Why a Boiler Might Be the Best Choice for Your Winter Heating

September 24th, 2014

Homeowners have a number of choices when it comes to home heating. In fact, there are so many choices, it may be hard to determine which system will work best for you and your home. One system you may want to consider is a boiler. Boilers have been around for a long time, and today’s models are very energy efficient. You also get a choice in fuel type for boilers, including oil, gas and solid fuel, such as wood or wood pellets. If it’s time for a new boiler installation in West Chester, call the people who can help you from start to finish: Bartels Heating & Cooling.

Some Benefits of Boiler Heating

Here are some benefits to consider when looking at installing a new boiler in your home:

  • Even heating – boilers distribute heat radiantly through radiators, baseboard heaters and radiant floor heating. This helps disperse the heat evenly as compared to a forced-air system in which hot air is blown.
  • No dust – boilers are closed systems and do not use air to distribute the heat. As such, they don’t disperse dust particles the way a forced-air system can.
  • Easy to zone – boilers use a system of pipes to deliver the hot water or steam to the distribution points; it is easy to create heating zones with piping systems.
  • Quiet operation – the only time you’ll hear a boiler running is during the short time it takes to heat the water in the system. Otherwise, the distribution is quiet.

Condensing vs. Non-Condensing

As we mentioned above, different fuel types can be used to operate a boiler. Many times, boilers are classified by fuel type, but there are also two other considerations when it comes to boilers: condensing and non-condensing.

Condensing boilers reuse the heat that would normally exit the system through your system’s flue to reheat the water via a secondary heat exchanger that is part of the system. Reusing this latent heat energy helps make a condensing boiler very energy efficient. Conversely, a non-condensing boiler does not make use of this latent heat, and may be less efficient.

Boilers can be great choices for your home heating, but the best way to assess what system will work best is to consult with a trained specialist. If you are considering the installation of a new boiler in West Chester, call Bartels Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment with one of our installation experts.

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How Does Duct Cleaning Help Your Heating and Air Conditioning System?

September 17th, 2014

Fall is a great time to clean and maintain your heating and air conditioning systems, including your ductwork. Ductwork can often be overlooked, mostly because it isn’t as visible as the other parts of your system. But like the other parts of your HVAC system, your ductwork can become dirty, and the best way to remove dirt and dust build-up is with a professional duct cleaning service in Fairfield, OH. Bartel’s Heating & Cooling has been servicing heating and cooling clients since 1973, and we have the trained technicians to help you with all your ductwork needs.

What Happens During a Professional Duct Cleaning?

Here is a general overview of what to expect during a professional duct cleaning appointment:

  • The technician will connect a vacuum hose to your air duct system via access ports. Each outlet is sealed off to ensure no contamination occurs during the cleaning.
  • The technician will remove each grill and thoroughly clean it. He/she may also air-blast the first few feet of the duct to clean the entrance area.
  • The technician then inserts a tool called an air sweep, which is fastened to a high pressure air hose, and sends it down the entire length of distribution ducts. The air sweep breaks loose sticking contaminants like dirt, dust, grime, fungus, and other material that may be inside the ducts. This material is then sucked along the duct to the trunk lines.
  • The technician will replace the grills and clean around them with a HEPA vacuum cleaner, ensuring all supply and return lines have been completed cleaned.
  • The trunk lines (lines which carry the air between the furnace and the lateral ducts) are swept and brushed clean in the same manner as above.
  • The technician will clean the fan, blower compartment, plenum, AC coil, return air compartment and the air handling side of the furnace with an air pressure tool and a vacuum.
  • The technician will check the entire system again to ensure all vent work has been cleaned.
  • The technician will complete a thorough clean-up of the entire work area.

How Does Duct Cleaning Help Your HVAC System?

  • Better energy efficiency – if the build-up in your ductwork was substantial, it may have reduced air flow; this can cause your HVAC system to use more energy as it struggles to achieve the temperature you’ve set. Removing this build-up helps the system to operate normally again.
  • Less stress for your air conditioner – a dirty system is a system under stress; when an HVAC system operates under stressful conditions for long periods of time, it can age the system prematurely. Keeping your ductwork clean helps reduce this effect.

It’s recommended that your ductwork is cleaned every 3-5 years. How long has it been since you’ve had a duct cleaning in Fairfield, OH? If it’s been longer than this, call Bartel’s Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment.

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Ways to Tell You Need to Schedule Water Heater Repair

September 10th, 2014

Your water heater helps you accomplish many of the most important small tasks you need to complete around the home, including washing the dishes, doing a load of laundry, and showering. So when your water heater stops working entirely, you know to call a technician for immediate repairs. But what if your unit hasn’t failed completely? How can you tell that you need to call a specialist for water heater repair?

