Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. Blog: Archive for January, 2015

Repairs Your Furnace May Need

Friday, January 30th, 2015

Furnace repairs are some of the most common kinds of heating repairs in the country, purely because they happen to be the most common kind of heating system on the market. As they are the most common heating systems available, it stands to reason that you are one of the many homeowners that use one. It’s always a good idea to know some of the vulnerabilities that your heating system has to certain issues. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the more common repairs that your furnace will need.

Broken Air Handler

The air handler is the collection of parts that is responsible for circulating warm air throughout the house. It is comprised of two main parts, the motor and the fan. Older systems also included a rubber loop called a “fan belt,” though this has since been phased out. The most common air handler issue has to do with the motor itself.

The air handler motor is equipped with several lubricated bearings, designed to keep it running smoothly and with as little friction as possible. These bearings can dry out over time, slowly increasing the friction on the motor during operation. Eventually, the motor has to take on so much extra strain without the bearings that it burns itself out. If you hear a grinding sound coming from your furnace, that’s the sound of the bearings wearing down. You should call a professional to examine it as soon as possible.

Malfunctioning Thermostat

A malfunctioning thermostat can affect the entire furnace system, owing to the central nature that it plays. The thermostat is the core control for any heating system, and without it the furnace just won’t work. An easy way to identify a malfunctioning thermostat is simply to check the display. If everything is displaying correctly, including the settings and temperature, then the thermostat is likely doing fine. If the temperature is off, or the thermostat isn’t responding, then you likely have an issue with the sensor or control boards. It is also possible for a thermostat to appear fine, but fail to reach the furnace because of a loose or severed electrical connection between them.

If your furnace is experiencing trouble, call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. to schedule an appointment with us. We provide professional heating repair service in the Bloomfield, NM area.

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How an Upgraded Thermostat Can Make for Better Heating

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

It is an often-overlooked component of your heating system, but your thermostat is a powerful little instrument. It tells your heating system when to turn on and off, and does so by keeping track of your indoor air temperature. Without your thermostat, your heating system can’t work properly, which is why your thermostat should be one of the first places you look when seeking to improve your home’s heating in Aztec.

Types of Thermostats

It wasn’t too long ago that choices of thermostats were limited to either a dial or slide type of thermostat. Neither of these types of thermostats are particularly advanced; in fact, you can’t even target an exact degree setting with either one. Today there are four main types of thermostats that can help you and your heating:

  • Digital
  • Programmable
  • Wireless
  • Smart

Why upgrade? Here are some reasons:

  • Better energy efficiency – with any of the above-listed types of thermostats, you can precisely set your thermostat. Even a 2-3 degree difference can save you energy and money each month, and being able to precisely set your thermostat as opposed to aiming at a range can help you achieve this.
  • Convenience – the programmability of some thermostats allows you to set a program for seven days so that you don’t have to constantly adjust your thermostat in an effort to save money. The seven day programs can even be looped continuously, allowing for maximum convenience.
  • Better comfort – precise temperature setting and programming allow you to be more comfortable while also saving energy.
  • Remote managing – with a smart thermostat, you can access your heating system from any smart device by using a simple app. Not only can you set the temperature and program from a smart device, you can track and monitor your energy usage.
  • Easy to read – the face of digital thermostats are easier to read and have intuitive buttons for easier use.

The best way to ensure that your new thermostat is installed correctly is to hire a professional. The experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., can advise you on the type of thermostat best suited for your home and then install it; they can also instruct you on how to put your thermostat to best use. Call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. today and see how a new thermostat can help your heating in Aztec.

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Benefits of a Zone Control System for Your New Heating Installation

Tuesday, January 13th, 2015

Central forced air heating is convenient in many ways. However, it has its own share of issues. Relying on only one thermostat is very inefficient, as it can only sense temperature changes in one small area of the house. Central heating also lacks any sort of control over how much heat it supplies to each area of the house. The heater turns on, stays on until the thermostat is satisfied, then turns off. There is no consideration for other areas of the house that may not have warmed up enough yet, or are perhaps too warm for some reason. Luckily, zone control systems solve for all of those problems. Let’s take a look at the benefits of installing zone control in your new heating system.

What is Zone Control?

A zone control system consists of a series of large valves, called “dampers” that are installed in the ductwork. One damper is installed for each room, and a separate thermostat is hooked up to each damper. This means that each room has its own thermostat. When the thermostat in the room needs heat, it opens the damper and activates the central heating system.

What are the Benefits?

