Staying indoors this winter means you need to make sure your heater is ready to serve you all winter long. The last thing you need during your cozy winter holidays is to find out that your furnace no longer operates properly. The best thing you can do for your winter warmth is to schedule preventative maintenance before the temperatures drop each year. Here are some ways to maintain your heater for winter in St. Louis, MO:
Schedule your preventative maintenance: When it comes to ensuring safe and consistent operation all year long, preventative maintenance is the key. Have your local HVAC contractor come out and work on your heater. Not only will they evaluate all the mechanical components and make sure they’re working properly, but they’ll also look at the electronics and ductwork. This helps ensure that every system is working the way it should, and you aren’t susceptible to problems like outages or carbon monoxide poisoning. It also helps your system work as efficiently as possible, which means you’ll save money on your utility bills all season long. While you can do some of these tasks yourself, there’s no substitute for working with a professional.
Change out your air filter: You change your air filter every month or so, right? If you’ve been slacking, there’s no better time to do it than now. The colder temperatures mean that your heater will have to work overtime to keep your home warm, especially if you haven’t changed your filter in a while. Some people think that gathering dust and debris helps (because they think it “catches” more allergens or pollutants), but the truth is that a dirty filter just drives up your utility bills.
Invest in a smart thermostat: Technology has come a long way in recent years, and one of the best ways you can use it is to invest in a smart thermostat. Smart thermostats allow you to program the heat (and cooling) for specific times of day, so you get the benefits when you need them most. They also allow you to program your heater so it won’t come on during vacation unless you absolutely need it. Not only is this good for the planet, but it’s great for your utility bills. You’ll save a lot of money when you ensure your heater isn’t running when it doesn’t need to be.
Wipe everything down: Finally, after you replace your heater’s filter, make sure you wipe any dust, dirt and debris from the unit. If your heater is in an inaccessible location, your HVAC contractor can help—but make sure no one skips this step, as it can help your heater run more efficiently all season long.
When you need more advice about or help with keeping your heater working during winter in St. Louis, MO, Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling can help. We offer complete air conditioning and furnace repair services in St. Louis, including 24/7 help if your heater gives out unexpectedly. Reach out today to learn more or schedule an appointment.
At Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling, we get calls all year long for HVAC emergency service in St. Louis, MO. Fortunately, a lot of these calls are similar, so we’re able to address the issue in no time at all.
Here are a few of the most common issues we deal with when it comes to heating systems and air conditioners.
Furnace emergencies
With colder temperatures on their way, now is the time to start thinking about ways your furnace could malfunction in the winter months. Common furnace emergencies include:
Broken blower motor: When a furnace suddenly stops working, it’s often due to a malfunctioning blower motor. If the blower motor is on its way out, you’ll notice that rooms aren’t being heated evenly. We can replace or repair a motor fairly easily, but you might want to consider getting a new furnace if yours is getting old.
Cracked heat exchanger: A broken heat exchanger can fill your home with carbon monoxide gas, which is why it’s vital that you call 24-hour HVAC emergency services in St. Louis, MO, as soon as you notice an issue with it. Common signs that there’s a problem with the heat exchanger include strange smells and soot inside the unit.
Mechanical wear and tear: Your furnace is full of delicate components that must work in harmony to heat your home. If you notice that the furnace isn’t performing as well as it used to, there’s a good chance that one or more of these parts is failing. Call for emergency HVAC service right away to have these parts repaired or replaced!
Air conditioner emergencies
A mid-summer AC breakdown could mean living in extreme discomfort until the problem is fixed. Here are a few of the top reasons we get calls in the warmer months:
Refrigerant leaks: If your home is taking a long time to cool down or if the vents are blowing out hot air in the summer, you may have a refrigerant leak on your hands. Refrigerant leaks are a common reason we get calls for 24-hour HVAC emergency services in St. Louis, MO. Once we pinpoint the source of the leak, we’re able to repair it and recharge your AC with new refrigerant.
