Red Rock Mechanical, LLC Blog

Taking Care of Your Heat Pump After the Blizzard

March 20th, 2017

ice-pattern-on-glassA major storm swept through most the Northeast last week, and we weren’t spared. Storm Stella dropped heavy levels of snow on Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Ontario, and our own Vermont and New York region, with an average of two feet of snowfall. Schools shut down, flights were cancelled, and states of emergency were declared in some areas.

We hope you and your family weathered Stella’s assault in safety and that your home’s heating system worked steadily during the storm. Now that the weather has settled, it’s time to take stock of the situation and see if there are repairs necessary to restore you home and see that it’s ready in case of another March surprise.

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Spring Preparation: Your Plumbing

March 13th, 2017

Tools_tools_house-smA subject that we often bring up during the end of the winter and the beginning of spring is arranging for maintenance for your air conditioning system. This is a vital part of seeing that the AC is ready to handle another hot summer.

Your HVAC system isn’t the only part of your house that requires check-ups as spring begins. You might not realize how much stress your plumbing undergoes during the winter. Although your pipes, drains, and other parts of the plumbing don’t necessarily need professional inspections and maintenance each spring, it’s a wise idea to go through a few checks on your own to locate where there may be plumbing issues. This way you can schedule service in time to head off more serious problems.

Below are some of the most important checks to make for your plumbing in Burlington, VT as the first day of spring (Monday, March 20) closes in.

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Tank vs. Tankless Water Heaters

March 6th, 2017

tank-water-heaterWhen people think about residential water heaters, they have a distinct image in mind. It’s a simple image: a tall metal cylinder containing a supply of water. This is a storage water heater, also called a tank water heater. (Or, if you want to be extremely specific, a storage tank water heater.) The reason this is what people think of when they hear the term water heater is that tank water heaters are the most common way to heat water in homes and they have been for many decades.

This doesn’t mean they are the only choice. There are alternatives to the conventional electric or gas-powered storage water heater on the market. The most popular of these alternatives is the tankless water heater. More homes each year are adopting these models and finding out they love their multiple advantages.

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The End of Winter: Watch for These Heating Troubles

February 27th, 2017

winter-weather-sceneThe official end of winter and the start of spring is March 20, less than a month away. But as anybody who has lived for a few years in Northwest Vermont and Northeast New York can tell you, the weather is extremely unpredictable during this last period of winter. The saying that March “enters like a lamb and leaves like a lion” (and sometimes vice versa) is a short way of saying that you never quite know what the temperatures are going to be like until it finally settles into spring weather. Your heating system still has some work ahead of it.

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There’s Water around My Furnace… What’s Going On?

February 20th, 2017

large-furnaceMost people have a basic idea about how gas furnaces operate: a pilot light or electronic ignition system lights gas burners, which generate the heat that warms up the air sent into the house. This process doesn’t sound like it involves water at any point. So when a homeowner notices that there is water coming out the base of a furnace, it seems strange.

This does happen with furnaces, and if you see it occurring with yours, you almost certainly need professional heating repair in Plattsburgh, NY or elsewhere in Northeast New York or Northwest Vermont. A number of problems might be at work, ranging from minor malfunctions to the need to replace the entire furnace. But no matter what, you must have trained technicians on the job: a gas furnace is potentially dangerous if someone without licensing and training tries to work on one.

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The Benefits of a Boiler for a Home Heating System

February 13th, 2017

boiler-system-in-a-homeIf you are currently in a situation where you have to make a decision about a heating system for a new home, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of choices available. The most common way to heat a home is with a furnace, which must have a network of ducts to carry heated air to the various rooms. Heat pumps are another form of forced-air heating that relies on a ventilation system (although there are also ductless mini split heat pumps).

A boiler system, on the other hand, is an option that runs differently from forced-air heating. A boiler uses radiant heating, which is heating up objects in rooms so they send out heat waves through the space. Boilers can use radiators, baseboard heaters, or in-floor piping to spread warmth around a house.

Selecting a boiler for winter heat is a major choice, but there are a number of reasons that you may wish to make this your choice for your new home heating in Burlington, VT:

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Groundhog vs. Groundhog: No Matter Who’s Right—Be Ready for More Winter!

February 6th, 2017

child-welcomes-springHere in Vermont and Northeast New York, we’re divided between the two most famous Groundhog Day prognosticators. On the one hand, there’s Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania. On the other hand, there’s Staten Island Chuck in… Staten Island. Sometimes the two make similar predictions. This year it was different. We would love to think that Staten Island Chuck is right, since he predicted an early spring.

But let’s be honest: Groundhog Day accuracy isn’t something you should use to plan for your home heating needs over the next six weeks. There’s still cold weather ahead, and you want to make sure that your heating system will make it through to whenever it is that spring comes to the rescue. We have some advice on how to do this.

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More About Furnace Efficiency: Why Are New Furnaces More Efficient?

January 30th, 2017

furnace-burners-against-blackLast week we went into details about gas furnace efficiencies, specifically the AFUE rating and whether it means you’ll save energy with a high-efficiency furnace or not. It’s a question that is best left to a professional to answer.

However, we want you know that we definitely encourage consumers to look into high-efficiency furnace options when they start looking around for a new installation or a replacement for an older heater. The AFUE ratings of furnaces are higher than they’ve ever been: older furnaces used to average between 56% and 70% AFUE ratings, which meant wasting between 44% and 30% of the natural gas the furnace burned. Today, furnaces range from 85% to 98.5% AFUE, and the ENERGY STAR requirement for a furnace is 90%.

But why exactly are furnaces able to perform at such energy-saving levels today? There are several reasons.

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Does a High AFUE Rating Guarantee I’ll Save Money with a New Furnace?

January 23rd, 2017

question-mark-badgePlanning for a new furnace installation in Plattsburgh, NY means balancing out multiple factors to find the right furnace model to meet your home’s heating needs. You probably already know about at least one important furnace stat: AFUE, which is the standardized measure for furnace energy efficiency. Does it make sense to purchase only a furnace with the highest AFUE rating you can find? Is that a guarantee you’ll save money on heating your home in the future?

There’s a Simple Answer—But It Needs a Longer Explanation

The simple answer is: “no.” AFUE is not a guarantee you’ll save money. AFUE is information about how the furnace performs, but it doesn’t automatically mean the furnace will reduce household energy bills during the winter. We’ll explain further how AFUE is measured and how it can affect your decision for furnace installation.

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Why Isn’t My Gas Furnace Providing Heat?

January 16th, 2017

This is definitely not a question you want to find yourself asking during a winter in Northwest Vermont! But if you do run into the situation of a furnace that simply isn’t doing what it’s supposed to, you’ll need to get to the bottom of it fast. In some cases, you can remedy the trouble on your own. Others will require you call on heating professionals.

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