Dowd Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Why Your Furnace’s Blower Won’t Stop Running

December 26, 2022

If you use a furnace to warm your house each winter, you’re familiar with the sound of the blower, the fan that turns on to move around the hot air through the house. The blower is also responsible for sending air through the furnace to receive heat and to cool down the heat exchanger in the furnace at the end of the heating cycle. This is why you’ll notice…

Why Your Furnace’s Blower Won’t Stop Running - Dowd HVAC

Why Is My Heat Pump Not Sending Out Warm Air?

December 12, 2022

We encourage our customers to look into using heat pumps for year-round cooling and heating. Heat pumps are not only effective at delivering comfort for all seasons, they operate at high-energy efficiency (especially when compared to using an electric furnace for heat), and can benefit the environment because of their low emissions and superior efficiency. If you’re currently using a heat pump for the winter weather, you’ve probably arrived…

Why Is My Heat Pump Not Sending Out Warm Air? - Dowd HVAC

The Benefits of Regular Water Heater Flushes

November 28, 2022

We always stress the importance of having routine heating maintenance done for a residential heating system before winter arrives. It’s not difficult to convince people that it’s vital they have their furnace or other heater in top shape to handle the serious cold winters we experience in Pennsylvania. It’s a bit harder to convince them of the importance of this same regular service for water heaters—and the reason is…

The Benefits of Regular Water Heater Flushes - Dowd HVAC

Tips to Keep Your Gas Furnace Running Safely This Winter

November 14, 2022

Gas furnaces are not dangerous appliances to have in your home. The modern gas furnace is built with safety uppermost in mind, and if they did regularly pose dangers they wouldn’t even be allowed in residential buildings. However, many appliances can become dangerous if handled wrong or kept in poor condition, and this definitely applies to any gas-powered appliance. Combusting natural gas, such as in a gas furnace, can…

Tips to Keep Your Gas Furnace Running Safely This Winter

Does Rust on a Water Heater Mean It Must Be Replaced?

October 17, 2022

Rust and other forms of corrosion weaken metal and cause it to decay. It’s rarely a good thing to have rust occur, and this is true for water heaters. You don’t want to see rust developing on any part of your home’s water heater. But how serious is water heater corrosion? You may have heard that conventional wisdom is that when a water heater starts to show signs of…

Does Rust on a Water Heater Mean It Must Be Replaced?

How Long Can You Expect Your Furnace to Last?

October 3, 2022

This is the type of question that might nudge into your brain as we move deeper into fall and closer to the time when we’ll all need our furnaces in Levittown, PA hard at work. You might have a furnace that’s already done a decade or so of warming your house, and now you feel concerned about when it’ll need to be replaced. Don’t wait to find out how…

How Long Can You Expect Your Furnace to Last? - Dowd HVAC

It’s Almost Fall, So Let’s Get Your Heater Tuned-Up!

September 19, 2022

As we’re writing this, the official change to the fall season is only a few days away. This doesn’t mean the weather instantly turns cold after that date passes. But the transitional period of fall is the ideal time to make winter plans for your home. The most important fall-preparation step is to have your heating system thoroughly inspected and tuned up. This job requires professionals; you can’t try…

It’s Almost Fall, So Let’s Get Your Heater Tuned-Up! - Dowd HVAC

Was This Your AC’s Last Summer?

September 5, 2022

Air conditioning systems are built for function, not for decor, but it’s still difficult for any homeowner to decide to replace a central air conditioning system because of the cost. People want the most years possible from an investment like an AC. If you are currently facing a situation where you think your AC is ready for replacement, but you’re still hesitant because maybe you can get a few…

Was This Your AC’s Last Summer? - Dowd HVAC

Does an AC Do Enough to Control Indoor Humidity?

August 22, 2022

The answer to the question in the title depends on how much humidity your home deals with during the summer. If you don’t normally experience extremely high indoor humidity (relative humidity higher than 70%, although some people find more than 60% uncomfortable), then your AC will be able to keep you cool and happy. The air conditioner is not exactly controlling the humidity—although it’s doing some dehumidification—but it doesn’t…

Does an AC Do Enough to Control Indoor Humidity? - Dowd HVAC

Will My AC Need More Refrigerant Before Summer’s Over?

August 8, 2022

You should not need to add more refrigerant to your AC during the summer. In fact, your system should operate for many years without ever needing more. With a full understanding of what refrigerant is and how it works to keep your AC pumping efficiently, you’ll have a better understanding of what to expect from your system. What Is AC Refrigerant? Refrigerant is responsible for absorbing heat from warm…