A household furnace puts in steady service through the winter. As it runs, its blower fan pulls in air from the rooms via a return air vent. Plenty of dust, furniture and carpet lint, dander, and other debris can enter the furnace along with this air, but the furnace has a defense against it: an air filter located along the cabinet at the point where the return duct connects with it. (In some homes, the filter is located behind the grill of the return vent in the house.)
Comfort Master Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. Blog : Archive for October, 2016
Why You Must Regularly Change the Furnace Filter
Monday, October 31st, 2016You May Need Professional Duct Sealing
Monday, October 24th, 2016Most homes have a ventilation system with ductwork to circulate air—both heated and cooled—throughout the rooms. Because the ductwork is hidden from sight in walls and ceilings and closed-off spaces like the attic, it’s easy for homeowners not to give them much thought. But ducts often develop air leaks in them over time, and unless these leaks are professionally sealed, it will have a negative effect on home comfort and energy performance.
How a Whole-House Humidifier Helps Your House in Winter
Monday, October 17th, 2016The most important step for prepping your home for the coming winter weather is to arrange for maintenance for the heating system. (Sign up for our Comfort Club and you can get started right away!) But there are some other steps to take as well, including making upgrades to the HVAC system. One that we recommend for many homes is putting in a whole-house humidifier. The installation work is a job professionals must do, but you’ll receive numerous benefits from the system during the winter—and the winters to come. Below are a few of the ways a humidifier will help during cold weather:
A warmer-feeling house
A humidifier doesn’t raise the indoor temperature when it’s running, even though it feels like it does. What’s actually occurring is that the moisture levels in the air make it easier for the human body to retain heat. When the humidity levels are too low, heat escapes rapidly through the skin by perspiration. Proper humidity balance thanks to a whole-house humidifier takes an unpleasant edge off the cold.
Lower energy bills
Dry air forces you to keep your heater running more often in order to overcome the effects mentioned above. With a humidifier working, you can reduce the amount of money you spend running the heater, often by 25% over the winter.
Improved health
Extremely dry conditions weaken the immune system. When sinus membranes dry up, colds and flus can spread quickly from person to person. A humidifier will help lower the incidences of illness in your house over the winter.
Protection for wood and painted surfaces
Low moisture can cause wood to crack and painted surfaces to peel. This can be especially serious for precision musical instruments, but almost any home will benefit with a humidifier to protect its building material.
Comfort Master Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. offers indoor air quality and heating services to Cary, NC.
What Does Energy Efficiency Mean for a Furnace?
Monday, October 10th, 2016When you are in the market for a new furnace installation in your house, one of the major factors to look at in any model you may purchase is its energy efficiency. This is the measure of how well the furnace takes its energy source (natural gas in most cases) and turns it into the actual heat you feel in the house. An energy-efficient furnace will waste little of its fuel source and convert most of it to heating. This usually means you will pay less to run the system than a furnace with worse energy efficiency.
Danger! Cracked Heat Exchanger in a Furnace!
Monday, October 3rd, 2016One of our priorities as professional HVAC technicians is keeping our customers safe in their homes. We want you to enjoy comfort during the winter without worries that the gas furnace you have installed might become hazardous.
Gas furnaces are built today with safety uppermost in mind; we don’t want you to think that a natural gas furnace is automatically dangerous. If you make sure to always schedule annual maintenance in the fall to inspect and tune-up your gas furnace, you can enjoy many winters of comfort without concern.
