Benefits of Geothermal Systems in Avon Lake

January 14th, 2013

A lot of homeowners are looking for more efficient ways to both heat and cool their homes in light of the continuous rise in energy and fuel prices. Still more homeowners are concerned with heating and cooling their homes in more environmentally friendly ways. In both instances, a lot of homeowners wind up coming to the same conclusion. They contact a local Avon Lake HVAC contractor such as Westland Heating and Air Conditioning to learn more about the benefits of a geothermal heating and cooling system installation in Avon Lake. If you are one of those homeowners looking to reduce the cost and environmental impact of operating your heating and cooling system, contact us today.

A geothermal heating and cooling system offers a variety of benefits over other heating and air conditioning systems, even traditional heat pumps. While a geothermal system does use a heat pump in its operation, this heat pump does not draw heat from the air around it. Rather, a geothermal loop system is buried on your property and that loop system circulates an antifreeze solution. This allows the system to draw heat from the ground or even a water supply on your property. The benefit to this is the fact that temperatures at this depth are much more constant than in the air, making a geothermal system more dependable and consistent than air source heat pumps.

The biggest benefit of a geothermal heating and cooling system may be the efficiency with which it works. It does not consume a fuel to heat or cool your home but rather uses just a bit of electricity in order to transfer ambient, preexisting heat into or out of your home. This greatly improved efficiency allows you to keep your home comfortable all year long, during the heating and cooling seasons, with just one convenient system. The best part is that it allows you to do so affordably.

If you want to learn more about the installation or operation of a geothermal heating and cooling system on your Avon Lake property, contact Westland Heating and Air Conditioning today. Our geothermal experts can answer any questions that you may have. Let us help you heat and cool your home more efficiently.

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How a Furnace Can Affect Indoor Air Quality: A Westlake Furnace Tip

January 7th, 2013

When properly installed and professionally maintained a furnace is one of the most efficient, effective home heating options available. The professional heating technicians at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning have all the training and knowledge necessary to ensure that you get the high quality, safe operation you need from your furnace. We also understand that there are certain risks that are inherent when operating a furnace, which is why we take every precaution and safety measure necessary to ensure that your furnace is operating correctly.

One problem that furnaces can pose which many homeowners are unaware of is reduced indoor air quality. To be truly comfortable in your home you need the cleanest, purest air possible. Do not let the furnace in your Westlake home keep you warm at the expense of air quality. Here are a couple of ways in which furnaces can affect the indoor air quality in your home.

One potentially serious problem to consider when it comes to your furnace and indoor air quality is the possibility of back drafting and exposure to harmful gases including carbon monoxide. With a professional installation, great maintenance and a high quality CO detector you can expect a safe, reliable performance from your furnace. Anytime you are dealing with fuel and combustion, though, you must keep in mind the potential for such problems. Make sure that your ventilation is sufficient and properly installed, and be sure to contact a professional if you have any concerns about reduced air quality due to your furnace.

Another, more common way that furnaces may reduce indoor air quality is due to the fact that they use a forced air distribution system to heat your home. Forced air is a great way to circulate heated air throughout your home evenly and effectively. However, due to the fact that they blow air into the different rooms of your home they can also stir up dirt and debris in your home, causing these pollutants to go airborne. This can aggravate allergy or asthma symptoms and make for unpleasant air quality levels in general.

For more information about how your furnace may upset indoor air quality and what you can do to prevent and resolve these issues contact Westland Heating and Air Conditioning. We are always happy to help make your home a safer, more comfortable place to live. Call today for more information.

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Happy New Year’s Eve!

December 31st, 2012

Everyone at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning wants to wish you a very happy New Years! We hope you have a fun (and safe!) time saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new.

If you are a person who makes resolutions, why not try to make your home more environmentally-friendly next year? Upgrading your heating and air conditioning system can reduce the amount of energy you need to keep your home comfortable. You can also save energy by adding insulation and sealing any air leaks. A greener home is not only better for the environment, but it also saves you money by reducing your utility bills. Call Westland Heating and Air Conditioning to learn more about the benefits of upgrading your HVAC system.

Have a great New Year’s Eve!

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Happy Holidays from Westland Heating and Air Conditioning!

December 24th, 2012

Everyone at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning wishes you a very happy holiday! We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful customers who make our business possible. We look forward to working with you in the future. Have a wonderful celebration, and enjoy this time with friends and family!

And a quick reminder, if you haven’t yet scheduled a maintenance visit for your heating system, you could be losing money. Annual maintenance will not only cut down on repair costs, but it also ensures that your system is running as efficiently as possible, which lowers utility bills. A comfortable, efficient home is a gift that everyone can appreciate.

Happy Holidays from Westland Heating and Air Conditioning!

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Westlake Heating Question: What is a Heat Exchanger?

December 17th, 2012

All home comfort system installations should be handled by qualified professionals, as should any necessary maintenance and repair services. But every homeowner can benefit by having a basic understanding of some of the components that make up their heating and air conditioning systems. At Westland Heating and Air Conditioning, we like to keep our clients well informed. Here is some information about heat exchangers for you to review.

