Category: HVAC

You may think that large electrical box with lots of pipes and wires seems amazingly complicated without a degree or professional skill to operate it. But, believe it or not, some of the most common furnace issues can be resolved by the homeowner without a service call to the HVAC company. Here are a few of the most common furnace issues and how you can attempt to resolve them on your own.
What if I Smell Gas?
If you smell something that smells like rotten eggs coming from the area surrounding your furnace, there is only one step. Get out. Do not turn on/off any light switches or operate any of the switches on the furnace. After you have safely evacuated, call your HVAC company to check out the problem.
Furnace is Not Producing Much Heat
The major cause of a slower heating house is a dirty filter. The easiest way to maintain your furnace and save money is to change your filter every few months. A dirty filter can double or triple your home heating costs, causing your furnace to have to work harder.
Furnace Doesn’t Ignite
Today’s furnaces use hot surface ignitors, but if you have a really old furnace that still has a pilot light, then here’s what you can do. If the light inside the furnance has gone out completely, shut off the gas switch near the pilot light while pushing the reset button. Hold a lighter or match up to the gas where the flame should be and light the pilot again.
Changing your furnace filter is something everybody can do. It is one of the easiest home maintenance projects you can do. Simply pull the old filter out and replace it with a new one. The only trick here is making sure the up arrow on the filter actually faces up in the furnace slot. That’s it. Regularly reminding yourself to do this can save a lot of money on utility bills and risking damaging your unit.
Always schedule a regular maintenance check-up with your HVAC company to catch any further issues that may be more involved. Visit our website to learn more about the heating and cooling services we provide. Or give us and call and we will be glad to help with advice or assistance 812-280-0510

You may be looking to replace a sluggish furnace in your existing home or you may be ready to install one in a new home for the first time. Either way, there are some important facts that can help you decide which furnace may be the best fit for your home. Let’s start by examining the two major types of furnaces.
The Two-Stage Furnace
Based on its name, the two-stage furnace is geared to operate the major elements of the furnace in two different ways. First, this type of furnace will change the burn rate of natural gas, or BTUs (British Thermal Units, a unit of energy) generated. Most of these systems will also change the speed at which the blower fan blows, lowering the speed during the first stage and raising it during the second stage.
The two-stage furnace actually runs on a lower amount of BTUs and runs longer in order to keep your home more comfortable by decreasing the temperature swings when the system shuts off and turns back on.
The advantage most people see in this system is in a more consistent temperature while the system is running. Energy savings is not a real advantage to this type of furnace.
Modulating Furnace
This type of High Efficiency furnace operates with more intensity and also reduces the temperature fluctuations, produces a more consistent indoor temperature, is quiet in operation, and utilizes annual fuel consumption up to 98%. Because fuel is used more efficiently, energy use is reduced and so is cost.
This type of gas furnace combines a modular gas valve with a variable speed blower and is able to adjust automatically, continuously regulating the amount of fuel burned based on the thermostat setting. These systems can maintain a temperature within a half-degree of the thermostat set point.  Standard systems can swing between 4-6 degrees.
Because of its variable speed blower, the temperature slowly ramps up and down providing quiet and efficient air distribution while reducing overall utility consumption.
Being informed can help you choose the furnace that can best accommodate your home’s needs and keep you toasty warm this winter season. Contact VanKleef Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. with any questions you have about your furnace. We are here to help.
image courtesy of York

It’s in there. You can see it. It’s glaring through the stack of mail inside the mailbox; the utility bill. You pull off a corner, take a deep breath, try again and suddenly rip it open like a stuck bandaid. Your blood pressure soars. The heat has only been on for a month, but your heating bill looks like a small house payment.
Help restore your blood pressure to normal and conserve energy this winter with these cost saving ideas:
Purchase a Power Monitor These items are not very expensive, but they are extremely helpful in determining how much energy your home is using and which items are draining the most power.
Turn it Off Stick to this basic rule always. If you’re not using it, turn it off. Plugged in electronics such as computers, lights and monitors all use energy while plugged in. Make sure all of these things are turned off when going to bed.
Use Power StripsConnect as many electronics as you can to a power strip and when they are not in use, switch the strip off. Even a plugged in electronic not in use drains electricity.
Utilize technology Most newer electronics and appliances come with built-in power management options. Always check your settings to be sure you are using the energy saving’s or water saving’s settings on washers, dryers, air conditioners, computers and heating and air conditioning systems.
Avoid OverchargingOnly charge MP3 players, phones, cameras and batteries until they are fully charged, then unplug the charger. Keeping the line-up of electronics constantly plugged in wastes energy.
Get the LED OutTime to get with it. Incandescent bulbs are a thing of the past and are not as energy efficient. Switch over permanently to LED bulbs or compact fluorescent.
Wash with Cold Water Your clothes won’t be upset with you. They will still be clean and not using hot water can help stop runs in color on fabric and prevent shrinkage.
Don’t let Old Man Winter steal your joy or your money. Remember, knowledge really is powerful when you put practical ideas to work.

