Furnace Repair Tips for the Do-It-Yourself Home Owner

The best time to inspect, maintain and repair a furnace is the summer or early autumn, before heating season gets here. Although most people opt to call a professional HVAC service person for big repairs, there are also plenty of smaller repairs and maintenance tasks that can easily be handled by the average do-it-yourself home owner.

Before performing any maintenance on a furnace, you should read the owner's manual that came with it, so that you are familiar with your particular furnace. Besides making sure that the furnace filter is changed on a regular basis, there are also some preventative maintenance tasks that you can take care of. Be sure to reference these tasks in your owner's manual, to make sure you understand how it should be performed for your furnace.

Do a thorough visual examination of your furnace, paying special attention to the visible electrical connections and wires. If you find any loose wires, unraveled wires, loose screws or nuts, or anything that looks like it has been burned, this can be a sign of problems. You can make the repairs yourself if you are comfortable doing so. Otherwise, have an HVAC professional, like those at Champs Mechanical, take care of this furnace repair for you.

You should also inspect your chimney and vent connection pipe for any gaps or signs of rust. The components of your venting system are prone to deterioration over time, so you should inspect them at least once each year. Any problems should be repaired immediately.

It is also important to make sure that you furnace is cycling properly, and that your thermostat is accurate. You can use your thermostat to confirm that it is properly cycling through the start-up and shut-down phases. Then, before you complete your inspection, be sure that the safety switch on the furnace door popped out when the door was removed. To avoid any problems with this safety feature, clean it and remove any obstructions so that it operates smoothly.

Keeping your HVAC Equipment in Prime Condition

Looking around one can find some kind of HVAC equipment installed in every home. This equipment has become an essential part of our lives as they relate to ventilation, air conditioning and heating of the home. However it must be understood that any equipment installed in the home needs regular maintenance to keep them working in good condition. Unlike popular imagination, it does not require vast knowledge and experience to carry out regular maintenance on these fixtures. Here are some tips that you can follow, which will help you maintain the fixtures in your home.

Perhaps the most common task you need to carry out in maintaining HVAC equipment is change the filters, which have been installed in them. These filters can be purchased at one of the many retailers that specialize in selling such products. You could purchase the filters for prices as low as $1 but would also have to contend with low quality. Better quality filters would perhaps cost a little more but would also save you the trouble of making frequent changes to the retailers shop. These filters need to be changed every 60 days if you wish to leave the system running in good condition. They will also help your HVAC system pump air at a consistent speed.

Removing dust and dirt from the blower is another job that you will need to carry out on a regular basis. Here too you can use the vacuum cleaner in your home to remove the accumulated dust and dirt from the blower.

While the tasks mentioned above can be carried out by any person, there are some tasks, which are best, left to be handled by a qualified HVAC technician. Look for companies like Atlanta HVAC, where all technicians carry state licenses. In depth maintenance tasks are better handled by people qualified and trained at these jobs. Trying to carry out such tasks without any experience will only lead to damages of the system.

A Career in HVAC

With more and more people out of work, individuals are looking for new stable careers. One career field in which many people are interested in is the HVAC industry. A career in this industry can be a challenging and rewarding career. Jobs such as these require little schooling and are always in demand.

There are a number of HVAC schools throughout the country which provide in-depth training in this industry. The training can take an average of 1 to 2 years depending on the courseload. There are also programs of a apprenticeship which may take longer but offer the benefit of having a paid job while you learn. The cost to attend an HVAC school is also quite reasonable. The typical cost for HVAC training will only be a few thousand dollars. This may seem like a lot, but compared to the cost of a four year college degree it can be a bargain.

Finding a job after training can also be very successful. HVAC repair is something which cannot be outsourced overseas. There is always a demand for qualified technicians and this training can almost guarantee you a job. Many of the schools will also have placement programs to help find a job for you. Many of the schools even have waiting lists for qualified technicians because the demand is so high.

So, if you are in search of a new career because you have lost your current job and your industry has collapsed, or you are freshly of high school and deciding on whether or not to pursue a four year degree and take your chances of finding a job, a career in HVAC may be right for you. Always javascript:void(0)compare the programs at several schools to see what may be the best fit for you. Tuition and the level of instruction can vary greatly from each of these institutions.

2 Common Types of Heating Systems

Whether you are planning to purchase a new heating system or upgrade the existing one, it is cirtical that you carefully sift through the available options. This is necessary to ensure that you will be able to acquire the applicable type of heater that matches your heating needs and home specifications. Since there are a number of viable options avaialable for you, it is essential that you become acquainted with the existing choices to help you locate the best one. To help you do that, here are 2 typical types of heating systems that are widely used in many households today.

