Is Your Heating Company Safe Enough?

When you invite someone into your home to service your furnace you are putting the health and safety of your family in their hands. Los Angeles furnace repair men are dealing with gas lines, potential carbon monoxide problems, electricity and vent pipes that can create openings for unwanted creatures in your home if not handled correctly.

I recommend making sure that your home heating service provider is properly licensed and insured, not just for liability but for workers compensation. Both of those insurances protect YOU the homeowner.

Also your technician should be involved in regular training. Equipment changes constantly because of new technologies. The industry is transforming to become greener and this impacts the way we provide service and repairs to home owners.

Not only do our service technicians take continuing education classes in HVAC, they are enrolled in heating and cooling equipment manufacturers training programs, we have professional furnace repair teachers frequently at our weekly staff meeting, and often our service technicians provide peer training to each other.

In the photo above you see our heating and air conditioning service technician, Erik demonstrating safety procedures and best practices for welding. Not only does this refresh the information for the entire crew, but Erik will never forget the things he has taught. Peer training is a super effective way to keep our HVAC technicians sharp.

Home Heating Expert’s Saving Secrets

When outdoor temperatures get too hot or too cold many property owners resign themselves to higher energy bills. But good property managers understand that a penny saved goes straight to the bottom-line, therefore is truly a penny earned.

My name is Dean Gilford, I am a heating and air conditioning contractor, and my customers pay some of the lowest utility bills in Southern California. That’s because I refuse to let their heating and air conditioning costs get out of hand when savings are so simple. I’m going to give you the exact same savings secrets that I give to my customers.

You know and I know that when we talk about energy costs we are talking about more than pennies. Hundreds, even thousands of dollars can be saved with a few simple fixes.  

TOP TIP:  Change Your Filter

A dirty filter in your HVAC (heating/ventilating/and air-conditioning) system makes your furnace work harder, and leads to big scary numbers on your heating bill. Aim to swap your filter out once a month. 

Yearly Tune-Ups

Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Properly calibrated and lubricated equipment will save you money consistently on your energy bills and extend the life of your system.

Install a Programmable Thermostat
This is one of the most cost effective upgrades you can make to your HVAC system. I know you intend to turn your heat down when you are sleeping or not home. But you forget, right? Why not have your thermostat do it for you? Programmable thermostats turn off the HVAC systems at predetermined times when they are not needed. This way, the home is only conditioned when it needs to be and the energy consumption of the home is reduced. Programmable thermostats can reduce the amount spent on heating and cooling by 5 percent to 12 percent.

Insulate
You can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs by properly insulating your home. There are different types of loose-fill insulation, which are blown or poured into place using special equipment.  Cellulose, fiberglass, foam or even recycled denim can be used for insulating enclosed walls, new wall cavities, unfinished attic floors and other hard-to-reach areas.

Block that Leak!

The small gaps surrounding windows, doors and other areas in the average home, taken together, are like a 9-square-foot hole in the wall. Plugging them can save you up to 10% on your heating bill.

·       First, find the leaks: On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas: chimney flashing, recessed lighting, sill plates, window and door frames, all ducts and flues and electrical outlets.

·       Buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk or tacky rope caulk to block those drafty spots around window frames. Apply weather-stripping to movable joints. Recessed lighting caps and outlet gaskets can be installed where cold air often enters.

Properly Seal Ducts

Nothing depresses me like improperly installed duct. I’ve seen homes lose up to 60% of their warmed air before it reaches the vents because of poorly connected ducts, or ducting that is not well insulated.

Seal and insulate ducts to improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system.

Focus first on sealing ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement, or garage. Use duct sealant (mastic) or metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the seams and connections of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Next, look to seal any other ducts that you can access in the heated or cooled part of the house. 

Know When To Replace

Furnaces need the most costly and frequent repairs in the last two years of their life. If you can circumvent those repairs and move seamlessly into a new energy efficient furnace, your new furnace can pay for itself. Maria Vargas is a spokeswoman for Energy Star, a federal-government-backed program that promotes energy efficiency and lends its name to energy-saving products. "If your furnace is over 20 years old, you're probably paying more to use it that it would cost to replace," says Maria Vargas, “Furnaces bearing the Energy Star label are about 15% more efficient than a standard conventional model”

Energy Star Rebates, Tax Credits and Utility Incentives

There are great tax incentives, rebates and utility discounts available for the different types of Energy Star HVAC equipment. Your contractor should be able to explain what is available for the equipment you decide to purchase and help you with the paperwork.

Since 1989, Dean Gilford and his company Kilowatt have provided A+ Rated guaranteed heating, air conditioning and electrical services for Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. www.KilowattHVAC.com

Tip for Saving Your AC Equipment

   
     What can you do for your central air conditioning equipment that will make it stay healthy longer? Give it a rain coat for the winter! A waterproof protective cover fits over your outdoor condenser and protects it from the wet debris and frost that can corrode equipment all winter long.

