ThermAll Heating, Cooling & Electric Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Watch Out for the Ways a Malfunctioning Thermostat Can Affect Your HVAC System

Monday, February 12th, 2024

When you need to change the comfort levels in your home, what do you do? You go to the thermostat and make adjustments, either changing the programming or doing a temporary override. That’s just part of life in your home, something you take for granted like turning on light switches and using appliances like the dishwasher.

The thermostat, however, is a complex device. Because it’s connected to the HVAC system that controls your home comfort, any malfunction can lead to unusual heating and cooling behavior. You may not immediately know that the thermostat is the culprit, which is why it’s always best to call for professional HVAC repair in Yakima, WA from our team. We can track down the problem, and if it’s a thermostat issue, we know what to do to fix it.

Tags: Smart Thermostat, Thermostats, Yakima
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What’s Causing the Uneven Heating in Your Home?

Monday, December 18th, 2023

Man shivering in a sweater while checking thermostat, suggesting need for heating system maintenance.

You’ve noticed something wrong in your house now that the weather’s colder and you’ve turned your central heating system on. Not all the rooms are getting as warm as they should, and you’ve got family members complaining. A central heater is supposed to provide heat to all of the living spaces, but your heater isn’t living up to that promise.

What’s happening? There are several possibilities, and the remedy may require that you call our technicians for heating repair in Yakima, WA. We deliver timely service and back up our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

What common maintenance issues cause uneven heating throughout your home?

Clogged air filters reduce airflow and prevent even heat distribution
Short-cycling causes the heater to shut off before fully warming the home
Leaky ductwork lets warm air escape before reaching certain rooms
An aging heating system may struggle to deliver consistent heat to all areas

Tags: Heating System Repair, Heating System Replacement, Yakima
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How to Make Your Winter Heating Less Costly This Year

Monday, December 4th, 2023

As the winter season approaches, keeping your home warm for your family will become one of your top priorities. However, using energy to heat your home doesn’t come for free, and sometimes the cost of running your central heating system will take a large toll on your budget. You don’t have the option to simply leave the heater off—not with our winters—but you do have ways to cut down on those high utility bills.

In this post, we’ll explore practical tips to make your winter heating more cost-effective, with a special focus on the valuable assistance our heating services in Ellensburg, WA can provide. We’re your home comfort hero, ready to make your winter both warm and budget-friendly!

Tags: Ellensburg, Heating System Maintenance
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Why Won’t Your Heating System Turn Off Regularly?

Monday, November 20th, 2023

Once you turn your heating system during the fall, you’ll expect it to follow a standard pattern. When the temperature becomes cold enough, the heater will turn on and run in cycles around 15 to 20 minutes long, then shutting down for around 10 minutes and turning back on if the temperature is still low.

But you may run into a problem with your heater turning on and off at odd times. Maybe it’s running for too long, not turning off when you expect it to and making the house too hot. Or maybe it’s turning off too frequently, starting and stopping throughout the day so that it never keeps on long enough to properly warm the house.

We’re going to look into the reasons you’ve got a heating system that isn’t turning off with its normal regularity. In some cases, you can solve the problem on your own. In others, you’ll need to call professionals for heating repair in Ellensburg, WA.

Tags: Ellensburg, Heating System Repair
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The Secrets of High-Efficiency Furnaces

Monday, October 23rd, 2023

White residential furnace unit with vent slots and gauge, representing furnace maintenance.

The energy efficiency of natural gas furnaces continues to improve as technology advances. Once, standard furnaces had an AFUE rating of 70, which means the furnace would convert 70% of its fuel source (natural gas) into direct heat, losing 30% to exhaust. Today, many standard furnaces have 85 AFUE, and special high-efficiency furnaces can score in the high 90s. That’s an enormous change in efficiency that can mean significant savings for a household over the winter.

If you’re considering a new furnace installation in Ellensburg, WA or elsewhere in our service area, we recommend you look into high-efficiency furnace models. They cost more than mid-efficiency furnaces, but the long-term savings will help these furnaces pay for themselves in a few years.

If you’re curious about what allows high-efficiency furnaces to use so much less power to do the same job, follow us below. Know when repairs stop being worth it so you can confidently decide between fixing or upgrading your system.

What makes high-efficiency furnace maintenance important?

