Furnace Repair

February 9, 2017 by Aireforce1

Dangers of Furnace Repair

Furnaces can be very dangerous and you should know when to call a professional like Barlows Aire Force One in Pocatello to do a professional furnace repair. A bad furnace could lead to carbon monoxide which is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless toxic gas that can be fatal. There are certain signs that your furnace may be producing this bad gas such as:

The furnace’s flame is yellow hue instead of blue hue.
Absence of upward draft in chimney.,
Extra moisture found on windows, walls, or other cold surfaces.
Rusting on flue pipes or other pipe connections.
Streaks of soot around furnace.

If your furnace shows any of these signs, leave your house immediately and call your utility company to turn off your gas. You should then have your furnace looked at to see if there needs to be any major furnace repairs.

Test Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detector

You should consider having both carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors throughout the house especially if you have a multiple story home. You should also maintain them regularly, so they are working properly to keep you and your family safe. You can test the alarms using the button on the front at least once a month. Change the batteries at least every six months and replace the alarm at least every ten years.

How to Tell If Your Furnace Is Safe?

Modern heaters are now safer than they ever have been before, which include safety switches and more precautions to prevent leakage with carbon monoxide or the chance of the furnace overheating. When you are getting a brand-new furnace or you need one to be repaired, do not call a local handyman or someone who thinks they know what they are doing. Only allow a trained professional do the work on your furnace. Trained technicians are the only ones who can spot a problem right off the bat and help prevent a safety issue. When you are looking at your furnace, you won’t be able to spot a threat to you right away.

When to Call Barlow’s Aire Force One

You may also need a new furnace if yours is more than fifteen years old. If your heating bill has increased, it may also indicate that the internal life of parts may be wearing out. If this happens, it means that your furnace may quit on you for good. If your furnace makes strange noises when it comes on might mean something needs to be replaced, or you may even need a completely whole new furnace. Your furnace should not be making banging, popping, or rattling sounds. It also shouldn’t be blowing cold air or turn off and on all the time. If you have to keep adjusting the thermostat because your rooms are too cold or hot indicates that your furnace can’t distribute the heat amongst all the rooms of your house anymore. These are all good signs that you may need a professional furnace repair company in Pocatello to come examine your furnace.

December 14, 2016 by Aireforce1

Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Home

It’s common sense that most people wouldn’t choose to throw money away, but it might surprise you how much money you could be losing due to the inefficiency of your home. So how do you know if you’re throwing away money, due to the inefficiency of your home? Here are a few tips to help get your home and wallet functioning efficiently.

Energy Efficiency Audit

If you have an older home or a newly built energy efficient home, hiring a professional to examine your home can be an effective investment. These auditors have the knowledge and tools to find problem areas in your home that could be costing you money, and offer solutions to help make your home run more efficiently and affordably.

Windows & Doors

Having leaky windows or door frames causes the hot air in your home to escape and make for a cold drafty house. If you have old single pane windows, replacing to a more energy efficient window may help your home run more efficiently. If you’re not ready for a total home window replacement, installing storm windows could be another solution. Storm windows are installed over the existing house windows and are better wind and weather resistant offering protection and insulation to normalize the temperature of your home. Additionally, you can limit the amount of air escaping from your home by sealing leaks and cracks with caulk and weather stripping.

Properly Insulated Walls and Attic

If you have an older home, chances are, it’s poorly insulated. Keep comfortable all year round by adding insulation to your home. Having effective insulation in your home slows the flow of heat entering or leaving your house, each season, consequently impacting how much energy is required to heat or cool your home. If your attic is unfinished or your walls have empty cavities, consult a professional, with the information found in your energy efficiency audit, for solutions on where to add additional insulation.

Upgrade your HVAC Unit

If your heat pump or AC unit is over 10 years old or your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old, and in need of frequent repair, it may be time to consider upgrading to a more energy-efficient system. Energystar.gov reports that, “an Energy Star high-efficiency unit can save you up to 20% on heating and cooling costs.” Saving on energy costs shouldn’t be the sole factor in upgrading your system. If your unit has leaks, needs duct repair or insulation, look to see the best options for saving you time, hassle and money. A technician can give you the best options to extend the life of your current unit or advise you on an energy efficient system.

Tax Incentives

The Federal Government offers tax incentives for repairs and upgrades made to your home. By going to www.energy.com, you can see the options for rebates that you can apply to your taxes. For instance, the state of Idaho will cover 100% of the cost of materials and labor for energy efficiency improvements made to your house. Depending on the year your house was built, adding additional insulation, upgrading and/or weather stripping and caulking your house windows can be covered. Furthermore, you can qualify for an incentive by upgrading your current heating and air conditioning system to an energy efficient unit. If you plan to make any repairs or upgrades to your home, discuss your options with a professional and research for tax incentives that you may qualify for so you can take advantage of the money saving opportunities.

November 15, 2016 by Aireforce1

4 Tips for an Efficient Heater

Southeast Idaho isn’t a stranger to cold winter weather and there is nothing more frustrating than a malfunctioning heater during the winter season. Because our daily activities are primarily focused inside, we need our heater to work efficiently and effectively. Failure to properly maintain your heating equipment can cause tremendous stress and inconveniences. The National Fire Protection Association reported, “Heating equipment fires accounted for 16% of all reported home fires in 2009-2013.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency also reported, “During the winter, heating fires jump to 27% of structure fires.” And the leading contributing factor related to home heating fires was due to lack of cleaning.

You can save yourself from the hassle and threat of a house fire by following these 4 tips to prepare your home for the winter.

Pre-winter Test Run

As the weather continues to cool, it’s recommended to test your furnace by turning it on to make sure that it’s running prior to the winter season. You don’t want to wait till you need the furnace to realize that it isn’t working properly. During this test, you will want to adjust the thermostat from air conditioning to heat. If you have a high-efficiency thermostat, you should be able to set the time(s) of day you want the heater to run to maintain your desired temperature.

Annual Furnace Inspection

After months of your furnace sitting unused, dust and debris build up can cause your furnace to clog and work improperly. If left unattended the threat of a fire grows ever more likely. During an annual inspection and cleaning, an inspector will go through a series of processes to verify your furnace pressure is accurate and discover if there are any leaks, rust or misalignments that need to be repaired. Scheduling a cleaning and inspection early can save you time, money and hassle down the road.

Replace Air Filters

Depending on the use and the amount of dust, pet dander and allergens in your home will depend on how often you should change your air filters. It’s recommended to replace your filters every one to three months to reduce debris build up. Additionally, make sure all heating vents and return registers are unobstructed. Blocked vents don’t allow air flow, and can also cause your heater to work overtime and over heat. An overworked heating system can cause inefficiency, resulting in needed repairs and a shortened lifespan of your heating system.

Seal Windows and Doorways

If you have leaky windows and doors, hot air will escape through these cracks. Preparing your home by sealing window panes and door frames with silicone caulking or rubber weather stripping can save you from an expensive energy bill.

By planning ahead and scheduling our licensed technicians to inspect your heating system early, we can save you time and money. The contractors at Barlows Aire Force One have the knowledge and tools to clean, inspect and repair your heating systems to make sure it runs effectively and efficiently, just when you need it to.