A/C Designs of St. Augustine, LLC Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Ways to Lower Your Heating Bills

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014

In Jacksonville, FL, heating doesn’t concern us nearly as much as air conditioning does. We’re a warm weather city and heat tends to cause more discomfort and worry than cold does. Even so, our heaters get called into service on those winter nights when temperatures drop, and our nonchalant attitude about the issue means that many homeowners just accept higher heating bills without taking steps to reduce them. This can be a costly mistake. With a little care and foresight, you can save money on your monthly bills without skipping on a warm home during those cold winter days. Besides the obvious solution of lowering the thermostat and dressing warmly, here are some ways to lower your heating bills.

Start by programming your thermostat to lower or eliminate the heat when you leave for work each day. There’s no need to warm an empty house and with a programmable thermostat, you can schedule it to turn the heat on ten minutes before you arrive home, eliminating the need to wait. You can also lower your thermostat at night before you go to bed and bundle up with extra blankets and comforters.

You might also look into installing insulation in your home, or if you already have insulation, adding more. Not only does this help retain warm air in the winter, but it keeps cool air inside in the winter, lowering your air conditioning bills as well as heating bills.

Finally, you should schedule a regular maintenance session at the beginning and end of each heating season in order to keep your heater running as efficiently as possible. A technician will clean dirty components, tighten loose bolts and run the heater for a period to look for any specific problems. That allows you to catch small problems before they become big ones, as well as reducing friction on moving parts and other key components.

For more ways to lower your heating bills, or to schedule a repair or maintenance visit, call AC Designs Inc. today. You’ll be glad you did!

Tags: Heating, Jacksonville
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Choosing Between Gas and Electric Furnaces for Heating

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

Jacksonville, FL residents have a lot of different options when it comes to heating their homes. Our mild winters and variety of housing types mean that homeowners can choose a system that works best for their budget and circumstances. Gas and electric furnaces rank among the most popular choices for homeowners in our area. If you’re looking to install a new system, choosing between gas and electric furnaces for heating is one of your first and most important choices.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages of each one:

In terms of cost, you’re looking at a question of up-front investment vs. long-term savings. Electric furnaces usually cost less to install than gas furnaces, and often last longer to boot (sometimes as many as 10 to 15 years longer depending on how well you maintain it and other conditions particular to your home). On the other hand, natural gas costs less than electricity, which means that a gas furnace will save you money month to month over an electric furnace used for the same period of time. Because they have fewer moving parts, electric furnaces tend to break down less frequently than gas furnaces, necessitating fewer repairs.

Then there’s issues of performance and overall comfort. Gas furnaces work faster than electric furnaces do: heating your home more quickly and effectively. They tend to be noisier than electric units, however. Electric furnaces tend to be quieter and they also don’t have any of the potential safety concerns that some people might have about gas furnaces.

All of that is a roundabout way to saying that both systems offer their share of advantages and disadvantages. Choosing between gas and electric furnaces for heating in Jacksonville, FL means weighing the pros and cons of each one against your particular circumstances. At AC Designs Inc. we can provide sound advice on the best type of furnace for you, as well as providing top-notch installation and repair services once you’ve made a decision. When it comes to heating, Jacksonville FL residents can count on us. Pick up the phone and give us a call today!

Tags: Electric Furnaces, Gas Furnaces, Heating, Jacksonville
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AFUE: How Your Furnace’s Efficiency Is Measured

Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

Furnaces come in all shapes and sizes, which means there are many different options to choose from. There needs to be a base line to measure your furnace’s efficiency: to tell you that one model functions more effectively than another (and thus may be worth a more expensive sticker price). That baseline is called the AFUE, which stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating, and it’s how your furnace’s efficiency is measured.

The formula for deriving the AFUS rating is fairly simple. You divide the amount of energy the furnace uses by the amount of energy of useful heating it creates. The result is a number, measured as a percentage, that shows you how much of the furnace’s energy is actually being used to heat your home.

So obviously, the higher the AFUE rating, the better your furnace will perform and the more it will save you money on monthly costs. You’ll need to weigh these savings against the initial cost of the unit itself, which is bound to be higher for more efficient furnaces. With good advice from a trained, you can likely find a unit that hits the right combination of efficiency and affordability to match your circumstances.

If efficiency is all you’re after, there’s a handy cheat sheet you can use. The EnergyStar sticker denotes furnaces that have an AFUE rating of 90% or higher, giving you a quick answer to how your furnace’s efficiency is measured. As for the good advice, in Daytona Beach, furnace questions of all kinds can be answered by the professionals at AC Designs Inc. We know you want the most efficient furnace you can get and we’ll work with you to find the proper size and model to suit your unique circumstances. We’re dedication to your complete satisfaction during every step of the process, so don’t hesitate to give us a call today.

Tags: AFUE, Daytona Beach, Furnace, Heating
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What Are the Best Ways to Avoid Heating Repairs?

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014

Here in sunny Florida, heating problems are pretty low on our list of concerns. Our summers are long and hot, our winters short and mild, which means that air conditioners play a bigger role in our comfort on the whole than heaters. But problems with your heating system do happen, and that can be a big concern on a cold winter night. So what are the best ways to avoid heating repair in Jacksonville, FL? .

