Furnaces Provide Warmth When You Need It the Most
Why HVAC Maintenance Is Important
As a home or business owner, one of the best ways you can save money is by keeping your HVAC system in proper condition with maintenance service. Keep your family and your customers happy by maintaining a comfortable atmosphere and keep your HVAC in great condition with the correct care.
Benefits of a Well-Maintained HVAC System Include:
- Professional Assessments Identify & Solve Any Issues
- Well-Maintained HVAC Systems Are More Efficient
- Decreased Risks of Inconvenient HVAC Break Downs
- Well-Maintained HVAC Systems Have Longer Life Spans
Stay Cool with HVAC Maintenance Services:
- Keep Vents Unobstructed
- Change Air Filters Every 90 Days
- Keep Output and Intake Vents Free of Dust & Debris
- Have HVAC Systems Inspected Once a Year
Warning Signs of HVAC Problems:
- Increased Energy Bills with Decreased Use
- Loud Knocking or Clunking Sounds
- The Air Is Too Dry or Too Humid
- HVAC Breaker Trips
ABOUT US
For over [years] years, we have proudly been serving the Yankton, SD area and surrounding communities with reliable heating and cooling services!Today, it’s possible to automate almost everything. You can set your coffee to brew in the morning, program your thermostat to adjust to your schedule, and even set your bills to pay without thinking twice about doing it yourself.
Automation goes a long way toward making life easier and more convenient every day, especially for those who find themselves busy day in and day out. And nowhere is this more true than with your HVAC system. Like any moving piece in your home, HVAC systems need routine maintenance. In fact, because they’re at work every single day to keep your family comfortable, they need a lot more TLC than we typically give to them.
As a homeowner, this usually means you have to remember to call a heating and air company each year, and hope that you don’t forget. Or it means you don’t call them until you’re already experiencing a problem and, by then, you’re already looking at a big expense because a smaller problem turned into a larger one.
At our heating and air company in Yankton, SD, we’ve made this important task a little easier with our automatic service program, the Comfort Care Club.
Not only does enrolling in our Comfort Care Club shorten your annual to-do list, but it’s also a great way to get the peace of mind that comes with preventative maintenance. Instead of stressing about the possibility of a costly repair on the horizon, you can feel confident that everything is taken care of when it comes to your home’s HVAC system.
The Benefits of Annual HVAC Service Programs
Hesitant about the idea of enrolling in yet another bill pay program? Thinking that maybe an HVAC maintenance plan is a scam? We understand, and we treat our customers the way we’d like to be treated, so we want to give you a clear picture of what an HVAC maintenance plan looks like.
Here are a few compelling reasons to sign on the dotted line:
- Cost savings. Who doesn’t want to lower their utility bills? When you enroll in our Comfort Care Club, it ensures you won’t forget to schedule maintenance each season. This, in turn, guarantees your furnace or air conditioner is running as efficiently as possible and that you’re ready to handle whatever the seasons throw at you. Membership in our Comfort Care Club also means you may be eligible to access repair discounts from our team because members get 15% off parts and labor!
- Fewer breakdowns. Nobody wants to deal with unexpected HVAC breakdowns. You use your HVAC system a lot, and there’s nothing worse than it breaking down when you need it most. Fortunately, our maintenance program makes this a lot less likely. You can count on comfort all year long — and prevent expensive, catastrophic failures — with scheduled maintenance from our team of HVAC professionals.
- Extended equipment life. When you take care of things, they last. That’s true of most things, including your HVAC system! These systems aren’t cheap, and you can make yours last longer with regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance. Proper care lets you use your existing equipment for as long as possible before you have to buy something new, whether that’s parts or a whole new unit.
- Priority service. We believe in treating all of our customers well because that’s how we’d want to be treated! But when you join our Comfort Care Club, you get the VIP treatment, so you get to enjoy priority service and reliable technicians — guaranteed.
- Professional opinions. Some HVAC repairs are complex, and it’s smart to leave them up to the pros. The last thing you want when your system breaks down is to call in some random heating and air company that tries to nickel and dime you. We don’t believe you should have to deal with that, and that’s just one more reason to join our Comfort Care Club. When you hire our team to provide preventative maintenance for you, you can get to know our technicians over time and trust they have your best interests in mind. Every time our technicians come out, they’ll always be on the lookout for small problems that can be fixed now to prevent larger problems in the future.
