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Why is my furnace so loud

Why is my Furnace So Loud and How Do I Fix It?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

Colder months must be maddening if you can’t live without warm air but struggle with loud noises.

Why is my furnace so loud?

Your heating system may be in trouble if you hear a loud bang instead of a bit of cling-clang. If furnace noises keep you up at night, whether a loose screw or restricted airflow is to blame, it won’t go away by itself. Routine maintenance and tune-up services are a must, especially with older furnaces. 

Rattling noises may indicate loose parts, but a carbon monoxide leak does not sound like anything. Without a carbon monoxide alarm, you may not detect the hazardous leak in time.

Call a professional HVAC technician immediately if you suspect one. A reliable HVAC technician will help you remedy a furnace making unusual noises and suspect your airflow for any hazards.

Here’s everything you need to know about your noisy furnace.

Loud Furnace: Should I Be Worried?

If a professional technician regularly inspects your well-maintained HVAC system, then no. Some annoying noises are just that. Furnace noises aren’t unusual and may result from vibrations, especially when it is linked to air ducts.

However, you should worry about your loud furnace if you neglect routine maintenance and inspection. A poorly maintained furnace making noises may indicate a much more serious problem. Don’t worry. You can still salvage your old furnace by detecting a serious problem early.

Let’s familiarize ourselves with a furnace’s various noises and possible causes.

What Causes a Noisy Furnace?

Any noise indicates operations, cogs turning, resource burning, and output distribution. However, the volume and frequency can help you determine whether there is a malfunction.

Loud noises are worrisome. These noises indicate various stressors and hindrances. You must know what these noises mean to keep you and your entire family safe from their potential hazards.

A Cracked Heat Exchanger

A cracked heat exchanger disrupts the heating cycle, producing insufficient heating and a whistling noise.

A faulty heat exchanger may be due to the high-pressure air or gas buildup formed by air and heat exchange. Your heat exchanger may develop abrasions or corrosion and eventually crack under all that static pressure. It’s important to pay attention to that whistling sound and listen if rattling noises accompany them.

Note: Gas buildup may leak out of cracks and into your airways.

Carbon monoxide may make it into your air ducts and cause hazardous indoor air, especially if you have a central air conditioning system. Warm air traveling through ductwork is only filtered in some ways. If your air ducts aren’t regularly cleaned or checked, your ductwork may already be saturated with toxic gases.

Immediately contact a professional HVAC technician to fix the crack or replace the heat exchanger. Any issues with your heat exchanger left untreated for a long period may lead to bigger problems.

Still, it would be best if you prevented minor issues from snowballing into bigger ones that crack your heat exchanger. So how does your heat exchanger sustain a crack?

Dirty Burners

Banging noises aren’t typical. They are not operational noises stemming from vibrations or burning. Just the opposite! Banging or popping noises indicate overcompensation from other components or forceful operations.

The sudden ignition of the surplus of gas trapped within your furnace produces a loud booming noise. The banging noise is due to delayed ignition. The gas line continues supplying your furnace with the necessary fuel at the rate your home demands through control systems. However, dirty burners hinder the pilot light from igniting the gas resulting in delayed ignition.

The delay in ignition firing up that much gas all at once causes a shaky and loud furnace. If whistling sounds accompany the popping, your dirty burners may have already cracked your heat exchanger.

Regularly cleaning your furnace, its entire surface, and everything accessible to you will prevent dust from settling. Make it a habit to cover your furnace during warmer months when it isn’t used to keep dust, insects, mold, and mildew from infiltrating its access points.

A Clogged Air Filter

Another reason to keep the outside of your furnace clean is to ward off any buildup from saturating your furnace filter. A filter can effectively keep impurities from contaminating your breathing air. However, the filtration systems of your AC units, ducts, and home directly filter your indoor atmosphere.

A furnace filter keeps the interior of your furnace clean, ensuring none of its internal components are contaminated or obstructed by any particles. It is the line of defense your furnace relies on against different debris. However, a clogged air filter can’t protect your furnace from damage and contamination, leading to scraping sounds and hindered heating.

A dirty filter leads to various issues with different particles building up and shaking around your furnace. Always clean dirty filters to protect critical furnace components from sustaining any damage.

Small particles scratching metal components produce rattling and screeching sounds. A loud scraping noise or something like metal against metal sound means little rocks or loose parts are scratching against each other.

You need to call a professional technician to fix the problem immediately before hazardous debris enters your fan belt or motor.

A Malfunctioning Blower Motor or Motor

Possibly the most costly fix furnace noises will ever warrant involves your blower motor and fan belt. The blower motor facilitates airflow and is vital to the entire operation. If your blower fan and blower motor won’t work properly, it results in a compromised airflow, producing a whistling sound.

Debris caught in the fan belt, or blower wheel produces a louder rattling noise. If debris is caught between the fan blades and the blower wheel, it will sound more like screeching. You must contact experts immediately if you suspect debris or loose elements are knocking around your blower wheel.

It may cause a domino effect if these loose elements are blown into your home’s ductwork. Your air ducts lead to different heating vents and HVAC components which may negatively affect their components. Anything metal rattling around other components results in damage and scratching noises.

External elements infiltrating your blower motor are a different story. Your blower fan has metal fan blades, but the motor is an engine and houses electrical components. Debris fraying wires may result in a mini-explosion leading to different fire hazards.

Yes, it’s a possibility. A miniature explosion or flame can lead to a bigger one when there’s gas involved. It’s a long shot, but the worst-case scenario of a malfunctioning motor is causing a large explosion when it’s too close to your gas supply.

Be sure to call the experts to fix your furnace before something more drastic takes place. Something that might seem small now can lead to hazardous and potentially fatal problems.

Unusual Noises: Do’s & Don’ts

We know your furnace deals with a potentially volatile mix of different elements. It is best to enlist specialists to fix any problems. However, there are some remedies you can do at home if you don’t have the resources to hire a professional.

Note: A DIY remedy isn’t a quick fix that encompasses all your furnace noises. Do not attempt to eliminate a noise you aren’t familiar with or fix internal components without expert tools and techniques. You are posing a danger to yourself and the furnace.

Here’s what you can do instead:

What You Can Do Yourself?

Remember to turn your furnace off and unplug it from any electrical outlet. If a valve regulates the fuel supply, shut it off before removing the combustion chamber doors to access internal components.

  • Vacuum the surface of burners and blowers.
  • Gently wipe off debris from fan blades.
  • Dust or wipe off excess moisture on the pilot light with an emery cloth.
  • Dust or wipe off the opening of ducts and vents.
  • Inspect the interior for any pollution and possible obstructions.

Remember, rattling and whistling that isn’t loud may be harder to notice. However, they aren’t always harmless. A thorough vacuum should be enough to remedy a minor rattling noise.

If the noise persists and gets louder or worse, there might be more issues than debris or a loose screw rattling around your blower. Pick off all the loose elements around your blower, but if there aren’t any to produce the loud sound you heard, more comprehensive repairs may be in order.

Some homeowners can conduct minor repairs and tune-ups, such as replacing filters or cleaning the surface igniter. However, we cannot advise everyone to do these themselves. Some of us have sensitive skin and are more receptive to allergens.

What You Should Leave to the Experts?

You should contact a professional technician if you hear a different noise or notice unknown particles within your furnace. An unfamiliar noise may be hazardous to check out without proper know-how and equipment.

Don’t wait! Report the noise.

Furnace Maintenance & Tune-Ups

Remember, there is a way to avoid unwarranted breakdowns and nuances. Preventive maintenance and tune-up services ensure your furnace doesn’t stall in the middle of winter. Routine furnace maintenance also lengthens the lifespan of your heating system.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

We got just the guys for you if you need reliable furnace repair around Sandy, Utah. At One-Stop Heating, we prioritize your comfort and safety.

Leave your worries to us.

Call us anytime for emergency heating repair. Our top-rated team of honest and reliable experts will be there!

Call Us Now At (801) 355-9500

How to Prepare Your Furnace for Winter

How to Prepare Your Furnace for Winter?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

If it’s suddenly cold outside, that’s a sign to brace yourself because winter is coming.

While most of the year you can rely on steadily warm and humid weather, the incoming months starkly contrast with what you are used to all year. A Utahn winter season can be grueling for you and your heating system.

If your furnace has laid dormant during warmer months, get to dusting and tidying all that dust for seamless heating.

Here are some furnace maintenance tips to prepare it when the temperature drops.

Pre-Winter Furnace Maintenance Tips

Scheduling pre-season maintenance is always advisable. Enlisting a professional to clean and inspect your furnace after a long period of not being used can better ensure its reliability and efficiency throughout the winter months.

Tip #1: Hire a trained professional to conduct an annual maintenance service during autumn.

Here are other quick furnace maintenance tips you can do yourself. Remember, nothing beats regular maintenance. However, these are things you can do if you are already gasping for warm air.

Quick view of maintenance tips:

  1. Schedule yearly furnace maintenance before winter.
  2. Inspect and clean your filters.
  3. Check the state of your burners.
  4. Remove any obstructions near vents.
  5. Clean your pilot light assembly before primary re-ignition.
  6. Replace corroded or rusty fan blades.
  7. Check the manufacturer’s specifications in case of system failure.
  8. Report unusual noises. 
  9. Familiarize yourself with your thermostat.
  10. Keep up with routine professional maintenance.

Furnace Filter

Tip #2: Check your furnace filter system.

A dirty furnace filter can hinder your heating system, costing more energy while providing insufficient warmth. Many homeowners with natural gas furnaces think they save on energy costs, but that is only part of the truth. If you don’t maintain your gas furnace, distributing heating around air ducts can cost more energy.

Your furnace’s filter plays a major role in the entire operation. While filters cannot directly better air quality, your furnace’s air filters protect internal components from dust and debris. Any particle pollution and contamination pose different obstructions and hazards to internal components. A clogged air filter can restrict airflow, preventing sufficient input from making it where it needs to be.

