Category: heating

Your boiler plays an essential role in your home, heating water and providing hot water or steam for warmth. Not servicing this critical piece of equipment can lead to costly repairs or even breakdowns during the worst time of the year. Boiler services are often overlooked, but they are very important to the long-term health of your heating system. Below, we’ll highlight the importance of boiler check-ups and why they should be a regular part of your home maintenance schedule.   

Benefits of Boiler Maintenance

How often should you have your boiler serviced? The experts at Clay’s Climate Control recommend annual checks to ensure your boiler is running safely and efficiently. With regular maintenance, you can enjoy these benefits:

Save on Repairs

Think of an annual boiler check-up as a preventive health screening for your heating system. Just like a doctor can detect minor issues before they develop into significant problems, a qualified heating technician can identify and address small boiler malfunctions before they escalate into costly repairs. This proactive approach can save you money in the long run and prevent unexpected breakdowns during the coldest days of winter.

Increased Efficiency and Reduced Bills

Increased efficiency is one of the greatest advantages of a well-maintained boiler. Over time, dirt, dust, and mineral buildup can clog the system, reducing its efficiency and forcing it to work harder to produce the same amount of heat. This translates to higher energy bills, which can put a strain on your budget. Regular boiler servicing keeps your system running smoothly, optimizing its performance and reducing energy consumption.

Improved Safety

Beyond comfort and cost, the safety of your home is of utmost importance. Faulty or malfunctioning boilers pose serious safety risks, like gas leaks or carbon monoxide emissions. Regular inspections ensure your boiler operates safely, protecting your family from possible hazards. 

Extended Lifespan

Annual maintenance is like investing in the longevity of your heating system. Keeping it clean, lubricated, and operating optimally significantly extends its lifespan, translating to fewer repair bills and replacements in the future.   

Improved Performance

Regular servicing enhances your boiler’s overall performance. Technicians optimize settings, clean components, and replace worn-out parts, allowing your boiler to operate at its peak, delivering consistent warmth throughout your home. 

Boiler Servicing With Clay’s Climate Control

In the grand scheme of home maintenance, annual boiler check-ups stand out as a crucial step in ensuring the comfort, efficiency, and safety of your living space. By prioritizing professional heating services and boiler maintenance, you not only protect your investment but also guarantee a warm and secure space for you and your loved ones. Don’t underestimate the impact of a well-maintained boiler – it’s the key to unlocking a winter filled with comfort, safety, and optimal performance. Schedule your annual boiler check-up today with Clay’s Climate Control and embark on a worry-free journey through the colder months. When you prioritize annual boiler maintenance, you’re making a wise investment in your home’s long-term health and value.

Spring has sprung, and if you’re like many of us, you can’t wait to turn off your heating system, open some windows and welcome the fresh air inside. But before embracing the warmer temperatures, there are a few things you need to do before shutting off your heater this season. The team at Clay’s Climate Control can help make sure you’re ready with our heating system maintenance checklist. 

The Importance of Post-Season Maintenance

As we say goodbye to the bitter temperatures, it means your heating system finally gets to take a much-needed break. Before you shut it down for good, performing post-season maintenance can ensure it works at optimal efficiency next year. Check out our helpful tips below to guarantee your heater is working its best for winter 2023! 

Replace the air filter – A quick and easy job, you’ll want to replace the air filter before you shut your system down. A clean air filter improves airflow and air quality inside your home. By doing this simple task, you can help the efficiency of your air conditioner this summer or save time and ensure a clean filter is in place before next winter. 

Clean the unit – Cleaning your heating system removes dust and debris that has built up throughout the winter. It can also mitigate fire hazards. 

Do a visual inspection – While tinkering with the electrical connections that make up your heating system is never recommended, it’s still a good idea to inspect it for dents, strange noises, excessive dust buildup, and other inconsistencies. If you notice anything that seems out of place, contact the professional team at Clay’s Climate Control, who can look over your unit and provide necessary repairs.

Don’t store items near the furnace – Many homeowners make this common mistake. Remove items near the unit to prevent a possible fire. 

