A good place to start is with your furnace AFUE (efficiency).  AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency.  It is a percentage that tells you how much gas is actually used to heat your home.  For example if your furnace is 80% AFUE, 80% of the gas is used to heat your home, the other 20% of gas (that you pay for) goes up your chimney.  You must also take into account how old your furnace is.  If your furnace is 80% but also over 10 years old, your furnace efficiency could be 70% or lower!

Furnace efficiencies now can range up to 95%!  They also come with variable speed blower motors which can use 1/10th of the electricity that your blower motor uses now.  These high efficient furnaces also have two-stage gas valves.  These two-stage gas valves can use a low stage and a high stage of gas output depending on the temperature change needed.  With all these features, purchasing a high-efficient furnace is a must!

Money Saving Tips this winter

Stay Warm this winter

Follow general furnace maintenance guidelines to increase longevity of furnace, get you furnace cleaned yearly and change filters regularly.

• Make sure your attic is properly insulated (R-38 to R-44)
• Provide adequate ventilation for air circulation in your attic
• Weatherstrip and/or caulk around windows and doors
• Prevent fires and smoke damage- have your fireplace and chimney cleaned and inspected
• Install a Programmable Thermostat – save up to 30% by programming as directed to save money!
  
• Change your humidifier pad
  

Furnace Efficiency Tips

• Check filters monthly and change as needed
• Clean humidifier at beginning of heating season and change humidifier pad yearly
• Check ducts and repair leaks or separations, insulate if in an unheated area
• Check flue pipes for signs of rust, corrosions or holes

Boiler Efficiency Tips

• Maintain yearly and dust radiators regularly
• Check water level and pressure
• Check for leaks

                          A look inside duct work! Don’t breathe this!

Also, have your ducts inspected before this winter.  If you don’t remember the last time that your ducts were cleaned, then it should be done.  Remove one of your cold air return registers and try to look at the inside.  There is probably a lot of dust, sawdust, allergens, and possibly mold.  Valley Services cleans all of your duct work and inspects and cleans your furnace too!

There are many things that should be done to keep and maintain your heating and cooling equipment.  By following these guidelines, you can lengthen the life of your furnace and air conditioner.

Monthly

One of the most important but easily forgot things to do is to replace filters monthly. If dirty or clogged, replace with a filter that is the same size.

Important! Make sure arrow is pointing the direction of the airflow, otherwise it will restrict air flow and cause problems for your furnace.

Twice a Year (or more)

A very good way to avoid a costly service charge is to check intake and exhaust vents to make sure it is free of debris, ej. Bird nest, bugs, ice and snow in the winter, leaves, etc.

It is best to check it throughout the winter a few times depending on the amount of snow and drifting.

 Looking to save money and go High-Efficient this winter? Check out this Day and Night VS 95 95% Furnace with a variable speed blower and a two-stage gas valve!

Annually

September or October

To avoid costly service charges this winter, schedule your Fall Gas Furnace Maintenance (a 16 Point Tune-Up), call Valley Services for Specials. A Furnace Tune-Up can prevent problems or at least find them before winter starts.  Our technician inspects heat exchanger for Carbon monoxide leaks for your safety and cleans the blower motor and condensate drain tube!

February or March

It is recommended to have an End-of-Winter Furnace Maintenance (16-point Tune-Up) performed if you didn’t have it done before the winter, We clean the blower motor, lubricate parts, check heat exchanger for cracks that leak Carbon Monoxide.

April, May, or June

Before the summer heat hits, get your Air Conditioner maintained (15 point summer tune-up!).  Set up appointment in April or May for your pick of times.  We check refrigerant pressures and temperatures, clean the outdoor condenser, clean the blower motor and drain lines…and more!

Get your Refrigerator Filters, Vacuum Cleaner Bags and Filters, Humidifier Water Panels, Thick Media Furnace Filters, and also your Disposable Furnace Filters.

Order online and get them shipped directly to your home in just a few days!

Why is changing my furnace filter important?

Your furnace filter is the last defense to protect your furnace and blower motor from dust and other particles.  If your filter gets dirty and saturated it prevents the air flow needed to circulate the heat produced by the heat exchanger.  If the filter is blocking too much air, your furnace will shut down because of a high limit temperature safety switch.  Once you change your filter, you can either manually reset the switch, but most newer furnaces have auto reset switches.

