6 Reasons to Hire a Trusted Heating Company for Your Heater Maintenance

It’s great to regularly change your home air filter and occasionally clean the drain lines on your home heating system, but some system maintenance projects are best left to the pros. Why should you hire a trusted heating repair company to service your system?

Licensed, Qualified Heating Repair Professionals

When your system needs service and maintenance, you don’t want a home handyman or fly-by-night contractor. Your home heating unit is the most expensive appliance in your home. Protect it with the help of trained, certified HVAC technicians. At H & H, we can handle everything from routine cleaning and maintenance to in-depth repairs and new system sizing and installation. With our professional services, you’ll enjoy efficient, reliable performance, reduced energy bills, and long system life.

Commitment To Excellence/Guarantee

Our expertly trained staff has been providing heating and air conditioning service, repair, and installation to the Delaware Valley since 1985. We are committed to providing fast, friendly repair, maintenance, and installation services. Our family-owned company has earned hundreds of 5-star reviews, an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, and Angie’s List awards. The quality of our work is guaranteed.

Lasting Repairs

Our professional technicians can get it back up and operational quickly when your system needs service, performing an accurate diagnosis and lasting repairs. With routine care from our service and maintenance pros, you can ensure you’ll get the most out of your home heating system, ensuring optimal performance and extending its lifespan for many years to come.

Safe Operation

With our professional services, you can rest assured your heating system will be there for you, performing safely and reliably on winter’s coldest nights. Our expertly trained technicians have an eye for detail, quickly identifying and addressing operational issues that could put your home and family at risk.

Affordable Service – Even “After Hours”

We provide 24/7 service at no additional cost, ensuring you have access to affordable repairs – even outside of “normal” 9 to 5 operating hours. When unexpected repairs occur, our fully stocked “warehouses on wheels” ensure the rapid restoration of your system, 24 hours night or day. We offer trustworthy, no-obligation estimates for all services, so you can be sure your cost of services includes the same, affordably priced quote given to you at the start of repairs.

Expert Insight

When it’s time to replace your aging heater or air conditioner, we’ll help you find the right new system for your home and budget. We are knowledgeable in all aspects of heating and cooling. Our experienced technicians have the technical expertise to design the perfect system for your home, choosing from trusted furnaces, boilers, heat pump systems, and the latest in high-efficiency Mitsubishi ductless air conditioning and heating system technology.

Schedule service or get a quote on a new installation from H & H Heating & Air Conditioning today. We offer “no contact” virtual estimates and paperwork. Contact us to receive a complimentary quote over the phone, by video conference, email, or text now.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/blog/6-reasons-to-hire-a-trusted-heating-company-for-your-heater-maintenance/

Rust in Your Furnace? Here's what you need to know

Your furnace doesn’t use water to operate like a boiler, and there aren’t any water leaks in the area – so why is it rusty? A rusting furnace can seem strange, but it could point to a larger problem. It’s one of the things an experienced, professional heating repair company will look for when performing maintenance and repairs. If you see rust on your furnace, you shouldn’t run it until it has undergone a professional inspection and earned a clean bill of health.

What Rust On Your Furnace Could Mean

• Surface rust
  While external rust from a nearby moisture source may not be a major problem, it could indicate serious internal issues. Even if you only see rust on the surface of your furnace, avoid using your system until safe operation is verified by an experienced HVAC professional.
• Rust on the heat exchanger
  Rust on the heat exchanger, an internal system component, often goes unseen by the typical homeowner. This is why annual preventative furnace maintenance is crucial. When spots of rust appear on the heat exchanger, it points to the potential risk of the heat exchanger cracking. A rusted, cracked heat exchanger should be replaced or repaired  immediately to avoid the possibility of toxic, potentially deadly combustion gases like carbon monoxide from infiltrating into your home.
• Clogged or blocked condensate line or flue
  When exhaust and drain lines are blocked, the small amount of fluid present as part of gas combustion are not properly transported away, creating a greater likelihood of moisture exposure and corrosion within the system (such as the aforementioned heat exchanger).
• Old age
  Long years of use can cause corrosion from extensive exposure to combustion, making old systems more likely to showcase rust on the heat exchanger. In furnaces more than 15 years old, furnace replacement is a wiser investment than repair. These systems may offer only 60-80% efficiency, compared to newer Energy Star systems boasting performance near 97%, ensuring a rapid return-on-investment and a more comfortable home climate.

How Does Rust Occur If There’s No Water In The System?

There is some water vapor present in the combustion gas collected in your furnace’s heat exchanger. As these gases cool, water vapor can develop. In high-efficiency condensing furnaces, this water vapor moves to a second heat exchanger, where it is condensed, releasing more heat. This is how the metal of the heat exchanger is exposed to water, causing rusting. However, with proper operation, this moisture should be vented out via the condensate line and flue.

Rust on your furnace? Schedule emergency service and repair right away. We offer 24/7 service at no additional cost to you, so you can rest assured of safe furnace operation. Contact H & H Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule service and maintenance now.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/blog/rust-in-your-furnace-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

Upgrading Your Thermostat May Help with Energy Efficiency and Savings. Learn How

Are you looking for ways to lower your electric bill this winter? Save money and improve the performance of your heating and air conditioning system with a new home thermostat. Upgrading the thermostat on your home heating unit to a new programmable smart thermostat model is an easy and inexpensive way to improve your system’s efficiency and save on your monthly heating costs.

