Envirotech Air Quality Services Blog : Archive for January, 2014

Is My System Worth the Cost of Heating Repair?

Monday, January 27th, 2014

“To repair or not to repair, that is the question.” When a heating system has been in service long enough, it will begin to wear down and require more repairs. At a certain point, a homeowner will have to confront whether further repairs are a cost-effective way of continuing to receive heat, or if the better route is to replace the heater with a new system.

The answer to that question will vary for every homeowner. We will give you some guideposts for making the decision. However, you shouldn’t make the choice without personal input from heating and cooling experts. The next time you call for heating repair in Wellington, FL, ask your technician about your heater’s performance and if replacement might be more economical. At Envirotech Air Quality Services, we promise to give you honest answers, and then provide you whatever service will give you the best home comfort possible.

When are repairs no longer worth it?

Different types of heating systems have different life expectancies. Heat pumps in general last fewer years than a furnace, and among furnaces electric models tend to last longer than natural gas models. The manufacturer sets an expected lifespan for each model, so check that number to see if your heater has met or exceeded it.

In general, if a heater has gone past its expected lifetime, replacement is a good option. The heater has already provided you with an excellent return on your initial investment, and it has reached a point where it will deteriorate faster, require more repairs, and perform less efficiently. Most worrying: it might break down on a day when you really need it. Look into your repair bills as well as your heating bills to see if they’ve increased over the last two years; if they have, it’s a good time for a replacement.

For new heating systems, you should consider replacement if the heater requires repeated repairs even though it receives regular maintenance. If the heater hasn’t received regular maintenance, then repair is probably the right option.

Deciding to replace a heater is a big move, even if your current heating system is getting on in years. Since you will eventually need professional installers for the job, have them examine your heater to help you with the choice and see if you can still receive value with further repairs.

Envirotech Air Quality Services has brought quality heating repair to Wellington, FL and all of South Florida since 1987. You can trust our expertise and installation work when you think it’s time to leave repairs behind and look forward to a new heater.

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Ways You May Be Wasting Money on Your Heating Bills

Monday, January 20th, 2014

When it comes to heating, Lake Worth FL residents usually don’t pay it whole lot of attention.  We worry more about our summers than our winters here in Florida, and air conditioning bills tend to concern us more than heating bills. That may lead some homeowners to pay less attention to their heating systems than they should. If you’re not careful, those heating bills can creep up higher than necessary, a situation you can rectify with a little foresight. There are a few obvious steps, such as lowering the thermostat by a few degrees and dressing warmly when you’re at home.

Here are some more subtle ways you may be wasting money on heating in Lake Worth, FL:

  • Turning the heat way up. Some people make the erroneous assumption that setting the temperature higher than you need will cause the house to warm up more quickly. This isn’t true. With most systems, the fan blows at the same speed regardless of the temperature, and setting the temperature too high just wastes energy.
  • Air leaks. Cracks around your doors and windows can leak hot air, and an overall lack of insulation could hurt you a great deal. Add more insulation if you can and seal cracks around your doors with weather stripping.
  • General inefficiency. Heaters that accrue dust and debris, and/or have lose or worn fittings won’t function as efficiently as they should. Components will rattle in their housing, friction will increase on moving parts, and the system as a whole will need to spend more energy doing its job. A regular maintenance visit will help cut down on all of that: allowing the technician to clean up those little problems and lower your heating bills as a result.

If you recognize these ways you may be wasting money on heating in Lake Worth, FL, call on the experts at Envirotech Air Quality Services to help.  Pick up the phone and give us a call today!

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Why Your Heat Pump Will Only Blow Cold Air

Monday, January 13th, 2014

When you have a heat pump installed in your Florida home, you do it because you want both heating and cooling for year-round comfort. If your heat pump starts to fail to do one of its two jobs—such as blowing only cold air during a time when you need heating—then you may have a serious problem with the unit that will require repairs from heat pump specialists.

We’ll go through some of the reasons your heat pump may seem to be stuck in cooling mode to help guide you toward a solution. Envirotech Air Quality Services is ready 24 hours a day to help you with any repairs you need in Wellington, FL for a heat pump.

Reasons for a heat pump to only cool

Let’s eliminate a simple possibility: the heat pump’s thermostat is set incorrectly. Check the thermostat to see if an error in programming has caused the heat pump to remain in cooling mode.

However, a thermostat can appear to have the correct setting, and yet have a malfunction that makes it send the wrong instructions to the heat pump. A miscalibration can lead to the thermostat sensing false temperature readings. A wiring problem can cause the thermostat to lose its connection to the heat pump entirely so that it cannot signal the heat pump to switch modes. Heating experts will get to the bottom of the problem and find a remedy.

The most common reason inside the heat pump itself for this problem is a malfunction with the reversing valve. This crucial component is attached to the refrigerant line and is responsible for changing the direction the refrigerant flows through the unit, and consequently the change from one mode to the other. If the reversing valve breaks, the unit will remain stuck in one mode. Only an expert repair technician can properly replace a broken reversing valve.

Bring in heating and cooling specialists

Heat pumps are not pieces of equipment that amateurs can repair using a printed-up guide from the Internet. You need professionals with the right training and the right equipment to assist you. If your heat pump remains in cooling mode, and nothing you do with the thermostat will correct it, you’ve reached the point where you need to call a heating and cooling contractor.

Envirotech Air Quality Services can provide exceptional repairs and maintenance for your Wellington, FL heat pump. Don’t just tolerate a broken heat pump, hoping it will get better. Make it better today with our services.

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3 Reasons Not to Delay Heating Repair

Monday, January 6th, 2014

We understand that the often mild and pleasant winter weather in West Palm Beach makes it easy to put off addressing malfunctions in your heating system. “Oh, it won’t be a problem—tomorrow it’ll be warm again!” But just because it’s an understandable reaction doesn’t mean it’s a good reaction. Delaying heating repair is problematic for many reasons, and it’s never good in the long run. We’ll explain a bit further with 3 specific reasons you should schedule repairs the moment you know something is wrong with your heater.

Envirotech Air Quality Services can make those repairs as pain-free as possible. We offer 24-hour emergency service, so you never have a reason to delay contacting us. And with our years of experience, we will get the necessary repair for your West Palm Beach, FL heating done fast and right.

3 Reasons to Schedule Heating Repair as Soon as You Can

  1. Avoid a serious emergency breakdown: A heater can often operate at nominal level with a malfunction, but every moment that it does so it will be at greater risk of a complete shutdown. And when do these breakdowns finally occur? The coldest day of the year, when the heater is working the hardest. To avoid the discomfort of waiting for emergency repairs, make sure you attend to the little repairs when they appear.
  2. Prevent more expensive repairs in the future: Faults inside a heater tend to spread like a bad cold. When one part starts to break, it will put stress on other parts, causing them to break as well. Let a single repair need go for a week, and you could easily end up with three repairs that need to be done. A repair done in a timely fashion will keep you from having to schedule more of them.
  3. Keep your heating bills under control: When your heating system works imperfectly, it will also work too hard. The strain from a malfunction will cause the heater to drain excess power to keep up with the demand for heat. This will cause a climb in your heating bills. Keeping your heater in good shape is one of the best ways to save money on your monthly heating.

Regular maintenance is a good idea, too

You can go a step beyond prompt repairs and schedule regular preventive maintenance for your heater. The preventive maintenance program at Envirotech Air Quality Services will provide your heating system with an annual check-up and tune-up that will catch repair needs before they become repair needs. Contact us today to enroll, or if you need repairs for your heating in West Palm Beach, FL.

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