Tag: heating

Common Heating Problems

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common heating problems

Your heating system is one of the frequently used appliances in your home. However, like every device or appliance, it can run into a few problems here and there. To help you diagnose these problems, troubleshoot them and prevent them in the future, the pros at Roman Electric have come up with a list of common heating issues.

1. Clogged Filter

One of the most common heating problems homeowners run into is a clogged filter. An air filter that isn’t changed consistently will worsen your indoor air quality, reduce proper air flow and can cause larger problems such as a damaged heat exchanger. This will inevitably result in expensive repairs in addition to high heating bills. Replacing your air filter only takes a few minutes and is one of the easiest ways to make sure your heating system is well-maintained. According to the Department of Energy, changing your air filter improves your indoor air quality and reduces your heating system’s energy consumption by up to 15%. Make sure you change your filter once or twice a month.

2. Damaged Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger is an incredibly important component of your heating system. If you have a gas furnace, the heat exchanger heats cold, indoor air with the help of combustion gases. The warmed indoor air is then distributed back into your home. Because of the exchanger’s vital role in warming your home, it’s important to fix your damaged heat exchanger immediately. Not only will it cause problems for your heating system, but it can also be very dangerous. A cracked heat exchanger can cause harmful gases such as carbon monoxide to leak in to your home. To fix your heat exchanger, it is best to contact a reliable HVAC technician near you because this isn’t a problem you should handle yourself.

3. Furnace Not Heating

Another common heating problem is a furnace that doesn’t provide the heating you need. This could be occurring for several reasons:

  • Thermostat Setting

Check your thermostat setting and make sure it’s on “Heat.” Next, make sure it’s on “Auto” and NOT on “Fan.” The fan setting causes air to continue to blow through the ducts even when there isn’t any heating occurring.

  • Clogged Filter

As we mentioned before, a clogged filter can limit air flow. Make sure it’s been replaced with a clean one.

  • Gas Is Not On

If you have a gas furnace, make sure the gas valve is on—it’s possible someone turned it off and forgot to turn it back on. If the gas valve handle is perpendicular to the gas pipe, turn it so it is parallel to the pipe.

  • You Need to Reset Your Furnace

Sometimes all you need to do is reset your furnace to get it to work properly. If your furnace has a reset button—a red button on the front or back—try pressing it. The furnace might have shutdown automatically because of either a clogged filter, blocked vents or overheating.

  • Major Underlying Problems

If you have tried everything above, it might be a good time to call your HVAC technician as there might be more complex problems with your heating system.

Fix These Common Heating Problems with Roman Electric!

We hope this list of common heating problems was helpful in identifying and fixing any heating issues you might be having. If you are experiencing more complex heating problems, get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service online!

Heat Pump or Furnace?

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heat pump or furnace

When it comes to your home’s central heating system, there are several options at your disposal. When searching for a heating system, one of the most common dilemmas homeowners have is deciding whether to choose a heat pump or furnace. And if they do decide, they’re questioning what type they should get. It can be a long debate, with heat pumps and furnaces both having solid arguments. To help you make a more informed decision, the pros at Roman Electric have created a quick and helpful guide.

Heat Pump Pros

  • Heat pumps are great for moderate climates
  • Heat pumps are more energy-efficient. According to the Department of Energy, heat pumps can reduce electricity use by 50 percent compared to furnaces.
  • Fun fact: Heat pumps are not just meant for home heating. According to the DOE, high efficiency heat pumps have better dehumidifying capabilities compared to traditional central air conditioners. This leads to less energy usage and increased cooling in the warmer months.
  • Geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy use by up to 65 %! While traditional electric heat pumps are great for moderate climates, geothermal heat pumps can be used in the most extreme cold weather. That is because these heat pumps harness their heating abilities from the consistent temperature underground.
  • Hybrid systems can provide cooling as well as heating!

Heat Pump Cons

  • While heat pumps bring a great deal of energy-efficiency to the table, they have a significantly higher installation cost.
  • A heat pump usually requires an outdoor and indoor component, whereas furnaces don’t.
  • Geothermal heat pumps are even more expensive than standard heat pumps—plus they require installation underground, which can be more expensive.
  • Heat pumps might not be as durable as furnaces. They have shorter lifespans of up to 20 years. Since heat pumps run year-round (for heating and cooling) they suffer through more wear and tear. This reduces its lifespan and might require frequent repairs.

