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Why Heating Repair Makes Sense in Spring and Summer

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Summer in Oregon can mean some hot days, but it also means an occasional chilly day. And course, there’s always the rain for which our state is so well known. For these reasons alone, you cannot afford to ignore your home’s heating system during spring and summer. Sometimes, repair work on heaters makes perfect sense at this time.

What also makes sense: calling Comfort Flow Heating whenever you need heating repairs in Salem, OR. We have more than a half-century of work experience in the Willamette Valley and a reputation for happy customers.

Heating Repairs for the Warm(er) Seasons

The principle reason for staying on top of repairs for your furnace, heat pump, or radiant heating is to make sure you are ready for that “rainy day”—because it’s almost certain to come along. You don’t want your heater to struggle to warm up your home, or even fail completely, right when you need it. If the heater displayed signs of lingering problems at the end of the winter, you cannot afford to wait for the fall to arrive before scheduling repair work. The problem may have only worsened since winter, and it could lead to an unpleasant surprise when you turn the system back on.

Maintaining efficiency is another reason to keep repairs current for heating systems, no matter the time of year. When you do need to have the heater on, it will waste a large amount of energy trying to overcoming a malfunction like a grimy burner, blower motors, or leaking hot water pipes. You’ll have trouble keeping your summer energy bills under control if the heater drains too much additional power each time it comes on.

If you use a heat pump to heat your home, having repairs for it is doubly important during the summer because the heat pump also works as your air conditioner. A heat pump is not two different systems: problems with heating will be problems with cooling, so you can’t ignore a repair problem you notice in heating mode. It needs to be fixed, or the cooling will soon follow it in failing.

Finally, if you have a gas-powered furnace in your home, you must have leftover malfunctions from winter remedied before they lead to safety issues. Possible gas leak dangers are just as hazardous in summer as in winter. Never hesitate when it comes to fixing a gas-powered appliance.

Remember maintenance

When you schedule your heating repairs, also check to see how long since you had a maintenance session for it. If it’s been longer than a year, you should set up an appointment now to make sure that the system needs no additional repairs and to check that it is running efficiently.

Comfort Flow Heating can handle all your needs for heating repair in Salem, OR. We have technicians ready around the clock, around the calendar for your convenience.

Tags: Heating Repair, Salem
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What Are Some Of My Options For A New Heating System in Salem, OR?

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

Heating systems in Salem and other Oregon towns are absolute necessities during the cold winter months. Now that temperatures are rising, you may want to replace an old, used system for a newer and more efficient one. Most people are accustomed to either forced air furnaces or boiler systems, and they’re both effective means of getting the job done. But they’re not the only ways of heating your home, and alternative methods cold offer some benefits that you might not have considered otherwise. “What are some of my options for a new heating system in Salem, OR?” you ask.

We’ve outlined three popular choices below:

Radiant heating. Radiant heating is used in boiler technology, but a formal system takes it in a much different direction. Metal tubes and reflective tiles are placed beneath your floor, through which heated water is circulated. This warms the room from the floor up, transferring warmth directly through furniture and your feet. It’s very efficient – costing much less in monthly heating bills as forced air furnaces – and it also eliminates problems such as drafts and blown dust.
Heat pumps. Heat pumps combine the effects of a heater and an air conditioner, using cycled refrigerant to alternately warm and cool the air. That gives them increased efficiency, as well as combining heating and cooling needs into a single unit. Like radiant heating, heat pumps are very cost-effective, and while they struggle a bit in cold weather, they can be paired with electric heaters that still save you money on costs.
Geothermal heating. Geothermal heating often appears in houses on large property lots, since they often require a fair amount of space. The system buries a series of coils 6-8 feet beneath the earth, where the temperatures remain constant. Liquid is pumped through the tubes, which swaps heat back and forth with the earth. As with the other systems we’ve discussed, it’s very inexpensive month to month, and environmentally friendly to boot.

If you wish to discuss some of your options for a new heating system in Salem, OR, call upon the experts at Comfort Flow Heating for help. We’re fast and efficient, and we can spell out your options with you before performing the installation. Give us a call today!

