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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Careers in the HVAC Industry

October 2, 2018

There are numerous careers in the HVAC industry. These range from well-known options such as working as an HVAC technician to obtaining a job in a specialized, eco-friendly HVAC field. Following are some job choices you may want to consider if you are interested in this field. HVAC Technician HVAC Technicians are the ones who handle day to day HVAC maintenance, repair, and replacement jobs. These dedicated individuals may specialize in handling residential work, commercial work or both. They can be found in homes, businesses and on construction sites. The best HVAC technicians are the ones with NATE certification. This certification shows a technician is both experienced and qualified to handle certain jobs. HVAC Engineers HVAC engineers are often in charge of supervising one or more teams of HVAC technicians. These individuals make sure new HVAC systems are properly installed and running well. Alternatively, an HVAC engineer may work at an HVAC manufacturing plant, evaluating new HVAC systems and designs to find ways to improve system efficiency and performance. Solar and Wind Turbine Technicians As solar and wind power continues to grow in popularity, a growing number of HVAC technicians are learning how to work with these forms of energy....

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The Dangers of Not Getting Your AC Fixed

August 7, 2018

When the hot weather hits, we all want to switch on our air conditioners and enjoy the cool breeze in our homes. However, if you didn’t service your AC unit in spring, you might be facing a bigger problem. You might turn on your thermostat and discover that your AC unit doesn’t seem to be working properly. Maybe it is shutting off intermittently, making strange noises or not cooling your home at all. Although you know that you need to call an expert to inspect your unit, you might be tempted to ignore the problem and leave your AC running anyway. But, you need to be aware that doing so could put your entire home at risk. Here are some of the dangers of not getting your AC fixed. Air Pollution Typically a dirt air conditioner could be blowing all kinds of pollutants and allergens into your home and posing a significant health risk. You need to remember the fact that low indoor air quality exposes you and your entire family to high concentrations of harmful chemicals. This exposure could damage your respiratory system and cause other illness, especially in young children. In fact, a faulty AC unit is much...

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Should I Turn My AC Off When I’m on Vacation?

July 9, 2018

If you regularly use air conditioning in your home to reduce the temperature, you may wonder what to do about the cooling when you are expected to be away for an extended amount of time. Should you keep your AC turned on when you will not be around for several days or is it better to turn it off? Here are some tips to keep in mind to help you make your decision. Consider The Humidity Level If your home is prone to humidity problems when the air conditioning is turned off, leaving it on when you are away is best. This will help to remove moisture from the air, keeping the interior of your home from becoming musty. Humidity could also lead to odors in the home, peeling paint, and mold. Leaving the air conditioning on will alleviate these problems, helping to keep your personal space in the best of condition so you do not need to tend to any repair work or cleanup sessions upon your return. Think About Any Pets In The House If you have pets being cared for by a friend or family member in your absence, the need to keep your AC on will...

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The Importance of an AC Unit

June 6, 2018

Have you been thinking about installing an AC unit in your home or office? Are you wondering if this is a necessary expense? Air conditioners are designed to provide a wide range of purposes, and this makes them extremely essential in the workplace or home. But do you really need to have an AC unit? This article will outline several reasons why an AC unit is essential: Improves Air Quality Air conditioners are designed to maintain the perfect level of temperature and moisture and improve air quality. When you have an air conditioner, the air that will be circulated in your home will be filtered and clean. Clean air is free from excess dust, dirt particles, and bacteria that often come into your living or work space through the windows and doors. Filtered air creates a cleaner, healthier environment that’s ideal for your entire family or commercial environment where your employees spend many hours working. Everyone who suffers from asthma or allergies will be more comfortable since irritants that trigger attacks have been minimized. Enhances Human Efficiency If you have an AC unit in your home or office, human efficiency increases drastically. This is because air conditioning creates comfortable atmospheric...

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Why Is Humidity Control Important?

June 6, 2018

Humidity control is important because if you aren’t careful you can have higher than necessary energy bills. Humidity helps control the “feels like temperature,” and can make the actual temperature feel much hotter than it truly is. When humidity builds up in the home, or when there is not enough humidity, it can cause other problems, which makes it even more important to control. Comfort Controlling humidity will allow you to be more comfortable. In a room that is too humid, the body can’t evaporate perspiration. In a room that has low humidity in the winter, there is more perspiration that evaporates, leaving you feeling colder than you should. Health High humidity levels can cause mold spores to thrive and lead to health problems. The opposite, which is overly dry air, can cause sore throats and dry, cracked lips. Viruses thrive in low humidity, which means that your family members are more likely to catch colds and the flu. Dry air can make allergies and asthma worse. Home Damage Dry air can cause damage to your home, with your wood floors splitting and your furniture deteriorating. Paint and plaster can crack with low humidity levels. With high humidity, wood flooring...

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How Does Upgrading Your AC Unit Actually Save You Money?

May 29, 2018

When it comes to the overall cost of an air conditioning unit there are a few different things to consider. For starters, ac units can cost thousands of dollars if you are putting in a new system but it can also save you money. How can replacing your ac unit help save money? Lower Energy Bills Older units take more electricity to run in most cases due to the fact that they are not using energy smart technology. This means that your older unit may be driving up the cost of cooling your home each season because it has to work harder to cool your home. If you replace with a newer, energy smart air conditioning unit you can cut your bill up to half and save money on necessary cooling costs. Lower Maintenance Costs Another way that replacing your unit can save you money is in maintenance costs. As your unit ages, it is going to need more frequent repairs, the parts are going to become harder and harder to find, and you are likely going to have to call out a technician more often to repair it resulting in high fees. For the most part, newer units need...

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How Can An Energy Efficient AC Unit Save You Money?

March 15, 2018

Do you always get a sticker shock when you get your monthly energy bill? Regardless of what your financial position looks like, paying high bills is about as much fun as going for a root canal. If saving some cash sparks your interest, here is how switching to energy efficient AC unit will save you money. The energy efficiency of an AC system is measured by the SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). It is the ratio of the cooling output (in BTU) of an A/C divided by the energy consumed in Watt-Hours. Typically, all central AC units should have a SEER rating of 13, and be Energy Star certified at 14.5 or higher. The higher the rating, the more efficient a unit is. When you upgrade your unit from old air conditioner to a modern, more efficient model, you will potentially save a lot of energy and money. For instance, if your older unit had a SEER rating of 9, and you upgrade it to a SEER 13 (the lowest efficiency available), you will reduce your energy bill by about 28%. That means you will save up to $300 per year, depending on the cost of electricity and your...

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