Why a Winter Furnace Tune Up is Essential in Iowa
Winter furnace tune up season is here, and Iowans are breaking out their favorite football team’s apparel, sweaters and pumpkin-flavored treats. That can only mean one thing. Fall is here.
Sometimes the beautiful weather and changing leaves make it difficult to remember winter is just around the corner. But autumn is the best time to get your furnace system in shape for freezing temperatures, before they arrive. Follow the advice below to ensure your home will be warm and cozy all winter long.
Let us do the hard work for you
Want to be sure your furnace is ready for winter? Sign up for an annual maintenance program. These plans are designed to keep your systems working at peak efficiency all year long.
If you participate in one of our annual maintenance programs, a Bell Brothers professional will inspect your heating and cooling system every fall and identify any potential issues that could impact its performance in the coming winter months. Annual maintenance can extend the life of your equipment, save you time and money, and deliver up to 40 percent savings in energy efficiency. Bell Brothers offers emergency HVAC services in Des Moines, contact us today.
Testing, testing. 1, 2, 3.
It’s hard to tell if your furnace is having issues unless you turn it on. And, if you wait until that 20-degree day in November, you might be left out in the cold. On a cool morning this fall, switch your thermostat over to the heat setting and test how your furnace is performing. If you hear any strange sounds, notice the vents aren’t releasing warm air or the temperature never reaches what you selected on the thermostat, it’s time to call in a professional to investigate. A simple 10-minute test now could save you from a freezing house this winter.
Breathe easy.
Winter furnace tune up reminder: It’s easy to neglect the vents in our homes, but they are vitally important to your comfort level. This fall, check all the vents around your house to ensure they are free of obstructions. Even simple things like furniture and bedding can block vents and prevent them from properly circulating warm air throughout your house. When vents are blocked, your furnace has to work harder than necessary to heat your home, resulting in higher energy bills.
Keep cold air out and hot air in.
As outdoor temperatures begin to fall, pay attention to any drafts or cold air leaks you notice near your windows and doors. Not only will these gaps cause higher energy bills, but they make your furnace work harder than it would normally. This can cause unnecessary wear and tear on your system and can even shorten its lifespan. If you do identify any air leaks, make sure to seal them with caulk or weatherstripping.
Schedule Your Winter Furnace Tune Up or Installation
A winter furnace tune up is one of the simplest ways to keep your home warm and efficient all season long. Regular maintenance can extend your system’s lifespan and help you avoid costly breakdowns during Iowa’s coldest months.
If your furnace is older or struggling to keep up even after a tune up, Bell Brothers can also help with professional furnace installation to ensure your home stays comfortable for years to come. Schedule your winter furnace tune up or installation service today and get ahead of the cold.
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Updated: August 10th, 2022
Have you ever stayed at a hotel or house where the bathroom has a heated floor? It’s kind of like stepping into a spa, and more people are starting to bring that element of relaxation into their own homes. A temperature control technique called radiant heating is delivering that zen feeling to houses all across the country. Before you bring this spa feature into your Central Iowa home, there are some things to know about radiant heating.
What is radiant heat and how does it work?
Radiant heat is heat that’s transferred, or radiated, from one surface to another. Radiant heat has been around for decades in the United States and has been popular for hundreds of years in Europe.
Many people believe that radiant heat is the most comfortable because it eliminates the cycle of air blasting on and off. Newer furnace units with variable-speed technology actually mimic radiant heat in that they work to minimize the air blasting movement of traditional forced air systems.
What are the benefits of radiant heat?
There are benefits of radiant heating that are difficult to deny:
- It can be more efficient than forced-air systems when you account for duct losses.
- Support better indoor air quality for people with allergies.
- Can provide better temperature control in rooms that aren’t frequently used.
One of the main disadvantages of radiant heating is the cost, especially if you’re installing it into an existing home. One way to keep the costs more affordable is to only install it in one or two rooms in your home, for example your bathroom.
How radiant heat can be used throughout your home
Radiant heat comes in many forms. If you’re building a customized new home or remodeling, there are many applications you can consider.
In-floor radiant heating
We see a lot of people including in-floor heat in new construction homes and when taking on a remodeling project. Bathrooms and basements are the most common places it is installed. If you are installing in-floor heat, you should do so during the construction phase of a home before concrete work is done.
Radiant heated baseboards
While most new construction homes won’t opt to include baseboard heat, it is still common in larger apartment complexes.