Tags: Heating, Salem
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What a Cracked Heat Exchanger Means

Friday, April 4th, 2014

Gas furnaces have an unfair reputation as hazardous ways of home heating. But even though the dangers of a gas furnace are exaggerated, they do have potential safety issues you need to watch for. With prompt repairs and regular maintenance you can almost reduce these possibilities to zero. Make sure you rely on professional HVAC technicians for those crucial repairs, and you should have many years of trouble-free performance from your gas furnace.

In this post, we’ll look at one of the more serious problems a gas furnace can encounter: a cracked heat exchanger. This calls for fast repairs from skilled technicians. Look to Comfort Flow Heating and our 24-hour emergency repair service for heating systems in Salem, OR when you think you have a cracked heat exchanger… or any other repair issue in your gas furnace.

The cracked heat exchanger: what it means and why it’s serious

The heat exchanger serves a vital function the heating cycle of a furnace. This metal, clamshell-shaped chamber collects the combustion gas from the burner, which heats up its walls. Air from the blower passes over the exchanger and heats up because of the hot metal. This allows the combustion gas to transfer its heat to the air that will circulate into a home without allowing toxic fumes to enter it. Once the heating cycle ends, the exhaust in the exchanger vents out through the gas flue.

Exchangers are durable components, but they can develop corrosion because of long contact with combustion gas—especially if the gas isn’t venting properly. Because the heat exchanger expands when it heats up, it’s easy for cracks to develop in spots where corrosion has weakened the metal. Even a small crack will gape wide when the exchanger expands… wide enough to let the exhaust escape.

This is the principle danger from a cracked exchanger. The exhaust from combustion gas contains carbon monoxide, a toxic and flammable gas that is also colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it difficult to detect. A leak in the exchanger can place carbon monoxide into the air from the blower that goes into your house. It can also reach the burner and catch fire, or even explode if enough of it floods the combustion chamber.

How you can detect a cracked heat exchanger

First of all, if you haven’t installed carbon monoxide detectors in your home, have this done right away. Any house with a gas-powered appliance should have a CO detector as a precaution.

Second, you should suspect a cracked heat exchanger if you notice any corrosion along the furnace. Corrosion can mean other problems as well, so don’t take any chances: shut off the gas and call for repairs.

Third, cracks in the heat exchanger will result in a clicking noise starting right after the blower turns on. Don’t try to analyze the sound, just contact repair technicians.

Our team experienced in heating repairs in Salem, OR will have any furnace woes fixed so you’ll stay safe. Look to the company others have depended on for more than 50 years, Comfort Flow Heating.

Tags: Heating Repair, Salem
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What Steps Are Involved in Heating Maintenance?

Friday, March 28th, 2014

Annual maintenance for your heating system from a trained professional is essential for prolonging your system’s life and receiving the most efficient and trouble-free performance you can from it. You should schedule maintenance for your heater during the fall, although you can start at any time if for some reason you had to put it off. The important part is that you have it done every year for your heating system.

We offer an Energy Savings Agreement at Comfort Flow Heating that will provide you with a precision tune-up for your Springfield, OR heating system and for your air conditioner. Call us today to sign up to start saving energy and keep your heater in excellent shape.

Here are the basic steps in heating maintenance you can expect whenever a trained technician shows up at your home for the annual visit:

Thermostat check: It’s important first to make sure that the thermostat is correctly calibrated and has no connection issues, or else it will be difficult to determine the condition of the rest of the heater.
Check components connected to the gas line (natural gas heaters): The technician checks the gas line, the burner, the ignition, and the heat exchanger to make sure there are no safety or performance concerns.
Tighten connections: The technician sees that all electrical connections on the heating system are secure, and tightens any loose ones that might become safety hazards. The technician then checks the voltage on the motors.
Lubricating moving parts: To ensure the heater works with the least amount of stress and power drain, the technicians lubricate all the moving parts, such as motors and compressors.
Check refrigerant level (heat pumps): The technician checks that the refrigerant is at its proper level, and recharges it if necessary.
Control board check: The technician looks over the control board to see that it is operating the heater correctly. This involves testing each part of the system to see that it comes on, operates, and turns off properly. After this is done, the technician will know if the heater is running better because of the tune-up.

The Energy Savings Agreement at Comfort Flow Heating doesn’t just provide you with regular maintenance. You’ll also receive priority scheduling, a 15% discount on repairs, and no overtime charges.