Another reason why you should change your filter regularly is because some filters (when they get dirty) will let dirt, dust, and allergens through and circulate it through your home.  You and your family do not need to be breathing unhealthy, unfiltered air!

Why choose HEPA Filtration?

Indoor air quality is important to human health because we spend over 80% of our time indoors. Tight insulation, too much humidity, and other factors can lead to unhealthy air in your home or workplace which can cause health problems for you and your family.

If you are looking for an air filter that removes 99.97% of particles down to .03 microns, then Fantech HEPA Filtration is for you!

Valley Services has made owning your Day and Night Furnace and/or Air Conditioner a breeze!  Don’t have your furnace Owner’s Manual? Looking for your Air Conditioner Owner’s Manual?  We got them here!

Have an older Day and Night Furnace and/or Air Conditioner and need the Owner’s Manuals?  Contact us and we can try to locate it for you free of charge!

Email:   Valleyserviceshvac@gmail.com

Valley Services also has all the Color Brochures for your new Day and Night Furnaces and Air Conditioners.

Please call or email with any questions!

715-386-7131

It is official.  Valley Services, Heating and Air Conditioner Specialists out of Hudson, WI is now a dealer of Day and Night Heating and Cooling Products.  We are proud to say so.  We have top-of-the-line technical support and warranties that will help you make your decision for heating and cooling products an easy one.

If you are not familiar with Day and Night Heating and Cooling Products, here is a brief history:

Day and Night was founded in 1909 by William J. Bailey.  He revolutionized the industry of water heater by inventing a ”flat plate” solar water heater that had a storage tank that kept water hot “day and night”.

Skipping ahead to 1955, Day and Night is acquired by Carrier Corporation.

In 1974, Carrier Corporation forms BDP Company which stands for Bryant, Day and Night, and Payne.

In 1981, Day and night pioneers one of the first 90% efficient gas furnaces.

In 2008, Day and Night brand is reborn as an International Comfort Products (ICP) Brand.

Valley Services provides indepth information on all Day and Night Heating and Cooling Products:

Day and Night Furnaces

Day and Night Air Conditioners

Day and Night Heat Pumps

Day and Night Package Units

Welcome to the new era of Day and Night Heating and Cooling Equipment in the Greater St. Croix Valley in Wisconsin and Minnesota!

It is coming to that time of the year where we need to switch our thermostats from heat to cool.  We get to barbeque, wear shorts outside, and not have to worry about shoveling or scraping off our cars.  The fact that summer is coming also means yardwork and maintenance (which many people enjoy doing!).  We need to make sure that the lawnmower is tuned up and ready, that the gutters are clear, and that your air conditioner is in working order.

With the downward slide of the economy comes cutting of costs. Unfortunately some of these costs that are being cut have to do with you and your family’s comfort and safety.  Maintaining your central air conditioning unit can be misunderstood.  Some people think that you can just hose off the outdoor unit, let it dry, and fire it up and you should be set for the summer.  Not So!

We go through a 30 point checklist to make sure that your air conditioner is functioning correctly, efficiently, and safely.

Here is an overview of what we do on our 30 Point Summer Air Conditioner Tune-Up:

We clean the outdoor condenser coil, we inspect and clean the indoor blower motor, we clean and clear the condensate drain tube, we check capacitors and amp draws, and we check the refrigerant pressures and levels.

At Valley, we also suggest bundling the AC tune up with our Furnace Tune-Up as well for greater savings!

We also can give you a FREE estimate for our Whole-House Duct Cleaning Service!

Sometimes it is not an easy decision whether or not you should maintain or pay for services on household appliances and equipment.  When times are tight it seems that people cut back on maintaining certain appliances to save some money.  This can be a risky move  considering that your furnace and air conditioner perform at their best and safest when cleaned regularly (annually).  Scheduling furnace tune-ups and air conditioner tune-ups are the best way to prevent costly repairs in the middle of a cold winter or hot summer!

When we are at your home performing a tune-up, ask for our FREE RotoVision Ductwork Video Inspection.  We can show you what the inside of you ducts look like and you can decide if you would like to schedule a RotoBrush Whole-House Duct Cleaning.

If you never have had your ducts cleaned before, chances are that there is dust and debris in your ductwork.  It is also a good idea to have the ducts checked for mold and mildew growth which can cause sickness.

