DB Heating & Cooling, Inc. Blog : Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Using Zone Heating for Increased Comfort and Energy Savings

Monday, October 6th, 2014

Have you ever wanted to heat certain areas of your home more than others? Do you have rooms that tend to become too warm at certain times of day? There is a great upgrade available for heating systems that can help with these issues and more: a zone control system. By controlling the amount of heating (or cooling) in a designated zone, a zone control system helps to improve comfort while saving energy. Zone heating systems in Westwood can be complex, and require knowledge and expertise in order to install them properly; this is why it’s important to hire a professional. DB Heating & Cooling technicians have the training and expertise to upgrade any heating system, so call us today.

What Is a Zone Control System?

A zone control system consists of a series of motorized dampers that are installed into the supply ducts of your ductwork. These dampers control how air flows from the supply ducts into your living spaces. Zones are designated by you, and are created during the installation process. Examples of zones would be a grouping of frequently-used rooms or a floor of your home. The dampers are wired into a main control board. Each zone has its own thermostat, and these thermostats are connected to the control board. This allows the control board to automatically manage the dampers according to the temperature that is set in each zone.

What Are the Benefits of a Zone Control System?

There are several benefits of a zone control system worth considering:

Customized comfort – because each zone has its own thermostat, you can set different temperatures in different zones to maximize on your indoor comfort levels.

Energy efficiency – zone control systems allow you to use only that amount of heating you need. You can turn down or turn off the heat in areas of your home that are unused or unoccupied. This helps to save energy.

Less wear on your system – because a zone control system allows you to use only the amount of heating you need, your system runs less; this helps reduce overall wear and tear.

If you’ve been looking for a way to increase both your energy efficiency and indoor comfort, call DB Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment with one of our experts.

Tags: Westwood, Zone Heating Systems
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Can I Do Heating Maintenance on My Own?

Monday, September 29th, 2014

DIY is very popular, and there are some tasks that homeowners can handle on their own. However, any kind of work on your heating system does not fall into this category. Unless you have expert knowledge about it, it is not advisable to take on heating repair or maintenance yourself. Instead, call an expert for your heating maintenance in Bergen County: DB Heating & Cooling.

What Happens During A Maintenance Appointment?

Understanding what happens during a professional maintenance appointment demonstrates how in-depth an appointment really is:

Thorough inspection of entire system
Check all electrical components, including wires
Check all motors
Check entire burner assembly
Clean all components as needed, including removing ash and soot
Safety checks, including for carbon monoxide
Change air filter
Check all belts for wear and tightness
Check for leaks and cracks in components
Clean and lubricate parts as needed
Make small repairs as needed
Flush the system

It’s quite a comprehensive list and entails a lot of work – are you up to it? Do you have the tools to accomplish all these tasks, and can you do them efficiently and quickly? These are all questions you have to ask yourself before committing to conducting your own maintenance.

Benefits of Maintenance

When maintenance is performed correctly, these are the benefits you can expect:

Better energy efficiency – when your system is being weighed down by dirt, dust and wear-and-tear, it can’t perform to the energy efficiency level it was made to. Performing maintenance allows your system to run optimally, which can help it maintain energy efficiency.

Better comfort – a system that is struggling to perform may not be able to achieve the set temperature. Maintenance helps put everything in good working order so that your heating system can heat as it should.

Prevents repairs – the thorough inspection your system undergoes during a maintenance appointment allows the technician to detect any existing or developing problems, and repair them before they can become large and potentially costly.

The bottom line: unless you have the expert knowledge of a trained professional, you shouldn’t take the risk of performing your own maintenance.

When your heating system needs expert attention call DB Heating & Cooling and schedule your heating maintenance in Bergen County today.

Tags: Bergen County, Heating Maintenance
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The Steps of Professional Furnace Maintenance

Monday, September 22nd, 2014

Maintaining your heating system is important for its energy efficiency, longevity and providing the heating you need through the winter. There are multiple tasks involved with a professional furnace maintenance appointment in Bergen County, and we’ll outline some of them here. To truly benefit from maintenance, it’s important to always hire trained professionals. Let the specialists at DB Heating & Cooling get your furnace in great shape for this winter – schedule a maintenance appointment today.

What Happens During a Routine Maintenance Appointment?

DB Heating & Cooling tailors every maintenance appointment to fit our clients’ homes and heating systems. But there are some basic tasks that are always performed, as outlined below:

Safety check (to check for leaking fumes) You say that these are always performed, but it seems like many of these are specific to gas furnaces, not applicable to electric furnaces
Cleaning/replacing of air filter
Check and test combustion chamber/heat exchanger
Clean burner compartment/firebox
Check pilot safety timing or flame sensor
Inspect burner flame to ensure proper mix of air and fuel
Ensure that the chimney vents properly
Check all motors and belts
Lubricate all moving parts

Why Conduct Heating Maintenance?

