It’s no secret that Maryland winters can get extremely cold at times! For this reason, it’s important that every home has a reliable heating system that can be trusted to provide the necessary warmth for a safe and comfortable environment. While system breakdowns do sometimes occur unexpectedly, there are steps you can take to help limit the likelihood of an HVAC emergency this season. Grove Heating & Cooling explains how to care for your heating system and best prepare it for winter.
To avoid emergency HVAC repairs during the winter months, maintaining your heating equipment is critical. Hopefully you know that maintenance tune ups are necessary for furnaces, boilers, and heat pumps each year, and the ideal time to have this service performed is in the fall before it gets cold outside.
HVAC maintenance for heating systems is designed to improve the performance and energy efficiency of any furnace, heat pump, or boiler. The steps involved are very helpful in preventing an HVAC emergency, as the work performed by a qualified HVAC technician greatly reduces the likelihood of a system breakdown over the heating season.
If you do experience an HVAC emergency at any point this winter, it’s important to know what to do. Not every situation that appears to be an HVAC emergency actually is, and if you know what troubleshooting steps to take, you’ll be able to restore heating right away rather than wait for professional repairs. If you ignore heating problems, temperatures could drop indoors, creating an unsafe environment.
If you are unable to get the heat back on through troubleshooting your system, you may have a true HVAC system emergency on your hands. In this situation, call Grove Heating & Cooling to request HVAC emergency service. Our heating and cooling system technicians will respond as quickly as possible and work to restore heating in your home through emergency HVAC repairs or temporary heating solutions that will keep you safe until a new heating unit can be installed.
As winter approaches, homeowners across Maryland are gearing up to heat their homes through the cold season. Hopefully, your heating system runs flawlessly this year, but it’s always possible a heating issue will arise at some point before warmer weather arrives. To help you understand heating malfunctions and solve them where possible. Grove Heating & Cooling discusses the most common heating problems as well as how to fix them.
Many times when furnaces and heat pumps won’t turn off, it’s not really a heating system issue at all – this is one of the most common heating problems, yet it’s just a mistake with fan settings. If the system fan is switched over to ON instead of AUTO, it will run all the time, which to many homeowners seems like the heating unit is running non-stop.
If you suspect your heating system isn’t shutting down when it should, the first thing you should take a look at is the thermostat. The thermostat controls the blower fan settings and you need to verify the fan is set to AUTO instead of ON. This will cause the fan to shut down when the furnace shuts down, and you won’t hear any equipment running when you think it should be quiet.
If adjusting the settings isn’t the solution you need, a thermostat issue could be disrupting communication to the heater. Pull off the thermostat faceplate, and make sure all of the wiring is securely connected. If tightening or relinking these connections doesn’t solve the issue, you may need a new thermostat.
If your vents are blowing cold air, this is one of the most common heating problems that could also be caused by mistaken fan settings. If the fan is running in between heat cycles, there will only be cold air in the ducts for the blower to force into living areas. Check your fan settings first and adjust them if needed.
Another reason for cold air could be an ignition system malfunction. If the furnace’s ignition fails to light the burners, the system won’t combust any fuel to produce heat. Yet, the blower will run and only be able to send cold air into your home. If your system has a pilot light and it has gone out, follow the instructions in the owner’s manual to relight the pilot light. If your furnace uses an electronic ignition, the hot surface ignitor could be dirty or damaged and should be looked at by a pro.
If you only feel cold air from vents in one room or area of the house, a duct issue may be the cause. If the supply duct feeding that area has become disconnected from the main trunk, warm air from the furnace or heat pump won’t be able to travel to this area. If you can access the ducts, look to see if any ductwork has fallen out of place. You may be able to repair this yourself, or call your HVAC tech to make the fix.
Sometimes, a power source issue is behind most common heating problems where the furnace won’t turn on. Once you fix the power issue, it’ll start right up if there is a problem.
If your conventional furnace still won’t start, there may be a stuck limit switch or faulty flame sensor. Call your heating and air conditioning system technician to inspect these components and make repairs or replace them if needed.
Most common heating and furnace problems can result from a number of different issues throughout the system – some are easily fixed at home while others require professional assistance. Having regular maintenance performed on your HVAC system and replacing dirty air filters on a regular basis can help prevent breakdowns from occurring. If you are unable to correct your heating issues, call Grove Heating & Cooling for fast, reliable heating repairs.