• Hot Water Heating System – This type of home heating system is powered by hot water that circulates from the main boiler to the pipes, and then delivered to the radiator connected to different rooms in the house. This is the common choice among homeowners that have a crunched space. Since it uses a boiler, it takes up lesser space as compared to heating systems that uses a furnace. The heater’s boiler can be fueled by electricity, oil, natural gas, or propane. The greatest advantage of a hot water heating system is the fact that it is very energy-efficient. However, the main downside is that it takes a long time before the system can effetively heat up the house.

• Forced Air Heating System – A centralized forced air heating system delivers warm air with the help of a built-in fan through a series of ducts installed within the house. This is perhaps the most common type of heating system applied for domestic use. If you are looking for a heating system that can rapidly distribute warm air to every room in the house, then this type is the best choice for you. They do not require expensive installation, and they are capable of providing continuous air circulation.

It is important that you closely examine each type of heating system to ensure that you’ll end up with the right choice. And when you encounter heating problems, make sure to find a credible and reliable technician that specialize in heater repair.

Coil Cleaning and a New HVAC Blog

I found a new blog that I wanted to share with you all as I was cruising around Technorati. It's a new HVAC blog and while they don't have a whole ton of information now, I always like to let people know when I find something that might be useful down the road.

Now I was also on youtube  and I stumbled across this nice video that explains coil cleaning. For those of you who do not know cleaning of air conditioning coils can extend the life of an AC unit significantly. Not only will it extend the life it will also improve the efficiency of the unit. For those who don't know, this saves you money every single month! Do it, you will be glad that you did. OK here is the video:

HVAC Wiring Diagrams

In today's lesson I'm going to talk a little bit about HVAC wiring. Now you don't need to be a licensed electrician to handle some basic wiring for a central heating and air conditioning unit. In the video that I would like to share with you today, you will learn some standard procedures to follow whenever setting up a new system or re-wiring an older unit. There are a variety of different reasons that you might need to do something like this and I'll get into specific details down the road. OK without any further ado let me give you the video lesson:

How helpful was that? I hope that you aspiring HVAC techs and handymen were able to learn a little something from today's post. As always if you have any questions about the wiring diagram or any of the other information that we have presented on this site, feel free to leave a comment and I'll get you an answer just as soon as humanly possible. Thanks for reading!

Ductwork

I wanted to share with all of you a very nice post that I found on ductwork. This is really one of the most informative articles that I have seen that really covers this topic in depth. For those who are unfamiliar with what ductwork is, its the "plumbing" that carries treated air throughout your home. If you think of the pipes that carry your water to all of the sinks and fixtures throughout your home, you can have a good idea of how ductwork operates. Its main job is to transport air from your air handler to all of the vents throughout the house. Now there are various types of ducts that are services but in general that is how it operates. If you have some time and are interested, then I would recommend checking out that article for a detailed breakdown.

Electric Arc Furnace

Now I like to cover lots of heating and air conditioning related topics on this blog so I wanted to talk a little bit about commercial furnaces today. Now the heating principles at play with commercial furnaces is actually quite different from those that are used in residential heating units. Nevertheless I think it is something that some of you all might enjoy. So today I want to present you with a video on electric arc furnaces. This is a nice little video that I found on youtube that actually taught me something that I didn't know. Now you all know that after having worked in this field and taught the stuff for several decades this type of situation doesn't come up too often anymore. However, when it does, I get as giddy as a school girl. OK I'm exaggerating but it is an ahhhh moment and I do enjoy those. So without any further ado let me give you the video:



Good stuff huh? I'm sure you all enoyed that and I just want to say that this is one of the very rare occasions that I am not exactly qualified to field questions on this particular topic. I will help if you have a basic question but I actually have a few myself. If I get some anwswers to my questions I will update this post and share anything else I find out. Cheers!

Oil Furnaces

Have you ever wondered how an oil furnace actually works? I know that this was something that truly fascinated me when I first got interested in the heating and air conditioning industry. How could you control a fire and make sure that it never got too hot but that it was hot enough to heat up the entire house. Also how could you possibly do this without making the home smell like smoke or fire? These were all burning(pun intended) questions that ran through my mind as a young aspiring hvac tech. Well after a long career in the heating and cooling business I can tell you that all of my childhood curiosities have been answered and much more. So I know that there are lots of little kids out there who are just like I was and for them I am here to provide some help. This might just inspire them to make it a go like I did. So here it is, a nice little video that I found that does a good job of explaining exactly how an oil furnace actually works. Enjoy!



