most furnaces, shutting down the system involves a flick of a switch.

Step 2: Clean the combustion chamber

It’s in the combustion chamber where the fuel mixes with air and is ignited, generating heat. It’s also here where you will find water vapor, carbon soot, carbon dioxide, and other materials.

If you go for a long time without cleaning the chamber, soot can buildup causing the chamber to corrode. Cleaning the chamber is easy as all you need to do is scrape out the built-up carbon using a small wire brush.

You should then remove the loose material with an industrial shop. While at it, inspect the chamber for holes or corrosion before replacing the cover. If the chamber has holes or any other defects, fix them before replacing the cover.

Step 3: Take a look at the flue pipe

It’s common for the flue pipe to leak, which is dangerous as this exposes you or your family members to carbon monoxide. As you are cleaning the system, pay attention to the flue pipe, especially in the area where the pipe meets the furnace.

If there are holes or serious corrosion, fix it before you do anything.

Step 4: Change/replace the air filter.

Furnace cleaning is incomplete if you don’t clean or replace the air filter. If the filter is still in good shape, clean it using a vacuum cleaner, but if worn out or too dirty, you have to replace it. You can do the work yourself or let a furnace repair service Long Island provider do it.

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