The best method is to schedule regular maintenance visits from a trained technician. These tune-ups are intended to reduce overall wear and tear. The technician cleans the dirt and grime off of the interior components, which reduces friction and helps them perform at their best. He also tightens any loose bolts or fittings (which also reduces wear and tear) and runs he heater to check for any specific problems. If he spots one, he can then schedule a repair before the issue gets out of hand. Ideally, you should schedule you tune-up before heating season begins, but it is never to late to have someone perform maintenance on your heating system.

Along those lines, you should pay close attention to any warning signs your heater gives, which usually indicates growing repair problems. This can be anything from unusual noises to reduce air flow to higher monthly energy bills despite not using the heater any more often than normal. Catching those problems early means getting a big jump on repairs, and preventing large bills in favor of smaller preventative ones.

If you need heating maintenance or repair in Jacksonville, FL, contact A/C Designs Inc. for help. Pick up the phone and call us today to make an appointment.

Tags: Heating Repair, Jacksonville
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3 Benefits of Scheduling Regular Maintenance for Your Furnace

Monday, January 6th, 2014

In St. Augustine, FL, our summers are long and hot, which means homeowners tend to focus on air conditioners without worrying about their furnaces. That, in turn, means that your furnace can suffer from big problems right when you need it the most: faltering during a cold front, or when the winter rains drive the temperatures down. You can prevent that with a regular maintenance from a trained technician, designed to keep your furnace clean and correct big problems while they’re still small.

Here are 3 benefits of scheduling regular maintenance for your furnace:

Increased efficiency. Dirty components often suffer from efficiency problems, and dusty moving parts increased friction which can make your furnace work harder. Worn parts and loose bolts do much the same thing. A maintenance visit from a qualified technician can alleviate many of those problems, helping your furnace run more smoothly. In other words, it will save you money on your monthly heating bills.
Longer life. Going hand in hand with increased efficiency is a longer lifespan for your furnace. By replacing worn part with newer ones before they become a problem (as well as reducing the wear and tear than grinds down those parts in the first place) you can postpone the day when you have to replace your furnace and ensure that you get the most out of your investment.
Reduced repair bills. While a maintenance visit won’t prevent all problems, it can identify them while they’re still fairly small: giving you a chance to get a jump on them when it won’t cost as much to repair them. That’s definitely preferable to simply waiting for the problem to disable the furnace: damaging additional components and requiring more extensive repairs in the process.

For other benefits of scheduling regular maintenance for your furnace or to schedule an appointment, call upon the professionals at AC Designs Inc. to help. We offer furnace service in St. Augustine, FL and the surrounding areas.

Tags: Furnace, Heating, Maintenance, St. Augustine
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Common Thermocouple Problems

Wednesday, December 18th, 2013

The thermocouple is a safety component placed near the ignition or pilot light in your heater. It regulates the flow of gas into the system: when the heat from the pilot light is detected, the thermocouple releases the gas. If the heat isn’t detected, it cuts off the flow of gas, keeping your household safe. If the thermocouple is broken, the entire system usually won’t start. That’s a good thing since it keeps your home from being flooded with gas, but it also means you won’t have access to your heat until it’s fixed.

Here is a brief list of some of the most common thermocouple problems.

Gas flow. The thermocouple may be hampered by a clog in the gas line or some other issue which prevents the gas from reaching it. This means it won’t work even if every other aspect of the heating unit is functioning as it should.
Sudden loss of heat. A faulty thermocouple will often “cut out” when it’s experiencing problems, meaning that it misinterprets the pilot light’s temperature and shuts off the gas. This can lead to your heater turning off unexpectedly, even though there’s nothing wrong otherwise. The issue can usually be solved by recalibrating the thermocouple to more accurately measure the pilot light’s heat.
Loose wires. The thermocouple wires need to be screwed into their terminals in order to accurately read the pilot light’s temperatures. Otherwise, the unit won’t turn on. The wires also need to be placed in the proper screws (not reversed, a common error among laymen attempting to fix the problem themselves) and properly tightened in order to do their job.

The good news is that a Jacksonville, FL heating repair company is standing by to help you with common thermocouple problems. AC Designs Inc. offers 24-hour emergency service and has a trained staff of professionals on hand to get your heater up and running again quickly. If you need expert help to handle your heating problems, pick up the phone and give us a call today.

Tags: Heating, Jacksonville, Thermocouple
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3 Heating Systems to Consider in Jacksonville, FL

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

You have options to consider when it comes to heating your Jacksonville, FL home. Here are 3 heating systems you can choose from:

Gas furnaces. Gas furnaces are the traditional means of warming you home, using natural gas lit by a pilot light to heat air that is then blown through a series of ducts into the different rooms in your home. Gas furnaces often use the same duct system that your air conditioning system does. They’re also comparatively cheap and easy to operate, as well as being familiar to most homeowners.
Electric furnaces. Electric furnaces use electricity to heat the air instead of natural gas. Because they have fewer moving parts, they are often quieter than gas furnaces and tend to last a lot longer. They can cost more to operate depending on the price of electricity in your area. They do tend to cost less to install, and they are great for areas without natural gas lines.
Heat pumps. Heat pumps act as a combination of heater and air conditioning: cooling your air in the summer and then using a variation of the same methods to warm your air in the winter. Heat pumps benefit from mild winters like we have her in Jacksonville, FL, and tend to be more efficient than gas furnaces: costing you less in monthly bills. This can help make up for a somewhat more expensive installation cost, saving you money in the long term at the cost of a short-term investment.

For more advice on heating systems to consider in Jacksonville, FL, call upon AC Designs Inc. to help. You’ll be glad you did!

Tags: Heating, Jacksonville
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