Your furnace’s air filter can affect the one in your HVAC system or air ducts once dust and debris make it past the primary air filter into heating vents blowing air into your living spaces, directly affecting your indoor air quality.

If you see a dirty filter in your furnace after months of no usage, clean it to ensure only pristine air flow through your air ducts. However, only some dirty or clogged filters can be remedied by thoroughly cleaning. Change your furnace filter every few months.

Burners

Tip #3: Check your burners.

Furnace maintenance requires a thorough cleaning, and it isn’t just filters that get dirty. While filters help prevent pollution from contaminating your furnace, residual fuel and burner moisture can cause corrosion.

Burners and blowers may not be accessible from the outside, and you will have to open up your furnace to inspect them. Ensure all systems are off and any links to supply lines before opening furnace doors to check on internal components. A sophisticated configuration of internal components comprises your home furnace. The most vital parts lay in your burners:

  • heat exchangers
  • pilot light
  • flame sensor
  • ventilation

Each element plays a unique role that’s crucial to keep your furnace working properly.

Heat Exchangers

The heat exchanger facilitates airflow in and out of your furnace, letting usable air into the furnace and keeping breathable output separate from contaminated air. Heat exchangers dispel waste heat into chimney-type vents and direct breathable hot air into your air handlers.

Tip #4: Remove obstructions and use a vacuum cleaner around all openings; blocked vents may redirect carbon monoxide fumes into your AC system.

Pilot Light

A low, light yellow or flickering flame indicates dirty furnace burners. If the pilot light doesn’t turn on, don’t be too quick to blame it on a sensitive or faulty flame sensor. Delayed ignition may be due to internal contamination or residue and condensation.

Tip #5: Gently dust off debris with an emery cloth, and wipe off any residue on your pilot light assembly using light grit sandpaper. 

Blowers

Tip #6: Replace rusty fan blades, and wipe off or remove any dust and debris on your blower wheel.

Your burners let air flow through various vents to gather input and produce output. A blower system is responsible for allowing air in and out of your furnace. Natural gas furnaces also require air intake to generate any output. Insufficient air can result in an overheated furnace due to various pressure buildup, causing overcompensation and a possible surge in your utility bill.

Like burners, your blowers are more than just a one-person team. Various elements make up the entire furnace blower system. Keep an eye on these components and ensure they undergo routine maintenance, as any damage will warrant costly repairs.

Blower Motor

The heating season may throw your motor into overdrive. You must maintain the motor to keep everything else in working order. Always keep your furnace clean to secure your engines from dislodged parts and harmful particles. Anything that infiltrates them may get in the way of their wire connections. Your entire furnace may break down due to frayed wires. If you live in an area with rats, deploy extra precautions against rodents and pests.

Tip #7: Depending on manufacturer warranties, you might be able to replace a malfunctioning or damaged motor.

Blower Fan

The blower fan, the wheel it’s on, and its blades all directly affect one another. Solid debris, such as rocks, may be caught in your blower if your furnace produces unusual banging and rattling noises. Small stones and sharp objects may tear through the furnace filters into other components. The filter can only vet microparticles and soft larger ones. Winter requires more heating, causing fans to rotate much faster.

Tip #8: Remember that you may attribute a few unusual noises to more vigorous fan rotation, but the higher demand for heating shouldn’t warrant alarming noises.

Thermostat

Tip #9: Always familiarize yourself with manufacturer specifications before setting your thermostat.

A cooling or heating system comes with a separate thermostat. Thermal controls allow quick temperature alterations. However, a thermostat may not quickly shift from cooling to heating at a moment’s notice. There are also possible issues with compatibility with your thermostat and HVAC system. You might need to replace the unit or fix its internal wiring if your HVAC equipment stops responding to thermostat controls. No predictable or universal lifespan guarantees your thermostat. However, with its systems included in your yearly maintenance, it should last a decade.

The Importance of Maintaining Your Heating System

The most important tip of all our furnace maintenance and tune-up tips, especially before winter months, is to ensure regular inspection and comprehensive maintenance. Things that start with your filter that isn’t dealt with in time may keep you from your dreams of a cozy winter. Comfort isn’t the only thing a dirty furnace can negatively impact. Your faulty furnace can also put your health and safety at risk.

How Your HVAC System Can Affect Your Health?

Something as simple as bird nests resting on exit pipes and heating vents can threaten your health. Nests blocking intake pipes may contaminate the resources going into your furnace. However, anything blocking your exhaust pipes traps contamination within your furnace, impacting your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).

Indoor Air Quality

A lot of us know about IAQ but continue to neglect the different dangers it poses to our health. Your home’s IAQ is determined by the presence of Carbon Dioxide in your indoor environment. A buildup of CO2 can lead to chronic and acute respiratory illnesses. However, it isn’t your home’s most dangerous chemical gaseous compound. Carbon monoxide exposure is more harmful and potentially fatal compared to CO2 buildup.

While you can still let carbon dioxide out through natural and mechanical ventilation systems, carbon monoxide poisoning happens much more quickly. Even more problematic is carbon dioxide smells like rotten eggs, allowing homeowners to pick up on it faster than its more hazardous counterpart.

Carbon monoxide doesn’t smell like anything and stagnates anywhere with static pressure. You won’t be able to get rid of it as fast as it can build up. Call for emergency heating repair immediately.

Furnace Maintenance & Repair

Tip #10: Don’t hesitate to call professionals for help. 

A furnace is a sophisticated system. It requires professional tools and techniques. Using amateur tools and techniques, you might cause more damage by conducting haphazard repairs. If you have been duped by unreliable services before, remember that there are transparent and honest HVAC technicians you can entrust with your heating system.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

Problems with your cooling and heating system? Don’t worry! One-Stop Heating & Air Conditioning does more than just winter furnace maintenance.

Not only can our top-rated team of specialists clean and replace your air filter, we can also maintain all your vital furnace components at a moment’s notice, just in time for the heating season! Catch problems early before they need costly repairs.

Are you looking for a furnace tune-up or furnace repair service in Sandy, Utah? We’re there! Contact us day or night, and we will get your heating and the rest of your HVAC equipment up and at them for winter and all year long.

Call anytime anywhere (801) 355-9500

Why is my furnace making a clicking noise

Why is my Furnace making a Clicking Noise?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

Is your furnace clicking? No. We don’t mean clicking with your cozy winter vibe. We mean, is your furnace making a clicking noise?

Furnace clicks shouldn’t keep you from having a silent night during cold winter months. You can have the happy and peaceful holiday you deserve.

Here’s everything you need to know about that pesky clicking sound that won’t go away!

What to Do When Furnace Is Making Clicking Noise?

Your furnace giving up in the middle of winter can be a significant hassle, and it sounding like a time bomb is more than a suitable metaphor. With hindrances and malfunction in your furnace, you can expect erratic “explosions” in your utility and energy bills.

Something seemingly trivial as a clicking noise coming from your furnace, may be detrimental. Call an HVAC technician to look into your furnace immediately. Please get to the root of the problem before it worsens.

What Causes Clicking Noises?

Your furnace making a few noises is excusable. If you have an old-fashioned coal or gas furnace, you can expect sounds of blistering that are mistakable for clicking. Vibrations and burning can result in minor, hardly audible dins.

However, you should investigate a loud or lingering sound. If the clicking noise is chronic and disruptive, there are plenty of possible underlying causes.

Ask yourself these questions before we jump to conclusions based solely on that annoying clicking noise.

Are You Getting Enough from your Heating System?

Cross-check your thermostat with your home’s ambient temperature. Does it check out? Or are you distracted by all the repeated clicking to notice the rest of your furnace performance?

Does the temperature written on your thermostat match your indoor environment? If the temperature set on your thermostat is different than the room temperature, there’s a misalignment somewhere in your furnace.

Are There Any Strange Odors?

It may be harder to notice any strange odors while you have been inside for a long period. The surrounding aroma may have already desensitized you to the odor. Try stepping out and wait at least ten minutes before walking back indoors.

If you pick up on a certain smell, there may be clogs, obstructions, corrosion, or contamination in your furnace. While a slight burning smell after ignition is acceptable, foul odors accompanied by an obnoxious noise are not.

Are You Keeping Up with Routine Maintenance?

If you hear clicking, it might be due to a poorly maintained furnace. A furnace clicks for various reasons.

A clicking furnace indicates the need for maintenance service, whether due to particle buildup settling on your burners and other inner workings or worn motor bearings.

If you have missed a few of your yearly routine inspections and tune-ups, your furnace’s ignition system may already be clicking for one!

It’s best to listen to your furnace when clicking for help. You will be glad you did. A clicking noise is only the beginning. It isn’t an S.O.S. yet, but the clicking noise can quickly snowball into worse problems.

Gas Valve

Issues with your gas valves may produce a clicking sound. The furnace clicking may indicate problems with the power supply linked to your gas valve. An automated system relying on specific voltage distribution may need to conduct more electricity to facilitate the gas valve properly.

An uncontrollable gas valve may botch the rest of your ignition system, storing high volumes of gas. If your gas valve fails to secure the supply line from inducing resources into your burners without your pilot light burning leads to a surplus of unburned gas.

All that gas has to go somewhere. The next thing you know, your home doesn’t only have insufficient heating but is now a dangerous environment thanks to a gas leak.

Flame Sensor

Thankfully, there are fail-safes for all furnaces. If your furnace’s spark igniter doesn’t trigger the pilot light, an automatic override should shut down your furnace’s resource chambers, including intake and gas pipes. You have the furnace flame sensor or thermocouple to thank for that comprehensive security measure.

