Category Archives: HVAC

What will a furnace repair cost?

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This is a question I get constantly. What will a furnace repair cost?

Site unseen this is something that cannot be answered on the phone. Further investigation is necessary to determine what has malfunctioned.

On average Iowa spends $310.00 per repair. Ranges can be between $92.00 on the low end and $1350.00 on the high side.

Things that need to be factored into the cost is the type of furnace, (Electric, Propane, Natural Gas, Forced Air Heating, Boiler Repair or Heat Pump).

In addition the parts necessary with the labor hours. There are items in a furnace that can go bad such as blower motors, heat  exchangers, igniters, flame sensors, thermostats, and again those all depend on the age, make, model of the unit.

At some point in time you will need to weigh the cost of repairs with the cost of replacement. Let Mount Vernon Heating and Cooling help you make that decision.

A good rule of thumb is if your repairs exceed 50% of the cost of a new one. its time to replace.

IS IT TOO EARLY TO SCHEDULE HEATING MAINTENANCE?

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While in this part of the country we use our heaters just as much as much as we do our air conditioners. We know those those uncomfortably freezing cool temperatures are something that we do not look forward to but they will be here before we know it.  While our current daytime temperatures are certainly still high enough to warrant the use of our air conditioners, it is dipping down into the low 60’s and even the high 50’s during the nighttime hours. With that in mind, you should remember that those nighttime temperatures are only getting cooler from here on out.

Even if you like to sleep in relatively chilly weather, now is a good time to schedule professional to check out your heater. You don’t want to wait until last minute and are unable to get a HVAC specialist without paying a premium price.

YOU ASK WHY IS HEATING MAINTENANCE NECESSARY?

As we said, it can get cold in this part of the country and at some point in time your heater is a must! Having it checked out is the best way to guarantee that your system will be ready for you when you need it most. Just because your heater was fine when last you shut it off does not mean that it will be ready to come roaring to life the next time that you need it. Even simple inactivity can lead to operational problems as well as mechanical issues. Allowing a trained professional to thoroughly inspect and tune up your heater is the only way in which you can be sure that it will operate at optimal performance and efficiency.

Need an appointment, we are here to help and look forward to assisting you with your safety and comfort. Give us a call today!

Protect your A/C unit in the summer heat by looking out for these common causes of freeze.

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We all know the drill during summer months. It gets really, really hot. We crank down the thermostat and send our air conditioner into overdrive to try and keep us cool. Everything is great until your air conditioner freezes up. And a frozen A/C unit can ruin a hot summer day very fast.

How does an A/C freeze even seem possible?

There are two fairly common reasons for homeowners to know about A/C freeze.

Problem 1: Blocked air flow

The first potential problem of a frozen air conditioner is typically the air flow in your home. When your home’s air flow is restricted, there’s no air moving through the air conditioning system to keep the condensate on the coil from freezing. The culprit is usually a dirty air filter. This is a simple problem to prevent.Best advice? Set reminders to regularly change your air filters and get two A/C tuneups each year to keep your system clean and efficient. Earlier in the season is better for maintenance, before HVAC contractors get busy with service calls.

How to fix air flow when A/C freezes up?If your air conditioner freezes up due to an air flow issue, first thing to do is switch it off to start the defrosting process. Next thing you should do is turn on the fan. Let it run for 60 to 90 minutes. Check and change your air filter during this time. After that, turn your air conditioner back to cool and it should start working again.

Problem 2. Refrigerant leaks

If air flow isn’t the concern, then there’s the issue of refrigerant leaks. This is another common cause of your A/C freezing up. Whenever you’re leaking Freon or other coolant, it’s a decision point for homeowners. When you have a leak, it’s best to either get it fixed or invest in a new A/C depending on the age of your current system.
Yes, you can get an HVAC company to top off your coolant and get your system up and running again. However this maybe only a temporary fix and there’s no telling how long it will last. It could go a couple of months or a couple of weeks or a couple of hours before your A/C is frozen again. If you suspect a leak, contact a professional HVAC company as soon as possible. Let a  professional licensed technician pinpoint and repair the A/C issue before it causes any  other headaches.

Tips & Tricks

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THINK BEFORE CLOSING VENTS IN UNUSED ROOM

In many homes, the HVAC vents have fins that can be adjusted with a sliding switch. These fins can be used to direct airflow at a particular angle, but if you push the switch all the way to the side, they can be used to close off the vent entirely. You might think that you can save energy by closing off the vents in unused rooms, but that’s not the case – not only can this cost you more on your utility bills, it can cost you more in repairs over the long haul.

A Counterproductive Strategy

It’s not an unreasonable hypothesis — if cooled or heated air isn’t escaping through the vents into one or two rooms, it should take less energy to produce the amount of treated air needed for the remaining rooms. But HVAC systems just aren’t designed to work that way.

Closing vents increases the pressure in your ductwork, backs all the way up to your HVAC systems, forcing them to work harder. This causes the same types of problems as having a dirty air filter — your furnace or air conditioner uses more energy to produce the same level of treated air, driving up your monthly bills. It also puts a stress on fans, motors and other equipment, reducing maintenance intervals and leading to more frequent repairs.

Excessive duct pressure also creates another problem — duct leaks. Weak spots in your ductwork can turn into open gaps, allowing treated air to escape and forcing your system to work even harder.

Fortunately, the concept behind closing vents in unused rooms can be safely put to work with the right HVAC equipment. Certain systems called “zone HVAC systems” give you unprecedented control over which rooms receive treated air. Using a more sophisticated interface than an ordinary thermostat, zone systems allow you to assign different temperatures to different zones, which can be as small as a single room.

This is especially handy when you want to save energy by treating a room to a higher or lower temperature without shutting off the flow of air to those rooms completely. While there’s no need for an unoccupied room to receive the same level of comfort, a total lack of HVAC can lead to mold and humidity damage in the summer or frozen pipes in the winter.

If you’re interested in learning more about HVAC zone control and what it would take to upgrade your home system, get in touch with us.