Posts Tagged ‘Tinton Falls’

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Common New Jersey Heat Pump Performance Problems: A Troubleshooting Guide

Monday, April 16th, 2012

Your New Jersey heat pump needs to work year round to provide heat and air conditioning. This is why you want to make sure it’s performing as efficiently as possible to save on energy costs and prevent break downs. You should schedule an annual maintenance check-up and inspection with a certified HVAC technician to test the efficiency levels.

However, there are a few common causes of performance issues to be aware of so that you can be sure your heat pump performs at optimal levels. Call Heritage Air & Heat if you have questions about heat pump performance issues, or to make an appointment for an annual inspection and professional cleaning.

New Jersey HVAC

Airflow Issues

You need a certain amount of airflow for your heat pump to work efficiently. If you have an airflow less than 350 cubic feet per minute, it will cost more for your heat pump to heat and cool your home. Your HVAC contractor will check your airflow at your annual maintenance inspection. You can help airflow by keeping your coils clean. Sometimes your air ducts are the wrong size for your heat pump or your fan is not going faster enough, but often cleaning the coils and changing air filters will improve airflow. It’s one of the many reasons that you should have your heat pump cleaned and inspected at least once a year. If you suspect that your heat pump is having problems with air flow, call a professional HVAC technician to come out and take a look.

Air Leaks in the Duct System

Inefficient or poorly-designed duct systems may not distribute air properly throughout your home because of potential air leaks. There should always be a balance between the intake and return air in a forced air system, which helps maintain a neutral pressure within the house and increase efficiency. Some contractors argue over how tightly a house should be sealed for this reason, but if your New Jersey heat pump is losing heat through leaks in the air ducts, this will greatly affect its efficiency.

Improper Refrigerant

Refrigerant leaks are another common cause of low performance levels in heat pumps. Most heat pumps already have refrigerant when they leave the factory and shouldn’t have any issues. Heat pumps that are charged with refrigerant when they are installed can sometimes have the wrong amount of refrigerant. Either too much or too little refrigerant will lower the heat pump’s efficiency and performance levels. Always check the recommended refrigerant amount or ask an HVAC technician before you add refrigerant yourself.

If the heat pump in your New Jersey home isn’t working properly, it is also affecting your heating bills. Call Heritage Air & Heat today to set up an appointment.

 

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Hamilton Air Conditioning Tip: The Energy Efficiency Rating of Central Air Conditioners

Monday, April 9th, 2012

When you are shopping for a Hamilton central air conditioning system, you will have to evaluate your options based on a number of different factors. For instance, you will need to decide which type of system is the best match for your home and for your particular cooling needs. It is also important to make sure that the central air conditioner you choose is the right size for the cooling load it will have to take on.

However, it is also very important to evaluate your central air conditioning options based on how energy efficient they are. This will have a great deal to do with how much you pay in terms of cooling costs each month, which makes it easy to see why you should take it into account before you make a purchase.

The energy efficiency of a central air conditioner is generally expressed as a seasonal energy efficiency rating, or SEER. The SEER numbers you will typically find on the latest air conditioning systems range from eight to 19.5 with the higher numbers signifying a more energy efficient model.

Hamilton Air Conditioning Fan

It seems pretty clear that a central air conditioner that has a high SEER will save you money on your electricity bill every month, since it will keep your home just as cool but use less energy. Unfortunately, air conditioners with very high SEER ratings also tend to have high price tags. When you are choosing a central air conditioner, you will have to balance how much you can invest in a new system before deciding on which SEER rating you are looking for.

You can do this by comparing the SEER of the system you currently use with the new system you are considering and compare how much your current energy usage would cost you with each model. Basically, you want to pick a central air conditioner that will save you enough to offset the purchase price of the unit.

Often, this means that you will be best off with a SEER 14 or SEER 16 because these units save you a considerable amount over older models without carrying too high a purchase price. However, the amount you save will be directly related to how much you use your Hamilton central air conditioning system, so if you live someplace that is extremely hot for a large chunk of the year, it may be worth it for you to buy a very high efficiency air conditioning system.

To find out what is the best air conditioner for your home, give Heritage Air & Heat a call today!

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East Windsor Heating Tip: How to Monitor Heat Flow from Furnace Registers

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Of the many kinds of heating systems, forced air furnaces are among the simplest in East Windsor and monitoring the flow of heat is as simple as checking the registers and feeling the flow.

The Basics of Hot Air

At the furnace, usually in the basement or a central location, air is heated to a temperature set by the thermostat.  Once large and dominant, over the years, technological improvements have enabled furnaces to be much smaller and fit into closets.