Did you enjoy the video? I know I did, I loved it. That is the beauty of the internet for today's generation. See when I was coming up you had to actually go find someone like the guy in the video if you wanted to learn about something like that. Now you can cruise over to my blog with a few keystrokes and 10 minutes later you have your answer. Make sure to stay tuned for even more great HVAC information.

Radiant Heating Systems

Hello readers! I know you all must absolutely love my blog because I constantly find the best and deliver it to you day after day. So what is today's gem? Well I found a video that is nothing short of awesome! The video covers radiant heating systems and for those of you who don't know radiant heating systems are some of the best. Why are they the best you might ask? Well the video will go into more detail but I will simply say that one of their best features is the cost per therm. For those who are uninitiated in the heating jargon, they are cheap to operate. Some people like to call them energy-efficient but I like to just keep it simple. Everyone understands cheap so let's not try to put a shirt and tie on a heater and just call it what it is. OK so now that you know the best(at least in my opinion) thing about a radiant heating system, here is some more information from our friends over at Plumber Surplus.




What did I tell you? A gem right? Yup my thoughts exactly, I really hope you enjoyed that video as much as I did and if you have any questions on radiant heating systems or any other types of heating systems you know that you can always just drop me a comment and i will get back to you lickity split. Have a great day and enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend! I'll be enjoying it for sure!

Heat Pumps Part 1

If you are interested in learning some information on heat pumps then I have the perfect video for you. This is going to be a two part series and I think that the information presented in each of these videos is really spot on. The technician in the video goes through and points out several important components and really gives the novice some very valuable insight from an expert perspective. Since this blog is devoted to all things HVAC, we will be covering heat pumps in great detail over the coming weeks and months. I think this is a great starting point for a video in this series. Stay tuned for part two and then for some in depth treatment of heat pumps and related technologies.



I hope you enjoyed that video and learned something useful. Little by little if you keep learning you will gain the confidence and ability to troubleshoot and or install all common heating and air equipment.

Freon Funnies

This blog is primarily for useful HVAC information but there is always time to have a little laugh. I know that a lot of the readers of this blog are in the heating and air conditioning business and I thought that I would start a little thread that could turn into the joke spot for hvac related humor. I have appropriately titled this post "Freon Funnies". So if you know of a good joke that would fall under this category I would invite you to share it with the world by leaving a comment on this post. Anything related to furnaces, air conditioners, ventilations systems, condensers, or anything closely related is fine. So since I am the author and architect of this wonderful idea I will go ahead and kick things off with a joke of my own. Now I am no stand-up comic but I think that some of you will get a chuckle out of this one. So a guy walks into a bar and says "Sheesh, it's hotter than a $3 Tijuana hooker in here. " The bartender replies, yeah the ac guy is upstairs with my wife getting the blower working." LOL Ok folks your turn. Have at it.

How Air Conditioners Work

Have you ever wondered how an air conditioner works? I'm sure that you have. Well today is your lucky day because I am about to answer all of the questions that you have ever had. OK OK maybe not but I will show you a cool video that I found that helps explain how an air conditioner works. The video has been featured on a lot of other cool hvac sites so I thought what the heck, why not let my readers benefit from a video like this? So that is exactly what I am doing :) You folks can thank me in the comments or by email. OK without any further ado, here is the video:

Did you like it? I sure hope so. It's great when you can watch a video that is only 90 seconds long and really take something away from it. That is what I hope that you have done today. So next time when you want to impress one of your friends start explaining how an air conditioner works, they are sure to look at you in a totally different light. :) Have a great weekend folks!

