How to Troubleshoot a Furnace Flame Sensor

If you have a furnace that is cycling on and off very quickly and it is fitted with a electronic thermal

couple or flame sensor, you may notice that not enough heat is building up to warming your home. To diagnose this problem, turn the furnace on and watch the flames light up. If the flame goes out quickly, the flame sensor may not be communicating to the gas supply correctly. The coil will heat up, ignite the flame and then the flame will go out very quickly without heating the air in the furnace. The problem is that the flame sensor isn't heating up properly, and you should remove it from the furnace to inspect it and see it debris is clogging the system and not allowing the furnace to warm your home.

Removing the Flame Sensor
To remove the flame sensor you'll loosen the screw on the top of the furnace over the second burner. Once the scree is loosened the bracket holding the flame sensor in place can be removed. Without detaching the flame sensor from the furnace, you can use a piece of emery cloth to sand the build up for the end of the flame sensor. The build up insulates the end of the flame sensor so it doesn't heat up properly. When the thermocouple doesn't get hot enough it shuts down the gas control as a safety measure.
 
Reattaching the Flame Sensor
Reattach the flame sensor by putting back into the hole on the top of the furnace and tighten the screw on the bracket holding it in place. Make sure to check that the sensor is in the same position that you found it before you removed it for cleaning. Typically it will be positioned just over the second burner. When the furnace is reignited the flame sensor will be touching the flame so it can heat up correctly. When the flame sensor is able to detect that the flame is lit the gas supply will stay on, keeping the flame fed and allowing for heat to build up and warm your house.

For a furnace that is cycling off too fast, or if you notice that your home isn't warming up a light sanding of the flame sensor may be your fix. You can add years of use to the life of the flame sensor just by giving it a light sanding once a season. If you are comfortable checking this item yourself, you can save money on a service call. But if you're not a DIY-er, contact a local HVAC Denver professional to come out and diagnose the problem.

Top Tips for Heater Maintenance and Cooling System Repair

Early spring Furnace Maintenance Suggestions:

Early spring heater servicing is absolutely about making certain your heater is in good

condition for subsequent fall/winter. Additionally, it ensures that when it's time to switch on the ac during the summer time, one's body is able to proceed. Most  households operate their heaters through October in order to Goal or April. That is about 6-7 weeks associated with furnace make use of, on average. Anyone who has Heating and cooling systems that produce both temperature in the wintertime and funky oxygen in summer time operate their own systems nearly year-round.

Regardless of what kinds of program you have in the home, the constant make use of indicates deterioration of elements. Managing a furnace or perhaps HVAC product is just like managing a vehicle: the harder you use that, the actual more quickly it's going to degrade. For this reason your system wants typical maintenance, much like your vehicle can.

The body needs to be "tuned up" with two essential details annually: pre-fall/winter (prior to deciding to require to use your own warmth) as well as early spring (when you changeover by using heat to be able to turning off the furnace and using the air conditioning). This is what you ought to be concentrating on in the year:

(1) Look at your filtration system. Your air conditioner filter needs to be changed around each 3-4 weeks when you're on a regular basis using your system. Below are a few common tips on how to decide whether you have to alter the filtration or not:

* will be the filtration noticeably unclean or even stopped up? If you can see bits of dust and debris in it, it's a wise decision to change this. In the event that dust and debris is minimized and you don't intend on working one's body for a few months, it is possible to opt to change it out before you turn it on within the tumble. Simply do not forget! If there's lots of dirt inside it, go ahead and change it right now.

- Look at the color of the particular filter. Filters could be white-colored, gray or even cream-colored. Even though there is certainly minimal obvious debris caught within the filtration, you need to put it back in the event the color of the actual filtration offers changed/darkened.

- When you replace the filter, write the actual day on the brand new one in long lasting gun. By doing this you will know for several regardless of whether you are making use of it over 3 or 4 months.