Think of it like a relay. One runner hands the baton off to the other and together they finish the race. Although there are huge expectations of the first runner to come out of the gate on fire, all the runners are important. That’s basically the role you play with your heating and cooling professionals.
When you hire a professional to service your heating and cooling system, safety is the most important benefit you receive when a certified technician takes over. However, as a homeowner, your responsibilities to maintain your system will boost the results of a professional service.
Servicing your furnace this winter is extremely important. Without regular maintenance your heating components wear out sooner which leads to breakdowns or even system failure. This can be avoided with regular tune-ups.
When you schedule your next tune-up here are several things to make sure your technician evaluates.

• Check the duct work for leaks and seal if necessary
• Test the air flow through the heating system and ducts
• Calibrate the thermostat
• Clean burners
• Check heat exchanger
• Verify vent system safety
• Check gas pressure
• Test for correct refrigerant charge and heat pump leaks
• Lubricate moving parts
• Check system controls to make sure cooling mode is locked out during heating mode
• Inspect motor belts and bearings
• Check electrical terminals

Throughout the year, your job as a homeowner is to:

• Change the air filter when it appears dingy or dirty
• Keep debris away from the outdoor unit, ensuring proper air flow
• Check that your indoor supply vents and return grills are unobstructed

If any of these areas get neglected, you risk system failure or even break down. The big difference is, with a cooling system the air just doesn’t cool. With a heating system or furnace, even if it is broken, it can continue to produce heat, even if the heat exchange is cracked or the flue is broken, still allowing deadly carbon monoxide fumes to enter your home.
Keeping the proper relay team in place working together, you can be very confident in extending the life of your heating and cooling system, achieving peak comfort and ensuring safe operation of your  furnace this winter.

It’s wintertime in Kentuckiana and that means higher heating bills for most of us. Our HVAC units are working overtime and it might feel like you’re just throwing money out the window when the utility bill arrives each month.
We can all stand to save a little money here and there, and that may be possible by making a few simple changes. There are many things we can do inside the house to save money on electricity. Most of them are simple practices that just require discipline and a little effort. Here are the most important.

1. Running Ceiling Fans – This is the number one offender of wasting electricity. Ceiling fans use an incredible amount of electricity and most of the time they are kept running non-stop even when nobody is in the room. The solution is simple. Flip the switch. Turn off the fan when you leave the room or invest in a timer that is programmable.
2. TV watching – Even though a television gives off a more evident signal of being in use, televisions are still regularly left on when not being watched. Usually, multiple televisions are running at once and not being watched. The second biggest waste of energy is televisions running endlessly. When not being watched, they should be turned off and for ultimate conservation, put on a power strip. When not in use televisions still use energy, so place them on a power strip and turn that off when not in use.
3. Lights – This is common sense, but not common practice. Lights inside and outside the house are left on when not necessary causing needless energy use and expense. For optimal usage put lights on a motion sensor or a timer.
4. HVAC and Bathroom Fans – Never leave a bathroom fan running for more than 30 minutes, it’s not necessary. Also in the fan department, check your thermostat setting and make sure it is set on “auto” not “on” or your HVAC will run continuously.
5. Light Bulbs – Lots of debate still lingers over which light bulbs to use, but CFL and LED bulbs are much more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. The prices are coming down and the quality continues to go up, so make the switch. It will pay off.

Keep your energy costs under control this winter by making a habit of turning off unused appliances, lights, and fans.
Call VanKleef Heating and Air Conditioning  (812) 280-0510 for all your furnace repair in Southern Indiana and Louisville, KY.