Yes, You Still Need to Tune Up Your Furnace In Florida: Here’s Why

Down in Florida, we typically find ourselves relying on our air conditioners much more than our furnaces. That being said, even if you don’t run your furnace that often, it’s still important to keep up with its routine preventative maintenance.

WHY IS FURNACE MAINTENANCE IMPORTANT?

Preventative maintenance for your furnace is important for three main reasons:

1. Routine maintenance makes your furnace safer.

This is especially true if you own a gas- or oil-burning furnace. These types of furnaces burn fuel to produce heat. That process of burning fuel (combustion) produces some toxic flue gases, such as carbon monoxide.

During a routine maintenance appointment, a technician will check your furnace to make sure that those toxic flue gases are being safely vented outdoors and are not mixing with your indoor air. The technician will also inspect your furnace for any fuel leaks that could create a fire hazard.

2. Maintenance helps reduce wear and tear on your furnace.

Even a correctly installed, well-built furnace needs to be serviced and adjusted every so often. As the machinery whirs and runs, parts can lose lubrication, move out of alignment, or loosen.

That type of wear and tear makes your furnace a less effective machine, and it will end up working harder to compensate for its declining performance. The harder the components work, the faster they wear out, which means you’ll end up replacing parts (or even the entire system) much sooner than you’d otherwise have to.

3. Your heating system operates more efficiently with routine maintenance.

As mentioned above, a neglected system with wear and tear has to work harder to perform its job. This means that your furnace will use more energy to warm your home than it should have to. By keeping up with routine maintenance, you’ll notice that your energy bills don’t jump up during the colder months of the year.

Gainesville Preventative HVAC Maintenance

At Bounds Heating & Air, our technicians take pride in providing dependable service and thorough HVAC maintenance. Backed by over three decades of experience, we are Gainesville’s go-to for heating and cooling services. Contact us online or give us a call at (352) 472-2761.

Does Switching to a Heat Pump Make Sense in Florida?

Is your current heating and cooling system getting up in years? If you live in Florida, a heat pump might be the best replacement option. Below, we’ll explain what to consider before switching from a traditional central AC and furnace to a heat pump, including the pros and cons.

HEAT PUMP ADVANTAGES

Heat pumps have some significant advantages when stacked against standard air conditioners and furnaces.

You can reduce your energy usage.

Heat pumps are energy-efficient HVAC systems, so they can significantly lower your utility bills. Air-source heat pumps are the most common type of heat pump used in the U.S., and these systems can decrease the electricity you use for heating by about 50 percent compared to equipment like electric furnaces and baseboard heaters.

Heat pumps are better at dehumidifying indoor air.

As the saying goes, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” Fortunately, your heat pump can give you some welcome relief from our muggy, Florida air with dehumidification abilities that surpass a traditional air conditioner’s. What’s more, the less humid air is, the faster it cools off, meaning you won’t have to run your system as often and can save money on energy costs.

They typically last longer than air conditioners.

Whereas traditional air conditioners tend to last 10 to 15 years, heat pumps last at least 16 years and can continue operating longer if well-maintained.

There’s no danger of gas or carbon monoxide leaks.

A gas, propane, or oil furnace needs to “burn” fuel to produce heat. That process (called “combustion”) creates harmful byproducts. Normally, that pollution is vented outdoors, but if your heat exchanger cracks, those byproducts could start mixing with your breathing air.

Air-source heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps rely on electricity and don’t use gas, propane, or oil to generate heat. Therefore, you never have to worry about natural gas leaking out of a fitting or a carbon monoxide scare.

HEAT PUMP DISADVANTAGES

While there are several pros to replacing your furnace and air conditioner with a heat pump, there are some cons as well.

You have to replace your furnace and AC at the same time.

The price tag can be hefty when buying a heat pump because the system includes your heating and your air conditioning. Another downside is that if you have an old furnace and a relatively new AC (or vice versa), you’ll still need to replace the whole system to accommodate a new heat pump.

At Bounds Heating & Air, our Gainesville HVAC professionals can help you determine if a heat pump is the best solution for your home. Just give us a call at (352) 472-2761 or contact us online for some friendly assistance.

7 Common HVAC Terms That Every Homeowner Should Know

Does it feel like you’re reading a different language whenever you try to read anything about your home’s heating and cooling system? We understand. At one point, all of those terms were new to us too. For this reason, we want to provide you with a glossary, of sorts, that explains some essential terms that every homeowner should know about their heating and cooling system.

Ready to learn how to speak “HVAC?” Let’s get started.

1. HVAC

Let’s start with the term HVAC. HVAC is an acronym for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. People often will refer to an entire heating and cooling system (the heater, air conditioner, and ductwork) as an HVAC system for short.

2. AFUE

AFUE (Average Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is a term for the measurement of a gas or oil furnace’s efficiency. AFUE is a number. That number is the percentage of the amount of fuel energy used to heat your home.

For instance, if a furnace’s AFUE is 80, then 80% of the fuel it uses will be used for heating your home, while 20% of the fuel will go to waste (80% + 20% = 100%). An energy-efficient furnace will have a really high AFUE, meaning that almost 100% of the fuel it uses will be used to heat your home, and only a small percentage of the fuel will go to waste.

3. SEER

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the rating that describes how efficient an air conditioner or heat pump is. The SEER is calculated by dividing the unit’s total cooling power by the total energy used to power it over one year. This equation takes into account temperature differences throughout the year. Taking those differences into account is important because your AC works much harder during July than January.

4. HSPF

HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) is similar to SEER and AFUE, only it applies to heat pumps when they’re heating a home. To calculate a heat pump’s HSPF, you divide the unit’s total heating power by the total energy used to power it over one year. In this way, HSPF takes seasonal temperature differences into account.

