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A working furnace is an important part of a healthy and comfortable home. When your heating system breaks down and starts blowing cold air, it can be difficult to know exactly what’s wrong.

Your furnace may be blowing cold air for a number of reasons. The air filter may be dirty and blocking airflow, you may have a faulty electrical component, or you may have a more serious issue like a leak or clogged condensate line.

Read this troubleshooting guide to narrow down what’s causing your furnace problems.

Common Causes of Furnaces Blowing Cold Air

Maybe your furnace intermittently blows cold air and hot air. Or, your furnace may not give off any heat. In certain situations, your furnace may not turn on at all. Here are a few possible reasons your furnace is acting up:

Furnaces are complex heating components, but you don’t have to be an HVAC technician to troubleshoot your system. Follow the steps below to determine what’s causing your heating issues.

Furnace Troubleshooting Guide

  1. Check the thermostat fan settings: Make sure that the thermostat fan dial is turned to AUTO, not ON. This will ensure the heater only runs when the furnace has had a chance to heat the air.
  2. Check the air filter: The air filter is one of the most commonly overlooked parts of the furnace. A dirty filter can cause the heat exchanger to overheat, which in turn causes the burners to switch off, leaving you without heat. Once you replace the dirty filter, call an HVAC technician to help you reset your system.
  3. Check the control panel: Sometimes a faulty electronic component in the control panel can affect your heating system. Try powering your furnace off, waiting a few minutes, then turning it back on again.
  4. Check the pilot light: If you have a gas furnace that’s blowing cold air, the pilot light may be to blame. When it goes out, your furnace stops being able to output heat as it should. If your pilot light is extinguished, carefully follow your furnace’s instructions for relighting. If it won’t stay lit, call a professional furnace technician for assistance.
  5. Check the ducts for leaks: A leak in your air ducts can cause valuable heated air to escape your home. This means that the air coming out of your vents will not feel as warm as usual.
  6. Check for standing water: Some types of furnaces produce condensation, which drains out through a condensate line. If there’s something blocking the flow of water, such as a clog or leak, you may see standing water around the bottom of your furnace. This water will likely trigger the power switch to prevent further damage. Call a technician before attempting to reset your furnace.

Expert Furnace Repair in Portland, OR

If your furnace is acting up, turn to the heating experts at Roth Home. We’re the most trusted HVAC company in Portland, Salem, and the surrounding communities, and we’re here to keep you comfortable.

Our technicians are committed to providing excellent furnace repair, no matter what the problem may be.

Give us a call at (503) 673-6394 to schedule an appointment.

When the colder weather arrives at your front door, it might be a natural reflex to close up all your windows and doors for the remainder of the winter. And while this seems to be the best way to beat the chilly temperatures, it can also make your home stuffy and uncomfortable at times.

However, if you’re looking to maintain a comfortable indoor environment, here are some great tips to take into consideration!

Ways to Keep Your Home Comfortable

Open the Windows

As mentioned earlier, it may seem like an excellent decision to completely shut off your home from the great outdoors, but that can actually do more harm than good. In fact, it’s actually beneficial to let some fresh air in all year long.

For starters, opening the windows can actually help reduce the number of allergens that are lingering in your home. Dust and dander are usually the results of a house having poor indoor air quality. And if a living space is never exposed to clean, fresh air, then these two undesired “guests” will make their presence known even more.

Turn on a Ceiling Fan

Just because we’re heading into winter doesn’t mean that your home won’t get hot and stagnant. And because it may feel a tad outlandish to turn on your central air conditioner when snow begins to fall, you can flick on a ceiling fan instead.

Typically in warmer seasons, your ceiling fan will spin in a counterclockwise motion. Having the blades rotate in this direction will help keep a room cool by evenly distributing the air — this can come in handy if a specific room in your home gets a bit too warm during the winter.

But if the room starts to get a bit too cold for your liking, then change the fan’s direction to a clockwise motion. This will help circulate any warm air that is present in your home, comfortably!

Invest in a Humidifier

If you’re familiar with a humidifier, then you know that it’s one of the best ways to add moisture back into a dry environment. And since a hot house can dry out the air that lingers inside, it can also worsen your indoor allergies.

