Can You Explain What a Pellet Stove Is?

December 10th, 2018

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Many homeowners are unsure about the differences between fireplaces, wood stoves, and pellet stoves. To put it simply, a pellet stove is a type of wood stove. The “pellets” are just compact wooden pieces, like extra wood energy pressed into a smaller space. Typically, wood and pellet stoves are great alternatives for homeowners whose homes lack the space for a full fireplace and masonry chimney, or for homeowners who do not wish to go through the extensive remodeling necessary for to put in a full fireplace and chimney. Wood stoves work as space heaters, sending out heat both from the flames and radiating from their heated sides, making them helpful for added winter warmth.

If you are considering a wood or pellet stove for your house, it is best to contact a local professional to help you make the right choice to match your specific needs. Collier’s Heating and Air Conditioning offers fireplace services. There are many advantages and some disadvantages to owning a pellet stove, so it is best to be aware before you make any decisions. Below, we explain both the benefits and potential drawbacks of a pellet stove.

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5 Warnings Your Heater Is About to Break Down

November 26th, 2018

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You’ve got your home heating system running, ready to settle into the routine that will last until spring. If you’ve taken good care of the heater and remembered to schedule regular maintenance for it through our HomeSavers Club, you have every reason to believe the system will get through the coming season without trouble.

But there is no such thing as a heater that’s 100% free from malfunctions. No matter the planning, no matter the care, the heater in your home might fail during the coming months. It may give no warning, but this is rare. As a heater veers for a breakdown, it usually gives off warning signs. If you catch these warnings, you can call an HVAC contractor in Plymouth, IN to come to rescue the system with repair or even a replacement in extreme cases.

Below are five of the common warning signs of a heater close to failing.

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Failed Furnace—Might Be Time for a High-Efficiency Unit!

November 12th, 2018

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If your home’s furnace fails, it’s best to have it fail now, before the serious cold of winter arrives. Or maybe you discovered the furnace trouble before it failed thanks to regular maintenance through our HomeSavers program and you know you have to replace the furnace in time for the chill of December.

No matter the situation, if you’re ready to schedule furnace installation in Warsaw, IN, we recommend you consider installing a high-efficiency furnace.

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Electric Furnaces vs. Gas Furnaces: Is There a Clear Choice?

October 29th, 2018

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If you’ve landed on this post, you’re probably in the middle of planning for the coming winter with a new heating installation. You might be in a new house that doesn’t yet have a heating system to call its own, or your old heater has finally ended its days and needs to be replaced.

Whatever the situation, right now you’re facing a question about your home heating future. Whatever system you decide to have installed, it will be with you for ten years or more—so you want to make the right choice. We’re here to help with the most common choice dilemma: go with a gas furnace or an electric furnace.

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Can a Geothermal System Really Keep My House Warm in Winter?

October 15th, 2018

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We may not get brutal Alaskan winters here in North Central Indiana, but when temperatures are down in the 20s, you’ll need to have a dependable and powerful heating system to keep your home livable. A gas furnace is a reliable standby for home heating, but boilers are also common and can deliver a similar amount of heating power.

What about a geothermal system? If you’ve considered the installation of a geothermal heat pump for your home, are you holding back because you aren’t certain if the heat from a geothermal system will be enough for winter comfort? It’s a logical question to ask, and you’ve come to the right people for answers. We’re local experts in geothermal HVAC in Warsaw, IN. In fact, we were one of the first contractors in the area to offer geothermal services to homes. We have the experience with geothermal heat pumps to answer any concerns you may have—and then help you with installation if you decide to geothermal is the best way forward.

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What Might Go Wrong When a Furnace Isn’t Maintained Annually

October 1st, 2018

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Each fall, as the weather starts to cool, HVAC technicians roll up their sleeves, stock up their vans, and get to work doing tune-ups and inspections of home furnaces. It’s one of the most important parts of our job, and we make sure our customers know how vital annual maintenance is for their furnaces. We make it as easy as possible to have the job done with our HomeSavers Club, a maintenance program that provides both heating and air conditioning maintenance during the year.

You may feel tempted to skip maintenance for your gas furnace this fall, thinking that it’s not necessary every year. However, the consequences of missing annual maintenance can be high. Below is a list of what might go wrong if your furnace isn’t given its regular fall tune-up and inspection.

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We Know It’s Warm—But It’s Time to Prepare for the Cold

September 17th, 2018

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Why, oh why would we choose this time, when the weather is often a wonderful 72°F, to talk about heating your home?

Sorry, we don’t mean to intrude, but September and October are the months of the year to start preparing for winter weather. One of the critical prep jobs you can have done easily during these final warm days a maintenance inspection and tune-up for your heater. You can schedule this vital heating maintenance in Syracuse, IN with our team: just sign up for our HomeSavers Club. You’ll have the heating help you need—as well as the cooling help when spring comes.

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Did Your Furnace Need Repairs When You Shut It Off Before Summer?

September 3rd, 2018

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If you’re wondering why we’re asking the question in the title, it’s because at Collier’s we’re preparing for the change in seasons, and we want to make sure our customers are getting ready as well. A furnace that has lingering repair needs from the previous year can cause serious troubles when the first cold weather arrives and the heater has to fire up.

We strongly recommend you get ahead of any problems with your heating system by calling us for furnace repair in Plymouth, IN. The weather may still be warm outside but trust us: the best time to have a furnace fixed is when you don’t need it working.

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Your AC May Overheat: Here’s Why

August 20th, 2018

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Air conditioners are designed to operate during hot days. That’s what they’re for, after all. But an air conditioning system can overheat the same way other mechanical devices like car engines do. When this happens, you may be stranded with a non-functioning AC on one of the hottest days of the year. The AC’s blower fan may stop working so no cool air circulates to the rooms, or the compressor may fail so you’ll still have air circulation, but the air will be room temperature.

Fixing overheated ACs is one of our major jobs during the summers. We have plenty of experience taking care of these failures and can explain in detail why they happen. You don’t need excessive amounts of detail, however, to understand why you need a Plymouth, IN, HVAC contractor to repair a busted air conditioner, so below we’ve only listed the major reasons for an air conditioner overheating:

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How Do Solar Panels Work at Night and on Cloudy Days?

August 6th, 2018

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Concern about cloudy and overcast days—not to mention nighttime—cutting into the power of solar panels is one of the biggest reasons why potential customers for solar energy systems sometimes back away from the purchase. Solar panels aren’t necessarily new technology, but their residential use is new to many, and so people are often unfamiliar with how these panels work. These misunderstandings often mean that homes that would benefit tremendously from them don’t end up getting them.

We’d like to shed some light on this “cloudy/night” misunderstanding and help you better see how solar panel installation can help your home. To find out more about solar energy systems in Warsaw, IN or to schedule solar panel installation, just reach out to Collier’s.

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