Category Archives: Furnace

Learn about your HVAC System

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HVAC system componentsSystems that are at home in any home

Your drapes, fabrics and paint colors were all chosen with care to suit your home and tastes. Your heating and cooling system should be just the same. That’s why we offer our innovative products in four configurations. One is sure to meet your needs perfectly.

Split systems

A split system simply means your solution has products that reside both inside and outside your home. In many cases, a split system consists of:

  • Furnace―provides heating and the fan used year round to circulate air
  • Evaporator coil―the indoor component of your outdoor cooling unit
  • Air conditioner or heat pump―works in tandem with the evaporator coil
  • Ducts―carry the conditioned air throughout your home
  • Control or thermostat―your interface for controlling your system
  • Optional air quality accessories―clean, humidify, and freshen air before it circulates throughout your home

Some split systems consist only of an outdoor unit―such as a heat pump or air conditioner―and an inside fan coil. If that’s the case, there’s usually another heat source in the home like baseboard heat or a boiler.

Your expert ALRO technician will be happy to show you how your HVAC system works.

Why not cut your energy cost and make your home more comfortable in the bargain. Call us at Alro HVAC (314) 427-9932 for a FREE estimate and complete details.

Your home is home to more than you think.

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air-filters-01Chances are you have billions of unwanted guests living in your home. Dust mites. Mold. Mildew. It’s an even surer bet that they’ve overstayed their welcome. This doesn’t even include all the little air pollutant inhabitants you can’t see like pet dander, bacteria, viruses, skin flakes, chemical fumes, pollen and more. And there are plenty more outside waiting to get in. It’s time to take control of your home’s air quality.

Indoor air quality is one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s top 5 environmental health concerns1

Incredible as it sounds, the Environmental Protection Agency concludes that the air inside your home can be 2-5 times dirtier than the air outside1. And ironically, today’s tightly-sealed, well-insulated homes only make the problem worse, as the same stale, contaminated indoor air is circulated and re-circulated.

If you haven’t already run screaming from the house, there is good news: We offer a wide range of air-quality solutions, including humidifiers, ventilators, UV lamps and air purifiers. Working together, they can clear the air by eliminating pollutants and even killing the living intruders in your home’s air.

1 http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pdfs/hbhp_report.pdf

 Your expert ALRO technician will be happy to show you how you can benefit from these new systems.

Why not cut your energy cost and make your home more comfortable in the bargain. Call us at Alro HVAC (314) 427-9932 for a FREE estimate and complete details.

It is not too early to think about winter

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Winter’s furry is just around the corner and your family deserves to be kept warm and safe from another St. Louis winter. Now is the time to call ALRO Heating and Cooling at (314) 427-9932 to have your furnace checked before it is needed. Our technicians will check all of the components of your heating system and, most importantly, examine it for cracks, broken connections or other issues before they become serious problems.

And, don’t forget that carbon monoxide detector which keeps watch for that silent killer. What, you don’t have one? An ALRO technician can advise you about the type of detector for your home and where to install it. These inexpensive units, together with your smoke detectors can save your life.

One more important accessory to your heating system is a humidifier. Do you get shocked from walking across your carpeting? This means that your humidity is much too low. Adding a humidifier to your system will eliminate this problem, cut down on the colds that might plague your family and keep your furniture from drying.

Call ALRO at (314) 427-9932 and one of our technicians will advise you about specific equipment.

Are you confused by heating and cooling ratings for your furnace and AC?

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Heating and Cooling Efficiency Ratings Explained

In your quest to find the ideal Carrier system, you will encounter several important industry-standard efficiency ratings. The higher efficiency your product, the lower your long-term energy costs will be. And as always, your expert Carrier HVAC dealer can also help you choose the heating and cooling products that are right for you.

SEER

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the measure of efficiency by which the cooling process of air conditioners and heat pumps is rated. The higher the SEER number, the greater the efficiency—and therefore greater energy savings. Today, U.S. regulatory agencies require all new products to have a 13.0 SEER rating or better. Carrier’s full line of air conditioners offers SEER ratings of 13.0 to 21.

AFUE

AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is the standard measurement of efficiency for gas and oil-fired furnaces. Given in percentages, this number tells you how much of your fuel is used to heat your home and how much fuel is wasted. The higher the AFUE rating, the greater the efficiency. Carrier offers a full line of furnaces with AFUE ratings ranging from the minimum industry requirement of 78% to more than 96%.

Cost Savings: If you have an older furnace (with an AFUE of approximately 60%), you could save up to 40% on your heating bills by replacing it with a new high efficiency furnace! The cost to replace your old, inefficient furnace is paid back through lower utility bills.

HSPF

HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) is the efficiency measurement used to gauge the efficiency of the heating mode of heat pumps. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency and cost-savings. Today’s models are required to have a 6.8 HSPF. Carrier offers heat pumps with HSPF ratings ranging from 6.8 to 9.5.

Cost Savings. Higher efficiency in heat pumps and air conditioners usually means higher equipment cost but lower utility bills. If you live in a warm and/or humid climate, you will probably see the higher cost of a high efficiency air conditioner or heat pump paid back (through lower utility bills) in a few short years. Ask your expert Carrier HVAC dealer to help you determine about how long it would take you to recover the additional cost in energy savings. Of course, after the payback, you continue to save on your energy bills.

