ACI Northwest Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Hayden’

Boiler Repair FAQ: Is My Boiler Leaking?

Monday, February 11th, 2013

Boilers provide consistent and comfortable heat for many homeowners throughout the Hayden, ID area. In fact, boilers are one of the most common heating systems in the entire country. As opposed to forced air systems like furnaces, boilers use a series of hot water radiators or in-floor pipes to provide heat. Like all things that carry water your boiler will eventually need repairs. Perhaps one of the most common boiler repairs in Hayden, ID is a leak. At ACI Northwest, we’ve responded to many calls for boiler repair and wanted to share some insight on boiler leaks.

How Boilers Work

One of the best ways to know if your boiler is leaking is to understand how it’s supposed to work. While boilers are fairly complex pieces of equipment, their basic operation is pretty simple. The boiler heats up water—though it doesn’t actually boil the water—using a burner very similar to your hot water heater. A pump then circulates that hot water throughout your house. If you have radiators in your room then they are responsible for distributing the heat into your home. For floor heaters, a series of coils in your floor carry the hot water and provide heat.

Common Boiler Leaks

These are a few of the most common places for your boiler to leak.

  • The pump – When your boiler is turned on, the pump is working constantly. It has to circulate all of the water throughout your home. It isn’t uncommon for the pump valve or seal to break down and allow water to leak out.
  • Expansion tank – Your boiler has an expansion tank that allows it to compensate for the expansion of the water at high temperatures. If the expansion tank is old or rusting it could spring a leak.
  • Pipes – Any of the pipes leading into or out of your boiler could potentially leak.
  • Boiler tank itself – Another common place for leaks is from the boiler tank. If it has started to rust or if the pressure inside the tank is too high it could cause leaks.
  • Pressure relief valve – Your boiler should have a pressure relief valve on it that allows your boiler to safely expel water or air inside of it. If the pressure starts to build up too much the relief valve will allow water to leak out.

If you have a boiler leak or need boiler repairs, call the Hayden, ID heating experts at ACI Northwest. Contact ACI Northwest today!

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Home Energy Tip: Small Heating Upgrades

Monday, November 26th, 2012

If you are looking for some small, easy steps can to maximize your heating system’s efficiency, call the Hayden, ID home energy experts at ACI Northwest. We can help you by providing a few tips and guidelines about energy savings. Here are a few tips to get you started.

The Environmental Protection Agency states that close to 50%of home energy waste can be erased just by making small upgrades and reducing certain energy usage. A first step can be taken by purchasing Energy Star appliances. Purchasing Energy Star heating products along with adding insulation to your house are major steps, but there are smaller steps that are just as effective at improving your heating system’s performance.

Candle Test for Air Leaks

An easy way for homeowners to do their own energy efficiency check is to perform a candle test to locate drafts. Simply light a candle and position it near doors and windows. If you see the flame flickering that indicates those openings have a draft. Fixing those problem areas and reducing drafts will help warm the house more efficiently.

Programmable Thermostat

An easy, yet effective way to improve your heating system is to install a programmable thermostat in your home. Depending on the model you purchase, this is an upgrade that won’t cost you a lot of money. You do want to make sure that the model you buy is compatible with your heating system.  Certain types of programmable thermostats are manufactured to function with multiple-stage heat pumps; others are designed to work only with single stage furnaces. If you aren’t certain which programmable thermostat suits for your home, call a professional to help you decide what is best for you. Also consider installing ceiling fans and reversing their direction in the winter to help distribute the warm air.

Further steps

Another cost effective way to maximize your heating system’s output is to get an energy audit.  An energy audit can reveal places that energy is being wasted, which can then be improved. With the government and private industry working together to encourage homeowners to buy green, energy heating sources, newer, simpler heating products and incentives to upgrade may be available, as well.  Your local utility company can assist you to find out what incentives are in place to help you lessen your bill, with small, easy changes or upgrades.

Any upgrade to your heating system, large or small, the Hayden, ID heating specialists at ACI Northwest Inc. can help you with the improvements. Contact ACI Northwest Inc. today!

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Efficiently Heating Your Home

Monday, November 12th, 2012

If you live in Hayden, your heater may get quite the workout over the year, that means that a dependable home heating system is important. Even if you do not use your heater regularly it is important that you take all the steps you can to heat your home efficiently. It will improve your comfort, reduce heating bills, and is better for the environment. Here are some tips from ACI Northwest on how you can heat your home more efficiently.

