Plumbing & Heating FAQs
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Even if your heating and air conditioning system was built to go the distance, it has to be maintained, just like your car. A properly maintained system will last longer with fewer breakdowns and save money every month through lower fuel bills.
So you haven’t noticed any problems with your heating and air-conditioning system? If you don’t regularly change the oil in your car, you won’t notice problems caused by lack of maintenance until the engine stops running, either. The price of an oil change is much cheaper than the cost of a new engine! The same is true with your heating and air conditioning system. You may not notice the little problems in the short run – but they will always catch up with you in the long run and it costs a lot more to wait.
Since Interior Plumbing & Heating specializes in helping homeowners get the best performance possible from their heating and air conditioning systems through regular preventive maintenance, we know – and our customers know – Preventive Maintenance works.
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The average life of a gas furnace is 15 – 20 years.
The average life of an air conditioner is 15 – 20 years.
Regular maintenance helps prolong the life of both heating and air conditioning systems.
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Although your current furnace or air conditioner may be working, if it is more than 20 years old you should consider replacing it with a new high efficiency system. A new heating and air conditioning system could save up to 45% on energy costs. While these products save you money on your utility bills, they also offer a better degree of comfort within your home.
Keep in mind, if you are replacing an older high-efficiency system with a new high-efficiency system, you won’t see such a high degree of savings.
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A boiler uses oil, gas, or electricity to generate hot water and in some cases steam, which is piped to baseboard radiation, in-slab radiant, or hot water fan coil systems on the perimeter of the house.
A furnace burns oil or gas to heat up air which is forced by a fan through a large ducted system and blown through registers in various parts of the house.
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Several things can affect the noise level of a furnace. It could be a worn fan belt, bad bearings, or bearings in need of lubrication. A noisy furnace could also stem from a motor that is out of balance or a clogged filter.
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At the very least, change your air filters. You might also want to have your air ducts cleaned. Much of the dust, mites, and other debris that build up in air ducts are circulated into the air of your home.
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A heat pump may look like an air conditioning unit, but in fact it provides even more functionality. In warm weather, a heat pump will act like an air conditioner by removing heated air from your home. In the cooler seasons, it will reverse and bring heated air into your home. Heat pumps are commonly hooked into a gas furnace, where the heat pump brings in heated air, and the furnace blows that heated air throughout your home.