Instead of having a series of small, store-bought humidifiers plugged in around your home, you can opt for a whole-home system! This powerful, high-grade humidifier will help control the humidity in your living space, making your indoor air quality much more comfortable.

Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat

Sometimes, it can seem like a struggle to find the perfect temperature to keep your home at during colder seasons. And if you happen to have a traditional, non-programmable thermostat, then the task of maintaining an ideal indoor climate can seem impossible. However, with the help of a smart thermostat, you’ll be able to achieve greatness!

With the power to control your home’s temperature via your smartphone, this thermostat will efficiently heat your house with ease. Another perk of this incredible gadget is that many models will be able to alert you when they sense something is wrong with your HVAC unit or remind you when it needs a filter change — a wonderful addition to any home!

Living in a multi-story home or townhouse can come with an unexpected consequence: unusual climate control difficulties. Trying to get every level of a multi-story home a nice, comfortable temperature can be tricky. This is especially true if you’ve recently moved in and haven’t had the time to familiarize yourself with the property’s thermostat. With a little bit of HVAC knowledge, though, you can find a simple and effective way to get a cozy temperature for your home, no matter what room you’re in.

Thermodynamics 101: Heat Rises

It has probably been a while since you took a science class, so you might not remember that heat always rises. The nature of heat is movement and expansion, so the heated air molecules push their way upwards as the colder air contracts and sinks. For this reason, the highest floor in your multi-story home will be the warmest throughout the day, which sets the groundwork for how to make thermostat adjustments that will work for this particular situation.

HVAC Zoning: Multiple Thermostats for Multiple Stories

First things first, you should have a thermostat that controls each floor of your multi-story property. If you do not, then guaranteeing climate control on the floor without the thermostat – typically the top floor – will be unlikely. If you don’t have multiple thermostats, then you should seriously considering getting an upgraded zoned HVAC system installed that allows split and precise control of the temperature for individual floors.

When you do have multiple thermostats installed, here’s what you should do:

Why Not Set Every Floor to the Same Temperature?

You could technically set each floor’s thermostat to your desired temperature, but this is not advised. Your upper or lower floors – depending on the season – will constantly be battling against the elements to stay cool or warm. All throughout the day, your air conditioner or heater will be running and running. By the time you get your utility bill, your jaw is going to drop – much like cold air – due to its astronomical cost. Using the cascade tricks, though, lets you enjoy the same end result with much less energy demand.

Need help with a thermostat installation or upgrade in Portland, Oregon? Roth Home has you covered. Our team has 40+ years of industry experience for all things related to heating and cooling systems. Call (503) 673-6394 today.

Winter is coming quickly, and that means residents all around Portland are bracing themselves for colder temperatures and longer nights. For some, winter also means sky-high energy bills from keeping your home warm. If you’re one of many homeowners who breaks out into a cold sweat at the thought of your energy bills at the end of the month, we have some good news for you: staying warm is easier and less expensive than you may have ever thought.

Believe it or not, there are several ways you can keep your home warmer and more comfortable all winter long that don’t involve a substantial price tag. In fact, you probably have the ability to save far more than you think with what you already have or with even minor improvements. Here are some helpful tips for saving money while keeping your home heated this winter.

Check Your Weather Stripping & Insulation

Why does it seem like your home is always cold during winter, regardless of how long you run your furnace? The answer is somewhat simple: while your home will eventually lose heat naturally, heat disappears far faster when you have air leaks. Air leaks are tiny places where warm air from inside your home can seep outside unencumbered, causing it to be replaced by cold air from elsewhere. Before you know it, enough air has escaped that you have to turn your furnace back on, burning through more energy and elevating your bills even higher.

Thus, one of the easiest ways to naturally save on your heating bills is to cut off these air leaks and prevent unwanted heat loss. Doing so is simpler than you might think: take some time to check all of the weather stripping around your doors and windows in your home and replace any stripping that’s worn, cracked, brittle, or showing signs of damage. Weather stripping is generally inexpensive to purchase, and replacing or installing it takes just a few minutes of time. However, doing so should help you see a tremendous increase in your heating efficiency.