Our Preventative Maintenance Services
Wondering what you get when you enroll in our Comfort Care Club that makes it worth it?
Here are a few of the services we provide:
- Checking heating fuel lines
- Checking the refrigerant levels
- Tightening the electrical connections
- Cleaning and adjusting the blower motor
- Lubricating and maintaining moving parts
- Routine cleaning of your HVAC equipment
- Inspecting and maintaining the condensate drain
While these things may seem simple, the main benefit of joining the Comfort Care Club is convenience. You have a skilled technician handling all HVAC maintenance on your behalf, saving you time, headaches, and money in the long run. You never have to think about it, worry about it, or deal with a system that’s on the fritz due to lack of essential maintenance.
Our Comfort Care Club gives you top-quality HVAC maintenance, right at your fingertips.
Join Comfort Care Club for Hassle-Free HVAC Maintenance in Vermillion
You could handle all HVAC maintenance yourself — but who has time for that? If you want the peace of mind that comes with preventative HVAC maintenance, then you’ll appreciate membership in our convenient Comfort Care Club!
Ready to learn more? Schedule an appointment with our team today! Our heating and air company serves those in Vermillion, Yankton, and the surrounding SD communities.
When you search for heating systems, you will be faced with many types to choose from. These types are generally categorized into central heat, direct heat, and state of the art heating systems.
Heating systems have three requirements, a warm air source, a channel to distribute the warm air into all the necessary rooms, and a control system.
Central vs. Direct Heat Systems
Central heat systems distribute heat throughout the house using ducts or radiators, whereas direct heat systems are space heaters and neither use ducts nor radiators.
The principle behind heating systems is to move heat from warm air surfaces into cooler areas.
Warm Air Heating Sources: Furnaces, Heat Pumps & Boilers
Warm air sources under central heat systems are furnaces, heat pumps, or boilers.
Furnaces
In a furnace, fuel like gas or oil burns to produce a fire. The fire burns a metal heat exchanger, which then produces hot air.
Furnace fans then push the hot air to cooler areas via ducts.
Unwanted combustion products are forced out of your house through flue pipes.
Heat pumps
A heat pump uses electricity to gather warm air from outside the house then distributes this heat using forced warm air delivery systems.
Heat pumps come in two types: air source heat pumps scavenge for warm air in the outdoor atmosphere, whereas their ground source counterparts source their heat underground.
Boilers
Boilers use oil or natural gas to heat water.
Pumps then distribute the hot water around the house through pipes, radiators, or plastic tubing fixed on the ceiling, floor, or walls.
When the water cools, it is pumped back to the boiler for reheating.
An alternate form is steam boilers. Here, boilers heat water until it evaporates to steam. It is the steam that heats the rooms. On cooling, the steam condenses back to water and is pumped back to the boiler. Steam boilers are seldom used today.
Warm Air Distribution
To heat your home, the warm air or water has to be distributed throughout your house. Distribution is accomplished through forced-air, gravity, or radiant systems.
Forced-air systems
This uses electricity to power a fan called a blower. The blower forces warm air to all rooms then pumps back cooler air to warm air sources to be heated.
Gravity systems
Cool air is denser than hot air; hence, hot air rises whereas cool air falls. In this system, the furnace is located on the floor.
The furnace heats the air, which rises and heats the room. When that air cools, it sinks, then is heated by the furnace again.
Radiant system
This system uses electricity or hot water to warm radiators. The radiators then warm the floors, walls, or ceilings they are embedded in, which in turn warms up air in the rooms.
This system’s shortfalls are that the pipes often get blocked by mineral deposits, and the boilers that heat up water are prone to damage, hence requiring frequent repairs.
The Control Systems
Control systems are used to turn on or turn off heating systems.
The thermostat is the most common regulatory system which keeps the temperature at a particular set point. A programmable thermostat is highly recommended.
Additionally, furnaces are fitted with a high-temperature limit switch that turns off the furnace when the temperature rises exceedingly.
Meet us! Expert Heating, Cooling and Furnace Repairs in Yankton, SD
At Larry’s Heating and Cooling, we pride ourselves in providing fast, professional heating and repair services. We are available around the clock because heating systems do not consider the time of the day when they decide to break down.
