Landry Mechanical Inc Plumbing HVAC & Electric Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

How to Know What Furnace Filters Are Best

Thursday, February 10th, 2022

A furnace filter protects your HVAC system from particles such as dust and dirt. The particles settle in your ductwork or can clog up your furnace. Furnace filters are made from different materials such as cotton, polyester, fiberglass, or various fibers. They also enhance the quality of air in your home.

There are several filters on the market. Choosing one all comes down to your objectives for clean air and how often you wish to replace the filters; most filters are disposable. There are also permanent filters, but you’ll have to clean those regularly.

The most important thing is the materials that the filters are made from. These fabrics play a critical role in the lifespan of the filters. Some, such as cotton, are more efficient in capturing particles compared to others. There is a standard rating system, MERV, and most of the average residential furnace filters have MERV scores between five and 10.

Best Furnace Filters

1. AIRx Health

As the name states, this filter is best for breathing difficulties. The filter is reputable for trapping microscopic particles that people might be allergic to. AIRx also traps debris, mold, dust, bacteria, smog, and other respiratory irritants.

Installing the filter in your residence will make a staggering difference in the air quality. Clean air will be constantly pushed from your HVAC unit. AIRx Health filters are also perfectly designed to enhance airflow, reduce maintenance costs, and cut down on energy consumption.

Key Features:

  • Highly reliable filters
  • Electrostatic air media can be able to trap respiratory irritants

2. FilterBuy

FilterBuy is one of the most reputable furnace filters on the market. These filters come in many designs and options. They have an electrostatically charged design that is ideal for high-velocity HVAC systems. The electrostatic media can attract pollutants and contaminants in the air and purify them.

The filters last for about four months and then require a replacement. These filters can eliminate foul smells associated with cooking or smoking using activated carbon. They last for a more extended period since they can withstand exposure to moisture and dampness and can still be trap debris, lint, and dander from your pets.

Key Features:

  • Traps almost 90% of air pollutants

3. Filtrete Micro Allergen

As the name suggests, this furnace filter can trap tiny air particles. In fact, this filter can trap air particles as small as 0.3 microns. Filtrete Micro Allergen filters also come with unique qualities such as electrostatic technology.

Similar to other filters, it has a media to trap household allergens and dirt particles. Filtrete Micro Allergen filters also come with unique technology known as three-in-one technology. The technology allows the filters to draw and to trap particles while at the same time pushing clean air into your residence.

The filters last for a long time, usually almost for an entire year. The length of time depends on the heating system and the degree of dust particles that are trapped.

Key Features:

  • Bluetooth-enabled HVAC air filter
  • Able to detect changes in air pressure
  • App available for monitoring on Android and iOS

What to Look for in a Furnace Filter

Air Filter Type

When it comes to the filter type, you can buy a permanent or disposable filter. Permanent filters last for a couple of years but must be regularly maintained. You have to clean the filters to eliminate the dust particles.

Disposable filters, on the other hand, do not last for long. Some might last for between five and 12 months, and others last for only 30 to 90 days. The best disposable filters are made from synthetic fibers to trap air contaminants and particles better. However, basic filters are made from fiberglass, which means they can only catch large dirt particles.

Some filters come equipped with electrostatic filter options. This means that the filters can attract dust or dirt particles. They can come in both permanent and disposable filters. The filter usually has some cotton or paper in between that has been permanently charged to attract the particles.

MERV Rating

This is an industry-standard rating used to compare the effectiveness of the filters. The ratings of the furnace filters in the MERV rating go from one to 16, with 16 representing the most optimal filters.

MERV 1 filters can only filter particles larger than 10 microns in size. MERV 16 filters can filter out particles as small as 0.3 microns in size.

The best filters for reducing allergens and enhancing air quality usually have a MERV rating of nine. Most homes are equipped with furnace filters with a rating of about five.

Filter Performance Rating

Filter performance rating is a different rating system from the MERV system. It was developed to look at the filter’s ability to capture small or large particles and to measure the weight the filter gains from the particles over time. The filter scores range from one to 10 (10 being the best) and help the buyers find what is best suited for their needs.