Humidity is something many people consider a summertime issue, even though it should be a concern year-round. While we hate it when there’s too much moisture in the air and the summer months feel muggy, too often we forget there are times when we could use a bit more than we have. This winter, look out for the signs that you need a humidifier – Grove Heating & Cooling explains what to watch for!
In the winter, cold air becomes dry and can wreak havoc on our bodies as well as our comfort levels indoors – and so much more. Homes should be kept between 30 and 50 percent relative humidity, which can be hard to do without help when it’s cold outside and raise low humidity levels. A humidifier may be the tool you need to improve your cold weather experience. Watch for these signs that you need a humidifier, and contact the heating, air conditioning and indoor air quality experts at Grove Heating & Cooling to have a whole house humidifier installed to your HVAC system right away.
When exposed to very dry air on a consistent basis, the body loses important moisture needed to keep you comfortable. Your experience cracked or dry skin, which can bleed or become painful. Your lips become chapped and cracked, which lip balm just doesn’t seem to combat well. Your mucus membranes lose moisture, causing your eyes, nose, and throat to feel scratchy. You may also experience more nosebleeds due to dry nasal passages.
Any of the physical symptoms above can be caused by dry air and are signs that you need a humidifier. When homeowners run whole house humidifiers, they add moisture to indoor environments to offer quick relief of these symptoms. Unlike portable humidifiers, which add moisture to a single room or area of the home, a whole house system provides coverage to the entire home.
Unfortunately, many of the signs that you need a humidifier mimic symptoms that can also be linked to a winter cold. Congestion is one of those symptoms that can be tricky to decode. While congestion is common when you have a cold, it eventually goes away. If you feel congested constantly at home, experience difficulty breathing due to congestion as you sleep, or especially notice congestion as you wake, these are signs that you need a humidifier.
Using a humidifier will replenish your indoor environment with moisture and should alleviate these troubling physical symptoms of dry air exposure.
The condition of wood floors and wood furnishings in the home can display signs that you need a humidifier. The wood naturally holds some moisture, but dry air exposure sucks the moisture right out. Wood floorboards, cabinets, and other pieces can warp and even crack. If your floorboards squeak in the winter and you notice doors don’t shut properly, these are signs that you need a humidifier. Failing to use a humidifier indoors if you have certain types or brands of wood flooring could cause you to accidently void your product warranty, as some manufacturers require humidifier use to protect these materials.
Your body won’t stay as warm in dry air as it will when air has ample moisture. Moisture helps trap heat against your skin so your body feels warmer while dry air robs you of this warmth, forcing you to crank up the heat to make up for the loss. If you and your loved ones need to turn thermostats up higher to stay warm, these are signs that you need a humidifier.
If you observe any of the signs that you need a humidifier, don’t wait to take action. Call Grove Heating & Cooling and have a new, whole house humidifier placed into service as soon as possible so you can enjoy the relief that added humidity will provide inside your home. For all of your indoor air quality and cooling and heating system needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to Grove.
There are several different types of heating systems that can be installed in homes – furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, even ductless heating systems. Among the various options, what are the best choices for homeowners in Maryland? Grove Heating & Cooling shares reliable heating system options for your home in Crofton and the surrounding areas.
Determining the best types of heating systems is really a subjective choice that depends on the criteria you need a heating system to meet. For all types of heating and air conditioning equipment, the climate of the installation location should always be a primary concern. Certain heating choices perform better when used in some climates versus others.
Maryland winters are known to be snowy and cold, and occasionally can feel quite brutal. During January, the coldest month of the year in our state, areas in the central and eastern parts of the state see average high temperatures around 35 degrees and lows between 16 to 30 degrees – overnight, it’s not out of the ordinary for temperatures to fall below 0 degrees in some spots! With such frigid winter conditions, Maryland homeowners need heating systems that are designed to perform reliably in temperatures below freezing.
Natural gas heating systems are the top choice among Maryland homeowners, with more households using natural gas heat than systems that run off other fuel sources. Natural gas forced air systems heat air to a higher temperature than electric options, which is why they are typically preferred in cold climates.
Natural gas utility prices are also lower than electricity, making natural gas heating a more affordable option. Actual heating costs depend on several factors including usage and the energy efficiency of different types of heating systems.
Natural gas furnaces are types of heating systems that are forced air central systems. This means they produce heated air through combustion of natural gas from a central unit in the home. The system’s blower forces the heated air through ductwork into rooms throughout the dwelling.
Natural gas boilers include two types of heating systems: steam boilers and hot water boilers. Both units use combustion of natural gas to heat water that moves through a piping system to connected radiators in rooms throughout the home. This radiant heating system transfers heat from the radiators into the air.