The benefits of maintenance can carry you through the whole winter:

Better energy efficiency – when your furnace is dirty and worn it can’t run as well as it should. During maintenance, it will be cleaned, lubricated and adjusted, so that all the components and your system work optimally.

Longevity – an ill-maintained heating system is one that will age prematurely due to operating under stress. When your system is kept in good working order, it operates normally, which helps it extend it lifespan.

Prevents repairs – the EPA estimates that a heating system that is well-maintained can reduce its incidence of repair up to 30%. This is because your system runs optimally, and also because your technician will be able to detect any existing or developing problems, and repair them as needed.

Fall offers a great time frame to schedule maintenance for your furnace in Bergen County.

If you haven’t had your heating system professionally maintained in more than 12 months, call DB Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment with one of our experts.

Tags: Bergen County, Furnace Maintenance
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Boiler Repair Issues Due to the Expansion Tank

Friday, March 28th, 2014

The name “expansion tank” has sometimes confused people concerning their boiler. An expansion tank isn’t a place to expand the amount of water the boiler holds so it can provide more heat. (That’s not how boilers work, anyway.) The expansion tank is a safety mechanism designed to maintain an even water pressure inside the main hot water tank so that it won’t overheat.

But even safety mechanism can have problems that will result in repair needs. When the expansion tank encounters trouble, it can lead to pressure spikes and leaking. If you need work on your expansion tank to restore your boiler’s operation, call DB Heating & Cooling and we’ll send a technician to help you with your heating in Westwood, NJ.

What Might Go Wrong with the Expansion Tank

Old boilers used to absorb pressure increases with an empty air pocket at the top of the tank; however, this allowed oxygen into the tank and promoted corrosion. The development of the expansion tank solved this issue. The expansion tank has two chambers divided by a diaphragm: a pipe from the main tank attaches to one side and lets water in; on the other side of the diaphragm is a chamber of air controlled with a valve. When water pressure increases, the water pushes against the diaphragm, which relives the pressure by serving as a cushion. The air valve allows air back in to push against the water and restore the original pressure level.

A common problem that an expansion tank can encounter is lack of proper air charge. It should have the right charge at installation; however, if the tank begins to develop an air leak, it can have too much water and too little air inside it. This risks the pressure in the main tank rising above 12 psi, at which point it can cause leaking to occur throughout the boiler system. You will need to have a technician rebalance the air and water, and add more air to the tank as necessary.

Another problem is tears in the diaphragm, which will cause water to leak into the air chamber and ruin the tank’s ability to regulate pressure. If your boiler starts to rumble and the temperature gauge shows it’s running too hot, shut down the system and call for repairs. A repair technician will discover if the expansion tank was responsible for the problem and repair it.

Call DB Heating & Cooling for Boiler Repairs

At DB Heating & Cooling, we specialize in boiler repairs of all kinds. No matter the work you need done on your boiler, our skilled technicians can solve the problem. Call us any time of the day or night for your heating in Westwood, NJ.

Tags: Boiler Repair, Expansion Tank, Westwood
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To Reduce Furnace Repair, Stop Doing This…

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

We’re slowly coming out of the winter here in New Jersey, which means now is an excellent time to deal with furnace problems when you might need your heat everyday. Here in Westwood, NJ, the furnace repair experts at DB Heating & Cooling are standing by to fix your problem. But this is also a good time to discuss preventative measures, and ways that you can lower the risk of a breakdown with you furnace. Professionals can give you specific advice that matches your precise type of furnace. But in general terms, there are steps you can take to keep your furnace from suffering a breakdown. To reduce furnace repair, stop doing this…

Setting the temperature high. Many people fallaciously believe that setting the temperature higher will heat your home faster. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most heaters have just a single setting, which means that it blows the air at the same speed no matter what the setting is. Setting a higher temperature only creates more strain on your system, without adding anything beneficial in response.
Neglecting to perform maintenance. An annual maintenance session will remove dirt, tighten loose bolts and otherwise reduce friction levels in your furnace. It will also help your technician spot potential problem areas early, allowing you to deal with it at leisure. Neglecting to schedule a maintenance session will often create a number of problems that could be easily avoided.

If you know what to stop doing to reduce furnace repair, the next step is to call a service professional to help with maintenance and similar issues. In Westwood, NJ, call DB Heating & Cooling for any heating service you need. You’ll be glad you did!

Tags: Furnace Repair, Heating, Westwood
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3 Ways You Can Avoid Heating Emergencies

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

At DB Heating & Cooling, we consider offering 24-hour emergency service a basic part of our job. We know that when heating emergencies strike, they won’t choose a time when it’s convenient for you. If your heater breaks down on Sunday at 6 pm during a cold snap, you don’t want to wait until business opens at 9 am on Monday to reach someone who can help. We have our technicians ready whenever your heater fails so you won’t have to wait long in the cold.

