Posted on October 27th, 2017

Repair or Replace?

As a home owner, the time will come when you will have to decide whether you should repair or replace your furnace. You may wake up one freezing, cold morning with a broken furnace and hope that it only needs a minor fix.

Unfortunately, some problems are much larger than expected. When faced with a decision to repair or replace your furnace, it can be a tough financial decision to make. Western Heating & Air Conditioning knows what it’s like to be in those situations and we want to help make your decision an easy one.  Here is a real life example of a family in Eagle Mountain who faced the dilemma to repair or replace.

Customer’s challenge:  The Cook family own a home in Eagle Mountain. For days they noticed their furnace was making a quiet, yet high pitched sound whenever it turned on. It ended up breaking down and that’s when they knew they needed to call Western Heating & Air Conditioning. They had only lived in this home for a year and didn’t know anything about the furnace.  They plan on moving and selling the home in a few years.

Western’s solution:  One of Western’s Most Wanted Technicians was sent to visit The Cooks to see what the issue could be.  At first glance, the technician could tell the furnace was old and not properly maintained.  He saw that the furnace was 17 years old and noticed there were small cracks in the heat exchanger which could potentially leak carbon monoxide. The blower motor bearings had gone out due to old age. The older furnace had not been properly maintained, and a large amount of the gas used to heat the home was going to waste.

Final Results:  The technician let the Cooks know that the best solution would be to replace it now. The technician then showed them where the cracks on the heat exchanger were located. That was all the Cook family needed to see to know that replacing the furnace would be the healthiest, cheapest choice for their family and the future owners of the home when they sell it.

** REMEMBER THIS:  Most furnaces last 15-20 years IF they are properly maintained. Annual maintenance can save hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars over the years on your utility bills, and fewer if no repairs.

If your furnace is over 10 years old and it has not been maintained yearly, call Western to have us thoroughly check, clean and tune up your unit.  It’s better to catch potential problems than neglecting it and having to replace your furnace earlier than necessary.

If you’re considering replacing your furnace or your furnace is in need of repairs, give us a call and we can help you make the best choice for your home, family and budget! Visit us at TimeForComfort.com or call 801-921-5250 to schedule an appointment!

Posted on October 12th, 2017

When it comes to comfort, temperature is only one part of the picture. The amount of moisture in the air is just as important. Getting humidity right affects your real comfort levels but more importantly, it affects your health… and nothing is more spooky than an awful, yucky cold!

How much humidity should you aim for?

The ideal range is 40-50% in the summer and 30% in the winter. The slightly lower target in winter is to prevent condensate from forming on cold windows. Typically for the colder months, low humidity is the issue since cold air holds less moisture, especially in an already dry state like Utah.

Effects of low humidity

• Static build-up is one of the first things you’d notice when the humidity drops. While this might be ok for Frankenstein, getting small shocks when you touch metal, and static-charged hair can bring some discomfort. However, for your expensive equipment and devices, static electricity can actually lead to damage.
• Dry skin and membranes: Low humidity causes the dreaded “winter skin” which can become zombie-like and painful as your skin cracks and opens you up to infection. Not only does your skin dry out, but so do your nasal membranes. This increases your susceptibility to colds and other respiratory illnesses.
• Damage to furniture and your home’s structure occurs if the air is so dry that it removes moisture from wood. Your floors may begin to creak more and your doorways might warp slightly. This is something that happens over time so you may not notice it right away but to keep your home from appearing and sounding haunted, you need the right humidity.

How to prevent a dry house
By far the best way to keep your humidity levels up in winter is to use a humidifier. You can use a vaporizer or install a humidifier in your HVAC system. Regardless of what you use, remember not to let the air get too humid because this comes with its own frightening problems.

You need the right-sized humidifier

To get the right amount of humidity in your home, the first step is to have a humidifier that’s the right size. A professional knows how to calculate the required pounds per hour (lb/hr) of moisture or steam to be added to the air. The amount of moisture needed is based on temperature of air entering the furnace (a mixture of outdoor air and return air from your home) as well as relative humidity. Moisture is added to get humidity levels up to where they should be. Having a humidity sensor ensures you never go too high or too low with humidity levels, and that’s a spell that you don’t want to miss out on.

Don’t deal with winter dryness this year

Don’t get tricked with the cold dry air this year. Give us a call at Western Heating & Air Conditioning and we’ll treat you with $50 off a whole house humidifier to cure your home’s low humidity problems. Call 801-375-COOL or visit us online at www.TimeForComfort.com