However, a lack of tune-ups and cleaning may disrupt transmission vessels in your furnace and result in a faulty flame sensor. Your flame sensor may shut down the rest of your furnace with your spark igniter still trying to light an ignitor flame or other components on your burner assembly.

Thankfully, if you have a gas furnace with a hot surface ignitor, it shuts down along with the rest of your burners. However, if you have a spark igniter, it can protest against the flame sensor. That clicking sound is your spark igniter, not heeding the commands of your flame sensor and still trying to kick-start the ignition system.

Your pilot light and the rest of the furnace ignition system won’t ignite without a corresponding fuel supply. It’s like trying to light a Zippo without sufficient butane in the tank.

Blower Motor

Your flame sensor isn’t alone in its protective plight. Your inducer motor also has its own safety protocols. While it cannot control the gas valve, as transmissions from the flame sensor near your pilot light can, the blower motor can withhold air distribution.

The motor can effectively withhold resources just as much as the gas valve can. There’s no way a pilot light will ignite with motors shutting down the inducer fan, suffocating the flame, and trapping gas flow.

The clicking sound may come from either your igniter still trying to start up ignition or loose parts in your burners and blowers.

Fan Blades

If there is a broken fan blade, your furnace will be unable to pull air into the furnace or push air and gas flow out of the flue pipe. A draft inducer fan can cause a furnace clicking sound when it isn’t powered by motors and encounters slight air exchange.

If it is loose enough, it is more prone to being pushed by stagnant air and dirt particles trapped within the blower wheel. That furnace click caused by the minimal rotation of the fan may echo around chambers and air ducts.

However, loose fan blades hitting against the duct seam may produce screeching, like metal scratching against metal. Ensure you remedy the clicking sound before it turns into worse blusters.

Motor Bearings

Motor bearings typically keep the sound of vibrations to a minimum. If you don’t smell any strange odors and your heating checks out, your furnace clicking might be due to worn motor bearings.

Vibrating motors, furnace clicking, fan blowing, and fire burning make operational dins. If you can hear them while they seemingly function smoothly, blame your worn-out bearings.

Worn-out bearings won’t be able to contain clangors, and you will hear the smallest dins your furnace operations make.

It’s a common wear and tears all furnaces go through over time. A routine tune-up and replacement should do the trick if you can no longer bear the noise.

Hearing Any Unusual Sounds from the Furnace?

As you have read, there is a myriad of underlying possibilities just waiting to be exposed. Your furnaces will help expose various issues through distinguishable noises.

If your furnace starts clicking, there may be minor issues you can resolve right away. However, you should call a reliable HVAC technician before it turns into a buzzing, rattling, whistling, screeching, popping, or banging noise.

The Most Common Reasons Behind Strange Noises

You probably guessed it. Strange noises come from faulty or dirty components and could easily be avoided by cleaning your furnace quarterly or yearly. You don’t have to clean air filters every few months, but going a whole year without expert inspection is a recipe for disaster.

An HVAC professional should access the internal components of your furnace at least once a year to ensure its stability and efficiency. Neglecting to do so can result in more than just obnoxious rackets.

Preventive Furnace Maintenance, Tune-Up, & Repairs

Are you tired of your furnace sounding like a ticking time bomb? Well, it might not be right now. However, anything wrong with your furnace left untreated for too long may result in total system failure…and baby, it’s cold outside.

It’s best to make sure you have an abundance of heat indoors. Otherwise, you might get heat from the rest of the family for not taking better care of your furnace system.

HVAC Professional Services You Can Trust in Sandy, Utah

Remember, your furnace may not have been used since last winter, resulting in various pollutants lingering in your burner, blower, or motor. If you want toasty heat this winter, hire a professional furnace tune-up service as early as autumn.

Luckily, reliable furnace repair, maintenance, and tune-ups are accessible in Utah!

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

You don’t have to figure it out yourself. Only try and repair things you are familiar with on your furnace, or you may end up causing more damage. Leave your worries to our team of Utah’s top-rated HVAC technicians.

Please don’t hesitate to call us for any furnace repair you need, even during the holidays! Our experts are at your beck and call!

Call our hotline now for emergency heating repair!

Call Now at (801) 355-9500

Heat Sensor - Why is it important

Why Heat Sensor of a Furnace Is Important?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

With winter just around the corner, you should check your heating system. A mid-season breakdown of a heating and cooling system is one of the most significant inconveniences no one should face.

However, furnace failure is pretty common in homes across America.

Scared of Your Furnace Stalling?

Routine maintenance and tune-ups can ensure the reliability of your heating and cooling system all season long. While you can clean some components, there are other elements you can’t reach.

Professional services are always best. It’s advisable to schedule your yearly furnace tune-up in autumn, just in time for winter.

Why do you need a professional’s touch? There may be other elements you need to familiarize yourself with before conducting any DIY efforts.

One sophisticated element that needs gentle handling is your flame sensor. Need to know what it is and what to do with it?

Here’s everything you need to know about a furnace flame sensor.

What is the Furnace Flame Sensor?

You might have a bad flame sensor if your furnace issues are often related to ignition components. An extinguishing flame, delayed ignition, or a pilot light that won’t turn on may stem from a dirty flame sensor.

A flame sensor is a sleek metal rod in your burner assembly. It is inserted through a burner chamber into the pilot light.

What Does the Furnace Heat Sensor Do?

The flame sensor or metal rod near your pilot fire is connected to an electrical box through a single wire that transmits signals to a separate control panel. 

If you have an oil or natural gas furnace, they are more sophisticated than you think. Even an older model comes with a safety feature or two.

An oil, electric, and gas furnace each has a gas valve that facilitates the release and withholding of fuel supply. Transmission from the flame sensor and control board automatically facilitates fuel supply for efficiency and safety.

Sounds complicated? Don’t worry. We are here to help.

How Does The Furnace Flame Sensor Control My Heating System?

The flame sensor is just a sensor and cannot control your heating system alone. The flame sensor sends an electric current through the ignition surface toward the control boards.

Together, the flame sensor and controls close off the gas or oil supply, preventing burners from igniting the flame.

What Does the Flame Sensor Sense?

The name sums it up. Your flame sensor senses whether there is a flame or not.

A flame sensor is sensitive to temperatures. Most furnace flame sensors are directly within an open fire chamber of a burner assembly.

They determine whether or not the pilot light is burning in only a few seconds. If there is a fire, the temperature of the metal rod is higher than when there is none.

What happens if my flame sensor stops working?

If a flame sensor is bad, it cannot determine whether the flame burns or not. You can expect either one of these two effects:

  1. Your furnace won’t fire up.
  2. It results in a surplus of wasted fuel.

Your flame sensor is likely hindering your furnace from powering on unless it isn’t plugged into a power source but needs electricity to function.

Newer furnaces have various safety precautions in case of a faulty flame sensor:

  • Screw shut the gas valve (remove any avenues for supply to flow through)
  • Cut the power source (for intermittent pilot flames)
  • Shut down burners (for standing pilot flames)
  • Initiate a flame sensor restart

However, not every furnace has that safety process. Your furnace may not have that security measure in its process against a broken flame sensor.

Dangers of a faulty flame sensor

An older furnace flame sensor may not be able to stop a gas furnace from releasing gas, leading to a potentially hazardous amount of unburned gas.

Gas may leak out of other elements on your burner assembly and stagnate in your air. Gas may seep into your ductwork if your furnace is linked to a central air conditioning system.

Your air conditioner may distribute the gas around your home, causing a dangerous amount of carbon buildup indoors.

How a bad flame sensor can impact your health?

It can lead to various health and safety risks. Too much carbon monoxide in your home can lead to an explosion when ignited.

That much carbon monoxide in your home, distributed through your air conditioning, can cause fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.

Common Causes for a Dirty Furnace Flame Sensor

Exploding and poisoning are significantly dangerous risks for a lesser-known element in your furnace to cause. What’s more troubling is a buildup of such seemingly harmless or unavoidable debris in your furnace may be the root cause.

Inevitable elements such as dirt and soot settling on or within your furnace can clog chambers and filters, indirectly impacting your flame sensor.

Always inspect the state of all the burning components of your heater. 

Clean whatever needs cleaning, fix whatever needs repairs, and replace whatever needs to be replaced to avoid known and unknown dangers from occurring in your home.

Is My Furnace Flame Sensor Broken?

Are you tired of suffering from a furnace malfunction? Familiarize yourself with your heater at home before inspecting the unit.

You should know what irregularities to look for and which warrant immediate attention. Problems with your flame sensor affect the rest of the heating process.

Call a professional to clean, fix, or replace the unit if you notice something wrong with your furnace flame sensor. However, you should know how to tell if there’s something wrong with it or not before calling anyone else for help.

There are many ways you can tell if your flame sensor is bad. Some methods have you reaching too far into your furnace than you are comfortable doing.

Your best bet is to check the flame itself. Inspect your pilot flame for any of these symptoms:

  • Flickering
  • Burning low
  • Burning yellow
  • Delayed or won’t ignite

If you notice one or more of these symptoms, your furnace may have a faulty or dirty burner assembly. Your flame sensor cannot work properly with even just one compromised element in its lineup.

Fortunately, it is easy to clean a furnace flame sensor.

How to Clean Your Furnace Flame Sensor?

Not every heating and cooling system is built the same. Getting to your furnace flame sensor may differ. However, you can still clean your flame sensor, as stated below.

Always ensure all power sources and supply lines are shut or closed. Gather these materials rubber gloves, clean cloth, oxalic acid, emery cloth or light grit sandpaper, warm water, and misting spray bottle.