Use the Power of the Sun

The sun is nature’s heater! While the weather outside may be cold an uninviting, the sun is a giant ball of thermal energy which you could use to keep your home warmer. During daylight hours, consider opening your curtains and blinds to allow as much natural sunlight into your home as you can. Not only does this allow for more natural light (allowing you to turn off your indoor lights), but it also welcomes thermal energy into your home. The minimal effort of simply opening up the blinds or shades might be the one of the most effective ways you could save on your energy costs this winter.

Close the Fireplace Flue

There’s nothing more picturesque or romantic than the idea of being able to sit by a fire and enjoy the warmth under a blanket with a loved one. Believe it or not, doing so could actually cost you quite a bit in the long run. An open chimney flue is essentially the exact same thing as leaving a 48-inch window wide open somewhere in your home—it loses the same amount of heat. That roaring fire which feels warm and beautiful actually exhausts more than 20,000 cubic feet of air outside, and every bit of that warm air which escapes from your home through your chimney is replaced with cold air from outside.

While you may not be able to resist having a lovely fire a few times throughout the winter, this isn’t something you want to do every night. Believe it or not that feeling of cold throughout the rest of your home isn’t just you—it’s because of how much heat escaped from your home through your chimney flue. When you’re done with your fire, make sure you shut the flue in order to close off the air flow and seal the leak. If you’re waiting on a fire to finish burning out, consider installing a set of glass chimney doors to prevent heat from escaping while you allow the smoke and exhaust from your fire to finish escaping.

We strongly suggest getting your furnace or heater inspected at the start of winter to make sure it’s in good condition and ready for the long months ahead! Schedule yours or book a repair appointment by calling Roth Home at (503) 673-6394 today.

What Causes Carbon Monoxide in a House?

Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. It is an invisible, odorless gas produced by a variety of fuel-burning household items, such as gas or oil furnaces, room or water heaters, wood burning stoves or fireplaces, charcoal grills, and portable generators. Because it’s impossible to detect without a device, carbon monoxide can reach deadly concentrations without anyone noticing—especially at night, when a family is asleep.

Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms may include:

Because many of these are flu-like symptoms, you may not immediately realize you are in serious danger. Some don’t experience all the symptoms, or they simply fall asleep, never to regain consciousness. Those particularly vulnerable to carbon monoxide include infants, the elderly, and individuals with anemia, heart disease, or breathing problems.

6 Ways to Prevent Your Furnace from Leaking Carbon Monoxide

According to the CDC, carbon monoxide poisoning kills more than 400 Americans every day. Roughly 4,000 are hospitalized, and an appalling 20,000 visit the ER. This is not, however, an inevitable tragedy.

Because of its presence in heaters, carbon monoxide poisoning is particularly common in the winter. If your appliance is not installed or maintained properly, deadly levels of carbon monoxide could accumulate in your home—especially in poorly ventilated areas.

Here are 6 steps you can take to prevent a carbon monoxide leak:

  1. Install your furnace properly. Do not attempt to cut costs by installing the furnace yourself. A qualified and well-trained HVAC technician will install it according to building codes and ventilation requirements.
  2. Follow the user instruction manual. This will include safety precautions such as using the appliance in well-ventilated areas, and never leaving an unvented heater on overnight.
  3. Invest in yearly furnace maintenance. Skilled and experienced technicians will not only clean your furnace but also inspect it for cracks and leaks.
  4. Prioritize necessary repairs. If you discover a potential leak or learn about it from your technician, do not delay the repair or attempt it yourself.
  5. Regularly replace your furnace’s air filter. Consult your furnace manual or your technician regarding which filter to use and how often to replace it.
  6. Replace your furnace as needed. The length of time a furnace will last depends on the manufacturer as well as the frequency and quality of maintenance. If your furnace is beginning to function poorly or break down regularly, replacing it will likely prevent the wear and tear that precedes a leak.

Beyond proper furnace use and maintenance, you can stay safe from a carbon monoxide leak by installing a detector near sleeping areas, changing the batteries regularly, and replacing it every five years. When it comes to the safety of your loved ones, there is no such thing as too much caution.

