Chicago HVAC News

Now that the temperatures are getting colder, it is time to turn the furnace on. That also means it is time to consider any kind of maintenance that needs done to your furnace. Most of the stuff I don’t know a whole lot about, but I do know about filters.

Replacing the filter in the furnace is extremely important. The filter’s job is to collect little particles of stuff in the air before it gets pushed into the rest of the house. All of these little particles accumulate on the filter and eventually build-up. The air that is being heated by the furnace is blown into the filter (and the build-up) and into the rest of the house. If there is enough build-up on the filter, the furnace is going to run longer than it needs to just because that air can’t flow freely into the house to heat it up. This is why it is so important to replace your filter regularly.

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In order to maintain a good operating domestic boiler, it is widely accepted that periodic servicing is not only required but actually makes a lot of economic sense, as it reduces breakdown and downtime. As a reminder, one can use the service interval time controls to ensure the maintenance is carried out in a timely fashion.

Recently the talk about replacing old and inefficient boilers has grabbed many headlines. New boilers were praised as more economical and much less polluting. However, there was very little attention given to the importance of keeping these boilers in good operating order through periodic maintenance.

It important to ensure your domestic boiler and central heating system is kept in good condition through periodic servicing, which provides the following benefits:

* Ensure that performance is kept stable and reliable even at peak demand levels. This way, the boiler is efficient and economical throughout the year (both at low and high load times).

* Ensure that as a landlord or property owner, you keep within the law which requires you to maintain the boiler and the central heating system in good operating condition.

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On November 6, 2008, the Massachusetts Board of Boiler Rules commemorated 100 years of service today.
A March 1905 steam boiler explosion sparked the board’s creation. Fifty six people were killed on the spot; two others died within days and another 150 suffered serious injuries after a steam boiler exploded at the R.B.Grover & Company shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts. This incident brought Massachusetts lawmakers, boiler inspectors and boiler manufacturers together to take action and reduce the likelihood that this would happen again. Two years of legislative work brought about a framework that would become the first – and to this day, the strongest – legal entity to regulate boiler manufacture, repair, and maintenance in the entire nation: the Massachusetts Board of Boiler Rules. (excerpt taken from the 2005 National Board Bulletin)

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A properly maintained heating system is likely to work better and last longer. It can also save your life: Malfunctioning systems increase the risk of carbon-monoxide (CO) poisoning and cause some 6,000 fires and $47 million in property damage each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The best time to check your system is before you turn it on. Simple steps include changing or cleaning furnace filters and dusting heat registers or baseboard radiators. Older systems might require blower-motor or water-pump lubrication. Replace batteries in digital thermostats and CO alarms and smoke alarms. Then hire a pro for an annual checkup.

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Most houses with forced-air furnaces have a standard furnace filter made from loosely woven spun-glass fibers designed to keep it and its ductwork clean. Unfortunately, they don’t improve indoor air quality. That takes a media filter, which sits in between the main return duct and the blower cabinet. Made of a deeply pleated, paper-like material, media filters are at least seven times better than a standard filter at removing dust and other particles. An upgrade to a pleated media filter will cleanse the air of everything from insecticide dust to flu viruses.

Compressed, media filters are usually no wider than six inches, but the pleated material can cover up to 75 square feet when stretched out. This increased area of filtration accounts for the filter’s long life, which can exceed two years. The only drawback to a media filter is its tight weave, which can restrict a furnace’s ability to blow air through the house. To insure a steady, strong airflow through the house, choose a filter that matches your blower’s capacity.

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Tuning up the distribution side of a forced-air system starts with the blower. The axle should be lubricated; blades cleaned and lower motor checked to insure the unit isn’t being overloaded. The fan belt should be adjusted so it deflects no more than an inch when pressed. Every accessible joint in the ductwork should be sealed with mastic or UL-approved duct tapes. Any ducts that run outside the heated space should be insulated. On a hot-water system, the expansion tank should be drained, the circulating pump cleaned and lubricated and air bled out of the radiators.

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Heat pumps and oil-fired furnaces and boilers need a yearly professional tune-up. Gas-fired equipment burns cleaner; it should be serviced every other year.

