Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Heating Installation’

Heating Options to Consider Installing This Fall

Monday, November 20th, 2017

radiant-heatingNow is the time to have a heating system you can rely on installed in your home, if you haven’t already. Unless you want to wrap yourself in about twenty layers just to sit on the couch and watch TV, that is. The kind of heating system you install in your home will have a major effect on how comfortable your home is this winter, so you should take care that you have the best one for your situation installed. Let’s go over a few of the more popular options available on the market today.

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How Long Will I Have to Wait for Furnace Installation?

Thursday, March 26th, 2015

When you find out you need a new furnace, it may be frustrating. But as it turns out, a new furnace can actually save you a whole lot of money each month. Most older furnaces consume a lot of energy because the parts wear down so much. It ends up taking a lot of extra time to heat your home, so you spend a lot more than when your furnace was brand new. But also, today’s furnaces are built to run more efficiently than older ones. A new ENERGY STAR furnace may save you a lot of money over the years.

While a new furnace should turn out to be cost-efficient, this is only true if you have a professional install your unit in the first place. But how long will this take? This will vary depending on the home and the amount of work to be done. Call the people at Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing for heating installation in North Potomac if you want to make sure the work is done properly.

If a heating technician promises the fastest heating installation, be cautious. Quick heating installation is not the primary goal. The most important thing is that your new furnace is safe, functional, and efficient. If your heating system is undersized, it cannot effectively keep your home warm and cozy. But it will continue to struggle to raise the temperature, causing parts to work too hard and, in some cases, fail early. If your heating system is too large, then it will use up way too much energy.

Sizing and planning take up some portion of the installation process, but most of it is devoted to removal and installation. Professionals will take time with every step of the process in order to make sure that everything works correctly and that it is safe. If your heating installer does not take the time to carefully inspect your unit, it’s time to call in a professional who will.

Make sure everything is done properly the first time by calling Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing. If you need professional heating installation in North Potomac, our skilled technicians are the ones for the job. Come to us for all of your heating needs.

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Choosing the Right Heating System for Your Home

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

You may decide to purchase a new heating system for one of many reasons. Perhaps your older unit has finally bitten the dust. Or maybe you just want a high-efficiency alternative to an older system that’s nearing the end of its life. In a new home, you’re looking for a new heating system that gives you the best bang for your buck. Whatever your needs are, the people at Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing can help you to find the optimal new heating system. We’ll install your new furnace, heat pump, or boiler with the utmost of care so that it can serve your family for years to come.

Furnace

One of the reasons that furnaces continue to be such a popular selection among technicians and homeowners is that they are some of the most reliable systems for heating out there. The technology used in a furnace has long been trusted for home heating, though it has also improved greatly. Today’s furnaces have the most advanced safety settings possible, and any furnace sold in the U.S. today must have an AFUE of 80% or more (while those built decades ago had an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 50-60%).

Heat Pump

Alternatively, if you have a working set of ducts in place, you might consider a heat pump. Heat pumps move into a home in the winter and out of the home in the summer. This means that a heat pump can replace both your heating and air conditioning system. When it becomes too chilly outside, a backup heat source may be necessary, such as a furnace or electric heating strips. But a heat pump is still one of the most efficient units available today.

Boiler

A boiler uses a hot water system to heat the people and objects in the room while other heating systems heat up the air. Installing a boiler is quite a process if you don’t already have a piping system underneath the floor or a terminal unit like a boiler. But most boiler owners describe the heat from their boiler as the most comfortable heating available in homes.

Call us today at Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing for quality heating installation in Rockville from professionals you can trust.

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How Long Should I Expect to Wait for New Boiler Installation?

Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

If you need a new heating system, a boiler is an ideal choice. Boilers contain few mechanical parts, which means they are less prone to breakdowns than forced air heating systems. They also have a longer lifespan than furnaces, and run more efficiently in many cases. Besides, most homeowners who have a hydronic (radiant) heating system in place describe their homes as more comfortable than those with furnaces.

