Moving south and buying a house with a heat pump

After spending over fifty years dealing with the brutal cold and excessive snow up north, my husband and I decided to move south.

We’d had enough of temperatures down to negative twenty-five degrees and dangerous wind chills.

We were tired of shoveling, plowing and scraping ice. For more than half the year, we were trapped in the house and reliant on the furnace. Our monthly heating bills added up to approximately 50% of our household energy consumption. By the end of the winter, the house would feel horribly dry, stuffy and stale. It seemed to take forever for the weather to warm up enough to melt the snow. The spring and fall seasons were usually windy and rainy. We were lucky to get two to three months of weather warm enough to open the windows and wear shorts. There was very little opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities. Then it would once again be time to schedule maintenance for the furnace, change the air filter, and get the snow shovel, boots and wool coats ready for another winter. My husband and I were eager to head south and escape temperatures below freezing. We chose a house with a heat pump that provides both heating and cooling. We rarely need to run it in heating mode, but are certainly thankful for cooling. Our new location often sees temperatures in the high nineties. Although the heat and humidity are intense, we’re still happy we relocated. We prefer sandals instead of boots and tank tops instead of sweaters. The heat pump handles the year round comfort of our home.

find local hvac

Planning a furnace replacement

My gas furnace is about twenty years old.

It hasn’t been covered by the manufacturer’s warranty for a long time.

Although I am diligent about air filter changes and annual maintenance, the heater has started to need several small repairs every year. Those professional services are starting to add up. Plus, the furnace is no longer as energy efficient as it once was. The monthly costs are getting a bit higher all the time. Even when the system was new, it only managed an 80% AFUE rating. There are now models on the market that achieve up to 98% efficiency ratings. These units offer adaptable speed operation. They are able to adjust their output in tiny one percent increments and run anywhere from 40 to 100% capacity. The result is far lower running costs, less impact on the environment and more even temperature. These systems don’t cause as many problems with insufficient humidity and are safer. I think it’s time that I schedule a replacement for my furnace. It would be better to be proactive than to wait for my heater to quit during a blizzard. I’d rather not be left without heat when the temperature is below zero and the roads nearly impassable. There’s always the worry of pipes freezing and bursting. While a new furnace is a significant investment, I believe the savings on my energy bills will recover it fairly quickly. The updated system would be covered by manufacturer’s warranty, provide superior comfort and include modern features, such as zone control and wifi accessibility. I plan to schedule the installation project for this summer.

air cleaner

Central air conditioning is worth it

In my local area, central air conditioning for the home isn’t necessary.

  • The summer season is fairly short.

There are years when the whole season is chilly and wet. For those few months, we can manage with a combination of box fans, open windows and window air conditioners. I wasn’t satisfied with this solution. The open windows allow in all sorts of pollen, bugs, fumes, dust and other allergens. The box fans stir up those contaminants and don’t provide much relief. The window air conditioners are unattractive and only cool a single room. The rest of the house feels uncomfortable. We sometimes get summer weather that is brutally hot and humid. I decided it was worth it to invest in a whole-house cooling system. Because I already had a forced air furnace with ductwork installed, it wasn’t excessively expensive. The central air conditioner is such an improvement. I love the ability to adjust the thermostat and have every room feel perfectly cool. Plus, the air conditioner circulates and filters the air, keeping the house fresher and more hygienic. It also helps with humidity. I spent extra for an Energy Star rated, high-efficiency unit to keep running costs reasonable. The operation is especially quiet and makes for a far more enjoyable living environment. My whole family sleeps better at night and we’re able to be more productive during the day. While we enjoy spending as much time as possible outside during nicer weather, it’s certainly a pleasure to step inside at the end of the day. While the air conditioner might not be necessary, I think it’s worth it.

heating technician

Duct cleaning solves problems with smells

Last summer, our husband plus 2 sons went on a fishing excursion. They spent the morning out on the lake plus came back with a cooler full of fish. All of us cooked a portion of their catch on the barbecue that night. The rest, the people I was with and I placed in the freezer to save for a later date. Over the winter, I thought it would be a nice treat to thaw out the rest of the fish plus bake it, unblessedly, our whole beach house filled with the smell of fish. While the meal was tasty, the odor became a problem. It was everywhere. The kitchen, every bedroom plus powder room plus even our closets reeked of fish. With outdoor un-even temperatures in the low teens, there was no opening of opening a window. I tried spraying room desmellizer, lighting scented candles plus opening boxes of baking soda; Nothing got rid of the smell. I realized that the odor had gotten into the air duct plus was being perpetuated by the gas furnace. I did some research plus figured out that there was most likely a buildup of dust plus other contaminants concealed inside the ducts. This debris had absorbed the smell. I then busy an appointment for duct cleaning. The supplier brought in a machine that resembled an industrial-sized vacuum cleaner. It was outfitted with an severely long hose plus a brush affixment. The brush was inserted into the ducts to discabin pollutants plus suck them up. The process took a couple of hours plus caused mess or disfigure. The result was incredible. Not only was the odor of fish completely eliminated however the people I was with and I noticed a significant improvement in the comfort of the home. The gas furnace no longer has to run as long or use as much energy. My heating bills are lower plus I don’t need to dust or vacuum as often. The temperature from 1 room to another is more consistent.

