D'Spain Sales and Service Blog : Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

3 Easy Signs for Spotting a Problem with Your Heater

Monday, January 18th, 2016

Reliable heating systems are very important to maintaining household comfort levels here in Boerne, TX, and with our home-brewed self-sufficiency, a lot of homeowners may be confident about fixing any problems that arise with theirs. We don’t recommend this, since heaters and furnaces are complex pieces of equipment requiring professional treatment to repair. But canny homeowners can learn to spot the subtle signs of trouble with their heating system, and call in a repair service before the heater suffers a breakdown. Here are 3 of them for your edification. If you spot them, turn the system off and contact a professional technician to get the system fixed.

Tags: Boerne, Heating Repair
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What Are the Benefits of a Modular HVAC System?

Monday, January 4th, 2016

If you won a business or work as an office manager here in Boerne, TX, you already know the differences between commercial and residential systems. A commercial HVAC needs to heat or cool the air in a much larger space, as well as tailoring the specifics to match multiple occupants in some cases and adjusting the temperature based on the needs of the specific business. A modular HVAC system, which utilizes multiple units harnessed in common purpose instead of one big unit handling the whole building, provides a number of benefits that you should take advantage of. The more you understand about how they function, the more sense using them makes.

Tags: Boerne, Commercial HVAC
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Why You Should Reconsider Using a Space Heater

Monday, November 2nd, 2015

At this time of year, and even throughout our fairly mild winters, it can be tempting to supplement a cool room’s heating with a space heater. On the surface they appear to do the job, but the truth is that a space heater may be more trouble than it is worth. If you are having trouble getting adequate heating to a room or particular area of your home, there is a cause for this, and the heating experts from D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., are here to help you resolve that problem. All you have to do is give us a call and schedule an appointment for heating services in Boerne, TX.

Tags: Boerne, Heating
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Why a Heat Load Calculation Is Important

Tuesday, October 27th, 2015

If you are a homeowner who needs to install a new heating system before the winter begins, one step you simply cannot bypass is a heat load calculation. Going by the size of your previous heating system isn’t enough to ensure that you install the right-sized heater for your home, especially if you are going to use a different type of heating system. A heat load calculation takes a number of factors into account, which is why it’s very important to hire a trained heating specialist to conduct the heat load calculation for your home. The heating experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., think heat load calculations are so important that we perform one with every new installation, including replacement jobs. Are you putting a new heating system into your home in Bandera, TX? Then it’s time to give us a call!

Tags: Bandera, Heating Installation
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Do You Need Heating Replacement?

Monday, October 12th, 2015

With our current daytime temperatures in Fredericksburg, TX, no one is thinking about heating… until the night chill sets in. We are at that time of year when we get nice, warm daytime temps and cool nights that make for perfect sleeping weather. For now you may be good with just a blanket, but soon you’ll need more. If you ended our last heating season with a heater that was clearly on its way out, now is the perfect time to look for its replacement. Replacing a failing heating system is a great opportunity to choose and install a system that meets all of your needs, and you may find that a different kind of system is what works. However, it’s important to take your time with replacement so that you can follow these three critical steps:

Tags: fredericksburg, heater replacement, heating replacement
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It’s That Time: Heating Maintenance Season

Monday, October 5th, 2015

We all know fall means football season here in Bandera, TX, but it also means heating maintenance season. While our daytime temperatures have been quite high, our nighttime temps have been cool enough to think about turning on the heat. However, there is one important question to ask: is your heater ready for heating season? If not, then it’s time to call the experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., for annual heating maintenance.

Tags: Bandera, heater maintenance, heating maintenance
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Some End of Season Heating Services

Friday, March 13th, 2015

As we move through March, we are approaching the end of the heating season: the cooler period of the year when we use our home’s heaters the most. Soon, our furnaces will turn off or our heat pumps will switch over to cooling mode, and we will once more be concerned with staying cool during the heavy Texas heat.

In these waning days of cooler weather, there are some services you can take care of for your heating system that will help make sure you will encounter as few troubles as possible before you switch entirely to air conditioning, and also to ensure the heater will work when heating season returns at the end of the year.

Call on D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. for any professional assistance you may need for heating in Helotes, TX and the surrounding areas.

Make sure the heater receives regular maintenance

The mild winters in Texas have an unfortunate side effect of making it easy for homeowners to forget to arrange for regular heating maintenance during the fall. If you didn’t schedule a maintenance visit last fall, you shouldn’t decide to just skip it for a year: it’s never too late to call up our technicians and arrange for your routine maintenance visit. Each year a heater misses maintenance will result in it losing efficiency and costing more to run.

Change the air filter (or clean it)

You should change the air filter for your forced-air heater an average of once a month when it runs on a regular basis. (If you use a permanent filter, you should clean it.) Since your air conditioning system will likely use the same filter, make sure you have it changed/cleaned before the end of the heating season to get rid of any debris that might still be caught in it; that way you enter the cooling season without obstructions blocking the AC’s airflow.

Have any necessary repairs done

This is crucial: if you heater has started to indicate that it is having performance troubles, don’t ignore them since the summer weather is approaching. You should never let a potential repair issue go without attention, since it could mean a heater that fails to come on many months later when you actually need it. The sooner you have a repair done, the less likely it will increase and turn into a bigger repair down the road—or even a full breakdown.

To schedule maintenance or repairs for your heater at the end of the season, contact the Helotes, TX heating professionals at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. We offer emergency service for your convenience.