With a fan, the warm air is circulated through a system of ducts and distributed at registers or grates usually in the floor.  A second grate takes the cooler air back to the furnace to be heated.

East Windsor Heating Tip

Going With the Flow

The rooms in your house should always be a consistent temperature, even with the normal cycling of your forced air system. The heat produced by your furnace is distributed through your house via the ducts and it gradually warms your rooms. After the heat has dissipated, your thermostat recognizes the change in temperature and calls for your East Windsor furnace to deliver more heat.

A problem occurs when there is poor air circulation, and it leads to your system efficiency is greatly reduced. Since your rooms are not heating up as consistently, your furnace runs more often to try to keep your home at the thermostat setting. You can also have some rooms warmer than others, or rooms that experience more extreme temperature fluctuation.

Monitoring the Flow

By turning the thermostat higher, the furnace will engage and begin to force air to the registers.

Most registers have adjustable slats that can be rotated to allow more or less flow.  Checking to make sure all are fully open is the first step.  There is usually a lever or gear in obvious view.

Make sure all registers are free to allow air movement and not blocked by furniture or carpets.

After testing with your hand to see if there is adequate air flow, using an infrared or dial thermometer will more accurately identify if there are differences from register to register which could indicate a blockage of some sort in the vent or a problem with the system at the furnace.

Solutions

Furnaces should be maintained on a yearly basis by contracting with an East Windsor heating company who can regularly change the filters, inspect the internal elements and ensure proper and efficient functioning of this most important part of your home.

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Reasons Your Edison Heat Pump Can’t Maintain the Right Temperature

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

When you set your thermostat for a certain temperature, you expect that your heat pump will either heat or cool your Edison home to that temperature, right? When you want 72 degrees, you don’t expect to have the temperature stay stuck at 70 degrees while your heat pump struggles futilely.

Sometimes heat pumps have trouble maintaining the right temperature, especially in heating mode. It’s not uncommon, and it has a number of potential causes. Run through this checklist to see if it is something you can fix yourself:

  • The outdoor unit is iced up. Running a defrost cycle can usually fix this.
  • A snow drift in encroaching on the outdoor unit, making the unit too cold to work properly. Shovel it away and see if that fixes the problem.
  • The outdoor unit is not running at all. Sometimes this is simple enough to fix on your own. Read the manufacturer’s instructions to troubleshoot the problem.
  • Too much cold air is getting in the house for the heat pump to keep up. Make sure your doors and windows are closed to keep that valuable heat inside.
  • Your vents are closed. It may seem obviou, but problems like this can sometimes be attributed to user error. Make sure your vents are open to allow heat in.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list, and it covers just those causes that you could potentially fix yourself. There are many other possible culprits out there that could be more sinister and require professional service to be properly repaired.

Some of these include:

  • The compressor is not running.
  • A compressor valve or reversing valve is faulty.
  • The thermostat is malfunctioning or needs to be recalibrated.
  • The refrigerant level is low or there is a problem with the flow of the refrigerant.
  • The heat pump needs routine maintenance.

If your Edison heat pump is not working properly for several days, especially after you have tried some of the DIY solutions above, call Heritage Air & Heat right away. Your heat pump may need repairs before a bigger problem develops.

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Jackson Heating Question: Can Your Heating System Warn You of a CO Leak?

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

As everyone in Jackson knows, carbon monoxide is a serious health risk. It is an odorless gas that is produced as a natural byproduct of combustion. So, any time something burns, carbon monoxide (CO) is released into the air.

As long as the area is properly ventilated, the carbon monoxide cannot build up in the air to a dangerous level of concentration. For example, if you are around a campfire or charcoal that is burning outside, you are generally safe.

In the home, the danger arises when combustion is not properly ventilated and this toxic gas is allowed to seep into our living spaces. If you use any gas, fuel or wood burning appliances in your home, you are at risk for exposure to carbon monoxide. To help mitigate that risk, it is important to know some warning signs. Your heating system gives off some warnings that can tip you off to danger, so be on the lookout for these three signals:

  1. Carbon monoxide detector goes off. Some heating systems these days have built-in carbon monoxide detectors, which can provide an extra measure of safety. Whether you have one of these systems or not, your home should still be equipped with a CO detector. If it begins sounding the alarm, get everyone out of the house immediately.
  1. A fume vent is leaking. Fuel-burning furnaces have vents to move combustion gases out of the house safely. If you notice this vent is leaking on your heating system, CO may be seeping into your house. Shut down the furnace, open windows for ventilation and have the fume vent repaired immediately.
  1. Smoke backing up from the fireplace. If you have a fireplace and you notice smoke in the room while using it, stop using it immediately. Your chimney may be blocked or leaking, preventing the smoke from rising and venting properly, which means CO can e getting into your house. Do not use the fireplace again until you have had the chimney inspected.

