Tag Archives: home repair

Top 5 Signs it’s Time to Buy a New Furnace

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Furnaces are rugged and durable appliances that are built to perform like champions on even the frostiest January nights.

But over time, your furnace will wear down and gradually wear out. And even if it doesn’t, your needs and expectations may evolve, and a furnace that seemed like a solid, quality performer a few years ago might be less than adequate now.

Of course, getting a new furnace requires a significant financial investment, including installation costs as well as the price of the equipment. Before you lay out that kind of coin, you’ll want to be 100 percent sure the time is right to make a change.

Top 5 Signs it’s Time to Buy a New Furnace

So how will you know when your furnace is on its last legs and just about ready for the scrap heap? Here are five good indicators …

      1. Advanced age

With few exceptions, furnaces in general tend to wear out after 10-15 years of steady functioning, although early and obvious signs of damage or decay may not be detectable. Another factor to consider is that each new generation of furnace is more energy-efficient, and therefore more cost-effective, than the last, and the opportunity to cut your monthly fuel costs by 40-50 percent may be too good to pass up. Despite the upfront costs, a brand new energy-efficient furnace could pay for itself in less than 10 years’ time, depending on the quality and efficiency of the unit it is replacing.

      2. Escalating fuel bills

Have your home heating bills been creeping upward beyond the rising cost of fuel? Progressive changes like this are the mark of a furnace in crisis, and if you don’t take action, the problem will only get worse. By all means, you should consult with your HVAC contractor before making a final judgment, but if they can’t find a single mechanical problem that explains the excessive fuel usage, a general systemic decline is the likeliest explanation.

       3. More frequent services calls for repairs

Repeatedly patching up a failing appliance makes no economic sense. When things reach the point where you’ve got your HVAC contractor’s emergency repair line on speed dial, it might be time to start working on the epitaph for your furnace’s tombstone.

      4. Strange noises, odors, leaks, or soot accumulation

These are symptoms of a furnace that’s gradually crumbling into dust, the forces of entropy and heavy use stressing it to the breaking point. In a sense, these are like the small tremors that often precede a giant earthquake, and they should motivate you to take action before disaster strikes.

     5. Uneven heat distribution

Hot spots, cold spots, and temperature differentials throughout the house could mean one of two things: either your furnace is improperly-sized (too big or too small for your home), or it can no longer kick out and distribute heat at a consistent rate. If temperature anomalies are a new phenomenon, it means the latter is the problem, and that’s a clue your furnace is losing its battle with Father Time.

Energy-Efficient Furnaces are a Johns Plumbing, Heating,  and Air Conditioning Specialty

Johns Plumbing & HVAC is a certified dealer of Trane heating and cooling products, including state-of-the-art gas and oil furnaces that can maximize your fuel-cost savings.

If you’re in the market for a new furnace, or would like to have your old one checked and evaluated, please give us a call today. With our outstanding heating products and superb installation services, we can help you make a smooth transition to a happy new era in affordable home comfort.

 

How Do I Know My HVAC Technician is Well Trained?

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What kind of training does an HVAC  technician need?How Do I Know My HVAC Technician

Every homeowner will at some time  have to hire a HVAC technician (usually through a Heating and Air Conditioning company) to maintain, repair, or replace his/her air conditioner or some of its components. To have peace of mind about the worker you are hiring and to ensure that your problem will be handled properly, it is helpful to know what kind of training and certifications air conditioning technicians are required to have.

There is no nationwide licensing requirement for HVAC technicians; the only federal requirement is by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which mandates that anyone working with equipment containing refrigerants must have EPA section 608 Certification. This is part of the Clean Air Act.  There are four types of EPA Certification, and the technician must pass a written exam specific to one (or more) of these specialties:

  • Type I – for technicians who will mainly be servicing small appliances/equipment
  • Type II – for technicians chiefly servicing high pressure appliances/equipment
  • Type III – for technicians who service low-pressure appliances/equipment
  • Universal – for technicians who service many types of equipment

There are many trade schools, employer associations, and community colleges with training programs to help prepare students for the EPA exam.

States differ on their requirements for the training and certification of HVAC technicians, and some states have no license requirement, but leave it to municipalities to set and enforce their own rules and regulations. In North Carolina, HVAC Contractors must be licensed, but for hvac technicians, the number and type of certifications required depend upon the type of work the technician will be doing.

A technician may begin his training by working in an apprenticeship program which includes on-the-job training along with classroom instruction, or he may opt for a more formal program such as those offered by technical or trade schools that are accredited by HVAC Excellence, the National Center for Construction Education and Research, or the Partnership for Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration. The technician could earn certification or an associate’s degree through these accredited programs.

The nations’s largest non-profit certification program for HVAC technicians is NATE (http://www.natex.org/). The motivation for its founding in 1997 was a concern (at that time) that many of those who were installing and servicing HVAC systems and equipment did not have the necessary knowledge and experience. The high standards set by NATE for the training and knowledge needed by a technician to obtain certification contributed greatly to the high level of skill and knowledge that HVAC technicians have today. There are an estimated 32,000 NATE-certified HVAC technicians delivering exceptional service throughout North America. NATE certification is not a one-time accomplishment. To ensure that certified technicians continue training and updating their knowledge as new developments take place in the industry, NATE certification must be renewed every two years (as of 2014).

Many  Heating and Air Conditioning companies, as a part of their hiring practices, offer paid training for those who want to become HVAC technicians. Many also offer or require continuing training to ensure that  their technicians maintain or upgrade their knowledge and skills.