Step 1
A close inspection will uncover leaks, soot, rust, rot, corroded electrical contacts and frayed wires. In furnace (forced-air) and boiler (hot-water) systems, the inspection should also cover the chimney, ductwork or pipes, dampers or valves, blower or pump, registers or radiators, the fuel line and the gas meter or oil tank, as well as every part of the furnace or boiler itself.

Step 2
Next, the system should be run through a full heating cycle to ensure that it has plenty of combustion air and chimney draft. Contractors use smoke pencils to check for sufficient draft and also test the air for carbon monoxide.

Step 3
Finally, it’s time for the down and dirty task of cleaning the burner and heat exchanger to remove soot and other gunk that can impede smooth operation. For the burner, efficiency hinges on adjusting the flame to the right size and color, adjusting the flow of gas or changing the fuel filter in an oil-fired system. A check of the heat pump should include an inspection of the compressor, fan, indoor and outdoor coils and refrigerant lines. Indoor and outdoor coils should be cleaned, and the refrigerant pressure should be checked. Low pressure indicates a leak; to locate it, contractors feed tinted refrigerant into the loop and go over it with an electronic detector.

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Hot water and steam systems work similarly, but neither are typically installed in newer homes. However, because both are still in existing homes, here are some maintenance tips for them.

Because water retains heat, it is used to store and distribute heat in home systems. There are two types of hot water systems: the gravity system and the hydronic or forced hot water type. Hot water heating systems can be powered by gas, oil, or electricity. Gravity systems depend on the upward flow of hot water to circulate heated water from the boiler through a system of pipes to radiators in the rooms of your home. The better radiators for hot water systems are called convectors. These units employ a series of fans to disperse the heat.

The heat from the water in the radiators or convectors is transferred first to the metal radiators and then to the air. As the water loses its heat, it sinks and flows back to the boiler through return pipes. Most gravity systems heat the water to no more than about 180 degrees Farenheit, and cooled water that goes back to the boiler rarely falls below 120 degrees Farenheit.

Hydronic hot water systems use a motor-driven pump to move the hot water.

Open gravity systems have an overflow outlet to let water escape; this prevents a buildup of excess pressure in the system. Closed systems have a sealed expansion tank; when water pressure builds up in the system, the excess water flows into the expansion tank to prevent damage to the pipes or the boiler. Hydronic hot water systems are much like closed gravity systems, except a hydronic system uses a motor-driven circulating pump to move the water. As a result, water in a hydronic system moves more rapidly and arrives at the room radiator with less heat loss than water in a gravity system.

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It’s important to replace the filters and clean and lubricate the components of a heat pump on a regular basis. But heat pumps, like central air conditioners, have an outdoor unit that contains a compressor, a coil, a fan, and other components. To function properly, this unit should be kept free of debris such as leaves and dirt. The unit should be level on its concrete support pad.

Clean pine needles, leaves, and dirt out of updraft fans by removing the grille, which is held to the frame by a series of retaining screws. Make sure the power to the unit is off before tackling this type of cleaning. A vacuum cleaner hose can sometimes be inserted between the fan blades to remove debris from the sides and bottom of the unit.At the beginning of each heating season, set a carpenters’ level across the top of the metal cabinet and check the level from side to side and from front to back. If the unit is no longer level on the pad, lift the pad back to level by prying it up with a pry bar or a piece of 2-by-4. Build up the ground under it with stone or crushed rock. Also check the piping insulation for deterioration. If this insulation is faulty, replace it with new insulation, available at heating supply stores. Installation instructions are usually provided by the manufacturer.

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A heat pump not only heats your home during the winter, it also cools it during the summer. It does not burn fuel to produce heat nor does the electricity it consumes go through an element. The heat pump functions on the same principle as refrigerators and air conditioners: A liquid absorbs heat as it turns into a gas and releases heat as it returns to a liquid state.

