Top 6 Most Energy-Efficient Furnaces Available on the Market

January 20, 2023

Top 6 Most Energy-Efficient Furnaces Available on the Market Keeping your house warm in the fall and winter months can be expensive. Heating costs are always one of the top reasons why people are forced to move in the middle of winter. While there are a ton of things you can do to lower those heating bills, having to go out and buy new equipment can be costly on its own. The most popular heating systems in use today are gas furnaces, oil furnaces, and electric furnaces. By choosing the right unit for your home, you can save yourself a lot of money and make it easier to keep warm. To help you out, we put together this list of the top three energy-efficient gas and oil furnaces available today. 1. Heil Ion 98 Gas Furnace The Heil Ion 98 gas furnace is a good option for those who want to save money on their heating bills. It has an efficiency rating of up to 98%, which is the highest offered by the company. This means that it is one of the most efficient furnaces available on the market today. This unit has a variable-speed blower motor, which allows you...

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How Much Do HVAC UV Lights Cost to Install?

January 16, 2023

If you’re concerned about the air quality in your home, upgrading your HVAC system with UV lights can make a big improvement. While these lights are a great way to stay healthy and prevent illnesses and allergies, many people are still skeptical and wonder whether they’re actually worth the cost. To answer this question, here is a full overview of how much HVAC UV lights cost, how they work, and what benefits they can provide. How Do HVAC UV Lights Work? UV lights are designed to prevent mold and bacteria from growing inside your HVAC system, and they will also kill any bacteria, viruses, or mold spores that get into the system. These lights produce powerful ultraviolet rays that essentially scramble the DNA of any living organic matter so that it is rendered completely harmless and unable to multiply. Average Cost to Install UV Lights in an HVAC System Despite the major benefits that they can provide, UV lights are generally one of the most affordable options for quickly improving your home’s indoor air quality. You should usually expect to pay somewhere between $200 and $1,000 for both the lights themselves and installation. The total cost will mainly depend on...

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The Average Lifespan of a Furnace and How to Extend It

January 10, 2023

Knowing the average lifespan of a furnace will help you prepare for essential heating system upgrades in your St. Louis, MO, home. Although many HVAC professionals assert that furnaces last between 15 and 20 years, actual lifespans can vary quite a bit. How furnaces produce heat, how they’re installed, and how well their supporting ductwork is maintained are all important factors to consider. Read on to find out more. Fuel Combustion and Its Impact on Furnaces and Furnace Lifespans Most furnaces combust fuel to produce heat. These include oil-fired furnaces, natural gas-fired furnaces, and propane-fired furnaces. All others provide indoor heating solely through the use of electricity. Although fuel combustion doesn’t necessarily shorten the lifespans of furnaces, it can lead to greater wear and tear. This is especially true if these units aren’t correctly maintained. Furnaces that use combustion to produce heat also have more components than electric units, connected venting systems, and other factors that increase the likelihood of problems. Fortunately, no matter what type of furnace you own, you can always extend its lifetime through timely repairs and by scheduling annual maintenance service. How Long Do Gas-Fired Furnaces Last> Whether using propane or natural gas to produce heat,...

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Should I Get an Air Quality Test in My Home?

December 19, 2022

Should I Get an Air Quality Test in My Home? Why an Air Quality Test May Be Necessary for Your Home With the winter months ahead of us, many people head indoors for some warm, cozy time away from the harsh elements that cold temperatures can bring with them. Few of us give a second thought to the recycled air we’ll be breathing as we all gather together to wait out the cold months in close quarters. It’s not only people that stay inside more on cold winter days. Dogs are probably sitting near their owners, wondering why their walks are shorter than normal. When your pets aren’t spending as much time outside the house, there’s more opportunity for hair and dander to collect inside. Unless you have an air filtration system, this increased number of contaminants will adversely affect the quality of the air you breathe. Did you know that the air inside your house is likely to be even more polluted than outdoor air? Indoor particulates flow freely in our offices, schools, and homes on a daily basis. These pollutants and particles can come from a number of different sources, from pets to cleaning products to air fresheners...

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What to do if Your Furnace is Making a Loud Noise

December 10, 2022

Furnace Making Loud Noises? Here’s Why and What to Do Furnaces always make some noise whenever they are running. However, any loud or unusual noises are usually a sign that there is some issue with either your furnace or the blower fan. If you only hear the strange sound occasionally and only ever for a short time, it may be nothing to worry about. However, if the noise persists, it is definitely something you will want to get checked out as soon as possible. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common furnace noises, what they mean and how they can be fixed. Booming Noise When Furnace Starts There are some cases where your furnace will make a loud booming noise when it starts that almost sounds like a small explosion. If you ever hear this noise, you should turn your heating off until you can have an HVAC technician inspect and clean the furnace. This booming sound means that your furnace burners are overly dirty and need to be cleaned. Dirty burners often cause a short delay before the furnace ignites. This leads to some gas flowing out into the combustion chamber and basically results in...

