Dowd Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Sounds You Should Hear From Your Heater

Monday, April 3rd, 2023

You might spend time online looking up sounds that are concerning when they come from your heater. But one step in knowing what isn’t normal to hear is knowing what sounds are completely normal when they come from your heater. After all, your heater is not completely silent as it operates to keep your home warm.

The question is which sounds should you hear from your heater, and which sounds are a red flag? If you hear any of the sounds that we are outlining below, your heater is probably working completely normally. But if you hear any other sounds, especially ones that are loud or obnoxious, then it may be time to schedule heating services in Bensalem, PA. Keep reading to learn more about the sounds that your heater makes as a normal part of operation.

Tags: Bensalem, heater sounds
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Is Your Heating System Running Out of Time? Some Signs of Imminent Failure to Watch For

Monday, March 6th, 2023

The end of the winter doesn’t give us much respite from the cold, and this is a time when heating systems are at a greater danger of failing. The heater in your home has worked steadily since late fall, and even if you had regular maintenance done before winter, it still might buckle under all the labor it’s had to do as it nears the finish line.

The best way to avoid becoming trapped with a failed heater is to know the warnings the system is headed for serious trouble. You can then call for timely heating repair in Newtown, PA to rescue the system. In cases of older heaters, you may need to schedule a replacement—but at least you’ll be ahead of the problem!

Here are the warning signs you have a heater on the “emergency watch” list.

Tags: Heating System Repair, Heating System Replacement, Newtown
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Benefits of Radiant Heating Over Forced-Air Heating

Monday, February 20th, 2023

You may have heard about radiant heating, an alternative to the traditional home heating method of using a furnace or heat pump that sends heated air through ductwork. Radiant heating isn’t new technology. At the core, it just describes a type of movement of heat. When you feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, or you put your hand near a hot surface, you’re feeling radiant heat energy.

Radiant heat is the movement of thermal energy from one object to another without heating the air between them. This is different from convection heating, the movement of thermal energy through the movement of heated air, which is the type of heating you get from a forced-air system like a furnace.

The most common type of radiant heating system in homes is a hydronic boiler. The boiler heats water and sends it to terminal points in the living space: baseboard heaters, radiators, in-floor tubing. These objects heat up from the water and radiate heat into the rooms.

Installing radiant heating in Bensalem, PA is often a big project, and it’s best done during construction or remodeling. But there are several benefits of a radiant heating system compared to a forced-air one, and these may make you consider going with radiant for your next HVAC system.

Tags: Bensalem, Radiant Heating System
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What Are My Options for a New Home Heater?

Monday, February 6th, 2023

If you’re reading this, you might be planning to have a new heating system installed in your home during the coming spring. Or you’re in an emergency situation where your current heating system is failing and you’ll need to call our experts for heating installation in Hatboro, PA soon.

Whatever the case, we’re glad to help! The best way we can assist is to come to your home, look at your current heater and heating needs, and give you our professional opinion about what type of heating system ideally suits you.

To help you get an idea of what’s ahead, here are your major options for a new heating system.

Tags: Hatboro, Heating System Installation, Heating System Replacement
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Can I Do Any Heating Repairs Myself?

Monday, January 9th, 2023

This is a question that homeowners often ask HVAC technicians, and it makes sense that they would. There are many home repairs you can manage on your own with the right tools and a bit of know-how. Why wouldn’t this also apply to a home heater?

But a heating system isn’t the same as reattaching kitchen cabinet doors! Modern heating systems are complex, and because of the amount of power they require to run—often burning natural gas to generate heat—trying to repair them without professional training and equipment is risky.

So the simple answer is, No, there aren’t any heating repairs you can do yourself.

Tags: Heating System Repair, Levittown
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Why Your Furnace’s Blower Won’t Stop Running

Monday, December 26th, 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 the blower continuing to run for a few minutes after the gas burners have shut off.

You might run into an issue with your furnace where the blower constantly runs. It isn’t always sending around heat, but it’s always blowing air. We’ll take a look at what can cause this and whether you’ll need furnace repair in Levittown, PA.

Tags: Furnace Repair, Heating System Repair, Levittown
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Tips to Keep Your Gas Furnace Running Safely This Winter

Monday, November 14th, 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 lead to carbon monoxide leaks and fire hazards. If you know the right steps to take each year with your gas furnace, you can reduce the chances of furnace dangers to almost nothing.

Below are the best ways to ensure a safely working gas furnace this winter.

Tags: Hatboro, Heating System Maintenance, Heating System Repair
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How Long Can You Expect Your Furnace to Last?

Monday, October 3rd, 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.

Tags: Furnace Replacement, Heating System Replacement, Levittown
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It’s Almost Fall, So Let’s Get Your Heater Tuned-Up!

Monday, September 19th, 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 to go DIY for full maintenance service on your furnace or any other type of heating system.

Tags: Heating System Maintenance, Heating System Repair
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Can I Make Any Repairs to My Gas Furnace Myself?

Monday, February 21st, 2022

We understand that doing repairs around the house on your own is an excellent way to save money. This doesn’t apply to all parts of the house, however! Some jobs require professional training and tools to do correctly. In the case of a gas furnace, the repairs not only need trained technicians to do the work accurately but also to do the work safely.

Simply put: it is dangerous for anyone who is not licensed to work on gas appliances to attempt to repair any device hooked up to a gas main, and that includes a household gas furnace. In most jurisdictions, non-licensed work is illegal, since it can create a general danger to the neighborhood if there’s a fire. Even amateur furnace work that appears to have gotten the job done may mask a slow problem that will result in toxic carbon monoxide entering the house. Amateur DIY efforts are not worth it! For furnace repair in Levittown, PA, only call experts like our technicians.

Tags: Furnace Repair, Heating System Repair, Levittown
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