How to Buy a Furnace for Heating Your Home

Technician in a blue shirt working on an open furnace

In This Article: How Old Is Your Furnace? Finding a Furnace Dealer Interviewing Furnace Dealers Sealing the Deal Expert advice on how to evaluate your current heating system, and how to shop for a new furnace. Need Help NOW? Get a Local Heating Pro Fast! Is it time to buy a new furnace? Your answer […]

Heat Pump Cold Weather Problems & Repairs

Winter icicles hanging on a roof.

Heat pumps often don’t work well during extremely cold weather. This article discusses how to fix cold-weather heat pump problems. This is a collection of questions we’ve received at HomeTips, along with the answers we’ve offered. In This Article: Heat Pump Not Heating Heat Pump Does Not Come On Heat Pump Is Frozen Should I […]

How a Thermostat Works

electromechanical thermostat

In This Article: Programmable Electronic Thermostats Electromechanical Thermostats Zoned Heating & Cooling Thermostats measure your home’s ambient temperature and use that information to activate your furnace or air conditioner, depending on the thermostat’s setting. The first thermostat was invented in the early 17th century by a Dutch man, Cornelis Drebbel, who placed a float inside […]

How Central Heating Works

Diagram of a central air-conditioning system of a house including a network of warm air and cold air ducts.

How do central heating systems work? The diagrams and descriptions in this section define central heating and air conditioning, forced-air furnaces, as well as radiant heating systems. Need Help NOW? Get a Local Heating Pro Fast! A central heating system has a primary heating appliance such as a furnace or boiler located in an out-of-the-way […]