Radiant heating systems transfer heat to the people and objects in the room, not just into the air. This keeps you warmer, distributes heat more evenly, and heat is retained for longer. Hot water moves from the boiler tank to a series of pipes underneath the floorboards if you have an in-floor radiant heating system. Or, pipes lead to a terminal unit like a radiator or baseboard heater.

There are many different ways a boiler can be set up, and it must be sized properly for the space it is heating. Before installation, a technician must visit your home to assess the size and determine what steps must be taken during installation.

You should expect that the boiler installation process will take at least a day. The actual length of time will vary depending on a lot of factors. It may only take one day if you already have the piping system in place. However, it will take much longer if the technician has to install new pipes, terminal units, and a boiler. In some cases, renovations are necessary in order to accommodate this new installation.

In general, a better question to ask is this: have I chosen professionals for the job? When you have professionals handle your new installation, it will take a long time, but this is because they must take their time with every step of the process to ensure safety, efficiency, and proper operation. Many professionals will provide you with a temporary unit while you wait for the job to be completed so that you don’t have to worry about being without heat overnight.

Schedule an appointment by calling Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing today for quality heating installation in Gaithersburg from experts you can trust.

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How Much Can You Save By Installing a New Heating System?

Tuesday, October 8th, 2013

When it comes to heating installation, Rockville MD residents are faced with a choice. Our winters can be cold, but not nearly as cold as they are further north, which may convince you to delay installation of a new heating system and limp along with an old or outdated system. In many cases, this can be a mistake. New heating systems entail a larger up-front cost, but can save a great deal in the ensuing years by keeping monthly bills in check. How much can you save by installing a new heating system? It depends, but the general answer is “quite a bit.”

Furnaces and boilers measure their efficiency by an AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating, which is measured in a percentage. The percentage is how much of the unit’s energy actually goes into heating the home and how much is lost to other factors. So a furnace with an 80% AFUE rating is losing 20% of its energy to waste and inefficiency. New furnaces are often more efficient than old furnaces, and the EnergyStar label is an easy way to spot particularly efficient models. Gas furnaces need an AFUE rating of 90% to qualify for the label, while oil furnaces need an AFUE rating of 85%.

The AFUE makes for a handy shorthand in determining how much you can save by installing a new system. Say you pay $300 a month in heating bills and you’re using an older furnace with an AFUE of 50%. That means you’re only getting $150 worth of heat out of it, even though you’re paying $300. Say you replace it with a new furnace that has an AFUE of 90%: a net improvement of 40%. Suddenly, that $300 bill gets cut to $166 and change, without any loss in heating power. Over the course of the heater’s lifetime, that can add up to quite a bit: $2000 a year!

For heating installation, Rockville, MD can turn to Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating for help. Our qualified staff can discuss your options with you, then set up a schedule for installation.

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Heating Guide: Types of Heating Systems Available

Monday, February 25th, 2013

If you’re considering installing a heating system in your new North Potomac, MD home, or thinking of upgrading to a new type of heating, it’s important to know what your options are. Whatever system you choose, you’ll need to consult with a heating professional in order to make sure that your new heater matches the size of your home, and that it meets your energy-efficiency requirements. Let Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating help you make the right decision. Our team of experienced heating technicians can make sure that your home will stay comfortable all year long.