Don’t wait to start maintenance for your heater: if it’s been more than a year, call us right away and set up your first inspection and tune-up visit.

Tags: Heating Maintenance, Springfield
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What Is Involved in Replacing a Geothermal System

Monday, March 17th, 2014

Although geothermal systems have an upfront cost steeper than most other home comfort systems, they have such high energy efficiency and longevity that they will provide many years of operation after their payback period to save homeowners money. The EPA estimates that the underground system of coils can last more than 50 years. Contrary to rumor, it takes almost a generation for the loops in the earth to wear out.

However, not all components of a geothermal heat pump has this same half-century of endurance. At some point, any system will require replacements—in part, or in whole. We’ll look at what this entails in this post so you can know what to expect from a geothermal system on your property.

For more information, or to schedule service for cooling and heating in Salem, OR, contact Comfort Flow Heating and talk to our geothermal specialists.

When geothermal heat pumps need replacements

Thankfully, when one section of a geothermal heat pump malfunctions to the point where repairs will no longer do any good, you don’t need to dig up the whole system and remove the refrigerant lines to put in a replacement. Usually, the indoor heat pump will need replacement 30 years before the coils in the ground do. This replacement is not much different from replacing a standard air-source heat pump and costs approximately the same. Professional installers will make sure that the new heat pump unit connects to the underground components and also to the ductwork.

What about when those geothermal loops in the earth finally need replacement? This is something you may encounter when you inherit a geothermal system with your home. New loops will need to be put in, but the job is far easier than the original one and costs less as well. Digging the trenches for the loops is the most costly part of the job, so with those trenches already in place it takes less time and money to put in new loops. For a job that usually only needs to be done twice a century, it is remarkably fast and easy to do.

Thinking of going geothermal?

If you don’t already have a geothermal system installed on your property, we hope that the above information will make you see that choosing to go with a geothermal heat pump is indeed a long-term investment that will not need major replacements for at least fifty years. You can expect to pay for a standard heat pump replacement in about 20 years, but by that time you should be saving so much on your heating bill that the replacement pump will practically buy itself.

Contact Comfort Flow Heating today and find out more about how you can bring geothermal cooling and heating to a Salem, OR home.

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How Dirt Build-Up Can Result in Heating Repairs

Wednesday, March 5th, 2014

Dirt is the enemy of many things in your home: carpets, windows, countertops, appliances, and general tidiness. One place where dirt can inflict a tremendous amount of potentially expensive damage is to your heater, whether you have a furnace, heat pump, or hydronic system. When dirt infiltrates your heater and starts to build up into a layer of grime, it can lead to the need for repairs.

Dirt-build up problems can’t be solved with rags and cleaner. You need to have professionals address the ways dirt accumulation can affect your heating system. We’ll look at a few of the ways dirt build-up can make skilled repairs necessary. Call Comfort Flow Heating when you need quality heating repair service in Salem, OR.

The ravages of dirt and your heater

For forced-air systems (furnaces, heat pumps), an air filter in the return ducts traps dust and debris from entering the system’s cabinet. You should change the filter once a month during periods when the heater works regularly; otherwise, the clogged filter will begin to allow dirt into the cabinet. (In some extreme cases, air filters have become so clogged they have collapsed and fallen into the cabinet, causing tremendous damage.)

One of the most quickly destructive effects from a dirt intrusion is a build-up on mechanical parts that causes additional stress: the motors that run the compressor and blowers will start to wear down and eventually burn out. Dirt can also ruin motor bearings. Any extra strain put on the internal components will cause other components to overwork and also wear down sooner. You will need technicians to remove the failing parts and replace them.

For gas-powered furnaces and hydronic water heaters, a dirt build-up along the burner will prevent the flow of oxygen and prevent the burner from igniting. If the system uses a standing pilot light, excess dirt will also extinguish it. The burner will need a technician to clean it.

For heat pumps, dirt build-up can cause another problem: icing along the coils. If dirt collects along the evaporator coil (the outdoor coil during heating mode, the indoor coil during cooling mode) it will prevent the coil from absorbing sufficient heat. The refrigerant in the coil will then begin to cause the water moisture to freeze, and this will in turn further restrict heat absorption. Professionals will need to detach the coils and clean them.

