What’s That Smell? Heating System Odors

Let’s face it - strange heating system odors can put you in a foul mood, especially if you’re just trying to enjoy the comfort your heating system normally offers. They could also be the first sign that something’s gone wrong with your heating equipment.Any one of the heating system odors mentioned below can spell trouble for your heating system if left unchecked. Here’s a quick guide on these odors, including what causes them and how to take care of them for good:

Dirty socks

Bacteria buildup on the evaporator coils can cause unpleasant odors that are sometimes it can to dirty socks. Cleaning the coils and other parts of your HVAC system can help take care of this problem.

Ozone or metallic odors

Burnt electrical wiring or overheating components can give off a variety of metallic and ozone-like odors. You should have your HVAC technician seek out the culprit before using your furnace again.

Dusty or musty odors

If you haven’t used your furnace in a while, then chances are you’ll end up burning off some of the dust and debris that has collected on your furnace during its dormancy. This is quite normal, unless you have a dirty air filter that needs changing.

Burning oil

Spilled oil, fuel line leaks and improper ignition can cause your basement or storage area to smell like heating oil. If the odor doesn’t go away within a day or so, then you should have your HVAC technician check out your furnace.

Rotten eggs

If you smell rotten eggs or sulfur, then you’re likely dealing with a natural gas leak. The additives in natural gas are designed to give off this noxious odor, alerting you to its presence. Shut off your heating system, exit your home and call your local gas company to tackle the leak.

If your nose is clueing you in to strange heating system odors, then it’s probably time to have an HVAC technician take a close look at your system. To schedule an appointment in the Broken Arrow area, contact us at Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about your heating system and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Lowering Your Heating Load For Your Home

You might be surprised to hear how much control you have over the amount you pay in heating bills, as well as how big a furnace or heat pump is required to heat your home. Furnace sizing is directly related to your home's heating load, as is the amount you pay in monthly energy bills. If you lower the heating load, you can get away with a smaller furnace and lower heating bills.Following are some effective ways to reduce the heating load of your home:

• Seal air leaks. When warm air is escaping your home via gaps in the outer envelope, the furnace has to work harder to replace that warm air. In the summer, when warm air is infiltrating your home through the same openings, your A/C has to work harder. Using caulk, weatherstripping or spray foam (depending on the location and size of air leak), seal your house so it's as airtight as possible.

• Upgrade insulation. Without adequate insulation in walls, foundation, ceilings and attic, heat energy has an easier time transferring to the outside in winter and inside in the summer. As with air leaks, this forces your furnace to work harder, wasting energy and stressing parts. Attic insulation especially is important to keep heat inside.

• Get a programmable thermostat. These devices allow you to set energy-saving programs to match your daily schedule. The thermostat will lower heating when nobody's home or when everybody's asleep at night, and return it to your comfort level shortly before home occupants are expected to awaken or return home from work or school.

• Use ceiling fans. In the winter, set the fan blade rotation to clockwise. This blows air upward, where it displaces warm air that collects near the ceiling, pushing it down into the room where people can feel it.

• Schedule preventive maintenance. Make sure you schedule a maintenance tuneup on your furnace once a year, to ensure it's operating effectively, efficiently and safely.

More more information on how to lower the heating load in your Broken Arrow area home, please call us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heating loads and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay”

Find the Right Heat/Humidity Balance

People complain about humidity in the summer months, but many don't know that it can also be a problem in the winter. However, in the winter, the issue lies with having too little moisture in the air instead of too much.

Who Needs Humidity Anyway?

Even though it may not feel like it during the summer, moisture in the air does serve a useful purpose. It helps prevent:

1. Cold and allergy symptoms feeling worse as dry air can irritate your throat and mucous membranes.

2. Leather clothes, shoes, or furniture drying and cracking.

3. Skin, especially the sensitive skin on your lips, getting dry and chapped.

4. Wood furniture and floors drying out, leading to cracks and other structural problems.

Can Humidity Save Money?

