We aren’t looking to alarm anyone, but if you think that this is the year to replace your old heating system, or if you still need a heater installed in a brand new home, you really should be getting the process under way. You’ve no doubt felt that chill that’s crept into the air already, and temperatures are only going to drop more and more as we move into the real winter season. One great option that you should consider for heating your home is the heat pump. By using a heat pump in Georgetown, you can enjoy many benefits that other heaters just can’t match. Remember to schedule all of your heat pump services with the pros at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., so that you know that the job is done right.
Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category
Need a New Heater? Consider a Heat Pump Installation
Monday, November 16th, 2015Signs That You Need Boiler Repair
Monday, November 2nd, 2015Using a boiler is a great way in which to heat just about any home. Boilers are renowned for both the efficient, effective performance, as well as for the great durability that such systems offer. That being said, no heater is ever going to operate with true 100% reliability. At some point you’ll find that your boiler is not functioning as well as it ought to, or perhaps even that it is not functioning at all.
Whatever the situation may be, you need to schedule professional boiler repairs in Georgetown, WA as soon as possible. The longer that you delay in doing so, the worse off your boiler, your comfort, and your budget are all likely to be. Let Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. know if you have any concerns regarding the operation of the boiler in your home.
Why Use a Boiler to Heat My Home?
Monday, October 26th, 2015Modern homeowners have their pick of the litter, so to speak, when it comes to the many different ways in which they may choose to heat their homes. While forced air heating systems, such as furnaces, are probably the most common in residential applications, we suggest that you give the boiler some serious consideration if you are installing a new heater or having an old one replaced. Many homeowners use boilers in Washington, D.C., and with great results. If you think that you’d like to join their ranks, consider the information below. Should you decide to move ahead with your boiler installation, remember to schedule that service with the boiler professionals here at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.
Can’t I Wait to Schedule My Commercial Heating for Maintenance?
Friday, March 6th, 2015Your commercial heating system works hard around the clock to keep your business’s indoor temperature comfortable. Being without heat, or having poor heating in your business space simply isn’t an option, but there is a great way to ensure that your commercial heating stays on track: schedule a maintenance appointment for your commercial heating in Alexandria.
What’s So Important About Maintenance?
Did you know that for every year you don’t schedule maintenance for your heating system, it loses 5% of its overall efficiency? This means that if you don’t schedule maintenance for three years, your system can lose up to 15% of its normal efficiency. Not only will you lose efficiency, but operating a commercial heating system season after season with accumulating wear and tear means you run the risk of having an uncomfortable commercial space. Why? Excessive wear and tear affects how your heating system operates, and it may become difficult for your system to achieve your set temperature. This leads us to our next reason why maintenance is so important: prevention of repairs. Carrying the wear and tear of each season into the next makes your system more prone to malfunction and potential breakdown. The cleaning, adjusting and lubrication that occurs during a maintenance appointment removes the excess dust and dirt, and allows your components and system to work as they should. And when you keep your commercial HVAC system in good working order year after year, you can actually help extend the life of your system.
When Should I Schedule Maintenance?
Because commercial HVAC systems do a tremendous amount of work, it is recommended that you schedule maintenance for your commercial heating system twice a year – once in the fall and again in mid- or end of winter. To gain the benefits of maintenance, it is always important to hire commercial HVAC experts to do any work to your commercial system, whether you need maintenance, repair, installation or replacement.
The commercial professionals at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., are here to assist with all of your commercial heating needs, so call us today!
Do I Need to Replace My Furnace?
Friday, February 27th, 2015Most homeowners don’t look at replacing a furnace as a welcome event, but the truth is that furnace replacement in Washington, DC, offers the opportunity for you and your home to gain better comfort and energy efficiency, maybe more than you’ve had in a long time. However, replacing a furnace is a big decision, and there are some important factors you should review with a heating expert from Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., before moving ahead:
How is your current furnace’s energy efficiency?
Energy efficiency is the key to staying on budget each winter. How has your current furnace been performing? Have you seen your bills rise but you haven’t changed how you use your furnace? Today’s furnaces are very energy efficient, with some models reaching AFUE ratings of 95%. A furnace that is over 10 years of age will have trouble meeting today’s energy efficiency standards, so it may be worth taking a look at what a newer, more efficient unit can do for you and your home.
How old is your current furnace?
Age makes a big difference with large, electro-mechanical systems like a furnace. The average combustion furnace has a lifespan of 15-20 years (electric furnaces have average lifespans of 20-30 years) – how old is your current furnace? As furnaces age, components tend to break down more and more frequently. If your furnace has reached its maturity or gone beyond it, it may be time to consider a replacement.
How many repairs have you made recently?