cooling and heating company

Workout space has no temperature control

The nearest organized fitness center is too far away to make a membership worthwhile.

  • I don’t have the time for the drive.

I need to be able to complete our workouts quickly plus efficiently. Because of this, I have set up a cabin gym. I care about that I can exercise whenever I have the opportunity. I appreciate to complete our workout first thing in the morning. I then benefit from the feeling of accomplishment, better mood plus more energy for the rest of the morning. Because our workout part is not temperature controlled, I sometimes need to accommodate the outside temperature. I am blessed that the weather in our local part is ordinary for the majority of the year. My cabin gym has 1 wall that is constructed very from screens. The influx of fresh air is a benefit. It feels refreshing plus invigorating. It avoids the very unpleasant odor of outdated sweat. In the middle of summer, the heat plus humidity become a problem. I wish that there was some way to install air conditioning. Instead, I have a single box fan that provides very little relief. Although I rest directly in front of the fan, I still sweat profusely… During the worst of winter, I have the opposite problem. There’s no opening of heating the area. I need to bundle up in layers of clothes to keep warm. My joints plus muscles assume slim plus stiff, plus it’s difficult to get motivated. There are times when the conditions are so chilly that I need to transfer our workout indoors. The heated beach house is genuinely too hot for a fine workout plus there is very limited space.

heating dealer

Moving south plus buying a beach house with a heat pump

After spending over fifty years dealing with the brutal chilly plus excessive snow up north, our husband plus I decided to transfer south.

We’d had enough of un-even temperatures down to negative twenty-five degrees plus dangerous wind chills.

All of us were sleepy of shoveling, plowing plus scraping ice. For more than half the year, the people I was with and I were trapped in the beach house plus reliant on the gas furnace; Our weekly heating bills added up to approximately 50% of our household energy consumption. By the end of the winter, the beach house would assume horribly dry, stuffy plus stale. It seemed to take forever for the weather to hot up enough to melt the snow. The Spring plus fall seasons were usually windy plus rainy. All of us were blessed to get 2 to multiple months of weather hot enough to open the windows plus wear shorts. There was very little opening to care about outdoor activities. Then it would once again be time to schedule repair for the gas furnace, change the air filter, plus get the snow shovel, boots plus wool coats ready for another winter. My husband plus I were eager to head south plus escape un-even temperatures below chilly. All of us chose a beach house with a heat pump that provides both heating plus cooling. All of us rarely need to run it in heating mode, however are entirely thankful for cooling. Our new location often sees un-even temperatures in the high nineties. Although the heat plus humidity are intense, we’re still happy the people I was with and I resituated. All of us appreciate sandals instead of boots plus tank tops instead of blazers. The heat pump handles the year round comfort of our home.

air conditioning workman

Planning a gas furnace upgradement

My gas gas furnace is about twenty years old.

It hasn’t been covered by the manufacturer’s warranty for a long time.

Although I am diligent about air filter fluctuations plus annual repair, the gas furnace has started to need various small repairs every year. Those professional services are starting to add up. Plus, the gas furnace is no longer as energy efficient as it once was. The weekly costs are getting a bit higher all the time! Even when the system was new, it only managed an 73% AFUE rating. There are now models on the market that achieve up to 98% efficiency ratings. These units offer adjustable speed operation. They are able to adjust their output in tiny 1 percent increments plus run someplace from 40 to 100% capacity. The result is far lower running costs, less impact on the environment plus more even temperature. These systems don’t cause as many problems with insufficient humidity plus are safer. I guess it’s time that I schedule a upgradement for our gas furnace. It would be better to be proactive than to wait for our gas furnace to quit during a blizzard. I’d rather not be left separate from heat when the temperature is below zero plus the roads nearly imsufficient. There’s always the worry of pipes chilly plus bursting. While a new gas furnace is a significant investment, I guess the savings on our energy bills will reuse it fairly quickly. The updated system would be covered by manufacturer’s warranty, give superior comfort plus include current features, such as zone control plus wireless accessibility. I system to schedule the replacement project for this summer.

