Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc Blog

Old Home Guide: How to Heat an Old Home in the 21st Century

March 18th, 2024

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In our area, there are many homes old enough to be considered historic. But even the average home is not new. According to recent US census data, the average home in Virginia is 38 years old. Construction methods have changed a lot, and older homes have different needs from those built in the last 20 years or so. 

How does the age of your home affect your ability to keep it warm? What can you do to heat your old home more effectively and efficiently? We’ve got some information about your options, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

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Top Furnace Problems in the DC Area

March 4th, 2024

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In Washington, DC and the surrounding area, unlike some parts of the US, we have very distinct seasons. Our summers are hot, and our winters are cold. They’re not short winters, either—in fact, we need to use our heat at least during the night throughout much of the spring and fall. This means our heating systems get a lot of use. 

When furnaces run a lot of the time for several months, certain issues are more likely to crop up. Knowing what to expect can help you to catch a problem early and get prompt repairs before the situation gets any worse. So what are the furnace problems you’re most likely to encounter in the DC area? Here are some of the ones we see all the time.

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Furnace Efficiency Ratings: What the Numbers Mean

February 19th, 2024

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When it comes to heating your home, you probably have two main concerns. First, you want your home to actually be warm—consistently, evenly warm. And second, you don’t want it to cost you an arm and a leg each month when your utility bill arrives. How can you keep those bills down? By having an efficient heating system.

But it can be hard to tell what the most efficient heating system would be. Furnaces do have efficiency ratings, but what do those numbers mean? We can explain so you’ll be able to make the right choice for your home. 

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4 Tips to Keep Your Ductless Air Conditioner Running Smoothly

February 5th, 2024

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Ductless AC systems, or mini splits as they are sometimes called, provide impressive comfort while lowering your utility bills. Once you know how well a system like this can work, you understand that you want to keep it working that well. It would be a shame and a waste to have this amazing system and not reap all the benefits. 

So how do you make sure you keep getting the best possible performance from your system? We’ll give you our four top tips for making sure your ductless air conditioner will run as smoothly as possible. 

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What Happens to Your Energy Bills When Your Ductwork Leaks

January 22nd, 2024

How would you like to spend an extra four figures a year on your heating and cooling costs? No? We didn’t think so. Your ductwork can cause you to spend more than you plan on cooling costs, which is why you need duct repair in Arlington, VA.

That’s the reality of how much money you could be losing if you have leaky ductwork without a plan in place to get it fixed. The money you lose in heating and cooling inefficiencies is always worse than the money you’ll spend on a repair call.

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This is What You’re Breathing in Right Now

January 8th, 2024

When’s the last time you really thought about what’s in your indoor air? Maybe when the pollen count is high and you’re worried about it getting indoors, or if there was a small kitchen fire and you’re seeing smoke. Otherwise, you probably don’t think about it that much.

But the thing is, there’s enough floating around in your air right now, on a normal day, to warrant an air purifier in Alexandria, VA. Let’s tell you what you’re breathing in, and more importantly, what it could be doing to you.

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4 Benefits of Having a Heat Pump Over a Furnace

December 25th, 2023

You’ve had a furnace for ages, but it’s no longer the best contender on the block for your home heating. Now that heat pumps are here to stay and boast incredible heating efficiency, it’s time to consider them for your next home heating solution. We have a few good reasons as to why you should.

As installers of both furnaces and heat pumps in Great Falls, VA, we’ve seen the benefits play out for our customers. If you can make the switch, here’s a handful of good reasons to do it.

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This Sensor in Your Furnace Might Be Causing Trouble

December 11th, 2023

Your furnace has a lot of working parts that need to run together in tandem, but some are more important than others. In fact, this one sensor is so important to your furnace’s operation that it could be stopping it dead in its tracks.

This isn’t a common part of furnace service in Arlington, VA that homeowners know about, so that’s why we’re talking about it today. It’s called your flame sensor, and it has a big role it plays: keeping you and your family safe, and keeping your furnace in check.

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If This Is Happening to Your Boiler, it’s an Emergency

November 27th, 2023

Your boiler works silently in the background, so while it’s out of sight and out of mind, you don’t really think about what to do or what would happen if it suddenly broke down. It’s leading to a breakdown, but you can be proactive and prevent that from happening–find out if your boiler faces this issue and needs boiler repair in Washington DC or not.

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3 Heating Problems You Never Want to Run Into

November 13th, 2023

Winters are for cozy blankets and warm cups of cocoa, not sudden heating system meltdowns. In this guide, we’ll uncover three heating problems that can turn winter bliss into a chilly nightmare. We’ll talk about the main heating problems you’ll encounter that have you calling for heating repair in Washington DC and why you definitely don’t want to run into them.

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