Many Maryland homeowners have chosen to use electric types of heating systems – most commonly, a heat pump. Heat pumps don’t burn fuel like natural gas to create heat. Instead, they use electric energy to transfer heat between sources to increase air temperature before warmed air is circulated through the ducts to rooms.
Air-source heat pumps transfer heat between indoor and outdoor air. Newer heat pump models offer efficient heating throughout much of the Maryland winter, though their efficiency can decline when outdoor temperatures are extremely low. Backup electrical resistance heat strips can be installed for use during these periods or a gas furnace is a common choice for backup heat.
To heat, geothermal heat pump systems extract heat from below ground. A ground loop component made of fluid-filled piping buried on the property absorbs heat, which is circulated to the heat pump in the home. The heat pump transfers heat from the loop to the air for warmth, then air circulates throughout the house.
Grove Heating & Cooling helps Maryland homeowners explore the best types of heating systems for use during the winter months in New England. For more information or to schedule an estimate, contact us today.
Modern geothermal HVAC systems have been around for decades, though their popularity in Maryland and throughout the U.S. has increased significantly in recent years. As sustainability awareness grows and utility rates increase, homeowners seek high energy efficiency options to lower heating and cooling costs while reducing the environmental impact of their residences.
Compared to other home heating and cooling systems, geothermal can be quite expensive – leading homeowners to ask, “Is geothermal heating and cooling worth it?”
Geothermal HVAC systems provide space heating and cooling to a home by moving heat between the ground or water and the home’s air. The system uses three key components: the ground loop, geothermal heat pump, and distribution system.
Geothermal HVAC systems can be 400 to 500 percent energy efficient. Is geothermal heating and cooling worth it based on that? Most people would say yes, considering the most efficient furnaces and boilers are only up to 97% efficient.
How are these HVAC systems able to offer such highly efficient performance compared to traditional heating and air conditioning systems?
Superior energy efficiency isn’t the only bonus you get when you install a geothermal cooling and heating system. Here are more of the great perks they offer:
Is geothermal heating and cooling worth it to install in Maryland homes? We think the energy savings and other benefits speak for themselves! Contact us today to request a geothermal HVAC system installation estimate and learn more about these highly efficient solutions.
Mold can cause serious damage to a home and wreak havoc on the health of occupants. Mold problems in a home should never be ignored – as a homeowner, it’s important to recognize how mold grows indoors and take action to eliminate it as well as prevent its regrowth. Grove Heating & Cooling explains how to get rid of mold in your home using helpful HVAC equipment.
Before you can understand how to eliminate dangerous mold, you first need to learn why it can grow inside. Mold spores are always present in the air, no matter what you do. When these spores come into contact with the conditions they need to grow and thrive, they become a problem.
As mold spores naturally circulate through the air in a home, spores can settle on wet surfaces and grow. As mold grows, new spores are released into the air and they circulate to other areas of the house, where they can continue to grow and reproduce if they come into contact with the moisture they need to thrive.
Mold always needs water or moisture to survive. In a home, it’s fairly normal to spot some minor surface mold or mildew growth in areas that are frequently wet, such as in showers or around bathtubs. Eliminating mold growth in these spots is fairly simple by cleaning with a bleach solution and keeping the areas dry.
Indoor mold can get out of hand in homes with moisture problems. Unresolved plumbing or roof leaks can cause an abundance of moisture in the home, leading to mold growth problems. Excessive humidity in the indoor air is another issue that causes high moisture levels throughout the home that are conducive to mold growth. If humidity levels are left unchecked, a serious mold problem is likely to develop over time.
If you find mold growing in your home, cleanup is necessary for mold removal. Eliminating mold in your home that is minor and doesn’t cover large areas can typically be done yourself using a bleach and water solution. Larger mold issues should be treated by a mold remediation specialist to ensure all harmful mold is eliminated from the home.
In addition to cleaning, getting rid of mold in your house involves fixing the source of excess moisture. Depending on the cause of the moisture issue, this may involve repairing a leaky roof, fixing plumbing leaks, or treating airborne humidity.
Anytime you find mold in your home, you need to move fast in removing mold. Allowing mold to linger can provide further time for it to spread and reproduce, causing considerably more damage to your home.
Humidity issues are common contributors to mold growth. A home’s air can hold more moisture depending on several factors such as the outdoor environment, construction materials, insulation, design of the home, and the air tightness of the structure. Eliminating mold in your home and preventing its reoccurrence involves addressing your humidity issue directly.