Indoor water leaks: Water leaking from your AC unit is likely caused by a clogged condensate line, which is supposed to lead water away from your home. If you notice any leaks, shut your AC off and call an emergency HVAC service right away.
Frozen coils: Running your AC on the coldest setting can make your home feel cool and comfortable. However, it can also cause the outdoor coils to freeze up. Continuing to run the AC when the evaporator coils are frozen can lead to a complete breakdown and a costly repair.
Your trusted source for 24-hour emergency service
Whether your furnace has problems in the winter or your AC breaks down in the summer, call Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling any time of day or night. Our low prices and around-the-clock HVAC emergency service in St. Louis, MO, make us the number-one team in town for all of your heating and cooling needs.
Heater breakdowns in the winter and air conditioning malfunctions in the summer aren’t just inconveniences; they can be dangerous in some situations. The good news is that most of the common HVAC breakdowns we see are preventable!
If you’ve ever wondered, “How can I avoid HVAC breakdowns in St. Louis, MO?” here are some tips.
Schedule a seasonal tune-up
The best way to prevent a breakdown is to call an HVAC professional to service your system. Scheduling professional furnace maintenance each fall and AC tune-ups each spring are proven to reduce breakdowns.
During this service, your technician will inspect and clean your unit. If anything appears to be wrong, they’ll replace the failing component before you experience a sudden mid-season breakdown.
Change the filter
When homeowners call and ask us, “Why does my heater keep breaking down in St. Louis, MO?” it’s usually due to neglect. We don’t expect you to tune-up your system yourself. However, homeowners should at least replace their air filters once a month.
When air filters get clogged with dirt and debris, the whole unit can start to break down. Swapping out your filter regularly reduces the chance of unit failure and helps improve energy efficiency.
Open the vents
Closing vents when you’re not in a room might seem like a good way to save money during the winter. Unfortunately, closing those vents is generally a bad idea.
When vents are closed, the air intended to heat that room builds up in the ducts. That excess air puts undue pressure on both the ducts and vital components of your furnace. Ensure all of your vents are open and aren’t blocked by any furniture for optimal airflow.
Dust and vacuum
Another answer to that common question, “Why does my heater keep breaking down in St. Louis, MO?” is that your home isn’t very clean. When excess dust collects around air vents, it makes the vent ineffective—the vent might as well be closed!
To ensure that’s not a problem, make a habit of dusting and vacuuming to eliminate all of that dirt and debris and prevent excessive buildup.
Call when you suspect problems
HVAC systems rarely stop working out of the blue. They’ll often present a few signs that they’re going out before they finally kick the bucket. Loud noises, strange smells and higher energy bills are a few of the leading indications that something’s wrong. Pay attention to how your furnace is acting and call a professional as soon as you think something’s not right.
Replace old and inefficient units
It’s a fact that HVAC units are more prone to breakdowns as they age. If your system seems to fail each season, it’s probably time to cut your losses and replace it.
Although installing a new heater or air conditioner can be expensive, it usually pays for itself in just a few years! Newer units are more energy efficient, so you can slash your monthly heating and cooling costs and enjoy fewer breakdown bills.
Call us for HVAC service and repair
From replacing old units to performing seasonal maintenance, Ashley Brothers Heating and Cooling is the go-to company for all of your heating services. If you have more questions like “How can I avoid HVAC breakdowns in St. Louis, MO?” call us today to learn more or to schedule your yearly tune-up.
As homeowners, there are so many things we have to keep an eye on as the summer turns slowly into fall. Before we can cozy up for the winter, there are still a number of tasks we have to complete to make sure we’re ready for a long winter’s slumber. We mow the grass one last time. We clean out the gutters when the leaves fall. There is so much to keep track of that it’s almost understandable to let one or two chores slip through the crack. After all, there are only so many hours in the day.
If you’re considering neglecting seasonal HVAC maintenance in St. Louis, MO, here are some compelling reasons to schedule an appointment.
