Archive for Boiler
Why Do I Need A Furnace Clean and Tune? Because It Will Get Cold Out There In MN.
Posted by: | CommentsThe question that gets asked this time of year is “Do I need a furnace or boiler tune and check?” The answer always is “Yes, Yes you do.” If your next question is “Why?”, I will tell you because “It gets cold out there”.
I could bore you with efficiency claims and statistic about extending the life of your furnace or boiler for so many years. These are both great reasons to have your furnace or boiler checked every year and cleaned every couple of years. However, I don’t think they are most important reasons.
The most important reasons are Safety and Comfort. If you think about it, they will both ultimately mean comfort. Please let me explain.
A tune and check for your furnace or boiler will look at a number of things like:
- Carbon Monoxide Test
- Flame Sensor Cleaning
- Heat Exchanger Check
- Gas Pressure
- Temp Heat Rise
All these items are designed to make sure your furnace works safely and effectively for the winter. This means that you will not be without heat due to mechanical or safety issues. In turn you will stay comfortable and secure in the knowledge that you do not need to worry about those cold nights ahead in Minnesota.
Now is the time to find out if your furnace or boiler has issues that may prevent it from keeping you and your family warm this winter. Finding out later may result in delays in getting your furnace back up and running and could result in higher costs. You could also be without heat for a couple of days if your service company can not get to you due to the large volume of service calls. Not something you want to do when it is 20 degrees below zero in January.
Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air is now offering a Furnace Tune and Check for $89.00. This is a savings of $40 off the normal price. You can schedule by calling us or scheduling online by clicking Clean and Tune Appt.
How Do You Find Your Plumbing and Heating Company in MN?
Posted by: | Comments
Scan to obtain phone app for plumbing service
In today’s busy world it is very important to get the information or services that you need as quickly and easy as possible. Many companies are vying for your loyalty by providing customers with methods of contacting them quickly and effortlessly.
Homeowners needing service on their plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and drain cleaning need to know that their contractor can be reached in many different ways. Some things in the home can wait, but many things like leaking pipes, water heaters not heating or toilets that are leaking or plugged need immediate attention.
At Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air, we have heard the requests from our customers and homeowners to make it easier to contact us at any time of the day or night. Below are all the ways that homeowners can now reach us.
- Phone via Dex yellow pages or online.
- Website online request found by all search engines.
- Phone app for your smart phone.
The latest and greatest in technology is smart phones. You can use them to view websites and interact with the website. The even more convenient tool is apps for the smart phone. The picture above is a bar code that you can scan with your smart phone that will direct you to download the Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air app.
Below are all the things you can do with the phone app on your smart phone:
- Emergency Plumbing and Heating Service Call – This will let you call the number without having to look up our number.
- Homeowner Plumbing and Heating Video of the Week – Provides homeowners with tips and information.
- Register To Win A Free Furnace
- Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Drain Cleaning Specials
- Online Service Scheduling
- Our Facebook Page
We will continue to come up with ways for homeowners to contact us to when you need us. This is another example of how we strive to be the premier residential contractor in the Twin Cities.
What To Do In MN When Plumbing And Heating Pipes Are Frozen and Broken?
Posted by: | CommentsAs I write this we are beginning the recovery of another frozen house. This is what we call a house that has lost heat and has frozen and broken water pipes and hot water heat lines. This has been a record year for calls regarding homes that have lost heat which has resulted in frozen pipes breaking and causing damage in the home.
The most recent call we received was from a homeowner who was out of town and had a hot water pipe freeze and break which resulted in water shooting over to the boiler and causing the pilot lite to go out. With no heat the house proceeded to get colder to the point of freezing the plumbing and heating pipes. This resulted in broken baseboard heat along with broken piping for both the heating lines and plumbing lines.
The actions taken by another contractor before we were called has prompted me to write about what to do and more importantly, what not to do. The actions you take at this point could dramatically affect the cost and length of the rehabilitation.
- Remove Radiators and Toilets – If they are cracked, you will want to remove them before they have a chance to thaw. Radiators will leak a black sludge and cracked toilets will cause a lot of water damage.
- Shut Water Off – This should be done right away. Pipes that are frozen and broken will start leaking and shooting water if they start to thaw and they are under pressure. You will not know if there are any breaks until water is in the pipes or they are pressurized with air. You may need the city to shut the water off at the street if your water shut off at the water meter is frozen.
