The Benefits of Replacing Your AC and Furnace Together

As the weather begins to transition from the chill of winter to the warmth of spring, now is the perfect time to consider upgrading your home’s HVAC system. At Hometown Heating, Air & Electric, we understand the importance of maintaining a comfortable indoor environment year-round. One of the most significant decisions homeowners face is whether replacing their AC and furnace separately or together is better.

In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of replacing your AC and furnace simultaneously and why it’s a smart investment for your home.

Replacing Your AC and Furnace at the Same Time

Maximize your efficiency and comfort and enjoy these benefits when you replace your AC and furnace together:

Workers of Hometown Heating, Air & Electric transporting a Lennox HVAC system because the homeowner wanted the benefits of replacing their AC and furnace simultaneously

Cost & Time Savings

Replacing your air conditioner and furnace together can lead to significant cost and time savings in the long run. While it may seem like a larger upfront investment, bundling the replacement allows you to take advantage of package deals and discounts. Additionally, opting for a dual replacement eliminates the need for multiple installation visits, reducing labor costs and minimizing disruptions.

Our team is dedicated to providing reliable installation services, ensuring your system is up and running in no time.

Enhanced Energy Efficiency

Newer HVAC systems are designed to be more energy-efficient, helping you reduce your carbon footprint and lower your monthly utility bills. By upgrading both your air conditioner and furnace simultaneously, you ensure both components work seamlessly together, maximizing energy efficiency and overall performance. Plus, modern systems often come with advanced features such as programmable thermostats and zoning options. These allow you to customize your indoor climate and further optimize energy usage.

Warranty Considerations

When you replace your air conditioner and furnace together, you simplify the warranty process. This helps you avoid potential issues down the road. As a Lennox dealer, Hometown Heating, Air & Electric works with Lennox, which offers warranties that cover parts for a specified period. By installing both systems simultaneously, you ensure parts for both are protected under the same warranty terms. To learn more about what’s covered under warranty, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Increased Home Value

Investing in a new air conditioner and furnace can enhance the value of your home and make it more attractive to potential buyers. Energy-efficient HVAC systems are a desirable feature for homebuyers, and having newer equipment in place can set your home apart. Plus, a well-maintained and upgraded HVAC system demonstrates that you’ve taken proactive steps to maintain your home, instilling confidence in potential buyers.

Replacing your air conditioner and furnace together offers numerous benefits, from cost and time savings to increased home value. If you’re considering upgrading your HVAC system, now is the ideal time to take action.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about the advantages of replacing your AC and furnace simultaneously.

Heating Emergency: How to Survive the Cold When Your Furnace Quits

couple bundling up in a heating emergency

As the frigid winds sweep through Wisconsin, the last thing you want is for your heating system to call it quits. A sudden loss of heat can be not only uncomfortable but also potentially dangerous, especially in the heart of winter. So, what do you do when your furnace decides to take an unscheduled vacation? Here’s a guide to help you navigate a heating emergency situation in the Badger State:

1. Check the Basics

Before panicking, ensure the basics are covered. Sometimes, the issue might be a simple fix.

  • Verify your thermostat is set correctly, the circuit breakers are not tripped, and the furnace switch is in the “on” position.
  • If all of those items are in the proper position, locate the emergency shut-off switch, typically located on the furnace itself. Ensure it’s turned on. If the switch is off, flipping it back on might resolve the problem.
  • Finally, for those who have older furnaces with a pilot light, check if it’s still burning. If it’s out, relight it following the manufacturer’s instructions. If the pilot light won’t stay lit, it might indicate a deeper issue that requires professional attention.

2. Contact the Professionals

In Wisconsin where winter can be harsh, it’s crucial to have a reliable heating professional on speed dial. At Hometown Heating, Air & Electric, we’re here to help you in a heating emergency. Keep our contact information close by, so if an emergency situation happens, you’re ready and can contact us right away. It’s worth having this information handy for unexpected situations.

How to Contact Hometown Heating, Air & Electric:

3. Utilize Temporary Heating Solutions

In an emergency, you need warmth, and fast. If your situation is dire, you may have to wait a short time for help to come your way. Consider these temporary heating solutions while you wait:

  • Blankets: While waiting for professional assistance, layer up in warm clothing and use blankets.
  • Fireplace: If you have a fireplace, now is the time to use it as it’s a quick way to bring heat into your home.
  • Oven: Bake something in your oven, and when finished, turn off your oven, but keep the door open to let in heat.
  • Space Heaters: If you have electric space heaters, use them to provide temporary warmth.
  • Sunshine: If it’s daytime and the sun is shining, open your blinds and curtains to let the sun in.
  • Towels: Seal drafts with weather stripping or towels to keep as much warmth inside as possible.

While these solutions can be helpful in a heating emergency, remember to follow safety guidelines and use these options only as temporary solutions.