During the summer, the heat pump operates as a standard central air conditioner: It removes heat from the house and vents it to the outside. A liquid refrigerant is pumped through an evaporator coil of tubing. The liquid expands as it moves through the coil, changing to its gaseous state as it absorbs heat from the air surrounding the coil.A blower then pushes air around the cooled coil through ducts and into the house. The gas, now carrying considerable heat, moves through a compressor and begins the liquefying process. It then moves to a condensor coil outside the house, where the compressed gas releases its heat and returns to a liquid state.

During the winter, the heat pump reverses this process, extracting heat from the cold air outside and releasing it inside the house. The heat pump is very efficient when the outside temperature is around 45 degrees Farenheit to 50 degrees Farenheit, but it becomes less efficient as the temperature drops. When the outside air temperature is very low, an auxilery electric heater must be used to supplement the heat pump’s output.

Like standard electric heating systems, this auxilery unit is more expensive to operate. Thus, in areas where the winter temperature is below freezing, a heat pump is not practical. It has few advantages over conventional heating systems in areas where air conditioning is not necessary, but it is very efficient in warm to hot climates.

Heat pump maintenance is important. Small problems that are not addressed early can lead to very expensive compressor problems later. And since maintaining a heat pump is more technical than caring for the average heating system, you should call a professional service person when the pump malfunctions. You can, however, keep the system free of dirt by keeping the filter clean and by removing any other obstacles to the flow of air.

Proper outdoor maintenance of a heat pump is also important.

Although an electric heating system does have advantages, its operating cost generally makes it less desirable than any of the other furnace systems available today. The high cost means that minimizing heat loss caused by improperly installed ducts or inadequate insulation is even more important than with other types of systems.
For maximum energy efficiency, have a professional service person clean and adjust your electric furnace every year before the beginning of the heating season. Do not attempt any repairs to the heating elements, electrical connections, relays, transformers, or similar components of an electric furnace; repairs to these components must be made by a professional service person.
The controls of an electric furnace may be mounted on the surface of the housing or installed behind an access panel on the front of the furnace. The access panel may be slip-fit on hooks fastened to the furnace housing with a series of sheet-metal screws. To remove the access panel to the blower, filter, and blower motor, slip the panel up off hooks or remove a series of sheet-metal screws.

Fuses

Electric furnaces are fused at a building’s main electrical service entrance. Many electric furnaces are on separate circuits, sometimes located in a separate fuse box away from the main panel. The heating elements of the furnace are also fused, and these fuses are located on a panel that is on or inside the furnace housing.

If changing the fuses or resetting the breakers does not restore power to the furnace, call a professional service person. Do not attempt to repair heating elements, the transformer, heating relays, or power relays. Repairs to these components must be made by a professional service person.

Now that we’ve run the entire furnace gamut, your home should be nice and toasty all winter long. Though major furnace repairs to a furnace are best left to a professional, you should be able keep those house calls to a minimum with our maintenance tips.

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The thermostat, a heat-sensitive switch, is the basic control that regulates the temperature of your home.

It responds to changes in the temperature of the air where it is located and turns the furnace or air conditioner on or off as needed to maintain the temperature at a set level, called the set point. The key component of the thermostat is a bimetallic element that expands or contracts as the temperature increases or decreases in a house.Older thermostats have two exposed contacts. As the temperature drops, a bimetallic strip bends, making first one electrical contact and then another. The system is fully activated when the second contact closes, turning on the heating system and the anticipator on the thermostat. The anticipator heats the bimetallic element, causing it to bend and break the second electrical contact. The first contact is not yet broken, however, and the heater keeps running until the temperature rises above the setting on the thermostat.

More modern thermostats have coiled bimetallic strip elements, and the contacts are sealed behind glass to protect them from dirt. As the temperature drops, the bimetallic elements start to uncoil. The force exerted by the uncoiling of the elements separates a stationary steel bar from a magnet at the end of the coil. The magnet comes down close to the glass-enclosed contact, pulls up on the contact arm inside the tube, and causes the contacts to close, completing the electrical circuit and turning on the heater and the anticipator. As the air in the room heats up, the coil starts to rewind and breaks the hold of the magnet on the contact arm. The arm drops, breaks the circuit, and turns off the system. As this point, the magnet moves back up to the stationary bar, keeping the contacts open and the heater turned off until the room cools down again.

