How Does an HVAC System Work?

February 16, 2020

Unless you experience an issue with your HVAC system, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about how a few taps on a thermostat results in warm or cool air flowing throughout your home. By understanding your HVAC system more completely, though, you can have a greater appreciation for the comfort of your Dayton home and participate in the ongoing care of your HVAC system more fully. Here is a basic explanation of how an HVAC system keeps your home at just the right temperature: It Starts With a Signal Resistive metals in your thermostat sense the temperature in the room. When the air temperature drifts away from the set temperature, the thermostat sends an electrical signal to your HVAC system that starts the necessary components. For a furnace, this includes the gas valve, the flue exhaust and the blower fan. For an air conditioner, this includes the condenser and the blower fan. The blower fan must run anytime the system is on. This component pulls air in through the return vents and sends it cycling through the system. Clean, Moving Air As air is drawn in, it first passes through an air filter. This removes large dust particles and...

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Ways to Reduce Your Monthly Heating Bills in the Winter

March 16, 2019

When the temperatures start to drop outside, heating bills tend to go up. There are several steps you can take to minimize your winter energy bills, and will be happy to help you explore your different options. We’ll show you the different ways that you could prevent heat from escaping your building. Our skilled technicians can also make sure that your heater is clean and working as efficiently as possible. Only Heat the Rooms You Use Trying to keep a large house at an even temperature can take a lot of energy. If you’re only using your bedroom, kitchen and living area, consider shutting the vents to the rest of your rooms. This will concentrate the heat in the areas where you actually need it. Wear Sweaters and Socks Turning your thermostat down a few degrees can lead to large energy savings. Choosing to put on extra clothes when it gets chilly in your home instead of turning the temperature up could end up saving you money. Let Solar Energy In South-facing windows have the potential to let a lot of heat from the sun in. When the sun is shining, open your window coverings and take advantage of the...

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Is Your Furnace an Older or Newer Model?

February 9, 2019

An essential element of human survival is staying warm when temperatures drop. The earliest version of a furnace in American civilization was the hearth fire. Wood was plentiful in the deciduous forests of the early settlers. However, keeping the fires lit was a full-time job, and chopping firewood was a backbreaking task. Also, the hearth fire was dangerous. By the end of the 18th century, household furnaces were still fueled by wood, but the wood was chopped up and burned in an enclosed stove. This required less supervision and was much safer. The Evolving Nature of Furnaces The first evolutionary step in the history of furnaces was the substitution of coal for wood at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Although coal was easier to collect than firewood, furnaces still needed to be supplied regularly. Many homeowners kept a stash of coal indoors to fuel the furnace when needed. The next step in the evolution of furnaces was the use of gas or oil-powered furnaces with a forced-air convection system. No refueling was necessary. These forced-air furnaces are the direct precursors to the heating systems used in homes today. New vs. Old Furnaces New furnaces are more energy efficient than...

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Energy Efficiency Tips

October 20, 2018

What if you could save the environment and money at the same time? Most of us would love to do that, which is where energy efficient tips come in. Today Butler Heating & Air Conditioning presents three energy efficient tips for homeowners in Dayton, OH. Reduce all of the costs of powering your home by going more efficient with actions you can take today. Use a Programmable Thermostat All too often we see homeowners who have a programmable thermostat installed but they never use it. What a shame because this is one of the best ways to make your house energy efficient. Start by programming your thermostat when you are at work or away for a length of time. For winter months, set the thermostat for the heating system lower. In the summer and on warm days raise the temperature on your air conditioning. According to the US Department of Energy, this will cut your energy costs by 10 percent. Schedule Professional HVAC Maintenance When is the last time you had HVAC maintenance conducted? Typically, homeowners wait until their heating and air conditioning system is broken before they call for service. However, by getting routine maintenance for your HVAC system,...

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What is a SEER Rating?

September 30, 2018

One of the best ways to judge your air conditioning unit for efficiency is through its SEER rating. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It is a standard that has helped to regulate the AC industry since 2008 and is backed by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute. Why should you pay attention to the rating of your air conditioning unit? Here are just a few of the most important reasons. Energy Efficiency The higher that a SEER rating is on an air conditioning system, the more efficient it is, generally. The minimum SEER rating for most new systems is around 14. You should not purchase any new system with a SEER rating below this, because you will have energy bills that are more expensive than you should receive. Older systems may have a SEER rating of around 8 or 9. Ratings of 13 or 14 can be many times more efficient depending on other factors in the home. System Durability The durability of your heating and air conditioning system depends directly on the amount of daily pressure that you put on its infrastructure. The less efficient than a system is, the more work it has to do...

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Is Your Heating System Winter-Ready?

September 26, 2016

You cannot overlook your heating system during winter because it’s the system you rely upon to keep your family warm and safe. During this time of the year, a breakdown in your HVAC system is not only inconveniencing but can cause serious discomfort and health problems for your family. Unfortunately, there are a number of things that can go haywire with a central heating system, particularly during freezing temps, when it is needed the most. The good thing is that there are several maintenance checks you can do to ensure the heating system keeps running smoothly throughout winter. How to Test HVAC System for Winter No one wants to get left out in the cold. Here are a few steps that you can take to test your heating system for winter: Check whether your pipes are insulated. Water pipes running through your home may or may not be insulated. Non-insulated pipes are more likely to burst when they freeze than those that are insulated. Having your pipes covered with foam pipe insulation safeguards them from the issues caused by cold weather. A bursted pipe can easily ruin your boiler. The boiler also struggles to work if the pipe is moist....

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What Is Two-Stage Heating?

December 21, 2015

Single-stage heating furnaces are popular in hot, humid areas as well as those with cold winter climates. These are designed to offer indoor comfort for very hot and cold days. This means that the HVAC systems operate at full capacity, even when it’s not necessary. This is where two-stage heating and cooling units come in to help save resources. What is Two-Stage Heating? Single stage units are designed to offer the maximum heating level that the furnace can yield, irrespective of outdoor and indoor temperature levels.  This means that when the furnace turns on, it disperses the maximum amount of energy it is designed to produce. As such, this could result in high energy bills. Multi-stage HVAC systems are named according to the number of levels of operation. Unlike their single stage counterparts, 2-stage HVAC units have two levels of cool and heat output. When the temperature is mild, the systems operate on low and can adjust to high if conditions change. The first stage of such furnaces operates most of the time in many climates, and usually runs at about 65% of the unit’s capacity. The second stage provides additional heating when the first stage becomes insufficient to heat...

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