How Efficient is Geothermal Heating?

March 10, 2021

Heating your home during the cold O’Fallon winters can often come at a pretty steep price in terms of your utility bill. On especially cold days, it can seem like your furnace never stops running, using lots of electricity or natural gas in the process. While it’s important to keep your home warm during the winter for the comfort of your family and the safety of your plumbing pipes, doing so doesn’t have to be expensive or inefficient. In fact, one option, geothermal heating, provides exceptional efficiencies to the point that you’ll wonder why you ever heated your home any other way. At , we’re proud to be able to install these exceptional systems, and we want to tell you more about them to see if one could be right for you. What Is a Geothermal Heating System? A geothermal heating system is a high-efficiency heating and cooling system. The system uses a series of pipes buried under the ground that is filled with refrigerant to transfer energy from under the ground to the interior of your home. Inside your home, a geothermal system has a unit that changes the temperature of the refrigerant to thereby change its pressure to...

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FAQ’s About Geothermal Heating

November 20, 2020

As a homeowner, you understand the importance of finding ways to save money while trying to keep your home in tip-top shape. One of the best ways to save a significant amount of money is to invest in efficient HVAC equipment to heat and cool your home. That’s because up to 40% of the average O’Fallon home’s utility bill is related to heating and cooling costs. Therefore, any changes you can make in this category can make a big impact overall. Although there are several good ways to keep your home comfortable, the most efficient method is to use a geothermal heating system from . Understanding how these systems work will help you determine if one is right for you. What Is a Geothermal Heating System? A geothermal heating system is a state-of-the-art way to heat your home. This system consists of pipes buried underground on your property, a pump, and a fan of some kind. Together, these components replace a typical HVAC system, providing both heating and cooling capabilities to keep your home comfortable year-round. How Does a Geothermal Heating System Work? The key to the geothermal system from is the closed loop – called a ground loop –...

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How Clean Is Your Indoor Air?

December 1, 2019

Air pollution is a major cause of concern in the world today. Dirty, polluted air is closely associated with a range of infectious diseases, such as the flu. That’s why you cannot afford to live in a home environment where the air quality is compromised. Living in a clean indoor air environment can greatly enhance your home comfort. Here are tips on how to clean and boost the quality of your indoor air. Preventing Smoke Accumulation Any kind of smoke can greatly compromise your air quality. To prevent such cases, it is important to consider basic measures, such as banning indoor smoking. The fireplace should also have a well-functioning chimney to let out any smoke that may otherwise build up in your sitting room. You may also choose to install smoke detectors to warn you whenever smoke accumulates unknowingly in your rooms. Improving Your Ventilation To ensure optimal levels of indoor air quality, your house needs proper air ventilation. The circulation of air between the inside and outside of your house should be enhanced by well-installed ventilation systems. At , we greatly recommend homeowners to consider installing HVAC equipment to ensure that such circulation is achieved. Monitor Indoor Humidity Levels...

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What To Do If My Furnace Keeps Turning Off

November 22, 2019

Various problems can cause your furnace to constantly be turning off and on. This revolving sequence of turning off and on is called short cycling. Do not despair! Fixing this problem can be simple and relatively inexpensive. What You Can Check There are three simple things you can check to see if they are causing your furnace to keep turning off: Filter: Check to see if your air filter is clean. If your air filter is dirty, it will restrict the air flowing into your furnace, causing the heat exchanger to overheat. When the heat exchanger gets too hot, your furnace will turn off. Open the filter door and remove the filter. If it is covered in dust and dirt, go ahead and replace it. Replace your filter every two or three months during heating season. Thermostat: Make sure the thermostat is working properly. If your thermostat is functioning improperly, it will send wrong information to your heating system controls. Observe it while your furnace is operating. Look for anything that is odd. Make sure the batteries are fresh. Vents: Make sure all of your heat vents are open. Open all of the heat vents in your house or business....

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Are Furnaces Good for Your Health?

September 14, 2019

The furnace in your home is an intimate piece of equipment. It probably runs all through the winter months. Just the fact that it keeps your home warm and comfortable is a positive health benefit. Without it, you would be quite uncomfortable at the very least, and at the worst, you could become seriously ill. A furnace that has been in operation for many years can pose certain hazards. An older furnace typically has a pilot light and other components that can be dangerous to your health or personal safety if they are faulty. Possible issues include carbon monoxide poisoning and a higher risk of household fires. Old Furnaces and Carbon Monoxide The pilot lights in older furnaces usually have manual controls, and maladjustment can cause carbon monoxide production. Modern homes are built to be fairly airtight, so this gas could build up. The flame of a pilot light should be bright blue with a slight tinge of green and have a yellow tip. If the entire flame looks yellow and weak, it could indicate a problem. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and sometimes fatal. It kills over 200 people in the United States each year. It can also cause...