The latest heat and air-conditioning controls use solid-state electronics for controlling the air temperature. They are typically more accurate and more responsive than older systems. However, repair to solid-state controls usually means replacement.

Understanding how the heating and cooling systems function in your home will help you head off problems before they become too serious.

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Heating systems are usually trouble-free and easy to maintain. Efficient operation is a function of good regular maintenance. No matter what type of furnace you have, there are several things you can do to keep your heating system in top condition. In this article, we will tell you how to service and troubleshoot your furnace, regardless of the type.

When a heating or cooling system malfunctions, any one of its three components — heat/cold source, distribution system, or thermostat — may be causing the problem. If the furnace or air conditioner doesn’t run, the malfunction is probably at the source. The furnace or air conditioner may have lost power. Fuel may not be reaching the unit. If the fuel is gas or oil, it may not be igniting. If the furnace or air conditioner turns on but the warm or cool air isn’t reaching the rooms of your home, the problem is likely to be the blower or distribution system. And a faulty control, or thermostat, could keep the system from turning on or could cause it to turn on and off repeatedly. Whatever the problem, start with the simplest procedures. In most cases, all it takes is patience and common sense.Before you start work on a heating or cooling system, take these preliminary steps:

* Make sure the unit is receiving power. Look for blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers at the main entrance panel. Some furnaces have a separate power entrance, usually located at a different panel near the main entrance panel. Some furnaces have fuses mounted in or on the unit.
* If the unit has a reset button, marked RESET and near the motor housing, wait 30 minutes to let the motor cool, then press the button. If the unit still doesn’t start, wait 30 minutes and press the reset button again. Repeat at least once more.
* If the unit has a separate power switch, make sure the switch is turned on.
* Check to make sure the thermostat is properly set. If necessary, raise (or, for an air conditioner, lower) the setting 5º.
* If the unit uses gas, check to make sure the gas supply is turned on and the pilot light is lit. If it uses oil, check to make sure there is an adequate supply of oil.

There are also several important safety factors to remember:

* Before doing any work on any type of heating or cooling system, make sure all power to the system is turned off. At the main electrical entrance panel, trip the circuit breaker or remove the fuse that controls the power to the unit. If you’re not sure which circuit the system is on, remove the main fuse or trip the main circuit breaker to cut off all power to the house. Some furnaces have a separate power entrance, usually at a different panel near the main entrance panel. If a separate panel is present, remove the fuse or trip the breaker there.
* If the fuse blows or the circuit trips repeatedly when the furnace or air conditioner turns on, there is a problem in the electrical system. In this case, do not try to fix the furnace. Call a professional service person.
* If the unit uses gas and there is a smell of gas in your home, do not try to shut off the gas or turn any lights on or off. Get out of the house, leaving the door open, and immediately call the gas company or the fire department to report a leak. Do not reenter your home.
* To keep your heating and cooling systems in top shape, have them professionally serviced once a year. The best time to have a furnace serviced is at the end of the heating season. Because this is the off-season, you can often get a discount, and service is likely to be prompt. Have your air conditioner checked at the same time.

The heat/cold source is the most complicated part of the heating and cooling system, and it’s the part most likely to suffer from neglect. Problems in this area may also lead to distribution problems. Whatever heat/cold source your system uses, give it regular attention to prevent problems.

Dirt is the biggest enemy of your home’s heating and cooling system. It can waste fuel and drastically lower efficiency. Dirt affects all three basic components of the system, so cleaning is the most important part of regular maintenance. Lubrication and belt adjustment at the furnace are also important.

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A thermostat is a highly sensitive control instrument that responds to even the slightest changes in temperature. While it has fewer parts to malfunction than the other components of your heating and cooling system, it can be a source of problems.

