Tag: furnace

Furnace Repair Colorado Springs: Your Guide to Warmth and Savings

Posted on | by Elevation Mechanical | Leave a Comment on Furnace Repair Colorado Springs: Your Guide to Warmth and Savings

Save money with HVAC repairs

Hey Colorado Springs! Dealing with a broken furnace in the middle of winter is the worst, right? As an HVAC expert with 15+ years of experience at Elevation Mechanical, I’m here to help you avoid that nightmare.

This guide covers everything you need to know about furnace maintenance in Colorado Springs:

  • Why it’s important
  • What it costs
  • DIY vs. Professional Service
  • Benefits of a Monthly Maintenance Plan
  • Furnace Maintenance: It’s an Investment, Not an Expense

Think of your furnace like your car. Regular tune-ups prevent breakdowns, and the same goes for your home’s heating system. Factors like the age and condition of your furnace will affect the price of a tune-up.

Investing in regular maintenance now can save you big bucks on repairs later.

What Happens if I Neglect My Furnace?

filter

Ignoring furnace maintenance can lead to some expensive problems:

  • Higher energy bills: A dirty furnace has to work harder to heat your home, using more energy and costing you more money.
    Frequent breakdowns: Neglected furnaces break down more often. Repairs can be pricey and inconvenient. Furnace replacement in Colorado Springs can vary in cost, so it pays to get multiple quotes!
  • Shorter furnace lifespan: A poorly maintained furnace won’t last as long, meaning you’ll need to replace it sooner.
  • Safety hazards: A malfunctioning furnace can leak carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly.

While you can handle some basic tasks yourself (like changing your air filter), it’s usually best to leave major repairs and tune-ups to the pros at Elevation Mechanical. Here’s why:

  • Expertise: Our HVAC technicians have the training and experience to diagnose and fix problems correctly. They can spot potential issues before they become major headaches, saving you time and money.
  • Safety: Furnaces have gas lines and electrical components. DIY repairs can be dangerous. Our professionals have the knowledge and equipment to work safely.
  • Efficiency: Elevation Mechanical can optimize your furnace for peak performance, saving you money on energy bills.
    Discounts: We offer discounts on repairs, especially if you have a maintenance plan with us.
    DIY Furnace Maintenance Tips

Want to keep your furnace running smoothly between professional tune-ups? Here are a few things you can do yourself:

schedule your hvac maintenance

  • Turn off the power: Before any maintenance, turn off the electricity to the furnace at the breaker panel. For extra safety, turn off the gas supply too.
  • Change the air filter: Aim to change your filter every three months. Dirty filters restrict airflow and make your furnace work harder.
  • Check the pilot light (older furnaces): Make sure it’s burning blue. A yellow flame means it’s time to call Elevation Mechanical.
  • Clean the vents: Remove the vent covers and vacuum out any dust or debris to improve airflow and indoor air quality.
  • Clean around the furnace: Keep the area around your furnace clean and free of clutter to prevent dust from getting into the unit.
  • Clean the drainage tube: This tube drains condensation from your furnace. Make sure it’s clear of any blockages.
  • Inspect the heat exchanger: Look for any cracks. This is a serious safety hazard that needs immediate professional attention from Elevation Mechanical.
  • Listen for unusual sounds: Scraping, screeching, or banging could indicate a problem. Call us if you hear anything concerning.

Benefits of a Monthly Furnace Maintenance Plan in Colorado Springs with Elevation Mechanical

save money

We offer monthly maintenance plans that provide regular check-ups, cleaning, and tune-ups for a fixed monthly fee. Here’s why they’re worth it:

  • Peace of mind: Regular maintenance helps prevent unexpected breakdowns and expensive repairs.
  • Priority service: You’ll get faster service if you have a breakdown.
  • Improved efficiency: Regular tune-ups keep your furnace running efficiently, saving you money on energy bills.
  • Avoid higher costs: A maintenance plan helps you address issues proactively and avoid more expensive problems down the line.

Need furnace help? Call Elevation Mechanical today!

IS HVAC MAINTENANCE WORTH IT?

Posted on | by Elevation Mechanical | 2 Comments on IS HVAC MAINTENANCE WORTH IT?
schedule your hvac maintenance

Is HVAC Maintenance Worth It?

You must have a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system at your home or office. It is common to find some issues with an HVAC System. That is why one needs to have a good HVAC team in their phone contacts.

The HVAC glitches are mostly during the peak seasons – summer and winter. One may have to call someone from the HVAC team to solve a problem 2-3 times or more in a year. Paying the HVAC team every time can be an expensive habit. Therefore, most people tend to enter into a service contract with an HVAC team.