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Don’t Panic When Your Furnace Won’t Shut Down">Don’t Panic When Your Furnace Won’t Shut Down

March 10, 2019

If your furnace or heating system won’t shut down, you shouldn’t worry. You just need to set up a service call with your local heating company. In the meantime, there are ways to shut down the unit to avoid any further damage to your system. Why Won’t My System Turn Off? When your system is constantly running, this is a sign that something is wrong. There are several causes for this issue. One of the most common issues is the thermostat. The wiring, switches, or heating sensors can fail on your unit. If this is the case, then you’ll need to replace the thermostat with a newer model. A damaged primary controller can also cause the furnace to stay turned on. This is the main heating element of the system. If it stops functioning, then the furnace can’t regulate temperature. Your system may have another mechanical issue as well. A boiler system uses a check valve to warm your home through heated water sent through radiators. A properly functioning valve will circulate the water throughout the system. A faulty check valve could be the cause of this type of heating system to fail. If your heating system will not shut...

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Choosing the Best Heating System for Your Home

March 1, 2019

Whether you’re in the process of building a new home or you’re replacing an existing heating system and looking to explore your options, this type of project is a major investment. To take some of the confusion out of the process of choosing the best heating system for your home, let’s look at the three of the most common options for heating installations — furnaces, heat pumps and boilers — and some other factors that you’ll want to consider. Furnaces A common heating system used by homeowners in O’Fallon, MO, and the surrounding area is a furnace. This particular heating system works by delivering forced hot air throughout your house via ductwork and vents. Gas, oil, and electricity are the three main fuels a furnace could use. Annual fuel use efficiency percentage (AFUE) for a furnace is determined by the type of fuel it employs and how efficient the particular model is. The higher this rating, the greater your long-term savings potential will be. Heat Pumps and Boilers Heat pumps work by using outside air to heat your home during the winter months. If indoor air quality is a big concern for you because of allergies and other health issues,...

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How to Tell If You Need Furnace Repair

January 8, 2019

is a premier heating company in O’Fallon, and our technicians know that a well-maintained heating system can last for decades. However, there are those times when the system simply needs to be fixed, and that’s usually beyond the ability of the owner. How do you know when the time has arrived? The Furnace Simply Won’t Run If your furnace won’t come on even after the thermostat is reset and the circuit breaker is checked, you’ll probably require technical assistance. Sometimes, a furnace won’t respond because its motor is overheated. If you wait for several minutes, try to turn on the furnace again and it still won’t operate, it’s time to call in our team. You shouldn’t try to restart an oil furnace after the third try. Oil can build up in the combustion chamber and cause a flash. Energy Bills Keep Going Up As a furnace gets older, it gradually becomes less efficient. You can see this when you receive your monthly bill and the operating expenses keep going up even though you’re not using any more energy than usual. The Unit Keeps Cycling On and Off When a furnace keeps cycling on and off even after the filter and...

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What is Geothermal Heating?

December 27, 2018

Are you looking for a way to decrease your heating bills this winter? Hoff Heating & AC is proud to offer the greater O’Fallon, MO area with full-service geothermal heating equipment and services. Now is the perfect time to learn more about this cost-effective option that is also great for the environment! How Can Geothermal Heating Help to Improve Your Home? This heating technique harnesses the warmth of the sun and will immediately decrease your heating bills by 30% to 60% while decreasing the impact that you and your family have on the environment. Simply put, a geothermal system taps into the warm underground temperatures that remain close to a constant 50 degrees Fahrenheit all year long. If you dig about six feet underground you will find a nearly constant ambient temperature. A geothermal system takes advantage of these warm temperature levels by distributing a water-based solution through a closed-loop system that can provide the air and water heating in your home. Additionally, this process is also able to tackle cooling your home with the same device! Easy Maintenance and Upkeep These systems are easy to maintain and are incredibly effective once installation is complete. The closed-loop system will be...

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Should I Turn My Furnace Off When on Vacation?

November 28, 2018

As winter weather approaches and you gear up to take winter vacations and visit family for the holidays, you may be wondering if you can turn off your O’Fallen home’s furnace while you are away. While turning off your furnace while you are gone for several days may save the most money on your heating costs, you should never completely turn off your furnace during the winter due to the risk of returning home to frozen and burst pipes. Vacation Thermostat Settings for Heat Pumps and Electric Furnaces Home heating thermostats can be set as low as 55 degrees while you are away on vacation. This will keep your home above freezing and help prevent frozen plumbing pipes. However, reheating your home once you return from vacation can eliminate all of your savings due to the high cost of electricity. A better rule of thumb is to decrease your thermostat by three to four degrees prior to leaving for vacation. You’ll save between two and three percent on your home heating costs per degree, and you won’t eliminate your savings when you return home and reheat your home. Vacation Thermostat Settings for Gas and Oil Furnaces Gas and oil don’t...

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