Benefits of Financing Your Heating System

March 19, 2019

If you believe that it’s time to upgrade to a new heating system but don’t know how you’re going to pay for it, you might want to think about financing the system. Doing so can provide you with an array of benefits, the primary of which is that you won’t need to make such a large payment to purchase the entirety of the system. Financing Will Help Lessen the Financial Commitment Financing options are oftentimes flexible for heating systems, which means that they can take your financial system into account. Because of how many costs are incurred when you’re a homeowner, you may have been unable to save up enough money for a heating system before your old one fell into disrepair. Using financing options allows you to make a down payment for the system, which is then followed by monthly payments until the unit has been fully paid off. However, the initial down payment is only a small percentage of the full cost. Allows You to Start Saving Money Getting a new HVAC unit via financing means that you can save money on your monthly energy bills. Older units that aren’t operating efficiently can cause a substantial increase in...

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What is Included in an HVAC System?

March 1, 2019

HVAC is one of those terms you’ve probably come across if you’ve ever searched for heating and cooling services online. But what exactly do you get with an HVAC system? For starters, HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, which is basically everything you need to stay comfortable throughout the year. Keep reading to discover what’s specifically included with a typical HVAC system. A Heating Source If you live in St. Louis or any of the surrounding areas, you’re probably aware that the late autumn and winter days and nights can get cold. This is when you’ll be glad that you have the right heating source for your needs and budget. Heat is often provided by a furnace, boiler or heat pump. A heating system can also be connected to your home’s water system if you have radiators. Air Conditioning Air conditioning refers to any type of cooling system or unit that removes warmer air from your home while also generating and circulating cooler air. What an HVAC system does is allow you to combine the air conditioning operations with the heating functions all in one convenient system. Heat pumps are a bit unique in that they can keep...

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The Areas in Your Home Where Ventilation Is Most Important

February 18, 2019

Proper ventilation is essential to an energy-efficient home. It is also imperative to the health of the people who live there. After all, the EPA recognizes poor indoor air quality in the home as a significant health risk. Areas where ventilation is most important include the: Attic – to avoid excess heat Kitchen – to exhaust pollutants Bathroom – to avoid excess moisture Living spaces – to avoid a build-up of pollutants Why Is Ventilation Important to Our Health? At , we offer a wide range of air quality services to our customers in St. Louis and beyond. Our company cannot emphasize enough how important it is to ensure proper ventilation in an energy-efficient manner. There are pollutants in your home. Even if you are diligent, these pollutants are naturally occurring. Consider the winter season when your home and comfort systems are designed to keep the heat in. Less fresh air means a higher concentration of these pollutants. How Is Energy-Efficient Ventilation Achieved? The easiest way to ventilate your home may be to open a window, but that isn’t very practical in the winter. Likewise, your older home may have gaps and other leaks that do keep it somewhat ventilated...

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How to Choose the Right HVAC Contractor

February 8, 2019

When you need to install a new heating and air unit in your home, choosing the services of the right HVAC contractor is important. If you were to conduct a search of contractors in your area, you’d get a very high number, but not all of them will come with the qualifications you’re looking for. You’ll need to do thorough research if you want to find a professional who can meet your needs. So, how do you choose the right HVAC contractor? We have compiled a list of things to look out for when hiring. Understand Your HVAC Before you embark on a search for the right HVAC contractor in St. Louis, first learn about your HVAC system. You need to be aware of its current status, maintenance history, cost and any modifications it might have gone through in the past. You also need to familiarize yourself with some of the models and terms related to HVAC systems. With the right background information, you will understand the technical terms used by contractors. You should also be aware of licensing requirements. A licensed contractor is likely to possess the right expertise. Recommendations It is highly possible that the people around you...

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The Evolution of Air Furnaces

January 28, 2019

Keeping the interior of a structure warm in cold weather is as important today as it’s ever been, and in St. Louis, because of fluctuations in temperature, indoor air quality can be an issue as well. Almost all furnaces installed today are air furnaces, meaning that they take heat from one side of a heat exchanger, warm it, and then put it into the structure’s circulating air system. The air furnace of today has evolved from the simple stove of the past to the sophisticated forced-air models of today. A Brief History The first type of air furnace was a simple stove where the air was heated by a fire in a small compartment with coal or wood as the fuel source. While a stove was able to provide enough radiant heat to cook with and warm a room, it was an inefficient device because so much heat escaped out the exhaust flue. The single-register or pipeless, air furnace came next, and these furnaces sent heated air up through openings in the floor. The problem with single-register furnaces is that the cool air returned through the same openings and did not circulate efficiently throughout the structure. Finally, the forced-air furnace...