 

What You Need to Know to Choose the Right HVAC Replacement

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Help! My HVAC Just Died!

You might think “That’s easy!  I will just replace my HVAC with a new one that is just like the one I had,” but it’s not that simple. Changes in your home over the years as well as improved efficiency in Heating and Air conditioning equipment can make a difference in the size of air conditioner you need.

What you need to know when you need to replace your HVAC.

Many factors—such as the addition of extra rooms, new and/or different types of windows and/or doors or other remodeling projects—will impact the choice you make when you purchase a new unit.

Although some do-it-yourselfers may undertake the task of determining what unit is best for them, it is wise to have a professional with years of experience do this for you. A HVAC professional understands all the variables that go into selecting the proper size HVAC system for your home. He can perform a heating and cooling load calculation to help accurately size the heating and air conditioning equipment that is right for your home. Using load calculation software, the HVAC  professional  enters the data he has collected (measurements of your home, amount of insulation and its R-values, window types, duct leakage, orientation, and more) and the calculation gives how many BTUs (British Thermal Unit)  per hour your home needs.

Can’t I just install a much larger unit than the old one to ensure that it will keep my home cool?

No.  An air conditioner cools and dehumidifies the air in your home. One that is too large will cool the air quickly and cycle off, but since it constantly cycles on and off, it does not run long enough to properly dehumidify the air. The constant cycling on and off puts wear and tear on the system and will shorten the life of your air conditioner. By contrast, an HVAC system that is too small runs constantly but does not provide the level of comfort you need.

The average lifespan of a home air conditioner is 10-15 years, although some last up to 20 years. It depends on whether the homeowner has given proper care and maintenance to the system—changing the filters when needed and having yearly maintenance performed by a HVAC technician (preferably one who is NATE-certified).

The efficiency of an air conditioning system is represented by a SEER number. Since 2006, the federal government has mandated that all central air conditioning units be at least a SEER 13, but the size of your replacement unit (and its SEER number) should be determined by the (load) calculation made to ensure that your new unit will meet the heating and cooling needs of your home.

 

 

Water Heaters: What You Need to Know

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What you need to know about water heatersUh-oh: you went to take a shower, and the water was ice cold! It’s time for a new water heater, but what do you need to know before you replace you old unit?

Residential water heaters are rated by energy factors (EFs), which indicate the amount of hot water produced for each unit of fuel. A higher EF indicates a more efficient water heater, so the higher the EF, the lower the electricity bills. Water heaters are the second-largest users of electricity in most homes, averaging 18 percent of electricity costs. Read on to learn about how different types of water heaters stack up.

Storage (traditional tank, 30-120 gallons)

  • Pros: Lowest cost
  • Cons: Large footprint (compared to tankless), relatively inefficient (Average EF of .95)

Tankless

  • Pros: No footprint, great for small spaces, provides continuous flow of hot water
  • Cons: Expensive, relatively inefficient (Average EF of .95), simultaneous use of hot water can tax system

Heat Pump

  • Pros: Extremely efficient (Average EF of 2.4 to 3.39), can save homeowners $300 per year, cool air exhaust is a good dehumidifier, so perfect for damp basements or attics
  • Cons: Large footprint, in heated living spaces, cold air exhaust requires more heating output

Solar

  • Pros: Extremely efficient (50 percent more efficient than gas or electric), in sunny areas can pay for itself in three to five years
  • Cons: Storage tank with energy source is required for cloudy days, large footprint, expensive initial outlay

Source:

http://www.energy.gov/articles/new-infographic-and-projects-keep-your-energy-bills-out-hot-water

 

DIY Alert: You Can Treat Your Frozen Pipes!

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It’s every homeowner’s nightmare: pipes that freeze and then break, flooding the house and causing thousands of dollars in damage. The Piedmont has already had its first overnight freeze of the season; can the first major cold snap be far behind?How to fix frozen pipes yourself.

Cold snaps—several days in a row of very cold weather—can cause the water in your pipes to freeze. However, there are several things homeowners can do to prevent freezing. Even if the pipes do freeze, it is possible to thaw them before they burst and flood. Read on to learn how you can prevent and treat frozen pipes.

Prevention

  • Keep the air around pipes at least 58 degrees. A slightly higher heating bill is much cheaper than fixing a burst pipe. Investing in extra insulation as well as sealing any gaps in the windows, foundation, or crawlspace can also pay off.
  • Insulate pipes in the basement, crawlspace, and exterior walls with foam insulation.
  • In extremely cold areas, invest in thermostatically controlled heat tape that automatically comes on when the temperature drops below a certain point. (All heat tapes are not the same. You need to check the product guidelines carefully, use the right heat tape, and install it correctly.)
  • Disconnect all garden hoses and shut off the water to all exterior faucets. Cover exterior faucets with foam insulation.
  • During cold snaps, keep warm water slowly dripping from interior faucets. It keeps water from freezing and also reduces built-up pressure in the pipes.

Cure

  • First, cut off the water at the main valve.
  • Next, open the tap (or taps) that lead from the frozen pipes.
  • Heat the sections of pipes that are frozen using a hair dryer. Make sure that you’re not standing in water as you do this!
  • If you can’t reach the pipes with a hair dryer, try wrapping the pipes in towels that have been soaked in hot water.
  • NEVER pour boiling water directly on the pipes or try to warm the pipes with a blowtorch; this can cause an explosion!

When all else fails

Call Johns Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning, the experts who can fix the pipes and make sure they never burst again.