  1. Follow the single wire attached from the power controls (integrated thermostat or furnace control panel) to the flame sensor to locate it.
  2. Carefully remove the furnace access cover once you reach the burner assembly.
  3. Remove any screws holding the rod in place.
  4. Separate the flame sensor from the mounting screw or protective vessel.
  5. You may notice discoloration on the porcelain insulation.
  6. Gently rub it with a diluted mixture of oxalic acid and warm water using a clean cloth.
  7. Only use emery cloth or sandpaper to scrub off residue and contamination on the rod. (Steel wool is a viable alternative if you scrub lightly. The best option is still an emery cloth to lessen risks for damage.)
  8. Wipe off debris with a damp cloth before placing the flame sensor back.
  9. Inspect the remaining adjoining elements, such as screws, for residual gas and soot.
  10. Clean other elements with a damp cloth gently and replace corroded screws saturated with soot.

Remember to place everything back where you found them before you power your furnace back up.

When it comes to your flame sensor, it’s best to clean it once a month. Depending on your usage, it may develop contamination more rapidly.

When Should I Replace the Furnace Flame Sensor?

However, you can only clean corrosion and rust partially from your furnace. While it may look “clean enough” to you, your furnace flame sensor may not be as responsive as it should be.

Replace a corroded or faulty furnace flame sensor before it worsens.

You can clean and replace a mounting screw, but don’t attempt to change out wires on your own. If more crucial components need to be replaced, you should leave them to the experts.

How Much do New Furnace flame sensors cost?

A new sensor won’t cost you much. Assuming furnace flame sensors cost anywhere between $10 and $20 is a safe assumption.

It is technically just a piece of metal—however, the quality, compatibility, and installation matter more than finding an affordable one.

Before buying a new sensor, remember to find one that fits. Your furnace access cover may not shut if it’s too large or long to fit in the chamber.

If your furnace flame sensor needs to be replaced, call heating and cooling system specialists for its management.

The Importance of Furnace Maintenance

Upon cleaning your furnace flame sensor and other components, don’t risk the rest of your unit on “clean enough.”

Rust tends to infect surrounding elements, which can spread quickly, especially if you have a metal furnace frame. Internal corrosion in your furnace may creep to external elements and impact the entire furnace beginning with your flame sensors.

What Do I Do If There are Signs of Corrosion?

Immediately check the gas valve if you notice rust anywhere in your unit.

If you see any corrosion on the gas valve, remove as much of it as possible with an emery cloth. You can then add some baking soda and lime. Let the mixture sit before scrubbing it off with an old toothbrush.

The corrosion may infiltrate the internal connection and make it harder to manage your gas supply, especially in an emergency.

Heating and Cooling System Maintenance, Tune-Ups, & Repairs in Sandy, Utah

You don’t have to let it get as far as corrosion. You can prevent anything from going wrong with your furnace.

Whether to prevent the flame sensor from getting dirty or the thermostat from malfunctioning, routine maintenance is always helpful.

Regular cleaning and inspection can lengthen their lifespan and increase the overall reliability of your furnace.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

Troubles with your furnace flame sensor? Is your furnace acting up? Is your furnace down for the count? Say no more. Our top-rated team of experts is just a call away.

Entrust us with your furnace repair and tune-ups. We even provide emergency heating repair round the clock for more urgent furnace issues.

If you are tired of your old furnace, it might be time for a newer, safer, and more efficient unit! Call us for furnace replacement and installation services today!

Call us for Emergency Heating Repair at (801) 355-9500

Boiler vs Furnace

Boiler vs. Furnace: What’s the Difference?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

Are you having trouble deciding between a furnace or boiler for your new home? If the boiler VS furnace debacle keeps you up at night, you came to the right place.

We’re here to put the entire Boiler VS Furnace debate to bed. We are breaking down all the details you need to know about both heating systems.

Hopefully, by the end of the article, you will pick up a few things, such as:

  1. Their differences and similarities.
  2. Their pros & cons.
  3. The most reliable HVAC professionals for their installation, maintenance, and repairs.

Here’s everything you need to know about a furnace or boiler.

The Full Boiler VS Furnace Rundown

Nearly all homes in the United States have home heating systems. We need furnaces and boilers for hot water and warmth, especially when winter rolls around.

Heating equipment is our only defense against the cool air. Closed doors and windows can only keep so much cold air outdoors, but your home’s insulation won’t hold for long.

Boilers, furnaces, and other heating installations alter and supply air temperature according to your preferences.

Quick View: Boiler VS Furnace

  • Natural gas furnaces blow hot air into your home’s duct system. Forced air systems are interlinked, facilitating airflow and temperatures.
  • Hot water boilers heat water and distribute them throughout your home. Heat distribution is directed into radiant flooring systems and water heaters.

A furnace or boiler can effectively heat your home and water supply. Their utility and function are similar, but the main frame and inner workings vastly differ. Heat exchangers, distribution channels, and energy efficiency are some of their greatest differences.

Older furnaces and boilers are neither sustainable nor energy-efficient, ranking amongst low-efficiency heating systems. Newer furnaces and boilers are more efficient and come at higher upfront costs. If you have an older furnace or boiler, it’s best to replace them with newer systems to increase reliability and efficiency. Still, it is a tough choice between a furnace VS boiler.

Here’s how your furnace provides your home with heated air.

Furnace Heating System

A natural gas furnace is the most traditional installation across America. Gas furnaces are linked to central air conditioning systems for whole-home and multi-zone building distribution.

Millions of Americans depend on gas furnaces for faster heating using little to no electricity. A heat exchanger generating heat by burning a direct natural gas supply provides cleaner and faster output. While gas furnaces might transfer heat cleaner and faster, that only sometimes translates. Depending on your HVAC unit, environment, and upkeep, a gas furnace may be an unsustainable installation.

Pros & Cons: Furnace System

A furnace system benefits smaller structures with more limited access to electricity. Unlike electric furnaces, natural gas options are a dependable system to have around during power outages. However, its rudimentary systems raise questions about energy efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

Natural gas Furnaces Heat Air to Produce: Warm Air

A furnace heats air by gathering various resources through pipes and supply lines. An intake pipe collects air to facilitate natural gas flow in and out of a heat exchanger. The burner assembly includes a standing pilot light that ignites the fuel supply in the combustion chamber.

Energy efficiency & Safety

Older furnaces are less energy-efficient, producing insufficient heating, using more resources, and having higher fuel costs. High-efficiency heating systems have a second heat exchanger to process residual resources and waste heat produced by the primary exchanger. Recycling resources allow your furnace to use less fuel and power to produce your home with more hot air. While more efficient systems can lessen carbon dioxide emissions, they do not eradicate them.

A natural gas furnace with a continuous pilot light isn’t the safest installation. A clogged furnace filter can lead to various buildup and contamination, such as particles, debris, and pressure. Air pressure in your combustion chamber can crack the heat exchanger and lead to carbon monoxide leaks. Your furnace emitting nearly all the fuel in its storage can generate enough carbon buildup and lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Gas furnaces are dependable and independent from the rest of your systems. They are seldom affected by external factors. However, installation and maintenance are costly, and extensive damage warrants higher repair costs.

How do steam boilers sound?

Boiler Heating System

Air heating using boiler systems sounds complex. We assure you, it is. Boiler installations are hot water systems connected to baseboard radiators, cast iron radiators, or steam systems. A boiler heats water by injecting heat particles into a stored water supply before distributing them to different fixtures. Water is a better thermal conductor than air, retaining temperatures for longer periods.

However, boilers require a constant power supply to function. Even high-efficiency boilers use electricity to generate, store and distribute heat.

Pros & Cons: Boiler System

Steam boilers operate better in moderate climates and function slower than a furnace. Hot water heat allows fewer risks of heat or energy loss during travel and poses no threat to your air quality. Without channels for air distribution, boilers also don’t have air filters that need routine maintenance.

Boilers heat water to Produce Heat

A natural gas boiler works a lot like a gas furnace. A natural gas furnace or boiler has a burner assembly that uses gas to ignite a flame and generate heat. Hot water is transferred to the necessary fixtures to produce output, such as hot water storage for showers and baseboard radiators. Thanks to hydrogen particles, steam boiler heat are more easily distributed, effectively providing even heating throughout structures.

Boiler systems may be more efficient with fewer risks for heat loss, using radiant floor systems instead of air handlers. The channels of distribution are better than those of a forced air system. However, you may have more erratic heating and cooling without a reliable energy source.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Boiler heat is quicker to distribute, and its retention is more dependable than air handling alternatives. Without an air filter, there are fewer contamination risks due to negligent maintenance. However, you might burn wood pellets for warmth during winter without a backup generator.

Which Heating System Reigns Supreme?

Each heating system comes with its unique risks and benefits. The furnace VS boiler debate all boils (no pun intended) down to your needs and environment. Your furnace or boiler depends on two types of fuel supply. The resources they burn directly to generate heat and the fossil fuels the electricity consumes to power their mechanisms. Due to the erratic inflation of fuel prices, you should opt for heating that relies on less fuel consumption.

Choosing between a furnace or boiler is complicated. Before committing to one that suits your needs best, check their Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency Rating (AFUE). A furnace or boiler with an 80% AFUE rating is standard; anything below guarantees less efficiency, and anything above is considered more efficient.

If you are looking for energy efficiency, neither heater stands head and shoulders above the other. Still, other options are on the market for more efficient and reliable heating.

What are Heat Pumps?

Other heating installations, such as heat pumps, are also forced air installations. However, a heat pump is arguably the most innovative forced air system geared toward energy efficiency. Still, they have yet to become a household name in America. While these integrations have gained prominence in Asia and Europe, they only recently gained popularity in the West.

A heat pump is an HVAC system that distributes heat through airflow. However, unlike a furnace or boiler, a heat pump doesn’t generate heat through ignition. Pumps gather surrounding air and alter temperatures using coils and refrigerant. They also don’t produce the same hazardous fumes or waste gases as combustion heating methods. They have higher upfront costs but are easier to install without any ductwork. These versatile installations can also alter air temperatures to fit your needs through colder or warmer months.