Let Us Help You Protect Your Family

Our technicians at Roth Home have more than 40 years of experience providing homeowners with high-quality services at competitive rates. Because customer service is (and always has been) our top priority, your safety and wellbeing are of utmost importance.

We are available 24/7, so there is no need to wait. Call (503) 673-6394 today for immediate service or schedule your appointment online.

The air in your home likely isn’t as clean as you think—in fact it’s probably nowhere near it for that matter. Most people are surprised to learn that the air in the average American home can be up to 10 times worse than the air outside, and that’s saying something when you consider the diminishing air quality in populated urban centers around the country. For those who are particularly sensitive to issues that can be caused by poor air quality, an air purifier may be the perfect solution they’ve been looking for.

Air purifiers come in many different forms. Some are free-standing and can be put in any room, while others can be directly implemented into your heating and cooling system to provide you with extra air cleaning capability for your entire home. This flexibility has encouraged many people to consider making the investment in purchasing and installing one. Should you be one of them? There are plenty of benefits to doing so, and on this blog we’ll discuss a few of the biggest ones to show you what you could stand to gain from installing an air purifier.

Reduced Household Odors

You may not even realize it but there’s a good chance that odors have built up in your home over time. This is because you spend so much time in your home that your nose simply has become accustomed to the smell and you likely don’t even notice it. However, guests almost certainly will the moment they walk through the door.

Whether they’re odors from smoking, cooking, cleaning chemicals, or just daily life at home, an air purifier can help reduce them. Air purifiers help remove odor-causing bacteria or chemical particles from the air, resulting in cleaner, odor-free air that’s more inviting to anyone who visits.

Reduced Strain on Air Filters

Are you tired of having to change your air filter every month? Does it seem like your air filters are constantly working overtime to strain out your air and still don’t seem to be doing enough? An air purifier could be the solution you’re looking for. An air purifier removes much of the finer debris from the air that’s pulled through, keeping the debris out of your air filter and making the job easier. You’ll get more use out of each, which helps keep that maintenance cost down, and you’ll even enjoy better results with cleaner air. This even holds true if your home has a number of hazards which reduce air quality, such as pets or people who smoke indoors.

Keep Your Doors & Windows Shut During Winter

Portland residents know how cold it can get during winter, and that means it’s important to keep your doors and windows shut to keep the heat in. After all, the energy for heating your home can get expensive, and that means you’re more than likely not going to want to let fresh air into your home when it’s only going to make your home cold. However, when you keep your home closed up tight you run the risk of your air quality quickly degrading. An air purifier helps with this immensely—by purifying the air in your home, you’ll keep more of the heat you need inside without having to suffer from poor air that can cause all sorts of problems in winter.

Better Quality of Life

An air purifier can tremendously improve your overall quality of life. Better air quality can reduce allergies and their symptoms, including coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, a scratchy throat, and so much more. For those who are particularly sensitive to allergies, or who suffer from asthma, having cleaner air that’s easier to breathe could radically improve your overall quality of life at home.

Likewise, if you’re sick of constantly cleaning your home, including dusting and vacuuming your carpet and furniture, an air purifier can reduce your need to do this. Rather than dusting every week or two, you may only have to dust once a month, or possibly even less. This is because an air purifier removes more of the dust particles from your air, preventing them from being cycled through your system and forced all over your home.

Interested in installing an air purifier in your home? Talk to the Portland indoor air quality team from Roth Home by calling (503) 673-6394 to learn more today.

Taking care of your air conditioner is extremely important if you want it to last. Think of your air conditioner sort of like your car: if you don’t change your oil, rotate your tires, and change out your brakes, your car won’t last long and could be prone to some even more serious problems (let alone the safety implications). Your air conditioner is the same: if you don’t maintain it properly, you’ll be far more likely to experience a costly breakdown that will leave you struggling in the heat and in need of an expensive repair.

However, many people believe that their air conditioner is complex, and that maintenance is too difficult for the average person to do themselves. While in-depth maintenance is something that should only be done by an experienced professional, there are plenty of important maintenance tasks that you can easily do yourself! These tasks often require no additional tools, minimal out-of-pocket expense, and yet can make a tremendous difference in the long-term life and functionality of your air conditioner.

