A/C Designs of St. Augustine, LLC Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Furnace’

Noises from a Furnace That May Indicate Repair Needs

Friday, January 30th, 2015

Everyone hears strange noises coming from their furnace at one point or another. Though not all furnace noises indicate that something is wrong with your furnace, there are quite a few sounds that do. If you don’t know which noises indicate a serious problem, you won’t know when to call a professional until it’s too late. Therefore, we’ve assembled this list of the most common furnace noises that indicate a need for repairs.

Grinding

Within every furnace is a collection of parts referred to as an “air handler.” This is the section that is responsible for circulating the air through the system and throughout the house. The motor that operates the air handler is under quite a lot of stress while the furnace is operating. In order to ease the burden on the motor, lubricated bearings are installed inside it to decrease the friction. These bearings can occasionally dry up, however, which increases the resistance on the motor. The grinding sound coming from your furnace is likely the sound of the bearings in the motor wearing down. If the bearings are not fixed or replaced, the motor will eventually burn out from the strain of running without them.

Booming

A loud booming sound coming from your furnace could be a couple of different things. In some homes, the warm air in the ducts can cause them to expand and flex. This creates a booming, thunderous sound that echoes through the ducts. This isn’t really anything to be worried about. However, the sound could also be coming from your furnace’s burner assembly.

The burner assembly is the part that actually burns the fuel to create heat. Over time, carbon particles that are left over from the burning fuel can build up on the burner. Once a burner becomes sufficiently caked in carbon, it can have trouble igniting on time. When it finally does ignite, it burns through the excess gas build up all at once. This miniature explosion can also make a loud booming sound.

If you are having issues with your furnace, call AC Designs, Inc. We provide professional furnace repairs throughout St. Augustine.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Noises from a Furnace That May Indicate Repair Needs

Reasons to Consider a Furnace for Your Home Heating

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

If you need to have a new heating system installed to warm your home, either to replace an older heater or as part of a new house, you have many options to consider. At the top of the list will be the heating system that has provided more homes in the U.S. with winter comfort than any other: the furnace.

Although you have other heat system choices aside from a furnace, there are some excellent reasons to give this old standard serious consideration. During the more than 10 years that we have been in business, AC Designs Inc. has installed numerous furnaces throughout the Jacksonville and Daytona areas. We have seen firsthand how effective furnaces—electrical and gas powered—are for providing reliable comfort. If a furnace in Orange Park, FL is one of your top options for heating, call us for the sizing and installation work that will see you receive quality warmth for many years to come.

The Benefits of a Furnace

  • Powerful heating levels: Gas-powered furnaces are among the most powerful heating systems available to consumers. Their output of BTUs of heat is high, which makes them effective for homes that lose large amounts of heat through poor insulation. They also heat up homes fast, which means you won’t have to run them as long.
  • Low-cost heating: Gas furnaces cost far less to run than electrical systems because natural gas is a less expensive source of heat. Modern furnaces also score high efficiency ratings, with less exhaust waste than ever before.
  • Flexibility: Furnaces come in a large variety of types and sizes, and that means there is almost always a furnace to fit any given home. For example, if you do not have a gas line for your home, you can choose to have an electrical furnace put in instead.
  • Connects to existing ductwork: If your home already has ducts for a central air conditioning system, a furnace is simple to have installed, since it will connect to the same set of ducts and share them with the AC.

Even though our team at AC Designs Inc. can find a furnace that will match your home’s needs, a furnace may not always be the #1 choice. Let our heating specialists look over your house and help you decide on the best option to deliver you quality heating combined with energy efficiency. When you think you want a furnace in Orange Park, FL, give us a call.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Reasons to Consider a Furnace for Your Home Heating

How Electronic Ignition Works in a Furnace

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014

For many years, furnaces were lit using standing pilots. While there are a number of furnaces in existence that use a standing pilot, today’s furnaces use electronic ignition to light your furnace. There are two types of electronic ignition, and while each works differently, the both help reduce fuel usage. If you are interested in finding out how electronic ignition might help you and your furnace in Orange Park, call AC Designs, Inc., today and schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.

Types of Electronic Ignition

There are two types of electronic ignition:

  • Intermittent pilot
  • Hot surface ignition

Intermittent Pilot

As the name indicates, the intermittent pilot is a pilot light that turns on intermittently, i.e., when the thermostat cues your furnace to start. With an intermittent pilot, a small gas line dedicated for the pilot light opens, and an electronic device creates a spark that lights the pilot. A flame sensor, one of the safety mechanisms, monitors the flame to see if it is present and viable; if the flame is viable, the flame sensor allows the main gas valve to open. Once the gas flows from the main gas valve, the pilot lights the burner, and the small gas line for the pilot closes, extinguishing the pilot.