To begin with, you should have your heater professionally inspected and maintained before each heating season begins. This is the only way to ensure that your heater is in the condition it needs to be in in order to heat your home efficiently and effectively. Don’t wait for a chilly night to realize that you heater is not up to the task of keeping you warm. Running a damaged or otherwise compromised heater puts your comfort and the integrity of that heater at risk.

You know those ceiling fans that you have running in your home all summer long? Don’t shut them off when the cool weather arrives. Ceiling fans actually have two setting on them, and switching your fans over to the winter setting can help you heat your home more efficiently. Keep the blades spinning clockwise in the cold months to push warm air that has risen to the ceiling back down to the ground. This also helps promote even, comfortable heating throughout your home.

Be sure that you understand how to use your thermostat properly, and then be sure to use it! It is not true that the most efficient way to heat your home is by leaving the thermostat in one place. Using the programmable settings on your thermostat allows you to shape its operation to your particular lifestyle and boosts energy efficiency.

If you follow these simple tips you can start heating your Hayden home in a more affordable, efficient way. Call ACI Northwest to get started today. We have the products and services you need to comfortable all year round.

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Ventilation Tip: How Attic Fans Improve Overall Home Efficiency

Monday, October 22nd, 2012

In addition to proper insulation in your attic, there are other improvements you can make. Adding an attic fan can increase ventilation and provide benefits all year long, not just in the summer. While a whole house fan can help to provide ventilation throughout the home, an attic fan may be more appropriate for your situation. Ask your contractor if you aren’t sure.

Call the ventilation experts at ACI Northwest for more information about how to help weatherize your home for year round comfort and efficiency. To get you started, we have included some of the main ways that attic fans can improve overall home efficiency and prevent moisture problems in the home.

Creating more fresh air circulation in your attic not only helps cool the home in the summer, but it can also prevent moisture related damages. In a home that is already well-insulated and has plenty of ventilation, an attic fan will help with overall efficiency by helping to remove the hot air from the attic. In addition to keeping the home cooler in the summer, it removes the heat that rises to the attic in the winter.

You don’t want all the heat in your home trapped in the attic during the winter because it will speed up the snow melting process. If temperatures drop quickly, the snow melt can freeze and create ice dams. Ice dams can cause damage to your roof, and when they start to melt, the water can get under the shingles and into your attic. This can ruin the insulation, wood, and even dry wall and ceilings if the leak is serious enough.

If you aren’t sure whether an attic fan is right for you, call the heating and cooling specialists at ACI Northwest. We can answer all your questions and provide our expert advice.

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Heating Guide: How to Get Your Furnace Ready For Winter

Monday, September 10th, 2012

As the weather gets cold outside we need to warm the inside of our Coeur d’Alene homes. So for a warm inside we need to a well-maintained furnace. Here are a few tips to maintain your furnace so that it can keep your house warm and comfortable all winter long.

Guideline #1: Clean or replace the filter

The flow of heated air from the furnace is restricted by clogging in the filter, which makes your furnace work harder and release less heat. Simply cleaning this on a regular basis can greatly increase the effectiveness and energy efficiency of your furnace.

Guideline #2: Blower motor and blower belt

The operating time of a furnace may be increased due to loose belts, which lead to less heat being produced. Thus, replacing broken or frayed belts and oiling the motor with a few drops of lubricant will smoothen it and make it work more efficiently.

Guideline #3: Blower doors replacement

The replacement of the blower doors must be done properly to ensure healthy circulation of air in the house. These doors help keep the harmful gases such as carbon monoxide from entering the air circulation in your house.

Guideline #4: Check the vents of the house

The air in the house should be circulated well and easily through the vents. The furnace may not work properly if the flow of hot air is blocked by anything from furniture to debris.

Guideline #5:  The flue

Check the flue cap that is located near the furnace and carefully examine the outside with the help of the flue cap. Make sure the flue cap is replaced properly. If the furnace is in a closet, there should be enough ventilation, preferably in the form of direct vents to the outside to allow for efficient combustion.

Guideline #6: All flammable objects to be kept away from furnace

Flammable objects should not be placed near the furnace or water heater. Boxes, clothes, paints, gasoline, aerosols and similar items are most likely to catch fire if kept near furnace.

