Learn the basics of home heating and cooling like costs, key terms, products, basic maintenance schedules and more. Published: August 29, 2022   Confused about home heating and cooling? It turns out you’re not alone. According to Consumer Reports, it turns out that 20 percent of Americans reported needing to repair or replace their… Continue Reading HVAC Systems: Basics to Know Before You Buy

Home / Blog / Resources Written by Joanna Brown on October 4, 2019 At HVAC.com, our writers create solutions that put you in control of your HVAC system. Our product reviews and recommendations are researched and backed by real buyers and industry experts, not dictated by our partners. There are a lot of opinions regarding HVAC services and systems out… Continue Reading 5 Major Myths About HVAC Services

TYPES OF AIR CONDITIONERS* Not all air conditioners are the same. Each system is useful for certain situations. Thankfully, we have different types of air conditioners for different styles of homes and businesses: Split Systems A split system keeps everything separated, splitting the hot side from the cold side. The cold side has the expansion… Continue Reading Types of Air Conditioners

WHAT IS A WIRELESS THERMOSTAT? Will HoushSeptember 16, 2019 The thermostat in your home lets you control the temperature by regulating your air conditioner or heater. Generally, these thermostats are wired directly to your HVAC system. A wireless thermostat,  however, allows you to control the temperature in your home using your smartphone or other smart device with… Continue Reading What Is a Wireless Thermostat?

Most U.S. homes are heated with either furnaces or boilers. Furnaces heat air and distribute the heated air through the house using ducts. Boilers heat water, and provide either hot water or steam for heating. Steam is distributed via pipes to steam radiators, and hot water can be distributed via baseboard radiators or radiant floor… Continue Reading Furnaces and Boilers

Maintaining a Furnace* ©iStockphoto.com/geotrac Check to make sure the pilot light is burning. Some furnace units must be lit by hand if the pilot light goes out. Follow the instructions for relighting usually printed on access doors. If you have difficulty relighting the pilot light, call a qualified heating contractor for advice. Check the blower… Continue Reading Tips for Maintaining a Furnace

Recently, a number of news articles have highlighted a 2009 recommendation from ENERGY STAR on using programmable thermostat settings to save energy. While 78 degrees was used as an example on the ENERGY STAR website, a recent statement by ENERGY STAR says, “In order to save energy, the ENERGY STAR website recommends owners of programmable… Continue Reading HVAC in the News: Should I really set my thermostat to 78 degrees?

(1) Damaged Drain Pan – Make sure the drain pan isn’t cracked.(2) Clogged Air Filters – Dirty filters can stop air flow and cause evaporator coils to freeze up and stop functioning.(3) Condensation from poor insulation – Moisture around air vents of poorly insulated ducts.(4) Low refrigerant – With low refrigerant, the evaporator coils will… Continue Reading 6 Common Causes of Air Conditioning Leaks

Ductless Air Conditioners A ductless air conditioner works like a regular central air conditioner but without the ducts. How’s that possible? First, it helps to understand how traditional systems work. Traditional Air Conditioning Systems Traditional systems work thru the following steps. An indoor unit blows warm air from your home over cold evaporator coils. The… Continue Reading How Do Ductless Air Conditioners Work

Air Conditioner Coils Adapted from energy.gov. The air conditioner’s evaporator coil and condenser coil collect dirt over their months and years of service. A clean filter prevents the evaporator coil from soiling quickly. In time, however, the evaporator coil will still collect dirt. This dirt reduces airflow and insulates the coil, reducing its ability to… Continue Reading Air Conditioner Coils – How to Maintain Them