The best way to combat indoor humidity problems is by using a whole home dehumidifier. A whole home dehumidifier is a type of indoor air quality product that is installed to work with the main heating and cooling system. Installed on the return side of the system, air circulating through ducts back to the HVAC system will first pass through the dehumidifier. Here, air is cooled to lower its temperature, forcing extra airborne moisture to condense and fall out of circulation before air passes into the heating or cooling system for temperature treatment. Additional indoor air quality products like media air cleaners can remove mold spores from circulation or UV light air purifiers can neutralize spores in circulation, limiting your risk of future issues.
If you have an indoor humidity problem, eliminating mold in your home and stopping future mold growth involve the installation of a whole home dehumidifier. Turn to Grove Heating & Cooling for installation of dehumidifiers and other indoor air quality equipment that can help you combat indoor mold. Call us today to learn more.
Central cooling systems using conventional air conditioners and heat pumps are widely used in homes throughout Maryland. While these systems are certainly the most common and easily recognizable, they aren’t a homeowner’s only choice when it comes to home cooling systems. Ductless cooling systems are increasing in popularity, yet many homeowners aren’t familiar with this option. Grove Heating & Cooling explains how these systems differ and answers this common question: how does ductless air conditioning work?
Conventional air conditioners and heat pumps are central cooling systems as they distribute cooled air from a centralized location within the home, which is the indoor air handling unit or furnace blower. Air is cooled by the indoor evaporator coils, and the blower forces conditioned air through a ductwork distribution system into living areas. Split central cooling systems use an indoor air handler and outdoor heat pump or air conditioner, and the units are connected by refrigerant lines. Packaged cooling units have a single unit that contains all components that would be housed between the two units of a split system.
What makes ductless air conditioners different is that conditioned air isn’t distributed from a centralized point in the home. Instead of dispersing cooled air through ducts and into rooms from a central unit, ductless air conditioning systems use dedicated air handling units installed within the areas they serve to send air directly into the space. These cooling systems do not use ducts – air moves directly from the air handler into the living space. Ductless air conditioning systems are split systems that use an outdoor air conditioner or heat pump and one or many indoor air handlers which connect to the outdoor unit via the refrigerant line set.
A ductless AC has the same cooling process of a conventional air conditioner or heat pump. In addition to system setup and distribution, notable differences between the two types of cooling systems include:
In a conventional central air conditioning system, a single indoor unit creates cooled air for the entire home. One thermostat is used to adjust temperature conditions for all living areas, ignoring individual needs of different areas.
Ductless mini-split systems are different because these units can provide zoned cooling. Each indoor air handling unit is controlled independently of the other air handlers, even though a single outdoor unit assists with the cooling process for the entire home.
When different areas of the home are able to control temperature needs without disrupting conditions across other rooms and living spaces, this is what we call a zoned system. Individualized cooling is delivered to each zone based on that zone’s needs. This is something that cannot be done in a conventional central cooling system without specialized equipment that allows multiple thermostats to communicate with the air conditioner and control airflow through the ducts.
Zoned cooling from a ductless heating and cooling system offers great benefits toward comfort and energy efficiency. Everyone has the ability to set different temperatures in their own space, personalizing the family’s comfort. This control also conserves energy, as ductless air handlers only produce cooling in their area as needed, not whenever another area requires cooling.
Ductless mini-split air conditioners eliminate the energy losses associated with duct systems. Leaks in ducts are present in most homes, wasting as much as 20 to 30 percent of the air conditioner’s cooled air on average. By delivering conditioned air directly from the air handler into the living space, ductless HVAC systems are 20 to 30 percent more efficient on average right from the start.
Cooling loss through duct leaks also causes hot and cold spots throughout homes. In ducted air conditioning systems, areas furthest away from the indoor unit often struggle to receive enough cooling. Ductless air conditioners deliver cooled air directly from the source so there’s no opportunity for energy loss.
If you’re in the market for a new air conditioning system, consider how ductless air conditioning systems can make your home more comfortable and energy efficient. Contact Grove Heating & Cooling today to request a consultation.
When it comes to home cooling systems, conventional central air conditioners and heat pumps are the most common in Maryland homes. If you’re familiar with these unit types, you know that air conditioners only cool air, but heat pumps provide both heating and cooling. This fact leads some to wonder whether a heat pump cools as well as an air conditioner, which Grove Heating & Cooling discusses in its most recent blog.
In regard to how air is cooled, heat pumps and air conditioners perform the same way, transferring heat between two sources following the same steps.