Like furnaces and boilers, these HVAC equipment require routine maintenance and tune-ups. Any mechanism benefits from regular tune-ups, such as cleaning a vent connection pipe or replacing an air filter.

Routine Maintenance & Tune-Ups

Anything that works with volatile compounds and fire isn’t best left alone. Systems with combustion components require routine inspection by reliable professionals. There are more risks with things that produce hazardous emissions harmful to your health and the environment.

Dust, dirt, soot, and residue may all result in corrosion and clogs. If your heating equipment doesn’t undergo routine inspections, you risk its stability along with your health and safety.

REMEMBER: Yearly boiler or furnace tune-ups is the key to long-lasting stability and efficiency for all heating systems.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

Call Utah’s finest if you hear, smell, or observe any irregularities in your HVAC systems! Our team of top-rated experts will help maintain your systems or help you upgrade your current ones.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning offers furnace repair, maintenance, and installation. Please don’t hesitate to call us anytime.

Call (801) 355-9500 For Emergency Heating Repair

Furnace Limit Switch

What is a Furnace Limit Switch?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

Do you know what a furnace limit switch is? Does anyone? There’s a reason why you have found different how-to articles claiming the furnace limit switch is one thing, with another article asserting it to be another.

A furnace limit switch has varying definitions due to the different furnace types. Limit switches differ in form, position, and size, but they all serve the same function.

What is a Furnace Limit Switch?

The quick answer: A furnace limit switch is a long temperature-sensor probe within a mounting plate in the combustion chamber, linking multimeter probes in terminals.

Its definition is a little hard to read, but its purpose is simple. A limit switch operating correctly can effectively prevent your furnace from overheating. However, a faulty furnace limit switch can be a hassle during colder months.

Is a Furnace Limit Switch NECESSARY?

Regarding fixtures that handle volatile compounds, manufacturers tend to name each component as close to its purpose as possible. This hastens the process of finding which parts are responsible for which malfunctions, for professional technicians anyway.

If you have been scouring the internet for answers to conduct a furnace repair or tune-up yourself, consider calling experts for help. Read on if you are here to learn about your furnace in-depth.

First, let’s figure out how furnaces work to understand the purpose and pitfalls of their limit switches.

How Your Heating System Works?

A forced air furnace is a natural gas, oil, or electric installation linked to an HVAC unit for distribution. Your furnace has different intake, heating, ventilation, and output components.

Within your heating system are valves, motors, and sensors facilitating combustion. Internal components coordinate the transmission of resources and signals to prevent furnace overheats, malfunctions, and other hazards while providing your home with heated air.

Here’s a quick rundown of its heating process:

Your furnace has various links, such as intake pipes, fuel supply lines, and power sources.

  • Motors distribute electricity to furnace blowers and sensors, including furnace limit switches and control panels that automate activation and deactivation.
  • The gas valve discharges gas supply into furnace burners, opening and closing as required by thermostat demands.
  • A furnace plenum reaches between different source and distribution pipes; blockages may deflect air flow into the furnace and result in short cycling.
  • An air filter (furnace filter) prevents any debris or carbon buildup within the air inside your furnace, which may cause hazardous clogs and affect the entire burner operation.
  • The furnace blower fan directs intake and discharges through chambers to begin heating, which may lead to airflow issues due to loose parts and pollution.
  • The combustion chambers contain ignition components that ignite the fuel supply according to the thermostat’s designated setting.
  • A heat exchanger manages heat particles from one state to another, separating fuel input and breathable warm air output into the air ducts of your HVAC system.

Sensors are armed to detect a surplus in supply based on the temperature inside your furnace. The furnace limit switch is the safety feature that deploys a lockout mode for supply intake and a hard shutdown of engines.

Why is the Fan Limit Switch Important?

The quick answer: A furnace housing a functional limit switch prevents overheating.

Overheating is caused by various factors and may affect one or more of your furnace’s components, impacting their integrity and functions. All elements play vital roles and work in conjunction with one another. When one component fails, another overcompensates to make up for its role.

Switch terminals linked to separate control panels prevent the furnace and heat exchanger overheating when the supply and demand do not align. A surplus of hot air in your furnace due to waste heat from components working overtime hinders the cohesive function of your furnace, leading to disastrous airflow issues.

The furnace fan limit switch prevents the internal air handler (furnace fan or another air exchanger) from exceeding a specified temperature. A corresponding component of the furnace limit switch located inside the control board manages other materials, such as engines, to withhold power and ignition.

High-temperature Limit Switch

A furnace high-limit switch works much in the same fashion. However, it is more accurate in deploying safety measures such as a total furnace shutdown.

Unlike the furnace limit switch, a flame sensor, another safety device located near the pilot light, directly prevents ignition based on the temperature inside the combustion chamber or the surface of its bearings.

The furnace limit switch shuts down furnace burners when the air temperature inside the furnace is too high. Too much heat within your furnace affects intake and output, leading to pressure buildup and damaging your furnace further.

Furnace High Limit Switch for less reliable furnaces

A furnace high-limit switch is more useful for unstable heating systems.

A gas furnace, especially older or poorly maintained, produces an erratic fuel supply. Its furnace blower may also affect temperature readings due to producing minimal cool air by mixing condensation with airflow.

Due to poor and unreliable intake, a standard furnace limit switch may intermittently shut systems down and boot them back up. Endless repetition will eventually initiate a lockout mode, preventing any supply from coming in and any output from being produced.

While routine maintenance can prevent any of that from occurring, a furnace repair specialist may recommend upgrading your furnace limit switch. It is best to upgrade your heating system and have them tuned up regularly. However, if you are still getting ready for a new HVAC unit, upgrading your furnace limit switch is a necessary first step in ensuring safe and reliable heating.

Can You Manually Adjust the Furnace Fan Limit Switch?

If your air handlers are blowing cold air against your designated temperature settings, your furnace’s limit switch may have shut down the heat exchanger. In this instance, the furnace limit switch inhibited the furnace fan from delivering warm air into your vents.

A furnace limit switch and its corresponding fan limit switch are predominantly automated. However, you can take measures to operate the furnace fan yourself if you think the furnace limit switch is faulty.

You can manually adjust the furnace limit switch to control your heating system.

Faulty Blower Fan Limit Switch: Control Wires

Faulty furnace limit switches may be due to their wires being frayed or corrosion in their sensors. The high-voltage electricity wires connecting the furnace fan limit switch to different components may have been compromised during operations or improper maintenance.

If you clean your own furnace, be careful while opening chamber doors and dismantling components. You may trip wires and cause short circuits, compromising sensors and making your furnace fan limit switch less reliable.

How Do I Know If My Furnace Limit Switch is Broken?

You need your furnace limit switch inspected by a professional HVAC technician.

You can rely on your assumptions and jump to conclusions about your furnace fan limit switch and spend on a new switch when all you may need is to clean a dirty filter.

OR you can reach out to professionals for help.

What to Do About a Malfunctioning Limit Switch?

A furnace doesn’t only deliver heat; it impacts your air quality in many ways. Without a proper inspection, maintenance, and tune-up, your furnace may succumb to typical wear and tear a decade earlier than its life expectancy.

Contact specialists if you suspect a defective limit switch or anything wrong with your furnace. They have the necessary HVAC tools and expertise to detect carbon monoxide leaks, conduct thorough internal inspections, and do everything it takes to keep your furnace pristine and functional.

How Much Does Limit Switch Replacement Cost?

It depends on the type of furnace you have. Sometimes, furnace limit switches are only a few dollars, but a high-limit switch may cost more. Some limit switches cost up to twenty or so dollars. It is a necessary safety device on your furnace, and if you have to spend on a repair or replacement cost, don’t tighten the purse string for a limit switch.

Please remember safety features on furnaces should only be installed by professionals. You may establish a faulty switch and be left entrusting your family’s safety to a defective component.

Keep Your Family Safe from Winter & the Furnace

If you live in Utah and require heating and cooling assistance for furnace tune-ups and maintenance, we have just the guys for you!

A Professional Service You Can Trust in Sandy: One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning is a Utahn-built and beloved furnace repair specialist. Our top-rated team provides heating and cooling services all over Utah.

Please leave your sophisticated HVAC systems to experts and reliable contractors. Unreliable handypersons who don’t possess the necessary expertise may add to the damage. Your comfort and safety are our priority. Please book a consultation online today, and let our dedicated representatives guide you through your needs.

At One Stop, we prioritize transparency, honesty, and efficiency. Give us a call to find out why we rank among Utah’s most beloved contractors.

Call for Emergency Heating Repair (801) 355-9500

We provide residents and commercial establishments with 24/7 emergency assistance. Direct your urgent concerns to the hotline provided above.

Why is my heat pump not blowing hot air?

Why is my Heat Pump Not Blowing Hot Air?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

With the winter months looming, it is the worst possible time for your heating system to act up suddenly.

There are various reasons why your heat pumps might malfunction, ranging from obvious ones that are easily remedied to more complicated matters that require the attention of an HVAC professional.

If you have already checked your breaker box to ensure the circuit breaker for the unit isn’t tripped, experts can examine your heating and cooling units in more detail. In case underlying issues are the culprit.

What Does a Heat Pump Do?

A heat pump facilitates heat in and out of your home. Unlike other heaters, heat pumps can convert hot air into cold air. However, it doesn’t generate its own like furnace-type heaters.

Heat pumps utilize outside air to condition your indoor environment. However, it may be harder for your heat pump to reach your set temperature during harsh winters.

Why Is My Heat Pump Not Blowing Hot Air?

If your heat pump is having trouble blowing hot air into your home, it might be time for a heat pump repair.

Your heat pump might have worked fine during the summer months and might be acting up due to the temperature change during winter. Your outdoor unit might not be working fine due to abundant colder outdoor air affecting your heat pump’s functions.

