Home Furnace on the Fritz? Try these 3 Tips!
Feel that chill in the Omaha air? Around here, that means it’s time for two things— Husker football and furnace tuneups! And while the Huskers never disappoint, sometimes our home furnaces can let us down when we need them most…. If your furnace just won’t fire up this fall, we’ve got three quick tips any home handyperson can try to get it back up and running. (Or you can save yourself the hassle and just call the furnace repair team at Burton!) If you try your hand at these tips, with a bit of luck and a little elbow grease, [...]
3 Signs Your Thermostat and A/C are Out of Sync
It’s a hot, sunny, Omaha afternoon. Your A/C has been running all day, but your home is feeling more and more like your own personal dry sauna…. You know something isn’t working right. But before you go blaming your air conditioner, take a closer look at your thermostat. If your home can’t keep its cool, watch for these three signs that your thermostat and HVAC system aren’t talking: 1. Your thermostat won’t turn on If your thermostat’s display has gone dark, it’s not telling your HVAC system when to turn on and off. Typically, a fresh set of [...]
How To Instantly Improve Your Air Conditioner’s Performance
Air conditioners are the true MVPs of summer. To keep your A/C running like a star athlete (and to lower your summer energy bills!), follow this easy checklist to optimize your system’s performance: Get a full system inspection and tune-up. A system inspection will reveal any leaks, cracks, or inefficiencies that could be costing you a pretty penny this summer. And the quick tune-up will take care of any minor repairs or replacements needed to improve your unit’s performance— before you’ve got a major fix on your hands. Clean your condenser unit. If your branches, bushes, or landscaping are crowding [...]
Burton Homeowner Hacks: The Easy Way to Maintain Your HVAC System
This time of year, your HVAC system is probably running almost around the clock to keep up with the hot Omaha sun. And all that extra effort can really tax your unit if you’ve got clogged or dirty air filters. One of the easiest things homeowners can do to maintain their system on their own (and avoid an A/C repair call) is to change their air filters frequently and make sure they’re installed correctly. If it’s been more than a month since you last replaced your filters, this hack is for you. We’ll cover why you need to change this [...]
How to Choose the Right Air Conditioning System
On a hot Omaha day, there’s nothing like the refreshingly cool, perfectly crisp breeze of an air conditioning system operating at peak performance. To keep your home comfortable all summer long, it’s important to choose the right size and type of A/C system. You know the phrase “one size fits all?” Well when it comes to your A/C, that couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re building a new home or replacing your existing A/C system, here’s what you need to know about air conditioners: Permanent A/C systems come in three main types Central air conditioning: This system uses [...]
Before You Book, Here’s How to Vet an HVAC Service
If you’re looking to hire an HVAC service in Omaha, how do you find the best one? Flip open the phonebook (if you’ve still got one of those), scroll through Yelp, or search “HVAC service near me” and you’ll find a hundred different HVAC companies in under five seconds! The options can be truly overwhelming. To help you pick the best local HVAC service that will get the job done right, for the right price, we’ve put together a handy guide to the main questions you should ask every potential service— and how they should answer them. So pick up [...]
What to Do if Your A/C is Running 24/7
Dear Burton, Lately, my A/C has been running constantly. The air temperature is comfortable, but the unit just doesn’t shut off. Should I call for an A/C repair, or is this normal for Omaha summer days? Cool but Concerned If your A/C runs 24/7 during the summer, that’s likely a sign that something needs to be repaired or cleaned. Even if your A/C seems to be working fine, it’s a good idea to call for an air conditioning service every year— before you fire up your unit for the first time. At Burton, our annual A/C preventative maintenance visit includes [...]
5 Signs You Need an A/C Repair – Before the Heat Wave Hits!
Nothing interrupts your carefree, sunny fun like a broken A/C during the dog days of summer. It’s time to dust off that A/C unit, flip to the cool side of the thermostat, and do a quick at-home inspection of your system— before the real heat wave hits! Here are five easily-recognizable signs that it’s time for an A/C repair: You’ve got a water leak. If you notice a puddle around your A/C unit, call a repair tech right away. Moisture and condensation are normal, but in a properly functioning system the drain lines take care of the water. This is [...]
Follow These Quick Tips to Save Big On Your A/C Bill This Summer
With summer just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to prepare your home for the heat to come. We’ve rounded up eight quick tips you can put into practice this spring to save big on your A/C bill when the summer heat really kicks in: Keep your cool air in and the hot air out. If you have older windows, caulk around the leaky areas. Got drafty doors? Add insulation. Plant some trees. Even just a few shade trees near your home can help reduce your energy bill. Maybe not this summer, but in the years to come! Get [...]
Should You Buy a Smart Thermostat?
In our modern era smart technology has become more common and more appealing to consumers. All around us, we have specialized technology making everyday tasks easier -including anything from smart cars to smart kitchen appliances. Among this ever growing and evolving industry are the thermostats, yes, specifically the smart ones. Let's break down the benefits and changes you could expect should you make the switch to what's smart! These systems allow complicated actions and commands to be made with ease. Through simple voice commands you can control anything from your home's lights, music, and even temperature. They can even increase [...]
Tune Up Your Furnace Before You Need It
Dear Burton, My neighbors mentioned how they always get their furnace serviced in the fall, but I’m curious what the big deal is. Between back-to-school shopping and all our other expenses, why should I spend more to tune up my furnace if it worked fine last winter? Our house is only about 10 years old, so do we really need preventive maintenance? - The Skeptical Smiths Dear Skeptical Smiths, That’s a good question, and we hear it a lot. When your budget is tight, it’s easy to put preventive maintenance on the back burner. Regular home furnace servicing helps your [...]
Comfort + Food: Burton Partners with Food Bank for the Heartland
For the 3rd year, Burton’s customers can donate 5 cans of food and receive a furnace safety inspection and cleaning for just $55 dollars all month long. For 40 years, Food Bank for the Heartland has played a critical role in providing nutritious food to our food-insecure neighbors in Nebraska and western Iowa. Along with its 610 network partners, the non-profit often makes a critical difference for thousands of hungry families, who sometimes have to choose between medicine or rent, and feeding loved ones. In honor of Burton’s 3rd year of partnership with Food Bank for Hunger Action Month, we [...]