How Do Smart Thermostats Help You Save?

Smart thermostat technology offers savings of 10-15 % on average. That’s no small amount since heating and air conditioning accounts for around 50% of the average homeowner’s utility bill. Smart thermostats offer these savings by:

• Adjust thermostat settings when your home is unoccupied
  Smart thermostats monitor when you are away from home, automatically adjusting settings for savings when you are away and ensuring a comfortable environment when you return.
• Offering season-specific settings
  Programming your HVAC system to a cooler setting in the winter (and a warmer setting in the summer) delivers savings. You could save up to 3% on heating and cooling costs for every degree that you adjust the setting.
• Monitoring the performance of your HVAC system
  Many smart thermostat models monitor your heater’s usage patterns and performance in real-time, offering suggestions that could improve savings and lengthen system life.

Save On Installation With Utility Rebates And Incentives

With the help of your local utility company, you could upgrade to a smart thermostat at little or no cost to you. Most utility companies across the US offer incentives of $50-100 for a new Energy Star smart thermostat. The small amount you’ll pay out of pocket for purchase and installation could be quickly recouped in as little as a couple of months.

Learn More About The Latest Smart Thermostat Options

Today’s smart thermostats are nothing like their predecessors. They are easy to set up and use – even for those upgrading from dial-up models. Talk to your local HVAC service pro for assistance finding the right smart thermostat model for your system and family’s needs, such as:

• NEST Learning Thermostat
  This smart Wi-Fi thermostat is a homeowner favorite. It features a sleek, circular, cutting-edge design and built-in motion sensors to learn your routine and preferences, helping you find the sweet spot between comfort and savings.
• Honeywell Lyric
  The budget-friendly Honeywell Lyric is easy to use. This Wi-Fi thermostat offers simple operation with no need for added sensors and no sophisticated learning modes.

Take The Leap With Smart Thermostat Technology

Smart thermostats are operable from your mobile device from anywhere using a simple Wi-Fi connection. Adjust settings, check performance, inquire about upcoming maintenance, and more with the quick touch of a button. Most models integrate with other home automation products as well, including Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and more.

Enjoy the performance and savings of a new thermostat. Contact H & H Heating & Air Conditioning to learn more about adding a smart Wi-Fi thermostat to your home today.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/blog/upgrading-your-thermostat-may-help-with-energy-efficiency-and-savings-learn-how/

Furnace Tune Up: Make Sure It's Done Right With This Checklist

Regular furnace maintenance increases the efficiency of your system and offers significant savings. It costs very little in time and money, giving you the peace of mind your system will perform reliably all winter long. Keep your furnace in peak condition and reduce the need for expensive emergency repair with routine furnace maintenance conducted by a licensed professional who knows what they are doing. What steps will your local furnace maintenance pro go through to make sure your system is in peak operating condition? Here’s what it would look like:

Powering Off The Furnace

A no-brainer, but make sure they turn off the power to the furnace before proceeding with anything else!

Taking Off The Combustion Chamber Door

In most units, lifting up and pulling outward would be all they would need to do to remove the combustion chamber door, but some units may also have a burner cover, held in place by two screws, which they would be removing.

Turning The Power Back On

Once the door and cover are removed, power is turned back ON, along with the temperature setting, to activate your furnace.

Checking The Burner Flames And Carefully Cleaning Burner And Blower Cavities

Burner flame quality is inspected carefully without breathing on flame (which can affect results). By looking at the color of the flame, the  pattern of the flame and by performing a combustion analysis. A furnace maintenance professional will  be able to tell if the burners are dirty or clean. With the power off they will clean and adjust the burners as needed and clean the blower cavities. This cleaning should be careful and thorough, as haphazard cleaning can damage the system or throw it off balance.

Changing The Furnace Filter

Your home air filter should be changed at the start of the season and every 1-3 months for optimal performance. As part of the furnace tuneup, they will typically also replace the filter while they are there.

Clean The Pilot And The Flame Sensor

The pro would clean any dust off the pilot, and clean the flame sensor as well to prevent any potential ignition problems. If the system has a hot surface ignitor instead of the standing pilots/electronic igniter, they would know exactly how to clean it as well, as the cleaning technique for those is different.

Sealing Leaky Ducts

Any leaky ducts they discover would be sealed with metal tape or high-temp silicone.

Adjusting Dampers

If your furnace and AC share ductwork, dampers tpically require adjustement for seasonal changes in use. Summer/winter settings should be marked on the damper handle.

Checking For Backdrafting

The pro should be checking the potentially dangerous backdrafting of carbon monoxide and other dangerous fumes, and immediately address if there seems to be a cause for concern.

Remember, for the safety of yourself and yours, it is best to let a licensed professional handle your furnace maintenance needs. Contact us to schedule a comprehensive annual professional furnace maintenance and inspection today. Ensure a warm, worry-free winter with the help of H & H Heating & Air Conditioning.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/blog/furnace-tune-up-make-sure-its-done-right-with-this-checklist/