System Specifications

You should choose a filter that is most compatible with your HVAC unit. Not incorporating the right filter might bring down the system’s energy output and could affect the machine in the long term. If you are looking to get the right specifications, you should be keen on the supplier’s instructions.

Weather and Climate

The weather also plays a vital role when deciding the best furnace filter for you. If you reside in a cold area, you are more likely to use an HVAC system than people in temperate regions. This means that you might be required to replace your furnace filter more often.

Health Conditions

Some health complications, such as allergies and asthma, might require you to ensure that your system works best to keep the quality of air high. This calls for furnace filters that offer the highest efficiency possible. People who suffer from breathing complications must at all times live in the cleanest air possible.

Pets

If you own pets, you are best suited to choosing furnace filters that eliminate pet hair and dander that might clog up in the ductwork. Pet allergies are also a concern. You can look to equip your house with a cleaner to keep the air fresh at all times.

Price

Air filters are investments. If you invest in low-cost filters, you are likely to replace the filters more often, which might be expensive in the long term. Low-cost filters only capture large particles, and you might need to replace them frequently.

Conclusion

You can schedule the installation or replacement of your furnace filter in central and west Massachusetts by contacting Landry Mechanical Inc Plumbing HVAC & Electric today. We can also renovate your current system and equip it with the best furnace filters the market has to offer. If you’re looking for furnace, boiler, or air conditioning repairs or replacements, we can do that too. At Landry Mechanical Inc Plumbing HVAC & Electric, we are committed to ensuring that you enjoy the convenience of clean air in your residence.

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How To Prevent Carbon Monoxide Leaks in Your Furnace

Tuesday, January 18th, 2022

To keep you and your household warm, gas furnaces are routinely burning fuel in a combustion process. Carbon monoxide, which is a very harmful, invisible gas, is a natural byproduct of this combustion. Most of the time, this carbon monoxide isn’t something you need to be concerned about. This is the case because when your furnace is operating correctly, that noxious gas is safely contained in the appliance’s heat exchanger. After it’s produced, this gas then travels through the furnace’s flue pipe to be vented out of your home. Unfortunately, there are cases in which enough of this carbon monoxide to harm you can escape from the heating system. The most common source of this is a damaged heat exchanger or flue pipe, and that damage can be caused by several different things.

You may be wondering whether there’s anything you can do to ensure that this gas doesn’t have a chance to leak into your home, and the answer is yes. If you take the proper precautions, you can greatly reduce the odds of carbon monoxide ever escaping your furnace and putting your health at risk.

Keep Up With Regularly Scheduled Furnace Maintenance

There are many reasons why you should schedule professional furnace maintenance at least once a year, and avoiding carbon monoxide leaks is a big one. In addition to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the appliance, these tune-ups will also give a trained technician the chance to inspect your heating system for any damage or red flags. For one thing, they’ll be able to confirm that your heat exchanger and flue pipe are both healthy and working properly. In addition to that, they’ll also be able to check that all other components of the furnace are in good shape as well. While the heat exchanger may have its own problems, it’s also possible for another furnace component to come loose and into contact with it. This is a relatively common cause of a cracked heat exchanger, which is a problem that can lead directly to carbon monoxide leaks.

Have Your Home’s Ventilation System Inspected

Damaged heat exchangers and flue pipes aren’t the only way that carbon monoxide from your furnace can leak into your home. After that carbon monoxide travels through the aforementioned flue pipe, it needs to be removed from your household via your home’s exhaust vent. However, if this exhaust vent or any part of your ventilation system becomes clogged or damaged, the harmful gas can become backed up to the point of leaking into your living space. To make sure you’re doing everything possible to avoid this danger, schedule an inspection of your ventilation system at least once every couple of years. Identifying a clog or problem before it becomes more serious could end up preventing a dangerous situation.

