Heating System Design, Installation and Repair
ANDY'S STATEWIDE is recognized for the quality of its heating service professionals. They are the trusted local source for installation, repair, replacement, or troubleshooting and maintenance of:
ANDY'S STATEWIDE offers:
- Financing, with approved credit
- Extended warranties on parts, equipment, and labor (see service center for details)
- Service plans for ongoing maintenance
The facts about furnaces.
If you are particularly cold natured, and live in the Detroit area where temperatures are at or below freezing for extended periods of time, a furnace may be the heating system for you.
A furnace is super simple. It draws air in from the living space, it heats it up and delivers it back out to warm the home. Modern furnaces are all forced air systems, and there are three configurations.
- Up-flow furnaces are placed in homes with basements.
- Horizontal flow furnaces are designed for homes with crawl spaces.
- Down-flow furnaces are for homes built on concrete slabs.
If you have an older home, you may even have a furnace that uses physics to distribute the air instead of employing a blower. That is, the cooled air sinks down into return vents and the heated air rises up into the living space through the ducts. Hot air rises, cold air sinks. It's an incredibly efficient way to circulate air, but it doesn't quite have the impact and immediate gratification of blower units.
However, that little physics lesson can help us understand why up-flow furnaces tend to have longer life spans than the others. When air in your home reaches its desired temperature and the thermostat shuts down the unit, the hot air in an up-flow model will dissipate its stored air quickly because it will rise out of the unit on its own. With the other models, heat collects and doesn't allow the unit to cool down as fast, thus they incur more wear.
That's something to think about if you're building a new home. Another thing to consider is the heat source.
Gas furnaces are very common and use either natural gas or propane. With either fuel, the furnace works the same way. Gas enters into a chamber, is ignited by a pilot source and warms the air within a heat exchange chamber. The air is blown into the living space through heating ductwork and the exhaust gases are vented out of the home. The only difference is that natural gas is usually delivered via a municipal connection and propane generally comes from an on-site tank.
Electric furnaces use heating elements, or strips, to warm the air instead of a fossil fuel source. Everything else works the same way.
As with all HVAC systems, air filtration is critical to effective heating. Make sure you change filters often and have your furnace professionally serviced on a regular basis. To find out if a furnace is right for your home, contact your local ANDY'S STATEWIDE air conditioning and heating installation specialist today.
How to avoid the perils of a pilot light.
If you have a gas-burning heating system, you have a pilot light. Modern systems normally have an electric ignition that automatically fires up when you turn on the heat. Older models might still have pilot lights that need to be relit in preparation for winter.
While most experts advise homeowners to have HVAC professionals clean the unit and light the pilot all in one seasonal service call, there may be occasions when your light goes out in the middle of the night and without it, you have no heat. In those instances, most people will try lighting the pilot themselves. If you find yourself needing to tackle that task, follow these steps to safely restore your heat.
- Turn off your heater at the thermostat or power switch
- Allow any gas fumes to dissipate for at least five minutes
- Locate the gas value and set the knob or dial to 'pilot'
- Press the red button (this sends gas to the pilot burner)
- Place a lit match alongside the burner (you'll probably want to use a long, fireplace match)
- Continue holding the red button for one minute
- Release the button (burner should remain lit)
- Turn gas valve back to 'on'
- Turn on unit and turn up the thermostat
If you pilot won't stay lit, has a weak flame or is orange without a strong blue color, you need a professional to step in for service. To get your heating unit running strong and pumping out the heat this winter, contact your local ANDY'S STATEWIDE heating and air conditioning installation specialist today.
Is a heat pump right for your home?
Every home has it's own unique needs when it comes to HVAC systems. Balancing home comfort preferences with installation cost and energy efficiency can lead you down many different roads. For a great number of homes, heat pumps provide a very effective solution.
A heat pump is simply an air conditioner that can switch its functionality and become a heating unit. You see when Freon is processed in an air-conditioning unit it creates a tremendous amount of heat. So a heat pump simply reverses part of the process, extracts heat and distributes it throughout the house.
Heat pumps are generally very energy efficient. However, these central heating systems work best in climates where the temperature is somewhat mild. If it gets below 37*F, heat pumps need to run constantly to maintain warmth.
One issue that can develop with heat pumps is that the coils within the outdoor component of the system can collect ice. In order to function properly, the heat pump has to melt this ice every once in a while so that it doesn't build up and damage the unit. To do this, the heat pump actually switches back to AC mode. But don't worry, while in air conditioner mode, electric heating strips are activated within the unit to keep the warm air flowing. When the ice is vanquished, everything goes back to normal - and you never even know the difference.
Remember, just like any other HVAC system, the key to years of efficient operation with a heat pump is regular maintenance.
If you'd like to learn more about your home heating options, contact your local ANDY'S STATEWIDE heating and air conditioning installation specialist today.
Exploring the hot topic of heating your home.
Through the years, people have been pretty creative in developing ways to heat their homes. But all of these systems have one very basic thing in common, heat has to be generated and distributed by some means. That holds true for everything from fireplaces to furnaces.
If you're having trouble with your home heating system or are considering a new one, knowing about the most common types of systems is step one.
Note: each of these systems outlined below can be referred to as "central heating," which simply means heating from a central source.
Traditional furnaces are those systems that pull air into them, heat the air and then release it back into the living area. The source of heat can include gas, oil, electricity, coal and even wood. These forced-air models are generally considered the most economical to install and repair.
Heat pumps are your basic heating/air conditioning system all rolled into one unit. They work by "pumping" heat from one place to another by the means of air to air or water to air- that is, from the outside or underground water sources into a circulating system within your home.
Air to air systems are much more common in most areas and not much more in cost to a normal a/c system. The water to air systems are extremely energy efficient, however initial installation costs are generally greater than furnaces. Nevertheless, when you consider the fact that you're getting both a furnace and an air conditioner, their cost is actually about the same if not less than purchasing a gas furnace and an air conditioner.
Radiant heat systems are rather in vogue now. They work by running heating elements through the ceiling or walls, or even under the floor. When activated, these elements heat in a manner very similar to an oven. This type of system is very consistent and comfortable, but quite costly to install.
To learn more about the advantages of each type of heating system, give ANDY'S STATEWIDE a call today.
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