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Tips To Prevent A Heating Breakdown

Written by Matt Postoian on . Posted in Heating, Tips. No Comments on Tips To Prevent A Heating Breakdown

When temperatures are low in Victorville, CA, homeowners rely on their heating unit to keep their home warm and cozy. However, all heating systems can malfunction from time to time. A heating system breakdown in the middle of a cold front can leave your home chilly and uncomfortable. An AC Plus technician can be there in no time to restore your home comfort, but there are ways to prevent this uncomfortable situation from happening. In this blog, we discuss tips for homeowners to prevent a heating unit breakdown in Victorville and surrounding areas.

What Causes Heating Unit Breakdowns?

There is never a good time for your heating system to break down and leave your home uncomfortable, but AC Plus Heating & Cooling can quickly repair your unit. Heating systems can break down due to a variety of reasons depending on the type of heater. A common reason for heating units to breakdown is because a malfunction or obstruction is causing the unit to overwork itself. Additionally, heating unit breakdowns can be caused by clogged air filters, fuel supply issues, loss of power, and multiple other causes.

Signs Your Heating System May Breakdown

Heating system breakdowns often happen unexpectedly and at an inconvenient time. Your heating system often shows signs it will break down soon. Paying attention to the warning signs can avoid an uncomfortable and frustrating situation. Below are five signs homeowners in Apple Valley and surrounding areas experience before their heating unit breakdown.

  • Old Age
  • High Utility Bills
  • Excessive Dust
  • Unusual Noises
  • Inconsistent Temperatures

Ways To Prevent A Breakdown

If you take care of your heating system, it will take care of you. Properly maintaining your heating unit can help prevent an uncomfortable breakdown. Below are tips to avoid a heating system breakdown.

  • Regularly Change Air Filters
  • Schedule Heating Maintenance
  • Keep Unit Clean & Clear
  • Keep Air Vents Open
  • Seal & Insulate Your Home

Regularly Change Air Filters

Maintaining clean air filters throughout your home is one of the easiest ways to prevent a heating unit breakdown. If your air filters are clogged, your heating unit struggles to push air through the filter pores. The unit will use more energy attempting to push air through and meet the thermostat setting. This process will lead to a breakdown due to an overworked system or its inability to get air through the filter. We recommend changing your air filter at least every 90 days to ensure unit efficiency and good air quality. Additionally, be sure to change your furnace filter if your home uses a furnace system.

Schedule Heating Maintenance

To avoid a heating unit breakdown, we strongly encourage having your heating system serviced once a year. Heating units often break down due to underlying issues that are hard to predict. Scheduling heating maintenance with AC Plus allows one of our trained technicians to thoroughly inspect your heating unit. We repair components as needed and perform a variety of preventative tasks to ensure your comfort remains all season long. The type of heating system your home utilizes will determine specific tasks performed, but every home receives the following heating services:

  • Change/clean air filters
  • Lubricate all moving parts
  • Confirm/tighten electrical connections
  • Test thermostat
  • Inspect internal components

Much like cars need oil changes, heating units need maintenance to continue working efficiently and effectively. While we recommend scheduling heating maintenance in the fall, it is never too late to start taking care of your heating unit. Give us a call to schedule heating maintenance in Victorville, CA and surrounding areas!

Keep Unit Clean & Clear

Whether your heating unit is located inside or outside, it is important to ensure it remains clean and clear of debris and personal items. If your unit is outside, we recommend weekly checking the status. Remove tree branches, leaves, trash, and other debris to ensure your heating unit has proper ventilation and airflow. If your unit is inside, we recommend keeping personal belongings at least 30 inches away from the system. The unit needs room to breathe and should not have anything on top of or closely surrounding the system. Ensuring your heating system is clear and clean can avoid the unit overworking itself and breaking down.

Keep Air Vents Open

Contrary to popular belief, closed air vents will not save money on heating costs. We understand the logic behind not heating unused rooms, but closing air vents can only create more problems for your heating unit. Heating systems evenly distribute air throughout the air ducts, and closing a vent throws off the system’s balance. If you close an air vents, it creates excess pressure inside the air ducts and can lead to air leaks, ductwork damage, and a strained heating unit. The more strain your unit experiences, the more likely it is to break down.

Seal & Insulate Your Home

If your home has air leaking through cracks or due to lack of insulation, your heating unit can become overworked. Air can escape through cracks in windows, doors, and other areas and increase the workload for your heating unit. Similar to air leaks, air can escape through your roof or other areas without insulation. If air is escaping, your heating unit works harder and sometimes constantly to meet the thermostat setting. Along with helping your heating unit perform efficiently, you can save money and comfort by sealing and insulating your home in Victorville, CA.

