Rosenberg Plumbing & Air Blog - San Antonio, TX

9 Steps to Follow When Cleaning a Furnace or Heat Pump

January 12, 2022

Cleaning the furnace is a significant component of a home maintenance project. A dirty furnace or heat pump is less effective and consumes a lot of energy. Cleaning it well lengthens its lifespan, prevents regular costly repairs, and lowers the utility bill. Here are the steps to follow when cleaning the heating and cooling system of a residential or commercial property. 1. Shut Down the Heating and Cooling System Always ensure that the fuel system and electrical power are off before you start cleaning your furnace. Failure to turn them off can lead to electrocution and serious injuries. You can find the red power switchplate near the burner or on the cellar stairs. The fuel shutoff valve is near the incoming gas pipe or oil tank. 2. Clean the Combustion Chamber The combustion chamber is likely to accumulate a lot of dirt because it provides a space for the fuel to mix with adequate air and ignite to generate heat. This process also leads to the excretion of carbon dioxide, soot, and water vapor that can corrode the chamber walls if they build up. Use a small wire brush to scrape the dirt or an industrial shop vacuum to remove...

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Tracking Down the Cause of Your Heater’s Burning Smell

December 20, 2021

Fire is a risk that should be taken seriously by every homeowner in San Antonio. That’s why it’s natural to be concerned when you notice a burning smell coming from your furnace. By better understanding your furnace, you’ll be able to get a good feel for whether or not you should be concerned when you encounter this disconcerting odor. Here are a few tips from to help put your mind at ease. How a Furnace Operates To understand the potential cause of a burning smell in your furnace, it’s important to understand how your furnace operates. When your thermostat calls for heat, the heating cycle initiates. First, if you have a gas furnace, the draft inducer will turn on, ensuring that any harmful gases stay out of your living area. Then, the burner will ignite, firing up the heat exchanger. When the heat exchanger reaches the correct temperature, the blower fan will turn on, pushing cold air over the exchanger so that the temperature of the air rises as it’s distributed throughout your home. Any of these individual components can potentially have a malfunction that can lead to a burning smell. New-Season Shock By far, the most common cause of...

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Rosenberg Indoor Comfort Gives Back This Holiday Season

November 16, 2021

has been offering premier heating and cooling services to the San Antonio, TX, area for over a decade. We have developed a strong sense of connection with our community, and that is why we are sponsoring programs to help those who are struggling. Raising Awareness and Donations for Those Who Need a Little Extra Help For the month of October and through the end of the year, is sponsoring a program to raise awareness and collect donations for organizations that serve special populations in the San Antonio community. The first organization we are sponsoring is the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter. This organization has a mission to break the cycle of violence and to strengthen families who are in crisis. They provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, and parenting education to help families heal and grow. They also provide specialized intervention for children, youth, and the elderly, as well as programs for those who perpetrate the abuse. Currently, we are asking our clients and team members to make donations or collect clothing and toys to deliver to the shelter for those in need. The second organization is the San Antonio Cancer Council. The SA Cancer Council provides support to patients in...

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All About the Thermostatic Expansion Valve

October 20, 2021

A thermostatic expansion valve is a device that controls the flow of refrigerant gas in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. It does this by regulating the pressure inside your system. This, in turn, regulates the temperature of your home or office building. The best thing about these valves is that they are designed to handle extreme weather conditions easily, whether it’s blistering hot or cold outside. How Does a Thermostatic Expansion Valve Work? The thermal bulb sensor on a thermostatic expansion valve is designed to sense the temperature of cooling water. As the incoming tap water starts to cool, it contacts the bulb sensor and begins transferring heat from its surroundings into itself until equilibrium has been reached between both systems. When this happens, a wax pellet inside of the thermal bulb expands or contracts according to the amount of energy dissipated for equilibrium. This movement of internal components within an expansion device will cause needle valves within its structure to move accordingly, allowing more fluid through with the exact amount needed. The thermal bulb releases less heat as more cold water flows through these internal structures. This allows pressure to build up behind them while also increasing flow rates...

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Signs You Need to Replace Your Furnace

September 20, 2021

Furnaces are often overlooked by many homeowners. Since these appliances are typically hidden away from your line of sight, they often don’t get the TLC that other appliances are accorded with. A well-oiled furnace, however, is synonymous with comfortable indoor temperatures during periods of extreme weather. To help you determine if your heater needs replacing, here are some signs to watch out for. Nearing Its Max Lifespan The traditional residential furnace is designed to last for 15 to 30 years. You can maximize your heater’s lifespan by hiring a certified and insured HVAC technician, like those at , to perform scheduled maintenance and minor repairs every year. However, if you moved into a new home that has a furnace that was installed at least 15 years ago, it’s highly recommended to look for a potential replacement. If your current appliance is gas-powered, the lifespan might be closer to 20 years instead of 30. It’s best to look at modern electric-powered furnaces as a replacement since they can last for up to 30 years or more with regular maintenance. Generating Loud Noises If your furnace is generating perceptible noises during standard operation, it indicates a mechanical problem under the hood. Depending...