Possible Reason to have your Ducts cleaned:

1.  Either you or someone in your family has symptoms of allergies or asthma.

2.  Most household dust contains mites, mold, mildew, pollen, and animal dander and you don’t want to breathe that!

3.  If you see dust on your registers and around your house in general.

We Proudly Serve these and locations and more:

In Wisconsin: Hudson, River Falls, Somerset, Baldwin, Roberts, Prescott, New Richmond, and Hammond.

In Minnesota: Lakeland, Stillwater, Afton, and Woodbury.

Call now to set up the FREE RotoVision Video Inspection!

What is Whole-House Duct Cleaning?  How Often should your Ducts be Cleaned? How do you choose the right duct cleaning company?

Heating and air conditioning companies (including Valley Services) suggest cleaning and tuning-up your furnace and air conditioner yearly.   Duct cleaning is another service that should be done if it is determined that your ducts have mold, dust, or other debris in your duct work.  There is no need for a routine maintenance schedule to be set up, duct cleaning should be performed on an as needed basis.

At Valley Services we use RotoBrush Duct Cleaning equipment.  We use the RotoVision Video Inspection system to do just that.  We insert a 1-1/8″ camera with LED lights into the ductwork and with a 35′ cord view the inside of your duct system.  We can show you on the 10″ Color LCD Screen what your ducts look like and whether or not you would like to proceed with the cleaning and what we suggest as well.

I believe that the video inspection is the most important step in the process for our customers.  Valley will never suggest to clean the ducts if it is not needed.  It is the trust that we build and stand by with our customers that keeps them coming back!

So we answered one question so far, how often should your ducts be cleaned (asnwer: as needed and can be determined by the Video Inspection).

What is duct cleaning?

Duct Cleaning is a service that is performed (should be performed) by a heating and cooling company.  It is a process that starts with (after the video inspection of course) removing all of the grilles and registers of your return and supply ducting.  We then insert the air brush and vacuum hose into the duct and slowly work our way towards the main trunk line.  After we finish vacuuming each line of duct, we vacuum the inside of the furnace and check and clean the blower motor as well.

Don't let your air filter look like this! Get your ducts cleaned!

After vacuuming the inside of the furnace, we turn on the fan and spray a Anti-Microbial Solution into the duct system.  We then replace all the grilles and registers.

The final and most important step is letting the furnace run for 15-20 minutes after the cleaning is complete.  There are many duct cleaning companies out there that will not even start your furnace before they leave.  We make it a point to ensure everything is in perfect working order before we leave.  This leads me into the final sections of this blog.

How do you choose the right duct cleaner?

There are a few things that are important to consider before deciding on the company that is right for you.  There are some companies that are not heating and cooling companies that are cleaning ducts.  They are strictly cleaning companies and their work ends with the ductwork.  Anything that happens with the furnace they will not inspect.

This is something that is important to us as a company.  We want our customers to know that we will check your furnace operation before we begin and before we leave.  We believe that the ductwork and the furnace work together and it is key that your duct cleaning company understands this as well.

This should help you in your search for duct cleaning information.  There will be another article coming soon!

Thanks!

With springtime, there are some chores that come along with it.  But it is not all bad.  It allows you to do work without overheating and breaking too much of a sweat.  One of the things that should be done is cleaning up your Whole-House Gas Furnace and Air Conditioner.  Some of the things you the homeowner can do on your own, but there are a few details that require more HVAC knowledge.  For one, we clean the outside condenser coil with a special coil cleaner that gets all the dirt and dust cleaned out which allows for better airflow and Air Conditioner Efficiency.

With the Furnace Tune Up, we clean the blower motor and ensure that it is working correctly.   For a true Air Conditioner Tune Up, the technician must check that the coil cleaner has been properly rinsed with water after cleaning.  Once that has been done, he will check out the operation of the furnace and ensure that the thermostat is communicating correctly with furnace and AC.

And the furnace and air conditioner tune up is not complete until he checks the overall operation and cycles the system to make sure that everything is working efficiently!

Increasing the efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment is pivotal in saving money on your utility bill each month year round.  If your furnace is 80% efficient (AFUE), (and that it is working at peak efficiency) 20% of your money each month is going right out the chimney.  If your furnace is 10 years old or older, chances are that it is working closer to 70%.

20-30 cents on each dollar wasted!

If your furnace is 12-16 years old, it is a good idea to have a HVAC company (Valley Services) out to give you a free estimate.  Rather than wait until something breaks down, continue getting your furnace maintained and air conditioner maintained as well!  Ask for the estimate on the spot!