Tag Archives: Ft. Thomas

Air Conditioning

Benefits of Cold Spring, KY AC Maintenance

As summer fast approaches in Cold Spring, KY, homeowners throughout the area are looking for ways to improve the performance and energy efficiency of their home air conditioning systems. Fortunately, improvements such as these are possible with cost-effective AC maintenance. While a quality installation is critical to your home comfort, unless you follow it up with regular maintenance, even high-end ACs may be subject to increased need for repairs, decreased energy efficiency, and maybe even premature replacement. Call Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.® today for comprehensive air conditioning services!

  • System longevity: When you make a large investment in your future comfort with a new AC, you want to make sure that it performs well for years to come. When you schedule professional routine maintenance, you help increase system longevity. Much of this comes from the comprehensive cleaning and tune-ups that occur during these annual visits. By making sure that your coils are clean and your refrigerant levels are correct, you can ensure that any small maintenance issues do not become major repairs down the road.
  • Energy efficiency: With preventive system maintenance comes energy efficiency. Your AC is a complex machine, and it has a variety of components that must all work in cooperation to produce efficient cool air. Many of today’s air conditioners’ are incredibly energy efficient, but that will not much matter if it the system is constantly filled with dirt and debris, or if it has a hard time pushing cool air through partially blocked passageways.
  • Cooling performance: But what it really comes down to is performance. It’s why you got your AC in the first place: to cool your home effectively. Without routine maintenance, your AC’s performance will suffer, no matter how highly rated it is.

Our maintenance plan includes comprehensive inspection, cleaning and tune-up, ensuring that your AC’s electrical components, refrigerant level, thermostat, and condensate drains, among others, are working well. When you’re ready for optimal cooling performance, call the Cold Spring, KY AC maintenance technicians at Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. ®

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Heating

Home Heating Options in Cincinnati, OH

Deciding how to heat your new home or how to upgrade your current heating system in Cincinnati, OH involves several stages of planning, consultation, professional installation and service. It is a big decision, in part because it significantly impacts your everyday comfort, and because you will rely on your heater for years to come. The process of learning about your heating options does not have to be daunting, however. Call Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning in Cincinnati, OH today for expert advice. We will work with you to design a home heating system that is effective and efficient.

There are a variety of different options on the market today. Today, I’d like to focus on three different options: furnace, air-source heat pump and ductless mini split heat pump. Each have their advantages and disadvantages and all boast high-efficiency ratings. As all homes and homeowners are different, so should their heaters. At Greater Comfort Heating & Cooling we can help you make the right choice.

The furnaces of today are very different than those of yesteryear. Gas furnaces are high-efficiency units, with an AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating of up to 98%.Furnaces that use oil or electricity are also options that may work for your home. The trick is balancing upfront costs with long-term cost-benefits.

A heat pump is appropriately named: it uses electricity to move heat from outdoors into the warmth of your house. Because they move heat, rather than a generate heat, they can produce up to 4 times the amount of energy they consume. Their efficiency has served many customers well. Some systems use a gas furnace as a backup to supplement the heat pump on particularly chilly evenings.

If you do not yet have ductwork in your home, or do not want to go to the trouble of having it installed, a ductless mini split heat pump may be your best bet. They offer a sleek design and high-efficiency. From hyper-heating inverters to multiple zone units, your local heating technician will work with you to find the best solution.

Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning installs and services York, Lennox, and Mitsubishi heating systems. To find out which heating option is right for your Cincinnati, OH home, please give us a call today.

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Heating

Cincinnati Heating Tip: When to Replace Your Boiler

When you schedule your boiler installation service with a qualified, professional heating service provider you can expect an efficient, dependable performance from that boiler. High-quality repair services and routine maintenance will help keep that boiler operating at maximum potential for years to come. Unfortunately, no heating system available can last forever. Making the decision to replace the boiler in your Cincinnati home can be difficult. With the advice and services offered by the experts at Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.®, though, you can be sure that you are making the best decision about your boiler replacement.

One of the major indicators that there is a problem with your boiler is any sudden drop off in the efficiency with which your boiler operates. There are a lot of possible causes for an issue such as this, and it may not necessarily mean that your boiler must be replaced. There comes a time, though, when your boiler can be repaired but may not justify that expense.

Consistent increases in the cost of operating your boiler and the cost of frequent repair services can actually wind up being more expensive than a boiler replacement. Just because a heating system can be repaired does not necessarily mean that it should be. If you are experiencing these issues consider the amount that you are spending to keep this boiler operating. You may find that a replacement boiler, while certainly an investment, will save you money over the course of time.

Plus, if your boiler is getting on in years it may not be as efficient as newer models even when operating at top performance levels. Technology and efficiency expectations have come a long way in recent years. Your boiler may be working as efficiently as the day you bought. That does not mean that what was considered highly efficient back then can compare to the efficiency of more modern devices.

The best way for you to be sure that you are replacing your boiler for the right reasons is to speak with a professional heating company in Cincinnati. Contact Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning today to discuss your boiler replacement options. We’ll help you decide if a boiler replacement is your best bet for complete, affordable comfort.

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Heating

When to Consider a New Heating Installation in Your Ft. Thomas, KY Home

Are you wondering whether or not it’s time for a new heating installation in your Ft. Thomas, KY home? Whether you heat your home with a furnace, heat pump, or boiler, the technology has improved enough to consider a more efficient model. At Greater Comfort, we have many new heating installation options for you to choose from, and we’ll help you make the right choice.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you decide if you may want to upgrade to a new heater.