Heat Pump: Common Issues & How You Can Deal With Them

Whether it’s thanks to the colder climate, mechanical failures, and other problems, you may find ways to troubleshoot them yourself, but don’t attempt to handle or remedy electrical or chemical issues on your own. It’s best to call the pros when you are out of your depth.

Below, you will find some of the most common issues users face with their heat pumps.

Reversing valve

It may be thanks to reversing valve problems. The reversing valve is like an ON/OFF switch, connecting your outdoor unit to the one indoors. It switches your heat pump from cooling mode to heat mode. If your reversing valve is loose, clogged, or improperly installed, it may suffer from a mechanical failure.

You may quickly remedy a bad reversing valve connecting your outside unit to your air handlers. A few gentle taps can loosen any ports clogging the system and get your heat pump working properly in no time. You might want to contact a professional to replace a bad reversing valve unless you have the necessary tools and know how to dismantle the outside unit yourself.

Low Refrigerant Charge

You may also call for heat pump repair to deal with a refrigerant leak leading to a low refrigerant charge or coil frosting. You might be able to tell if your systems have a low refrigerant charge when the air coming from indoor handlers is neither cold nor hot.

The refrigerant source is typically stored in the outside unit coils (condenser coils) and flows between both unit coils (evaporator and condenser coils) during temperature management. It isn’t advisable to handle contaminated equipment for the many risks users face with chemical exposure with a leak in either unit. Call an HVAC expert to restore refrigerant charge and other components to their original state.

System Precautions

Some home heating devices have their own internal remediation functions. When these precautions are turned on, your system’s performance may be affected.

Defrost Mode

Although, some heat pump devices have a built-in restoration function. A defrost mode is deployed when the condenser coil dips below a specific temperature due to the outdoor unit being exposed to zero-degree weather or a leak. If your heat pump doesn’t blow hot air, that’s because it’s in defrost mode, which is actually just cooling mode to heat up its coils. You will know because you might hear the reversing valve switch between modes, and the outdoor unit fans won’t be running.

Auxiliary Heat

If it is an external temperature issue, your heat pump could derive enough heat from its auxiliary heat. It might not provide enough heat for long periods, but it should suffice for a few hours.

Aux heat is its emergency heat function or reservoir. A heat pump works through various means. It can absorb heat from natural resources or generate its own through stored heat energy.

If you ever noticed the “AUX Heat” mode on your thermostat, it refers to your system tapping into its auxiliary heat (Electric Resistance Heating). Thanks to your smart thermostat settings, auxiliary heat is automatically cycled on against sudden dips in temperature. It might provide enough heat until your heat pump’s functions catch up.

Dirty Filters: System Cleaning and Maintenance

However, to get your heat pumps blowing warm air again, you might be able to get away with just a thorough cleaning. 

Heat pumps tend to malfunction if they suffer from a dirty air filter. If it doesn’t blow warm air due to a dirty air filter, you may clean or replace it to get it in good working condition again.

Remember, the air filter of many heat pumps plays just as significant a role as its other components. A modern heat pump is typically outfitted with an air filter to prevent contaminants from entering your home.

When filters aren’t cleaned regularly, they may collect pollutants and other debris, leading to clogs. A clogged air filter can hinder proper airflow as a safety precaution by interrupting enough air coming into your home. Additionally, the airflow that does make it through might be contaminated.

How Does a Heat Pump Work?

Heat pump systems transfer heat from natural resources like air, water, and soil. Its process during heat mode doesn’t involve any combustion process.

Types of Heat Pumps

There are three types of heat pump systems, each sourced from its own natural resource.

Depending on the type of heat pump, your warm air comes from one of three elements. We will discuss each of them below.

Air-to-air Source

An air-to-air source heat pump has an outdoor unit absorbing heat from the surrounding air, with indoor air handlers and vents distributing it into your home. Its different coils transfer heat indoors and the inverse when required.

It can provide cool air by extracting indoor heat to help alleviate your home’s internal temperature using its evaporator coil. These heat pump systems are typical for an air conditioner, absorbing air and redistributing it into another environment through the air as well.

Air-to-Water Source

An air-to-water source heat pump provides your home with heat through the use of centralized heating devices like radiators, boilers, or underfloor heaters.

Like an air-to-air source heat pump, it also has an outdoor unit absorbing heat from the outside air. However, this time, heat exchangers transfer heat to a liquid refrigerant. It is then compressed and condensed to raise the refrigerant’s body temperature before releasing heat for distribution.

Ground Source (Geothermal)

A ground source heat pump is the most sustainable form of home heating by far. Its process involves renewable energy technology producing more efficient heat production.

During winter, the “smart” heat pump utilizes heat from underground moisture. Where the heat extracted from your home in the summer is also stored to be used in the winter months.

This highly efficient method of storing and reusing natural elements is a sustainable way to provide warm and cold air for your home.

Parts of a Heat Pump System

While different types possess varying systems, each shares three significant components:

  1. Compressor (Outside unit)
  2. Air Handler (Indoor unit/s)
  3. Thermostat

Each plays a role in helping you and your family feel cool in the summer and warm in the winter. These heaters aren’t like an air conditioner or gas furnace. They can provide your home with cold air like an air conditioner or hot water like a furnace, but they are more efficient and versatile.

Delivering Hot and Cold Air

An air conditioner cannot lower the indoor air temperature without a heat pump’s help. Air conditioners cannot provide warmth without being linked to a gas furnace if they don’t have heat pumps built into their system.

A furnace is less efficient in generating heat by combustion than utilizing an outdoor unit to absorb heat for distribution. Additionally, a furnace doesn’t provide cold air. Only a heat pump’s functions can deliver both.

Utah’s Most Trust Professional Technician for HVAC Systems

Call us when your heat pump is dealing with a low refrigerant charge, suffering from a leak, power source issue, or from anything else hindering it from delivering your desired temperature.

One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning

If the air coming into your home isn’t to your liking, a heat pump repair might just do the thing!

The One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning company provides Utahns with furnace repair, furnace maintenance, and heating system installation.

Check out our extensive suite of services and book your appointment online.

Call (801) 355-9500

Reach out to our team through our hotline for more immediate concerns.

Our business hours include 24/7 emergency assistance!

Heat Pump Vs Furnace

Difference between a Heat Pump and a Furnace

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

We know this thought has crossed every homeowner’s mind at one point. Which is better? Which is more efficient? Which is more reliable?

While both a heat pump and a furnace installation make fine home heating systems, the former has the upper hand in overall efficiency. A furnace installation in homes is tales as old as time, and it’s traditional to have at least one powering your air and water heating needs.

Environmental factors play the most significant role in the Heat Pump VS Furnace debate. Yes, it boils down to environmental impact, but in a way that affects how much you spend on monthly bills. However, as decades pass and climate change worsens, it’s only ideal to opt for more energy efficiency and sustainability. Here’s how.

The Difference Between A Heat Pump and a Furnace

We can answer the Heat Pump VS Furnace debate in very few words.

  1. Heat pumps work without the process of combustion in facilitating natural heat in and out of your home.
  2. Furnaces generate heat and produce greenhouse gas emissions to produce heat.

Based on these two statements, you can already tell their most significant difference lies in their heat sources. Furnaces generate heat by burning natural gas, oil, or coal. They can also generate heat through electricity. However, heat pump systems transfer heat instead of generating their own through combustion.

Heat Pumps Don’t Generate Heat

A heat pump works by absorbing heat from natural elements, transferring their heat energy into transfer fluids transmitted through heat exchangers before compression to provide your indoor handlers with sufficient heat for distribution.

The Heat Pump Heating System:

There are different heat pumps, but none burn any resources to provide your home with heat. A heat pump system does three main things:

  1. Absorb heat through an outdoor unit. (Compressor unit)
  2. Transmit heat energy through a series of heat exchangers.
  3. Distribute heat into your home’s air or water supply.

However, there is an internal debacle within the Heat Pump VS Furnace argument. Let’s call it the Heat Pump Debate.

The Three Types of Heat Pumps

Which of the three heat pumps is the most energy efficient and reliable? The answer may depend on your climate, environment, and other factors. However, they are proven more energy-efficient than furnaces and air conditioning systems.

Air-to-Air Source Heat Pumps

Residential homes and commercial buildings should opt for air-to-air heat pumps for ambient heating. The air source heat pumps transfer heat directly into your home’s air handler or air conditioner after traveling through ductwork for indoor distribution.

Most air conditioning systems have an air source heat pump to manage temperatures. This heat pump is utilized within other HVAC systems because of its versatile and efficient functions. Heat transfer isn’t typically stored anywhere in air-to-air source pumps and can handle heat management better even during cold climates.

Air-to-Water Source Heat Pumps

An air-to-water source heat pump works nearly the same as an air-to-air. However, this heat pump system transfers heat into an indoor unit filled with water and other liquid utilized for heat distribution.

Air-to-water source heat pumps such as radiators, centralized underfloor heating systems, and boilers are better suited for areas with a mild climate. The system’s functions are most efficient in mild climates because both warmer climates and colder climates can affect the temperature of the liquid storage storing heat energy.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

A ground source heat pump, also known as Geothermal, derives heat from the moisture in the soil. It reduces waste by recycling the abundant amounts of heat it collects during summer and reuses them in winter when heat particles are more scarce.

It surprisingly does well against a cold climate. It currently sets the gold standard for heating systems that provide heat efficiently sans carbon utilization and emission.

Dual fuel system

A dual fuel system combines a gas furnace and an electric heat pump. If it sounds overkill, maybe you have never lived in colder climates where the temperature drops below zero regularly. However, you don’t need to live in the North Pole to have a duel fuel system. Some homes and establishments use them for multi-purpose heating or in case of emergency needs. A dual fuel system has a gas furnace for supplementary or auxiliary heating.