      Now that the weather has turned decidedly cold it is time to dress your outdoor air conditioning compressor for the winter. You will be using your furnace in Los Angeles for the next several months so an equipment cover will save your outdoor compressor from the destructive effects of the winter weather.

Furnace Replacement

Replace Your Furnace

Is your furnace old and in need of frequent repairs? A new furnace may be more affordable than you think!

A wise investment
What will dramatically reduce your energy costs, be safer than your old furnace, and make your home significantly more comfortable? A new Furnace! If you are concerned about safety, efficiency and comfort,  replacing your outdated furnace is a good decision. 

Replacing your furnace pays you back
Is your existing furnace a gas guzzler? If your furnace is 12 years old or older, your utility bills are probably 40% higher than they could be with a new high-efficiency furnace. New furnaces have better safety features and they’ll make your home significantly more comfortable. You may also be eligible for rebates and tax credits when you install a new heating system. Start saving today with a new furnace.

Call the people you can trust for your furnace replacement
You must use a reliable licensed HVAC contractor. Mining the energy bill savings of an energystar  furnace requires more than just replacement. To ensure energy savings the correct heating equipment must be professionally installed.

Professional furnace replacement
Remember, a properly installed furnace eliminates emergency repairs later on.

8 Furnace Warning Signs

Discover 8 fast and easy ways to know when to replace your gas furnace before it costs you money or becomes unsafe.

A comfortable and healthy home environment requires an efficient and sound heating system. Such a system heats the home without using large amounts of energy and it does not endanger the indoor air quality by overtaxing the supply of oxygen needed for combustion.

It is important to know the 8 warning signs that your furnace may need replacing. It is especially important not to wait until a crisis occurs.  A cold night in January, with the furnace faltering or failed, is not the time to assess your heating system. Do it now.

Information is the key to making a wise decision. This report will teach you what the 8 warning signs that your furnace may need replacing.

This report is based on research undertaken by the federal Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. It also draws on the training resources of heating and cooling manufacturers, trade associations, and field service personnel.

1. How old is your furnace?
A good place to start is to compare your furnaces age to the national average. The average life expectancy of furnaces in homes today is between 16 and 20 years. If your furnace is close to this age or older, you should begin shopping. Shopping for a replacement furnace in an emergency does not allow time to make your best decision. Most people prefer to replace their furnace as a planned home improvement rather than a panic replacement when your furnace is faltering or failed. For starters, look at your furnace to see if you have a pilot light. If you do, it is almost certain to be over 25 years old!

2. Gas & Electric Bills Going Up?
Rising gas and electric prices are not the only reason for high bills. Furnaces often lose their efficiency as they age especially if they have not been properly maintained. As a result your furnace may run longer to provide the same amount of heat. This will cause your gas & electric bills to go up. The money you pay the gas & electric company every month could be used to pay for new furnace.

3. Any Furnace Repairs in the last 2 years?
Furnaces are like cars. As they age, you can replace one part only to have to replace another part next year. It doesn't take long to spend $500 just to keep the old furnace running. Furnaces incur the most breakdowns in the last 2 years of their lives. Another repair sign is whether you had to wait to get parts replaced. As a furnace ages, it gets harder to get replacement parts. This waiting can really be cold on a below zero night.

4. Does your thermostat keep you comfortable?
Do you feel that some rooms are too cold while others are too hot? Or are you always trying to adjust your thermostat to make your home more comfortable? This is a sign that your furnace lacks the ability to properly distribute the air to keep you comfortable in your home.

5. Is your burner flame yellow instead of blue?
A yellow or flickering flame may be a sign that poisonous carbon monoxide could be created by your furnace. Other possible signs of carbon monoxide are: Streaks of soot around furnace; Absence of an upward draft in your chimney; Excess moisture found on windows, walls, or other cold surfaces; Excessive rusting on flue pipes, other pipe connections, or appliance jacks; Small amount of water leaking from the base of the chimney, vent, or flue pipe; Rust on the portion of the vent pipe visible from the outside.

6. Is your furnace making strange noises?
Old furnaces often start to make some strange noises as they get toward the end of their life. Have you heard any banging, popping, rattling, or squealing noises coming from your furnace? Another noise is when you hear the furnace blower running excessively. Does your blower turn on & off frequently or does it blow cold air sometimes? If so, this is a sign that your furnace may need to be replaced.

7. How have you & your family been feeling?
Furnaces as they age run the risk of developing cracks in the heat exchanger inside your furnace. Carbon monoxide, if present, could leak into your home undetected. Signs of this may be frequent headaches, a burning feeling in nose or eyes, nausea, disorientation, flu-like symptoms. Should you experience any of these, air out your house, open a window to the furnace room and immediately call a gas service technician. Cracks in the heat exchanger can occur undetected which is why no one advises waiting until they occur. 

