Hometown Heating and Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

How To Avoid Heater Repairs This Winter

Monday, January 30th, 2023
mother-and-daugher-on-couch-with-cat-staying-warm

California’s mild climate means the heating season is short compared to other areas of the country. But when it does get cold, you want to be able to depend on your heating system.  

Although we’re always available for heating repair in Concord, CA, the ideal option is to not need to call us for repairs in the first place. To avoid unexpected and problematic heater repairs during the time when you need your heater most, follow these tips.

Continue Reading

End-of-Season Furnace Problems to Be Aware Of

Monday, March 14th, 2022
vent-low-on-wall

It may almost be spring, and we may not get as severely cold weather in our part of the country as others, but having a fully functional and efficiently operating furnace is still pretty important. This is why, whether you had fall maintenance done or not, it’s important to know if your furnace needs any repairs.

Taking care of repair needs now instead of waiting for next fall makes it less likely to have emergency repair needs when you need your furnace system the most. Of course, this also requires you to know when you actually have repair needs, right? Read on to learn how to tell if you might have some end-of-season furnace repair needs.

Continue Reading

What You Don’t Want to Hear Coming from Your Heater

Monday, February 28th, 2022
Woman-holding-hand-to-ear-to-listen

We understand that it can be easy to ignore some of the sounds that the appliances and systems in your home make. It’s easy to deny that something can be wrong with one of those appliances–after all who wants an unexpected repair bill, right?

However, ignoring a sound that your heating system is making could result in an even bigger repair bill later on, and some noises might even indicate potentially harmful problems, such as a cracked heat exchanger that could lead to a CO (carbon monoxide) leak in your home.

Here at Hometown, we get how important it is to protect your household. If you hear ominous noises coming from your furnace, please don’t hesitate to give our team a call. In the meantime, read on as we uncover some specific sounds and what they could mean for your furnace.

Continue Reading

These 5 Signs Indicate You Might Need Heating Repair

Monday, January 17th, 2022
red-check-marks-on-checklist

It can be pretty frustrating to realize that you’ve been paying good money to heat up your home, but not getting the comfort you deserve. Maybe you have discovered that your heater is running intermittently, or perhaps it never seems to stop running. These are just a couple of the potential problems that can befall a heater.

Of course, surprise repair needs are a lot less likely if you invest in routine heating maintenance. This should be done once a year for a furnace or boiler, and twice a heat for a year-round heat pump system. With maintenance, repair needs are less common, but they still do happen, and it’s important that you know the following signs that they’re needed.

Continue Reading

Which is Better, Electric Furnaces or Gas Furnaces?

Monday, December 20th, 2021
white-question-mark-on-blue-background

When it comes time for you to buy a new furnace for your household, there are many choices for you to make. The seemingly small decisions you make now can have a big impact on the efficiency and efficacy of your new furnace later on, so it is essential that you do the research and consult with a professional before making your furnace purchase. After all, an improperly matched heating system can leave you with higher bills and an increased need for repairs!

After you choose the make and model of furnace you want, the next decision to make is whether you want a gas-powered system or an electric one. Read on as we provide a quick guide to the differences between them. Oh and spoiler alert–neither is “better” than the other, but you may find one is preferable for your specific situation over the other.

Continue Reading

Is Professional Duct Cleaning Worth It?

Monday, December 6th, 2021
brush-inside-duct

If you’re anything like the average homeowner, you probably don’t think too much about the air ducts running their way through your home. This makes sense–after all, ductwork is hidden from view for a reason. You really shouldn’t have to think about the condition of your air ducts too often. But every once in a while, they do need some attention. While you don’t need to know all the ins and outs of your ductwork, there are a few things we’d like to share with you about how dirty ductwork can impact your indoor air quality.

Professional duct cleaning is a method to clear out your ductwork, which has air moving through it each and every day you use either your air conditioner or your heating system. Overall, if you’re wondering if duct cleaning is worth it, the answer is yes. Read on to learn why!

Continue Reading

It’s That Time of Year! Contact Us for This Important Heating Service

Monday, November 22nd, 2021
wall-clock

Heating season is here! Now it’s true, we don’t get as bitterly cold temperatures as they do in other parts of the country. But, there is no denying that when it does get chillier here, you need a fully efficient and effective heating system in place to keep you warm.

So how do you ensure that this is the case? Well, by scheduling annual professional maintenance, that’s how! Keep reading as we uncover why this heating service is so important for the efficacy and efficiency of your heating system, and why now is the best time to have it done.

Continue Reading

Don’t Neglect These Potential End-of-Season Heating Repair Needs

Monday, March 29th, 2021

Wintertime weather is on its way out, making way for the warmer temperatures we’re used to this time of year. However, with us still using our heaters for at least a little while longer, it’s not quite time to forget about them. But, do you know if your heater will make it through the rest of the chilly nights you need it for?

Your answer to this will heavily depend on whether or not your heater needs repairs. If your heating system is struggling a bit, or if you didn’t have maintenance done last fall, then you should really schedule repairs sooner rather than later. Otherwise, you risk a breakdown now, or even next fall when you go to turn it on again. But, how do you know for sure if your heater needs repairs? Fortunately, there are some pretty clear indicators you can watch and listen for. Read on as we uncover what they are!

Continue Reading

Pay Attention if Your Heater Makes Any of These Noises

Monday, March 1st, 2021
woman-holding-hand-to-ear-to-listen

If you have a forced-air heating system like a furnace or heat pump, then there are going to be some sounds you can expect to hear. The whir of the fan a few minutes after the system starts up is one of them, for instance. In a furnace, it takes a few minutes for the furnace’s heating elements to get hot enough to provide adequate warmth to your home. Once you hear that familiar whir and the following rush of air through your vents, you feel satisfied knowing that warmth is on its way. That is, unless these sounds are accompanied by a loud and unfamiliar sound.

No matter what the noise is, anything outside of the normal operating sounds you hear every day is abnormal and deserve a call to our pos. Whether those noises seem to be coming from your vents or from the furnace system itself, they need to be investigated by a trained professional who knows what they’re looking for.

Read on as we uncover some of the most common noises we get called about, and what they might mean for your heating system.

Continue Reading

Skip Furnace Maintenance? It’s Not Too Late

Monday, February 1st, 2021

We might not experience the chilly temperatures that our neighbors in the Midwest or Northeast do, but if the last couple of weeks were any indication, it does get cold relative to what we’re used to in the summer, right? As such, you need a fully functional and efficiently operating heating system to keep you warm.

Unfortunately, too many homeowners in our area take this for granted and don’t think about the upkeep necessary for their heating systems. Either that, or they think their perfectly working heater doesn’t need any kind of service. Here’s the thing, though—scheduling annual or biannual maintenance for your HVAC system prevents the majority of repair needs the system will ever need in its lifespan—up to 85% in fact!

So, if you skipped maintenance this fall, what are you waiting for? Give us a call and schedule your next tune-up. Below, we decided to dive into the “why” of this advice.

Continue Reading