What You’ll Need
You’ll want to have these tools on hand to check a thermostat’s calibration:

* Glass tube thermometer
* Tape
* Paper towel
* New dollar bill or soft brush
* Level
* Screwdriver

A thermostat cover that’s improperly installed or inadvertently bumped can cause the heater or air conditioner to fail to start. Or the thermostat base may slip out of level, causing it to operate incorrectly. A far more common problem, however, is dirt. Dirt can affect the thermostat’s calibration and interfere with its operation. If a thermostat set for 70 degrees Farenheit, for example, is really maintaining the temperature at 73 degrees Farenheit, the additional energy used can increase your fuel bill by as much as 7 percent. To prevent this, check your thermostat for accuracy every year before the heating season begins.Other problems with a thermostat can often be traced to switches on the base and wires near the bimetallic element that loosen and become corroded. Tighten loose connections with a screwdriver, and use a cotton swab to clean away corrosion.

Checking Thermostat’s Calibration

Here’s how to check a thermostat’s accuracy and clean it if necessary:

Step 1: Tape glass tube thermometer to wall a few inches away from thermostat. Pad thermometer with paper towel to prevent it from touching wall. Make sure neither thermometer nor thermostat is affected by any outside temperature influences. In some homes, hole in wall behind thermostat through which wires enter is too large, allowing cold air to reach thermostat and affect its reading.

Step 2: Wait about 15 minutes for mercury to stabilize. Then compare reading on thermometer with reading of thermostat needle.

Step 3: If variation is more than a degree, check to see if thermostat is dirty. To examine thermostat, remove faceplate, usually held by a snap or friction catch. Blow away any dust inside it. Do not use a vacuum cleaner; its suction is too great. If thermostat has accessible contact points, rub new dollar bill between them to clean these spots. Do not use sandpaper or emery cloth. If element is coiled, use soft brush for cleaning.

Step 4: If thermostat has mercury vial inside, use level to make sure unit is straight. If thermostat is not straight, loosen mounting screws and adjust thermostat until it is level. Then retighten screws.

Step 5: After cleaning thermostat, check it again with glass thermometer, as detailed in Steps 1 and 2. If thermostat is still not calibrated properly, it should be replaced as detailed below.

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The very best idea for central heating maintenance is to have a service professional out to give your system a checkup. HVAC contractors regularly handle these exact tasks, and they can provide you with a thorough check of your system and ensure that it will run effectively all winter.

Listed below are a few steps you can follow to help your unit run properly.
Before the first frost, test you heater to see if it runs. Contact a professional if you don’t feel any warm air coming from the vents.

Check the pilot light if you have a natural gas system. The flame should always be clear blue. A yellow or orange flame could be a sign of a problem.

Always change your furnace filters each year. Dirty filters cause the unit to work harder to push the warm air through the filter, causing your unit to run less than efficiently and possibly break down.

As with air conditioning, make sure there are no drapes, furniture, or plants blocking the vents. Proper flow of air from the vents will ensure that the heat coming from the system will get out into all the spaces that need it

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OK Kids are about to get back to school.

With outside temps starting to dip into the 50s at night it will soon be heating season. Are you ready to warm things up in your house? Ok this may be too soon, but it is never too early to insure that your heating system is in top shape.

OK so how does heating your house have anything to do with being green?

Heating efficiency has everything to do with being green. Losing heat out the chimney wastes energy. Losing heat out through the walls and ceiling is also wasteful. Using an electric heater…well you get the drift.
There are things you can do now that will save you on energy costs over the winters.

Before it gets too cold are your windows sealed properly? I had new energy efficient windows installed two years ago. I noticed some needed to have the caulking fixed. Anyone can perform this easy repair and caulking is cheap. Of course be careful on the ladder for those high up windows.

Is your house insulated properly? In some cases you can do this yourself. Especially up in the attic. Getting a professional opinion for outside walls that have little to no insulation may be well worth in the long run.

How about your forced air furnace? Have you replaced the filter? This should be done at least once per year. At best twice per year. Especially if it is a long hard heating season like it was last year in upstate NY.

Let’s not forget the furnace cleaning. I have a maintenance contract that includes an annual cleaning. This keeps the furnace running in top form. When they clean the furnace they also can usually spot trouble before it starts.

Insulated and efficient: How’s that for being green.