In general, when there’s a problem with your water heater, you need to call for repairs as soon as possible to ensure your system can continue to run smoothly and efficiently. Here are some of the reasons you’ll need to call a water heater specialist.

  • Rusty Discoloration: If your water turns a reddish-brown color whenever you turn on the hot water tap, you may have a serious water heater problem. If the tank is rusty, it’s at risk of corroding, and a rusted-through tank is usually beyond repair. Rust in the tank is often a sign that you need a new unit, but this isn’t necessarily the source of the problem. A rusty anode rod, the component that’s meant to attract elements that may cause the unit to rust, will only require an inexpensive parts replacement.
  • Sounds: While noises may be a sign of other problems, one common reason for sounds inside of your unit is sediment. If sediment builds up inside of your tank, it may bang against the sides. A water heater repair technician can drain sediment from the tank and check for any damages.
  • Hot Water Runs Out Quickly: If you’ve owned your unit for a fairly long time, you know how long it usually takes for your water heater to run out of hot water. If your hot water runs out much faster than it once did, you may have a pipe that has moved out of place, a problem with the heating element, or thermostat issues.

If you have other questions about your water heater in Hamilton, OH, call the experts at Bartels Heating & Cooling today!

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The Fashion of Wearing White and Labor Day

September 1st, 2014

You may have heard about the fashion faux pas of wearing white after Labor Day. In the present, this tradition is usually treated as old fashioned and a joke. Few people will criticize you for wearing white articles of clothing after the first Monday in September, or even take notice of it except to wonder why it was ever a major concern at all.

Where did this tradition of white clothing going out of fashion after Labor Day come from, and why did it fade away like colorful fabric washed in a hot load in the washing machine?

In general, white makes sense for the heat of summer. Light-colored clothing reflects away the radiant heat of the sun, instead of absorbing it the way dark colors do, so for thousands of years of human history people have preferred to wear white clothing during the hotter months.

However, the idea of white as strictly fashionable during the summer season only emerged in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—the time when the very concept of “fashion” began to spread across the Western Hemisphere.

It was only the highest level of post-Civil War society in the U.S. that strict and often bizarre rules for fashion controlled whether someone was in with the “in” crowd. Compared to our ideas of what’s fashionable today, the Czars of Style in the 1880s were true despots. Things as trivial as sleeve length could determine whether a woman in high society—no matter her level of wealth—was fashionable or a pariah.

Wearing white during the only summer, when it was common for weddings and outdoor parties, was only of these restrictive society rules. When the U.S. government made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894, the Fashion Czars gained a definite cut-off point for when wearing white was no longer “acceptable” in the upper echelons of wealthy society.

For many decades, this rule only applied to a small number of millionaire socialites in a few big cities, but in the 1950s it reached general fashion magazines that were read around the country and started to affect more people.

But time eventually broke apart this odd rule, and during the 1970s fashion became more individual. Some fashion legends, like Coco Chanel, also purposely rejected the restriction and wore white throughout the year. Today, the “no white after Labor Day rule” is little more than an amusing gag to tease friends, and almost nobody takes it seriously.

Whatever you choose to wear after Labor Day (and if it’s white, we won’t tease!), everyone here at Bartels Heating & Cooling hopes you have a happy end of the summer and great plans for the fall!

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Here’s How Professionals Clean Your Ductwork

August 27th, 2014

Professional duct cleaning employs the use of tools that are most likely not readily available to the average person. Moreover, ducts can be tricky to clean; it can be difficult to see the entire duct without the help of visual aid tools, and removing certain contaminants, like mold, can be challenging. These are just a couple of reasons why it’s best to call professionally-trained experts, like the ones at Bartel’s Heating & Cooling, for your duct cleaning service in West Chester.

Equipment Used by Professionals

Following is an overview of the kinds of equipment a technician can bring to a scheduled duct cleaning:

Access Tools

Technicians need access tools to create entry points in the HVAC system in order to properly inspect and clean your system. Access points can range from small holes for optical imaging to entry panels large enough to accommodate bulkier equipment.

Inspection Tools

These tools help the technician assess the scope of cleaning necessary for your ductwork. Tools may include hand-held mirrors, a periscope, closed circuit TV camera or a regular camera.

Hand-Held Cleaning Tools

Hand-held tools can include pneumatic devices that help remove stuck-on debris, as well as power and manual brushes.

Vacuum Collection Devices

Vacuum collection devices are used to collect the dirt and debris from your ductwork without spreading contaminants. The collection device does this by creating negative pressure in the ductwork. There are two main types of collection devices: those mounted on trucks and those that are portable.

Hand-Held HEPA Vacuums

HEPA vacuums are used to help remove debris from small or hard-to-reach places, and the HEPA filter inside the vacuum helps reduce the chances of contamination.

