Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc Blog : Archive for January, 2013

Washington DC Heating Tip: Benefits of an ENERGY STAR Qualified Boiler

Monday, January 28th, 2013

Are you considering an ENERGY STAR boiler for your Washington DC area home? The boiler specialists at Polar Bear are here to help! We provide installations for a number of ENERGY STAR qualified boilers, and we also provide routine maintenance so that your new boiler will provide lasting results.

Here are a few benefits you can get from an ENERGY STAR qualified boiler:

Energy savings is perhaps the best benefit from an ENERGY STAR qualified boiler, especially if you are replacing an older boiler that has an AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) rating of less than 80%. A new boiler will also need fewer repairs, which can make a big difference in the overall cost of heating your home. If your home is properly insulated and sealed, you can see quite a bit of savings from a new high-efficiency boiler.

If you are building a new home, consider a boiler that can both heat your home and your hot water. This is an efficient way to provide heating and consistent hot water. Radiant floors can also be heated by a boiler designed for radiant floor heating systems, and this will provide even greater energy savings. While there are a variety of boilers on the market today, an ENERGY STAR qualified boiler can help you not only keep your home comfortable, but also save you a lot of money over time.

Don’t hesitate to call the Washington DC heating experts at Polar Bear for all your boiler installation needs. We are here to find the most cost-effective solutions for your needs, so call today to get started!

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Washington DC Furnace Repair Question: Why Is My Furnace So Noisy?

Monday, January 21st, 2013

If you have a furnace in Washington DC, you’re likely enjoying the comfortable and efficient heat that it delivers to your home. During its normal operation, your furnace will make sounds as it moves the warm air throughout your home. However, if you start to notice new and strange noises coming from your furnace, you should probably call a professional heating contractor. Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating provides fast and reliable furnace repair in Washington DC. We thought it would be beneficial to our customers if we put together some of the most common furnaces noises and what they mean.

Common Furnace Noises You Should Watch For in Washington DC

Here are some of the most common furnaces noises in Washington DC that indicate there is a problem with your furnace.

  • Rattling – This is one of the most important noises to watch out for because it can indicate that your heat exchanger is cracked. The heat exchanger in your furnace does two things: first, it heats up the air that gets pushed into your home. Second, it exhausts the dangerous combustion gases produced by burning fuel. If there is a crack in your heat exchanger, carbon monoxide might be entering your air supply.
  • Short cycling – If you notice that your furnace turns on and off frequently, it could be short cycling. This is not only highly inefficient, it also causes lots of wear and tear on your furnace. This usually indicates that your furnace is too big for your home.
  • Rumbling – This can sometimes because by the ducts in your rafters expanding to allow the new heated air through. But it can also be caused by a dirty burner or an improperly adjusted pilot light. You should probably have a heating technician come out and inspect your furnace.
  • Squealing – If your furnace is making a high-pitched whine or squeal, this is almost always caused by the fan belt, the fan shaft or the fan’s bearings. To fix this, you’ll likely need to have a heating professional replace the belt and lubricate the bearings.

If you need any kind of furnace repairs in Washington DC, call Polar Bear today. We have highly trained heating technicians that can handle any kind of furnace repair.

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Washington D.C. Heating FAQ: When is a Boiler Replacement the Best Option?

Monday, January 14th, 2013

Do you think you might need a boiler installation in your Washington D.C. home? Let the heating experts at Polar Bear help by inspecting your current boiler and recommending the right solution for your heating needs. While there are a few questions to ask yourself, it’s best to speak with a professional who can also assess your home and suggest other home improvements that may need to happen first.

Here are a few questions to ask when trying to decide if a boiler replacement is the best option for you.

How Efficient is My Current Boiler?

If you aren’t sure how efficient your current boiler is, call a technician to test it. This should be done during annual maintenance exams, so if you haven’t scheduled yours this year, call Polar Bear. If your current boiler is rated at 80% AFUE or lower, then you could benefit from replacing it with a high-efficiency model, especially if you are paying for frequent repairs.

Is My Home Insulated Properly?

Many older homes in the area are not insulated properly. Instead of upgrading to a high-efficiency boiler first, make sure your home has enough insulation. If you are losing heat due to inadequate insulation, then you won’t be getting the most out of your new boiler. In addition, your boiler may be efficient enough that it would be more cost-effective to add insulation to your home and replace the boiler when it wears out.  

Choosing the Right Heating System

If you have decided to replace your boiler, it may be a good idea to at least consider the cost-effectiveness of installing a different type of heating system.  There are a variety of heating system options, and our friendly staff members can help you choose the right boiler, furnace, or packaged system.

Contact the Washington D.C. heating experts at Polar Bear for a routine check-up, or if you would like to go over the different boilers we can install for you.

 

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The Benefits of Oil to Gas Boiler Conversions

Monday, January 7th, 2013

Oil to Gas Conversion | Washington D.C. | Polar Bear Air Conditoning & HeatingDo you want all the benefits of a gas boiler without the high replacement cost? Have you considered an oil to has conversion? Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. offer oil to gas boiler conversion for customers in the Washington, D.C. area.

Here are reasons customers would want to convert from an oil boiler to a gas boiler:

1. Homeowners will save a lot of money on fuel bills.

2. The system will pay for itself through energy savings in just a few years.

3. Natural gas is a much cleaner burning fossil fuel, which is better for the environment.

4. Home heating oil can be smelly, but natural gas is odorless.

5. Homes with natural gas heating systems have higher resale value.

Call Polar Bear today to find out if your existing oil boiler can be converted to natural gas. The switch can save you money on fuel and natural gas is much better for the environment. Natural gas can also be piped directly to your home, so you never have to worry about fuel deliveries again! Let the expert team at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. take care of your oil to gas conversion, increase the potential value of your home, and help you save money on energy cost!

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How Ignoring Heating Repairs in Your Washington, D.C. Home Can Cost You Money

Monday, January 7th, 2013

It is perfectly understandable that you may not want to waste your money calling for maintenance or repair services every time you have some little issue with your heater. Unfortunately, even seeming small issues with your heater can lead to big problems. That is why you need to call in a professional from a quality service provider such as Polar Bear Air Conditioning and Heating to inspect any issues with your heater. Take it from us, it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your comfort in Washington D.C..

One major reason that it is always best to enlist the help of a home heating expert when you experience problems with your heater is the fact that these problems are not always immediately identifiable. That means that by the time you notice a problem with your heater, that problem has most likely been developing for some time. Choosing to ignore it further will only allow more damage to be done to your system. This will require more extensive, costly repairs. The sooner any problem is handled by a qualified service technician the less it is likely to cost you.

Even if your home heating system does not break down, you have to remember that an operational system is not necessarily an efficient system. Your heater does not have to stop working altogether in order to cost you money. If your heater’s operation has been compromised it will lose efficiency, meaning that it will work harder and consume more energy to keep up with the demand that you put on it. The harder your system has to work and the more energy it consumes the more expensive it is to operate. Making even “minor” repairs, in other words, can result in savings that are anything but.

If you have any unanswered questions about why you must not ignore your heater’s repair needs, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning and Heating. We will be happy to discuss the benefits of high quality repair services with you. Contact us today for more information about heating repair services in Washington D.C.. Remember, ignoring heating problems now will only result in more serious issues further along.

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