Check the pilot light if you have one – If you have a gas furnace, check the pilot light. A well-maintained pilot light should burn blue, shouldn’t waver, and should remain steady while on. If your pilot light is orange, this indicates impurities and potential issues.  

Schedule professional heater maintenance – After you’ve tackled the above to-do list, it’s a good idea to schedule a heater maintenance service from a professional. Professional heating services should be completed at least twice a year to keep your system working optimally. During heater maintenance, your tech will check various components that make up your system and provide cleaning and parts lubrication to restore and maintain your unit. 

Heating System Maintenance with Clay’s Climate Control

At Clay’s Climate Control, we provide expert heating services to residents in South Jersey and along the Jersey Shore. From boiler repairs to emergency services, our technicians are here to help you. When you choose to work with our team, you can expect timely, affordable, and efficient service. If you’re ready to schedule your heater maintenance before summer arrives, contact our team today at 609-916-1106. We look forward to serving you!

Winters in New Jersey are not for the faint of heart. To the rest of the world, some parts of our state may seem like a warm beach getaway, but that is only true until temperatures drop and you’re knee-deep in snow. One of the best defenses against the harsh New Jersey winter is a well-prepared heater. To ensure you never have to go a day without heat, follow our winter heating tips below to get your furnace ready for the inclement weather ahead. 

Replace Your Air Filters

Replacing your air filters is important during every season, but it is especially important in the winter. Over the fall months, your air filter has amassed a large amount of dust and particles. When you fail to change your filter, you and your family will begin breathing in everything that has been collected since the last time you changed it. As the weather gets colder and we spend more time inside our homes, it is important to make sure your indoor air quality is in tip-top shape. 

Check Your Vents

Vents are yet another area that is known to collect dust and dander over time. For proper airflow, this winter, give your air vents and registers a much-needed cleaning. This includes wiping the area with a cloth, making sure nothing is blocking the openings, and fully opening your vents. With these two tips, your ventilation will be best prepared for a healthy winter indoors!

Inspect Your Ductwork

Winter heating maintenance does not stop with your filters and vents. If you’re noticing that your energy bills are increasing and your home doesn’t seem as warm as usual, then a duct leak could be to blame. Be sure to inspect your ductwork or hire a professional to look for any gaps or holes. Catching any discrepancies before the freezing temps arrive will give you ample time to schedule any residential heating repairs needed.

Bring on the Heat!

There’s nothing worse than suffering through a day of no heat during the winter, right? Last and certainly not least, turn your furnace on before the cold weather comes to check if your heating system is working properly. When you switch your system to heating, pay attention to any unusual signs like cold areas, uncommon noises, and thermostat issues. When any problems arise, call for residential heating repairs to get things handled before your heating is needed 24/7. 

Professional Winter Preparation

For the warmest winter of your life, implement these four heater preparation tips for your HVAC system. If you notice anything unusual or would rather have the professionals help, make a heater/heating maintenance appointment with Clay’s Climate Control! As the service experts of South Jersey, we can successfully diagnose and perform any repairs needed for your furnace to run efficiently all winter long. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about the HVAC services we offer!

We know what you’re thinking…heater maintenance during the summer? The idea may sound crazy, but staying on top of your heating system during the summer months is the perfect time to do it. Inspecting your heater while the air conditioner is cranked up to the max is the most appropriate time to do it since heat is not needed. This will ensure that your heater is ready to provide you and your home with the warmest heat during the cold, winter months. Nothing is worse than being stuck with no heat during the dead of winter. Let’s take a closer look at some tips on how to conduct proper heater maintenance during the summer. 

Heating Repair Service

Our number one tip for summer maintenance is to get any necessary heating repair services completed before temperatures start to drop. Any issues with heaters may slip your mind once the weather starts to get warmer, so it is important to fix any broken or faulty parts of the heating system. Sometimes it is hard to tell if your heater needs any repairs. It may bring up some memories of being wrapped up in blankets, but thinking back to the winter months is a good place to start. If your heater wasn’t running as efficiently as it used to or some unusual sounds were coming from it, it may be time to do some repairs. 

