Proper cold air return is a very important part of heating your home. Common issues with cold airs returns are blocked or partially blocked returns. This happens commonly with rugs or furniture and in some cases- in a room that is closed off most of the time. Remember air has to move freely and when your cold air return is working well your furnace will run more efficiently.
Are your Ducts the right size???
A big problem in older homes is the size of the heat ducts and cold air return. If you have colder rooms and warmer rooms you need to balance airflow. Many systems have dampers in the heat pipes. Normally these are 6″.
A very simple way to check the balance is to use a piece of light weight toilet tissue about 12″ long. While blower is running, hold tissue over register and watch reaction. Adjust dampers and or registers to achieve the same reaction on all registers. Your result will be a more evenly heated home.
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Do you think the “dust bunnies” only gather under your bed. Think again. Dust Bunnies can create problems with your heating systems efficiency. One solution to the dust bunny problem is a clean air filter. Air filters should be changed at least once a month during the heating season.
When you don’t change your filters, dust builds up on your filter which decreases the air flow, this decreases the amount of heat circulated throughout your home, but still uses the same amount or more fuel. This costs money!!!!
This also increases the amount of heat buildup in your furnace which will decrease the efficiency and life time of the equipment.
When you see a lot of “Dust Bunnies” around your house, don’t just dust, check the filter on your furnace.
Keeping your air filter clean will save a lot on dusting, as long as you use a good, quality air filter. An example of a good, quality air filter is a product made by PrecisionAire, thier website is www.precisionaire.com
Baseboard Heating tips.
Dust can affect your heaters performance in many ways. When you have a
baseboard heating system the heating components consist of a back panel,
a heating element and a cover. The back panel is designed to attach the
heating element to the wall and the front cover is to divert cold air
across the floor, heat it and disperse heated air into the room. With this
in mind, if you have less than 3/4″ clearance under the front panel after
installation of floor coverings, such as carpet and throw rugs, you will
not get the heat output from your baseboard heating.
With this in mind, make sure you have ample air flow through your
convector (baseboard unit). The next step would be to take your front
covers off your baseboard units and use some sort of vacumm cleaner
to remove the dust from your heating elements. This will allow free flow of
air across your heating element.
However if you have no front covers on your baseboard, you will get very
little heat out of your baseboard system. And if the fins are all beat up,
folded over, it is also restricting air flow.
Doing simple things such as making sure you have enough air flow and not a
lot of dust, you will be heating more efficiently.
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AIR HAS TO MOVE!!!!
Along with making sure your baseboards are clean, the physical attributes of your
room can affect the way your baseboard heats. Proper placement of furniture can
make a big difference in how your home is heated. Placing your sofa less than 10″
from the wall, with baseboard behind it, will restrict the convective heating of that piece
of baseboard. Also, drapery, clothing and any other articles placed in front or on top of
baseboard is a hindrance to the air flow. Window treatments should stay above
baseboard units, if your window treatments reach the floor past the baseboard unit, all
you are doing is heating the window and not the room. “AIR HAS TO MOVE”
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It’s Hot out now – but winter is coming – will you be ready?
We hate to think so in the middle of summer when it is so warm all across the country, but winter is coming and now is the time to get ready so there are no unpleasant surprises when you need heat. Performing basic maintenance on your heating system will save time and frustration when you do have to turn your heating system on this winter. If you have any questions concerning your heating system, we are here to help.
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