Serving Sonoma, Marin and Napa County
Phone (707) 528-4220
Information
Included on this page is information which may help you in choosing new HVAC equipment and diagnosing some of the common problems.
Average life of HVAC equipment
The average life of most heating and cooling equipment is around 15 years give or take. If your current system in approaching these limits, you will want to consider replacing the unit. Technology has come a long way in increasing the efficiency ( that means $$$$ savings ) of newer units.
Computerized Duct Testing
How much of your hot/cold air is heating your living space and how much is leaking into the attic and crawl space? Did you know the average duct system leaks 30% of its air to the unconditioned space? We use computerized duct testing equipment from Honeywell Enalasys to find leaks in your HVAC duct work. Duct testing, in some cases, is now required when installing replacement furnace and air conditioning units.
Air Conditioning - Choices
When choosing a air conditioning unit here is some information to assist you in making an informed decision.
The efficiency of air conditioners is often rated by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) based on electrical usage. This is similar to the gas mileage in a car. The higher the SEER rating means a less expensive air conditioner to operate. Although this rating is important, there are other factors equally important when choosing an air conditioner.
Balancing, or adjusting air circulation in your home will help eliminate cold and hot spots that can be so uncomfortable. A properly sized and sealed duct system is also important in providing comfort and efficiency in your heating and air conditioning system.
Furnaces
There is only one correct size furnace for your home.
You don’t want a unit that is too big, as it will turn on and off too frequently, be inefficient, and accumulate moisture in the heat exchanger which can damage the unit over time. And you don’t want a unit that is too small as it won’t properly heat the home. You want just the right size. We can give free in-home estimates for installing new heating equipment.
Efficiency - Furnaces have different efficiency ratings which are indicated as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the more efficient the unit. Higher efficiency furnaces produce the same amount of heat as lower efficiency units of the same output BTU size. In the past, the lower-efficiency natural gas furnaces were built with chimneys to send hot exhaust gases out into the air. Now, the high-efficiency units typically run exhaust gases through an additional heat exchange to get as much energy as possible for your money. When the gases go through this phase, the water condenses out of them - for this reason, high-efficiency furnaces are sometimes referred to as "condensing furnaces."
A 2-stage variable speed furnace utilizes a DC blower motor that is 75% less expensive to run than a conventional motors. This furnace operates on low-fire, burning less fuel, most of the time. When higher heat is needed high-fire will provide heat quickly, using all of the available capacity of the unit.
Avoiding Service Calls
There are a number of basic things to check before calling for service:
- Is the "heating/cooling" switch on the thermostat in the correct position?
- Is the thermostat set to the correct temperature?
- Are all the registers (ducts) open?
- Are your other gas appliances operating correctly?
- Has someone been over to the house recently who may have changed the settings?
- Is your thermostat set on "HOLD" or its normal program?
- Is the pilot light working correctly? See below.
Furnace Filters - So when was the last time you replaced that furnace filter? Does it seem like there just isn't the same amount of air coming out of the ducts? Replacing the filters is one of the most cost effective ways of keeping your system running at peak efficiency.
Burner won't light - First determine if you have a standing pilot furnace or a furnace with an electronic ignition.
Standing Pilot Furnace. If your furnace has a pilot light that's lit all the time, then you have a standing pilot furnace. Most older furnaces are standing pilot.
If the burner in your standing-pilot furnace won't light, try these troubleshooting steps.
1) Thermostat. Make sure your thermostat is set to 'heat' and turned up.
2) Pilot Light. If your pilot light is not lit, follow the instructions of your furnace manu factor.
Electronic Ignition Furnace
If your furnace doesn't have a standing pilot light, then it has an electronic ignition. Electronic ignitions system are complex and there is are only a few things you can do.
If the burners won't light, try these troubleshooting steps:
a) Check for a flashing diagnostic code on the ignition unit.
b) Does the igniter come on and glow for more than 5 seconds? or if an electronic spark type unit does the spark flash?
If neither of these things is happening you want a qualified technician to examine your furnace.
Motors sometimes fail slowly. As they reach the end of their life, various parts start to fail so the motor has to work harder to turn the fan. This creates more heat which eventually causes the motors thermal overload protector to shut it off. After 20-30 minutes the motor cools enough to run again. It may take a month or two for it to fail completely.
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