Heat pumps provide better Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), but traditional furnaces are more useful for areas with unreliable electricity. As most heat pumps are electric, during a power outage, they won’t be able to sustain higher temperatures unless the gas furnace kicks in as your home’s backup heat source. By deploying heat-generating functions through its gas supply, combustion chamber, and either a pilot light or electronic ignition, the whole shebang!

Furnaces Generate Own Heat

Opting for these heating devices can help you save money on unit and installation costs. Still, the resources they use to provide your home with hot air during the cold weather can be detrimental to the environment and your home’s air quality.

The Furnace Heating System:

Furnaces are less reliant on your home’s outdoor temperature by creating their own heat source. Typically, all furnaces work by burning natural gas, coal, wood, and oil. There are electric furnaces you can opt for, and while they are more efficient than more classic installations, they still trail behind heat pumps in terms of energy efficiency.

Natural Gas furnace

With gas furnaces, energy costs may come lower. However, gas furnaces have an installation cost nearly twice as much as other furnace types. Traditional gas furnaces have a natural gas supply with a pilot light ignition. Its more modern counter-parts come with flame sensors (Thermocouple) which control gas and ignition valves as an added safety measure. One of its many cons includes how well it can hold up against cold air blowing through your basement or crawl space your furnace is installed. Cold air can clog thermocouples with debris and residual gas, preventing the ignition of the pilot flame.

Electric furnace

Unlike gas and oil furnaces, an electric furnace can draw in outside air to aid its heating composition. It uses electricity to produce heat and outside air to supplement its production. Like most heating and cooling systems, electric furnaces distribute warm air with a blower fan and air ducts for ambient heating. Electric furnaces generate less heat or energy loss, making them the most energy-efficient furnace out of the three. However, an electric furnace can’t double serve as your home’s cooling system.

Heat Pumps VS Air Conditioners

A heat pump is typically installed within an air conditioner. It’s a heating device, but its faculty can double as a cooling system. An air conditioner cannot extract heat indoors, but one with a heat pump built into it can. Air conditioning systems keep you cool during hot weather by extracting heat through an indoor air handler and transmitting it outdoors. An inverse heating process no other HVAC system can execute or do as efficiently as a heat pump could.

How Do Air Conditioners Work?

There are different kinds of air conditioning systems. Some have ductwork, while others have more direct links via copper coils. Air conditioning devices without a heat pump are more like ventilation systems by their utility of outside air, except they may come with temperature-altering functions if attached to a furnace.

A centralized air conditioner also uses a blower fan to distribute air through ductwork. Units with more energy efficiency are called ductless mini-split systems and operate temperatures based on different thermostat settings per indoor air handler. Ductless systems are more sustainable than others. Still, a home heating system can falter when we don’t meet different maintenance requirements.

The Routine Maintenance of All HVAC Systems

A furnace, heat pump, and air conditioning system require regular cleaning and tune-up. Nearly all HVAC systems have air filters. If they aren’t cleaned routinely, they may overflow with contaminants resulting in your system stalling or malfunctioning. Annual routine maintenance can save you from costly repairs in the future.

A heat pump with a dirty filter deploys safety techniques to diffuse airflow and preserve air quality. A heat pump that suddenly stops working may need an air filter replacement, refrigerant replenishment, or coil restoration. A leak from filters and refrigerant storage can freeze coils, hindering heat pump functions. You must schedule regular maintenance and tune-ups to ensure your systems work properly through different seasons.

One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning

Please don’t settle for unreliable contractors if you are tired of the outdoor air determining your internal temperatures. You can find an affordable and reliable contractor in Utah. Check out our list of services for one that suits your needs best.

Our professional services include furnace repair and furnace maintenance for both furnaces and heat pumps. We can also help you integrate a heat pump with our heating system installation if you are tired of your old gas furnace and want an upgrade!

Call (801) 355-9500

Contact our team of experts through our hotline 24/7 for emergency assistance and urgent inquiries.

AC Vs Heat Pump

What is the difference between Heat Pump and an AC Unit?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

If you are currently caught up with the heat pump vs. AC debate, we can help shed light on their differences and similarities. Both heat pumps and air conditioners make reliable and sustainable HVAC systems against freezing temperatures and the summer heat. Still, they don’t go through the same process for heating or cooling, and one might fit your needs better.

After reading through our article, you might be able to tell which heating and cooling system is a cut above the rest.

What Is The Difference Between a Heat Pump and an AC Unit?

An air conditioner cannot facilitate heat in and out of your home without the help of a built-in heat pump or furnace attachment. Unlike an air conditioning system, heat pump systems work independently of any other HVAC system.

Air conditioners depend on other systems to manage your home’s indoor air temperature. Still, both a heat pump and an air conditioner rely on outdoor air to function, unlike a furnace that generates its own heat.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

A heat pump works by absorbing naturally occurring heat energy from the different elements. It is an efficient heating system that simply converts outside air into quality breathable air at your desired temperature. You can set indoor temperatures for your heat pumps to achieve with naturally-sourced heat.

You might have had the impression that air conditioners blow cold air inside your home, but they don’t do that. However, a heat pump can produce cold air. While it does not directly convert hot air into colder air, its indoor air handler has coils that extract heat from your home to dispose of outdoors. Heat extraction is an effective technique for producing quality cooling output in enclosed spaces, making refrigeration easier for cooling systems.

Parts of a Heat Pump

There are different kinds of heat pumps, but they all share three major components:

  1. Compressor (Outdoor Unit) 
  2. Air Handler (Indoor Unit)
  3. Thermostat (Temperature Manager)

Inside its outdoor unit, you will find vital heat pump heating components, including the condenser coils, outdoor fans and motors, and connecting valves.

Linking the compressor to the indoor air handler is the reversing valve. Reversing valves allows for inverse heating which is essential for cooling mode.

Indoor air handlers contain evaporator coils, heat exchangers, and air filters. An evaporator coil absorbs ambient heat inside and transfers it to the corresponding coil outdoors for disposal.

Air Source Heat Pump

Air source heat pumps use outdoor air to provide various types of heating. While outdoor temperatures influence it, it holds up against cold and moderate climates just fine. An air source heat pump provides your home with sufficient ambient heating. Its outdoor unit absorbs heat energy from the air and transmits it to a transfer liquid, usually refrigerant, for compression before it is transferred to air handlers for distribution.

Air-to-air source heat pumps are typically the type of pump built into air conditioning systems. Some air conditioners don’t come with a heat pump configuration and instead depend on a furnace attachment for temperature management.

Water Source Heat Pump

Water source heat pumps work with external pipelines as part of their outdoor units. Both heat pumps (i.e., air source and water source) provide ambient heating, but water source heat pumps absorb heat from bodies of water instead of outdoor air.

A water source heat pump collects heat input from a more reliable resource. Climate and weather changes can make air source heat pumps more erratic, consuming more power against cooler temperatures. The heat collectors of water source heat pumps don’t rely as heavily on outdoor temperatures. Natural bodies of water remain at more constant temperatures than other elements and take longer to absorb the surrounding hot or cool air.

Ground Source Heat Pump

Its heat pump efficiency is the gold standard because of one special step in its heating mode. During colder months, heat is harder to come by. While most modern heat pumps come with supplementary heating, your home heating system might overcompensate by doubling down on energy consumption to produce higher temperatures indoors when outdoor temperatures drop.

Unless it has some other kind of auxiliary electric heater to aid in its heating process, a heat pump may overcompensate and cause your utility bills to surge. This energy-efficient heating system recycles resources by storing any surplus heat it collects in the summer for later use, which helps you save on energy costs.

How Do Air Conditioners Work?

Air conditioners cool enclosed spaces…or so we thought. An air conditioner also relies on outside air. Still, it can’t facilitate temperature changes without relying on other heating systems, whether built-in or external.

An air conditioner with a heat pump facilitating temperatures is the most common eco-friendly type of home heating system you will find in the country today. It is sustainable and affordable. Its heating or cooling mode also maintains great indoor air quality the best. There are more layers of filters against contaminants and pollutants, beginning with heat absorption by the heat pump to the transmission into the corresponding indoor unit.

Parts of an Air Conditioner

An air conditioner works by adjusting temperatures and implementing filtration systems to produce quality breathing air indoors. There are different kinds of air conditioners, but they all share three major components:

  1. Condenser (Outdoor Unit)
  2. Air Handlers (Indoor Unit)
  3. Thermostat Panel/Controller (Temperature Manager)

An air conditioner also features an evaporator coil, which is great news for Utahns suffering under the sweltering heat. An evaporator coil is a heat exchanger within the heat pump system that helps transfer heat indoors to the outside.

If your air conditioning system isn’t built with an integrated heat pump, it may be attached to a natural gas furnace for heat management. A furnace attachment is more typical for a traditional central AC system. But more energy-efficient air conditioners feature integrated heat pump systems. What’s the difference? Let’s find out.

Ducted Central Air Conditioner

A centralized air conditioner might not be right for you if we discuss energy efficiency. A central air conditioner doesn’t only have a higher installation cost, but its extensive ductwork is harder to integrate into existing structures. Some structures opt for exposed ducting to save on renovation costs, but not everyone appreciates its aesthetic. A new air conditioner with ducted systems may not be appealing, and its risks for energy loss are just as unappealing.

The greater the distance your air travels, from the source to the destination (outdoor handler to indoor handler), the more air is lost along the way. It delays the process of your HVAC system, and you might end up paying more for less. However, central air conditioning has withstood the test of time, and they are still the most prominent air conditioner nationwide.

We think ductless systems are the future. They are not only more energy-efficient but make more accessible add-ons to existing indoor structures.

Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioner

If you have ever seen a smaller air conditioning unit attached to the inner wall of a home or establishment, chances are you are looking at a ductless mini-split air conditioner.