Maintenance: Your best defense against dirt

Repairs will fix problems that dirt can cause, but signing up for a regular maintenance program will help prevent repair needs in the future. A visit from a skilled HVAC technician once a year will keep your heating system cleaned and tuned-up.

Contact Comfort Flow Heating to talk about out preventive maintenance program with our staff. You can also reach us any time of the day or night for emergency heating repair in Salem, OR.

Tags: Heating Repair, Salem
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Reasons to Consider a Reverse Cycle Chiller

Thursday, February 27th, 2014

Most businesses take up larger spaces than residential homes, and therefore they require air conditioning and heating on a more advanced level. One of the comfort systems that we recommend for business owners is the reverse cycle chiller, which works effectively in all temperatures and at a lower cost than many rooftop package unit heat pumps.

If you are interested in learning more about reverse cycle chillers, or if you want to schedule installation, call Comfort Flow Heating. We specialize in commercial installation, maintenance, and heating repair in Salem, OR.

What is a reverse cycle chiller? It works similar to a heat pump, except that it doesn’t heat and cool the air. Instead, it works on water. Its heat pump unit is connected to an insulated water tank to which it either removes or adds heat. The conditioned water is then pumped from the tank and to the various places where either heating or cooling is required.

Why should you consider a reverse cycle chiller for your commercial building? Here are a few reasons:

No backup burner required: If you use a standard air-source heat pump, it requires a backup burner to supply heat when the system switches from cooling mode to heating mode. This burner is important to make sure that the heat pump doesn’t continue to blow out cold air while the coils defrost. With a reverse cycle chiller, hot water from the tank defrosts the coils and removes the need for the extra burner. This saves energy and assures you’ll receive warm air instead of cold air when you want it.
Efficient operation in cold temperatures: An issue that air-source heat pumps can encounter is that when the temperature drops below freezing they will struggle to remove heat from the cold air. Reverse cycle chillers operate through water and do not have trouble with lower temperatures. Even when the temperature outdoors is freezing, a reverse cycle chiller can heat water to above 100°F. (Don’t worry about the water in the chiller freezing; the constant cycling through the system prevents this.)
Energy conservation: Reverse cycle chillers are a popular alternative when a geothermal ground-source heat pump is not possible. These chillers use up to 10% fewer kilowatts per hour than a geothermal heat pump, and because of their efficiency at providing heat, they require no supplementary source like heat strips that are often necessary for ground-source heat pumps.

A reverse cycle chiller may not be the optimal choice for your building, so let the professionals at Comfort Flow Heating evaluate your needs to help you select the best option for comfort for your workers, customers, and clients. We can provide heating installation and heating repair in Salem, OR for your company, and then deliver the maintenance to keep the system running for many years.

Tags: Heating, Salem
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3 Things That Happen During Furnace Installation

Monday, February 17th, 2014

The time has finally arrived when you must move out your ol’ faithful furnace and replace it with a new, more efficient model. Furnace installation is a major undertaking, one that requires expert installers to handle. You’ll need the installers on the job earlier than you probably think, since they can assist with the important steps of selecting a new unit and finding the right size to provide your home with energy-saving warmth.

We’ll give you a sense of what kind of work goes into furnace installation. At Comfort Flow Heating, we have many years performing heating installations in Salem, OR, and we can offer you the same quality service we’ve delivered to thousands of customers over the decades.

3 Things to Expect During Your Furnace Installation:

Removing the former heater: The most arduous and lengthy part of the installation process usually doesn’t involve the new furnace at all. The installers must first remove your former heating system—probably a furnace—and dispose of it properly. They then must prepare the space left for the placement of the new system.
Making the connections—plenty of them: Once your new furnace has been placed (and usually bolted to the floor), the technicians will connect it to the important parts of your home for it to function. Chief among these is your ventilation system, which will require hooking the furnace to the flanges on the ductwork. Sometimes the ductwork must be shifted around to make the connections. The installers will then connect the furnace to the power source. Making the link to the gas line is a job they will perform carefully. Wires from the furnace will hook up to your electrical power source (even gas heaters have electrical components).
System testing: This is the final step of installation, but it is perhaps the most important; if the installers left your house after making the last connection, you would have no idea if your furnace was working properly or safely. The installers will turn on the furnace and measure the intake and airflow to see that operation is efficient. They will make sure there are no safety hazards. The installers won’t leave you with your furnace until they are certain it’s doing the job it’s supposed to.