Don’t end up shivering
Anyone who has lived through a chilly St. Louis winter understands that when the temperature drops, you want your furnace to be ready to kick into action. Nothing is more discomfiting than needing your furnace, only to find it isn’t up for the job. What’s worse, you can almost bet that when your furnace dies, it will do so at the same time as hundreds of others, thereby guaranteeing you’ll have trouble scheduling repair service.
Preventative maintenance can provide you with a sense of security, knowing that your furnace is ready for the worst that winter has to offer.
Recover from the summer
It takes a special HVAC system to get through a hot and sticky St. Louis summer. Even the best-maintained, top-of-the-line unit will still go through a lot of stress keeping your home cool when the weather is at its worst. At the end of the summer, a round of seasonal HVAC maintenance in St. Louis, MO can ensure that any parts in your system that require repair or replacement are fixed quickly.
Not only will it serve as part of your seasonal prep, but preventative maintenance could end up saving you a whole lot of money.
Preserve your air quality
Homeowners throughout the area worry about their indoor air quality. If you have smokers in the house, or have pets or children, then your HVAC system is a critical component of ensuring you have clean air. When you have a professional perform preventative maintenance, they can replace your filter and clean individual components to ensure your HVAC system works at peak efficiency.
Let the pros prep you
Fall HVAC maintenance in St. Louis, MO doesn’t have to be a chore when you work with Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. Since we opened our doors in 1999, we have established a reputation for excellence in the world of residential and commercial HVAC installation, repair and maintenance.
From the moment you call Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling, you’ll be treated with the respect you deserve. All of our team members are courteous, prompt and highly skilled. That means your HVAC problems will be solved in a timely manner that won’t end up costing you an arm and a leg. Find out the full list of benefits that go hand in hand with working alongside us by calling today!
When you’re a homeowner (especially a novice homeowner), every sound in your home can be unsettling. After all, when you move into your house, you’ve not only invested a massive sum of money, but you’ve also pinned your hopes and your family’s future on those four walls. So, when unexpected noises rattle your home, you inevitably want to know what’s wrong.
No home noise is more unsettling than excessive clamor from your home’s furnace. Millions of Americans own furnace-based heating systems, and most of them get a little nervous when they start causing a racket. Not to worry, though—if your furnace is making some noise, here are some signs you could require further furnace repair in St. Louis, MO.
Squealing
When your furnace kicks on and a squealing noise soon follows, it often means that you’ve got a loose belt somewhere in the motor. If you address the problem quickly, it should be a relatively cheap fix. If squealing is left unattended, it could lead to more severe issues with your furnace.
Rumbling
If your furnace turns on as usual and completes a heating cycle without issue, but then lets out a home-rattling rumbling noise, then you could be in trouble. A loud rumble often indicates that your furnace is combusting fuel even after your pilot light has turned off. If your furnace is rumbling, call a company to schedule furnace repair in St. Louis, MO as soon as possible.
Loud humming
You’re likely familiar with the typical noises associated with your furnace. There’s an assertive click when it turns on and a light humming noise as it completes its operation cycle. When that typically muted hum turns into something loud and ominous, you could have an issue with your furnace’s fan or capacitor. A professional HVAC technician should be able to diagnose the source of the problem.
Popping noises
One pop when your furnace turns on is natural. If that popping noise continues during your furnace’s operation, it could mean that your furnace’s burners are dirty. Leaving the popping sound unattended could lead to the accumulation of gas on your burners, which could eventually cause dangerous problems.
Let the pros make a diagnosis
You shouldn’t have to sit and scratch your head wondering, “What is wrong with my furnace?” Schedule furnace repair in St. Louis, MO with Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling! We have more than 20 years of experience offering a comprehensive range of residential and commercial services to our valued customers.
We specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of AC systems, furnaces, ductwork, air filters, humidifiers and more! We can even make sure your furnace or heating system is clean and ready to go before the cold weather sets in. Don’t be caught in the cold—Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling will send a highly-skilled technician to diagnose your problem and then fix it. Your heating and cooling problems will be a thing of the past when you work with us. Call today to schedule your appointment.