Of course, nobody wants to call late at night about a heating emergency. We have some advice on how you can avoid emergency failures with your heating in Oradell, NJ. With a bit of precaution, you can keep calls for repairs to a minimum.

Schedule regular maintenance: We put this one first because it is the #1 way to keep your heater running—no matter if it’s a furnace heat pump, or boiler—with few repairs. Regular maintenance is sometimes called preventive maintenance because it prevents repairs and breakdowns. A technician comes to your home and inspects your heating system to find where it needs adjustments and cleaning. After your annual visit, you’ll have a heater running with less stress and a reduced danger of suffering malfunctions and a breakdown.
Leap on minor repairs quickly: Most major breakdowns start with smaller malfunctions and warning signs. These include strange noises from the cabinet, odd smells from the vents, uneven warmth and cold spots, and sudden rises in energy costs. If you think something is going wrong with your heater, schedule routine repairs so that you won’t have to scramble for the phone at 3 am one night.
Do not overstress the heater: Too often we’ve seen homeowners push their thermostat up to its top setting because they think this will lead to better comfort faster. It doesn’t. The higher setting will make the heater work longer to reach the target temperature, and you’ll end up with a dry, stuffy house. Worse, you’ll put tremendous strain on the heater that could lead to an emergency breakdown. Keep the temperature on the thermostat down at a lower level that you find comfortable and keep it there. We recommend starting at 72°F during waking hours and make necessary adjustments from there.

You can’t avoid all emergencies

Even the best care and maintenance can’t stop all emergencies. If you need that late-night help for your heating in Oradell, NJ, contact our staff at DB Heating & Cooling. You can also sign up for maintenance with our expert technicians.

Tags: Heating Emergencies, Oradell
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What to Look for in a Boiler

Monday, February 24th, 2014

For cozy and dependable heating during cold weather, a boiler is an excellent option for installation in your home. Boilers use the comforting warmth from baseboard heaters or radiators to send clean heat into rooms, and they run with few repair needs. If you want an alternative to forced-air systems like furnaces, a boiler is one of the best choices.

When you are shopping for a new boiler, there are a few factors to focus on. Make sure that you seek professional assistance when choosing a boiler, however: have the installers involved early to help you make the best choice. Contact DB Heating & Cooling for quality heating service in Westwood, NJ.

Here’s what you should look for in a new boiler

High AFUE rating: AFUE stands for “annual fuel utilization efficiency.” This rating measures the general energy efficiency of a boiler, expressed as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the more efficiently the boiler converts its fuel source into heat. The U.S. Department of Energy requires home gas-powered boilers installed in the U.S. to have a minimum AFUE of 80%, so aim for that rating or higher. Look for the U.S. ENERGY STAR label as an indicator of an efficient boiler.
The appropriate energy source: Boilers can use a variety of energy sources, and the most common today are natural gas, electricity, and oil. Make sure you look for a boiler that matches your available energy supply. Gas-powered boilers have the highest fuel efficiency, so if you have a gas pipeline into your home, you should consider a natural gas model. If you don’t have a natural gas hook-up, look instead for electricity or oil.
Proper size: A boiler needs to be the right size to fit your home’s heating needs. Either going too large or too small will cause problems leading to insufficient heating and/or energy waste. To have your boiler sized to fit your home, have an HVAC technician conduct a heat load calculation at your house, which will give you the specific amount of heat you need to have your boiler keep you comfortable.

Schedule professional installation

Professionals shouldn’t only help you choose the right boiler; they should install it as well. Modern boilers are complex and need trained technicians to set them up correctly and install the baseboard heaters.

Call DB Heating & Cooling for your boiler installation. We are EPA certified and fully insured, and our technicians have the extensive training necessary to make your Westwood, NJ heating installation go off without a hitch.

Tags: Boiler Installation, Heating, Westwood
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Why You Cannot Delay Furnace Repair

Monday, February 17th, 2014

Modern furnaces are durable machines, and they can often continue to run and provide you with heat when they are experiencing malfunctions. Although this is an indication of how well manufacturers build furnaces today, you shouldn’t let a furnace continue to run with repair needs and hope you’ll make it to the spring thaw.

Any time you detect a problem with your furnace—whether from strange operating noises, odd smells from the vents, or uneven heating—you need to call for repairs as soon as possible. With a company like DB Heating & Cooling offering 24-hour emergency furnace repair, you have no reason to hesitate.

