Questions to Ask Your HVAC Technician During a Furnace Tune-up

November 20, 2022

Part of caring for the health of your HVAC system involves getting a furnace tune-up from an expert technician. Generally, you know that getting a furnace tune-up is helpful for your unit, but how much do you know about the actual process? Asking the technician questions can help you learn more about the specifics of a furnace tune-up. What Is Done During a Furnace Tune-up? A thorough furnace tune-up involves multiple steps on a checklist. After all, a furnace has dozens of components that need to work together to provide warmth in your home. A dependable HVAC technician is going to name several steps in answer to this question. Some of the tasks of a typical tune-up include cleaning the blower compartment, lubricating connections, and inspecting the wiring. The completion of all of these tasks contributes to ensuring the furnace operates with efficiency. Other tasks covered during a furnace tune-up: Testing the thermostat Inspecting the air filter Testing the voltage of electrical connections Inspecting the airflow If there are issues discovered during the tune-up, your technician will alert you right away so that you can address them promptly. At of O’Fallon, our professionals have the skills to handle any scope...

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9 Tips to Help You Conserve Heat This Winter

November 10, 2022

Keeping your home warm throughout the long, cold winter continues to get more and more costly. Thanks to rising energy prices, most people are looking for anything that may help to reduce their heating costs. To make this easier, here are some simple tips that can help you to conserve heat and save money on your energy bills this winter. 1. Schedule a Heating Tune-Up The importance of regular HVAC maintenance cannot be overstated. If you don’t have your furnace maintained every year, your heating system simply won’t be as effective and will produce less heat. This means that your furnace will need to run longer to heat your home and that your energy bills will be much higher. A heating tune-up can prevent this by cleaning and inspecting your entire heating system to ensure it is functioning at full efficiency and effectiveness. In this way, your home will stay warmer, and your heating system won’t need to run as long. 2. Keep Vents Clear and Unobstructed This is another one that won’t necessarily conserve heat, but it will ensure that your heating system is working effectively. Any furniture in front of or over your vents will block the airflow...

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The Importance of BTUs for HVAC Equipment

October 18, 2022

The last time you took a trip through your local home and hardware store, you likely saw a number of air conditioners and heaters for sale. Any homeowner in O’Fallon, Missouri can purchase their own HVAC equipment. However, this doesn’t mean that they should. There are a number of important factors to consider when choosing and installing heating and cooling systems. If you buy the wrong unit for your home, you could be throwing money down the drain. This is especially true when it comes to system BTUs or British Thermal Units. BTUs determine how much heating and cooling power HVAC equipment has. Read on to find out why BTUs are so important and how getting a unit with the wrong BTUs could make your life unnecessarily challenging. What BTUs Are BTUs are a measurement of energy. They’re used to denote the power of heating and air conditioning systems all throughout the United States. Much like inches, pounds, ounces, and even degrees Fahrenheit, BTUs are part of the typical measuring system. However, despite their name, BTUs aren’t commonly used to express the heating and cooling capabilities of HVAC systems in the UK, where the metric system is the standard. A...

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Advantages of Getting a Fall Tune-Up for Your Furnace

October 10, 2022

When the weather gets a little cooler, homeowners are forced to turn on their furnaces to keep their homes comfortable. Waiting until the last minute to schedule a furnace tune-up might be increasing the chances of a furnace breakdown. A furnace tune-up can help improve your home’s comfort and energy efficiency, and it can help prevent costly repairs down the road. Here are the benefits of getting a fall tune-up for your furnace. Reduces Emergency Breakdown Risks Before the temperatures drop, you should schedule a tune-up for your furnace. Although it may seem like an unnecessary expense, it is actually of great benefit. One of these essential benefits is that it reduces the risk of an emergency breakdown. Over time, like other machines, furnace systems undergo wear and tear, increasing the chances of an unpredictable breakdown. With a tune-up, any potential problems with your furnace will be discovered and fixed before they have a chance to cause a breakdown when you need the furnace the most. This can save you a lot of money, hassle in the end, and ensure the efficiency of your system. Increasing the Lifespan of the Furnace One of the best things you can do for...

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Does My HVAC Motor Need to Be Replaced?

September 19, 2022

The last thing you want is your AC system to fail you during the summer. You want your HVAC blower motor to be working in peak condition. However, several factors can lead to the HVAC system becoming ineffective. Often, these are minor issues that our technicians at can quickly fix. At other times, they are more complicated issues that require major components be replaced, such as your blower motor. The blower motor is a critical component of your HVAC system. If it’s not working correctly, it will negatively impact the air quality of your home. The following tips can help you decide if it’s time to replace the motor in your HVAC system. What Is Your AC Blower Motor? The blower motor is a component of your air conditioning system that blows cooled air through the vents in your house. The cool air your air conditioner creates is circulated through your ductwork throughout the indoor space. The blower motor ensures that your home’s temperature reaches the level indicated by the thermostat. This is accomplished via a spinning fan that forces air through the ducts and vents in your home. The speed of your blower motor is controlled by its resistor....

