Archive for November, 2015

Common Maintenance Issues to Handle This Winter

Monday, November 30th, 2015

The chilly season is here in Portland, OR, and with it comes reduced use of your air conditioner and increased use of your heater. You can do your household a favor by scheduling specific maintenance sessions for different parts of your system. Heating and air conditioning systems need maintenance at least once a year to wipe off the dust, tighten loose bolts and screws, and help them perform at their best. But they’re not the only common maintenance issues to handle this winter. Here’s a quick look at some of the others, which can involve both straight-up maintenance and the installation of new devices to help prevent further problems. (more…)

Schedule a Heating Maintenance Session Before the Holidays!

Monday, November 23rd, 2015

Thanksgiving arrives this weekend, and with it comes the annual tradition of family, friends, good food and football games. If your Portland, OR home is looking to host a Thanksgiving dinner this year – or perhaps something later in the holiday season, whether it’s a formal get-together or just some friends coming over to watch the game – you might want to schedule a maintenance session for your heating system to ensure that everything is working correctly.

What Is a Maintenance Session?

A maintenance session isn’t quite the same as a repair session. Repair sessions are usually conducted to correct a specific problem that’s bedeviling your heater, such as a lack of air flow or an unexpected rattling noise. Maintenance on the other hand, is designed to look for signs of potential trouble that haven’t happened yet, as well as addressing the countless little issues that keep your system from functioning at its best. They can include (and are not limited to) the following: (more…)

Look for Short-Cycling in Your Furnace

Monday, November 16th, 2015

Cool temperatures have arrived here in Portland, OR, which means that we’ll be using our heaters a lot more often these days. It behooves you to keep a close eye on yours for signs of trouble. That way, you can get it corrected before things get much colder, when you’ll need your heater even more and a breakdown could be far more catastrophic. Among the more common problems we encounter with furnace this time of year is short-cycling, where the system turns on and off rapidly multiple times, often without fully heating your home. The problem actually goes deeper than that, which is why if you spot the signs of short-cycling in your furnace, you need to get it addressed immediately. (more…)

Why Install a Humidifier?

Monday, November 9th, 2015

Portland, OR is a rainy city, and that means we usually have to deal with excessive humidity instead of a lack of humidity. Many residents may question the need for a humidifier installed in their homes, especially since such a device will see little use during our hot and muggy summer months. The winter, however, can create exceptionally dry air, and if you’ve ever felt the discomfort of chapped lips or the sting of a static electricity shock, you know how true that can be. Installing a humidifier can make those problems go away, as well as helping maintain your home’s energy efficiency. (more…)

Make Your House Comfortable for the Holidays

Monday, November 2nd, 2015

With Halloween past us, it’s time to look forward to the holiday season here in Portland, OR. And that means friends and family members coming over to your house for a visit. When they arrive, you want to make sure they’re s comfortable as possible, which means ensuring that your home is kept cozy against falling temperatures here in Portland, OR. Now is the perfect time to let a trained technician take care of those issues, before you need to start cooking the turkey and setting up the decorations. Here are a few suggestions on ways to make your house comfortable for the holidays. (more…)