Radiant heat ceiling panels
In this heating technique, panels radiate heat down to warm the whole space below. This is more common in commercial applications, but it is also used in residential applications.
Radiant heat boiler
Believe it or not, boilers are considered radiant heat. Older models of boilers were 70 to 80 percent efficient. Some new boilers are now 95 percent efficient — meaning you can achieve roughly the same efficiency level as a forced air system when it comes to heating.
Radiant heated driveway
Tubing can be placed underneath driveways and sidewalks along with a moisture sensor and slab sensor. If the sensor detects moisture on the slab and it’s below a certain temperature outside, the system comes on to melt the snow or ice and then dry the concrete. No more shoveling in the freezing cold!
While infloor heat is very comfortable and efficient, it’s not for every room or every customer. There are conditions which must be taken into account before installing in-floor heat. A professional heating contractor will give you advice based on your particular application.
Why the Auto function might not be the best option for your furnace fan
The next time you’re setting your thermostat, take a look at the fan option. Is it set to On or Auto? Turns out, there is a difference, and it could mean savings on your next energy bill. In fact, the Auto function might not be the best option for your furnace fan, depending on your comfort and efficiency goals.
What is the Auto function?
If you program the fan control on your thermostat to Auto, the fan will come on with a call for cooling or a call for heating. After the call for cooling or heating is satisfied, the fan will shut off.
The benefits of the Auto function:
When there is high humidity in the house during the summertime, the air conditioner coil is wet and, if you run the fan continuously, it will rehumidify the house. Those situations are rare and it’s usually when the air conditioner is considerably oversized for the house.
What is the On function?
The other option is to run the furnace fan continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The benefits of the On function:
There are many benefits to utilizing the On function. From a reliability and an energy-efficiency standpoint, leaving the fan on continuously is generally the best way to go. It keeps the air moving in a home, improves indoor air quality and helps to even out temperature swings, especially in two-story houses.
Busting the On function myths
Despite these benefits, people are likely more familiar with the myths associated with the On function.
Myth 1: If you run the fan continuously, it costs more money and uses more energy than the Auto function.
In reality, a motor takes a decent amount of energy to get it started, but once it’s running it doesn’t require much energy at all. The biggest use of electricity happens when the motor starts. If you let it run continuously, it will actually cost less than the Auto function when the furnace fan is turning on and off repeatedly throughout the day.
Myth 2: There is more wear and tear when the fan is run continuously.
The most wear happens to the motor during the starting process when there is a lot of torque on the motor.
Myth 3: Outside of energy and motor maintenance, it doesn’t really matter which function you use.
Lower energy costs and motor wear are great benefits of using the On function, but indoor air quality is another important factor to consider. When you let the furnace fan run continuously, there will be more air going through the furnace air filter. The filter’s job is to collect dust and other particles from the air. For high-efficiency filters, it’s even more important to keep the furnace fan running continuously.
Flipping the switch
These three myths can be debunked through customer education, and we train our Bell Brothers technicians and installation specialists to inform customers of the benefits of the On function of their thermostats. When homeowners do switch to the On function, they often report that their homes feel more comfortable and their heating and cooling costs are lower.
If you’d like to know more about which furnace fan function is best for your home comfort needs, contact us online.
Updated: July 19th 2022
Optimize Airflow by Adjusting Ceiling Fan Direction Seasonally
Generally speaking, fans, whether referring to furnace blowers or ceiling fans, keep air moving in the house. When air is stagnant or still, that’s known as stratification, and it doesn’t make for a very comfortable home. Fans keep the air from stratifying by pulling lighter, warmer air up and pushing cooler, heavier air down.
During the summer in Central Iowa, the upstairs of your home is going to be warmer than the main level and the basement will be cooler still. If you keep the thermostat fan function set to “ON”, the fan on your HVAC unit will run continuously, which helps regulate indoor temperature and humidity levels by keeping the air moving inside the home. This will hopefully help limit those temperature extremes on each level.
Evaporate discomfort with fans
It’s important to remember fans can’t lower the temperature of the air, so we view ceiling fans as a supplement to your air conditioning system rather than a standalone method of cooling.
Fans can help a person feel cooler, though, because moving air accelerates the rate at which perspiration evaporates from your skin. Your body naturally has moisture on your skin to keep you cool. If you have air blowing across you, you have evaporation — evaporation, in turn, helps you feel cooler even at higher temperatures.
