Contra Costa County Heating

Stewart Heating, Plumbing and Air Conditioning is a local Contra Costa County HVAC contractor who has been serving California homeowners since 1974! The dedication and expertise we bring to each job simply leaves our customers not wanting to use anyone else for their indoor comfort control requirements.

How Home Heating Really Works

Have you ever wondered what exactly happens when you turn on the heat? Below is a high level overview of the heating process in a split system design which is normal for Contra Costa County homes:

• A thermostat registers the air is too cold. It sends a signal to your system, and the furnace flame begins heating and the fan turns on.
• The furnace fan pulls air from inside the home (via the return air duct) and it is pulled through the furnace filter.
• The heat exchanger is heated via flames powered by gas fuel. The heat exchanger is a metal grid type device inside the furnace.
• The furnace fan forces the air pulled from inside the house through the heat exchanger. This heats and dries out the air. A whole house humidifier can be used to add needed moisture back into the heated air.
• The warm air is sent back into the home via air ducts, and the process continues until the desired temperature is reached.

Hybrid Heating

Hybrid heating systems are a bit different in that they use a heat pump with the furnace instead of an air conditioner. A heat pump can be used for heating and cooling, and they can be cheaper to run at milder temperatures where fuel prices are high. When the temperature drops, a heat pumps automatically passes the job of heating to the gas furnace, as a furnace is more efficient to run when the temperature drops below 50 degrees (this depends on exact pricing of fuel and utilities).

Heat Pump

A heat pump is an all electric device that can both cool in the Summer like an air conditioner, and heat in the Winter. They are ideal for places that do not have access to gas, or for hybrid heating system for greater efficiency. Heating with an electric heat pump operates similar to the following:

• A thermostat registers the air is too cold. It sends a signal to your system, and the heat pump and air handler both turn on (or the furnace fan if used in a hybrid heating system).
• The fan in the air handler pulls air from inside the home (via the return air duct), and it is pulled through a filter. *A variable speed fan is much quieter, provides more comfort as operates at a higher efficiency.
• The heat pump absorbs heat from the outside air (even cold air has heat energy) and heats the refrigerant. The heated refrigerant is then sent inside via copper tubing.
• The heated refrigerant is sent inside to a copper coil system in the air handler (also called a fan coil).
• The furnace fan forces the air pulled from inside the house through the indoor coil. This heats the air.
• The heated air is sent back into the home via air ducts, and the process repeats.

A properly designed heating system not only keeps your home comfortable, but it can save you quite a bit of money on your California Edison bill. For a Contra Costa County heating contractor you can trust, simply call us at (925) 203-9141. We will show you what true customer service is really like.