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Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning - Furnace & HVAC Repair St. Louis

Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning - Furnace & HVAC Repair St. Louis

Archives for October 2013

Is a Heat Pump or Air Conditioner the Best Option for Your Home?

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Heat Pumps are usually more efficient than air conditioners but are they right for your St. Louis home?St Louis Heat Pump

You are most likely familiar with how an air conditioner works and its benefits, but you may not know about a heat pumps.

St. Louis Heat Pump

A heat pump pumps air into your home and heats it to help keep you warm during the winter. It also works in reverse to pull heat out of your home during the summer. Heat pumps are more energy efficient than most air conditioners and can be installed as central units in the same way.  The down side to a heat pump is that if the outside temperature drops below 40 degrees it is unable to maintain a comfortable inside temperature.

St. Louis Air Conditioner

Air conditioners cool down your home using Freon that passes through closed circuits.  The biggest benefit to a central air conditioning system is that you are able to cool off your entire home quickly.  This is the more advisable option if your house already has a heating unit such as a furnace installed.

Heat pumps perform just as well as an air conditioner during the hotter months, and eliminate the need for furnace.

Which One is Right for You?

If you have a furnace or oil burner in good working condition then a heat pump is probably not for you. If the units are old or not in good working condition then replacing them with the more energy efficient heat pump may be your best option.

Does your house have a fireplace or wood-burning stove?  These can act to help maintain a comfortable indoor temperature if the outside temperature falls below 40.

Contact Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC

There are many heat pump and air conditioner options to choose from.  Thomas Hoffmann, formerly of Hoffmann Brothers, has 30+ years working in the HVAC industry. Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC provides the highest quality St. Louis HVAC design build, replacement, and maintenance services with a commitment to energy efficient solutions that save money without forgoing comfort.

Call Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC at (314) 471-7625.

 

Get Your Heater Ready For Winter

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Having your furnace fail during winter months in St. Louis is not something you want to have happen. St. Louis HVAC

Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid that and to prepare for needing the extra heat.

Keeping your HVAC system functioning and saving money on repairs hinges a lot on how much preventative maintenance you have done. Running the heat all the time is going to tax the system. So a little preparation can avoid the system going out at an inopportune moment. With the right preventative maintenance,  no matter what type of heating system you use – electric, oil, propane, heat pump, natural gas – you can keep it going strong all winter long.

Types of HVAC Maintenance

At Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC Heating and Air Conditioning we can perform maintenance on any type of heating system. Here is a list of some of the things that can be done to make sure your heating system is reliable all winter long.

Natural Gas Furnace:

  • Replace the air filters.
  • Check gas pressure and piping for leaks, and support.
  • Inspect the blower. Blower belts should be replaced once a year.
  • Inspect the condition of blower bearings and lubricate, check the blower motor and lubricate.
  • Do a basic brush-clean of the heating elements and/or the heat exchanger.
  • Test the operation of the heating system.
  • Check the condition of the combustion blower.
  • Check the pilot or ignition system.
  • Check the heat exchanger.
  • Check the thermostat and all operating controls.
  • Tighten all electrical connections.
  • Clean and check all grounded connections.
  • Test by running through two complete heating cycles.
  • Verify that the economizer dampers are set and operational.

Heat pumps:

  • Heat pumps
  • Replace air filters.
  • Make sure thermostat is operating well.

Oil Heating:

  • Replace the air filters, check thermostat and economizer operation.
  • Replace the oil filter.
  • Check for water in the tank.
  • Replace the nozzle.
  • Check the oil pump pressure.
  • Adjust the combustion air.
  • Check the heat exchanger.
  • Check the oil pre-heater, if there is one installed.
  • Check the operating and safety controls.

Just as you need regular maintenance preformed on your car, so too regular maintenance of your furnace is vital to it’s performance. Not only will this keep your system running all winter long but it will ensure that it is running as efficiently as possible.

St. Louis HVAC Maintenance

Having a properly working furnace is a necessity during the winter in St. Louis. If your system breaks down or is not performing at its optimum level, trust Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC to repair your system. To prevent system failure, we also offer routine maintenance.

Whatever your heating, air conditioning or ventilation needs are, contact Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC today at (314) 471-7625 or fill out our online contact form for a free estimate.

