HVAC Blog | Wall Heating & Air Conditioning

Understanding the Dangers of a Cracked Heat Exchanger

January 23rd, 2023

A gas furnace is an effective and reliable way to heat your home. Because of the cost of natural gas as compared to electricity, it tends to be the more affordable option, as well. And as technology has improved, gas furnace efficiency has increased significantly. But what people sometimes wonder is just how safe it is to use a gas-burning furnace to heat their home.

On the whole, the answer is a simple yes. Driving a car, an everyday thing you might not consider risky, is thousands of times more dangerous than having a gas furnace. The improvements in technology that have allowed efficiency to go up have also improved safety. And as long as you have working carbon monoxide detectors and make sure your furnace receives routine maintenance, it’s perfectly safe. If you want to know exactly how to best ensure your safety when you have a gas furnace, though, you should learn about the heat exchanger.

Most Common Furnace Repairs in Winter

January 9th, 2023

If you’re a new homeowner, or are in the position of caring for a furnace for the first time, it may seem mysterious and confusing. What should you expect? What can go wrong? The truth of the matter is that furnaces are generally quite reliable and you don’t need to worry too much about them. The best way to avoid furnace problems is to make sure you get preventative maintenance every year. This way, little issues won’t add up, dusty mess will be cleaned before it causes trouble, and moving parts will be lubricated to reduce wear and tear.

However, there will be times when a furnace encounters a real need for repair. We’ll go over a few of the things we see most often, so that if these problems do happen to your furnace, they won’t catch you by surprise.

What Exactly Is Done During Heating Maintenance?

December 26th, 2022

We often emphasize just how critical it is to have your heating system maintained annually. It improves the efficiency of your heater, decreases wear and tear on the system, reduces the likelihood that you’ll require repairs, helps your heater live for many more years than it would if it were neglected, and ensures that your heater can continue to operate safely without posing risks such as carbon monoxide poisoning.

What we don’t discuss as often is the actual maintenance process. Because we believe that well-informed customers are better able to make good decisions about their heating systems, we’d like to provide some more detailed information. Here are the main steps that your heating technician will perform during regular annual maintenance, with the caveat that gas and electric heaters do require some different steps.

How Long Will My Furnace Last?

December 12th, 2022

Since you know how hard your furnace works to keep you cozy all winter, it’s no surprise that it won’t last forever. But you certainly don’t want furnace failure and the need for replacement to come as a sudden surprise. It can help to have a general idea of how long a furnace’s life can be. And while you definitely want to prolong that life and postpone replacing the furnace, you also don’t want to keep using a furnace that is a safety hazard, or one that has become so inefficient that it is costing you a lot more than it used to in energy usage.

How long can you expect your furnace to live, and how can you get the most out of it while avoiding excessive utility bills or safety risks? Here are some pointers.

Maximize Your Heating Efficiency This Winter

November 28th, 2022

The cost of heating your home is considerable. Whether your heating system is new or old, gas or electric, the impact on your utility bills can be significant. Even with an extremely efficient new heater, you might be wishing you didn’t have to pay as much for heat.

In order to keep your energy costs as low as they can be, we’d like to share some tips for getting the most heat for the least expense.

Why Does My Heater Smell Like Something’s Burning?

November 14th, 2022

You’re peacefully enjoying autumn in Georgia: the heat and humidity have gone down, and you’re relaxing while watching a football game or gathering with family for a fall celebration. It’s chilly enough to turn the heat on for the first time. Suddenly you realize that it smells like something is burning! Do you need to call for emergency heating repairs?

We have good news for you. A burning smell when you first turn your heat on for the season is pretty common, and you can take a few simple steps to clear things up. You only need the help of a heating professional if these easy remedies don’t solve the problem.

Does My Furnace Need Repair?

October 17th, 2022

Most of the time, we only think about our heating systems when they’re not working. As long as you are cozy during cold weather, it’s easy to ignore your furnace. But wouldn’t it be better to avoid having your heater break down entirely?

There are two things you can do to avoid having your heater stop working in the winter. First, take to heart a couple of tips on how to decrease the likelihood of a furnace problem. Then, pay attention to some particular clues of problems starting to brew. This way, you can get them repaired before they become severe enough that you end up with a freezing-cold house.

7 Reasons to Schedule Your Heater Maintenance Now

October 3rd, 2022

With the heat of summer just passing, and the beautiful, mild autumn beckoning you to spend time out of doors, you might not want to think about winter yet. But no matter how hard you try to ignore it, winter always gets here eventually, and you don’t want it to arrive before you’re prepared for it.

Scheduling a fall inspection for your heater should be at the top of your autumn to-do list. Here are seven reasons why it’s not only important, it’s also best to do earlier in the season.

What Can Go Wrong with a Heat Pump Reversing Valve

September 19th, 2022

Ahh, fall: beautiful weather, football, and seasonal celebrations. Are you ready for it? As we approach the season when the weather finally cools down and you no longer need to use your heat pump to cool your home, you’re almost ready to switch it into heating mode. But what if, when you try to heat your home on that first chilly morning, icy cold air blasts out?

Your heat pump is able to switch functions from cooling your home to warming it because of a part called a reversing valve. And it can be extremely frustrating if it refuses to reverse, offering you only air conditioning when it’s already too cold in your house. But what can you do about it?

These Sounds Mean Your AC Is Working A-Okay!

September 5th, 2022

It’s easy to focus on which air conditioner sounds might indicate a problem, as we did in our last blog post. But air conditioners are always making noise when they are on. If you familiarize yourself with the noises that mean everything is a-okay, you can relax and let them be ordinary background noise. To know which sounds mean that your air conditioner is operating exactly as it should, it can help to know which parts of the AC unit are making the noise, and why.

Wall Heating & Air Conditioning Blog