Another earmark of a furnace that may be near retirement is a furnace that needs, or has needed, a great deal of repair to stay operational. It’s normal to have to do some repairs to your furnace over its life, but if you are keeping your furnace alive only through multiple, needed repairs, your money may be better spent on a new, reliable system.
Working with a heating professional can help you sort out whether or not it’s time for a replacement furnace in Washington DC. The heating experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., are here to help, so call us today!
Problems That May Occur with the Boiler Circulator Pump
Thursday, January 29th, 2015Hot water boiler systems need a little help pushing the hot water through the piping to heat your home. This help comes from small pumps called circulator pumps that are soldered into the pipes, and thus are part of the piping. Without the help of these pumps, the hot water would never reach your heating outlet.
How Does the Circulator Work?
Circulators use a small amount of electricity and gravity to push the water through your system. Inside the pump is a small motor; this motor turns a small wheel called an impeller. The impeller looks and functions like a miniature water wheel, and it is the component responsible for grabbing the water in the pipe and pushing it through to the other side at a high rate of speed. Rubber seals inside the pump keep water from leaking out of the pump at the points where it has been soldered into the pipe.
Common Circulator Problems
Circulator pumps are hardy little components, but they can break. Common repairs may be:
- Broken or worn seals – the rubber seals inside the pump can age, crack or split, which can result in leaking from the pump. Water on the outside metal can lead to the development of rust, so if you see that a circulator pump on your boiler system is leaking, have it repaired as soon as possible.
- Problems with the circulator relay switch – the motor is attached to a relay switch that sends power to it so it can operate; if the switch becomes faulty, the motor may not receive any power or receive power intermittently.
- Circulator won’t turn on – reasons a circulator won’t turn on include issues with your thermostat, unequal settings between the circulator’s aquastat and the boiler’s thermostat and a dead or frozen pump motor.
- Circulator runs but heat is low – this can be due to a broken or damaged impeller inside the pump.
Sometimes circulator pumps can be repaired, but other times they may need to be replaced.
The best way to handle any kind of heating repair to your boiler is to call the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., and schedule an appointment for heating services in Alexandria, VA.
What Does the AFUE Rating Mean for a Boiler?
Thursday, January 15th, 2015The energy efficiency of any heating system should be an important consideration for your home. Why? Energy efficiency relates directly to fuel usage, and fuel usage can impact your home’s budget. Just as whole-home air conditioning systems have their energy efficiency rated by SEER numbers, so, too, do combustion heating systems: AFUE. Understanding what AFUE means can go a long way toward ensuring that your boiler installation in Northern Virginia is an energy efficient one.
AFUE
The acronym AFUE stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. AFUE measures the efficiency of a combustion heating system’s ability to convert fuel into energy. AFUE is presented as a percentage, and this percentage will tell you exactly what percentage of your fuel is being used as energy and what part is lost to byproduct exhaust. For example, a boiler with an AFUE of 85% means that 85% of the fuel used becomes energy that heats your home and the other 15% is exhausted through your flue as combustion byproduct. Having this kind of specific information can help you choose a boiler that meets both your heating needs and your energy efficiency needs.
AFUE Standards for Boilers
Each type of combustion heating system has minimum AFUE standards as set by the Federal Trade Commission. When it comes to boilers, the type of fuel used to power the boiler helps to determine what the minimum AFUE number will be:
- Natural gas hot water boiler – minimum AFUE of 82%
- Natural gas steam boiler – minimum AFUE of 80%
- Oil hot water boiler – minimum AFUE of 84%
- Oil steam boiler – minimum AFUE of 82%
Condensing boilers, which are boilers that use the latent heat from combustion vapors, have AFUE’s well over 90%.
While AFUE should not be the only factor you consider for your boiler installation in Northern Virginia, it should be one of the top factors of the installation process.
Ready for a new boiler? Call the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., and schedule an appointment today!
Why Cleaning and Adjusting Boiler Components Each Year is Necessary
Thursday, January 8th, 2015As the cold and snow set in for the season, your boiler is working hard to keep you, your family and your home warm. There is a way you can give back to your boiler, though: schedule it for maintenance. A maintenance appointment isn’t a quick review of your system; instead, it is a thorough inspection and full tune-up, during which the components are reviewed, cleaned and adjusted as needed. Boiler maintenance in Northern Virginia allows your boiler to work optimally. And while it’s always good to get ahead of winter with fall maintenance, the truth is if your boiler hasn’t been maintained in over 12 months, any time is a good time for maintenance.