4. Employ Preventative Maintenance to Avoid Another Heating Emergency

Once the emergency is resolved, schedule preventive maintenance for your heating system. Regular inspections and tune-ups can catch potential issues before they become emergencies. Maintaining your furnace won’t just help during emergencies — it will also help keep your bills down and extend the lifespan of your heating equipment.

Remember, when facing a heating emergency in Wisconsin, acting promptly and seeking professional help is key. Stay warm and safe during the winter months, and don’t let a heating hiccup put a freeze on your comfort.

If you have any questions or want to schedule a furnace tune-up, please contact us. Don’t just survive the cold — but beat it with Hometown Heating, Air & Electric.

Heat Smart, Spend Smart: 10 Ways To Save On Heating This Winter

woman sitting by the fire trying to save on heating this winter

Winter has a magical way of transforming our beautiful state into a snowy wonderland, but it can also turn your heating bill into a frosty nightmare. Fear not! Hometown Heating, Air & Electric is here to sprinkle some warmth and wisdom on how to keep your heating costs low without sacrificing comfort. So, let’s dive into the cozy world of energy efficiency and discover the secrets to save on your heating bill that won’t break the bank.

10 Ways to Save on Heating This Winter

Find out the secrets to a toasty home this winter:

1. Snuggle Up Your Home

No, we’re not suggesting you invest in an army of fluffy pets (although that sounds pretty tempting). Instead, make your home a snuggle sanctuary by sealing any drafts. Grab a tube of caulk and weatherstripping to plug gaps around windows and doors, preventing precious heat from escaping and cold drafts from sneaking in.

2. Embrace Your Smart Thermostat as a Warm Friend

Upgrade to a smart thermostat and let technology do the heavy lifting. These nifty devices learn your heating patterns and adjust the temperature accordingly. Program your thermostat to lower the heat when you’re away and crank it up before you return, ensuring comfort without wasting energy. Even lowering your thermostat by just a degree or two can make a world of difference in cost savings.

3. Let the Sun Shine In

Mother Nature provides a free and fabulous heating source – the sun! During the day, open curtains and blinds to let sunlight naturally warm your home. As the sun sets, close them to trap the heat and keep the winter chill at bay. While these ideas might seem obvious, it’s often the little things that can help you save on heating.

4. Bring Your Blankets into Your Living Spaces

Your blankets aren’t just for beds, so embrace the cozy vibes with blankets and bring them into your living spaces! Layer up with warm throws on couches and beds to create a snug atmosphere. When the temperature drops, reach for a blanket before adjusting the thermostat.

5. Mind Your Vents and Radiators

Don’t let furniture play hide-and-seek with your vents or radiators. Arrange your space so that heat can circulate freely. Move furniture away from these sources to ensure an unobstructed flow of warmth, making your heating system’s job a breeze.

6. Seize the Power of Layers to Save on Heating

While we understand that wearing layers are the key to staying warm, your home follows the same principle. Instead of cranking up the heat, throw on your favorite sweater or hoodie to stay warm and stylish inside.

7. Schedule a Furnace Tune-Up

Just like your car needs regular maintenance, so does your furnace. Schedule a tune-up with Hometown Heating, Air & Electric to ensure your heating system is running at peak efficiency. A well-maintained furnace not only keeps your bills down but also extends the lifespan of your heating equipment.

8. Become a Draft Detective

Put on your detective hat and hunt down drafts. Check for gaps around windows, doors, and even electrical outlets. Sealing these openings is a simple yet effective way to prevent cold air from sneaking in.

9. Don’t Get Warm Alone

Engage the whole family in the quest for a lower heating bill. Encourage everyone to wear warm clothes indoors, close doors to unoccupied rooms, and remind them to turn down the thermostat when heading out. Teamwork makes the (warmth) dream work!

10. Cozy Cooking Counts

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and cooking can generate heat. On colder days, consider baking or cooking heartier meals to help warm up your space. Bonus: you get delicious food as a reward!

Remember, keeping your home warm doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. With these creative and cost-effective tips, you’ll be sipping cocoa in a cozy home without worrying about your heating bill. Stay warm and wallet-wise this winter, courtesy of Hometown Heating, Air & Electric!

If you have any questions about any of these tips or want to schedule a furnace tune-up, please contact us. Let’s stay warm this winter.

Understanding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and the Vital Role of HVAC Maintenance

a Hometown Heating, Air & Electric HVAC van, representing how homeowners can protect their homes against carbon monoxide poisoning by regularly maintaining their HVAC system

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a silent menace that can infiltrate your home without warning, posing a grave threat to your family’s safety. Understanding the risks of CO poisoning is essential to prevent this potential hazard. HVAC maintenance plays a pivotal role in keeping your home CO-free, and we’re here to shed light on the importance of this critical aspect.

This post will define carbon monoxide poisoning, delve into the risks associated with it, and explain how HVAC maintenance can mitigate this potentially lethal threat.