When shopping for a fan for your home, look for fans with bigger blades, these will give you a gentler air movement and they will be quieter than fans with smaller blades. Fans with large blades can also run at a lower speed, which will require less energy. Ceiling fans don’t cost much to run, especially on low speeds. Just turn them on and let them run.
Run fan the correct way in summer and winter
A general rule of thumb is to run fans counter-clockwise during the summer at a higher speed and clockwise during the winter at a lower speed. The counter-clockwise motion forces cool air down, creating a wind-chill effect that will make you feel cooler. The clockwise movement pulls cool air up and pushes warm air down. Contact our team today to learn more.
January is a perfect time to reflect on how much money you spent last year on home heating and to resolve to spend less this year. We want to help central Iowans stay warm and comfortable in their homes — while also lowering their heating costs. Here are eight resolutions to help save on your next heating bill.
1. Replace your furnace filter.
Normal dust build-up can reduce airflow by 1 percent per week. This is the easiest step a homeowner can take to maintain their heating system.
2. Don’t overheat your home.
Did you know space heating accounts for 45 percent of your monthly energy bill? The recommended temperature setting during the winter is 68 to 72 degrees. For every 1 degree colder, homeowners can save up to 1 percent on heating costs.
3. Install a programmable thermostat.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), homeowners can save up to 10 percent on heating and cooling expenses by turning the thermostat back several degrees for eight hours a day.
4. Lower the temperature on your water heater.
According to the DOE, water heaters account for 14 to 18 percent of your monthly energy bill. Most water heaters are set at the factory for 140 degrees Fahrenheit; the DOE suggests setting it to 120 degrees. Every 10 degrees of setback can save you 3 to 5 percent on water heating costs.
5. Hire an HVAC professional to maintain your system.
Your heating system needs routine maintenance — just like your car needs routine oil changes. Furnaces should be checked by a professional once a year to ensure efficient and safe operation.
6. Replace worn weather-stripping.
Worn and torn weather-stripping around doors and windows creates drafts. The furnace has to work harder and longer to warm up the cold air that leaks in.
7. Insulate your attic.
While this is the largest up-front cost on the list, insulation can pay for itself in as little as one year with savings of up to 30 percent on your monthly utility bill.
8. Conduct a home energy audit.
You can take a free online energy assessment on your home through the HomeCheck Online tool from MidAmerican Energy. The online assessment provides personalized energy use information that can be customized based on your home and lifestyle. You will also receive energy saving recommendations and tips that include an estimated energy savings for each tip.
When shopping for a new furnace — or alternative home heating system like hybrid heat or geothermal — you may be surprised how many options are available. In Central Iowa, a vast majority of homes have a gas furnace. But there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for every home, so it’s important you understand the different types of heating options. In this blog post, I’ll discuss conventional heating with a gas furnace.
Energy efficient gas furnaces
Gas furnaces have been around for years. Thanks to new technology, furnaces have become extremely energy-efficient in recent years. The more efficient a furnace is, the less natural gas it needs to operate, which leads to a decrease in utility bills. The furnace efficiency rating is represented by the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) number. If your furnace is older than 15 years, you may be getting 78 percent efficiency, which is the minimum AFUE rating. A newer furnace can be designed to achieve as much as 98 percent efficiency. Homeowners will notice quite a decrease in utility costs for a 98 percent AFUE furnace compared to a 78 percent AFUE. High-efficiency furnaces are also quieter than older, less efficient models. Today, the majority of furnaces installed are in the 90 to 98 percent AFUE range.
Single-speed furnace
Another feature to consider when selecting a furnace is the blower speed. A single-speed furnace is what many of us are used to. The blower motor has one speed, which will kick on and off to reach the desired temperature setting on the thermostat. This creates a 4- to 5-degree swing and isn’t operating in the most efficient manner. Think of it like a car. You wouldn’t turn the car on, drive a few blocks and turn it off just to turn it back on to drive a few more blocks. Instead, you would drive at a consistent speed, which is more fuel efficient. The same idea applies to a furnace.
Two-stage and variable speed furnaces
That’s where two-stage and variable-speed furnaces come into play. A two-stage furnace can slow down the blower motor, allowing the system to run in longer cycles, increase efficiency, reduce the temperature swing and reduce wear on the motor, since the system won’t kick on and off as often. A variable-speed furnace has an infinite number of speeds allowing it to run on a lower speed for longer cycles. This blower motor is 80 percent more efficient than the single-speed motors.
Investing in a new heating system is an important decision. Understanding the different types of furnaces will help you make a more informed decision and help you find a furnace that’s right for your home and your needs.