Change Your Air Filter

The importance of changing your air filter in your HVAC system simply can’t be understated. Most people are shocked when they learn just how many serious HVAC problems can have their root cause traced to a dirty air filter. Everything from a frozen A/C to a broken compressor can all trace their possible cause to a dirty air filter, so replacing it when needed is absolutely crucial.

Replacing your air filter is incredibly easy as well, and requires a replacement filter that can be purchased from your local home improvement warehouse for just a few dollars. Just make sure you get a replacement one that’s the right size for your system. Not sure what size you need? The answer is likely printed right on the side of your current air filter.

Simply turn off your HVAC system and open the front panel on your indoor unit. You should find the filter covering the air intake vent. Remove the hook or clamp holding it in place and carefully pull the filter out of the guide it’s in. Avoid pulling too quickly or bashing the filter into anything—you don’t want to accidentally release any of the dust or dirt which may be trapped in the filter. The size of your air filter is printed on the side and should have three numbers. For example, a filter that reads “24x16x1” means 24 inches long by 16 inches wide by one inch deep.

Check the side of your air filter which faces into your HVAC return vent. After a while, it should become an unpleasant shade of gray with the dust and dirt that has become trapped in it. If it appears dirty, replace your filter with a new one, making sure to install your new filter exactly the same way your previous one came out.

You should check your air filter every month to make sure it’s in good condition. Generally, an air filter will need to be replaced every three months or so, but heavier use or busier houses will all need more frequent replacements.

Clear a Radius Around Your Outdoor Unit

Another bit of important HVAC maintenance may involve a little bit of yardwork. That’s because your outdoor unit needs to have a radius of at least three feet all the way around it for optimal airflow and functionality. Your outdoor unit has an important job: dispel the heat that it has absorbed from inside your house into the atmosphere outside, and it can only do that as long as the greatest amount of air can be pulled over your condenser coil.

Be sure any and all grass around your outdoor unit is regularly mowed and trimmed to stay short and clear of the high amount of airflow around your outdoor unit. Likewise, trim away all hedges or bushes, prune flowers, and sweep away any dust or dirt off any concrete that may be around it. This will help keep debris from getting into the cooling fans, causing damage, or from getting stuck to your cooling fins.

You should also have your HVAC system professionally maintained once a year by a Portland heating and cooling maintenance expert. Call Roth Home at (503) 673-6394 today to request a service estimate.

Summer may be a great time for fun, but it’s also a time of sweltering temperatures, brutal humidity, and a desperate need to seek relief in the comfort of an air-conditioned home. So when you flip on your system only to find that it’s blowing nothing but hot air, you may be horrified, baffled, and frustrated at the fact that relief is nowhere in sight.

It’s true that an air conditioner blowing hot air isn’t a good thing, but understanding why this problem can happen will make getting it fixed more reasonable and easier. Here are a few of the most common reasons why your air conditioner can blow hot air and what it takes to fix it.

Your System is Set to Heat

The “law of parsimony” is a philosophy which states that “the simplest explanation for something is more than likely the correct one.” And when it comes to an air conditioner blowing hot air, the simplest reason for it is that you may have accidentally set your thermostat to “heat” instead of “cool.” It’s an easy mistake to make, and one that even people who have used their same thermostat for years have found themselves accidentally making. If your home is unexpectedly hot and producing nothing but hot air, first check your thermostat to make sure you didn’t accidentally flip the switch the wrong direction.

There Is An Airflow Restriction

Airflow restrictions are what happens when your air conditioner isn’t able to move enough air over your evaporator coil (your indoor coil) in order to have your coil absorb enough heat to operate properly. This can result in your compressor (the part of your system which moves refrigerant and facilitates heat transfer outdoors) to freeze up and stop working. A compressor repair is a serious ordeal and absolutely needs to be done by a professional.

However, the causes for this issue are remarkably simple. In some cases it could be something like a blower fan giving out or a motor losing power. But in many cases this could be caused by one of the simplest things in your HVAC system: your air filter. When your air filter gets too dirty, it can’t allow enough air into your air conditioner, and your whole system can suffer. The importance of changing your filter regularly cannot be understated.