Tags: Heating, Helotes
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How Ductless Heating Works

Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

People usually associate home heating with a network of ducts that are responsible for distributing the conditioned air from the heater throughout the rooms. However, this is not the only way to have central heating for a home. If you are interested in a heating installation for your home that doesn’t require ductwork, call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. today and ask about our services for ductless heating in Boerne, TX and the surrounding areas.

What exactly is ductless heating?

Ductless heating is a type of heat pump that operates through individual air handlers rather than a single central indoor unit connected to ductwork. A heat pump works in a manner similar to an air conditioner: it uses electricity to circulate refrigerant between indoor and outdoor coils, absorbing heat from one location and then releasing it in another. In a ductless heat pump (also known as a ductless mini split heat pump), the heat absorbed from the outdoor cabinet travels to the individual air handlers that are mounted in rooms throughout the house. Each air handler contains its own coil and blower fan, and they send the conditioned air directly into the rooms.

What are the advantages to a system like this?

Ductless heating is an excellent idea if you are planning on new home construction or major remodeling, since you don’t need to expend space on ductwork. You only have to plan on air handler placement. Ductless heating also works well for older homes that lack the room for ducts.

There are other benefits to going ductless as well. These systems are more energy-efficient because they do not suffer from any heat loss as the air travels along the ducts, and you won’t have to worry about duct repairs and regular duct cleaning. Ductless heat pumps will also help improve indoor air quality because they do not pick up the dust and debris that often collects inside ventilation systems. Since you can control the air handlers separately from one another, you can shut off heat to rooms that are unoccupied instead of heating the whole house at once, which will contribute to significant energy savings.

Finally, like all heat pumps, ductless heating also works as ductless cooling. You can switch a heat pump from heating mode to cooling mode and receive quality air conditioning during the summer. You have both your comfort concerns taken care of with one installation.

Call us to find out more about ductless heating

If you think that going ductless sounds like the right option for your home heating in Boerne, TX, you only have to give D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. a call. We install, repair, and maintain a variety of ductless mini split heat pumps for the area. You can arrange for service with us today.

Tags: Boerne, Heating
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Furnace Parts You Need to Know

Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

When discussing any major home appliance, like the air conditioner or the furnace, it is greatly beneficial to have at least a working knowledge of its operation. That doesn’t mean that you need to be able to take it apart and put it back together, or even that you need to repair it on your own. Instead, having deeper knowledge of how your appliances work helps you identify when something goes wrong. The faster you can identify a problem, the faster you can get help and have it fixed. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the furnace parts that you need to know.

The Air Filter

The air filter is a part that is installed in the air handler of your furnace, covering the air return section of the ducts. It is responsible for capturing any particles, like dust or debris, which might blow in from the ducts. Such particles could cause damage to the furnace if allowed to infiltrate the system, and the air filter does an excellent job of protecting the furnace from their effects. However, if the air filter is not cleaned or replaced every few months it can become clogged to the point of restricting air flow. This restricted air flow can cause the furnace to overheat and shut down as a safety measure. If you hear your furnace constantly turning on and off again, it is likely because the system is overheating every time it turns on.

The Air Handler

The air handler is the collection of parts that is responsible for circulating air throughout the house. The air handler motor, which is responsible for turning the fan, is the part that is put under the most strain while the furnace is operating. To compensate for this, the motor is equipped with a number of lubricated bearings, which lessen the amount of friction. These bearings can dry out over time, however, which will cause them to wear down. This will cause the friction on the motor to keep increasing until it overheats and burns out. If you hear a grinding sound coming from your furnace, call a professional right away. That’s the sound of the bearings wearing out. If you don’t act quickly, you may have to replace the entire motor instead of just a few bearings.

If you’d like to know more, call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. today to speak with one of our specialists. We provide professional furnace repair service in the Helotes area.

Tags: Furnace, Helotes
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Common Heating System Problems

Monday, February 16th, 2015

As a homeowner, it’s always good to have a basic understanding of what kinds of common problems can develop with your heating system. This isn’t so you embark on repairing your system yourself – that should be left to the experts – but so that you aren’t completely in the dark when your technician tells you what is going on should your heating system needs repair. Following are some examples of the common problems our D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. technicians encounter pretty frequently:

Thermostat Issues

Whenever you have a heating system problem, one of the first places your technician will check is the thermostat; this is because your thermostat controls the operation of your system, and if it is malfunctioning, your system won’t work as it should. Common issues with thermostats are dying or dead batteries, worn and/or corroded wiring, dusty instrumentation and calibration problems.

No/Low Heat

Depending on the type of system you have, there are several causes for low or no heat, and one of the easiest to diagnose and repair is a clogged air filter. Other reasons can be electrical issues, refrigerant leaks (heat pumps) and issues with the blower (forced air systems). Because there are a number of reasons that can cause a lack of heating for your home, it’s important to always hire a professional for repair.

Ignition Problems

If you have a combustion heating system, a number of problems can develop with the components that help ignite your burner. Systems with electronic ignition can have problems with the flame sensor, placement of the igniter and dirt and dust; systems with standing pilots may have an issue keeping the pilot lit. Ignition issues can be complex, so it isn’t advisable to try and repair an ignition problem on your own; instead, call for an expert.

Your heater is a mechanical device, so at some point it is likely that a problem will develop with the system. Only trained experts should work on a heating system, so if yours needs repair, call the professionals you can count on: D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. We provide quality heating repair in the Fair Oaks Ranch area.

Tags: Fair Oaks Ranch, Heating Repair
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