Please take care and note this is just a simple guide. There are other risks and warnings of carbon monoxide. If you have any suspicion that there is something wrong with your Jackson home’s heating system, give Heritage Air & Heat a call!

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Hightstown HVAC Question: How Do I Get More Fresh Air in the House During the Winter?

Friday, February 17th, 2012

Winter is a real bummer for many families in Hightstown. It’s cold and dark outside and to top things off, you have to keep your home sealed up nice and tight so the warm air produced by your boiler or furnace doesn’t escape. Not a lot of fun. Luckily, there are solutions to help you get more fresh air into your home. Which solution you choose will depend on a few factors, however.

The Simplest Way

The easiest way to get fresh air is to open a window. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive way. After all, the air outside is cold and by opening a window, you force all the air you just heated outside. Most modern heating systems can compensate for the energy loss, but it will cost you quite a bit over the course of the winter to heat not only your home, but your backyard.

That’s why there is so little circulation in the winter to start with. The need for effective insulation and weather stripping to reduce energy use and fuel costs led to increasingly sealed up homes.

Ventilation

So, ventilation is the next best option, and while there are fans and exhaust options that allow you to circulate air into and out of your home, the most cost efficient way to do so is with an energy recovery ventilator.

These devices contain advanced technology that will transfer the energy from your indoor air into new air as it is brought into your home. As fresh air is transferred inside, the heat is passed from indoor air to the outdoor air. By retaining the heat with a recovery ventilator, you keep your energy bills low and your home filled with fresh air.

The best part is that this same technology works in the summer if you want to let in a little fresh air on a sunny day. Instead of pouring all of that cool air conditioned air outside, you can simply use an energy recovery ventilator to draw heat out of new air as it enters your home. Heat and humidity stay outside and you stay nice and cool.

There are quite a few types of energy recovery ventilators, ranging from simple heat only models to advanced heat pumps that will gather lost heat from throughout your Hightstown home. The size of your home and the climate in which you live will determine which the best fit is for you. If you have any questions about energy recovery ventilators, call Heritage Air & Heat today!

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Plainsboro Heating Repair Guide: Furnace Control Boards

Monday, February 6th, 2012

One way to be a truly responsible Plainsboro homeowner is to familiarize yourself with the major systems and appliances in your home. By having at least some understanding of how, say, your refrigerator or toilet work, you gain understanding of how to use them efficiently and detect when something goes wrong.

The same is true of your furnace, which can appear to be a complicated piece of machinery. In order to help you get acquainted with your furnace, we will discuss one of its main control components, the furnace control board.

As the name suggests, furnace control boards are responsible for governing the operation of the furnace. At a minimum, a simple furnace control will control the furnace ignitor (e.g., a spark generator or glow coil), the gas valve and the furnace thermocouple, also called a flame sensor.

More complex furnace control boards will also have control over the blowers and/or the built-in diagnostic system.

To simplify things, you can think of the furnace control board as being a driver and the furnace as its car. Just as the driver oversees all the functions and operation of the car from ignition to shutting off the engine, likewise does the control board for the furnace.

A typical operation sequence for a furnace control board goes something like this:

  1. The control board receives a signal from the thermostat that the temperature is too low.
  2. It starts the ignition system, whether that be a spark generator, glow coil or pilot light.
  3. Once the ignitor is hot, the furnace control board initiates the flow of gas through the burners, where it is ignited.
  4. The control board keeps the furnace running until it is signaled by the thermostat that the temperature is now high enough, or until it detects something is wrong.

(An example of a malfunction where the control board would get involved is a thermocouple that is not detecting enough heat. In this case, the control board would shut off the gas flow to prevent a leak into the home.)

Furnace control boards are an essential part of your home’s HVAC system. And now, as a responsible homeowner, you know just how important. If suspect a problem with your furnace control board, call Heritage Air & Heat today to have it inspected by one of our highly trained Plainsboro technicians.

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Plainsboro HVAC Question: How Much Ventilation Do I Need for My House?

Monday, January 30th, 2012

By now you’ve probably heard how important it is to have good ventilation in your Plainsboro home. Especially if your home was built in the 1980s or early 1990s when ventilation issues were prevalent, you may not have enough clean air moving through your home. But, how much ventilation do you need? What is enough and if you don’t have it, how do you ensure your home is retrofitted properly?