Don’t mistake them for a window unit air conditioner because mini-splits are longer and more rectangular than box-type air conditioners. A ductless mini-split air conditioner also has higher energy efficiency ratings than most other HVAC systems. Air is transmitted through copper coils instead of ducts or pipes, and its single-zoning area of responsibility keeps energy consumption more focused. Unlike a central AC that maintains one constant temperature for an entire structure, ductless mini-splits have independent thermal controls.

It means your air conditioner doesn’t have to use more energy to provide and sustain even heating or cooling for the entire house.

Heat Pump VS Air Conditioner: Energy Efficiency

In the heat pump vs. air conditioner argument, energy efficiency is one of the biggest criteria up for debate.

Most of us like to look at the bigger picture before we make an electronic purchase. We look at how much an appliance will cost us in the long run and how much we get from it in return. The former might have the upper hand in overall efficiency, sustainability, and utility between heat pumps and air conditioners. The versatility of the right size heat pump in providing your home with cool or warm air is next to nothing. However, heat pumps have higher upfront costs. Still, they last longer, endure better and are more cost-reliable.

While nearly all modern air conditioners come with heat pump installations, they can cost at least twice as much. You can opt for an air conditioner with a furnace attachment instead if you aren’t keen on spending too much overall. However, if you want energy efficiency, we think air conditioners with built-in heat pumps are the way to go!

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)

Here’s one way to tell if your heat pumps and air conditioners are energy-efficient. Look for their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). You might see it indicated on its stickers or the box your heat pump or air conditioner comes in, saying HIGH SEER UNIT or Energy Star-certified. The higher their SEER ratings, the more overall efficiency they possess.

Preventive Maintenance for Your HVAC System

Regular tune-up and maintenance are important for your home heating and cooling system. Even the most efficient heat pump system can deteriorate over time. If you don’t want to be startled by next month’s utility bills, don’t forget to check your system for leaks and other damages regularly. Don’t worry about spending a little on preventive maintenance. They might save you from costly repairs in the future.

One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning

It would be best if you didn’t settle for unreliable contractors; luckily, you don’t have to. Reach out to Utah’s most trusted HVAC specialists! One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning technicians help Utahns with all their furnace repair, furnace maintenance, and heating system installation needs.

Don’t hesitate to call our team for any emergency assistance 24/7!

Call (801) 355-9500

Furnace Water Leak

Why is my Furnace leaking Water?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, Heating & Cooling, HVAC, Maintenance.

We know this thought has crossed every homeowner’s mind at one point. Which is better? Which is more efficient? Which is more reliable?

While both a heat pump and a furnace installation make fine home heating systems, the former has the upper hand in overall efficiency. A furnace installation in homes is tales as old as time, and it’s traditional to have at least one powering your air and water heating needs.

Environmental factors play the most significant role in the Heat Pump VS Furnace debate. Yes, it boils down to environmental impact, but in a way that affects how much you spend on monthly bills. However, as decades pass and climate change worsens, it’s only ideal to opt for more energy efficiency and sustainability. Here’s how.

The Difference Between A Heat Pump and a Furnace

We can answer the Heat Pump VS Furnace debate in very few words.

  1. Heat pumps work without the process of combustion in facilitating natural heat in and out of your home.
  2. Furnaces generate heat and produce greenhouse gas emissions to produce heat.

Based on these two statements, you can already tell their most significant difference lies in their heat sources. Furnaces generate heat by burning natural gas, oil, or coal. They can also generate heat through electricity. However, heat pump systems transfer heat instead of generating their own through combustion.

Heat Pumps Don’t Generate Heat

A heat pump works by absorbing heat from natural elements, transferring their heat energy into transfer fluids transmitted through heat exchangers before compression to provide your indoor handlers with sufficient heat for distribution.

The Heat Pump Heating System:

There are different heat pumps, but none burn any resources to provide your home with heat. A heat pump system does three main things:

  1. Absorb heat through an outdoor unit. (Compressor unit)
  2. Transmit heat energy through a series of heat exchangers.
  3. Distribute heat into your home’s air or water supply.

However, there is an internal debacle within the Heat Pump VS Furnace argument. Let’s call it the Heat Pump Debate.

The Three Types of Heat Pumps

Which of the three heat pumps is the most energy efficient and reliable? The answer may depend on your climate, environment, and other factors. However, they are proven more energy-efficient than furnaces and air conditioning systems.

Air-to-Air Source Heat Pumps

Residential homes and commercial buildings should opt for air-to-air heat pumps for ambient heating. The air source heat pumps transfer heat directly into your home’s air handler or air conditioner after traveling through ductwork for indoor distribution.

Most air conditioning systems have an air source heat pump to manage temperatures. This heat pump is utilized within other HVAC systems because of its versatile and efficient functions. Heat transfer isn’t typically stored anywhere in air-to-air source pumps and can handle heat management better even during cold climates.

Air-to-Water Source Heat Pumps

An air-to-water source heat pump works nearly the same as an air-to-air. However, this heat pump system transfers heat into an indoor unit filled with water and other liquid utilized for heat distribution.

Air-to-water source heat pumps such as radiators, centralized underfloor heating systems, and boilers are better suited for areas with a mild climate. The system’s functions are most efficient in mild climates because both warmer climates and colder climates can affect the temperature of the liquid storage storing heat energy.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

A ground source heat pump, also known as Geothermal, derives heat from the moisture in the soil. It reduces waste by recycling the abundant amounts of heat it collects during summer and reuses them in winter when heat particles are more scarce.

It surprisingly does well against a cold climate. It currently sets the gold standard for heating systems that provide heat efficiently sans carbon utilization and emission.

Dual fuel system

A dual fuel system combines a gas furnace and an electric heat pump. If it sounds overkill, maybe you have never lived in colder climates where the temperature drops below zero regularly. However, you don’t need to live in the North Pole to have a duel fuel system. Some homes and establishments use them for multi-purpose heating or in case of emergency needs. A dual fuel system has a gas furnace for supplementary or auxiliary heating.

Heat pumps provide better Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), but traditional furnaces are more useful for areas with unreliable electricity. As most heat pumps are electric, during a power outage, they won’t be able to sustain higher temperatures unless the gas furnace kicks in as your home’s backup heat source. By deploying heat-generating functions through its gas supply, combustion chamber, and either a pilot light or electronic ignition, the whole shebang!

Furnaces Generate Own Heat

Opting for these heating devices can help you save money on unit and installation costs. Still, the resources they use to provide your home with hot air during the cold weather can be detrimental to the environment and your home’s air quality.

The Furnace Heating System:

Furnaces are less reliant on your home’s outdoor temperature by creating their own heat source. Typically, all furnaces work by burning natural gas, coal, wood, and oil. There are electric furnaces you can opt for, and while they are more efficient than more classic installations, they still trail behind heat pumps in terms of energy efficiency.

Natural Gas furnace

With gas furnaces, energy costs may come lower. However, gas furnaces have an installation cost nearly twice as much as other furnace types. Traditional gas furnaces have a natural gas supply with a pilot light ignition. Its more modern counter-parts come with flame sensors (Thermocouple) which control gas and ignition valves as an added safety measure. One of its many cons includes how well it can hold up against cold air blowing through your basement or crawl space your furnace is installed. Cold air can clog thermocouples with debris and residual gas, preventing the ignition of the pilot flame.

Electric furnace

Unlike gas and oil furnaces, an electric furnace can draw in outside air to aid its heating composition. It uses electricity to produce heat and outside air to supplement its production. Like most heating and cooling systems, electric furnaces distribute warm air with a blower fan and air ducts for ambient heating. Electric furnaces generate less heat or energy loss, making them the most energy-efficient furnace out of the three. However, an electric furnace can’t double serve as your home’s cooling system.

Heat Pumps VS Air Conditioners

A heat pump is typically installed within an air conditioner. It’s a heating device, but its faculty can double as a cooling system. An air conditioner cannot extract heat indoors, but one with a heat pump built into it can. Air conditioning systems keep you cool during hot weather by extracting heat through an indoor air handler and transmitting it outdoors. An inverse heating process no other HVAC system can execute or do as efficiently as a heat pump could.

How Do Air Conditioners Work?

There are different kinds of air conditioning systems. Some have ductwork, while others have more direct links via copper coils. Air conditioning devices without a heat pump are more like ventilation systems by their utility of outside air, except they may come with temperature-altering functions if attached to a furnace.

A centralized air conditioner also uses a blower fan to distribute air through ductwork. Units with more energy efficiency are called ductless mini-split systems and operate temperatures based on different thermostat settings per indoor air handler. Ductless systems are more sustainable than others. Still, a home heating system can falter when we don’t meet different maintenance requirements.

The Routine Maintenance of All HVAC Systems

A furnace, heat pump, and air conditioning system require regular cleaning and tune-up. Nearly all HVAC systems have air filters. If they aren’t cleaned routinely, they may overflow with contaminants resulting in your system stalling or malfunctioning. Annual routine maintenance can save you from costly repairs in the future.

A heat pump with a dirty filter deploys safety techniques to diffuse airflow and preserve air quality. A heat pump that suddenly stops working may need an air filter replacement, refrigerant replenishment, or coil restoration. A leak from filters and refrigerant storage can freeze coils, hindering heat pump functions. You must schedule regular maintenance and tune-ups to ensure your systems work properly through different seasons.

One-Stop Heating and Air Conditioning

Please don’t settle for unreliable contractors if you are tired of the outdoor air determining your internal temperatures. You can find an affordable and reliable contractor in Utah. Check out our list of services for one that suits your needs best.

Our professional services include furnace repair and furnace maintenance for both furnaces and heat pumps. We can also help you integrate a heat pump with our heating system installation if you are tired of your old gas furnace and want an upgrade!

Call (801) 355-9500

Contact our team of experts through our hotline 24/7 for emergency assistance and urgent inquiries.

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