DC Cheek Heating, Cooling & Plumbing Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

“Crash! Bang! Boom!” and Other Noises You Don’t Want Your Heater Making

Monday, April 4th, 2022
woman-holding-hand-to-ear

While we may not live in a climate that gets as bitterly cold as other parts of the country, our winters do pack a punch, and you know how important it is to have a powerful and efficient heater in your home. You should also be aware of the warning signs of a heater that’s in disrepair.

When your heater is making strange noises, it’s time to call in a professional to look at it. Sometimes, these noises are just indicators that the heater is about to break down, and other times they can signal something more serious, like a gas leak.

This guide will let you know what to listen for to take care of your heater before it becomes a bigger problem.

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Have You Scheduled This Important Heating Service Yet?

Monday, February 28th, 2022

With a climate like ours, and being near the end of “winter,” whatever that word is worth to us, it might seem pretty pointless to schedule heating maintenance if you haven’t done so yet this heating season.

And yet, heating maintenance is the most important heating service you can schedule for your furnace or any other heating system.

Why? Because maintenance is the only way you’ll ensure that your heater works as efficiently and effectively as possible, for last long as possible. Sure, we might not need to use ours around here as much as our friends up north, but when you do need yours, you want it to work well right?

And the good news is, unless your heater has completely broken down to the point that no repair will get it back up and running again, it’s never too late for heating maintenance! Here’s why…

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What You Should Know About Your Gas Furnace Heat Exchanger

Monday, January 24th, 2022
gas-jets-of-a-furnace

If you’re like many homeowners in the Dunwoody area, you likely have a gas-powered furnace in your home to keep yourself and your family warm. Furnaces are a great heating choice, as they are powerful and very cost-effective.

Today’s furnaces even have a higher efficiency rating than just a short decade ago. In fact, the highest AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) rating for a gas furnace is 98%. Trust us, that’s efficient!

In addition to high efficiency, you want to know you can rely on safety when it comes to your heating system, right? Gas furnaces certainly are not dangerous by nature. However, if you don’t take care of your furnace as you should, then it can certainly become dangerous.

The most common culprit of a dangerous furnace, especially an older one, is a cracked heat exchanger. Even if you don’t have an obvious problem with your furnace’s heat exchanger right now, if your system is 15+ years old, it’s time to start considering an upgrade.

Read on to learn more!

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Tips for Boosting Heating Efficiency

Monday, December 27th, 2021
checklist-with-red-marker

Heating in Woodstock, GA is a necessity for winter. Especially when the temperature drops to an average of 35°F during the month of January. This doesn’t mean you want to pay an arm and a leg to keep your home cozy.

There are some simple tips you can do to boost the efficiency of your heating system. This will help keep your bills lower through the chilly months.

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Signs that You Have a Furnace in Need of Repair

Monday, November 15th, 2021
vent-low-on-wall

When you live in a climate like ours, there’s no denying that air conditioners are pretty important. In fact, you might not even think about your heater very much at all, until a chilly night when it breaks down.

Of course, a furnace breakdown is a lot less likely if you invest in routine furnace maintenance, and schedule repairs as soon as you know you need them. But how do you know you need them? True, we’ll tell you during your maintenance appointment. But also, there may be times between tune-ups that you need a small repair or two. Knowing the signs will help you avoid bigger, emergency repairs. Read on as we uncover what these signs are!

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Furnace Installation: Why Size Matters

Monday, January 25th, 2021
white-question-mark-on-blue-background

If you’re in the market for a new heating system, the chances are you’re feeling a little pressed for time. It is winter after all, and temperatures are only getting chillier. But before you rush out for the biggest furnace you can afford, remember, bigger doesn’t always mean better. In fact, in the case of this heating system, bigger might not mean better at all. It may be worse.

The fact of the matter is, the size of your furnace can have a huge impact on its functionality. It’s important that your furnace is carefully sized for your specific home.

And remember, proper sizing is just half the battle! Installing a furnace isn’t a small job—it requires specific experience, skills, and even licensing (especially in the case of a gas-powered furnace that has to be hooked up to a main gas line). Trust us, you don’t want an undersized or an oversized system. Read on to learn why!

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Common Heating System Repair Needs to Be Aware Of

Monday, January 11th, 2021
technician-servicing-furnace

Heating services are important no matter where you live. No matter how briefly you need your heater, you need it to work well, right?

Whether you have a gas or electric furnace, you want to keep a close eye on its performance so that you know if and when it’s time to call in a professional for service. Of course, you can prevent the majority of repairs with routine maintenance—85% of repairs, actually! But they could still happen. Read on to learn more!

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What DOESN’T Go Down the Garbage Disposal

Monday, December 14th, 2020
bubbling-drain

One of the biggest jobs plumbers tackle at the end of the year is drain cleaning in Sandy Springs, GA to unclog kitchen sink drains. November and December are times of cooking and feasting, and even if this year’s festivities may look different, you’ll probably still want to indulge in the joys of good food during the holidays. Unfortunately, this can put plenty of stress on the drains in your kitchen—the garbage disposal in particular. You don’t want to have to call a plumber to clear out a clog, and you certainly don’t want to have a busted garbage disposal on top of that. 

Earlier this year, we offered tips on avoiding drain clogs. In this post, we’re going to look at how to avoid a busted garbage disposal by listing items that should never go down it. It’s easy for homeowners to make the mistake of believing a kitchen sink disposal can handle anything. But it can’t … and here are some key items it can’t.

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Is It Too Late to Tune-Up Your Heater?

Monday, November 30th, 2020
analog-clock

The short answer to this is, “the only time it’s too late for a heating maintenance session is if your heater is broken down beyond repair.” Okay, that wasn’t that short of an answer, but you get the gist.

Here’s the thing, you know that it’s not going to get as frigid cold here, but our winters do get chilly enough to want a great working heater that we don’t have to pay a lot to use, right? Well, the only way to ensure this is this case is by properly caring for your heater, and that includes scheduling routine maintenance.

Sure, it’s a little late in the fall season to have maintenance done. But what matters more than the time of year you have maintenance done is how consistently you have it done. For a furnace or boiler system, we recommend you have annual tune-ups completed for your system. For 2-in-1 heat pumps, we recommend this service every 6 months. Read on as we uncover the numerous benefits of this service!

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Why Is a Cracked Heat Exchanger Such a Problem?

Monday, November 16th, 2020
jets-of-a-furnace

Are you utilizing a gas-powered furnace for your heating needs? It’s a great choice for homeowners throughout Duluth and the surrounding communities! It’s actually still the leading heating system found in homes throughout the country, especially in areas like ours that may not have a need for a powerful boiler but still needs effective and efficient heat for our chilly winter nights.

They’re cost-effective, and a fantastic choice for many people. However, when not properly cared for, furnaces can present dangers you might not think about. This is going to be the case for any appliance that utilizes natural gas. They are not dangerous by nature, but skipping maintenance or neglecting an aging system can certainly lead to problems. One of these problems is a cracked heat exchanger.

Heat exchangers are something you should know about, and never ignore if you suspect you have an issue with one. If this is the case, turn off your heater right away and give us a call.

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