Matching Your System for Optimum Efficiency

One additional factor that affects the efficiency of your air conditioning or heat pump system is your indoor coil. If your condensing unit is not matched with the proper indoor coil, it may not give you the stated SEER and/or HSPF ratings and could even develop performance problems. When you replace an existing system, make sure you replace both units so your new condensing unit will give you optimal performance, efficiency and comfort.

The best method is to call us at ALRO (314) 427-9932.  Our expert technicians will be happy to correctly size a unit for your home.

 

How often should I change my air filter?

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How often to change your air filters can depend on several factors:

  • the type of air filter you are using
  • the overall air quality of your home
  • pets, pets, pets..
  • occupancy of the home, and
  • the level of air pollution and construction around the home

For your standard 1″-3″ air filters, the manufacturers basically tell you to change them every 30-60 days, which is actually a great rule of thumb. But general rules aren’t always for everybody. If you suffer from light to moderate allergies, you could upgrade the air filter or change them even more often. Or, if you’re in a more remote area, less occupied home (like a vacation home) and there are fewer cars around, annually may be quite sufficient. Why do pets matter so much? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter quick and with great success. Of course the air filter is just doing its job by capturing pet hair and dander, but extremely dirty filters can cause extremely weak HVAC performance.

Here is a quick and short guideline:

  • Vacation home or single occupant w/o pets or allergies: 6-12 months
  • “Average” suburban home w/o pets: every 90 days
  • Add a dog or cat: every 60 days
  • Add more than one pet or have allergies: 30-45 days

What is the advantage of running the blower fan all the time?

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Some of today’s high tech furnaces are designed with a 2 stage fan motor.  Fan motors in these types of units are designed to run all of the time. The advantage is that you keep the ambient temperature of your home more constant by continually circulating the air and evening out hot and cold spots in your home.  Believe it or not, most of these units will operate less expensively if the fan motors are allowed to operate 24 hours a day.

Your ALRO technician can advise you on what type of new furnace will give the best service to you and your family.  Call us at (314) 427-9932 for details.

Can replacing my furnace filter really save money on the cost of heating my home?

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ABSOLUTELY!  Your furnace’s biggest enemy is dirt.  Furnace filters are designed to keep dirt from circulating in your home and from clogging up your heating system.  A very good friend once told me to imagine placing a 10 pound bag of flour in my furnace and think of it being blown around the house by your furnace.  This is not an exaggeration!  Replacing your furnace filter will prevent this flour (or in actuality dirt) from clogging up your air handler, your ducts and your vents.   A clean system requires less energy to circulate the warm air that you are paying for.  REPLACE YOUR FILTER!!!

If you have a question about which type of filter is best for your particular furnace, call ALRO at (314) 427-9932 and we can advise you.

How do I reduce the amount of dust in my home?

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It is relatively easy to decrease the amount of dust that is in your home.  Three actions that you can take are:

  1.  Change your air filters—I can’t tell you how many people don’t do this on a regular basis.
  2. Add an electronic air cleaner to your HVAC system—this will remove finer dust particles from the air in your home
  3. Have your air ducts cleaned—dust builds up in your air ducts over time and must be cleaned.

Find our more from our video about the differences in furnace/air conditioning filters:

Click here to view video

For more information, don’t hesitate to call me at Alro Heating and Cooling, (314) 427-9932.  The Old Sarge thanks you.

 

How do I pick a Reliable contractor?

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The best way to shop for a reliable heating and cooling contractor is to do a little research and gather information from:

  1.  Neighbors, friends and family—are the techs on time?
  2. Check companies with the Better Business Bureau—what is the company’s rating?
  3. Try out a few—do the techs leave your home neat and clean?
  4. Does the company specialize in HVAC servicing—focusing on one service means better trained techs

Watch our video for more information: Click Here!

For more information, don’t hesitate to call me at Alro Heating and Cooling, (314) 427-9932.  The Old Sarge thanks you.

 

As a homeowner, what simple steps can I take to increase the efficiency of my furnace and save on winter energy costs?

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That is an excellent question and one that all of us wrestle with in the winter.  Here are a few easy things that you can do to increase the efficiency of your furnace and save on winter energy costs.

  1.  Change your air filter—the biggest enemy of your furnace AND your air conditioner is dirt.  Your HVAC system works harder if it has to push comfortable air through a dirty filter.  Air filters come in many sizes and many types, but your HVAC service company can recommend the best one to purchase for your particular situation.
  2. Invest in a professional fall maintenance program—most HVAC companies call this a Clean and Check.  At your request, a service professional will visually inspect the operation of all components of your furnace, making certain that it is running at peak efficiency.  This should, among other items, include oiling the motors, cleaning the burners, inspecting the filters and checking the gas lines for leaks.
  3. Winterize all exterior doors and windows.  Keep all of the precious heat that you pay for INSIDE your house.  Application of weather stripping on doors and windows can make your home tight and more energy efficient.
  4. Insulate your attic—a home that is not insulated loses heat through the attic.  This is easily prevented by adding insulation.
  5. Purchase an automatic thermostat with set-back function—this will allow you to lower the temperature of your home when it is not occupied or at night.

For more information, don’t hesitate to call me at Alro Heating and Cooling, (314) 427-9932.  The Old Sarge thanks you.