Perhaps one of the best reasons to control the moisture in your home is your energy bill. The higher you set your thermostat in the winter, the more energy you pay for. Obviously, you'd like to keep your home temperature reasonably low for cost reasons. You may find that you're sacrificing your family's comfort when you lower the thermostat, though.The solution may just be to raise the humidity in your home. If your air is dry, it will wick away the moisture on your skin more quickly. This has the same effect as a cool breeze when you are sweating on a hot day - it leaves you feeling cooler.Keeping your home's relative humidity at 45-55% in the winter means that the air has enough moisture not to dry out your skin. In turn, this leaves you feeling warmer. You can lower your thermostat a few degrees without noticing a drop in comfort.

How Do You Maintain Consistent Humidity?

Even though plug-in humidifiers will add humidity to your home, they are unable to adjust the amount of moisture they put out to keep the moisture in your air at a consistent level. A whole-home humidifier works through your HVAC system to deliver the right levels of moisture and adapt to changing air conditions.

For more information about controlling humidity in your Broken Arrow home, contact Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat and humidity balance and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “clker-free-vector-images/Pixabay”

Face It — Your Heating System is Ready for an Upgrade

Many people move into homes and only have a vague idea of the age of the heating system that comes with the home. Years later, it's even harder to know how long that heating equipment has been chugging away. Or perhaps you bought the furnace or heat pump yourself some years ago.Whatever the case, it's important to recognize signs that your heating system is ready for replacement. Following are some red flags to watch out for:

The age of the system

Furnaces last an average of 15-20 years, though it can be more or less depending on maintenance and usage. For example, a furnace operating in a cold-weather climate that seldom gets professional maintenance probably will go kaput at the short end of the average service life. With heat pumps, the average service life typically runs from 12-15 years. When your heating system gets close to the end of its expected service life, start watching for signs that a replacement is warranted.

The frequency of repairs

Obviously, if your older furnace or heat pump is breaking down or malfunctioning frequently – requiring serious repairs more than once a year – consider replacement. Once some components start to go bad, other components soon will begin following suit.

Loss of efficiency and/or comfort

If your energy bills are rising and comfort decreasing, and you can't find any other obvious reason for those negative developments, it could mean your old heating equipment is going bad.

Obvious corrosion or deterioration

Sometimes you can see for yourself that aging equipment is near its end. Corrosion or rust on a furnace heat exchanger may signal cracks, which can be hazardous to your family.The good news when it comes to a heating system upgrade is that modern HVAC equipment is much more energy efficient than equipment produced 15-20 years ago. With a new system, you can begin saving on energy bills immediately, while enjoying enhanced whole-house comfort.

For help deciding whether you need to repair or replace the aging furnace or heat pump in your Broken Arrow area home, please contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heating system upgrades and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/Pixabay”

How Dangerous are Space Heaters?

A space heater is a great addition to your overall home heating plan. Used strategically, space heaters can provide spot heating that raises your comfort level without adding significantly to your wintertime energy bill.The main drawback for any type of auxiliary heating is understanding how to use it safely. More than 18,000 home fires are caused annually because of improper use of space heaters. Read on, and learn about the types of auxiliary heating that are available, and how to use these appliances safely.

What Type of Space Heater for Your Home?

Choose from several types of auxiliary heating available in the marketplace.

1. Conductive — This type includes electric space heaters, which use heating elements, made of mica or chromium/nickel, to convert electricity into heat. These are portable and easy to move around.

2. Radiant — These commonly circulate oil through pipes, radiating heat outward and are good for small spaces. Radiant heat may also be generated by combustion-powered units, which should be vented for safety when used indoors.

3. Convection — These use elements to heat air, which is sometimes circulated by a fan. They heat quietly, with the heat persisting for a long time. Convection heaters may be heavy and are therefore not really portable.