The main benefit of zone control heating is that it restricts the heating system to areas that need it. If the master bedroom is warm, but the living room is freezing, a zone control system will ensure that only the living room receives heat. This evens out the climate across the house, which isn’t really possible when relying on one thermostat.

Zone control systems also save money. By restricting the airflow to certain sections of the house, the zone control system lessens the time that the heater has to stay on. After all, it’s a whole lot easier to heat one or two rooms than it is to heat the entire house all the time. In this way, a zone control system can make your house both more comfortable and cheaper to heat.

If you’re interested in installing a zone control system, call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. to schedule an appointment with us. We provide quality heating installation in the Farmington, NM area.

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How to Choose the Best Furnace for Your Home

Wednesday, January 7th, 2015

Furnaces are the most common type of heating system found in houses in the U.S. You probably grew up in a home that received its heat from a furnace, and as an adult a furnace will be at the top of any list of heating options for a new home or a replacement heater.

However, there is no such thing as a “generic” one-size-fits-all furnace. One of the reasons that furnaces remain so popular is that they come in a great variety of types that can use different fuel sources. Installers can usually find a furnace to fit any home. The big question is: Which furnace is right for your home?

To get started answer that question, call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. today and let our expertise in furnaces for Bloomfield, NM help guide you. We have installed furnaces of all types in homes in San Juan County for more than a decade.

Furnace Options

Furnaces can run from different energy sources, but the two most common are natural gas and electricity. Which one is ideal for your home will depend on a variety of factors.

  • Gas furnaces: If you have a natural gas line into your home, a gas furnace is probably your best option. Gas furnaces are less costly to run than electrical systems because natural gas is a more affordable fuel. Gas furnaces also provide the highest heat levels of any home comfort system, making them perfect for overcoming the toughest winters as well as providing warmth for homes that have poor insulation.
  • Electric furnaces: If you do not have a gas line for your home, than an electric furnace is a good alternate option. Although they cost more to run than gas furnaces, they are also less expensive to install and have longer service lives when they receive proper care and maintenance. Even if you have access to a gas main, you may wish to opt for an electric furnace if you are concerned about carbon monoxide in your home.

Along with choosing the power source for your furnace, you must also decide on the right size and power of the unit. Professional installers are invaluable when it comes to the proper sizing of a new furnace. They will perform a heat load calculation to determine the amount of BTUs a furnace needs to provide the correct level of heat to warm your home without short-cycling and wasting power. Do not attempt to size a furnace on your own.

When you call on Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., we will put our knowledge of furnaces in Bloomfield, NM to work for you. We stand behind all our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and also offer a 2-year installation warranty. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.

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When New Year’s Day Was Not on January 1st

Thursday, January 1st, 2015

Some holidays fall on shifting calendar days for every year, such as Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November) and Easter (the first Sunday after the first full moon to occur on or after March 21). Other holidays, such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween, are fixed. No holiday has a more solid calendar date attached to it than New Year’s Day. It has to fall on January 1st because it celebrates the first day of a new year. That only makes sense…

…except that, like most things that at first appear obvious, there is a bit more to the story. The beginning of the year was not always on the first of January. As with an enormous numbers of traditions in the Western World, the establishment of January 1st as the inaugural day of a new year goes back to the ancient Romans.

The modern solar calendar is derived from the Roman model, but the earliest Roman calendars did not have 365 days in a year spread over 12 months. Instead, there were 304 days spread over 10 months. The Romans believed this calendar originated with the mythical founder of the city, Romulus. If Romulus were a real person, we can credit him with a poor understanding of the seasons, as this abbreviated calendar soon got out of sync with Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Numa, one of the Kings of Rome (probably also fictional) receives credit for creating a longer year with two added months, Ianuarius and Februarius, bringing the number of days in the year to 355. The new month of Ianuarius, named after Ianus (Janus in contemporary spelling), the god of beginnings, would eventually be known in English as January. But when this new calendar was instituted, January was not the first month. March, named after the god of war, remained the first month, and March 1st was New Year’s Day.

This extended calendar still did not keep in synch with the seasons. In 45 BCE, Julius Caesar instituted reforms to align the calendar correctly according to calculations of astronomers, with an additional 10 days distributed across the year. January also became set as the first month, and offerings to the god Janus on this day started the tradition we now know as New Year’s. The date still fluctuated during the ensuing centuries, with a number of Western European holy days treated as the beginning of the year instead. It wasn’t until the next calendar reform in 1582, the Gregorian Calendar, that the date of the New Year was fixed at January 1st.

However you choose to celebrate the beginning of the current calendar, everyone here at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning hopes you have a wonderful 2015!

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