Ductless heating and cooling systems stand in marked contrasted to the centralized heaters and air conditioners that most of us are used to. Those systems generate conditioned air (either warm or cool) in one specific location, then blow it into your house through the ductwork to gradually raise of lower the temperature. A ductless heating system, on the other hand, uses multiple units spaced throughout your home, each one charged with heating or cooling just a single room or section. They cost more to install than centralized systems, and here in Portland, OR, not every household can benefit from them. If you’re considering a new system, however, you may want to think about whether your home can take advantage of what a ductless system can offer. (more…)

Your furnace keeps your home warm and cozy in the cold of winter, and here in Portland, OR, it will be called upon to perform every day throughout the chilly season. When problems arise with your heater, you want to get them fixed as soon as possible, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. But before you pick up the phone, make sure that the issue isn’t just a part of the system’s normal operation, and that you’re dealing with a legitimate issue instead of one that just appears to be one. Non-issues surrounding your furnace come in many forms, but here’s a few examples to give you an idea what we mean. (more…)

If you fire up your heater on a cold winter’s day, you expect it to deliver hot air right on schedule. But if you have a forced-air furnace and the air flow is suddenly low, that hot air isn’t going to get there as fast as you might like. That may sound like a minor problem: something worth noting perhaps, but nothing compared to, say, cool air blowing out of your vents instead. In point of fact, however, low air flow often indicates a serious issue, and if you don’t take steps to address it promptly, it can cost you a lot of money. A good HVAC service here in Portland, OR, can help you, but you need to understand the severity of the issue before you can do that. (more…)

Thermostats are eminently reliable devices. When properly installed and powered, they can last for decades without any trouble at all. But there’s a downside to such longevity: it leaves you bereft of some of the exciting advances made in the field in the years since yours was installed. If you’ve have your existing thermostat for ten years or more, you may want to consider an upgrade to a more modern model. There’s a quality company here in Portland, OR that can perform installation and repairs for you, but before you contact them, you should think about some of the upgrades available and how they may impact your life. (more…)

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…)

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…)