Do you have extremely high heating bills?

If you have an old single-stage furnace or heat pump, you may benefit greatly from a new multi-stage model. Older furnaces and heat pumps that have only two cycles waste a lot of energy. Have one of our technicians test your system to see how it is performing. If it is below 80% then you probably want to upgrade to a more efficient system. Boilers apply here too. There are many new boiler systems that are better at heating your home, and even your hot water, better than ever before!

Does your heater require a lot of repairs?

If your heater is racking up repair costs every season, it may be time to replace it. While routine maintenance should help lower the need for repairs, all heating systems will eventually need to be replaced. Call us if you have any type of repair need, and we’ll let you know whether or not you could benefit from getting a new heater.

How well is your heating system?

If you notice that your heater is not able to maintain comfortable temperatures, or if it seems to be providing inconsistent heat, you may be better off investing in a replacement heating system. Or it could be time for a smaller upgrade to a better air handler, thermostat, or even new ductwork installed.

There is, of course, the initial cost of the installation and the heater itself to consider, but also keep in mind that over time the potential energy savings can help offset this expense. Call the Ft. Thomas, KY heating installation experts at Greater Comfort today to schedule a consultation!

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Heating

The Top 5 Furnace Repairs in Florence, KY

Furnaces are one of the most popular heating systems in the United States and in Florence, KY. They offer reliable and relatively cheap heat for your home. They’re also fairly simple pieces of equipment. But like all things, they eventually break down and need repairs. At Greater Comfort, we’ve repaired and installed countless furnaces in the Florence, KY area. We thought it would be good for us to put together some of the most common repairs that we see.

Air Filter

This is by far the most common cause of furnace problems in Florence, KY. The air filter in your furnace is there to make sure that dirt and debris to collect inside the unit. If this isn’t changed it can result in a whole bunch of problems including overheating, low air flow and even heat exchanger cracks.

Air Flow

Another common problem is low or no air flow. This happens when you turn on your furnace but no air comes out of the registers in your rooms. The culprit for this problem is often a dirty air filter restricting air flow through the unit. This can also be from a problem with the fan, fan bearings or fan belt. Sometimes, there can be blockages or pinches in the ductwork as well.

Thermostat

The thermostat in your home is responsible for detecting the temperature in your home and telling the furnace to turn on when it gets too cold. Eventually, your thermostat can break and cause a lot of problems. Sometimes we can just reset the thermostat while other times we end up replacing the unit. Some of the symptoms of a broken thermostat is insufficient heat or too much heat.

Furnace Ignition

If you have a gas-fired furnace, the ignition system is a pilot light that is constantly lit. If you have an electric furnace it can be an igniter. If you have no heat or if you only have heat sometimes, it can be the result of a faulty ignition system. Sometimes all they need is to be cleaned while other times you may need to replace the pilot light or igniter assembly.

Furnace Sounds

We often get calls for service to determine what a particular sound means about the furnace. Many times this is rumbling sound or a squealing sound. In the case of squealing, this is most likely a worn out fan belt that is rubbing against another part. In the case of rumbling, this normally means that the burner is dirty.

If you have any issues with the furnace in your Florence, KY home, call Greater Comfort immediately. We can diagnose your problem quickly and offer our competitively priced furnace repair services. Contact us today!

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Heat Pumps

How Do Hybrid Heat Pumps Work? A Heat Pump Question from Ft. Thomas

Who says you have to choose just one home heating option? With a dual fuel hybrid heating system you can experience the eco-friendly, highly efficient heating power of a heat pump in your Ft. Thomas home without sacrificing the dependability of gas-powered furnace. How? By combining both an electric heat pump and a gas furnace into one versatile system. If you have been considering the purchase and installation of a heat pump in your home but are concerned about how it will perform in extremely cold temperatures, a dual fuel hybrid system may be right for. Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning has some information about the benefits and operation of hybrid heat pump systems that may help you make your decision. Remember, if you have any unanswered questions please call Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning for the answers you need.

Hybrid heating systems offer you a very efficient, affordable heating option with the heat pump component. Heat pumps do not consume fuel to create energy. Rather, they transfer existing heat into your home using just a small amount of electricity. This mode of operation makes them very cheap to operate and environmentally friendly, but because they depend to some extent on ambient heat they do not work as effectively in extremely cold conditions. This is where the gas furnace option comes in handy.

While gas furnaces may not be as efficient as heat pumps they are one of the most reliable, effective home heating methods you can choose. As long as there is a supply of natural gas your gas furnace will operate, no matter what the temperature is like outside. That means that when the cold overwhelms your electric heat pump the gas furnace can take over and save the day (or at least make it warmer).

When the temperature outside is cold enough to want some extra warmth in your home, the heat pump delivers consistent, mellow heat as it transfers energy inside. This is different than a furnace that kicks on when temperatures drop below the desired temperature, pumping out hot air until your home is back at the target temperature. This type of heating is much more efficient in really cold weather, and the great thing about a hybrid heating system is that it will automatically make the switch to the gas furnace when the heat pump is overwhelmed. That means you can just relax while your heating system makes the decision to switch its method of heating all on its own.

If you are interested in learning more about hybrid heat pump systems call the Ft. Thomas heating experts at Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning. We have the answers to all your questions. Make sure that your Ft. Thomas home is ready for the coldest temperatures winter has in store for you.

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