Why You Need Prompt Repairs

Avoid an abrupt breakdown—at the worst time: We have experienced a particularly rough winter this year, and we can still expect some deep chills ahead before we emerge into spring. If your heater is running with a malfunction, it is skirting close to a complete breakdown that will leave you without warmth on one of the coldest days. Because you will push your furnace harder during cold days, it is more likely to stop working then… and emergency repairs may have trouble reaching you because many other homeowners will have similar problems.
Stop paying more for heating: Any malfunction in a furnace, regardless of whether it allows the furnace to keep working, will reduce the system’s efficient operation. As the furnace works harder, it will drain more energy. Your heating bills will start to rise; they might even skyrocket. Taking care of a repair means shaving away a large portion of your monthly bills.
Keep your furnace safe: The most common type of furnace is a natural gas-powered model. Gas furnaces are safe provided they remain in good repair with regular maintenance. Letting one go without needed repairs is potentially dangerous because it can lead to gas leaks and other hazards. Never delay getting repairs for a gas furnace, and never attempt repairs on your own.

If you trust the work on your furnace to trained experts like those at DB Heating & Cooling, the repairs should go fast and return the system to top condition. In a season as cold as we’re having this year, you don’t want to risk losing your vital home heating: call for prompt furnace repair in Bergen County, NJ.

Tags: Bergen County, Furnace Repair, Heating
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4 Things to Consider Before Installing a New Heating System

Monday, February 3rd, 2014

Modern home heating has reached the point of technological advancement where there are now numerous options for warming any house during the winter. And sometimes it’s more choice than people can handle. How can you know which heater you should install in your Emerson, NJ home?

DB Heating & Cooling understands how difficult this choice can be: that’s one of the reasons we’re here. We can offer the professional assistance you need to not only install a new system, but to choose one as well.

The U.S. Department of Energy suggests that you consider these four things before you select a heating system:

Fuel – Your fuel availability will affect your choice. Electrical-powered heaters are always an option, but a gas line opens up other possibilities for installation. Homes without natural gas can also rely on heating oil or propane. The cost of each fuel will also factor into your decision, as well as its environmental effects.
Climate – The colder the average winter temperature, the more powerful and heating system you’ll need. While a place like Southern California may only need space heaters during the winter, in New Jersey you need a central heating system.
Efficiency – How much fuel energy does a heater convert to heating energy? A more efficient heater will mean savings on your energy bills—but high-efficiency systems usually cost more to install. You’ll need to consider your long-term budget plans to find the heater with ideal efficiency.
Size – An improperly sized heater will be wasteful of energy, no matter its efficiency rating. A heater that’s too small will stay on continually trying to reach its target temperature, and a heater that’s too large will “short-cycle” and drain power from constantly re-starting. You will need a heat load calculation done in your home to find the right size.

The best way to the best heating

If you looked at the above considerations and felt overwhelmed, don’t worry: it requires a professional to make some of these choices. You definitely need a heating contractor to help you with determining the best size heater to install, and the contractor can assist you with balancing the other considerations as well to target the optimal heater. Since you will need professional eventually to install the heater, why not bring them on earlier to make sure you have the right heater?

DB Heating & Cooling has a staff of technicians experienced with heating installation in Emerson, NJ. Come to us when it’s time to pick the perfect heater for your home.

Tags: Emerson, Heating
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Is My Thermostat Causing Problems with My Heating System?

Tuesday, January 28th, 2014

It’s good to keep your thermostat in mind whenever you have issues with your furnace, heat pump, or boiler. No matter what type of heater you have, if the thermostat won’t work, the heater won’t work.

For heating repair in Oradell, NJ that extends from your thermostat to the innermost workings of your heater, call DB Heating & Cooling.

How Your Thermostat May be Causing Problems

The most frequent difficulty that heating specialists see with thermostats is a miscalibration in the heat sensor. Modern thermostats use a device called a thermistor to gauge heat; a thermistor registers electrical resistance that increases with the ambient heat, which a processor then translates into data for the system to read. A fault in the thermistor will make it sense incorrect temperatures, and it will start turning your heater on and off at the wrong times, leading to uneven heating or too much heating. Sometimes, the miscalibration will cause the heater not to turn on at all. Technicians can easily recalibrate the thermostat.

Electrical trouble can also plague thermostats. Most thermostats are connected to the heating system using five different wires, which control turning the heater and the fans on and off. Crossed and broken wires can cause the thermostat to lose its connection to the heater, or cause the heater and the fans to run continuously. Repair technicians with knowledge of thermostat wiring will need to fix this problem.

If you have an older manual thermostat, or even a standard digital model, you should consider upgrading to a programmable or wireless model. Even if the old thermostat isn’t creating “problems” for your heater, it is probably making it less efficient.

If you do not have training with HVAC repair, you will not be able to easily determine if a thermostat is causing the problems you are encountering with your heater. Professionals will need to make the diagnosis so they can provide targeted repairs.

DB Heating & Cooling is glad to assist you with any thermostat issues, as well as any heating repairs in Oradell, NJ that you might need.

Tags: Heating, Oradell, Thermostat
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