DIY Routine Maintenance

Although in a previous blog we advised to never perform DIY HVAC repairs, some DIY routine maintenance for your heating system is encouraged. This includes checking if your air filters are clean, cleaning the perimeter of your heating system to prevent build-up, and looking for clogs or leaks in your ductwork. These preventative measures can help you catch any issues with your heating system before they turn into a much larger problem. 

Professional Heater Maintenance

Along with your routine maintenance, you should hire a professional to perform an annual heater check-up. An HVAC technician will have the expertise and experience to suggest any repairs that you may need for your heating system. With the proper maintenance, you will be set up to have the warmest heating around for the winter months. It is important to choose technicians who can perform quality heater maintenance. 

Clay’s Climate Control – Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning

Now that you are educated on all of the best tips for summer heater maintenance, you may be wondering who you can turn to for your professional check-ups. The technicians at Clay’s Climate Control are the service experts in heating and air conditioning. Whatever the season, we can provide you with unmatched maintenance and repairs for any HVAC system. 

This is the perfect time to plan ahead for the colder months! Call Clay’s Climate Control to schedule any heater repairs before the temperature changes. You can also schedule your annual heater maintenance and check-up for the fall before it slips your mind so you’ll be prepared!

Many homeowners are used to receiving higher bills in the wintertime due to the costs of home heating. Trust us when we tell you that while we understand that heating your home can be expensive, there are ways to save on your home heat this winter by looking into a few factors that could be causing your bill to be higher than it needs to be!

Here are a few suggestions of what to check within your home to see if any of these factors could be the reason your bill is high:

• Insulation: poor insulation can be a big factor when it comes to why your heating bill is higher than it needs to be. It certainly makes sense; if the heat that is being pumped into your home is not being retained within your indoor space, the heating system has to work harder and harder to produce enough heat to get to the temperature that you’ve set. 

One of the clues that your insulation is a problem is a lack of warmth within your home even when you’ve set the thermostat to a warm temperature. This is a sign that your insulation is not sufficient. If you think this could be your problem, you need to have your insulation inspected. This will help you to understand what condition it’s in and what you may need to do to fix it.

• Ductwork Leaks: this is a common issue for homes that have a forced-air heating system. If there are leaks in the ductwork, you have the same issue as above; the hot air is getting wasted by leaking out instead of being forced (as it should) into the rooms in your home that you would like to heat. 

You can check on this by listening, feeling, and seeing if you can determine that a leak exists in your ductwork. If there is a leak, it’s time to call a professional! This is not a time for a DIY home project. Ductwork leaks can be difficult to get to and require professional expertise to fix. 

• Furnace: all furnaces have a certain lifespan. Most last about 25 years. When you have an older furnace, you should consider replacing it. As furnaces age, they can lose their efficiency. While the cost to purchase a furnace is not cheap, a well-working furnace can actually save you money in the long run because it will be working at full strength as opposed to one that could be working at about 80% if it’s dated.

This is also a job for a professional. By making sure you keep up with routine maintenance, you can ensure that all of the parts are working properly, there are no carbon monoxide leaks and no rust or dirt is forming in unwanted places.

When it comes to home heating, you can trust Clay’s Climate Control to guide you in the right direction this winter! We’ll be happy to help you figure out how you can save on your heating bill. Give us a call today at 609-916-1106!

All home heating systems get their heat from either a furnace or a residential boiler. If you have an older boiler, chances are it is not as efficient as a furnace. Knowing if your boiler should be replaced or what type of condition it’s in is not common knowledge to homeowners. We’ve put together everything you need to know about your boiler below so that you can make sure you’re prepared for cold weather this winter.

How Do You Know What Condition Your Boiler Is In?

There are a few signs you can look for to know what type of condition your residential boiler is in.

No Heat: if you’re not feeling any heat, but your thermostat seems to be working ok, check to see if the pilot light on your boiler is on. That is all you are checking! Once you see it on, make sure to call a professional to continue digging into the issue. This is no work for amateurs!

