TCS Heating and Air

Tips for Getting Your Philadelphia Heating System ready for Winter

TCS — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:59:18 +0000

It looks like we’ve finally seen the end of this summer’s heat waves and are thankfully on our way to enjoying a little more moderate weather. As the temperature begins to drop it’s important to turn your attention to your Philadelphia heating system. Don’t wait until it’s freezing outside to discover that your Philadelphia heating system isn’t functioning properly. Here are some tips to help you make sure your Philadelphia heating system is ready for winter.
1. Take advantage of a HVAC Maintenance Agreement. Have your Philadelphia heating system checked out twice a year to makes sure that everything is functioning properly.
2. Replace your Philadelphia heating system’s air filter monthly. Your Philadelphia heating system will not have to work as hard; it will use less energy and have a longer lifespan. Most HVAC Maintenance Agreements include a filter change as well.
3. If your heating system is older than 10 years, you may consider looking for a replacement. A lot of gas furnaces installed over 10 years ago are only around 50 percent to 60 percent efficient today. This means only 50% to 60% of the fuel used by the gas furnace actually is used to heat the home. Today’s new gas furnaces have the outstanding ability achieve efficiency ratings as high as 97 percent. You can basically cut your gas usage in half by replacing an old heating system with one of the most efficient models.
4. Don’t forget to use your programmable thermostats. If you don’t have one, consider installing one. A set-back or programmable thermostat allows you to automatically turn down the heat when you’re away at work or when you’re sleeping at night, and then boost the temperature to your desired level when you want it to without you having to manually adjust it daily. Despite popular belief, it actually takes less energy to heat a cool home than to maintain a warm temperature all day long. Properly using programmable thermostat could cut your heating costs by 20 to 75 percent.
5. You can also reverse the switch on your ceiling fans so they blow upward, toward the ceiling. Ceiling fans help out in the summer by pushing air downward and improving the circulation which can make a room feel four degrees cooler. However, by reversing the fan’s direction, the blades can move air upward in winter. This is especially helpful in high ceiling rooms, where heat that naturally rises is forced back down into the room.
6. Don’t forget about your heating and air conditioning systems checked vents. Check to be sure all heating vents are opened and are not blocked by furniture or other items. This enables the air to be evenly distributed throughout the home.

Ductless Split Air Conditioning

TCS — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:27:52 +0000

Ductless Split Air Conditioning Systems are a simple and smart way to add heating and cooling to multiple rooms without the inconvenience of opening up walls and running ductwork. Ductless Split Air Conditioning systems are a combination of an outdoor condenser and an indoor evaporator unit that contains the cooling coil, fan and controls. Unlike central air conditioning systems, ductwork is not required and unlike single window units, the ductless split air conditioning systems will not take up your window space. A single outdoor unit can run up to 4 indoor units that are independently controlled by wireless controllers. The indoor and outdoor units are connected by refrigerant and electrical lines that run through a small 3 inch in diameter hole in the exterior wall. Ductless Split Air Conditioning systems are perfect for older homes and small areas in which ductwork is not a possibility. Ductless Split Air Conditioning systems do need to be installed by a professional so take caution when shopping for them online.

Heating and Air Conditioning Service

TCS — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:28:02 +0000

Heating and Air Conditioning Service is a crucial key to extending the life of any Heating and Cooling system. The right heating and air conditioning service agreement with the right company can also help to keep those nasty utility bills manageable.

Dust build-up on your evaporator coil can increase utility cost by up to 25%. Motors that are not well lubricated can use up more energy by running too hot which could cause premature failures as well. Another huge contributor to high utility bills is a low Freon level. A heating and air conditioning service check by a skilled technician can detect improper Freon levels and adjust your A/C’s charge which will in turn increase your level of comfort and drastically reduce summer cooling costs.
How long has it been since you’ve had a licensed technician perform a thorough heating and air conditioning service check and evaluation of your homes heating and air conditioning system? Call us today to lower your utility cost and extend the life of your HVAC system.

Do you save money turning back your thermostat?

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:03:42 +0000

In Winter time it pays (sometimes to the tune of 10-15% savings in your heating bill) to turn your thermostat down at night or when you leave for work and the house is empty. It’s easy for a system to quickly warm a house back up to a comfortable temperature.

In Summertime it doesn’t pay. The reason is that humidity and moisture seep back into your household when the A/C system is turned up (moving the thermostat from a cool temp of 70 degrees to 80 degrees). Often times, if a cool Summer night comes along, people open their windows allowing an even greater amount of humidity back into their household. The A/C system has to work very hard to remove the moisture and humidity that’s been allowed to return. So, ultimately, there really isn’t a great savings.

Rule of thumb, turning down the thermostat in the Winter will save you money. Turning up the thermostat in the Summer doesn’t make a difference.