- If your filter has been in make use of for longer than 4 months, change it out even though it doesn't seem really dirty. Not every piece of debris can be seen; along with your air conditioner will do more proficiently having a thoroughly clean filtration.

(2) Stress washes the particular outdoor condensing unit or perhaps heat pump. Early spring is the best time for you to do this. Wait until the elements provides started and you're simply sure you will not be utilizing the warmth again until the drop. Stress washing of this aspect removes winter muck and also bits of pea gravel in which frequently get caught inside parts through the cool, moist and slushy weather conditions. It may also help to take it easy and remove dead leaves that could have gotten found in their components. A clear program operates more efficiently. Additionally, you are not as likely to be able to get damage to elements all these pieces.

(3) Get your program looked over. You should do this kind of one or more times per year. Should you this in the fall, it might not be required to try it again early in the year.

Nonetheless, springtime is an ideal time for you to deal with it might be. This way you may not freeze if it turns out that there are something wrong or if a component needs replacing. Few situations are even worse compared to waiting around before the initial cool click regarding fall to turn about the air conditioner, to discover that it is not working, and today you're tied to absolutely no warmth while you wait for a fresh component to become bought and also set up.

Adding Air Conditioning to your Rental Units

A high level property manager, air cooling is usually a significant resource. There is a selection of choices for property managers to add considerable benefit to a property low cost together with residential air conditioning. This is often a very easy physical exercise, requiring relatively minimal expenditure to realize ideal results.
Air-conditioning along with rental units
Oddly, several Aussie property managers nevertheless don't appear to understand the days of the past of the hot as well as cold fibro shack or outdated Brick Veneer device are generally removed. Your rental marketplace is really characterized by requirements of just living, along with the complexes with out air-con truly are certainly not approximately the beginning any more.
Mid-air health and fitness is a good for property owners, way too, with regards to standard of living. People don't mind having to pay a little bit extra for the good position. Air conditioning adds distinct value regarding renters, and is also known as benefit for rental income. Nearly all owners of the house move to higher high quality driveway, along with the ac provides just that.
Charge as opposed to. returns
Results in fully air conditioned residential properties are much higher in solid conditions. They will purchase by themselves simply by attracting and keeping tenants. Modern day air conditioning units are actually affordable, for just about any modern-day house as well as unit, along with the most expensive systems are generally taken care of by less than half any years lease at the absolute nearly all for a house. Air cooling pertaining to models is significantly cheaper.
The only real expenses soon after installation are likely to be for maintenance, and that's not necessary typically. Digital ac units are a completely generation of techniques that are far less vulnerable to physical troubles and generally extremely durable.

Installing A Programmable Thermostat

With the right thermostat, you can save money on your home's heating and air conditioning bills by 15%!  The great thing about these types of thermostats is it will automatically keep the temperature at a controlled level when you're home and can switch to an energy-saving level when you're away.  You can purchase these thermostats at a home improvement store such as Home Depot or Lowes for $25-100.  There are higher priced models that you can actually program from your phone that are priced over $200.

Programmable thermostats will work with most gas or oil furnaces and central air conditioners.  If you are looking to control heat pumps or electric baseboard heaters, these will not work.  It is important to read the packaging (the fine print) to make sure the thermostat will work with the device you're trying to control.  If you are unsure, call a local HVAC company and they will be able to help you out.  They may even be able to offer you a programmable thermostat at a discount.

If you are trying to install a new thermostat, follow these easy steps:

Step 1.)  Turn off your power - it is important to cut the power to the room you're thermostat is at.  Mark your wires with tape from the terminal, unscrew them and discard your old thermostat.

