One of the benefits of living in places like Covington, LA is our mild winters, which tend to be warmer than they are further north and allow our residents’ heating systems some manner of relief from cold temperatures. But that doesn’t mean we can simply ignore the heating needs of our home, and while many of us rely on forced-air furnaces and similar systems, there’s an elegant solution tailor made for our environment: heat pumps.
Heat Pumps Make Great Options for Your Home
February 6th, 2017Get Your AC Replaced Before Spring
January 23rd, 2017Walker, LA is quite warm for most of the year, and our winters are brief in the extreme. January is one of the few months where our air conditioners aren’t called upon to work on a regular basis. If yours is getting older, you might be concerned about its ability to get you through another long Louisiana summer. Now is the perfect time to consider your options and plan for a replacement if your system is ready to be put out to pasture. But how can you determine that? We have a few suggestions for you.
The Benefits of a New Thermostat
January 16th, 2017Thermostats are a staple of our households, and in most cases they can last for decades. We’ve become so used to seeing them that we hardly think of them except when we’re adjusting the temperature. Thermostats usually have few moving parts and with the exception of replacing the battery in certain models from time to time, they don’t require a lot of maintenance. It’s not unusual for thermostats to last for 20 years or more, and while you should always replace old mercury-based thermostats immediately (mercury is toxic), there’s no reason not to get as much mileage as you can out of your existing unit.
Typical HVAC Emergencies
January 9th, 2017An HVAC emergency is identified in the most basic terms as a situation that absolutely cannot wait: something taking place after normal work hours in most cases and of a sort that can put off the entire household if it’s allowed to linger. Ideally, every heating and air conditioning problem would take place during the work day, when you’re at home to spot it, or else be of a sort where you can let it sit for a few days until you can schedule a session. Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work like that.
What Happens When Furnace Burners Won’t Work?
January 2nd, 2017Most homes in the Walker, LA area use gas forced-air furnaces to heat their homes in the winter. They’re simple and effective, and they make a great fit for our warm Southern climate. Furnaces depend on burners for their heat, and when the burners don’t work, there’s a big problem. The good news is that a trained repair services can usually take care of the problem quickly and effectively.
How Burners Work
Burners in gas furnaces rely on natural gas for fuel. They burn it below a heat exchanger – a shaped piece of metal that effectively transfers the heat to the air (which can then be blown into the ducts of your home with a fan). That’s more energy efficient than just letting the gas burn in the air. But that also means that any problems with the burners need to be addressed quickly. At best, a few burners knocked out of commission will lower the efficiency of the heater a great deal: increasing wear and tear on the rest of the unit and raising your monthly energy bills to boot. At worst, they can shut the entire system down completely.
What Causes Burners to Fail
Sometimes, burners will shut off automatically, to prevent a gas leak or present a similar type of hazard. In these cases, the problem usually lies elsewhere, such as a leak in the gas lines or a faulty ignition system. Burners can often become clogged with dirt and gunk as well, preventing them from running. And in some cases, wear and tear, can take their toll, or they may suffer damage from misadventure or something similar.
Regardless, you need a qualified repair service to diagnose the issue and find a solution. The friendly professionals at A Professional Heating and Air are on the job for you!
Now Is a Great Time to Install a Zone Control System
December 26th, 2016Winters aren’t exactly an Arctic wasteland here in Covington, LA, and our HVAC systems aren’t tested nearly as much this time of year as they are in the summer. Heating systems, while necessary for those cool winter nights, aren’t put under the same strain as air conditioning systems. That makes December an excellent time to look into any changes or upgrades to your system. You’ll have time to install it without worrying unduly about your HVAC system being out of commission, and can reap the benefits the moment the weather starts to change.
Get Your Fireplace Checked Out
December 19th, 2016Fireplaces are a lovely way to keep warm this winter: providing a cozy and romantic atmosphere while providing inexpensive heat to keep your whole family warm. With winter officially arriving in Hammond, LA this year, now is an ideal time to use your fireplace. Before the season proceeds much further, however, it pays to get the fireplace examined by a trained technician to ensure that it’s functioning as it should. Why? Because doing otherwise might be more dangerous than you think.
What Kinds of Things Reduce the Air Flow in Your Heater?
December 12th, 2016Furnaces in the Springfield, LA area usually follow the centralized forced-air model: heating the air via burners and a heat exchanger, then blowing it through the ducts to the various corners of your house. (The same ducts are used to carry cool air from your air conditioner in the summer.) The ducts are often hidden from sight, but they — and more specifically, the vents where the air emerges — can alert you to a potential problem with the system. For example, if the air flow from your vents drops down below the level you expect, it’s usually a sign of a more serious problem inside the system.
Signs of a Duct Breach or Leak
December 5th, 2016Most folks in the Walker, LA area rely on a system of ducts to move conditioned air (whether hot or cold) from their HVAC system into the rest of their home. It’s a safe and effective way to make sure your household is comfortable, and with the ducts themselves usually hidden behind walls on in spaces like the attic, damage to them is relatively uncommon. Sometimes leaks do spring up, however, and worn bolts or damage from other sources could open up a breach in your duct systems. This is a significant problem since it leeches your system of efficiency: raising your monthly bills and adding strain to other components in your system that can increase the likelihood of a breakdown. But how do you spot a breach if it’s hidden in an out-of-the-way location? Here’s a brief list of symptoms for you to look for.
Install UV Germicidal Lights and Cut Down in Winter Colds
November 28th, 2016Wintertime in Covington, LA is much warmer than it is elsewhere in the country, but that doesn’t mean we don’t experience our share of winter colds and illnesses. Rainfall drops slightly in the winter months, but we still get our share of wet days, which makes an ideal breeding ground for germs and bacteria. If you want to keep your family safe and healthy this holiday season, you should consider the implementation of additional safeguards in your home”: specifically a set of UV germicidal lights in your HVAC system. You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference they make.