There Are Different Types Of Service Contracts, And The Service Coverage Varies From One To The Other. HVAC Maintenance Contracts Mainly Fall Into Three Categories, Which Are:

  • Service Contracts cover the Labor Cost components with annual or semi-annual plans including scheduled visits for proper HVAC maintenance.
  • Service Contracts that cover Labor Costs and Scheduled Visits along with Non-Scheduled Visits for unforeseen repairs.
  • Service Contracts that cover the Labor costs and the scheduled and unscheduled visits and the Device repair parts if need be.

Thus it can be inferred from the above contracts that when it comes to HVAC Service contracts, the first category has minimum coverage. In contrast, the last category has maximum coverage.

Other sub-plans within these categories have coverage options for only furnace or only air conditioning or heating issues. A person may find a suitable plan for their requirements, considering the usage and climate.

People tend to become skeptical about the worthiness of HVAC Maintenance costs since it can be so expensive and since they are already paying their HVAC team. It is a genuine question most people have to answer before investing their hard-earned money in an HVAC maintenance plan.

Here Are Some Of The Reasons That Would Let You Know The Real Worth Of The HVAC Maintenance Plans And Their Respective Costs.

  1. HVAC maintenance plan to prevent Emergencies .

Our HVAC systems are the most overlooked things. People seldom notice them until there is some emergency like the refrigerant pipe is leaking or if the ventilation ducts are clogged, or if there is some issue that arises with clogged drains, and so on.
In order to avoid emergencies, a person must seek the help of an experienced and professional HVAC team to detect the problem and nip it in the bud.

  1. It leads to Lesser Electricity Bill Payments.

An HVAC system is an integral part of our lives. Sometimes, if the HVAC system is not taken care of some issues will arise, like improper cooling or heating of the home. That can lead to you using your HVAC system more often. This leads us to consume more electricity and increases the cost of our electricity bills.

Having an HVAC maintenance plan helps us fix scheduled visits from an HVAC team who would look into the issue and take care of the problem so that heating and cooling are optimal. This would then lower our electricity consumption, and thus, we spend less money on our electricity bills!

  1. HVAC Maintenance for longer Service Period.

HVAC Systems are expensive as they cover the heating, cooling, and ventilation requirements of your entire house. These purchases have heavy price tags attached to them. Therefore, one may think to elongate their working life to have as little depreciation as possible.

HVAC maintenance plans cover regularly scheduled visits to your home to do proper servicing for your system. If you don’t mind getting your car serviced to prolong its life, then you should also care to purchase an HVAC maintenance plan as it tends to elongate your HVAC System’s working life.

  1. HVAC Maintenance for Priority Service.

Suppose there is some unforeseen issue that has arisen causing the air conditioning to stop working. It is the peak summertime with scorching heat. How do you manage?

If you do not have an HVAC maintenance plan, any HVAC repair team will do a service visit and demand an exorbitant price to fix your HVAC issue.

However, if you have an HVAC maintenance plan, the HVAC team will prioritize your request and fix your problem right away. Moreover, they will not take any extra money beyond what the plan covers.

  1. To have insurance for Repair Costs.

Even if you regularly check your HVAC system something amiss may occur, which might damage some parts of the HVAC system. It could be the refrigerant tube or the compressor, and so on.

If you have not subscribed to any HVAC maintenance plan, then you might have to cover a huge sum of the cost to repair the damaged parts.

However, if you have an HVAC maintenance plan, the HVAC team will take care of devices’ costs if you have the device repair coverage in the Plan.

Conclusion

HVAC maintenance plans come in a variety of price ranges from below $100 USD to above $400 USD depending upon the Plan’s coverage. While the minimum coverage category starts from a little below 100 bucks, the Maximum Coverage covering sufficient device part repairs costs you over 400 bucks a year. All Plans have their benefits. While the minimum coverage plan covers your regular maintenance, emergency prohibitions, and electricity bill savings, the Maximum coverage tends to include the priority requests and repair costs for device parts too.

The cost incurred by a person not having an HVAC maintenance plan is far beyond the cost incurred for an HVAC maintenance plan. This means that if we do a Cost-Benefit analysis for the HVAC maintenance plan, the benefits in terms of cost savings like electricity bill savings, device repair costs, home visit costs outweigh the payment that one pays for the HVAC Plan. One must choose an HVAC maintenance plan that suits their HVAC maintenance requirements keeping in mind the usual local climate. These are the reasons HVAC maintenance plans are worth every precious penny!