5. Condenser

Your air conditioning system has two major components: the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit is called the condenser, that metal box that sits outside with a fan inside of it. Whether you own a heat pump, a ductless mini-split, or a traditional AC and furnace, the air conditioner has a condenser located outdoors, typically in the yard, on the roof, or on a balcony.

The condenser contains a coil with refrigerant that has just absorbed heat from your indoor air. The condenser’s main role is to release all that heat outdoors. For this reason, the condenser needs adequate room for ventilation on all sides and especially on top, where its fan is blowing out the most warm air.

6. Evaporator Coil

Air conditioners and heat pumps have two coils: one is in the condenser, mentioned above, and the other is the evaporator coil. The evaporator coil is located indoors.

Just like the condenser coil, the evaporator coil contains refrigerant. Hot indoor air from your home blows over this coil, and the refrigerant absorbs the heat from the air. The “warmed up” refrigerant moves along a line from the evaporator coil out to the outdoor condenser coil, where it can release that heat outside.

7. Heat Exchanger

Heat exchangers are a crucial component in gas or oil furnaces. Here’s why:

While burning fuel, a furnace creates toxic flue gases and combustion products, such as carbon monoxide. These things are hazardous to breathe, so you don’t want them mixing with your “breathing air.”
The heat exchanger is a thin, metal shield that acts as a barrier between your breathing air and the hot air that gets exposed to flue gases and toxic byproducts that result from your furnace burning fuel.
Because the heat exchanger is made of metal, it transfers the heat from the “unhealthy” air to your indoor air, while keeping out all the harmful things you shouldn’t breathe.
Consequently, your indoor air gets heated safely, and the flue gases and pollutants on the other side of the heat exchanger get vented outside your home where they can dissipate.

Over time, condensation can cause the heat exchanger to rust. This can lead to cracks as the metal expands and contracts from warming up and cooling down. A cracked heat exchanger needs to be taken seriously, as any breaks in the barrier can allow harmful gases and particles to mix with your indoor air.

At Bounds Heating & Air, we’re committed to providing you with top-quality HVAC repairs, maintenance, and installations. Give us a call at (352) 472-2761 or contact us online today!

Bounds Heating & Air Opening New Location In Gainesville!

One of the strongest signs of a stable and thriving business is consistent growth, and we have been privileged to see that here at Bounds Heating & Air. Over our years in business, our customers have come to depend on us for high-quality air conditioning and heating repairs, new installation services, and anything else in between that your home’s HVAC system might need. We have always sought to go above and beyond for our customers and treat them with genuine respect and world-class customer care. And we’re pleased to see that these efforts have been rewarded over the years with a business that has grown to become one of the most recognized leaders in our community.

In fact, this growth has been so prominent that we are pleased to announce that we have opened our second location! We are now pleased to have a facility located in the city of Gainesville, allowing customers there and in the surrounding areas to receive our same great service and reliability even faster! Thanks to a fleet of trucks and staff of experienced crew members now based out of this new location, customers will see even quicker response times and enhanced support for their HVAC needs.

This new location is not replacing our old office—we are still operating at full capacity from our original location in Newberry. That means you can still expect the same great service and friendly technicians you always have. However, we’re pleased to have the ability to serve an even wider range of customers across a greater service area thanks to this new location!

Whether you are in Newberry, Gainesville, or any of the communities that surrounding either of our offices, give the team at Bounds Heating & Air a call at (352) 472-2761 today and schedule a service if your air conditioner or heater needs a professional service.

How to Ruin Your Air Conditioner in Less Than 10 Years

Air conditioners are not cheap to replace. Ideally, you want yours to last as long as possible so that you can maximize this investment in your comfort. However, as fantastic as your air conditioner is, it’s not invincible. It’s important to know what not to do so your system can run smoothly year after year.

Here are 5 things to avoid that will run your air conditioner into the ground fast.

1. Keeping the same air filter in too long

Your air conditioner’s air filter has the important job of keeping dust, dander, and other airborne particles out of the machinery. However, when the filter gets too dirty, it restricts the airflow through your AC system. This puts unnecessary strain on the components and can lead to overheating and part failures.

2. Growing plants too close to the outdoor unit

Compared to the rest of your yard, your outdoor AC unit can be a bit of an eyesore. However, before trying to conceal it, keep in mind that the unit needs ventilation on all sides. Otherwise, all of the heat that the equipment is trying to release will have nowhere to go. Give the unit at least 1 foot of horizontal space on all sides and at least 6 feet of overhead space.

3. Skipping preventative maintenance

Preventative maintenance is essential to keep your air conditioner functioning at its best for as long as possible. According to the Department of Energy, neglecting maintenance is basically a guarantee that your AC’s performance will go downhill and that its energy consumption will go up.

4. Blocking air vents

When you block air vents to save money in unused rooms, that air has nowhere to go. Subsequently, you’ll have a buildup of air pressure in your vents that can lead to air leaks. On top of this, your AC will no longer be sending out the same amount of air that it’s pulling in, creating an additional efficiency issue. Bottom line: keep all vents open, and make sure no furniture or rugs are blocking them.

5. Giving your AC extra work

The more you use your air conditioner, the faster it will wear out. Does that mean you should avoid using it at all costs? Of course not. This simply means that you should avoid activities that add heat to your home.

Here are some tips to help out your AC on hot days:

Use heat-generating appliances earlier in the morning or later in the evening.
Keep window coverings closed in rooms that get direct afternoon sunlight.
Use floor, table, and ceiling fans in occupied rooms to reduce your dependence on your AC.

At Bounds Heating & Air, we’re proud to offer quality air conditioning services throughout Gainesville. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at (352) 472-2761 or contact us online.

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