These are only three very broad steps for the installation process. Installation starts many days before, with selecting and sizing the furnace, and there are many smaller steps necessary during installation, such as connecting the new air handler to the furnace. This work requires trained professionals; do not allow amateurs to take on this job, since it will lead to an improperly working furnace that might even be unsafe.

For professional heating installation service in Salem, OR, make your first call to Comfort Flow Heating. We’ve offered excellent service for furnaces since 1961.

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Why You Should Choose a Company with a Long History for Heating Repair

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

When you are looking for a contractor for your heating repair needs, you should look for more than just a contractor with the appropriate licensing. Although you should rely on a contractor with NATE-certified heating repair technicians on staff (the only industry-wide accepted certification), you should make your preferred choice a contractor who also has many years of experience in the business to back up that certification.

We’ll explain why looking for a long-lived Salem, OR heating contractor is so important for your repair needs. At Comfort Flow Heating, we take pride in our long history of excellent heating service, and we believe you will find our work will live up to your high expectations.

Why a company with a long history is your best option:

Experience – Education (and NATE-certification) are very important. However, a contractor with the finest training available, but only a few months of hands-on work will be at a disadvantage compared to someone who has already spent years of providing heating repair. An experienced heating contractor can use a storehouse of knowledge to make every repair job the best it can possibly be.
Community trust – When you find a contractor with decades in the business, it is almost always a sign that the contractor has built up tremendous trust within the local community for honesty, reliability, and high-quality repair.
Technological development – HVAC technology has advanced tremendously over only the last 10 years, let alone 50. A long-lived company will know the importance of staying on the edge with the newest innovations, but will also know how to apply repairs to older models.

You will be hard-pressed to find a company with more experience in professional heating services in Salem, OR than Comfort Flow Heating. We have served more than 20,000 homeowners over more than 50 years in the business, and we have always remained dedicated to staying at the forefront of new HVAC technology. We not only hire NATE-certified technicians, we hire only the best. Don’t entrust your vital heating repairs to contractors with only a few years of work to their credit: call on Comfort Flow Heating.

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Commercial Heating Repair Needs in Springfield

Monday, January 27th, 2014

If you are a business owner, you know that keeping your employees and/or customers comfortable is important for maintaining a pleasant environment, one to which customers wish to return and where employees work their best.

Commercial heating is much different from heating a home. Although some of the systems are similar, commercial heaters are larger, more intricate, have complex controls, and require special attention. When you have needs for commercial heating repair in Springfield, OR, you should call specialists.

Comfort Flow Heating has more than 50 years of helping both businesses and homes in the Wilamette Valley, and we have built up a trusted name for quality. Make us your first call for any of these repairs for your business.

Repair needs your commercial heating may need

Leaking boiler: If your building uses a boiler to provide it with heat, it is crucial to stop leaking as soon as possible. Not only will leaking begin to impair the boiler’s performance, but leaks will cause significant damage to building material, ruining drywall and causing ceiling tiles to collapse. Commercial boilers have extensive pipe systems, so having professionals track down all the leaks to seal them is essential. The professionals will also locate the cause of the leaking.
Fixing blower problems in rooftop units: The most common type of HVAC system for businesses is the packaged rooftop unit, which places the cabinet out of the sight of the public but also in a place where it can perform its job without obstructions. But this also puts the unit in a place where it can suffer damage from outside conditions—especially if it is not receiving regular maintenance a few times a year. The most common problem that commercial HVAC technicians deal with when it comes to rooftop units is damage with the fans, fan belts, and motors inside the blower units.
Repairing thermostats: One of the more complex aspects of commercial heating is the multiple thermostats used to control them. It’s common for problems to appear to develop in a heating system, but are actually issues with the electrical connections in the thermostats. Technicians can usually trace these problems down quickly and perform the necessary repairs or replacements.

You can’t afford to wait to call for professional commercial heating repair. Not only will your business face uncomfortable conditions, but the repairs will only become more expensive the longer you wait. Call on commercial HVAC experts as soon as you sense there’s a problem. Comfort Flow Heating is on call 24 hours a day for your needs for commercial heating repair in Springfield, OR.

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