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How Do the Professionals Install an AC Unit?

August 18, 2021

When you’re looking to replace an old air conditioner or install an entirely new one, you may be curious about what goes into installing the system from beginning to end. You may be surprised to learn that there are a lot of steps involved, and the process itself isn’t easy! Here, we’ll list the general steps in order to let you know what to expect. 1. AC Home Estimation Before any physical work can be done, a professional AC installer will first come to your house and estimate what size unit will work best for your home. Sizing is probably the most important step, though, because an AC system that is too small will work harder than it needs to and use more energy to cool a home, while one that is too big will cool a house too quickly, then have long periods of shut-off, which will actually not keep the house’s temperature consistent. During this step, you will also get a first idea of the cost for your new AC unit and be given an estimate of how much time installation will take. 2. Initial Safety Checks When installers arrive at your home on the first day of...

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How To Improve AC Efficiency

July 27, 2021

Making the best use of your air conditioner will help you lower your utility bill, limit wear and tear on your unit, and gain more efficiency. Here are a few tips to help you make the best use of your AC unit. 1. Use Fans to Help Cool Yourself Fans, especially ceiling fans, can help keep you stay cooler when you’re in any particular space of your home. A fan doesn’t help to lower the temperature, but it does help make you feel cooler. With a fan, you can raise your thermostat and let the AC unit maintain a more energy-efficient temperature. The fan will put in the work of keeping you feeling comfortable. Note that if you’re not using a fan, you can turn it off. The fan only helps your air conditioner when you’re actively using it to stay cool. 2. Keep the Sun From Interfering With Cooling The sun will shine into your windows and raise the temperature in those rooms. Your AC unit will continuously work harder as it tries to keep the temperature of those areas in line with your thermostat and the overall temperature of the house. You can mitigate this extra work by...

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What Is a MERV Rating?

June 28, 2021

When you start shopping for air filters, you will quickly notice that most products mention something called a MERV rating. What does this mean? Keep reading to find out all about what MERV ratings are and how they work. What Does MERV Stand For? MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This is essentially a type of measurement used to determine how good of a job an air filter will do. The MERV scale was initially developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioner Engineers (ASHRAE). Over the years, it has been adopted by most major air filter manufacturers who now specifically aim for certain MERV ratings when they produce products. The MERV rating can be a very useful way of comparing filters regardless of their type, size, or materials. The MERV scale runs from 1 to 20, and ratings are assigned based on the size of particles that pass through the filter. Lower MERV levels mean the filter catches less small debris, and higher MERV levels mean it filters more particles out of the air. What Do Different MERV Levels Mean? It can be a little hard to understand what MERV means when you just look...

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How Candles Affect Indoor Air Quality

May 12, 2021

The quality of your indoor air determines how comfortable your home is. has helped enhance home comfort in San Antonio and the surrounding areas by providing top-quality indoor air quality services. The majority of homeowners concentrate on their houses’ heating and cooling aspects but overlook the indoor air quality. There are numerous indoor air pollutants, and a candle is one. So, how do candles affect indoor air quality? A Closer Look at Candles Many homeowners are cautious when it comes to people smoking cigarettes inside their indoor spaces. Nonetheless, these homeowners burn candles, which are a primary air pollutant to the indoor air. Candles are burnt for either intimacy or stress relief reasons. However, these candles emit harmful chemicals that negatively affect your home’s air quality. When burning, candles tend to emit harmful pollutants like toluene, styrene, acetone, benzene, and particulate matter into your indoor spaces. The majority of the candles available in the marketplace are made of paraffin waxes and are harmful to your health. When burning, paraffin wax candles emit chemicals identical to the ones released by burning diesel. Scented candles are also harmful to your indoor air because they are also made of paraffin wax and chemical...

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Why Is My Air Conditioner Making Noises?

April 6, 2021

The typical modern air conditioner is designed to operate with minimum noise levels. If your air conditioner is making a loud or unusual noise, it could indicate an issue with one or more components of the air conditioner. Getting your air conditioner fixed can improve the performance of the air conditioner, reduce energy consumption, and allow the air conditioner to last longer. Any delay in fixing the air conditioner can worsen the problem, leading to costly repairs or needing to replace the air conditioner. The unusual noise is one of many indicators that can help alert you of possible problems with your air conditioner. Here are possible reasons why your air conditioner is making an unusual noise. Low Level of Refrigerant A leaking or low level of refrigerant can produce a hissing or whistling noise from the air conditioner. The role of the air conditioner refrigerant is to cycle through the system absorbing and releasing the heat at different stages of the cooling cycle. With a properly functioning refrigerant, the air conditioner will not be able to cool the air that flows in the room. The refrigerant level should not get low as an air conditioner is designed to be...

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