The Outside Unit Isn’t Powered

While your air conditioner does consist of two different units, your outside unit and inside unit likely are not on the same electrical circuit in your home. There’s a good reason for this—your outdoor unit is exposed to the weather, so you likely want to have that system on a circuit which is protected by a surge protector or a ground-fault circuit interrupter. That means it is possible for your outdoor unit to lose power while your indoor unit is working just fine. So you’ll hear your air conditioner blowing air through your home, but it’ll just remain warm, as though you’re just running your HVAC fan.

The solution may be something as simple as resetting the circuit breaker for your outdoor unit. However, you may also be in need of an electrical repair for your air conditioner. You should call a professional right away if resetting your circuit breaker doesn’t resolve the problem.

When you need your air conditioner repaired, call Roth Home at (503) 673-6394 and schedule your service with our air conditioning repair experts in Portland!

If you have a heating and air conditioning system in your home, maintenance is vital to ensuring that it not only continues to operate properly, but operates efficiently and will last as long as possible. While professional maintenance is invaluable, there are also some things you should do regularly to help keep it at its best. Perhaps the most important of these things is replacing your air filter.

Replacing your air filter is an easy and simple service, but also one which can have detrimental effects on your system if not done often enough. A dirty air filter can cause everything from inefficiency and poor indoor air quality to things like freezing air conditioners, broken components and so much more. A dirty air filter can even shorten the overall lifespan of your system by several years, significantly reducing the value you receive from your system.

Fortunately, replacing your air filter is a service that virtually anyone can do—you may not even need any additional tools or skills to get it done properly. On this blog, our Portland professional heating and cooling services team offers you a brief step-by-step guide for how to change the air filter in your heating and cooling system so you can take care of this vital maintenance service yourself, all while keeping your system more dependable and your indoor air quality better!

Step 1: Remove the Access Panel

First, turn your air conditioner off for the time being, including the fan. On the front of your indoor unit is a small access panel, which is usually located near the air intake duct of your air handler. Removing it is usually a matter of simply sliding the access panel upward to get it out of the way. However, if you’re not sure, simply run a web search for the make and model of your system to find the owner’s manual documents and it should tell you specifically how to remove yours.

Step 2: Remove the Old Filter

Your old filter is usually held in with something like a spring or other small device keeping it in place. Simply unhook it and your filter should slide right out. If you look at the side of your air filter which is right up against your air intake vent, it will most likely be gray and full of dust and other particles. Try not to touch or disturb this side however possible, since you don’t want that stuff being released back into your air.

Look on the side of your air filter for the dimensions of your particular unit. Every unit is different, but the sizes are generally pretty standardized, and listed as three numbers. For example, a 16x24x1 filter means it’s 16 inches wide, 24 inches long, and 1 inch thick. Be sure the replacement filter you buy is the same dimensions—you can usually pick one up from your local hardware store for just a few dollars. You can throw the old filter away in your normal garbage.

Step 3: Install the New Filter

One side of your air filter should have some sort of a support structure on it, while the other is a large, exposed filter surface. This is by design—the extra support material is designed to keep the paper in your filter in place when air is being pulled through it under high amounts of pressure. Make sure you install your new filter with this support structure facing away from the air intake vent.

Simply slide the filter back in place and reset the security latch to lock it in. Your new filter should be secure and not move easily. Finally, slide your access panel back and you’re good to go. Go ahead and turn your HVAC system back on and your air filter should start working as normal again.

Check Your Air Filter Regularly

Finally, you should regularly check your air filter to ensure it hasn’t become clogged or dirty over time. The more debris gets into your air filter, the worse your filter will work, and the worse off your air conditioner is. Once a month, you should open your access panel and unhook your air filter to check the side facing your air intake vent. If the filter is still in decent shape, then you’re okay to keep using it. However, when your filter gets too dirty, you need to replace it as soon as possible. For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep several air filters stored in your home at a time so you can replace one immediately as it becomes necessary. The more you run your air conditioner or heater, the more you’ll need to replace your air conditioner.

Do you need your air conditioner repaired? Need a professional maintenance appointment? Call Roth Home at (503) 673-6394 and schedule your service today.

 

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