HVAC Service FAQs

It’s recommended that you schedule heating maintenance at least once before each winter, preferably in the early fall. Doing this will keep your manufacturer warranty active and will also help:

• Improve energy efficiency
• Increase system performance
• Decrease repair requests
• Lower heating bills
• Extend the system’s life span

The cost to install heating in your home largely depends on the type of heating system you choose, how powerful it is, and how large your home is.

Speak to a heating specialist to understand your options and make the most informed decision for your heating installation or replacement needs.

With annual maintenance, most heating equipment should last between 15 and 20 years. However, poorly maintained, improperly installed, or faulty equipment could prematurely break down and lead to quicker replacement requests.

Before turning on your heat for the first time ahead of the winter, it’s recommended that you take the following steps:

• Power off, clean, and cover your outdoor air conditioner unit
• Replace your furnace’s air filters
• Schedule heating maintenance
• Run your heating system at least three times during the early fall to test for malfunctions

Air conditioners actually run longer and stronger when left on all day instead of being shut off completely. Some homeowners might think turning their AC off while they aren’t home will save them money, but they may be doing more harm than good. Instead of turning off your unit entirely, consider installing a programmable thermostat to increase the temperature in your home while you’re away, cooling it off when you return. This method will help you save money while protecting your AC from overworking.

If you notice that your air conditioner requires refrigerant recharging every year, you may have a refrigerant leak on your hands. Not only is this bad for your cooling capacity and energy efficiency, but it’s also bad for the environment. Contact your AC technician to alert them to the problem so you can get the air conditioning repair services you need.

A properly designed and installed AC system can absolutely help control the humidity level in your home. In fact, air conditioners can maintain humidity levels between 40% and 60% relative humidity.

Like your heating equipment, your AC unit should receive annual maintenance to ensure it can meet your comfort needs. This should be done in the early spring so you can identify any repair or replacement needs before the full heat of the summer settles in.

The greatest benefit of installing a heat pump in your home is the energy savings it provides. Heat pumps are exceptionally energy-efficient compared to central AC and furnace configurations. In fact, heat pumps are capable of providing efficiency rates of over 300%.

One drawback to heat pump installation is the fact that these systems can fail in extreme cold. The colder the weather, the less efficiency you will gain from your system. In sub-zero conditions, this could lead to your heat pump failing altogether. This is why many homeowners opt to supplement their heat pumps with an additional heat source, such as a furnace or boiler.

Because of the harsh winters seen in Cincinnati, it’s not recommended that homeowners rely on a heat pump as their main source of heat. If you want a heat pump, we suggest having either a primary or backup heat source for the coldest days of the season.

In most instances, heat pumps will either fail to operate or decrease efficiency when temperatures fall between 25 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit.Consider shutting off your system and switching to your primary heat source when temperatures fall below freezing.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside your home can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outdoors. This is due to the fact that airborne pollutants become trapped inside your HVAC equipment, where they are circulated throughout your home to wreak havoc on your respiratory health, household cleanliness, and allergy symptoms.

The National Safety Council suggests a number of pollutants can be existing inside your home’s air supply, including chemicals, cleaning products, pesticides, pet dander, mold, influenza, fungi, viruses, bacteria, carbon monoxide, paint, smoke, and much more.

It can be difficult to determine whether or not the pollutants in your home are the root cause of your health problems. The symptoms associated with poor indoor air quality are often mild or vague, making it hard to attribute them to anything in particular. Common symptoms of poor indoor air quality include:

• Frequent headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Itchy nose
• Scratchy throat
• Burning eyes

In more serious cases, residents may develop asthma, breathing disorders, or even cancer.

There are many available indoor air quality solutions that may be suitable for your home environment, depending on the severity of your indoor pollution. At HELP Heating & Cooling, our team offers the following indoor air quality solutions throughout the Greater Cincinnati area:

• Air cleaners
• Air filters
• Germicidal UVC lamps
• And much more!