 

photo credit: bunnygoth

Using Heat Pumps For Residential Heating And Cooling

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At Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC, we can help you figure out which heat pump system is going to be the best fit for your home. St. Louis Heat Pump Installation

When you think about cooling your home, you probably think about air conditioning. But what many people do not realize, is that they can use the same heat pump system that can be used for heating for cooling purposes as well. The name “heat pump” might be a bit misleading. Because heat pumps can be used for both heating and cooling, many homeowners prefer them to heating and cooling systems that are separate.

What are heat pumps?

Devices that use energy to move heat from one location to another are called heat pumps. They are used in homes or businesses to pull heat out of the ground to transfer to the building. But by reversing the process, heat pumps can be used to cool as well. Heat pumps work in much the same way as air conditioners do when they are used for cooling purposes.

With standard heating and cooling systems, there must be separate systems installed that are designed to perform the heating and the cooling. But since heat pumps can easily perform both functions, they are both efficient and cost-effective at keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Part of this efficiency comes from the fact that the heat pump is not creating heat by burning fuel, rather the pump is extracting heat from one location and just transferring it somewhere else.

What are some advantages of heat pumps?

Heat pumps can be used for heating in a variety of different ways and are more environmentally friendly than gas burning furnaces. For instance, they are used to heat swimming pools and hot tubs. Heat pumps are the most efficient in temperatures that are not extreme and are an excellent investment. They can save you and your family a lot of money.

Many homeowners love using heat pumps to heat and cool their homes because they are environmentally friendly, quiet, safe, do not take up much room,and because they heat and cool air more evenly than furnaces that burn using fossil fuels.

Advancements in technology have been continually improving the efficiency of heat pumps and at this point they are the most efficient heating and cooling systems that homeowners could invest in. This comes from the design of the pump itself and from the materials that are used to make the pipes, which are buried beneath the earth.

St. Louis Heat Pump Installation

There are several different types of systems, but for most residential uses, systems are called “split systems.” This means that there is an indoor component and an outdoor component. If you are seriously thinking about using a heat pump to heat and cool your home, contact Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC. We can help you figure out which heat pump system is going to be the best fit for your home.

Trane carriers a variety of heat pump’s that are both durable and economical. Call Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC today at (314) 471-7625 to get the details and specifications.

Plan Ahead and Save Money On Home HVAC Repairs

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Having reliable heating and cooling for your home is important. St. Louis HVAC Repairs

Most people only think about issues surrounding Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) when something goes wrong and needs to be repaired, or if it is time to replace or upgrade a system. But if you are thinking about buying, selling, or renovating your home, it is the perfect time to think about your HVAC system.

Doing a little research beforehand and understanding what your heating and cooling needs are and learning about your options and which methods of heating and cooling your home will be the most cost-efficient, means that you are in the best possible position to save money when the time comes to make changes.

Avoid peak-season HVAC repairs and replacement.

There are many components that go into making a house a home. Ultimately, families are looking for comfort and a rejuvenating space to spend time in. HVAC systems are probably not in the forefront of our minds when we think of comfort, but you can rest assured that during cold winter months or in the midst of the sweltering summer heat, if you do not have a top notch HVAC system, you will be able to think of little else. These times of the year are also when the HVAC system in your home will be used the most. It is reasonable to assume that because these are the most taxing seasons for HVAC systems, a system that is not in the best shape will be the most likely to malfunction or need replacing.

Have your HVAC system inspected for energy efficiency.

Having an inspection of your system done before these peak seasons, when you are more likely to need repairs or parts replaced, is advisable. It will save you money in more ways than one. A crucial component to how well your system works is energy efficiency. Getting your your HVAC checked to make sure that everything is running smoothly is one way. Also, making sure that the ducts are clean, that there are no air leaks, etc., will give you peace of mind, but it will also ensure that you are not wasting money running a system that is not energy efficient.

Maintain your system.

Planning as much as possible, rather than reacting to problems that arise, will save you a lot of money and it should minimize the chances that your system will malfunction during these peak seasons. There are also other things that you can do to maintain your HVAC systems properly and improve their longevity. Maintaining equipment and staying on top of energy efficiency and repairs may seem like a hassle, but you will be thanking yourself in December when you do not have to make an emergency call to your heating company because it breaks.

HVAC Maintenance and Repairs

Call Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC today at (314) 471-7625. We will service all types and repair all brands of heaters and furnaces. If you need a new system, trust us to help you determine which one will best fit your needs.