The above mentioned guidelines will definitely help you keep your furnace clean and in good working condition so you shouldn’t face a problem in the winter months ahead.

To schedule a heating maintenance visit in Coeur d’Alene today, give ACI Northwest a call!

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Bayview HVAC Contractor Guide: Essential Components of a Home Comfort System

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Indoor comfort is defined by several factors: temperature, humidity, and air quality. If any one of the three is out of the “normal” range it can affect the quality of life in your Bayview home.

The ultimate goal of any heating & cooling contractor is to ensure that customers are comfortable – meaning that all three factors are addressed when servicing, replacing, or installing new equipment in a home. This equipment includes furnaces and air conditioners but also extends to humidifiers, dehumidifiers, electronic filters, ultraviolet (UV) lighting, infrared heating, etc.

Obviously, the essential component for most U.S. households is a furnace. Air conditioners may not be essential for all parts of the U.S., namely the northern states, but are still considered an integral part of any home comfort system. Add-ons like de-humidifiers and electronic filters are important for controlling the air quality.

Let’s look at the furnace first. There are several choices but most can be found in two different classifications: single-stage or variable speed two-stage. Your choice depends on the indoor square footage, your own comfort needs, and possibly the cost of energy units (gas or electric for example). Forced air is a common method of moving heated air to all parts of the home via an air handling unit and through a duct system. But gaining in popularity is radiant heat (electric), which does not utilize a duct system.

Air conditioners also come in a variety of sizes, including window/room air conditioners or central air conditioning, which is likely a “split” system including an outdoor unit and indoor coil. The size of the air conditioner is determined by square footage, which is part of a load calculation performed by qualified heating & cooling contractors while planning the equipment replacement or new installation. An oversized air conditioner may produce high humidity levels and an undersized unit may not provide enough cooling to all areas of the home. High humidity levels contribute to higher indoor temperatures in the summer, and can also lead to respiratory problems.

If someone in your home has allergies or is sensitive to certain pollutants in the air, it may be important to include extra filtration in your heating & cooling system, such as electronic filtration and UV lighting mounted in the buildings duct system, to kill germs and contaminants.

And speaking of an essential component, duct systems are keys to maximizing efficiency and comfort. Properly sized, insulated, and sealed, the duct system is a key to comfortable, healthy indoor air – and energy efficiency. It is also important to keep your duct system clean, too.

As always, it is best to consult with a licensed Bayview heating and cooling contractor who can offer the best solutions for your home comfort system.

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Did You Change that Furnace Filter?

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

No matter what type of furnace you have, it’s important to remember to change or clean the filter on a regular basis. This is a relatively straightforward process and doesn’t require a Hayden professional‘s help. However, if you’re not sure how to go about doing it, you can always have your heating technician demonstrate the process for you on their next regular maintenance visit.

Indeed, changing or cleaning out the furnace filter is an important part of regular furnace maintenance. However, it often needs to be done more than once a year. The specific amount of time that you can go between filter changes depends on many things, but typically it’s good to check on it once every three months or so.

If you have a lot of pets or if anyone in your family has severe allergies, it may be worth it to check and change the filter even more often. Check with the manufacturer to see what their recommendations are as well. Some high performance furnace filters can last up to six months or even a year, but you should still check on the filter periodically to make sure that too much hasn’t built up on it in between replacements or cleanings.

You’ll need to make sure you have the right type of filter to install as a replacement as well. You can get this information from the owner’s manual of your furnace, from the manufacturer or by taking out and examining the current filter in your furnace. Some furnaces also have filters that are meant to be cleaned and then put back in and the cleaning instructions are usually located near the filter itself.

Of course, in order to change your filter you’ll first have to be able to find it. Most of the time, the filter will be located near the blower towards the bottom of the furnace. However, if you’re not having much luck finding it, your owner’s manual should be able to tell you quickly where it is and how to remove it. Before you go to open the chamber and take the filter out, however, be sure you’ve turned off the power to the furnace.

Changing your furnace filter can help improve the air quality in your home and it is also very important when it comes to keeping your furnace running efficiently and effectively. The filters are there to trap airborne particles that can get into the blower and clog it up. When that happens, the performance of your furnace will likely drop and you’ll need to have a professional come out and complete the necessary repairs.