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How to Choose a New HVAC System

January 6, 2019

When you’re building a new home or your existing home needs its heating and cooling system replaced, you might not know where to begin. There are a lot of quality heating and air conditioning solutions available. Our technicians at offer these tips to help you select the right heating and cooling system for your indoor comfort needs in St. Louis. Size of Your House Your heating and cooling system needs to have the right capacity for your house. Too big of a system could cost you more money than necessary on your utility bills. Too small of a system could decrease your indoor comfort. A system that is too small would cycle a lot in order to attain the temperature on the thermostat, which would also cost you more money. Our technicians can help you choose the right size or capacity of heating and air conditioning system. Features of Your House If you live in an older home, it might not have air ducts. If you added to your home, the addition may not have air ducts. Your home’s construction material is also important. Brick homes retain heat better than wood homes. We install heat pumps, furnaces, air conditioners, ductless...

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What to Expect During a Furnace Maintenance Service

December 18, 2018

Just like your car, your furnace needs regular maintenance in order to provide you with peak performance at the highest level of efficiency. In general, you should plan to have your furnace inspected and serviced at least once each year. Maintaining that regular schedule can help prevent surprise malfunctions that could leave your St. Louis area home too cold for comfort. What Happens During a Furnace Maintenance Service While the exact steps that occur could vary depending on the type of furnace you have, you can expect Scott-Lee Heating Company to perform a thorough inspection that includes the following areas: Exterior Inspection The technician will look over the vent system for blockages and/or leakage. During this visit, we’ll. also check the heat exchangers for separations, cracks or other signs of corrosion. The air intake grills will be examined and we’ll clear out any blockages. An examination of the flue will reveal any obstructions that could lead to a build-up of combustion. The presence of this could significantly reduce the quality of the indoor air you breathe. Interior Inspection We’ll check and clean the blower motor and its related components. This step also involves removing the blower wheel and removing any...

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Tips to Combat the Cold Winters in Missouri

December 13, 2018

Here in St. Louis, it’s been feeling like winter long before the official start of the season. The good news is, there are plenty of ways to keep warm. While it’s almost instinctive to turn up the heat, there are additional steps you can take without driving up your energy costs. Consider these tips for beating the cold weather. Turn On Your Ceiling Fans While you might think this would make things drafty, it actually has the opposite effect. Since it rises, the warmest air is closest to the ceiling. Turning the fan to the lowest setting directs warm air closer to you. Block Drafts Cut a pool noodle in half lengthwise, wrap it in cloth and stuff it under the door to keep drafts from invading your home. Not only will you be more comfortable, but you can also keep heating costs down, too. Manage Your Thermostat Investing in a programmable thermostat allows you to manage the climate in your home even when you’re away. You can control room temperatures remotely via your smartphone. Cover Your Windows For extra insulation, cover your windows with wool or fleece drapes during winter as an extra buffer against the cold. Just don’t...

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Should I Turn My Furnace Off When on Vacation?

November 26, 2018

The holidays are upon us and many families are going to be planning vacations to visit family and/or to travel to tropical destinations. When planning for an upcoming vacation during the winter, there is more to getting ready than just packing the suitcases and making travel plans. There are things, every homeowner needs to do in order to prepare their home for an upcoming vacation, including determining what to do with the furnace. Turning Off the Furnace Many homeowners throughout the St. Louis area, ask if they should turn off the furnace before going on vacation. The initial thought is “yes,” because it will save money on upcoming utility bills. Unfortunately, turning off the furnace may cause damage to the home that exceeds any amount of money saved by turning it off. Possible Damage Depending upon what the weather is like and how cold temperatures get, turning off the furnace could cause damage to the home’s water pipes. Especially if temperatures get close to and below freezing. If the pipes freeze and burst, it could cause thousands of dollars of damage needing to be repaired. That’s quite a bit more than what would be saved by turning the furnace off...

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How do Furnaces Work?

November 16, 2018

Most homeowners use furnaces or their home heating needs. They are among the oldest and most popular heating systems. When they first came into existence, furnaces were fueled using coal and wood. These days, they mostly use heating oil, propane, electricity, and gas. Newer models have AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) ratings of 98%. This means that only two percent of the fuel goes to waste. It is important to know a few things about your furnace. The more knowledge you have, the better you are equipped to deal with problems if they occur. Thermostat and Gas Valve For your thermostat o turn on, it must get a signal from the thermostat. It is, therefore, unable to function without one. Once you set the temperature, the thermostat will activate your furnace whenever temperatures go below it. When the temperatures are low and your thermostat sends a signal to the furnace, the gas valve opens and the burner is ignited. The gas valve and thermostat control the amount of air that is getting into your furnace. The Heat Exchanger When the burner is ignited, the flames heat the heat exchanger. This heat is circulated in tubes in the heat exchanger and...

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