Replace Your Furnace’s Air Filter Regularly

Your furnace’s air filter has a very important job in the heating process. When your heating system is operating, it’s constantly pulling air through the filter before heating it up and circulating it through your household. The filter catches particles of dust, dirt and other contaminants so that they don’t dirty and clog the appliance. When the filter itself becomes clogged, though, it can have a number of negative effects. In addition to weakening the furnace and worsening its efficiency, it also puts you at higher risk for a carbon monoxide leak. This happens because the furnace’s inability to pull air through the clogged filter will result in a backup of airflow. That can lead directly to a carbon monoxide leak, and it can also make a heat exchanger problem more likely due to putting extra strain on the appliance. To avoid this risk, check the status of your furnace’s air filter at least once a month. If you’re able to give it a thorough cleaning, that will sometimes be enough, but don’t hesitate to replace it with a new one when it gets especially dirty or clogged.

Clean Your Home and Your Indoor Air Vents

One thing that can accelerate your furnace’s air filter becoming clogged, which can, in turn, lead to an airflow backup and potentially a carbon monoxide leak, is an excessive amount of dust in your home. If you don’t clean your surfaces of these dust particles regularly, it’s inevitable that they’re going to end up getting sucked into your HVAC filter and eventually clogging up the system. Sometimes, this can create a situation in which changing out the filter every month isn’t often enough to prevent an issue. Make a habit of regularly wiping down surfaces in your home with a damp cloth to remove the dust. For things like pillows, rugs and mats, take them outside once a month or so and slap them together.

You should also take the time each month to clean your home’s indoor air vents. These are the vents that your furnace uses to spread heat into different parts of your household, but they can also become packed with dirt, dust and other debris over time. If these vents become clogged, it can ultimately lead to that same type of airflow backup that makes carbon monoxide leaks significantly more likely. Usually, these vents will have a protective panel that you can remove with a screwdriver. After that, just use your vacuum’s long extension hose to suck up all the dust and contaminants.

The Importance of a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Even if you’re religiously following every precaution on this list, you still want to ensure that your home’s prepared for the worst. If a carbon monoxide leak does happen, having a functioning carbon monoxide detector could quite literally save the lives of you and the other members of your household. Invest in a good detector and make sure to change the batteries before they start to get low. Additionally, make sure you’re aware of the symptoms of exposure to carbon monoxide. If you or anyone in your household notices the following symptoms, it’s imperative that they remove themselves from the home immediately and get out into fresh air:

  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Sudden fatigue
  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Feeling unusually weak

Remember, carbon monoxide exposure is very serious and can even be fatal in extreme cases. If you’re exposed to this noxious gas, getting out of the home and receiving medical attention is extremely important for your safety.

At Landry Mechanical Inc Plumbing HVAC & Electric, we have been providing dependable heating, cooling and plumbing services to the Sutton, MA, area since first opening in 2008. Our team is extensively trained, and our company is big enough to meet your needs but small enough to bring a personal touch to our services. In addition to our primary three services, our skilled experts can handle your electrical needs as well. If you want to improve the comfort and efficiency you enjoy indoors, we’re the right team to handle the job.

Contact us today at Landry Mechanical Inc Plumbing HVAC & Electric for more information on our quality services.

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All About How a Furnace Works

Tuesday, January 11th, 2022

The furnace is a heating system that provides warmth and comfort during the winter months. It’s not just your home’s primary source of heat; it also helps control humidity in the air, regulate air quality, and remove dust from the air. There are many different types of furnaces with various features available.

Did you know that furnaces work year-round to keep your home warm? During the summer months, the air conditioning unit circulates cooled air through the house and returns to the AC unit, where it begins the process again. The filter catches any dust or particles in the air and helps keep the AC unit running smoothly.

In the winter, the furnace reverses the process and heats the air, then sent throughout your home. The furnace filter catches any dust or particles in the air and keeps them from entering the furnace itself. This helps to ensure that your system runs efficiently and doesn’t get clogged up.

Types of Furnaces

There are four main types of furnaces: gas, electric, oil, and propane. The type of furnace you have will depend on the fuel source available in your area.

Gas Furnaces

Gas furnaces are the most popular type of furnace, and they work by burning natural or propane gas to create heat. The warmed air is then circulated through the home’s ductwork. Gas furnaces require a connection to the home’s fuel source and need electricity. There are two types of gas furnaces: forced air systems and hot water boilers.