How It Works

The technician will access your ductwork by existing access points as well as any he/she may have to create. Your ductwork will get a thorough inspection, and then the cleaning will begin. Typically, a technician will start the cleaning with the truck-mounted vacuum to remove as much dust and debris as possible, and then focus on the more difficult spots. Once he/she has finished cleaning, your ductwork will be inspected again to ensure that the system was completely cleaned. Upon conclusion of the cleaning, the system will be re-closed and the workspace cleaned up.

A professional duct cleaning can improve your energy efficiency, comfort level and indoor air quality. If it’s been more than 5 years since you’ve had a duct cleaning, or you’ve moved into a new home with ductwork, call Bartel’s Heating and Cooling today and schedule a duct cleaning for your West Chester property.

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Enter the Bartels Heating and Cooling Sweepstakes

August 25th, 2014

enter_to_win

The season is changing, but your comfort doesn’t have to! We want to help you get your house ready for the new season. Enter to win a $150 Target gift card + a Bartels Heating & Cooling 1 Year Maintenance Program ($250 value!). Check out our Maintenance Program page for more details and find out how you can benefit (and save!) by becoming a member.

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Can You Add Zone Control to a Geothermal System?

August 20th, 2014

Geothermal heat pumps become more and more popular every year as homeowners discover their energy-saving efficiency and reliable performance, regardless of the temperature outside.

Homeowners have also learned about the advantages of installing a zone control system for their heaters and air conditioners. Zoning permits them to manipulate which rooms in a house receive conditioned air. This allows for a more comfortable environment and also saves energy.

But can geothermal systems and zone controls go together? Yes. We’ll explain further below.

For the answers to all your question about geothermal installation in West Chester, OH, call up the experienced team at Bartels Heating & Cooling. We’ve served Southwest Ohio with heating and cooling solutions since 1973.

Zone Control IS Compatible with Geothermal Heat Pumps

There is no reason that a zone control system can’t work for a home that uses a geothermal heat pump for its heating an cooling. The reason is that zone controls operate in a way completely independent of how a geothermal system operates.

Installers create zone control by attaching dampers hooked up to individual thermostats into the air ducts. The dampers can open or close off a room vent to airflow. As long as your home uses ductwork to distribute air—no matter the type of heater or air conditioner—you can install zone control for it.

The reason this works for geothermal is that geothermal systems operate just like any other heat pump when it comes to their interior parts. The underground loops use the ground for heat exchange, but the indoor components use the air. The conditioned air, either heated or cooled, is sent into the ventilation system with a blower fan, as with other heat pumps. The geothermal loops have nothing to do with the ventilation system where the zone control dampers are installed.

So you can add zone control to any heating or cooling system, geothermal or standard air-source, as long as it uses ductwork to distribute the conditioned air.

Although zone control is easiest to fit into the ventilation system during new heat pump installation, existing ducts can undergo a retro-fit for zoning at any time. If you have a large home with rooms that often do not need heating or cooling, you should investigate zone control as an excellent energy-saving option. Contact Bartels Heating & Cooling for help with zone control. You should also contact us if you are interested in geothermal installation in West Chester, OH. We can take care of both installations at the same time, and you’ll have double the energy-efficiency benefits.

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Portable or Whole-Home: How to Pick the Right Generator

August 14th, 2014

Nobody wants to experience a long-term blackout, but there are better ways to prepare for one than keeping around a few candles, some flashlights, and the hope that it doesn’t happen. Having a back-up generator for your home that’s ready to power the necessary appliances for your comfort and safety will not only protect you from power losses due to extreme weather, natural catastrophes, or utility company errors, but will provide you with the benefit of peace of mind, knowing that you are prepared.

You cannot simply pick a generator on your own and hope that it works, however. Generator selection requires knowledge of how much wattage you need to power the appliances that are most crucial to daily life. To make the selection, and for the necessary generator installation in Hamilton, OH, call on the experts at Bartels Heating & Cooling. We have NATE-certified technicians who can install both portable and whole-home generators, and they will make certain you have the ideal unit to keep your home powered through an emergency.

When a Portable Generator is a Good Idea

Roll-out portable generators (which are more powerful than the smaller units people often carry in cars) can be effective if you do not need to power the whole house, only a few basic appliances like the lights. These generators do not operate off simply plugging items into them—that’s for smaller portable generators—but must be hooked into the circuitry of a home using a transfer switch. Have a professional pick the portable model that will supply your needs (something greater than at least 1,000 watts) and show you how to connect it into your power supply.

When a Whole-Home Generator is a Better Idea

A whole-home back-up generator is a permanent installation, usually outside a house, that can supply steady power for most of a home for a few days. If you will need to run more than just lights, and if you must power a central heater or air conditioner, than you will need a whole-home generator. These units are also essential if you have people living in your household who depend on powered medical equipment. Don’t take any chances!

