Is a Furnace or a Heat Pump Right for You?
December 21, 2011
It used to be that the only way to heat your home was with a traditional furnace that runs on a fuel like electricity or gas. But more and more homeowners like you are turning to heat pumps to keep their homes toasty warm in the winter and cool and comfortable in the summer. What’s the difference, and which is right for your lifestyle?
Heat pumps are a little confusingly named. They actually don’t produce heat at all. Instead, heat pumps use the energy present in the air all around us. To heat your home, it compresses the air and uses the heat produced in the process to keep you warm. Some describe this process as a “reverse air conditioning,” taking cool air and turning it into warm. Heat pumps can also be used to cool your home in the summer by absorbing energy through refrigerant-fueled coils. Heat pumps tend to be more energy efficient and better at regulating your home’s temperature in extremely hot or cold weather.
In contrast, a furnace can only heat your home, not cool it. It uses a fuel, often natural gas, to produce energy which warms your home. Heat pumps often cost more initially, but the savings in energy bills over time can be dramatic. With a heat pump, you also never have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning, since there’s no fuel being burned to produce the harmful gas.
Still not sure whether a furnace or a heat pump is right for you? Let the experienced professionals at Aaron York’s Quality Air help. We want to make sure you find the heating system that’s right for your home and your comfort needs. Call us today at 1-800-AIR-REPAIR and let’s find the system that’s best for you.
How Humidifiers Can Make You Healthier
December 19, 2011
Here in Indiana, we don’t just suffer from long, cold winters—we also suffer from very dry air in the winter. The air is naturally dry, and when you heat the air in a furnace, humidity in your home can reach as low as 6%.
Low humidity in your home can be uncomfortable. Those static shocks you get when you touch a doorknob are caused in part by dry air. The lack of moisture can also cause cracked lips and dry skin. But besides these minor irritants, dry air can negatively affect your health. Dry air can irritate your throat and nasal passages and can make colds and upper respiratory infections worse.
One simple way to alleviate the worst of winter’s dry air is with a humidifier. Humidifiers add moisture to the air which makes it more comfortable for everyone in your home. For most people, ideal humidity levels are between 30-50%.
Not sure which humidifier is right for your home? Let the experts at Aaron York’s Quality Air help. Our NATE certified technicians can help choose the humidifier that best meets your needs, the layout of your home and other crucial factors. Don’t spend another winter being uncomfortable. Call us today to discuss home comfort systems and breathe easy.
What to Do When Your Furnace Goes Out
December 16, 2011
It’s the middle of the night. You’re lying warm and cozy in your bed when you hear your furnace sputter, groan and die. What do you do now?
First, don’t panic. It could only take a quick fix until your heat is humming along again. Make sure that the power in the rest of your house is working—it could be that an outage or a tripped circuit has temporarily stopped your heat. If all seems normal there, proceed to the scene of the crime.
If your furnace has one, check the pilot light. In older models, relighting a pilot light can be as simple as lighting a match. If you don’t have any luck with that, turn off the power to the furnace. Wait five minutes and let the system restart. Still nothing? Then it’s time to call a professional.
At Aaron York’s Quality Air, we offer emergency service. That means you’ll have a technician out to your house in record time working on getting you warm again. In the meantime, take your family to stay with friends or neighbors to keep them safe from the cold. If that’s not an option, light a fire in the fireplace and keep warm with plenty of blankets. Never try to use your gas oven for warmth—the carbon monoxide from the oven can put your family in serious danger.
A broken furnace isn’t cause for despair. Just keep calm, use some common sense and call the best folks in the industry to get your furnace up and running again. Questions? Give us a call at 1-800-AIR-REPAIR.
Is Your Furnace Ready for Winter?
December 15, 2011
We’ve been blessed with a fairly mild fall in Indianapolis so far. Sure, we’ve had a few days dip into the 20s and 30s, but by and large we’ve had surprisingly great weather. But as anyone who’s spent a winter in Indiana knows, it won’t last. So if you’ve been putting off getting your heating system and home ready for winter, here are a few quick tips that’ll keep your house snug and warm all winter long:
• Check for anything unusual. When you turn your furnace on for the first time, take a moment to make sure everything’s functioning normally. Do you smell burning? That’s not unusual, but the smell should subside after a few moments. If it doesn’t, it may be time for a tune-up.
• Change the furnace filter. Ideally, you should be changing your filter every month, but just in case it’s slipped your mind, make sure to put in a fresh one before the winter turns cold. Because we spend so much time in the winter months indoors, air quality becomes incredibly important. A dirty air filter keeps germs and allergens trapped, meaning you’ll spend more time sneezing this winter. A clogged air filter can also hamper the free flow of air through your furnace and make your unit work harder to keep your air warm.