Employ these tips for safe use of your heating units:

1. Buy a heater controlled by a thermostat, with guards over heating coils, sensors to shut down the unit if it tips, a grounded, three-prong plug, cold-touch surface to prevent burns and internal sensors to prevent overheating.

2. Position auxiliary heating away from foot traffic and on level surfaces away from combustible materials.

3. Never place anything on top of auxiliary heating.

4. Plug auxiliary heating directly into the wall, never into an extension cord.

5. Unplug heaters when not in use.

6. Get rid of the heater if it trips the circuit breaker or is missing knobs, guard, controls or feet, or if the cord is frayed.

7. Avoid using electrical heaters in a room where they may come in contact with water.

Want more expert advice about using a space heater? Contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about space heaters and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “brian-a-jackson/Shutterstock”

Find Out How a Variable-Speed Furnace Works

Why settle for outdated, on/off heating when new variable-speed furnace technology excels in both comfort and energy efficiency? You may not realize it, but if you’re heating with gas like most Oklahomans, the cost of the electricity to operate the forced-air furnace blower is a major contributor to your heating expenses. Most installed furnaces incorporate a blower with a PSC (permanent split capacitor) motor. It’s an old-school energy hog and only operates at two speeds: on and off. A variable-speed furnace blower incorporates ECM (electronically commutated motor) technology programmed to circulate air continuously across a wide range of output speeds keyed to the heating requirements of the home.

Maybe it's time to move up to 21st-century heating technology and upgrade to a variable-speed furnace. Here’s an overview of the advantages.

More Consistent Heating

Conventional PSC furnaces create noticeable temperature swings in the home. As the blower cycles on and off repeatedly, temperatures may swerve from 10 degrees above the thermostat setting to 10 degrees below. Rooms are always overly warm or too chilly. A variable-speed ECM blower runs at low output continuously, maintaining comfort levels close to the thermostat setting at all times.

Lower Operating Costs

A typical PSC furnace blower guzzles over 500 watts of electricity when it's energized. A variable-speed ECM blower consumes less than 100 watts, substantially reducing the electrical component of your heating costs.

Improved Filtration

The air filter in your heating system protects indoor air quality—as long as air circulates through the filter. When a conventional system blower cycles off every few minutes, circulation stops and filtration ceases. Optimum air quality is also on-and-off. Because a variable-speed blower runs continuously, air filtration never stops and the indoor environment improves.

Longer Component Life

A conventional motor runs at full-blast output and turns on and off repeatedly, incurring substantial wear and tear. Variable-speed blowers run consistently at reduced output and stay cooler. This reduces wear and contributes to greater reliability and a longer expected service.

For more advantages of upgrading to a variable-speed furnace, contact the heating professionals at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Gustavo Frazao/Shutterstock”

Should You Leave These Heating Equipment Tasks to a Pro?

Taking care of your home's heating system is essential if you want to provide your home with reliable, comfortable heating throughout the winter. This is true whether you use a gas furnace, an electric heat pump or a combustion boiler. As with all HVAC systems, heating equipment maintenance involves a mixture of do-it-yourself steps and professional tasks.

So, how to you know which heating equipment tasks should be left to a professional? Here's a basic explanation:

Do-It-Yourself

• Inspect and change air filters when they get dirty. Make sure to check your filter at least once a month. A clean filter allows for a smooth airflow through your system, keeping damaging dust and debris out of sensitive components. As a result, you'll save money on energy and reduce the chance of breakdowns.

• Seal leaky ducts. If you find loose connections or actual holes or cracks, seal them with duct mastic and metal-backed tape. Then, insulate ducts that run through unconditioned areas, such as your crawlspace or basement.

• Remove obstructions from heating vents and registers. You'll be surprised by how many household objects get shoved atop vents, including rugs, furniture and drapes.

Call a Professional 

• Check ignition and combustion components for fuel-burning furnaces and boilers. All components should be clean, and moving parts should be lubricated.