Hot Surface Ignition

Hot surface ignition uses a metal probe to light your burner directly. The probe is made of metal, and heats like a light bulb. When the thermostat cues your heater to begin ignition, a current passes over a silicone filament that heats up to a temperature that will ignite the gas. Once this temperature is reached, the main gas valve opens and the gas is ignited, lighting the burner. Hot surface ignition is an easier ignition system than intermittent pilot, and as such, is used more frequently.

Some furnaces can be retro-fitted with electronic ignition, but there can be some cost associated with this upgrade.

If you are experiencing problems with your furnace’s electronic ignition, or any other heating problems with your furnace, call AC Designs, Inc. for professional furnace service in Orange Park, FL.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on How Electronic Ignition Works in a Furnace

How to Avoid Heating Repairs for Your Furnace This Winter

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

While nothing can guarantee that you’ll never need a heating repair again, there are some things that you can do to greatly reduce your chances of requiring furnace repair in Daytona Beach. Taking certain precautionary steps and being a little proactive can go a long way toward helping your furnace to work well. However, if you do encounter problems with your furnace, call the people you can count on 24/7: AC Designs, Inc.

Ways to Help Avoid Heating Repairs

Here are some suggestions to help you avoid possible heating repairs this winter:

Don’t Ignore Strange Sounds or Odors

When problems develop with your furnace, it will give signs that something is amiss. Typically, these signs come in the form of strange sounds and/or strange odors. Ignoring the signs that something may be wrong with your furnace is not a good step to take; it can put your system at risk and, if there are problems, they will not improve on their own. If you hear something odd or smell something off, call for a technician.

Schedule Fall Maintenance

Your furnace works hard during the winter to keep you warm. It is normal for wear and tear to develop, and for dirt and dust to get into your system. When your furnace operates each season without the benefit of maintenance, this build-up and wear compounds, reducing the efficiency and performance quality of your system. The tune-up your system receives during a maintenance appointment is integral to the system working optimally, so it’s important to schedule it annually.

Change the Filter

The air filter in your system needs to be changed about every 3 months. When it isn’t changed, and left in your furnace for an extended period of time, it can clog up. A clogged air filter can restrict the airflow in your system and fail to block dirt, dust and debris from entering your system as it’s supposed to. Changing your air filter on a timely basis can help you avoid multiple problems.

You can’t avoid every needed heating repair for your Daytona Beach home this winter, but you can reduce the amount of potential problems. Need help with your furnace? Call AC Designs, Inc. today.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on How to Avoid Heating Repairs for Your Furnace This Winter

Furnace Guide: 3 Important Components

Thursday, March 13th, 2014

Here in Jacksonville, FL, furnaces are a common home heating system, providing reliable and inexpensive warmth by blowing heated air through a system of ducts. The process used to create that heat is actually fairly straightforward, but like a lot of mechanical systems, it requires multiple components working in conjunction to create the heat. Understanding those components is a big step towards understanding why a furnace develops problems from time to time.

Here are 3 important components you should be aware of:

  • Ignition/thermocouple. The ignition system used to be the pilot light in older furnaces, and is now usually an electrical ignition system designed to ignite the flow of gas. The thermocouple is a valve that controls the flow of gas into the furnace, and will only do so if it detects the ignition system functioning. (That keeps your home from being flooded with gas if there’s a problem.) Many times, the ignition and the thermocouple are part of the same component.
  • Burners. Once the gas is lit, it moves to the burners which channel the heat into the heat exchanger. Burners can become clogged with dirt, which may restrict their functioning, and can also suffer damage and wear-and-tear. Most furnaces have multiple burners, which means a damaged burner won’t shut off your heat. It will lower the heating potential, however, and force your furnace to work harder to do its job.
  • Heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is essentially a long metal tube with openings at either end. Heated gas passes through it, heating the surface and passing the heat along to the surrounding air. Trace toxins in the gas are removed through a venting pipe, while the heated air can then be blown into your house with a fan. Heat exchangers don’t have moving parts so they rarely suffer damage, but when they do, it usually means you have to replace the entire furnace.

If you detect a problem with these important components or you need repairs in some other portion of your unit, it pays to call on someone who knows. Here in Jacksonville, FL, furnace repairs can be made by the experts at AC Designs, Inc. Call us today to make an appointment and let us show you what we can do!

Continue Reading

Tags: , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Furnace Guide: 3 Important Components

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.

Continue Reading

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on AFUE: How Your Furnace’s Efficiency Is Measured

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.

Continue Reading

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on 3 Benefits of Scheduling Regular Maintenance for Your Furnace