A heat exchanger is basically a device that allows for the transfer of heat from one liquid to another. You can find heat exchangers in your heaters, air conditioners, refrigeration equipment and even in your refrigerator. These devices may use water, steam or refrigerant as the heat exchange fluid. There are many different types of heat exchangers, but they all perform a very similar function of heat transfer between two liquid sources.

Take, for example, the operation of an air conditioner. The liquid refrigerant in the outdoor unit is sent through the evaporator coil. The evaporator coil absorbs heat from the surrounding air, and this turns the liquid into a gas. The gas absorbs heat from the air as it is pulled through the system, leaving behind cooled air. During heating the process is reversed, and heat from the gas is simply put into the air being dispersed throughout your home.

We hope that this information has given you some idea about how the heat exchanger that you depend on for your comfort and convenience works. If you have any further questions about the operation of your heat exchanger, contact the experts at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning. We are always happy to help our customers in Westlake, OH better understand how their heating and air conditioning systems work.

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Avon Heating Tip: 3 Common Boiler Problems

December 10th, 2012

If you think you may need a Avon heating repair for your boiler, it’s good to know some of the more common problems that can arise. Here at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning, we’ve listed three of the more common boiler problems, the causes, and what to do about them.

No Power

If your boiler has shut down, first check the emergency fuel switch. Sometimes this can get tuned of accidentally, or maybe it wasn’t turned back on after a service. Next, check the controls and pressure gauge to ensure that both are on the correct settings. Consult your owner’s manual if you aren’t sure how to check these. Lastly, check the fuse box for a blown fuse. Call a repair technician if none of these tips work.

Faulty Thermostat

Once you have checked to make sure you have power and that there are no blown fuses are blown, check your thermostat to ensure that it is on the right settings. If that checks out, turn it up a few degrees to see if it just needed to be turned up a little. If that doesn’t work, call a technician. You could have a faulty thermostat or a larger issue.

Clogged Pipes

Every boiler system has a series of pipes that run from your boiler unit to the hydronic radiant system, whether you heat with baseboards or radiant flooring. When there’s a clog, your boiler may not be providing an adequate amount of heat, or no heat all. This could be caused from sediment that hasn’t been flushed, and a technician will need to remedy the situation.

Call Westland Heating and Air Conditioning for all your Avon heating repair needs. We repair all makes and models of boilers throughout the service area, so call us any time for quality repair service!

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3 Things That Will Eventually Happen To Your Water Heater: A Rocky River, OH Water Heater Guide

December 3rd, 2012

You may not realize it, but you use the hot water in your Rocky River, OH home probably every single day. Whether it’s to take a shower, wash your dishes or wash your clothes, your water heater is a busy appliance. With such an important job, it’s always very inconvenient when it starts to break. At Westland Heating and Air Conditioning we’ve responded to tons of calls for repairs on water heaters. We wanted to help out our customers in the  Rocky River, OH area so we put together 3 of the most common repairs that will most likely happen to your water heater at some point.

Rust

Inside your water there is something called an anode rod, also called a sacrificial rod. This metal stick exists to keep rust from forming inside your water heater. It does this by absorbing tiny electrical currents that cause rust to form. But eventually, the sacrificial rod deteriorates. At that point, the inside of your water heater will begin to rust. You’ll start to notice rust-colored water coming out of your hot water faucets. Once that starts to happen, there is rarely any other option except to replace your water heater.

Sediment

If you have hard water in your area, this can cause mineral deposits and sediment to build up on the bottom of your water heater. Eventually, this can keep the heat from the burner from actually reaching the water. This can cause low water temperatures and luke-warm showers.

Water Leaks

Water leaks are another common problem with water heaters. Leaks can happen on the tank itself or with one of the pipe fittings that connect into the water heater. Corrosion from rust or minerals can cause the water heater to leak and the pipes to come a little loose.

If you’re having any water heater issues at your home in Rocky River, OH, contact the experts at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning. We offer fast and reliable water heater repair services throughout the Rocky River, OH area. Call us today!

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Westlake Furnace Tip: 3 Sounds You Need To Listen For

November 26th, 2012

Our homes in Westlake make weird noises from time to time. This is to be expected. But the furnace in your home might be a different story. If you start to hear certain noises it might be a good idea to call for furnace repair services. At Westland Heating and Air Conditioning, we’ve responded to countless calls for furnace repair service in Westlake. So that our customers can have a better understanding of their furnace, we put together a few of the most common furnace sounds that should cause trouble.

Squealing

If your furnace makes a squealing sound when you start it up, you should probably call for service. This isn’t a life-threatening problem, but it can be annoying. This happens when the blower’s belt or bearings have worn out. This can be easily fixed by a professional Westlake heating technician.