• With combustion heating systems, your technician should make sure the venting, exhaust and chimney set-up is safe and up to code. Otherwise, you're risking carbon-monoxide poisoning and/or fire.

• Electric wiring and terminals should be assessed for proper connections and operation in heat pumps, furnaces and boiler systems.

• Heat pump systems should be inspected for correct refrigerant level, while indoor and outdoor coils should be cleaned. Airflow should also be checked and adjusted.

• In both furnaces and heat pumps, the condensate drain should be inspected for blockages and cleaned.

For more advice on helpful heating equipment tasks to complete this season, please contact Air Assurance. We serve the Greater Tulsa area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “mushan/Shutterstock”

5 Ways to Keep More Heat in Your Home

The challenge of every homeowner during the winter is figuring out how to keep more heat indoors. Heating systems work hard, but if you've invested in an efficient, modern furnace and have kept it well maintained, you've already taken the most important steps toward lowering your utility bills.Still, there's always more you can do. Here are some tips that will help boost your heating efforts and make your home warmer and more comfortable.

Seal and Insulate

• One of the best things you can do to keep cold air out and warm air in is to apply caulk around window frames and weatherstripping in door frames. Plastic film on windows and glass doors should also help. Apply wherever you feel cold breezes.

• A door sweep will also keep chilly winds out. Make sure it's attached low enough to do the job without wearing the material out. You may have to adjust it from year to year.

• Insulation is perhaps the no. 1 way to keep your home cozy. Have your home's insulation assessed by a professional for its effectiveness. Does your insulation have the right R-value (resistance value) for our area?

• An easy way to insulate is by pulling drapes or curtains shut on a cloudy day to keep heat in. Be sure to open the drapes on a sunny day to let sunshine (passive solar energy) naturally warm your home.

• Install a programmable thermostat. Program yours with a regular regimen. You might start with a program that is set for 68 degrees in the morning when people are getting up, and then goes down to 60 degrees after everyone leaves. The thermostat will then call for a return to 68 degrees when the household is due to return home in the afternoon or evening. At bedtime, the temperature should once again revert to 60 degrees. If occupants complain of being chilly, urge them to dress warmly.

Contact Air Assurance for more tips on how heating systems can keep your home warmer. We serve customers in Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “VooDoo13/Shutterstock”

Is It Time for a Heating Upgrade? What to Consider

As the single biggest use of energy in your Broken Arrow home, your heating and cooling system has the biggest impact on your energy costs. As a result, it's important for your heating and cooling systems to operate as efficiently as possible. Even more, it's important to know when it is time to upgrade your heating system. The following information is designed to inform you of a few tell tale signs its time for a heating upgrade.

Exceeded Life Expectancy

Since all equipment has a life expectancy, it's important to consider a heating upgrade when your equipment has reached its life expectancy. While most heat pumps have a life expectancy of 10 years, furnaces and boilers have a longer life of around 15 years. In any case, when your system reaches its life expectancy, you should consider replacing it with a more energy efficient unit.

Frequent Repairs

Over time, your heating equipment will become much less efficient because component parts will fail. If your equipment starts to need frequent repairs outside of regular maintenance and your energy bill rises, it's time to consider upgrading your heating system.

Rooms Too Hot or Cold

If your rooms are too cold or too hot, it could be the result of improper ductwork. At the same time, your equipment could be malfunctioning.

Humidity Problems

If the air in your home is too humid in the summer or too dry in the winter, it could the result of inadequate equipment, leaky ductwork, or the need for a heating upgrade

Noisy Heating System

If your heating system is making strange noises, it's time to consider a heating upgrade. In most cases, the problem is with the indoor coil or your duct system is undersized.

In any case, if your heating isn't working efficiently, it may be costing you much more than you know. As a result, it's important to know when it is time for a heating upgrade and whom to contact. Since 1985, Air Assurance has been servicing the Broken Arrow and Tulsa area. Contact us for more expert advice all of your HVAC issues.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Thinglass/Shutterstock”