Furnace Repair Giveaway Follow Up – Sacramento, CA

WALL FURNACE GIVEAWAY

You may have seen our recent contest for a FREE furnace repair giveaway. We were fortunate enough to have our giveaway featured on Good Day Sacramento and as a result we were able to get the word out to more Sacramento families needing repair work done on their furnace during the holidays.

Check out the first video here:

Owner, Greg Fox talks with Nha Nguyen about giving back during the holidays and common part failures on a furnace. 

Follow Up: We have a winner!

Congratulations Donald! It was a pleasure to help you out!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Smart Thermostat Installation Guide

How to install a smart thermostat

Thermostat technology has advanced so much that programmable thermostats are now looking like obsolete technology after smart thermostats were introduced on the market. Are you still undecided about the appropriateness of this device for your home? Read the smart thermostat installation guide below and decide whether it is time for you to call Fox Family Heating and Air for a discussion of the available options of smart thermostats.

Best Smart Thermostat Options

If your thermostat looks like this, it might be time to upgrade
If your thermostat looks like this, it might be time to upgrade!

Smart thermostats do what any other thermostat can do and a lot more. They not only regulate the heating and cooling of your home, but their functionality also extends to the indoor air quality as well. Smart thermostats can be linked by Sacramento air conditioning repair professionals to your home automation system. Smart thermostats are internet-enabled and you can access them using a mobile device like your smartphone.

Popular brands you may be familiar with are the Nest, Honeywell, and Ecobee4. It’s really up to you to determine which one is the best fit for your home but by now most brands are on their 3rd or fourth version so they are pretty well tried and tested. Our technicians always keep a few new smart thermostats on their trucks in case you haven’t had time to head to the store and pick one out.

Smart Thermostat Advantages and Capabilities

Smart programming.  These new Smart thermostats can learn your preferences and adjust the air conditioning settings automatically to address your needs. For example, the smart thermostat will “notice” that you tend to increase the temperature settings as you leave your home each morning. The smart thermostat will begin making those adjustments on its own when the time you leave approaches so that you no longer have to do it or program it into the memory of the smart thermostat. The smart thermostat can also adjust the furnace and AC settings depending on how many people are in the home at a given time. This goes beyond what you see in programmable thermostats that work based on the settings that have been pre-programmed.

You Will Love The Remote Connectivity This Winter

Smart thermostats enable you to adjust them even when you are not in your Sacramento home.  Any internet-enabled device such as your smartphone or computer will work. You will, therefore, be in a position to conserve energy even when you aren’t at home.

Energy reporting. Smart thermostats have the capability to collect data about the energy usage patterns of your home. You can monitor this data for energy use.  You’ll see when most energy is used in your home and when it is minimal. You can also ask a Sacramento heating and air conditioning repair technician to help you to make sense of that data in case you aren’t comfortable analyzing such information. You can take corrective measures based on this data.

How the Smart Thermostat Can Be Installed

Manufacturers of smart thermostats usually have a user manual that has step-by-step installation instructions. You can follow that installation guide to install the smart thermostat on your own. However, it is not advisable to attempt a DIY installation if you lack appropriate training and experience. This is because the process requires electrical knowledge as well as technical knowledge to put together the different components.

We recommend you seek an installation by an experienced technician, like Fox Family Heating and Air. The cost of a professional installation is well worth it to avoid problems with a DIY installation.

Either way, you will enjoy a warmer home with convenient temperature controls in your home this winter!

5 Simple Furnace Fixes You Can Perform

5 Simple Furnace Fixes You Can Perform

5 Simple Furnace Fixes A Sacramento HVAC Company Says You Can Perform 

You may not need to wait for a professional to perform each repair needed to get your furnace working again when it breaks down. Here are some simple repairs that you can perform on your own if you are handy with tools and have a basic understanding of how furnaces work. Call a Sacramento HVAC technician from Fox Heating and Air if you aren’t familiar with the components of your furnace so that you avoid exposing yourself to needless risks or damaging the furnace further.

  • Check the Thermostat

A furnace that fails to work may have a simple fault in its thermostat. Start your DIY repair by confirming that the switch is set to heat rather than cool the home. Check the temperature setting and be certain that it is appropriate for the general conditions at that time of the year. For example, try setting the thermostat to a higher temperature than the ambient temperature and see if the furnace kicks in. Make sure that the day and time settings are accurate (the thermostat isn’t reading p.m. during morning hours, for example). Contact a Sacramento furnace repair technician in case you suspect that the thermostat has failed due to electrical issues.

  • Shutoff Breakers and Switches

Find the switch on or close to your furnace and confirm that it is turned on in case your furnace isn’t working. Fox Family Heating and Air technicians often respond to calls and find that someone accidentally turned the furnace off. Check the breaker too in the breaker panel. Get professional help from a Sacramento heating and air company in case the breaker keeps tripping each time you reset it.