• Seal it up. Cracks and broken seals beneath windows and doors allow frigid air to creep into your house and can leave you reaching for the thermostat. Go to every window and door and feel for drafts. If you find one, either use a small bit of caulk or apply some weather stripping. This means a warmer home for you, and less strain on your heating system as it struggles to maintain the set temperature.
• Get it checked. It’s important for your furnace’s health to have regular maintenance checks twice every year, once in the fall and once in the spring. These maintenance calls allow your trained HVAC technician to fix any small problems with your system before it turns into a furnace failure. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Stay warm and comfortable this winter. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call at Aaron York’s Quality Air at 1-800-AIR-REPAIR.
Advantages of Preventative Maintenance
October 20, 2011
The heat wave of the summer is a distant memory by know and winter is fast approaching.
It is time to have prevenative maintenance performed on your heating system to keep your
energy bills down and prevent your system from failing on you when you need it the most.
Preventative maintenance is a short term solution that will pay off in a major way in the long term.
At York’s Quality Air we provide what we call Preferred
Customer Agreements. These agreements can be made for 1-3 years, with an
inspection in the spring for your cooling unit and an inspection in the fall
for your heating unit. The labor and cleaning of the unit is free of charge and
any additional repairs that may be needed will be discounted by 10%.
We will do a thorough job of inspecting and cleaning your
heating and cooling system. The following is just of the few things you can
expect to be checked with a Preferred Customer Agreement:
Clean the blower motor in your furnace.
- Clean or replace 1” filters.
- Check blower bearings, sheaves, and
belts. - Lubricate all bearings and motors.
- Check refrigerant filter, driers, and
valves. - Verify the system operating pressures
and temperatures. - Check the airflow.
- Tighten all electrical connections.
- Check and clean heat exchanger.
- Check and adjust gas valve.
- Clean the flame sensor and verify all
the system safety controls.
These are just some of the measures that we as technicians will perform with a
Preferred Customer Agreement. There are also many benefits that accompany these
agreements with us such as:
- Lower utility bills.
- Improved capacity.
- Priority customer and inflation
protection. - Improved capacity.
- 24 hr. emergency service.
- Never an overtime charge.
- Flexible scheduling.
- Extended Equipment Life
Preferred Customer Agreements with us are a great way to make sure that your system is
clean and will run efficiently for you at the most important times as well as
being an effective way to lower your monthly energy costs.
If you would like additional information on preventative maintenance or our
Preferred Customer Agreement policy, let the professionals at York’s Quality
Air provide you all the facts so you can make an educated decision. Give us a
call at 1-800-AIR-REPAIR.
4 Tips to Make Your A/C Most Effective in the Heat of Summer
July 20, 2011
It’s hard to believe the hot weather is already upon us. Often at York’s Quality Air the hotter it is, the busier we are because our calls are when businesses and homeowners feel their system isn’t running as well as it should (or maybe not running at all).
Many times people are less comfortable indoors than they need to be because they are not educated on what can cause poorly running equipment. Here are 4 tips to make sure your system is running efficiently and effectively – even on the hottest of days. Read more
What Should I Do If My A/C Line and Coil Freeze?
July 15, 2011
So you went outside and noticed that your outdoor A/C unit has a frozen line. Hard to believe in the heat of the summer that something outside could freeze,right? But with the amount of coolant trying to run through that line, it’s understandable when the air flow on the unit is hindered. Read more
Why a Heat Pump Could Be Your Best Choice for Your Next Upgrade
June 9, 2011
Often times people just assume a heat pump isn’t the best choice for their system upgrade. Well, we beg to differ. The heat pump has gotten a bad wrap over the years, but it’s gaining in popularity again – and for many good reasons.
Here’s why you should consider a heat pump when it’s time to upgrade your system. Read more
High Efficiency Rebates
April 1, 2011
If you don’t have a high efficiency heating and cooling system in your house, not only are your losing money with increased energy costs, but you’re putting a greater strain on our natural environment. The federal government, your local utilities, and Aaron York’s Quality Air all think that having a high efficient HVAC system is so important that there are almost always rebates available to make buying these systems less expensive.
These incentives change all the time, so to get the latest information on current rebates, click here or call us at 262-4070. Do your part–save the environment and save cash!
Join Us to Help Starfish Initiative
April 1, 2011
Starfish Initiative is an amazing program based here in Indianapolis that teams economically disadvantaged students with local business people to help these talented young men and women get into–and finish–college. York’s Quality Air has been involved with this program for years, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting this great organization.
Join us for the 5th Annual Starfish Story Fundraising Breakfast. Butler University Associate Development Director of Athletics, Bill Lynch, will be speaking, and a delicious breakfast will be served. The even is at the Marriott East on April 14. To get your ticket today, click here. We hope to see you there!