We love visiting our customers, but we hope it is not in the event of an uncomfortable heating breakdown. Your comfort is our top priority, so we recommend considering these five tips to avoid a heating breakdown. If you experience a heating unit breakdown in Apple Valley or surrounding areas, give us a call! We can quickly repair and restore your home comfort in no time.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

Written by Matt Postoian on . Posted in Heating. No Comments on How Do Heat Pumps Work?

Winter temperatures in Victorville can fluctuate from chilly to pleasant, which can make maintaining home comfort difficult. Heat pump systems can be beneficial to constant weather fluctuations, because the unit can provide both heating and cooling. Rather than using separate heating and cooling units year round, heat pumps can provide flexibility and many other benefits for your home. In this blog, we will discuss how heat pumps operate and the advantages to installing one in California.

What Is A Heat Pump?

Contrary to popular belief, heat pumps can provide much more than just heating for your home. The term “heat” in the name refers to transferring heat rather than generating it. The home device simply collects heat energy and relocates it to the desired location, whether indoors for heating or outdoors for cooling. Heat pumps use similar operational processes and components for each season to quickly maintain home comfort. Heat pumps can easily be changed from heating to cooling, which is the same process but in reverse.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

Heat pumps are extremely energy efficient and only utilize electricity to operate. Heat pumps function using six main components: outdoor unit, indoor air handler, refrigerant, compressor, reversing valve, and expansion valve. The three main types of heat pumps are air source, water source, and ground source.

In the winter, heat pumps draw heat energy from outside air, water, or the ground depending on the type of unit. From there, the heat energy is blown over the heat exchanger and causes the liquid refrigerant to evaporate and turn into a gas. The gas is then moved into the compressor, which increases the pressure and raises the temperature. The heat is sent through the air ducts and distributed throughout your home. This process continues until the thermostat setting is met.

Heat pumps use the same process in the summer months, but in reverse. Heat energy is collected inside your home and transferred outside. The cooling process is similar to a standard air conditioner’s process.

Air Source Heat Pumps

Air source heat pumps are the most common type, because of the easy installation process. Air source heat pumps simply draw heat energy from the outside air and relocate it inside. This type of heat pump is beneficial in climates such as Victorville, because temperatures rarely drop below freezing. While heat pumps can operate in cold weather, the unit uses less energy where heat is easily present.

Water Source Heat Pumps

Water source heat pumps are less common, because the unit draws heat from a nearby lake or pond. Water sources are not readily available for most homes, which decreases the likelihood of water source heat pumps throughout the U.S. However, heat transfers more efficiently in water when compared to air which decreases energy usage.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Ground source heat pumps have components buried underground and function by a ground loop. Ground source heat pumps are more costly to install, but have high efficiency rates. Similar to a cave, the ground is cooler than the air in the summer and warmer than the air in the winter, which makes transferring heat energy an efficient and easy process.

Benefits Of A Heat Pump

Heat pumps can provide many advantages to your home and comfort. Below are four benefits to installing a heat pump in Oak Hills and surrounding areas.

  • Energy Efficient
  • Environmentally Friendly
  • Two-In-One System
  • Minimal Maintenance

Energy Efficient

Due to the process of transferring heat rather than generating it, heat pumps use less energy when compared to other heating systems. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, installing an air source heat pump can cut electricity usage in half when compared to electric resistance heating units such as furnaces.

Environmentally Friendly

Heat pumps do not burn fossil fuels to provide heat, which can benefit the environment. Heat pumps strictly operate using electricity and can reduce carbon emissions released into the air. Due to the Inflation Reduction Act, homeowners can receive tax credits and rebates for switching to an energy efficient heating option, such as heat pumps, in 2023. Give us a call to learn more about how to reduce your carbon footprint by installing a heat pump in Victorville!

Two-In-One System

As we mentioned, heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling for your home. Heat pumps can serve as a flexible option when winter and summer temperatures fluctuate. Installing a heat pump can provide convenience and maintain a constant comfortable temperature year round.

Minimal Maintenance

Due to heat pumps being a two-in-one system, the unit can cut down on maintenance and repairs each season. The unit uses the same components to both heat and cool, which makes maintenance and repairs easier and less frequent when compared to servicing two separate units. However, we still recommend servicing your heat pump twice a year to ensure your unit is in good health.

Heat pumps can be a beneficial home comfort system to install in your Victorville home. Consider these benefits when deciding whether to replace or repair your heating system. Our trained technicians can install or repair all types and brands of heat pumps in the Apple Valley area!