Our joy lies in making your family comfortable all-year-round. Feel free to contact us today for any of your heating needs, and we will be more than willing to assist.
Emergency AC repair: It’s never convenient. But then, what kind of emergency is? If your AC needs immediate repair, one of the biggest hurdles to clear is cost. How will you pay for the repair? And what should you do if the cost is just not in the budget right now?
In these situations, financing is your best friend. You may be hesitant to try financing because, after all, you will pay more over time because of interest. Though the pros greatly outweigh the cons, and that’s mostly because financing gives you a chance to breathe since it allows you to defer the cost of AC repair. This makes it an excellent way to get the services or products you need now, without stressing over a huge bill or busting your bank account.
How Much Does a New AC Unit Cost?
The cost depends on a few variables. These include the following:
- The size of your home
- The nature of the repair
- The type of unit in your home
- The cost of the new unit, if you need a replacement
As you can imagine, there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for AC repair costs. According to HomeGuide, however, people spend an average of $4,500-$5,000 to repair or replace an AC unit. If you don’t have that kind of cash floating around, financing can be helpful because you can keep your family comfortable while paying for it over time, rather than all at once.
How to Finance Your AC Repair
Of course, if possible, the best way to pay for any home repairs is with cash that comes out of your home repair fund (and if you don’t have one, you should think about starting one when you can because a little bit of money adds up over time!). As homeowners ourselves, we understand that sometimes cash just isn’t a possibility, and you have to look into financing your unit. If you do, you’ll be happy to know there are a couple ways to make it happen.
Here are the top two most common:
Retailer Financing
Of all the financing options, this is the most popular. And for a good reason! Interest rates can be as low as 0% APR for several months during a promotional period. Compared to average interest rates of 5.82% for a home equity loan and about 7% for a personal loan, that’s a pretty good number.
Personal Loans
Personal loans are an option for people who are working with contractors that don’t offer in-house financing. Unfortunately, you’ll wind up paying much more over the long term of these loans, thanks to higher interest rates and more rigid credit requirements. So while personal loans are one way you can pay for your repair, they’re not always the best route to take.
The Benefits of HVAC Financing
As a general rule, AC repair can’t wait and sweating it out in your home while you pinch your pennies isn’t a great way to handle the problem. That’s why so many people choose to finance their HVAC equipment. In addition to freeing up your cash flow, financing helps you get the HVAC services you need, when you need them without waiting in discomfort.
Here are a few additional benefits of HVAC financing:
- Accessibility. Most borrowers can get approved for financing with their local HVAC company, even those whose credit scores may exclude them from accessing personal loans.
- Convenience. With financing, you can bridge the gap between the cost of your equipment and the cash you have on hand. It’s a convenient way to repair your AC without going broke.
- Efficiency. Getting a new AC unit or repairing your old one helps your home operate more efficiently with updated equipment. This, in turn, saves you money in the long-term.
Find the Right Financing Options for Your AC Repair in Yankton, SD
At Larry’s Heating & Cooling, we’ve been keeping homes and businesses comfortable since 1982. If you need repair for your AC but can’t afford it right now, don’t sweat it! (See what we did there?) We offer financing to make accessing AC repairs easier for those in Yankton, Vermillion, and the surrounding SD communities. To get started, schedule an appointment with our team or apply for financing!
The winter season is beckoning in most midwestern states, and people are checking the condition of their heating systems. Make sure your family is comfortable this winter by checking these things before the cold weather arrives.
Filters
You should ensure the air filters are in good condition because they regulate airflow into the system. Dirty air filters curtail airflow in your home, leading to inadequate heating and fuel wastage. It’s advisable to change 1” filters every month and 5” filters every 12 months, unless you notice them dirty before then. Some need to be changed every 6-8 months so they don’t become inefficient. This depends on children, pets, and the location of your home in proximity to dirt roads and or fields. However, if your system uses an electrostatic filter, you should wipe it clean to prolong its life. If you’re not sure of the type of filter, check the manufacturer’s manual for further instructions on when to clean or replace it.
Air Filter Maintenance Tips for Winter Efficiency
Switch on the thermostat and check if it is working. Then switch it off and remove the cover to ascertain that all the connections are working properly. Check batteries. Clean the electrical and mechanical components because dirt may be concealing broken parts. Make sure that the heat pump, blower, and fan are in good condition before restoring the cover.