 

energy saving tips

Getting ductwork sealed

Last winter, I observed some problems with the furnace.

It seemed to be running a lot more often plus longer than usual.

The oil furnace was struggling to keep up with the thermostat setting plus the new home felt chilly. There was a definite difference in temperature between the several rooms. I also had to dust plus vacuum more frequently. Because I am conscientious about air filter fluctuations plus scheduling professional maintenance in the fall, I was surprised by the complaints with the furnace. I called our respected Heating and Air Conditioning business plus explained our problems. He instantly suspected the ductwork as the source of the problems. After completing a testing of airflow through the ductwork, he determined that approximately 25% of the heated air was escaping through holes plus cracks at the seams. These same leaks were drawing in cold, dirty outdoor air plus spreading contaminants throughout the house. I had no system how duct sealing could be completed without a major mess. The ductwork is installed behind the walls plus ceilings. The business explained a fairly new technology called Aeroseal works to repair leaks from the inside. He first sealed off the supply plus return registers. He then pumped highly pressurized air into the ductwork. This air was laced with adhesive polymer particles that are non-toxic. As the air escaped through the holes in the ducts, those particles clung to the edges plus steadily built up to provide an airtight seal. The whole process was completed within a couple of minutes. It is guaranteed to last more than nine years plus makes a sizable improvement in the comfort, cleanliness plus efficiency of the home.

 

New heating and cooling information

Moving south plus buying a new home with a heat pump

After spending over fifty years dealing with the brutal cold plus excessive snow up north, our fiance plus I decided to transfer south.

We’d had enough of temperatures down to disadvantage twenty-multiple degrees plus dangerous wind chills.

The two of us were tired of shoveling, plowing plus scraping ice. For more than half the year, all of us were trapped in the new home plus reliant on the furnace, then our bi-weekly heating bills added up to approximately 50% of our household energy consumption. By the end of the winter, the new home would believe horribly dry, stuffy plus stale. It seemed to take forever for the weather to warm up enough to melt the snow. The Springtime plus fall seasons were usually windy plus rainy. The two of us were fortunate to get more than one to more than 2 months of weather warm enough to open the windows plus wear shorts. There was truly little option to prefer outdoor activities. Then it would once again be time to schedule maintenance for the furnace, change the air filter, plus get the snow shovel, boots plus wool coats ready for another winter. My fiance plus I were eager to head south plus escape temperatures below chilly. The two of us chose a new home with a heat pump that provides both heating plus cooling. The two of us rarely need to run it in heating mode, but are absolutely thankful for cooling. Our new location often sees temperatures in the high nineties. Although the heat plus humidity are intense, we’re still ecstatic all of us relocated. The two of us prefer sandals instead of boots plus tank tops instead of sweaters. The heat pump handles the year round comfort of our home.

 

hvac tech

Old heating plus cooling plan continues to operate

The two of us were able to afford a home situated right along the lake because it had been left vacant for quite a few years.

The previous owners had started plus failed to finish several improvement projects.

One of the washrooms was completely torn out. The kitchen was missing a floor. Some of the windows were boarded up. Every appliance was harshly outdated. The plumbing was corroded plus leaking. My wife plus I are especially handy plus appreciate tackling immense projects. The two of us were very relieved the electrical plan was up to code plus the heating/cooling plan proved functional. The home is equipped with a packaged machine that is situated outside plus provides both heating plus cooling capability. It sends the conditioned air through HVAC duct that runs inside the attic plus delivers comfort by way of supply plus return vents chop into the ceilings. The machine is enormous plus uncharming. It’s rusted plus very noisy. It frequently startles myself and others when it starts up. The two of us expected to need to replace it within the year. We’ve now lived in the home for nearly 5 years plus the plan continues to operate. It really handles the drastic summer time heat plus humidity. It struggles a bit in the winter. Fortunately, the temperature in our local section rarely drops below 40 degrees. On the coldest afternoons, the plan occasionally freezes over. We’ve purchased a portable electric heating system to supplement. We’ve only had a single concern with the machine so far. I noticed hot air coming from the vents when it was set to cooling mode. I called for repairs, fully expecting to replace the whole system. The serviceman found a small refrigerant leak. She told us the plan is too seasoned to find replacement parts. She refilled plus recharged the refrigerant plus said to hope for the best. So far, that solution is holding up just fine.

a/c care program