Dowd Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Heating System Repair’

Is Your Heating System Running Out of Time? Some Signs of Imminent Failure to Watch For

Monday, March 6th, 2023
analog-clock

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.

Continue Reading

Can I Do Any Heating Repairs Myself?

Monday, January 9th, 2023
wrenches

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.

Continue Reading

Why Your Furnace’s Blower Won’t Stop Running

Monday, December 26th, 2022
dog-in-wind

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.

Continue Reading

Why Is My Heat Pump Not Sending Out Warm Air?

Monday, December 12th, 2022
cold-man-with-thermostat

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 at this post because your heat pump just isn’t doing the “heat” side of its job. The cold weather has arrived, and you expect to get warm air flowing from the vents. Instead, you’re either getting room-temperature air or even cold air. Why is this happening? 

We’re pros when it comes to heat pump repair in Hatboro, PA, and we can explain the common reasons for this problem.

Continue Reading

Tips to Keep Your Gas Furnace Running Safely This Winter

Monday, November 14th, 2022
gas-furnace

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.

Continue Reading

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

Monday, September 19th, 2022
autumn_background

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.

Continue Reading

Can I Make Any Repairs to My Gas Furnace Myself?

Monday, February 21st, 2022
hand-holding-wrench

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.

Continue Reading

A Cracked Heat Exchanger: Why This Is a Serious Problem for Your Gas Furnace

Monday, February 7th, 2022
furnace-burners-small

We want to start this post with an important reassurance about gas furnaces: they aren’t “dangerous” appliances to have in your home, and with the proper care a gas furnace can run safely for many years. 

But we do have to address the possibilities of health hazards, and any gas-burning appliance can create dangers from carbon monoxide leaks or fires. The more you know about potential safety issues that can come from your gas furnace, the better armed you’ll be to prevent them.

Intro over, now let’s talk about one of the serious gas furnace problems that can put a household’s health at risk: a cracked heat exchanger.

Continue Reading

At What Point Is Repairing Your Old Heater No Longer Worth It?

Monday, January 24th, 2022
Furnace-standard

You shouldn’t think of any central heating system in your home as “the last heater you’ll ever need to buy” (or inherit if the heater came with the house). No such heating system exists. Although you can get a longer service life from a heating system with regular maintenance and attention to repairs as needed, eventually wear and tear will deteriorate the system to where it’s no longer worth keeping. 

Getting a new heating installation in Hatboro, PA is a major decision, one you don’t want to make hastily. Below we’ll look at some of the ways you can judge if your heating system is past the point of repairing and you’re ready for a new one.

Continue Reading

When Your Heater Starts Making These Noises, It’s Time to Call Us

Monday, January 10th, 2022

One of the main ways your heating system can send you a warning that it’s encountering trouble is by making unusual noises. What counts as “unusual”? We’ll list several below, but if you’ve already had your heater for a few seasons you’ll know the standard sounds it makes as it runs. Anything that catches your attention because it’s different counts as unusual. If your heater becomes louder than normal, that’s also a potential warning sign that something is wrong and it’s best for you to call for heating repair in Hatboro, PA from our team.

Continue Reading