Depending on the size, location, and needs of your home, several options are available to homeowners in the North Potomac, MD area, from geothermal to ductless mini splits. Here are just a few:

  • Boiler- The boiler heats water and distributes either hot water throughout your home by means of baseboard copper piping or radiators. It can be fueled by gas or electricity. It can also heat the water in your home, making it one of the most versatile conventional heating systems. As an alternative to a forced-air system, the boiler does not use extensive ductwork to circulate air throughout your home, and remains an economical and energy efficient heater.
  • Furnace- This is probably the most common type of heating system. The furnace burns fuel to create hot air, which is then distributed through a system of ducts into the various spaces of your home. New furnaces boast outstanding energy efficiency ratings, much higher than their forebears. Gas furnaces run especially clean.
  • Geothermal. As its name suggests, geothermal systems harness the latent temperature of the earth to heat your home. The temperature of the ground below the frost line stays at a median of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the geothermal heating system extracts the heat of the median temperature by means of a heat transfer fluid, and a heat pump then uses that heat to warm air which is circulated throughout your home. It is a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution.

Remember that consulting with a heating professional should be the first step. Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating will ensure that your heater is professionally installed and serviced. Call us today at 301-670-003 for heating services in North Potomac, MD and the surrounding areas!

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How Do Ductless Mini Split Systems Work? A Heating Question

Monday, February 11th, 2013

Ductless mini split systems are a great option for homeowners comfortable and efficient heating for their home. While some homeowners have already started to take advantage of them, some people may not know how they provide heating. At Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating, we offer complete ductless mini split system repairs and maintenance in Bethesda, MD. We wanted to clarify exactly how these amazing systems provide heating for your home.

Traditional Heating Systems

Furnaces and boilers are two of the most common heating systems in the country. They offer comfortable heat for homeowners and are also fairly cheap to repair. However, they produce heat by burning fuel. Burning fuel in your home can be dangerous: not only is there risk of fire but there is also the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Ductless Mini Split Systems

Unlike other traditional heating systems, ductless mini split systems don’t burn fuel to create heat. Instead, they just move heat from one place to another. Ductless mini split systems have individual units mounted on the wall in each room. These units circulate the air in the rooms and heat or cool it. It does this by pulling air into the unit and passing it over a series of evaporator coils that are filled with refrigerant.

The “split” part of their name comes from them being connected to an outdoor condensing unit. This condensing unit is responsible for collecting the heat that will go into your home. In heating mode, heat from the outside air is absorbed by a series of coils in the outside unit. The newly heated refrigerant circles back into your home where the evaporator coils in the room units allow the heat to be distributed into your home.

If you’re interested learning more about ductless mini split systems in Bethesda, MD, call Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating. We provide complete ductless mini split installation and repairs throughout the Bethesda, MD area.

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What to Consider Before Scheduling a Heater Installation

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

Having a good heating system here in Gaithersburg is absolutely critical during the winters. We all love to go outside and play in the snow, but eventually we all want to go back inside to a warm home. When you decide to get a new heating system installed, there are a lot of things to consider before you move forward. At Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating, we’ve been helping our customers in the Gaithersburg area with their heating installations for many years. We thought it would be helpful if we put together some of the most important things to consider before having your new system installed.

Size of the System

No matter what kind of heating system you’re getting installed, picking the right sized unit is crucial to the success of your system. We get calls for service all the time to homes where the furnace too big for the home. Here are some of the problems that can result from a heating system being the wrong size for the house.

  • Short cycling – This happens when your heating system turns on, quickly heats up your home and then shuts off. A short time later when your house has cooled down, the system turns back on and then off again. Not only does this greatly reduce the efficiency of your system, it also causes more wear and tear on it.
  • Uneven heating – When you have a heating system that is too big or too small, it can cause certain parts of your home to be too warm while other parts of the house are still cold.
  • Reduced efficiency – While short cycling can cause reduced efficiency, the size of the ducts in your home also play a part in reducing the efficiency. If your home’s ducts don’t match the size of the system, your heater will have to work harder to push the air through them.

Efficiency Rating

This can be a confusing part of the process for many homeowners. There are a lot of different efficiency ratings and it can be hard to figure out what they mean. Here are a couple of the most common ones:

  • Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) – The AFUE rating measures how much of the fuel consumed is converted into useable heat. Many old furnaces have an AFUE rating of 60% which means that they waste about 40% of the fuel. New furnaces can have an AFUE rating of up to 95% and higher.
  • Heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF) – This is typically used to measure the efficiency of heat pumps in heating mode. It measures the total heat output over a heating season divided by how much energy it used.