8. Is your house dry or dusty?
Old furnaces often lack the ability to moisturize and clean the air in your home. Your house air may feel stuffy or stale. Does anyone in your family suffer from allergies to airborne dust, mold, pollen, viruses or dander? Or does anyone suffer from dry nose, dry throat, or dry skin? Other signs may be frequent dust accumulation, static shocks, drooping plants, furniture cracking and musical instruments that do not stay in tune. These signs all suggest that your old furnace is not capable of providing you with the comfort you and your family may want.

Home Maintenance Checklist

On a monthly basis:

• Clean or replace the HVAC filters [typically located at your fresh air return]. If you have an energy recovery system (air exchange system), remember that these filters also need to be cleaned or replaced.
• Inspect, clean or replace kitchen vent hood filters (non-charcoal filters).
• Flush all toilets and run water through all sinks, especially in bathrooms that are not used on a regular basis.

It's easy to find filters for your HVAC system. This is the selection at Target.

On a quarterly basis:

• Check the exterior drainage conditions to ensure that nothing is causing water to stand in puddles for more than 24 hours and that water from any source is not draining toward your foundation.
• Check your GFCIs (ground fault circuit interrupters) for proper operations by tripping the circuit interrupter buttons and then resetting them. If they will not trip and reset, contact your Customer Care Department for service or information on what to do.
• Inspect, lubricate and clean all of your exterior vents. Make sure that air flows freely and that each has an operable damper to prevent back flow of outside air and to keep small animals from entering your home.
• Lubricate all overhead garage door hinges with white lithium spray.
• Inspect and clean all weep holes for water drainage (windows).

On a seasonal basis:

• Every six months, inspect and service your heating and air conditioning system.
• Twice a year, you should inspect and repair the following caulked areas, as necessary.
• Kitchen and bath wet areas. Ensure that the caulked areas are not cracked and separating. If they are you will need to re-seal those areas.
• Bathroom/commode areas. Check the sealant where the stool meets the floor to insure the sealant is intact.
• Window and door seals.
• Around all penetrations (hose, faucets, duct work from vents, fireplace and chimney vents).
• Vinyl, aluminum or wood siding.
• Stucco or mortar cracks.
• Interior settling or shrinkage sheetrock cracks.
• If you have a basement and it has a sump pump, check to make sure it is operating properly, clean the pump screen and remove any soil buildup from the well.
• Clean and repair gutters. Make sure gutters are free of material that could prevent free flow of water. Make sure you have splash deflectors at the base of the downspout to deflect water away from the home.
• Inspect and adjust sprinkler systems. Set your timers for the proper season to ensure enough, but not too much water per station.

On an annual basis:

• Drain and refill your hot water heater(s). This may be necessary on a more frequent basis if you live in an area with extremely hard water.
• Inspect and test your hot water heater safety valve (T&P Valve typically located on the top or near the top part of the water heater).
• Inspect your garage door(s), rails and lock system; adjust and lubricate, as necessary. Consider changing your garage door opener code as a security precaution.
• Service your lawn mower and yard equipment (blowers, edgers and trimmers).
• Clean your faucet aerators and inspect your plumbing for leaks (includes all p-traps [waste line at sinks] and angle stops [shut-offs at commodes and sinks]).
• Clean and sharpen your garbage disposal by running a tray of ice cubes and depositing a cleaning (foaming) product into the disposal.
• Inspect or have tested your home fire extinguishers.
• Replace smoke alarm batteries.

Heating Savings

 
Cash-strapped consumers can save hundreds (and possibly thousands) of dollars a year by cutting everyday expenses in ways that might seem obvious in retrospect.

• Home Heating and Electric Utilities

Problem: The cost of electricity for the average U.S. residence has risen by nearly 47% over 20 years, while prices for heating oil and propane rose even more dramatically. People are often unaware that many electronic devices still draw power even when they're turned off, diverting precious dollars from family budgets.

Solution: Stay Afloat: When Energy Costs are on the rise we recommend that consumers become aware of how much energy various appliances use, and to fully turn them off when they're not in use. Other tips include taking shorter showers, cooking more food at once, and paying utility bills with credit cards that provide cash back and other rewards.

• Buying or Repairing HVAC Equipment and Appliances

Problem: When shopping for refrigerators, microwave ovens, dishwashers, air conditioners or furnaces in Los Angeles many people base their decisions on superficial considerations such as upfront costs and product features. Without thinking about long-term costs - including financing, operating and potential repair costs - consumers can easily spend much more than they anticipated.

Solution: For financing Home Heating we suggest that you forgo repairs on AC and furnaces that are more than 50 percent through their expected lives when repairs will cost over 50 percent of a new appliance's price. The energy savings are that substantial with new units. There are excellent rebate programs active right now.  Furnaces typically come with a 10 year manufacturers warranty.