AllTech Services, Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Why Invest in Late-Season Heater Repairs?

Monday, March 27th, 2023
technician-doing-repairs-on-a-heater

It’s about time to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring! It won’t be very long before you can shut down your heater for the season, and soon after that, you’ll start needing your air conditioner. But what about that worry you have that something’s just not quite right with your heater? Should you ignore it, hope it won’t cause a major failure in the next month or so, and then see if it has somehow resolved itself by the time you need your heater again in the fall?

No! You should address any concerns about your heater promptly, even if it’s late in the season. Here are some of the biggest reasons why.

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How to Boost Heating Efficiency

Monday, January 30th, 2023
hand-putting-coins-in-a-piggy-bank

One of the biggest worries of homeowners is the cost of utilities. Often, the biggest utility cost is heating your home for the winter. Obviously, it’s critical for health and safety to keep a home at a reasonable temperature. But is there any way to decrease that expense without getting indoor frostbite or risking frozen pipes?

Yes! While there’s nothing you can do about the cost of energy, there are things you can do to decrease the amount of energy your home needs to keep cozy. We’ve got some tips for you that can help you save money this winter without sacrificing comfort.

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What Happens During Furnace Maintenance?

Monday, December 19th, 2022
technician-maintaining-furnace

We often stress the importance of having furnace maintenance done regularly and explain the ways that it improves the functioning and lengthens the lifetime of your furnace. But perhaps you don’t know exactly what occurs during the maintenance process. Being armed with knowledge about the comfort systems in your own home can be empowering, and we believe that knowledgeable customers are better able to make decisions that they’ll be happy with in the long term. 

There are many steps to the furnace maintenance process, and we’d like to give you a behind-the-scenes tour. If you want to know exactly what to expect when you make an appointment for heating maintenance in Ashburn, VA, read on.

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What You Need to Know About Furnace Safety

Monday, March 14th, 2022
technician-working-on-furnace

We may be coming near the end of the heating season, but still, if you have a gas furnace in your home, then there is never a bad time to talk about furnace safety. Now, we don’t mean to scare you into thinking that gas furnaces are inherently dangerous systems. They are not! However, if they are not properly maintained, they can become potentially dangerous.

We’re going to go through a checklist below that you can use to give yourself and your household peace of mind this year and for the years to come. This isn’t a comprehensive list by any means, and you should always schedule annual maintenance with a trained and qualified professional. However, this can certainly help you achieve safe and efficient furnace use.

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The #1 Way to Prevent Heating Repair Needs

Monday, February 28th, 2022
technician-working-on-furnace

An effective heating system is what keeps your home comfortable and livable—especially in the colder months. Even in the warmer months, heat is sometimes needed to keep the house warm at night. Without a functioning heating system, your house could get uncomfortably chilly—no matter the time of year. 

You always want the sure that your furnace or heat pump can heat your home effectively and efficiently. Unfortunately, you may not even know if your heating system is on the fritz until it’s too late. If your heating system needs repairs, you may not be aware until your heat bills start rising or there’s a safety issue. So, what’s the number one way to prevent this from happening? Heating maintenance. 

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How to Use Your Heater as Efficiently As Possible

Monday, January 3rd, 2022
floor-vent

With the holidays behind us, it makes sense that many homeowners are looking to tighten up their purse strings a bit. Stretched budgets can make things like keeping your energy bills reasonable a high priority. Low utility bills will make a huge difference to you after a season of extra spending, after all.

We would like to help you stay as comfortable as possible, at a reasonable cost. This is why below we have provided some tips to help you get the most out of your heating system without astronomically high energy bills. If something else is going on that might be affecting your heating efficiency, like a repair need, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. In the meantime, read on for some energy-efficiency boosting tips!

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Sounds You Don’t Want Your Heater to Make

Monday, December 20th, 2021
burners-inside-a-furnace

I think we could all agree that it would be fantastic if someday there was an HVAC system available that could self-diagnose when it has problems and let us know by a simple text message what it is and how to fix it. While we can’t promise that won’t ever happen, for now, it’s not a reality, and it’s up to professionals like us and observant homeowners like you to catch problems.

So, how do you know if your furnace or other heating system has problems? Well, one of the key indicators is that it’s making strange noises. There are some sounds you’re always going to hear coming from your heating system. The whoosh of air coming through the vents, for example, and maybe even a slight, gentle rattle of the ductwork as temperatures fluctuate.

What you should be alert to, however, is any noise outside of the usual sounds you hear. We’re going to cover below what some of those sounds are, and what they might mean for your system. Read on!

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Heed These Signs You Need Professional Heating Repair

Monday, December 6th, 2021
animated-checklist-with-red-checks

No homeowner should be sitting around worrying about their heating system breaking down at any moment. If this is you, we’re here to help! Of course, this is a lot less likely to be you if you have your heater maintained on a routine basis, and if you know the signs to watch for that indicate your system may need repairs.

But what if you don’t know the signs? Again, we’re here to help. We’ll share some of the most common signs of a heater in disrepair below.

First, we want to encourage you to schedule heating maintenance if you haven’t done so already this fall. This is the best way to fend off the worst of repair needs and/or a sudden and unexpected system breakdown. In fact, professional maintenance can help you avoid up to 85% of the repairs your system might ever need in its lifetime. Plus, maintenance can extend the life of your heater!

Now, onto those signs of disrepair. These are less likely to come as a surprise with maintenance, but there’s always a chance one of these symptoms can happen between tune-ups…

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It’s That Time, Schedule Your Heating Tune-Up! Here’s Why

Monday, November 22nd, 2021

technician-working-on-furnaceGiven how warm our summers get, it can be very welcoming when fall arrives and we can turn off our air conditioners for a while and instead enjoy sitting in our homes with our windows and doors open to let in some fresh air.

But it’s November now, and temperatures are quickly cooling, letting us all know that wintertime is right around the corner, and pretty soon we’ll need our heating system on a daily and hourly basis. Is yours ready?

If you’re unsure of how to answer that, it probably means that it’s time for you to schedule a maintenance tune-up. This is a service we recommend you get in the beginning of fall each year, before you need your heating system the most. Maintenance helps your heater work as effectively and efficiently as possible, for as long as possible, which we’ll get into below. Read on as we uncover why now is a great time to schedule your heating tune-up!

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Heater Safety: What a Cracked Heat Exchanger Means

Monday, November 8th, 2021

gas-furnace-burnerAre you using a gas-powered furnace in your household? This comes as no surprise: gas furnaces are the most popular heaters found in homes in our area, let alone around the country. They’re great for climates like ours that get more than a bit chilly in the winter!

Gas furnaces are very cost-efficiency and a fantastic choice for the majority of homeowners. However, while gas furnaces are not inherently dangerous, there is still a present risk when you have natural gas in your home—namely, you run the risk of combustion gas leaks. The one gas you need to be concerned with here is carbon monoxide, CO.

And CO exposure can happen when you have a cracked heat exchanger in your furnace! This is a problem you should never ignore, but how do you know if you even have this problem? Read on as we dive into what a heat exchanger is, why it’s bad if it’s cracked, and what to do about it.

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