Leakage: Leaking or dripping around your boiler can be a simple or complex problem to fix. Again, you want to call a professional to take a look as there could be an issue with the pressure or an internal issue with one of the parts that may need to be replaced.

Low Pressure: If your system continually shuts off or you’re not feeling a lot of heat, it could be a low-pressure issue. Take a look at the pressure gauge. Anything below 1 means that you have a low-pressure issue.

Unusual Noise: If your system starts to make loud noises, there could be a couple of things happening here. The first is just that some air could have gotten caught in there and the problem will fix itself. The other issue could be “kettling” which is a buildup on the heat exchanger that causes the water to overheat and restricts flow. This can cause these kettle-like noises that alert you to this problem. 

Once you know what condition your boiler is in, you will know if it needs to be replaced. If you do decide to replace your boiler, make sure you consider the following:

Things To Consider When Choosing A Boiler Replacement:

Boilers are common in the Northeast. They produce steam or hot water that gets distributed throughout the home. You can choose between a condensing or non-condensing boiler. Condensing boilers are extremely energy efficient because they can provide a great deal of heat while operating at a lower temperature. Non-condensing boilers operate at a much higher temperature – so much so that the heat often gets vented outside.

Another consideration to take into account is whether to get a sealed-combustion or non-sealed combustion unit. You always want to go for the sealed combustion unit! Sealed combustion units would be our choice because it brings outside air into the burner and then sends exhaust air outside!  

If you are in the market for a new home heating system this winter, we’ve got you covered!  As the #1 Nationwide Residential HVAC Contractor of the Year, you can rely on Clay’s Climate Control. Our professional, nationally certified technicians are here to answer the call!  Contact us to schedule an appointment today!

Have you heard about our 3C Club Maintenance Plan? This plan was created to offer our superior services at a discount to our most loyal customers. We offer easy online booking and a convenient customer experience. 

If you live in the Northeast, you may be aware that snow can affect your heater. It’s common during snowstorms for heaters to need repair due to loss of heat. This is something that we’re pretty sure you would like to avoid if possible. No one likes to be without heat during a snowstorm!

Snow removal is key during and after a storm. Snow can cause the following issues for your heater if not removed:

Blocks the air intake: If the air intake is blocked, it can cause the unit to shut down.
Blocks the exhaust: Just as much as HVAC units need to be able to take in air to function, they also need to expel air as well. Snow and ice can cause the exhaust to be blocked, thus causing the unit to shut down.
Corrosion can occur: Snow that melts or heavy rain can cause problems for gas furnaces or boilers because they have materials that can be damaged due to water.
Damaged fans/fins: Most fans/fins are made from aluminum, which can easily be damaged by the weight of snow or ice. A loud noise when your heater is on can indicate that this damage took place.

Winter HVAC Tips:

Based on the information that we shared above, it’s important to keep the unit clear of snow. Immediately after a snowstorm, part of your snow removal plan for your home should include clearing your HVAC unit. Make sure that all snow is removed and if there is ice, we suggest pouring hot water over it to melt the ice.

Here are some basic tips to keep your heating system working this winter:

Place System Above Ground: When your heating system is being installed, make sure that it is placed 6-10 inches above the surface so that it is above the highest likely amount of snow that will fall. The height will help ensure that it doesn’t get surrounded by snow that will block the air intake and exhaust features. It should also be placed about 18 inches away from the home so that it can get proper airflow and avoid any drifts that can occur from snow accumulation.

Remove Debris: Regularly check your gutters to make sure that unwanted debris is not falling on to the unit. If there is debris on the unit, make sure you clear it so that the unit can function properly.

Change Filter Regularly: In order for the system to function as it should, air needs to be able to flow with ease. Dirty filters can restrict this flow, thus making your system work harder and sometimes can cause it to malfunction altogether.

We hope these winter HVAC tips were helpful to you as you prepare for the weather conditions that may be in our near future! If you have any additional questions or need assistance with your heating system from one of our certified technicians, give us a call at 609-916-1106.

Have you heard about our 3C Club Maintenance Plan? This plan was created to offer our superior services at a discount to our most loyal customers. We offer easy online booking and a convenient customer experience.