Rattling

If you hear a rattling sound when you turn on your furnace this a very serious problem. While it might be that some screws are loose on one of the covers, it can also indicate a problem with your heat exchanger. The heat exchanger in your furnace has two jobs: first, to heat the air going into your home and second, to exhaust the harmful combustion fumes out of your house. When the heat exchanger cracks, those dangerous combustion fumes, that can include carbon monoxide, are blown into your home. Call your local heating contractor immediately.

Rumbling

If you have a fuel oil furnace and you hear or feel a rumbling when you start it up, this could be another critical problem. The cause of this is unburned oil in the combustion chamber continuing to burn after the unit is turned off. This could also leak carbon monoxide into your Westlake  house.

Roaring

If your furnace erupts with a loud roaring sound, like when you fire up a welding torch, this is a very bad sign. It means that there is an uneven mixture of fuel and air.

If the furnace in your Westlake home is making any strange noises, contact the experts at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning. We have years of experience working with all types and brands of furnaces. We would love to help keep your home safe and give you peace of mind. Call us today!

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Why You May Be Paying Too Much for Heating in Avon Lake

November 19th, 2012

Don’t let the high costs of energy dissuade you from keeping your Avon Lake, OH home as comfortable as possible come this heating season. Did the cost of heating your home last winter come as a shock? Are you hesitant to heat your home to the same degree this winter? If so, call Westland Heating and Air Conditioning today. We have the products, services and supplies to help you heat your home more effectively and more efficiently this winter.

When it comes to reducing your home heating costs, efficiency is the name of the game. You deserve total comfort in your home, even when energy costs are high. By boosting efficiency you can heat your home to your heart’s content while keeping the process more affordable. Here are some helpful tips to help you get started and, as always, feel free to contact Westland Heating and Air Conditioning today for more help and advice on how to heat your Avon Lake home more efficiently.

The first step that you must take in order to heat your home more efficiently, allowing you the monetary savings you need to feel comfortable turning up the thermostat, is to call your professional heating service provider to schedule regular heater maintenance. A poorly maintained heater is not only one of the leading causes of damage to heating systems requiring costly, professional repair service; it is also one of the main contributors to inefficient heating. Failure to provide your home heating system with regular maintenance allows small problems and basic wear and tear the opportunity to cause serious damage to your system. Even minor issues can cause your heater to work less efficiently, costing you more money for less performance and heat output. Schedule heating maintenance today to get the journey to heating efficiency started.

Of course if you cannot keep the heat that your home heating system produces inside your home it is impossible to use that heat efficiently. Poor insulation and drafty doors or windows allow the heat that you have paid for to slip right through the cracks in your home, meaning that your heater will have to work harder and more continually to keep your home warm. Make sure that your heat is staying inside by having your insulation inspected and, if necessary, repaired or replaced. Also, affordable items such as window shrink wrap kits and weather stripping are great, do-it-yourself ways to boost energy efficiency.

These are just a couple of reasons that your Avon Lake, OH heating system may be costing you more than it should to keep your home comfortable. For a complete inspection and diagnosis of your heating system call the heating professionals at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning today. We’ll help you lower the cost of comfort in your home.

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Common Winter Furnace Repairs in Rocky River

November 12th, 2012

It is important that you have your furnace and all other home heating components professionally installed and serviced in order to ensure its proper function and efficient operation. Even with an expert installation and high quality maintenance and repair service, though, your furnace may need some repair work during the winter. Professional maintenance can help reduce this risk and keep any necessary repairs simpler and less costly, but it is important to be prepared for the event of furnace failure this winter. Be sure to call a local Rocky River furnace repair company such as Westland Heating and Air Conditioning the moment you suspect a problem with your furnace this winter. Putting off repairs will just make it more likely that you will have the comfort in your home disrupted for a longer period of time. Here are some examples of common furnace repairs that you need to be prepared for this winter.

If your furnace is simply having trouble warming your home to the specified target temperature there are a number of possible causes. Not all of them even have to do with your furnace. It is good to start off with eliminating any best-case-scenarios causes of the problem. During the off-season for your furnace it is possible that furniture and other objects have shifted around. Make sure that no couches, chairs or other obstructions are blocking your air vents and that the vents have not been accidentally closed. If there is no obvious reason for the trouble, call a professional at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning for help right away. There may be a more serious problem with your furnace itself.

A short-cycling furnace is another common problem that many people face during the winter months. There are a lot of different reasons why your furnace may turn on and off too frequently. One common cause is a faulty thermostat. If your thermostat is malfunctioning or even placed in a poor reading location it can register the temperature incorrectly. This can account for your short cycling problem, resulting in lowered efficiency, increased energy costs and uncomfortable temperatures.

You may also experience hot or cold spots throughout your home, and again there are a few different probable causes. Your furnace may have trouble keeping up with your heating demand. However, it is important to remember that your heating system is comprised of multiple components. This development of cold spots could be indicative of a problem with your ductwork or the insulation around it. This can account for the development of the cold spots and may also cause excessive strain and damage to your furnace.

Whatever issues you experience with your furnace this winter the right decision to make in these situations is always the same: call the Rocky River furnace repair professionals at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning for expert service and repairs.

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