Reasons to Schedule Maintenance
During regular usage, the components of your boiler become worn and dirty; some parts attract dust, making it difficult to operate correctly. Here are some of the benefits of scheduling maintenance:
- Better energy efficiency – your boiler was made to operate at a specific level of energy efficiency, but it can’t do so when the parts and system are dirty and worn down from the previous season or seasons. The cleaning the system receives during an annual inspection appointment allows the system to work optimally.
- Prevents repairs – the thorough inspection conducted by the technician allows him/her to detect any developing or existing problems and either make small repairs during the appointment, such as with frayed wiring, or inform you about necessary repairs. Maintenance allows you to get ahead of repairs before they can become a serious problem.
- Extends life of equipment – maintenance keeps your boiler in good working order; when your system is in good working order, there is no extra stress on it, which helps reduce premature aging.
- Better comfort – a boiler that is healthy will have no problems achieving the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat, keeping you in better comfort all winter.
Maintenance involves a number of tasks and steps that are all designed to maximize the operation and efficiency of your boiler.
If you haven’t scheduled your boiler in Northern Virginia for maintenance yet, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., today.
How Can You Tell It’s Time for Commercial Heating Replacement?
Thursday, December 11th, 2014The proper working of your commercial heating system is critical for your business space. After all, it’s hard to conduct business in a space that isn’t well-heated, or has uneven heating throughout. Just because a heating system continues to work doesn’t mean that it isn’t time for that system to be replaced, particularly when you take certain factors into consideration. If you are having trouble deciding whether or not it’s time for commercial heating replacement for your McLean business, make an appointment with your Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc., expert today.
Factors to Consider for Replacement
Here are some of the more important factors to review when considering the replacement of your commercial heating system:
Age
Commercial heating systems have an average lifespan of 15-20 years, although some systems may last longer. Aging systems can have a problem achieving your set temperature, or providing even heating, mostly because the components begin to break down. Pushing an aging system only exacerbates the possibility of repairs, so if your system is experiencing problems, and is within the lifespan age or older, it may be time to consider an upgrade to a new system.
Energy Efficiency
Every business has a budget to maintain, no matter the season. If you have noticed that your business’s heating bills have risen sharply, yet you haven’t changed how you heat your business space, you may have a system that is not as energy efficient as you need it. Today’s commercial heating systems are highly energy efficient, thus enabling you to save money in energy costs.
Costly Repairs
Are you facing costly repairs, or have you been nursing along a malfunctioning system for a period of time? Repair costs can add up quickly, many times to the cost of a new system. If you are paying for multiple, costly repairs, it may be time to review if your money is better spent on continuing repairs or on a new, reliable heating system.
Your business space needs to be comfortable for all who enter it; don’t let an aging and/or malfunctioning commercial heating system in McLean adversely affect your business.
Call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc., today and schedule an appointment with one of our commercial heating experts.
The Steps Involved in Routine Boiler Maintenance
Thursday, December 4th, 2014We are almost officially in the winter season here in Arlington, but there is still time to schedule maintenance for your boiler. You may wonder why maintenance is so important for your heating in Arlington. There are several reasons as we’ll explain below, but in a nutshell, maintenance is a full tune-up for your boiler; a routine maintenance appointment is an in-depth inspection, cleaning and adjustment of your system, not just a simple once-over of your system. It’s recommended that you schedule your heating system for maintenance every 12 months, so if you are due for a maintenance appointment, contact Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc., today.
What Happens During Maintenance?
Here is a general overview of what happens during a routine maintenance appointment for your boiler:
- Inspect equipment for unsafe conditions
- Visually check equipment for deteriorated wiring and wiring connections
- Visually inspect electrical controls (contactors, relays, motor starters, phase monitors and timers) for deterioration and proper operation
- Measure and record equipment operating voltage and current
- Inspect and/or adjust burners for proper operation and efficiency
- Check fan belts and adjust belt tension
- Lubricate all moving parts
- Verify operation of safety controls
- Perform safety and performance testing
Benefits of Scheduling Maintenance
The benefits of a professional maintenance appointment can help achieve the following:
- Better energy efficiency – when a boiler carries the wear and tear from previous seasons into the next season, it can’t operate at the efficiency level it was made to operate at. The tune-up your boiler receives during a routine maintenance appointment allows your boiler to operate at its highest efficiency.
- Improved comfort – a boiler that isn’t well-maintained may have trouble achieving the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat. With routine maintenance, the system can operate optimally, keeping you warm and comfortable.
- Prevents repairs – the thorough inspection of the system allows the technician to detect existing and developing problems so you can get ahead of issues before they can blossom.
- Extends life of equipment – regular maintenance keeps your boiler in good working order, which helps reduce levels of wear and tear and premature aging.
The benefits of maintenance can last the entire winter season, so if you haven’t scheduled maintenance for your heating system yet, call us today!