Atlanta Heating and Air

Hello and thanks for visiting my little corner of cyberspace. In this post I want to talk about a friend of mine who runs an Atlanta heating and air company. His name is Eric and I was speaking with him this weekend about a few new developments in the HVAC industry. For those who are unfamiliar with HVAC, it stands for heating ventilation and  air conditioning. We were talking about 13 seer equipment and what we thought the impact actually was in terms of cost savings for a home owner over 10 seer equipment. Now let me back up for a second and start to define some of these terms for people who may be unfamiliar with heating and air conditioning terminology. 10 seer and 13 seer refer to the Seer rating of a central air unit. Now Seer stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio(SEER). Now without getting into too much detail on all of this I will simply say that the higher the SEER number the more efficient the unit operates. So a 13 seer unit is more efficient than a 10 seer unit. Similarly a 15 seer unit would function more efficiently than would a 13 seer unit. Now in the case of modern HVAC the government requires that all new  heating and air units have a minimum seer rating of 13. This means that stores no longer sell the less efficient 10 seer units and although many homeowners still own legacy models the trend in the industry is to steer these customers toward upgrading their systems to 13 seer. The mandate that all units must be 13 seer is a rather recent development so most of my career was spend working on 10 seer models.  In our conversation we came to the mutual conclusion that these units probably make up the difference in cost between the older models in utility savings within the first year. Not only that it probably doesn't take more than 4 years or so for an upgraded unit to completely pay for itself. After that you are operating it for free and most likely saving a nice amount of money on that utility bill each month. If you are considering upgrading your system, I would highly recommend you doing so. If you are in the Atlanta area and looking for a solid company, go ahead and give my buddy Eric a call at Atlanta heating and air.

Basement Heating, Cooling, and Water

Hello everyone! I've had an eventful week and I must say that I am really starting to get into this whole blogging thing! I love teaching and I love people so this seems like the perfect fit for an old HVAC technician like myself. Now I got an email regarding how to handle water in the basement when installing new heating and cooling units. Now before we go into a whole lot of depth on his particular topic I wanted to point out a few things that are important to understand anytime you are dealing with basements. First You will need most likely partner with an electrician to come out and make sure that you have your 220's available in the location of your central unit. Now in my career I have seen a lot of things and I know that it can be tempting to just handle the electrical stuff yourself(especially after you have seen it done hundreds of times) but I must caution you to avoid this. I thought long and hard about this when I was a younger man but thankfully I had an older wiser tech tell me to stay away from this. Let me briefly tell you the story about how this came about. I was installing a new unit and there was a young electrician running the electrical wiring. He had some problems and I essentially had to walk him through several parts which I will admit were a little tricky but nevertheless an experienced pro would have been able to deal with. Since he was still pretty new, he was trying to have someone walk him through the process over the phone and it was just taking way too long. I explained to him what needed to be done and then he did it. Now you can imagine that after that experience I was ready to go ahead and run all my own electrical wiring and save myself the money of constantly contracting that part out. I am glad that I didn't do that because I would have regretted it. Now sorry for the digression but let's get back to the task at hand. Now when you are new you may also want to consider hiring a plumber to help with some of the water or gas line movement. This all depends on you and in general if you are comfortable with various types of piping(you should be by the time you are taking service calls in the field), this won't be necessary. Now if you are in need of a plumber, you can find a good plumber by doing a google search or checking out some of the plumber review websites. Many sites have information on plumbers in cities all across the country. So whether you are looking for plumber in Atlanta or Seattle I'm sure you can find a good resource in your area. Once you have your assistants handy go ahead and get started on the installation. You should always make sure you run your drip line to an exterior point and make sure that you strap your ductwork as tightly as possible to the ceiling studs. I'm going to post a few videos on the various steps of this process soon but I wanted to go ahead and get a post up so that some of you can get started looking for the other professionals you will need to perform jobs like this.

HVAC Technician Tool Selection

So I've heard from quite a few novice HVAC trainees that they would like a few recommendations on what equipment I recommend. Well there are a lot of factors that go into selecting the proper HVAC tools to use. One is the climate, depending on the type of climate that you will be working in, certain tools will be more or less necessary. For example if you are working in a region that has mild summers and very harsh winters, you may not need to stock up on freon. Likewise if your climate is tropical or one where you are primarily dealing with air conditioning problems then you will not need the same cold weather ratings for many of your gauges. With this in mind you will want to be sure to think about the climate that you are working before spending your hard earned money on equipment and tools that you may never use. Now when you are in school, you will learn how to use all of the main tools of the trade, but when it comes time for you to start forking over your own money, you may want to start small with just the stuff you need for the season you are in. So if you are venturing out on your own in the winter, skip the freon and a/c exclusive tools and equipment. Save that money and when the time comes you can make the investment then. But in the beginning just play it safe and buy only what you need. With that said, you will always need a standard multi-meter which is needed by not only HVAC technicians but anyone who needs to test whether there is voltage at a particular point. So any aspiring electricians can gain something from this as well. Here is a cool video that goes over a few interesting details on selecting a good multimeter: