When customers ask us what the best options are for new HVAC systems today, we are quick to suggest ductless heating (and cooling). The reason for this is how efficient and effective these systems are. Rather than operating through a network of air ducts connected to an indoor air handler, like a traditional central air conditioner or furnace, ductless systems have an outdoor unit to which you can connect up to four indoor air handlers. These air handlers are mounted up high on the walls of the rooms in which they are installed, and can be controlled independently of each other.
There are a number of good reasons to go ductless in your home. There are equally good reasons to only trust a professional for the installation! Today, we’re going to look at a downside to ductless systems if yours is not professionally installed. It’s nothing awful, but it requires attention nonetheless. If you don’t know what to look for and expect, you could wind up with significant, costly property damage, and we don’t want that for you. So, what is this downside?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could completely avoid the need for 
First, we’ll start off with a bit of good news—if you haven’t scheduled your heating maintenance appointment yet, it’s not too late. Sure, we recommend it in the fall, typically. The reason for this is that it gives you plenty of time to get ahold of a service technician and reduces the risk of an interruption in service. Ensuring that you have your heater maintained at least once a year (twice, if you have a heat pump system) will help it perform at its best, and is more important than what time of the year you have it done.
A cracked heat exchanger is one of those furnace issues that should not—well, cannot—be ignored. Not only is it something that most often happens to aging furnaces that are just about at the end of their lifespan anyway, a cracked heat exchanger is dangerous. It enables carbon monoxide—a tasteless and odorless, yet hazardous, gas—to make its way into your living space.
When you live in a climate as cold as ours gets in the wintertime, your heating system goes through a lot of stress. Make that double if you have a heat pump, which is already strained from keeping you cool all summer.
There are probably plenty of people out there who would be willing to service your heater, or any other home comfort appliance in your house, but that doesn’t mean they should. Many general handymen (and women) out there don’t actually have much experience specifically in the HVAC industry, and therefore will be learning by using your system as an example—which isn’t a comfortable feeling when you consider how cold our winters get. Do you really want your heater to be a guinea pig?
Boilers are extremely sturdy and efficient heating systems. But this can only remain the case if they are properly cared for—meaning your boiler should be professionally installed, repaired, and maintained by experienced heating technicians for it to perform as best it can.
With temperatures cooling down quickly, it’s time to make sure your home is prepared for the winter season just around the corner. This means first ensuring that you’ve had or at least scheduled heating maintenance—but there’s more to winter preparation than just that.
Furnace problems are quite common during the fall and winter seasons, when systems are placed under an increased amount of stress. There are ways to lower the chances of stress-related issues occurring with your system, mostly by scheduling preventive maintenance for the system every fall. Hopefully, you have already scheduled preventive maintenance for your system. Even if you have, though, there are still ways that issues can occur. It’s best that you keep an eye out for signs that your system is in some sort of trouble, so that you can have it repaired as soon as possible. The following are a few of the more common signs that your furnace is in need of professional repair services.