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R-22 vs R-410A: Is There a Difference?

September 13, 2022

Older AC systems used to use R-22, whereas nowadays air conditioners use R-410A. Both of these chemicals are refrigerants, which is what AC systems use to absorb heat. The use of R-22 has been almost completely banned, and R-410A is also about to be phased out. To understand why this is, let’s look at how these chemicals work and the differences between R-22, R-410A and other refrigerants. Understanding the Importance of Refrigerant to Your AC System Whether it is R-22, R-410A or another refrigerant, these chemicals are what allow your AC system to cool your home. Air conditioners use a process known as heat transfer to capture heat from the air inside your home. The heat transfer process also works to allow the AC condenser to disperse this heat back outside. Due to the laws of physics, heat energy naturally flows to any areas or surfaces that are at a lower temperature. To cool your home, your AC compresses a gas refrigerant into a liquid. This releases any heat and instantly cools the refrigerant. Inside your home is an evaporator coil, which is filled with this cold refrigerant. Since the air being drawn into the system is hotter than the...

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Benefits of New Ductwork Installation

August 17, 2022

Is it time to replace the ductwork system in your home? Air ducts tend to be easily forgotten by homeowners when caring for the HVAC units. Ductwork is a significant component of a HVAC system because without the air ducts, the HVAC unit would be incapable of transferring conditioned air from one room to another within your home. Signs That You Need to Replace Your Home’s Ductwork Air ducts are often forgotten because of their hidden placement, which may result into many problems for your HVAC system. How will you know when to replace your air ducts instead of repairing them? Keep reading for signs that you need to replace the ductwork in your home. Air Ducts Are More Than 10 Years Old With proper care, air ducts can last for more than 10 years just like HVAC units. However, as more time passes, the air ducts become more susceptible to damage, especially the seals and joints. If the ductwork in your home is more than 10 years old, then it is likely experiencing deterioration and will need replacing sooner than later. Poor Air Flow in Your Home Poor airflow in your home may be a result of clogged, damaged,...

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What to Know About AC Servicing: Timing, Frequency, and Maintenance Tasks

August 10, 2022

Even if you purchased the highest-rated AC unit on the market, it will require service at some point. Otherwise, the quality of its performance decreases as it struggles to function well enough to keep you and your family comfortable. The result is durability issues and poor energy efficiency that can cost you more long-term. The harder the unit works, the higher your electricity bill. Alternately, maintaining your AC unit helps to keep the system running smoothly year after year. The question becomes how often should you have your air conditioner serviced? Some experts recommend yearly checkups. Others recommend having your AC unit serviced every six months. Regardless of the frequency, there are common maintenance standards to improve efficiency. Benefits of Regular AC Unit Service There are many benefits to scheduling regular maintenance for your AC unit. For one, you will enjoy utility bill savings. An air conditioner that performs properly improves the cooling of your home. The reduction of energy consumption translates to reduced power rates and a lower utility bill. You will also enjoy repair bill savings. Since your AC could stop working at any time, regular checkups let you know of any issues with parts or system functions...

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How to Help Your AC Perform at Its Best

July 20, 2022

It’s no secret that an efficient air conditioner is crucial during hot days. When your AC isn’t functioning properly, your home’s air isn’t the only thing that suffers. The energy bill takes a hit, too. Before tackling the ways to fix this problem, here are some things to look for when determining your AC’s performance. Your Unit Cycles Too Often An AC that’s functioning properly should have fairly set schedules of running and turning off. If your unit seems to turn on and off too quickly, there may be a problem with your thermostat. If your thermostat isn’t reacting to the temperature changes correctly, it will tell the AC the wrong information about when and how long to run. The Compressor Has Ice on It A leak in your AC’s coolant line is the most common cause of ice buildup on the unit. Another potential cause is a dirty filter. If there’s ice on the AC’s compressor, you can be certain it isn’t functioning properly. It’s best to call an HVAC professional to get the matter handled. Strange Sounds Although your AC will make certain sounds when functioning normally, sounds that are loud or unusual suggest something isn’t right. If...

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Air Conditioning and Humidity in Your Home

July 15, 2022

If you’ve noticed that your home feels sticky or damp, you may be experiencing high humidity levels. High humidity levels can be caused by a few different things, including the weather, but if your home feels muggy, it’s a good idea to make sure that your air conditioning system is running properly and working the way it should be. High humidity levels in the home can often be a sign that your air conditioning system is failing. Can an AC System Cause High Humidity Levels? Generally, air conditioning systems should help to dehumidify your home, as opposed to increasing humidity in the home. If your home feels stickier or more humid than normal, it could be a sign that a key component of the system has failed or that the air conditioning unit isn’t working efficiently. Most air conditioning systems work by pushing warm air over a series of coils located in the main air conditioning unit. These coils quickly cool the air, and that air is brought back into the home through vents, fans, and ducts, cooling each room to the proper temperature. As the warm air passes over the coils and cools, water vapor in the air also...

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