Condensing furnaces use a secondary heat exchanger that requires regular cleaning to maintain peak energy efficiency
Variable-speed blowers reduce wear and energy use but need periodic inspection to ensure consistent performance
Modulating burners operate at multiple levels and must be kept clean to maintain smooth, efficient heating cycles
Sealed combustion systems rely on intact air intake and exhaust paths, which require regular checks for safety and performance
Electronic ignitions eliminate standing pilot lights but need occasional testing to ensure reliable startup

Tags: Ellensburg, Gas Furnaces, Heating System Installation, Heating System Replacement, High-Efficiency Furnaces
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Important Tips for Furnace Safety

Monday, October 9th, 2023

When the weather begins to cool down during the fall, you’ll turn your home’s furnace on for the first time in many months. But before you do that, we want to recommend that you go over some valuable tips for furnace safety.

Gas furnaces are built with safety as a priority, and they feature several safety features such as flame sensor and flame-roll out switch that will activate to help protect your home. But you can increase your margin of safety with these important precautions.

What essential maintenance steps help keep your furnace safe?

Schedule annual maintenance to catch cracks, loose parts, or malfunctioning safety systems
Maintain at least one foot of clearance around the furnace for proper airflow and fire prevention
Replace the air filter every one to three months to prevent overheating and reduce fire risk from lint buildup
Test carbon monoxide detectors regularly and install them near sleeping areas for early warning of gas leaks

Tags: Heating System Maintenance, Heating System Repair, Yakima
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Give Your Furnace a Grade for the End of the Season

Monday, April 10th, 2023

The weather is warming up, although we can expect to have a few more cold days come our way through the spring. It isn’t time to shut off your heater for mid-year.

Not yet. But it is the time to consider your heater’s future based on how well it performed over this last winter.

You never want to let a major furnace breakdown sneak up on you. It’s better to replace an ailing furnace before it has a chance to trap you in an unheated home.

To help you get a better understanding of how well your furnace is currently doing, we want you to try this thought experiment: give your furnace a grade (“A” through “F”) for how well it performed over the previous winter.

Below, we’ll examine what these grades may mean for your furnace’s future and what steps you might need to take, like furnace replacement or furnace repair in Yakima, WA.

Tags: Heating System Repair, Heating System Replacement, Yakima
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Is Replacing Your AC With a Heat Pump a Good Idea?

Monday, March 27th, 2023

The simple answer to this question is a noncommittal: “It depends.” That’s often the answer when it comes to major decisions about replacing HVAC units.

Every home is different, every household different, and what works well in one situation may be inappropriate and wasteful in another.

As local HVAC experts who often work with HVAC replacement in Ellensburg, WA and the surrounding areas, we can provide you with information that will help you think about whether replacing your current AC with a heat pump is a wise choice.

If you want solid answers, you can get in touch with our team. We’ll consult with you based on your specific needs and budget to find the ideal outcome.

Tags: Ellensburg, Heat Pump Installation
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The Importance of Carbon Monoxide Testing for Your Furnace

Monday, March 13th, 2023

Technician checking temperature on a gas furnace with blue flames during furnace maintenance.

If you have a natural gas furnace providing your home with heat, you probably know that there is some potential for dangerous carbon monoxide gas exposure. This is something that’s true of any home appliance that combusts natural gas, not just gas furnaces. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a byproduct of the combustion process, a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas that creates health complications and can even cause death with extended exposure.

Gas furnaces aren’t inherently unsafe—they would never be permitted in homes if they were—so you don’t need to panic about having a gas furnace in your house. But you must take several precautions to ensure the furnace runs safely and that you and your family have ample warning in case CO leaks into the home. One of these precautions is to have annual carbon monoxide testing.

Why is carbon monoxide testing essential for furnace maintenance?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can leak from furnaces with damaged heat exchangers or blocked vents
Regular testing ensures the furnace is safely exhausting combustion gases and not leaking CO into your home
Installing and checking carbon monoxide detectors adds a layer of protection against undetected gas leaks
Annual furnace inspections help identify and fix CO risks before they become hazardous

Tags: Gas Furnaces, Heating System Maintenance, Yakima
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Never Ignore Furnace Problems, No Matter the Time of Year

Monday, February 27th, 2023

We’re now in late winter, and spring officially starts in less than a month. This doesn’t mean the immediate end of cold weather. March is notoriously unpredictable and April is often filled with cold and rainy days. Still, warmer weather is on the way as the winter wraps up, and this is a good time to remind you of the importance of keeping your furnace in good repair, no matter the season.

If you run into problems with your furnace that don’t seem too bad (such as strange noises and uneven heating), you may feel tempted to just “ride out” the rest of the cold weather and worry about getting the trouble fixed later. We understand this temptation, but please don’t give in to it. When your furnace needs professional repairs, have them taken care of as soon as possible. We’ll explain why below.

Tags: Ellensburg, Heating System Maintenance, Heating System Repair
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