As the temperatures drop, most of us are ready to spend less time outdoors and more time inside where it’s cozy and warm. Thanks to our furnaces, we’re able to do just that.
Here are 10 facts you might not know about furnaces, including where the name “furnace” comes from. Continue reading
Greater Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning is available to help keep you warm this winter. If you need emergency heating repair in Hebron Kentucky or the surrounding area, we are the company you can depend on.
Our heating repair specialists are factory trained and dealer authorized to work on every major brand of heating system. We can get yours up and running quickly when you need it. Whether your system is not producing enough heat for your home or you notice an increase in the cost to operate your system, we can fix the problem. We work on most makes and models of heaters,broilers, furnaces, heat pumps and geothermal systems.
We offer 24-hour emergency heating repairs in Hebron Kentucky and all of the Northern Kentucky area. No matter what time of the day or the night, one of our highly trained service technicians is available to come to your home and help resolve any issue you may be experiencing with your HVAC system. You can depend on quality service and repairs when you call Greater Comfort. We have found that people usually experience heater problems requiring repairs during the most inconvenient times. It may be one of the coldest nights or while you have company over or your expecting a crowd. We also realize that your heater runs all day and night and so we are just a phone call away when your system is having trouble and you need help.
Greater Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning has a good reputation. You can find out for yourself why many people consider Greater Comfort their only HVAC company and the company they would call in an emergency. Greater Comfort is one of the oldest heating and cooling companies in the Northern Kentucky area. We have been providing HVAC service to the tri-state area for over 60 years and we are dedicated to offering you the best customer service and expert care around. When you need the help of an HVAC company during an emergency, you can depend on the quality of service you receive at Greater Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning. We also offer routine maintenance on your heating and cooling system to ensure you don’t need repairs as often. Call today and let Greater Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning take care of your Hebron Kentucky Emergency heating repairs.
A good portion of your HVAC system is located outside. With snow accumulation, rain and sun beating down on your unit, you may wonder what is the best way to care for your outside unit. Here are a few tips on caring for your outdoor HVAC unit:
Many people like to completely hide their Air Conditioner or Heat Pump. That’s fine but make sure you leave clearance around your unit for your HVAC technician to get to the unit for maintenance and repairs. Don’t plant bushes that are too close or have thorns. If you put up a fence or other barricade, make sure there is enough clearance around the unit. Your heat pump and other outside units use air from the outside to work properly. Completely enclosing the unit will diminish the airflow. Trees overhead can provide shade for your unit as long as the roots won’t interfere with leveling the unit and the debris from the trees are kept in control.
Keep snow and ice away from your outdoor heat pump unit. Always check your outside unit for excessive snow or ice on top of or around your heat pump. Turn your thermostat to emergency heat or off position and run warm water over the unit to melt the ice. Don’t use sharp objects to remove ice from coils. If you have continual problems with your unit icing up, call your HVAC technician at Greater Comfort to service your unit. Heat pumps work best when they are installed properly and in the right spot. If you have a leaking gutter above your unit, you should have it repaired quickly to avoid freezing up your unit. Heat pumps work ideally when they are 4 to 8 inches above ground level. This keeps the coils clear of snow and ice and allows for proper drainage. Your technician at Greater Comfort can raise your unit if it’s not up high enough. Gravel or stones around the unit will help facilitate drainage away from the unit.
In fall or winter, cover the outdoor air conditioner unit when you will no longer be using it. This is great for areas with lots of trees and other shrubs. Falling branches can damage your unit and ice and snow can bend the fan blades. Don’t forget to remove the covering before you turn the unit back on in the spring or summer.
It’s always a good idea to keep the trees and bushes around your HVAC unit trimmed and manicured. Make sure to keep you unit free of debris including lawn clippings when you’re cutting the grass. Regular maintenance and the proper care of your outdoor unit will help keep your system running efficiently for years to come. Call Greater Comfort Heating and Air conditioning if you have any questions or need your system checked.
When you go to bed at night, you expect your heat pump to keep the house warm all night long. So what happens when you wake up and it seems the heat pump is working hard and just can’t seem to keep up? We’ll give you some possible reasons why this may be a problem. Calling your HVAC company in Northern Kentucky to troubleshoot and fix the problem is normally necessary.
A heat pump is equipment that moves heat from one location to another location using mechanical means. There are two common types of heat pumps: air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps (geothermal). They each keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The difference is where they pull the air from. An air-source heat pump uses air from the outside in the winter and from the inside in the summer. A geothermal heat pump extracts heat from the indoors in the summer but when it’s cold outside it uses air from the ground.
A heat pump uses a refrigeration system with a compressor and two coils made from copper tubing surrounded by aluminum fins. The coils look similar to your car radiator. Like in your refrigerator, refrigerant flows continuously through pipes, back and forth from the outdoor coils. They will transfer the air into gas and back again and they can change the direction of the flow for cooling or defrosting the outside coils.
Air-Source heat pumps work well in milder climates where they can generate 3 ½ times more heat energy than the electrical energy they consume. This is possible because a heat pump moves heat instead of converting fuel.
Ground-source heat pumps are energy efficient central heating or air conditioning systems that pumps heat to and from the ground. Because the ground is an even temperature most of the year, you can expect to save money using this source.
As you can see, there are many potential places for your heat pump to begin malfunctioning. The most common problem is a dirty air filter. If changing the filter doesn’t help, there could be other causes. Most heat pumps have an emergency or back up heating system that operates automatically on the coldest days of the year. You may find your heat pump running fine but not keeping you warm enough on cold days and nights. When this happens you could have a problem with the thermostat, the heat pump, condenser, refrigerant, your backup electric heater or the wiring somewhere in between.
When you notice your heating or cooling system just isn’t doing the job right, you can call the professionals at Greater Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning. They will be happy to fix the problem and make sure your comfortable all year long. Call Greater Comfort today for fast, professional service you can depend on.
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.
As homeowners grow more aware of both their environmental impact and the rising costs of energy it is becoming more and more common to look for higher efficiency home comfort system options. One such option is a hybrid heating systems. Many leading manufacturers now offer hybrid heating systems for installation in your Union, KY home, and the energy savings they represent are alluring for many local homeowners. If you are interested in the installation of a hybrid heating system in your home, contact Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning today. We have the training, skills and experience necessary to ensure that your hybrid heating system in properly installed and maintained.
A hybrid heating system incorporates both a heat pump and a gas furnace into your home comfort system. This allows for very cost effective temperature regulation without sacrificing comfort levels. Because there are two possible heat sources, the gas furnace and electric heat pump, your system can choose which is necessary and make the switch back and forth between the two as needed. Heat pumps are a far more efficient home heating option, but they also do not perform as effectively as gas furnaces do in extreme weather. When it gets too cold out for the heat pump to function effectively the system switches over to the reliability of the gas furnace.
Because the operation of a heat pump is also reversible you can use it to efficiently cool your home during the warmer months of the year. This makes a dual fuel hybrid system not only very efficient but also practical for year round use. If you are interested in heating your home more efficiently while being able to use the same components to cool your home in the summer, a hybrid system may be right for you.
Be sure to discuss your hybrid heating system options with a trained professional from Greater Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning. No heating system is right for every home or individual. We can help you decide if this is the best comfort option for your Union, KY home.