- Remove Valuables - This includes electronics, papers, pictures etc. They may not be damaged yet but will be exposed to dampness and water during the thaw and rehab process.
- Call Your Insurance Company – They will need to be notified as soon as possible. Most house freeze ups result in thousands to tens of thousand of dollars in damage.
- Call Your Plumber – Insurance companies will let you choose who you want to use as your contractor. They usually ask you who you are using for the repair. Make sure you contact a licensed plumbing contractor who has experience in working with frozen houses. Not every plumber has the necessary experience to know what to do first.
DO NOT TURN ON THE HEAT!!!
The house we are doing now and a number of homes we have done in the past were started by a contractor who thought the first thing to do is warm up the house so they could work on it. This is the worst thing you can do. The damage will increase greatly by doing this. Experienced plumbing and heating contractors know that it will be cold and uncomfortable for a day or two while radiators and toilets are hauled out and water is turned off.
No more damage will be done to your house once it is frozen solid. While it tempting to get warm, don’t do it.
Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air has been helping homeowners with frozen homes for almost 100 years. Nobody has more experience then us. Call us or contact us online if you have any questions.
2011 Brings Good and Bad News For Funace and Boiler Replacements.
Posted by: | Comments2010 concluded the $1500 tax rebate for upgrading your furnace, boiler or air conditioner to a high efficient unit. The federal tax credit ends on December 31, 2010 and you had to have your hvac equipment installed by that date. That is the bad news.
The good news is that there is a 2011 Federal Tax Credit available. While it is not as good as the one that finished in 2010, it is still money in your pocket if you were not ready to replace your furnace, air conditioner or boiler until now.
Some of the details are listed below:
- The maximum amount an eligible homeowner may receive in tax credits for residential property will be reduced from $1500 to $500.
- All furnaces and boilers, whether natural gas, propane or oil, must have an AFUE of 95 or above to be eligible for the credit.
- The credit is not 30% of the total cost of the hvac equipment including install.
- $150 Tax Credit for natural gas, propane, oil furnace or boiler with minumum 95% AFUE
- $300 Tax Credit for split system air conditioner with minimum 16 SEER / 13 EER
- $300 Tax Credit for split system heat pump or min split system 15 SEER / 12.5 EER / 8.5 HSPF
As you can see, the Federal Tax Credit is not as attractive in 2011 as it was in 2010 and 2009. However, if you are looking to replace your lower efficient furnace, boiler or air conditioner, it may help cover the extra up front cost of the replacement while you save money on your monthly energy bills.
Contact Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air if you would like to learn more about the 2011 Federal Tax Credit or high efficient furnace, boiler and air conditioner. You can reach us by phone or schedule an appointment online.
Have You Upgraded Your Furnace or Boiler to High Efficient In MN Yet?
Posted by: | CommentsBy now you have probably heard about the $1500 Federal Tax Credit for upgrading your home heating and cooling equipment to high efficient units. However, do you know that you are running out of time to take advantage of the opportunity?
December 31, 2010 is the last day that you can take advantage of the tax credit to upgrade your furnace, boiler, water heater or air conditioner from a less efficient system to a high efficient system. The combination of the tax credit and money you will save in energy costs allow the quickest payback on your investment ever.
Below is a list of equipment and minimum efficiency required to qualify for the Federal Tax Credit.
- Natural Gas Furnace - 95% AFUE
- Natural Gas Hot Water Boiler - 90% AFUE
- Gas Water Heaters - 90% Thermal Efficiency
- Central Air Conditioners - 16 SEER 13 EER
Do not wait until the last minute to contact a HVAC contractor to have an estimate done to replace your old equipment. Most licensed contractors are 2 weeks out on installs. Be concerned about anybody who is not booked out that far on installs.
Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air offers free in home estimates to help you sort through all the options and answer any questions regarding equipment or comfort needs. You can schedule online or by phone.
Chimney Liner? Why Do I Need One For My Furnace Install in MN?
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever been told that you need a chimney liner installed when you are having a furnace or boiler installed in your St. Paul or Minneapolis home? Have you then asked yourself, “What is that and why?”.
A chimney liner is exactly what is sounds like. It is an aluminum or flexible material pipe that gets inserted down your brick chimney. A majority of older homes that are primarily located in Minneapolis or Saint Paul proper have their water heater, boiler, or furnace exhaust venting to a brick chimney. This is not the same chimney that you have for your fireplace or that Santa Claus climbs down.