Regular Air Conditioning Maintenance

You can extend the service life and operating efficiency of your air conditioning system by performing simple maintenance to your equipment.  It is important to follow these steps before you fire up your air conditioner in the summer.  Here is a check list to perform on your air conditioning system:

• Clean the outdoor condenser coils - use a water host to flush the outdoor condenser coils.
• Clean the indoor evaporator coils.
• Check the coils for leaks with a leak detector or soapy water.
• Clean or replace the indoor unit filter.
• Check the amp draw at the outdoor fan motor and the indoor blower motor and compare the values to those on the unit nameplate.
• Check for the correct electrical control sequence
• Check all wiring and contacts for loose connection, corrosion and any other damages.
• Check the voltage at the indoor and outdoor units with the units operating.
• Check the system for correct levels of refrigerant.
• Check the ducts for leaks and repair if found.
• Inspect the condensate drain line for blockage and clean as necessary.
• Oil the motors and check belts for tightness and wear.

If you go through this maintenance checklist your air conditioner will run longer and much more efficiently.  It will also be the best way to avoid having to hire an HVAC company for air conditioning repairs. 

Where A Technician Job Can Lead

There are many ways for HVAC technicians to advance in their career industry. Most advance by improving their skills and knowledge. Some HVAC contractors specialize in certain types of brands of equipment. They may become experts in more complicated systems or in serviceing certain customers systems.

Many technicians take training courses to help them keep up with new equipment and methods. HVAC technicians who have training are more valuable to the Denver HVAC company they work for.

Advancement

Some HVAC technicians can become supervisors. A supervisor is a person who oversees the work of other workers. They direct other services and keep track of all the work on a large project. They may come in to lend a hand on more difficult problems as well.

Some technicians move to sales jobs as they know so much about the projects and what is involved with the process. Technicians learn all about different product available and the prices involved. Their knowledge and experience helps them become good salespeople. HVAC contractors working for manufacturers may sell equipment (furnaces & air conditioners) to dealers or customers. A technician or HVAC contractor who is able to move to a sales position is usually able to make more money as a salesperson than an installer.

AC Repair vs. New Unit

Posted by: Denver AC repair

We often get asked "Is AC repair going to be the a better option or should I just buy a new unit?" When considering whether you should replace or repair the unit, the age is a very important factor. Did you buy the air conditioner yourself or was it in your home when you bought it? If so, the approximate age should have been in your disclosure statement. Did you buy the air conditioning unit? Did you buy an extended warranty when purchasing it? If you purchased your unit you will know how long of a warranty it has and the exact age. Most air conditioners come with at least a 5 year warranty, some up to 10 years.

If you have an older unit, finding replacement parts may be harder to come by. Then again, some of the older units are easier to repair because they were not built with all the complicated parts that newer air conditioners have. If it is under 10 years old, it is very possible that it would be less expensive to repair it than to purchase a new one. The parts are probably going to be more expensive because new systems have more digital and electronic parts. Having said this, the new parts and repairs will probably still be less than buying a new air conditioner.

If your unit is still under warranty, you will want to go with repair service. You may want to check and see if your warranty specifies repair by a certain company. If so, and you call someone else to fix it, this will void the warranty. Most of the time you will just have to pay for the labor of the Air conditioning repair since the parts will be under warranty. This usually depends on the company's policy's and how old the unit is.

Since air conditioning systems generally last up to about 10 to 12 years, if yours is not very old the repair will most likely be the better option. Of course, one of the things to take into consideration is how well maintained it has been. Have you had it serviced regularly? The filters should be changed frequently to keep the fan and other parts from becoming dirty as this can cut down on the life of your air conditioning unit.

Purchasing home appliance insurance is another option you have as a home owner. This will cover your air conditioning system as well as other major appliances in the home and can help immensely if you need AC repair. The cost of appliance insurance is penneys compared to buying a new air conditioner.

When trying to decide on repairing the air conditioner or replacing it with a new one, you will have to take all these things into consideration and compare the costs. If the repairs are beginning to add up because something is consistently breaking down, you may have no choice but to buy a new system. Buying an energy efficient air conditioner will be less expensive in the long run than always having to repair it. Depending on your units age, utilities and maintenance will cost more money than the new machine.