If you need professional heating installation services in Gaithersburg, contact Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating. We have experience working with all types and brands of heating systems. A good installation is one of the best ways to make sure that your heating system works well for many years to come. Call us today!

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Getting a New Heating System: Why You Need the Ultimate Savings Agreement

Monday, September 24th, 2012

If you have just purchased a new heating system or are in the process of doing so, one of the first things you should consider is a maintenance plan that will keep your system in good condition each year for many to come. Specifically, if you live in the Gaithersburg area, we recommend you consider the Ultimate Savings Agreement for your home’s new heating system. Provided by Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating, the Ultimate Savings Agreement is an extended warranty for labor, parts and service for your new heating system.

What the Ultimate Savings Agreement is Important

Tucker’s is the only company in the region to offer a 15 year parts and labor warranty and we offer lifetime unit replacement for heat exchangers and compressors with our Ultimate Service Agreement. Why is this important? Because the manufacturers only warranty their products for 10 years, which is not nearly long enough. You don’t want to be replacing your heating system again in just 10 years. A warranty for a full 15 years will ensure the 12-15 year life cycle of most heat pumps and furnaces is protected.

Repair Services Warrantied As Well

The Ultimate Service Agreement goes beyond just parts and labor on your heating system. We also offer a full 5 year warranty on the work we do. If we visit your home and perform a service repair, we will back it up for as long as 5 years and ensure that if the same component breaks again in the future, we will fix it for you.

Replacing your heating system is a stressful, expensive process and we know you don’t want to go through it any more often than is absolutely necessary. To obtain the peace of mind that you will be able to enjoy your new heating system at least 15 years, contact us today at 301-670-0034 and ask about our Ultimate Service Agreement maintenance plan.

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Heating Installation Question: What Is a Load Calculation and Why Is It Important?

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

An integral part of designing and installing a heating, ventilation and cooling system in our Olney home is the load calculation. Calculating the load of a room, home, or building essentially consists of determining how much heat is lost and gained within that area. A proper load calculation is critical to installing an appropriate HVAC system, as well as ensuring maximum efficiency or diagnosing problem areas of an existing system.

The Load Calculation Process

When conducting a load calculation for your home or office, a professional will consider several factors that can affect heat loss and gain. First among these is the construction of the building. This includes not only cubic footage, but also the type of material making up the walls, ceiling and floor, as well as any duct work. A professional performing a load calculation will examine the entire building envelope, including whether the walls are wood or masonry, if there are cathedral ceilings, what type of insulation is installed, and so on.

Secondly, load calculation takes into account doors and windows, as these can affect heat gain and loss. The number of doors and windows, as well as the size, shape and material of each one is included in the load calculation. This includes skylights and sliding glass doors, as well as the type of material shading any windows. A professional will look at pane thickness, number of panes in each window, if there are storm windows installed, any drafts in door installations, and even what kind of drapes are on the windows in order to accurately calculate load.

Additional Factors

There are other factors an Olney professional must take into account, including appliances and occupants. Heavy appliances tend to give off heat, as does having a lot of people in a space, so these must be considered in order for an HVAC system to properly regulate temperature and airflow. Last but not least, of course, is the matter of desired temperature change. By how much do you want to raise and lower the temperature of your home or office?

Calculating load prior to installing a new HVAC system is a vital part of the process. It is also a good idea to perform a calculation with current systems, as it may reveal already existing inefficiencies or deficiencies. An inefficient HVAC system not only results in unsatisfactory heating and cooling, but also unnecessary cost due to wasted energy. As you can see load calculation is an elaborate and complex process, but it is necessary for a properly functioning HVAC system.

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