Furnaces are designed to last a long time, and with our mild winters here in Casselberry, FL, they can last even longer. But that doesn’t mean they will go on forever, and as they age, specific problems are bound to crop up. Once the warranty on your heater expires, you need to take careful note of any problems that arise. Some of them can be dealt with by timely repair sessions, but eventually one or more of them will likely require you to purchase a new heater. These problems can include, but are not limited to, the following:
Downtown Air and Heat Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Heating’
Problems with Older Furnaces
Monday, November 14th, 20163 Upgrades to Help Your Heater Perform at its Best
Monday, January 25th, 2016A house is not unlike the human body, in that it has multiple different systems that need to work in conjunction together in order to provide a pleasant and comfortable environment for your family. Here in Orlando, FL we don’t spend a whole lot of thought on our heating systems, since most of the year is devoted to keeping our homes cool, not warm. But you may be spending more than you need to on your heating bills every month, in part because you don’t have any auxiliary systems working in conjunction with it. These upgrades are easy to install and can make a huge difference with your HVAC system, not just in the winter, but all year round. Here are 3 of them that can help your heater perform at its best.
Can My Heater Make the Air Too Dry?
Monday, January 27th, 2014You are familiar with the term “a dry heat,” which is usually held up as superior to a humid heat. There’s a reason for this: the moisture in humid air condenses onto skin and releases more heat as it does so, giving you the sensation that the temperature is hotter than it actually is. The opposite occurs in a dry heat, which will make you feel as if the temperature is somewhat cooler than it is.
But a dry heat brings its own problems: aridity. Extremely dry air can lead to health issues: cracked and chapped skin, eye and noise irritation, asthma and other breathing troubles. During dry, cold weather, the temperature will feel lower without the addition of moisture to add heat from condensation.
A home heating system can contribute to the issue of dryness. The hotter your house becomes, the drier its air will become—and some heating systems remove more moisture than others. How does this affect our heating systems in Orlando, FL? It’s a bit of a different situation than in other parts of the country, as our technicians at Downtown Air & Heat can explain.
Because Florida has one of the most humid climates in the U.S., heaters like heat pumps that use condensation to release heat into a home can be beneficial to defeating the moist air. The condensing coil on a heat pump (the indoor coil when the system is in heating mode) removes moisture from the air as it releases heat through condensation. This can be a tremendous relief during moist cold weather. In general, a heat pump won’t make your air too dry, nor will a standard furnace (although a furnace will not be the same help with dehumidifying the air). In fact, we often recommend people in Florida invest in a heat pump for this very reason: its dehumidifying ability.
However, if your air does become excessively dry when you run your heater, it may indicate some sort of flaw, such as the heater running too long. When this happens, hire repairs technicians to examine the problem. Look to Downtown Air & Heat for the quality work on Orlando, FL heating systems that will make sure they are properly balanced to give you warmth without drying out your home.
Heating Systems for Your Business
Friday, January 10th, 2014When you install heating in your home, you only have the needs of your family and occasional guests to worry about. When you install heating for your business, you have a much larger group of people to provide for: employees, customers, clients, etc. Picking out the right heating system in Orlando, FL for a business takes a great deal of thought, since it will have a large impact on daily operations.
Downtown Air & Heat stays current with commercial HVAC technology, so we are in an excellent position to help you find the right heating for your business. Here’s a short list of some of your options for commercial heating. Our NATE-certified heating technicians can install whatever system you need, and they will help you make the best choice.
Heat pump
Heat pumps have been popular for commercial use for years, long before they moved into the private sector. A heat pump has the advantages of taking care of heating and cooling with one system—no need for a separate AC and heater. Heat pumps sometimes struggle with temperatures below freezing… but that’s unlikely to occur in Orlando.
Ductless mini splits
If you are constructing a new space for your business, you may want to go with ductless mini splits, which eliminate the need for building ductwork into your designs. Ductless mini splits work the same as heat pumps, except they use separate blower units to distribute air, rather than ducts. This means that your employees can adjust the individual blower units to suit their own needs without having to change the temperature of the entire workspace.
Central furnaces
The traditional standby for most businesses is a central furnace—either gas or electric-powered—hooked up to ductwork. Furnaces remain common today because of their effective heat and the high temperatures they can reach. Furnaces are flexible; an installer can almost always find one to match a business’ needs.
Because your business space is likely much larger than your home, you need to have specialists perform a heat load calculation to determine the specific needs for heating. This involves numerous factors, including heat loss and gain through windows and the amount of heat the lights and other appliances radiate. With the right professionals on the job, you will end up with the perfect system for your business.
Contact Downtown Air & Heat today to get started with finding your ideal comfort for heating your business in Orlando, FL.
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