  • Check the Filter

The heat exchanger of your furnace will shut off fast in case the filter is clogged and air can’t flow freely through it. Change the filter in case you hold it up and light doesn’t travel through its filter media/pleats. Ask a Sacramento furnace repair expert to demonstrate the correct way to install a new filter so that you start performing that basic task yourself. Remember that the filter change interval will depend on the type of filter and the conditions in your home. For instance, homes with pets may need to change the furnace filter more frequently than the change interval for homes with no pets.

  • Turn the Gas On

Someone in your home could have turned the gas valve off accidentally thereby stopping the furnace from working. Check the gas line from the furnace back to the gas meter. Locate the valve (handle) and turn it so that it is now parallel to the gas line. Check the pilot light in case you have an older furnace. That pilot light has to be lit in order for the furnace to generate heat.

  • Flush the Drain Lines

Greg Fox from Fox Family Heating and Air advises that homeowners should check the furnace drain lines frequently in order to confirm that they aren’t blocked. The furnace will shut down in case the flow of water through the drain lines is hindered by a clog or when the line is constricted by a heavy object. Biological matter can also grow in the lines and limit the flow of water. Flush such lines with a mixture of bleach and water so that any bacteria or other microorganisms can be flushed out.

It is important that you restrict your DIY repair efforts to the most basic fixes when your furnace develops a fault. Take all the necessary precautions, such as turning the power off, before you attempt any repair (if you must). The safest option is to find an affordable Sacramento furnace repair technician, such as those from Fox Family Heating and Air so that the professional can inspect the entire system before fixing any defects found. The money that you pay the technician will be much less than what you will spend in case you make a mistake and cause irreparable damage to the furnace unit.

Average Cost of Furnace Repair

Average Cost of Furnace Repair

Average Cost of Furnace Repair in Sacramento

Nothing could be as bad as your furnace breaking in the evening just as temperatures are dropping rapidly in winter. The first thing that is likely to occupy your mind is the cost of fixing that furnace or heat source since a replacement is often very expensive. Sacramento furnace repair experts explain that the repair cost will depend on the type and model of furnace you have as discussed below.

Repairing an Electric Furnace

Electric furnaces move air over coils in order to heat that air. The heated air is then distributed to the different rooms in your home by a network of ducts. Electric furnace units tend to be small, so the cost of repairing them also tends to be lower than the cost of repairing the other types of furnaces. Sacramento furnace repair experts estimate that it requires a maximum of $300 for repairs but the cost varies depending on the particular make/model of the electric furnace.

Propane Gas Furnaces

Propane gas furnaces run on liquefied propane. The gas burns in order to push heated air around your home. A pilot light sets off the operation of the furnace by igniting the burners located inside a combustion chamber. Heat travels from the combustion chamber to the heat exchanger from where it continues to the rest of the home. Propane furnaces are more expensive to repair and the cost will range from $300 to about $1,200 depending on the specific component affected. The heat exchanger is the most expensive component to repair (about $1,200 to replace it).

Natural Gas Furnaces

Fox Family Heating and Air technicians explain that natural gas furnaces only differ from propane gas furnaces due to the fuel used. The rest of the components and mode of operation are identical. Consequently, the repair cost for natural gas furnaces is similar to the cost you are likely to incur if you had a broken propane gas furnace.

Boilers

Some homes are heated by hot water. This water starts out in the boiler where it is heated before a network of pipes moves it around the home. Radiators amply the effect of the hot water so that each room feels cozy and warm.

Hot water systems rarely develop major problems suddenly. Instead, minor issues build up until the system malfunctions. For example, mineral deposits can slowly accumulate inside the water tank until they finally cause it to spring a major leak. Honest furnace repair experts will tell you that the repairs will cost from $180 to nearly $600 depending on the exact defect found.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps work by transferring heat from outside to the interior of your home during winter. The pump then reverses and channels indoor heat outside during the hot months of the year. The heat pump is usually linked to your air conditioning system. Some heat pumps rely on geothermal energy while others rely on heated water to operate. Repairing a heat pump costs more than repairing an electric furnace. For example, the thermostat alone will cost you about $300 to replace while a damaged defrost control board will cost you double what the thermostat costs.

How to Limit Furnace Defects

As you can see from the estimates above, you will spend a lot of money on furnace repairs if you don’t take steps to preserve the condition of your furnace. Greg Fox recommends two key measures to avert most furnace issues.

  • Annual Inspections. Ask technicians from Fox Family Heating and Air to inspect and service your furnace once each year. So, that any developing problem is detected and fixed early before it causes more costly damage to your unit. For example, a faulty seal can be replaced before it causes the blower motor to fail.
  • Furnace Filter Replacement. The Sacramento furnace repair professional should also change the furnace filter during the annual service visit. You can also learn how to perform this simple maintenance task to save time and money.

Talk to Fox Family Heating and Air, a professional Sacramento HVAC company, before you have any repairs done. You will be given advice regarding the suitability of repair or replacement of the furnace unit based on several factors.