Blog | Heating and Cooling Tips and Tutorials

Water Heater Problems You Might Experience

August 16, 2022

Unlike heated air that allows you to live in your home during a cold winter, water heaters aren’t essential to the functioning of your household. Yet, think of how aggravating and inconvenient it would be to live without one. A well-maintained traditional water heater should last about 10 years, and a tankless heater lasts even longer. But like any other appliance, a water heater is subject to breakdowns, often when they are least expected and most inconvenient. Here are some of the more common things that can go wrong with your water heater. Leaks Leaks can be caused by a...

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5 Issues Caused By Dirty Ductwork

July 15, 2022

Air ducts in good condition help keep your home cool and warm throughout the year. Clean air ducts are important because they help protect you from high expenses as your bills are likely to increase. If your home experiences abnormally high or cold temperatures, it’s high time to consider ductwork cleaning. Here are the top ways dirty ductwork can impact your air supply. 1. Dust Buildup Your HVAC system may get clogged with dust if it is circulated too often. Creating a narrower aperture for air travel will reduce your ducts’ efficiency. A properly fitted HVAC unit is precisely designed...

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Getting the Right Size AC Unit for Your Home

June 20, 2022

Whether you’re installing an air conditioner for the first time or have to replace your AC due to age or system failure, it’s a major investment. That’s why it’s so important to get the right one for your home, making sure that it is appropriately sized for the space it’ll be required to cool. Factors like the square footage of your home, how you choose the right size, and efficiency should all be taken into consideration. How are AC Units Sized? Air conditioner sizes have nothing to do with the physical dimensions of the unit or how much refrigerant it...

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Understanding SEER Ratings and Why They’re Important

May 19, 2022

Energy efficiency is obviously an important consideration when deciding what type of HVAC equipment to install. Calculating the energy efficiency of a furnace is simple since all you need to look at is the percentage of fuel the unit converts to heat. Unfortunately, determining the energy efficiency of an air conditioner or other cooling equipment is quite a bit more complicated. The reason is that, unlike with furnaces, the efficiency of an air conditioner can fluctuate quite dramatically from month to month or even hour to hour. Since the AC unit sits outside your house, it is directly impacted by...

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Important Questions to Ask Before Buying a Home Generator

April 15, 2022

9 Important Questions to Ask Before Buying a Home Generator The need for a generator may be an unforeseen event, but it’s always better to be prepared. It is not always easy to know everything you should be looking for, and it would be impossible to know all the things that come into play with a generator. That is why it is vital to ask some questions before deciding which type of generator to buy. That way, you will be able to make an educated decision. 1. Do You Need an Inverter or a Generator? A generator may not be...

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Heat Pumps Explained: What Are They, and How Do They Work?

March 14, 2022

In the past, homes had separate equipment for heating and cooling — usually a furnace and an air conditioner. However, heat pumps can offer a convenient solution to your cooling and heating needs all in one. The first true heat pump was invented in the 1940s, but it wasn’t until much more recently that they really began to catch on. As a result, most people know very little, if anything, about what heat pumps are and how they work. With this in mind, here is a quick overview of heat pumps to help clue you in. The Parts of a...

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Understanding the MERV Rating on an Air Filter

February 16, 2022

If you’ve ever shopped for a new HVAC filter, you have probably noticed that each one has a rating. Known as a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating, this value indicates how efficient the filter is at filtering out different sized particles from the air. Still, it is important to look more closely at this rating system in order to understand what the specific rating numbers mean. How Does the MERV Rating System Work? The MERV system rates the efficiency of an air filter on a scale from 1 to 20, with 20 being the highest and 1 being the...

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How to Light the Pilot Light on a Furnace

January 10, 2022

You shouldn’t have to worry about how to light the pilot light on a furnace. You should be able to simply turn the gas or electricity on and it will start running – but if you can’t, what do you do? has you covered. Pilot Light – What It Is and What It Does A pilot light is a tiny flame that provides fuel to the main burner on a gas furnace or the electric burner on an electric furnace. It is a small, low-pressure flame that provides just enough heat to ignite the main burner. The pilot light heats...

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How Storms Can Damage Your New York Home’s HVAC System

December 20, 2021

New York is known for experiencing all four seasons each year. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see ice, snow and rain within a few hours of each other. Although it may be fun to watch snow or ice fall from the sky, it can wreak havoc with your home’s HVAC components. The same may also be true after a major rain event or during lengthy periods of consistent precipitation. Let’s take a look at the specific ways that a storm can damage a furnace, central air condenser or a heat pump. How Can Precipitation Damage a Heat Pump? Unlike...

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How a Snowmelt System Could Benefit Your Home in Orchard Park

November 20, 2021

Orchard Park is well-known for its snowy winters. One minute, it’s sunny and warm. Then, the seasons change. Once winter arrives, it seems like everybody is busy shoveling snow. However, with a snowmelt system, you won’t have to. These devices automatically melt the snow on your driveway, sidewalks, or roof. That way, even blizzards won’t increase your chore load. What Does a Snowmelt System Do? Snowmelt systems melt snow whenever it falls on the ground. These systems can be installed on your roof or under your driveway. Either way, they accomplish the same goal: melting snow. In Orchard Park, shoveling...

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