HVAC GUIDE FOR NEW HOME OWNERS

Posted on | by Elevation Mechanical | 1 Comment on HVAC GUIDE FOR NEW HOME OWNERS
hvac guide for new homeowners

HVAC Guide For New Home Owners.

Have you recently bought a new home? That’s great news! Perhaps, this is not the first time you have bought one. Whether it is your first time or fourth, there are a few things that you should take care of in your new home.

The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system or the HVAC provides heating and cooling to residential buildings. If you have one installed at your home, you must take care of a few things. To ensure that the system remains in good and functioning condition, you need to conduct yearly tune-ups.

Apart from the annual maintenance, you need to take care of a few other things as well. To ensure the HVAC system’s optimal working, we have formulated an HVAC guide that is a must-read for new homeowners.

Know Your HVAC System Better

Be it an air conditioner, a water heater, boiler, or a heat pump; you should be aware of how it works to understand how the house gets cooled or heated. There are a few things that you must be aware of about your HVAC System.

  • Efficiency Rating: The heating and cooling system installed in your home has some specific ratings, as listed below.
  • Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency or Heating Seasonal Performance Factor.
  • Energy Efficiency Ratio or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.
  • A highly efficient system has a higher rating and vice versa.
  • Unit’s Age: If the home that you have purchased is five to ten years old there is a chance that the HVAC system installed is old too. You should find out your HVAC system’s age and plan to get it replaced with a new one if it is too old. An old system requires relatively high maintenance and breaks down often.
  • Warranty: If your new home’s HVAC system is still in warranty read through the terms and conditions of the warranty carefully. If you have recently bought a new HVAC system understand the terms properly so that it doesn’t become void because of a minor mistake.
  • Inspection Reports: You should ask the former owner to provide you with the HVAC inspection reports. These reports prove that the HVAC system has gone through annual maintenance and you can learn about any problems previously reported. These reports will also help you understand what kind of performance to expect from the system.

Maintain Your Grounds

Make sure the area around your HVAC system is well-maintained so that the system can operate efficiently. You should always keep your plants, shrubs, and all other foliage at least two feet away from the HVAC system’s outdoor unit. Also, all garden tools should be kept away. In case dirt and dust fall on your HVAC system, get it cleaned as soon as possible.

Change Filters When Required

Changing the HVAC system’s filters on time and when required will help you keep it in working condition. Manufacturers recommend changing filters after a regular interval. A few systems are equipped with alarms that will remind you to get your filters changed when it’s time.

Even if you have a unit in the attic you should get its filter changed too. An unclean filter will disrupt the cooling or heating system. Moreover, dirty filters reduce the system’s life expectancy, and its efficiency is hampered. If required, get your filters changed even during the summer season.

Check The Ductwork Of Your Home

If you experience a musty smell in your home, if it feels extra humid, you experience fluctuating temperatures, or if you are receiving extremely high bills, get your ductwork inspected. These are the signs that something is wrong with your ductwork. It would help if you got it inspected by a team of specialists as soon as possible. If your ductwork has leaks, then the performance of your HVAC system will be negatively affected.

Do Not Close Your Vents

A few homeowners often close the vents to a few rooms that they don’t use much. As a new homeowner, you should not make the same mistake. Even if you have a few extra rooms, keep the vents open. People do it to save energy costs, but you should know that it doesn’t help save energy costs. It is simply because, when you close the vents, the HVAC system will have to work harder to maintain a consistent temperature level throughout. Because of that, it helps if you keep the vents open and you keep the areas near the vents clear of any clutter.

Maintenance Of Your HVAC

Annual maintenance of the HVAC system is critical. You should get your furnace and AC checked every year to know if there are any potential damage. The best time to have your system serviced is during spring or fall. It will help increase the life expectancy and efficiency of your system.

Remove The Ice

During the winter season, call for a professional as soon as you see ice forming on your HVAC system. If your HVAC system develops tiny heaps of ice, large sheets, or blocks of ice, you should get the system assessed by professionals to get to the root cause and protect your HVAC from getting damaged further.

Hire A Professional Company

You should always hire a trusted company for all your HVAC repair and replacement needs. It would be best if you did not wait until there is a severe problem with your system, and you will then have to look for an expert service provider. You should also check if the contractor has been in business for enough years to have the required expertise in the field. Professionals will be able to provide emergency services as well. Reliable and genuine contractors are aware of the tips and tricks to keep your system in perfect working condition.

Conclusion

Owning a new home will give you a sense of security. Though homeownership is exciting, it brings several responsibilities along. Follow the steps mentioned above and take care of your HVAC system to keep it working as expected.