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Components of a Geothermal Heating System: A Guide from ACI Northwest

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

A geothermal heat system in your Hayden home has three basic components and some add-on ones as well.

Its most distinguishing feature is the ground loops. The most common is the “closed” ground loop system, which is a series of pipes that are buried underground. These pipes contain a heat transfer fluid, comprised of antifreeze and water. This fluid absorbs heat from the ground and carries it to the home. This fluid also absorbs heat from the house and sends it into the ground to keep the home cool.

Examples of closed loop systems include the horizontal closed loop, which can be used in larger parcels of land (over an acre for example). The loops are placed typically placed horizontally 6-to-10 feet below the surface. A vertical closed loop design is recommended for smaller parcels of land and loops are often buried vertically approximately 20 feet underground. Other types of ground loop designs use well water to transfer heat in an open loop configuration, or have a closed loop submerged underwater in a pond or lake.

The next component is the heat pump, which draws the fluid from the ground loop. In a heat pump, heat energy is exchanged with the ground to heat or cool the home. In the heating mode, fluid warmed from underground flows through the heat pump. A fan blows across the pipe warmed by the fluid. Because the fluid is much warmer than the air inside the heat pump, heat energy is released into the cooler air. The cool air is warmed and distributed inside the home. The process is reversed for cooling. Cool fluid in the pipe absorbs heat from the warm air inside the home. Once pumped underground, the excess heat in the fluid is absorbed by the cooler earth.

The final component is the air handling or distribution system. Here, a fan in the heat pump’s furnace blows air over a fan coil and the heated cooled air is distributed through the home’s ductwork. Some distribution systems are hydronic, where hot water is circulated through radiators or radiant floor heat tubing. This water absorbs heat from the heat pump and then distributed throughout the home.

In some homes, both a forced air and hydronic system, often referred to as a “hybrid system” work together.

Optional components include a heat pump “desuperheater,” which is used to help with domestic hot water heating. In warm weather, the desuperheater recovers some of the heat – that would otherwise be sent to the ground loop – to help produce hot water. In cold weather, some of the heat pump capacity may be diverted from space heating for the same purpose. Desuperheaters save approximately 25% on domestic water heating costs.

Another component is an auxiliary electric heater, which is built into the geothermal heat pump This auxiliary electric heat is installed to allow heating and cooling technicians to size – or resize – a home’s geothermal heat pump system to assist the system during the few coldest days of the year. Auxiliary electric heat is also an emergency backup heat source if there are any operational issues with the geothermal heat pump system.

If you have any questions about this system, talk to your local contractor.

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How Do I Find the Right Size Unit for My Room?

Friday, August 12th, 2011

When buying an air conditioner in Hayden, there are a lot of things you need to take into account. One of the most important is the size and power of the unit you choose. Air conditioners come in many different sizes, so if you really want to get the most out of your purchase, you need to do your research and pick one that fits your home like a glove.

Square Feet and BTUs

The best way to determine how large of an air conditioner you need is to match the number of BTUs the unit has to the square footage of the room you want to use it in. That means you need to know what room you’re buying it for before you make your purchase.

The number of BTUs needed goes up proportionately with the room size, so even if you don’t have exact measurements or if your room is oddly shaped, you can get a good idea of how large an air conditioner you need. For instance, a 400 to 550 square foot room is best served by an air conditioner with between 8,000 and 11,000 BTUs, while a room that’s only 250 square feet would probably be fine with a 6,000 BTU unit.

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

One of the most common mistakes people make when buying an air conditioner is to assume that the bigger the unit the better it will work. The truth is that buying an air conditioner that’s too big for your room is just as much of a waste as buying one that’s too small.

A larger air conditioner will cost more, and it will probably make the room too cold. It will also cycle on and off more frequently than a properly sized unit and it won’t be able to properly control the humidity level, leaving you with a cold, damp environment. That’s not very comfortable.

Other Factors

The square footage is definitely the most important piece of data you’ll need before buying a new air conditioner for any room in your house. But don’t forget to take some other factors into account as well. For instance, if the room has particularly high ceilings or receives a lot of direct sunlight, you’ll probably need a slightly more powerful unit than the straight square footage would indicate.

If you’re not sure how certain features of your home will impact your buying decision, call a professional who can help you get a more exact idea of what it will take to stay cool.

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