Heating & Cooling Repair

The pellet stove is a fairly recent invention that is designed to heat your interior space efficiently and inexpensively. It is smaller than a comparable wood-burning stove of similar heat output....

Electrically powered furnaces normally have several heating elements. These heating elements are essentially large enclosed metal coils or rods through which electricity passes, causing them to...

Zone valves are a specialized form of valve commonly found in home steam- or hot-water-based heating systems, typically referred to as hydronic systems. They rely on pipes running through the...

Most homeowners start thinking about how well their home is insulated two times a year. In autumn with winter approaching and early summer when the heat begins to build signaling its just a...

Pressure switches are used in a variety of industries for many different applications. Although the uses vary by environment and function, the two major types of pressure switches are...

Any dry wood that burns can be used as firewood, and stumps are no exception. Stumps are commonplace because of human activity and natural forces, and they can serve as a good source of fuel for...

A loud ceiling fan can be annoying, especially if it makes a squeaking noise or prevents you from falling asleep. A ceiling fan can be loud for a wide variety of reasons, including blades that are...

For a cozier house, it's well worth the time and expense to insulate crawl space walls. Uninsulated crawl spaces are one of the worst culprits when it comes to drafts and consistently drive...

The placement and direction of your thermostat can greatly affect your heating and cooling costs. If it is placed in a less-than-ideal location, your thermostat reading could be off by several...

The average garage serves as both a storage spot and a workshop area for home improvement projects. Whatever the uses, a warm garage makes work more tolerable during the cold months. An unfinished...

Hot water pressure problems can have many different causes. While most require professional aid, a few have simple solutions. Causes range from problems at the source of the water supply or in...

Gas furnaces need to be serviced every fall to ensure that they are in working order for the winter season. Servicing also optimizes efficiency which helps reduce fuel costs. In most cases,...

If you have a fireplace insert and burn wood, have your chimney inspected and cleaned at least annually. This is also true if you have an open fireplace or a wood-burning stove. A dirty chimney is...

So you have a crack in concrete that you want to fix but you don't know how. It's easier then you think. This article will give you instructions on how to fix the crack in your concrete.

With air conditioners becoming more and more common, it just makes sense to incorporate both your heating and air conditioning controls into one thermostat. Newer thermostats offer many more...

Heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular for year-round climate control for homes and office buildings in moderate climate zones. While supplying ultra high-efficiency cooling during summer...

A fireplace that has been used a lot or recently can add a cozy campfire smell to any home, but sometimes the smell can just become irritating, especially if it is an unwanted smell. An unpleasant...

Winter is right around the corner, which means it's that time of the year again when your monthly heating bill begins to increase and maybe even double in cost from the summer! Yikes! Combine...

Wood pellets are energy-efficient, renewable and clean-burning heating options for your home. But not all wood pellets are the same. Different wood species, ash content and moisture content affect...

Warm air is the first clue that an air conditioner has stopped working because its coils are covered in ice. The diagnosis is simple: inspect the unit for a thick sheen of ice. If this is the...

AC condensate drains allow the moisture that is removed from your house during the process of cooling to drain out of the machine. Many people assume that they can attach an AC condensate drain to...

Because air is blown through your air ducts (part of your HVAC system) and circulated around your home, mold in the ducts can lower indoor air quality and cause severe respiratory problems. Check...

It is important to clean the chimney regularly because a dirty chimney might escalate into bigger and uncontrollable fires, resulting in loss of property or worse. Some chimneys have flue...

You can heat your greenhouse naturally and easily with a few simple fixes like adding heat-absorbing tubs of water which will radiate heat throughout the greenhouse. Other options include rabbits,...

Few people realize that insulating a hot water heater can save between 4 to 9 percent of the energy costs of heating hot water. Homeowners can quickly recoup the costs of insulating their hot...

Radiator heating is still common in old houses, as well as in apartment buildings. Radiators are good for larger buildings because the temperature can be controlled from room to room. Using a...

A wood-burning stove can reduce your heating bill significantly over electric or gas heat, and without the mess, smell or fire risk of an open wood-burning fireplace. The glass on the door of a...

A water heater can collect lime and sediment as water runs through it over a long period of time. Your water heater needs to be cleaned out on a regular basis so the lime and sediment don't build...

Electric heaters are the most efficient type of heater and are a popular choice for heating rooms and garages. Electric heaters do their work by convection. This process causes the air near the...

Thermostats provide many functions, including controlling your heating, air conditioning, and the "fan only" function of your HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) system. If your...

While your air-conditioning unit is circulating cool air into the house, it also is circulating dust, hair and other airborne dirt that can build up on its coils. The evaporator coils on an AC...

Getting ready to show your house? For an open house? Or are you just sprucing up? Removing rust from register vents is an easy way to improve the look of your home's interior. Be sure to be safe...

A malfunctioning oil furnace can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs if it leaks. It can also contaminate drinking water and sewers and cause serious health problems for you and your family....

Steam boilers are heating units that hold water, wood, oil or coal to create steam. This steam is transferred for purposes of heating, locomotion and cleaning. Steam boilers are common found in...

Because the goal of the air conditioner is to cool the home, it's natural that most freeze up at some point when the delicate balance between cooling the home and keeping the machine functioning...

Everyone wants to increase their comfort level, and with summer temperatures rising every year and winters becoming less pleasant, ensuring that your living environment is adequately heated or...

Baseboard heaters heat by convection. This means that when hot air rises, cold air falls towards the heater, and is then heated. Eventually, the circulation of air will be such that most of the...

Upgrading your existing HVAC thermostat with a more energy-efficient programmable model will lower your utility bill and add the convenience of programmable temperature settings. Although each...

Few jobs around the home require more immediate attention than a furnace that is not working. Freezing temperatures outside are a reminder that the problem needs to be fixed and quickly. If you...

Recharging the refrigerant in your air conditioning unit is not an easy task. Because the unit uses a lot of pressure, such maintenance can be very dangerous. If your air conditioner is in need of...

Whole house fans draw cool outside air into your house while blowing the heated indoor air out through the attic. Whole house fans come in two different types: ceiling mounted and ducted.

A boiler is a self-contained combustion system that heats water. The hot water or steam produced by a boiler is then used in heating systems. Although designs vary, a boiler has four main parts:...

AC units pull hot air out while replacing it with cool fresh air. The only problem is that the circulation of air also circulates dust, hair and other airborne dirt that can build up on the AC...

Air conditioning units are our best friends during the summer. They circulate the air, pulling hot, humid air out, while replacing it with cool, fresh air. There's only one problem -- the...

Baseboard heaters are a good way to heat individual rooms, if you have the right size heater. As with other types of heaters, too small of a heater won't be able to heat the room to the...

Evaporative coolers are an inexpensive, simple, and effective way to cool a building in a hot, dry climate, but they got the nickname "swamp coolers" for a good reason. The fact that the...

Air conditioning, or AC, units are a great way to stay cool during the hot summer days. They pull hot air out while replacing it with cool fresh air. The only problem is that the circulation of...

AC units are a great way to stay cool during hot and humid summer days. They pull hot air out while replacing it with cool, dry air. The only problem is that the circulation of air also circulates...

Window ACs are commonly used to keep individual rooms cool during the summer. Window air conditioners pull hot air out of the room while replacing it with fresh, cool air. However, along with air,...

Air conditioning units are our best friends during the hot days of the summer. They circulate the air, pulling hot, humid air out and replacing it with cool, fresh air. There's only one problem:...