While air conditioners only cool, heat pumps heat and cool by simply reversing the process.
As cooling systems, heat pumps and air conditioners function the same. But, does a heat pump cool as well as an air conditioner? The answer is yes. These two types of heating and cooling units are practically the same when operating as cooling systems. Their cooling processes are the same, the two system types run about equal in terms of energy efficiency, and energy costs to operate heat pumps and air conditioners are about the same.
One difference between the two systems is that heat pumps usually do a better job at dehumidifying air than air conditioners. This conserves electricity and makes the home feel more comfortable.
Are there any advantages to using a heat pump instead of an air conditioner for cooling? The answer to this question is also yes!
While you won’t notice many differences regarding how a heat pump and an air conditioning system cool the air, the benefits come when it’s time to heat your home. Heat pumps function exceptionally well as heating systems in Maryland, as our seasonal highs and lows aren’t typically extreme.
Heat pumps are a more sustainable cooling option compared to air conditioners simply because of their heating qualities. Air conditioners are often paired with natural gas furnaces for heating, forcing the use of fossil fuels which results in higher carbon emissions than those generated by a heat pump’s electricity consumption.
Without the use of fossil fuels or the combustion process for heating, heat pumps are safer to operate with a minimal risk of fire, and no risk of gas explosion or carbon monoxide exposure.
Does a heat pump cool as well as an air conditioner? Yes, it does. While air conditioners and heat pumps are seemingly equal in terms of cooling, a heat pump offers heating advantages that just aren’t possible from an air conditioner. Call Grove Heating & Cooling today to learn more about our heat pump options and request an estimate for heat pump installation.
As a homeowner, an important part of upkeep is HVAC maintenance. Both heating and cooling systems need yearly professional tune ups, and this is the time of year where care for your air conditioner really makes a difference.
In our most recent blog, the HVAC system technicians at Grove Heating & Cooling discuss the importance of AC maintenance and what this service includes.
When performing a tune up, air conditioning technicians complete a long list of tasks in order to care for all of the system’s vital components and ensure they are all working correctly. It will take around an hour for a qualified HVAC technician to complete a tune up routine that includes:
Air conditioners should receive a professional maintenance tune up once per year. If you use a heat pump cooling system, that equipment should receive two tune ups per year, as it functions for both home heating and cooling. It’s wise to schedule tune ups for your air conditioner in the spring so maintenance has been completed ahead of summer when it’s time to start using your system for the season.
If you don’t schedule your AC tune up in the spring and you’ve already been using your air conditioner this summer, that’s ok! Even though the system has started, you should still schedule a tune up. The care provided during a tune up will still be beneficial and help your air conditioner run at peak efficiency for the rest of the season. Even if you haven’t had your air conditioner tuned up in years, it’s never too late to start!
All of the AC tune up tasks are meant to deliver some very important benefits for your air conditioning unit. Your investment in regular cooling system maintenance has an excellent return when it comes to your comfort and savings over the years.
If you’re wondering what an AC tune includes, the pros at Grove Heating & Cooling are always happy to answer that question. Schedule your tune up today, and we’ll share how this important service protects your cooling system for years to come!
Air pollution is seen as an outdoor concern for many people, but it’s an issue that also exists indoors. The quality of the air inside your home has a real impact on the health of your family as well as comfort across the house. Grove Heating & Cooling explains how to assess indoor air quality and how you can improve it for better health and comfort.
We spend as much as 90 percent of our time indoors on average, which means we are exposed to whatever is in our air for a significant period of time. Exposure to certain pollutants can impact the health of you and your loved ones, causing asthma, allergies, respiratory issues, and sometimes even cancer. When you learn how to assess your home’s indoor air quality, you are able to improve the quality of the air your family breathes each day to protect the health of those you love.
Assessing indoor air quality in your home can involve the use of a few different tools and tests.
When you perform steps to assess indoor air quality, you learn about the specific air quality challenges that exist inside your home. This knowledge will help you take action toward improving air quality, as you’ll know what pollutants need to be targeted.
Improving indoor air quality can be done in a variety of ways. There are solutions that work with the home’s HVAC system to provide coverage throughout the house, including:
There are also many changes you can make to improve poor air quality.
Grove Heating & Cooling can help improve indoor air quality by providing solutions that work with a home’s HVAC equipment for whole home treatment of pollutants. Don’t live with poor indoor air quality any longer; contact us today to learn more about indoor air quality solutions.
2142 Priest Bridge Ct. Suite 6, Crofton, MD 21114