Code requirements are that any chimney that does not have a metal liner needs to have one installed anytime that the venting to chimney is altered in any manner. This usually happens when you have a new water heater, furnace, or boiler replaced. The reason for the code requirement was that fumes could enter the home through the holes created in the mortar as the mortar cracked and fell out between the bricks.
At Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air, we have seen a lot of improper installations and outright deception regarding chimney liner installs. This is due to contractors not being licensed, being lazy or trying to save money on the install. Some of the installs that we have seen are:
- Furnace venting installed to chimney and not hooked up to liner.
- Furnace venting installed to chimney and no liner.
- Liner top installed but not all the way down.
- Improper size liner installed.
- No liner installed and not caught because no permit pulled.
As I have mentioned in previous blogs, your furnace or boiler performance is only as good as the install. Having the proper size and installation of your chimney liner is critical to the long term life of your equipment. Make sure you ask about your chimney and the need to do a liner when you are looking at having your heating system replaced. Think twice about going with any HVAC contractor that does not know what you are talking about or says it is not important.
You can count on Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air to inform you of all the aspects of your furnace or boiler install and what is needed for your home. You can call us or schedule online.
Looking For A High Efficiency Boiler? Burnham Has An Alternative.
Posted by: | CommentsThe Energy Tax Credit is coming to an end on December 31, 2010. As a result a lot of home owners are looking to replace their lower efficiency boiler with a new higher efficiency boiler that will qualify for the $1500 tax credit.
For some home owners, a high efficiency boiler or furnace is not possible. That is due to the piping that needs to be done for the exhaust. Either the run is too long out the side of the home or too far to the roof. My home is an example of not being practical to replace a 80% furnace with a qualifying 92% efficient or higher furnace. The cost would be too high to make sense due to the demolition that would be necessary to run the venting.
There is good news for people who want an efficient heating system without tearing apart the house or bank account. This is a Burnham Series 3 boiler. The Burnham Series 3 boiler is a gas fired, natural draft, cast iron water boiler.
High efficiency boilers are made with an aluminum heat exchanger. The longest warranty on the heat exchanger is 12 years. The Burnham boiler has a limited lifetime warranty due to the cast iron material.
The Series 3 boiler is 84% efficient. With the optional IQ Outdoor Reset Card you can get 85% efficient which will allow you to get rebates from local utilities. I can bore you with how it works, and more then happy to do it if you call us for an appointment. However, the bottom line is that is saves you money by lower gas use and access to rebates. The bonus is that it is thousands less than a 92 to 95% boiler. This savings will be more than you will get back with the government rebate.
If you are looking for a higher efficiency option for your hot water heat home, the Burnham Series 3 boiler is a great option. Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air can help you lean about all the benefits. Click here to set up an appointment for a free in home estimate.
Time To Close The Windows Also Means Time To Check The Furnace.
Posted by: | CommentsToday we were reminded again how important it is to have your furnace checked before you close the windows for the season. 5 people were sent to the hospital when they were overcome by carbon monoxide at the apartment they live. The chimney that the heating unit was vented to was partially plugged. There also was no evidence of carbon monoxide detectors.
Carbon Monoxide is a very deadly gas that usually affects people when they are sleeping. Dirty furnaces and boilers can result in carbon monoxide spilling into the house instead of up the chimney. Blockage of the venting out of your house can also cause carbon monoxide to leak into the house.
Smoke detectors are very important in your house in case of a fire. They suggest replacing the batteries every time you change the clocks back or forward for Daylight Savings Time. This is also a great time to check your carbon monoxide detector batteries or that it is working correctly.
Before you turn on your furnace or boiler for the season you should do the following:
- Furnace or Boiler Clean and Tune – This will include a check of your system for carbon monoxide leakage. This will also help keep the heating unit working efficiently.
- Check your Carbon Monoxide Detector – These do wear out after a period of time. Check your owners manual to see when they should be replaced.
- Check Water Heater Venting – This can become clogged causing the fumes to come back into the house. We check that when we do a clean and tune on a furnace.
Multiple carbon monoxide detectors are good in your home. Placement is key to make sure they detect the fumes as soon as possible. Most cities now require them in your home.
Being in your home can feel wonderful and provide you with protection. Make sure your home is not hurting you while it is providing you comfort..
Contact Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air with any questions regarding your home safety and furnace or boiler clean and tunes to keep your heating unit working properly.