Heat Exchanger
Heat exchangers accumulate scale deposits and soot over the years leading to significant heat losses. Cleaning them improves heat transfer and reduces the risk of overheating. The cleaners will also check for cracks that can cause gas poisoning. Your heat exchange system should be cleaned and vacuumed by a Heating and Air Company in Yankton every year.
Burners
Make a point of cleaning the burners of your furnace. They often accumulate dust during the summer due to the dry conditions. Wipe them clean and watch out for rust and dislocated parts that need alignment by a professional.
Heating Vents
Heating vents can get covered with household items such as clothes during the warm months. That’s why it is important to check if furniture or any other objects are blocking them. Blocked vents do not spread heat uniformly and can be a fire hazard.
Blower Motor
The blower motor rotates the fan that enhances air movement in the furnace. You should ensure that the motor is in good condition because it has several movable parts. Check out for odd noises because they are an indication that the motor or the wheel has malfunctioned. Some of the problems may be due to faulty electric circuits, which can be repaired by qualified HVAC professionals.
Exhaust Flue
If you are using a gas furnace, check if the exhaust flue is blocked and clean it. The blockage can be caused by soot, dust, or bird nesting. Cleaning it ensures proper expulsion of exhaust gases, including toxic fumes of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Such gases may pose a health hazard to your family if they accumulate in the air.
Chimney
During the hot months, dirt accumulates in the chimney. It is also a favorite sheltering spot for bats, birds, and rodents. Thoroughly clean the chimney, including the vents that connect to the furnace. Make sure you remove the soot and all other materials that may be blocking the vents.
Safety Monitors
After ensuring that the heating system is working, inspect the safety monitors. Check if their batteries are in good condition and replace those that are damaged. Safety monitors are essential for detecting fire and gas poisoning.
Get Help from a Heating and Air Company in Yankton!
Even though you can accomplish some of the tasks on your own, it’s always ideal to lean on professionals for more technical jobs. To get your heater ready for winter, contact our heating and air company today. We proudly serve those in Yankton, SD and the surrounding communities, including Vermillion.
Summertime means warm days and cool air conditioning. Sometimes, it also means air conditioning repair for your HVAC system in Yankton, SD. But you never know until you turn your AC on! Before you do, we encourage you to complete these maintenance tasks. We also recommend you check these seven things before you run your AC for the first time in a while…
7 Critical Things to Check Before You Run Your AC
Before you beat the heat with that nice, frosty air, you’ll need to check these seven things.
1. Refrigerant
Refrigerant is a critical component of AC systems, as it absorbs heat from indoor air and helps keep your home cool. Before you fire up your AC system, check your refrigerant levels. Low levels indicate there’s a leak present somewhere in your system. If you’re not sure how to check your refrigerant levels, contact an AC repair expert to safely do it for you.
2. Electrical components
At the end of the day, your AC unit is an electrical system, and it’s important to make sure all its electrical components are safe and in good working order to avoid any potential danger. Inspect what you can visually, then hire an air conditioning repair company that can safely evaluate everything else.
3. Condenser coils
Your evaporator and condenser coils contribute to the efficiency of your system. If they’re dirty or dingy, they make your unit work harder than it should to pump cold air through your home. That means higher costs and an increased likelihood that something big will go wrong down the line, and that’s the last thing you want in the middle of a hot summer.
4. Motor
Motors need oil, and your AC unit’s motor is no different! If it needs oil, go ahead and oil it so it can keep running well. Most air conditioning units require high-quality, detergent-free oil that’s intended for high-speed motor shafts and bearings.
5. Thermostat
If your thermostat isn’t calibrated properly, your unit will be working overtime. The method to calibrate your thermostat depends on what type of thermostat you have, but calibrating your thermostat isn’t too hard to do. If you’re not familiar with how to do this or have trouble calibrating your thermostat, a local air conditioning repair company can easily do it for you.
6. Condenser
The condenser in a central AC unit cools down and condenses incoming refrigerant to keep you cool. Since the condenser is an essential component, be sure to check it early in the season before it’s time to rely on your AC unit for weeks on end.