How Much Ventilation?

Most recommendations for ventilation come from the Home Ventilation Institute, which provides a series of standards of measurement for builders and contractors retrofitting homes for better ventilation. Here are some of their recommendations and how they might apply for your home:

  • Bathroom – Small bathrooms (less than 100 sq. ft) need 1 CFM per square foot of bathroom. The number goes up for each fixture if you have a large bathroom.
  • Kitchens – Your kitchen range needs at least 100 CFM if against the wall and upwards of 150 CFM if on an island.
  • Ventilators – If you have an HRV for your home, you should have at least 100 CFM for 2,000 square feet and another 50 for every 1,000 square feet of home size being ventilated.
  • Home Ventilators – The actual volume of CFM for ventilators depends on the type of ventilator being used. For example, a whole house ventilator needs upwards of 6,000 CFM for a 2,000 square foot home. Attic ventilators need 1,400 or more.

So, what does this mean for your home? It means in general that you need a lot of ventilation and that the best way to get it is through mechanical ventilation techniques combined with your air handler and ductwork.

Especially if you recently added insulation and weather proofing to your Plainsboro home but have not yet updated your ventilation, you might have a major air quality problem, so have a professional measure your home’s air flow as soon as possible.

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Rumson Heat Pump Tip: Outdoor Maintenance

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Sometimes, the trickiest part about owning a heat pump in Rumson is keeping the outdoor components maintained. Because they are outside and generally out of sight, it can be easy to forget or neglect them. But because they are outside and exposed to the elements, outdoor heat pump components need attention and maintenance to keep them running properly.

The two most important routine maintenance functions you can do as an owner of an outdoor heat pump are keeping it free of debris and keeping it level.

Every month or so, inspect and clean your outdoor heat pump to make sure it is free of leaves, dirt and other debris. These can easily be sucked in by the fan and reduce the efficiency of the whole system. Turn the power off to the unit and use a vacuum or broom to remove any accumulated debris.

Once or twice a year, use a carpenter’s level to make sure the whole thing is sitting level on the pad. Use the level to gauge both side to side and front to back. While you are doing this, check the insulation for erosion or gaps. If you see that it is not level or the insulation is wearing thin, have a contractor come out reset the unit on the concrete pad or patch up the insulation.

These are two small maintenance tasks that you don’t have to do very often, but they can make a big difference in the performance and life of your heat pump. In addition, you should always have your Rumson home’s heating, ventilation and cooling system inspected by a professional annually in order to keep everything maintained and in good repair.

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Point Pleasant Heating Installation Guide: Why AFUE Ratings Matter

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

When you are in the market for a new furnace for your Point Pleasant home, there are several reasons you should pay attention to the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. All newer model furnaces get an AFUE percentage, which measures how much fuel a particular model converts into heat. Furnaces with higher AFUE ratings are more efficient, but the size and type of furnace will also factor into how much you’ll save on energy costs.

Understanding the AFUE Ratio

The minimum AFUE rating for new furnaces is 78%. This means that seventy-eight percent of the fuel is turned into heat, and the remaining percentage is lost either through poor insulation, air leaks, or the ventilation system in the home. Because there’s no heat loss through a chimney flue, some all-electric furnaces can have an AFUE rating as high as 98%. However, if the cost of electricity used to meet your normal heating needs is higher than the efficiency savings, you may want to consider other options. Talk to a qualified HVAC contractor for advice about the most cost-efficient heater for your home.

Furnace Efficiency Features

Furnaces manufactured 15-20 years ago have significantly lower AFUE ratings (between 55%-70% for most older models) because they are typically single-stage, or single-speed systems. Single-stage furnaces are less efficient because they are designed to cycle on at full capacity and shut off when the desired temperature is met.  Newer, two-speed models have a second setting that runs consistently at a lower speed, which saves energy by burning less fuel. Multispeed furnaces that have variable-speed blowers are the most efficient because they operate at various levels and automatically adjust to the thermostat to maintain a constant temperature.

If you look at the AFUE ratings for multispeed and variable-speed furnaces, the ratios should be above 80%. Keep in mind that this only determines the efficiency levels for the furnace itself. You’ll need to factor in whether or not your home has proper insulation and other upgrades, such as double-paned windows and doors.

Call Heritage Air & Heat to speak with one of our qualified HVAC technicians about a furnace upgrade for your Point Pleasant home.

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