Electric Furnaces

Electric furnaces function similarly to gas furnaces. It burns an electrical current to generate heat, but rather than heating the surrounding air like, with gas furnaces, the heat is transferred to a radiator system in your home. Electric furnaces are usually more expensive than gas ones, and they can be less efficient because an additional heating source isn’t generating warmth at all times, like with gas furnaces.

Oil Furnaces

An oil furnace heats water from an external tank, which flows through pipes to your home’s radiators. Oil furnaces are similar to electric ones in that they require electricity for the heating process. Unlike electric furnaces, oil systems can also function as backup heaters if there is an issue with other types of furnaces or power sources.

Propane Furnace

A propane furnace heats the air in a similar way to gas furnaces. Propane is then sent through the home’s ductwork, where it heats the air inside your house before flowing back outside again.

Propane systems are usually smaller than other types of furnaces. They can be more efficient because propane burns hotter than natural gas, oil, or electricity (similarly to how a gas stove works).

Furnace Parts and Functions

The major components are the blower, burner assembly, heat exchanger, and filter. Furnaces also have different functions, depending on what type of system they are. For example, gas furnaces require electricity to start up the burners, producing warmth by burning natural or propane gas (similarly to how you would start a grill). The blower then kicks on and circulates the warm air through the home’s ductwork.

Electric furnaces have a heating element that is similar to an electric stovetop. When the furnace turns on, the heating element begins to heat up and produces warmth, which is transferred to the radiator system in your home.

How Does a Furnace Work?

When you turn on your furnace to heat the house, this is what happens:

The blower starts to circulate warm air through the home’s ductwork. The burner assembly then ignites and heats a gas or electric current (depending on which type of system you have) inside it before sending out hot air into the heat exchanger, where it will warm it. The warmed air is then circulated through the home and returns to the furnace, beginning the process again.

The filter catches any dust or particles in the air before entering the furnace and causes damage. It’s essential to change your furnace filter regularly (every three months is recommended) to ensure that your system is running at its best.

Which Furnace Should You Choose?

You will need to look at several factors before deciding which type of furnace is best for your home. The most critical factors are climate, fuel source availability (natural or propane), and budget. However, you should also consider maintenance costs over time since some systems may require more upkeep than others to keep them working correctly.

Installation and Maintenance

Installing or replacing a furnace is a big job that a professional should only do. A furnace installation includes running new ductwork, installing the furnace itself, and connecting it to your home’s fuel source.

Furnaces also need regular maintenance to ensure they are functioning correctly. This usually includes cleaning the furnace filters, checking the thermostat settings, and ensuring that all vents are open and transparent.

How Can You Measure Furnace Efficiency?

If you want to measure the efficiency of your furnace, you can use a tool called a furnace Efficiency Rating (FER). This rating is calculated in terms of Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE), and it tells you how much of the fuel used to heat your home is turned into warmth.

The higher the AFUE rating, the more efficient the furnace is. Most gas furnaces have an AFUE rating of around 80-90% whereas electric furnaces range from 95-100%.

Now that you know how a furnace works, you can be more prepared when it’s time to replace or upgrade your system. Keep in mind the different types of furnaces available and what might work best for your home and climate. And as always, be sure to consult with a professional before making any significant decisions.

What Is the Lifespan of a Furnace?

The average life span of a furnace is 15-20 years. Furnace manufacturers typically warranty their systems for around this amount of time, but if you find issues with your system before then, don’t hesitate to contact them right away. You can fix most problems without too much hassle, and the company may offer you an updated part at no cost to resolve the issue.

How Much Does a Furnace Cost?

The average price of a new furnace is around $1,500-$6,000. This will vary depending on the size and type you need, as well as any discounts or rebates your local utility company may offer. For example, some companies allow customers to receive up to $300 rebates for purchasing high-efficiency furnaces.

When it comes time to replace your furnace, be sure to do your research and to compare prices before deciding. You may also consider hiring a contractor to help with the installation process.

Now you know a little more about furnaces. If you are in the market for a new one, be sure to consult with a professional to find the best system for your home. And if you already have a furnace, then Landry Mechanical Inc Plumbing HVAC & Electric is your central and metro west Massachusetts go-to for furnace tune-ups, repairs, and replacements. We also offer air conditioning installations and repairs, as well as plumbing or electrical work.

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