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Heating Efficiency and Energy Savings During the Winter

December 1, 2022

5 Tips for Reducing Heating Costs During the Winter When St. Louis, MO winter is at its coldest, you’ll likely be relying heavily on your furnace to keep your home comfortable. However, if you have the heater blowing all day, every day, your monthly energy bills can quickly get out of hand. Plus, it can put a lot of strain on your heating unit, which can decrease its efficiency and lead to mechanical failure. However, there are ways that you can stay warm without letting your heating costs skyrocket. By taking a few prudent measures, you can conserve heat and keep your furnace running at peak efficiency throughout the winter. 1. Schedule a Furnace Tune-Up At , one of our expert services is heating maintenance. We’d be happy to give your furnace a tune-up, which will allow it to be more effective and energy-efficient during the chilly St. Louis winter. During furnace maintenance, our skilled team will clean the accumulated dust, dirt, and debris from your heating system, allowing it to circulate air more efficiently and improving your indoor air quality. The tune-up will also include a thorough inspection of the appliance. We’ll examine the different components for any current...

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How a Ductless Mini-Split Will Impact Your Bills This Winter

November 19, 2022

How a Ductless Mini-Split Will Impact Your Bills This Winter Ductless mini-splits are growing in popularity in St. Louis as an energy-efficient heating and cooling option. The upfront price of a new ductless mini-split system could be higher than that of a traditional HVAC system. However, it promises to lower your energy bills monthly for years to come. Four ways a ductless mini-split may lower your energy bills include inverter technology, improved air circulation, heat transfer versus heat generation, and zoned HVAC. Exploring these four factors should give you a better idea of why a ductless mini-split uses less energy and how it can better keep your home comfortable. The Power of Inverter Technology An easy way to understand inverter technology is to think about how cruise control works in a vehicle or autopilot functions on an airplane. While driving on the freeway, your vehicle consumes less gas because you are not starting and stopping. When you have your car on cruise control or when a plane is on autopilot, the vehicle makes minor adjustments to keep the car traveling at a steady speed. This is how inverter technology, with variable-speed motors, works for your mini-split during the winter. A...

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Do Geothermal Heat Pumps Use Gas?

November 9, 2022

Do Geothermal Heat Pumps Rely on Gas? Here in Saint Louis, MO, geothermal heat pumps offer an environmentally friendly and economical HVAC option for homeowners and businesses. Since the technology’s relatively new to the area, however, plenty of people don’t quite understand how it works. At , we field questions about geothermal heat pumps all the time. One of the most common among them is whether or not geothermal heat pumps use gas to operate. To answer that question, here’s an overview of how geothermal heat pumps work that explains exactly how they heat and cool the buildings they serve. What Powers a Geothermal Heat Pump? To get right to the point, geothermal heat pumps don’t use gas. They operate exclusively on electricity. However, they don’t use the electricity itself to heat or cool a building. This is the point that tends to confuse people who have no experience with geothermal technology, and for good reason. Traditional heating and cooling methods are energy-intensive. Gas or oil-powered furnaces burn fossil fuels to generate heat. Most of them also rely on electricity to power the fans that circulate the heated air around your home. Conventional air conditioning systems also use electricity to...

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Tips on Staying Warm This Winter Without Breaking Your Budget

November 2, 2022

12 Tips for Staying Warm This Winter Without Breaking the Bank The winters in St. Louis can be brutally cold, and this can make keeping your home warm an expensive proposition. The good news is that there are a variety of fairly simple ways that you can reduce your heating costs without sacrificing your comfort. 1. Schedule a Heating Tune-Up This is by far one of the best and most important things you can do. Your furnace and heating system really need to be professionally maintained every year to continue functioning properly and heating your home efficiently. During a heating tune-up, our HVAC technicians will inspect your furnace and the rest of your HVAC system to ensure it is free from any issues that could limit its effectiveness. They will also fully clean your furnace, blower fan and all other components to further improve the efficiency of your furnace. In this way, you can be assured that your heating system is working properly and not contributing to energy waste and higher utility bills. 2. Insulate Your Attic and Crawl Space Many older homes have little to no insulation in the attic and crawl space or basement. Without sufficient insulation in...

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Which Parts of Your Home Need the Best Ventilation?

October 18, 2022

Which Parts of Your Home Need the Best Ventilation? Ventilation is the process of exchanging air in an enclosed space with fresh air from the outside. It’s vital for keeping your home healthy, comfortable, and energy-efficient. Each area of your home requires adequate ventilation for different reasons. In some areas, ventilation is especially important to help control moisture, reduce odors, or remove contaminants from the air. Let’s take a close look at the areas of your home where ventilation is most important so you can make informed decisions about your home’s air quality. The Kitchen The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in your home, and it’s also one of the most important areas to ventilate. The reason for this is twofold. For one, kitchens produce a substantial amount of moisture from cooking activities like boiling water and steaming food. This excess moisture can lead to condensation on surfaces like walls and ceilings, which can contribute to the development of mold. In addition, kitchens are also full of potential contaminants like smoke, grease, and food particles. These contaminants can build up in the air over time, leading to poor indoor air quality. If you have a gas stove, these...

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