You also have the option for an automatic whole-home generator. These systems will turn on as soon as they detect a power outage, so you won’t have to worry about going outside to turn it on yourself. Either type of whole-home generator will need the work of skilled installers to set-up. They will also require yearly maintenance to make sure they will activate when you need them.

If you feel unsure about which type of generator is best for you, call Bartels Heating & Cooling today and let us assist you with the choice. We will find the wattage you need from your generator, and handle all the important installation work so that your generator in Hamilton, OH does the job you need to keep your household safe and comfortable through any power outage.

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4 Common Water Heater Repair Needs

August 7th, 2014

If you take excellent care of your home’s hot water heater, it will take excellent care of you—most of the time. Since no appliance can ever be 100% repair-proof, you may encounter troubles with your water heater that will require you call up professional technicians. (Under no circumstances should you try to troubleshoot the problems on your own, especially for a gas-powered system.)

Bartels Heating & Cooling offers fast and skilled water heater repair in West Chester, OH. You can reach our technicians any time of the day or night so that you won’t be stuck with cold water any longer than necessary.

Here are four of the more common repair needs for water heaters:

1. Failed anode rod

The anode rod, also known as the sacrificial anode rod, is a small device at the top of the tank of a water heater that helps prevent corrosion from entering the tank. Essentially, this rod rusts away before the rust can affect the tank, “sacrificing” itself for the system. The rod will need replacement once it rusts all the way through, so if corrosion starts to enter the water heater tank, contact professionals to replace the rusted anode rod.

2. Broken water pump

An electromechanical pump is responsible for removing the hot water from the top of the water tank and into the plumbing system. (So even if you have a gas-powered heater, you still need electricity to run the water heater.) If the pump becomes jammed or its engine fails, hot water will not enter your pipes. Professionals can fix or replace the pump.

3. Broken dip tube

The dip tube carries cold water from the municipal system down into the water tank, where it deposits it along the bottom of the tank where the heat exchanger/heating elements will start to warm it up. If the dip tube breaks, cold water will start to gather at the top of the tank instead, mixing with the hot water and lowering the water temperature that exits to the taps. Technicians will drain the tank and put in a new dip tube to solve this.

4. Excess sediment

If too much sediment from the water supply enters the tank and gathers at the bottom, it can potentially block the valves. Flushing the tank will take care of this problem.

When you suspect that anything has gone wrong with your home’s water heater, don’t wait for the problem to “get better.” It won’t, and it will actually soon grow worse. Have the problem fixed while it’s still small–give Bartels Heating & Cooling a call for water heater repair in West Chester, OH. People have trusted to our home comfort services since 1973.

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Will Geothermal Installation Really Save Money?

July 31st, 2014

Here at Bartels Heating & Cooling, we are strong supporters of using geothermal power to heat and cool homes. We often advise that our customers look into installing a geothermal heat pump, not only because it is beneficial for the environment, tapping into a clean and renewable source of energy, but also because it will benefit their bank account in the long run with efficient performance that surpasses most other home comfort systems.

Geothermal heat pumps require more installation work than standard air-source heat pumps, and not every property is suited to them. However, if you find that geothermal installation in Hamilton, OH is ideal for your home’s heating and cooling needs, you should definitely give the idea serious consideration.

But Can I Really Save Money This Way?

Yes! We’re aware that geothermal heat pumps have higher upfront costs to install: they require drilling, digging, and more labor and materials than standard air-source heat pump installation. However, the payback period is short; you will start to save money on your utility bills during the first year, and depending on weather conditions and the amount you use your heat pump, it can take as little as 5 years to return your initial investment. When you consider that on average the loops of a geothermal system can last for more than 50 years, the savings you’ll receive will pay for the cost of installation 10 times over.

You don’t have to take our word on this: the information comes direct from the U.S. Department of Energy. Because a geothermal system uses the stable heat of the earth for its heat exchange, instead of the constantly changing temperature of the air, it performs more efficiently. The U.S. DOE has found that heat pumps on the coldest winter days have efficiencies of 300-600%, as opposed to air-source heat pump efficiencies of 175-250%.

To make sure that you receive the maximum energy-saving performance from a geothermal heat pump, you must have an experienced contractor handle the installation work. Technicians with the proper training will know the right place to bury the ground loops and the correct loop configuration that will allow the system to perform at peak efficiency. The geothermal technicians will also do the job fast and cause as little disruption to your daily life as possible.

Call Bartels Heating & Cooling to get started with geothermal installation in Hamilton, OH. We will send a geothermal specialist to look over your home and property to determine if a ground-source heat pump is ideal, and how best to install it. If geothermal is the right path, you can trust to our NATE-certified technicians to handle the installation work fast and right, leaving you with decades of clean, reliable, and money-saving heating and cooling.

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