7. Filters
One of the most overlooked aspects of the AC system is also one of the hardest-working, and that’s your AC filters. Designed to trap debris and allergens from your household air, filters eventually get caked and saturated with dust and grime. Unfortunately, this prevents your system from operating at peak capacity and can lead to a higher-than-needed allergen content in your home.
An easy way to prevent issues with your AC filters is to check, clean, or change them right before the summer starts. While an annual air conditioner check-up is the easiest way to have this work done, it is possible to do it on your own. Just remember to be diligent about it!
Reliable HVAC Services in Yankton, SD
Since 1982, Larry’s Heating and Cooling has been providing air conditioning repair services to families in Yankton, SD and the surrounding communities. We’re committed to providing you with the same high-quality, professional services on every interaction — any time, any day. For HVAC services you can count on, get in touch with our team today to schedule an appointment!
Your heating and cooling system is like the superhero of your house. It keeps you warm in the cold, and cool in the heat. It filters pollen, insects, allergens, and molds, and with the touch of a finger, it puts your comfort level in your control. You know it’s important to keep your filter clean, and you’ve probably done some furniture rearranging a time or two to make sure you don’t block the airflow of register vents. You’ve likely made sure your outdoor condensing unit isn’t covered in debris or leaves, and overall, you’ve maintained your heating and cooling system the best you know how.
There’s a lot more to consider with air conditioners and furnaces to keep them going strong for years to come, and it starts with professional preventative maintenance.
Protect Your Home with Winter HVAC Preventative Maintenance
There are two times a year that HVAC preventative maintenance is extremely important in most areas: fall and spring. That’s because you don’t want to be left in the cold or stuck in the heat during winter and summer months. With temperatures regularly below the teens, winter security is especially important in South Dakota communities!
From wires, nuts, and bolts to your furnace humidifier, your heating and cooling needs change and needs climate-specific adjustment when there’s a significant shift in outside temperature.
HVAC preventative maintenance includes things like:
- Thoroughly checking inside your vents and ducts for obstructions that could decrease efficiency and airflow, or dislodge and cause damage to the ductwork.
- Expertly adjusting and repairing loose bolts and wires as needed, so everything is operating properly.
- Checking amp draw on capacitors and motors to be sure they’re all operating within manufacturer specs.
- Thoroughly inspecting and diagnosing the cause and source of any odd sounds coming from your vents or furnace.
- Cleaning and making adjustments to the humidifier water panel of your furnace so it operates the best it can.
- Checking your entire HVAC system for outside or inside problems.
When you have your heating and cooling system inspected prior to the most severe weather months, you have the security of knowing how well your HVAC is functioning. If you do need heater repair in Yankton during the winter months, you’ll have the security of knowing the repair probably isn’t going to be major.
Cost-Efficiency
Preventative maintenance may uncover some small repairs that are needed to keep your system running at its best. These small repairs can in turn save you from super expensive repairs that could happen if those small issues had been neglected.
For example, it’s way cheaper to repair a single duct panel than it is to replace an entire section of ductwork because something was stuck-up there causing damage over time.
Most importantly, professional HVAC maintenance technicians know what to check and listen for, as well as what those sounds mean. If you hear something strange coming from your furnace, heat pump, or ductwork, it’s time to schedule heater repair in Yankton!
HVAC Longevity
Having your HVAC serviced for preventative maintenance will definitely increase the life of your unit. When equipment is not maintained, they have to work harder and operate at a liability to whatever isn’t functioning optimally. When everything is running smoothly, your HVAC has more energy to work on what it was designed to do: keep the temperature of your home as comfortable as possible for you!
According to Small Business Sense, HVAC preventative maintenance can also:
- Increase energy efficiency
- Improve indoor air quality
Increased energy efficiency decreases your utility bill, which may significantly impact household finances when utility costs spike during the winter. Plus, improved indoor air quality during the winter months is an essential part of keeping you and your family healthy. Bottom line, maintaining your HVAC system means having a longer lasting system, and there’s nothing more cost-efficient than not having to replace your HVAC!
Get High-Quality Heater Repair in Yankton, SD!
Schedule professional fall HVAC preventative maintenance in Yankton, Vermillion, or a surrounding SD community, so our heating and air company can get your home fresh and winter-ready! Don’t delay — contact us today for friendly, superior HVAC service.