How to Guard Your Home Against the Silent Threat of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Read on to learn how you can protect against your home from CO poisoning:

1. Understanding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can be produced in your home when fuels like natural gas, oil, wood, or propane are not burned completely. Common household appliances can become sources of CO when they are inadequately maintained or malfunction. Some examples of these appliances include the following:

  • Furnaces
  • Water heaters
  • Fireplaces
  • Gas stoves

The gas can escape into your living space, silently putting your family’s safety at risk.

2. Considering the Risks

The insidious nature of CO poisoning lies in its initial flu-like symptoms. Understanding what these symptoms may look like can be helpful in identifying a carbon monoxide leak. Some of the primary symptoms may include:

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Confusion
  • Shortness of breath

Prolonged exposure to elevated CO levels can lead to severe health complications, and in extreme cases, it can be fatal. Tragically, the invisible nature of this gas often means that its presence goes undetected until it’s too late.

3. Preventing CO Poisoning

One of the most effective ways to safeguard your home and family from the dangers of CO poisoning is through regular HVAC maintenance. Our certified technicians can inspect and service your heating systems, ensuring they operate safely and efficiently. This includes checking for leaks, ensuring proper ventilation, and addressing any issues that could potentially release CO into your living space.

Additionally, installing carbon monoxide detectors is a crucial preventive measure. These devices emit an alarm when they detect elevated CO levels, serving as an early warning system for your safety.

To protect your loved ones from this silent threat, it’s imperative to schedule routine HVAC maintenance. At Hometown Heating, Air & Electric, we’re dedicated to keeping your heating systems in top condition and ensuring your home remains a safe, CO-free environment. Take proactive measures to protect your home and health, and don’t wait until disaster strikes.

If you have any questions about carbon monoxide poisoning and how to prevent it, please contact us. We’re ready to help!

What’s the Difference Between a Heat Pump and Furnace?

There’s a large draw toward heat pumps given their vastly superior efficiency rating. However, they may not be appropriate for every circumstance. Discover the differences between heat pumps and furnaces as you consider what’s best for your home.

Are There Similarities?

Before looking at what makes these systems different, let’s look at how they’re similar. Both still require air to flow through your house and the system. That means both will have air filters that need periodic changing. It also means that both will need routine maintenance to maintain their operational efficiency.

A professional should also size and install both. Getting a unit that’s too large or too small can have detrimental effects on the system, let alone your utility expenses. Further, both are hazardous to install if not done properly.

Furnaces Generate Heat

Furnaces generate heat to keep your house warm. Depending on your particular unit, it either does this with an electric resistance element or by burning a furnace fuel, which is more common. In southeastern Wisconsin, the most common fuel type is natural gas, which is run to individual homes through underground lines. In more rural areas or with older houses, there may be a fuel tank outside the house, which is usually either propane or oil.

Heat Pumps Transfer Heat

Heat pumps act more like an air conditioner in that their job is to transfer heat, not generate it. Just like an AC unit will absorb heat from the air inside of your home in the summer, making it cooler, it absorbs heat from the outside air in the winter.

This may seem a little odd since you probably think the air outside in the winter is cold. However, it’s cold because your skin and body temperature are warm. When the refrigerant in the heat pump system cycles to the coils outside, it expands and becomes very cold. This difference in temperature allows it to absorb heat, even from what you might think is cold.

When the refrigerant moves into the house, the compressor forces more refrigerant into a smaller space. This increases the pressure, which raises the temperature, allowing it to transfer the heat to the air inside of your home.

Since the heat pump isn’t actually producing heat, the air coming from your vents may not feel as warm as that from a furnace. Heat pumps tend to run nearly constantly in cold weather to keep your home comfortable.

Furnaces Are More Efficient in Colder Weather

Heat pumps can only transfer heat as long as the coils remain colder than the air temperature. The closer the air temperature gets to the temperature of the coils, the less efficiently it runs. The particular heat pump you have will determine the operational temperature range, with most models starting to lose efficiency around 40 degrees Fahrenheit and not working below 25 degrees.

This is why it’s recommended to have a secondary heat source for when the temperatures enter dangerously low ranges in Wisconsin. The most common is to have a furnace that will automatically kick in when temperatures drop below an efficient range. This ensures you’re always running the most efficient heating source for your home. Most all-electric models come with an electric resistance element heater. However, you may opt for a dual-fuel model, which has a standard gas or oil furnace as part of the package.

You Can Both Heat and Cool With a Heat Pump

One of the major draws for heat pumps is that they can pull double duty, both heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. These systems come equipped with a reversing valve, which changes the direction the refrigerant flows in the system. Over the summer, the inside part of the system is low pressure. However, it becomes high pressure during the winter.

Changing from heating to cooling mode is as simple as switching the setting on your thermostat. Simply hit a button or flip a switch, and the system knows what needs to change internally. Just be sure to adjust the temperature properly and reset your programs for the change of seasons.

Hometown Heating & Air Conditioning has been the service provider of choice for people around Cedarburg since 2016. Our award-winning technicians proudly provide air conditioning and heating maintenance, installation, and repair combined with indoor air quality solutions. Call today to schedule your consultation with one of our expert installers to discuss the right system for your home.