Furnace Pros

  • If lifespan is important to you, a furnace is the way to go as they have longer lifespans. While heat pumps have lifespans of up to 20 years, furnaces can last for 30 years.
  • Since all furnace models provide heating, as opposed to many heat pump models which do heating and cooling, they require less maintenance.
  • Furnaces have lower installation costs.
  • Gas furnaces are more dependable, since they have fewer components and moving parts that need to be serviced.

Furnace Cons

  • Furnaces aren’t always safe. With these appliances, there is a slight potential of a gas leak which could cause a fire.
  • Heat pumps are far more environmentally friendly than furnaces.
  • Gas combustion products caused by furnaces could lead to significant air pollution.

Let Roman Electric Help You Decide!

There isn’t a clear answer to which option is better. It is best to look at the facts and decide which might work better for you. For some homeowners a furnace would be a better option and, for others, a heat pump. If you still have trouble deciding, no worries! Let the pros at Roman Electric help you. Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule an appointment with us online!

Duct Cleaning: A Smart Investment?

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What’s more important than being able to breathe clean air? It’s integral to the health of you and your family, and it’s something that might take more work than you’d hoped for. It seems like a fresh air filter for your HVAC unit should do the trick, but does that always work?

One possible solution to purifying your air involves cleaning out the ducts – where a lot of air-quality problems can originate. But is duct cleaning just an old wives’ tale? Does it actually help your home at all? Here is a quick breakdown from the heating and cooling experts at Roman Electric!

Your System Works Better

All the dust, dirt and other icky obstructions in your ducts make it harder for the air to reach you and your family. Eventually, that adds up as your HVAC system struggles to properly ventilate.

The most obvious benefit to investing in a duct-cleaning service is the noticeable improvement in performance you’ll receive. Your HVAC unit will be able to funnel air quicker and more efficiently, which results in you enjoying better indoor air. Cleaning the ducts and optimizing your HVAC unit’s performance will also lower your energy bills, leaving more money in your pocket every month!

Healthier Air

Another unfortunate consequence of dirty ducts is the loose health hazards that get carried into your home. As that air blows through your ducts and filters through your home, it brings with it some harmful airborne particles that can lead to nasty health problems.

If you’ve noticed a strange uptick in respiratory issues that don’t have an easy explanation, it could be due to some problems in your ducts. A professional duct-cleaning service will remedy that issue in no time and get your air back to normal.

Doesn’t Always Address the Root of the Problem

There are a few reasons that not everyone chooses to invest in duct cleaning, however. For one, there isn’t any guarantee that cleaning your ducts will get rid of the root of whatever problem you’re encountering. It may fix the immediate symptoms, but unless the actual underlying factors get fixed, you could just run into the same problem shortly into the future.

If you do decide to have your ducts cleaned, then be sure to get clarification from the technician who will be performing it. Make sure they’re taking care of whatever issue is leading to impure air – not just getting rid of the effects on the surface. Ask them to tell you exactly what they’re doing and how it will help.

Got Dirty Ducts? Let Us Help!

Getting your ducts thoroughly cleaned by an experienced professional can save you lots of headaches and money down the road. If you’re wondering why your energy bills have gotten high for no reason, or if you and your family have been experiencing some head-scratching health issues, it could be due to icky ducts. Let us help you out! Roman Electric’s team of meticulous and experienced technicians will have it back to normal in no time – give us a call at 414-369-3798 for the most reliable service in Milwaukee today!

Is Your Furnace Prepared for Fall?

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is your furnace prepared for fall

The weather here in Milwaukee has already started inching closer to the cooler, milder temperatures we’re accustomed having later in the year, and it’s only going to get colder from here. While you’re prepping different areas of your home for the fall, it’s crucial to make sure your furnace is ready to handle the changing seasons.

With these handy tips from the heating experts at Roman Electric, you and your family will be cozy and comfortable when the leaves and temperature both begin dropping. We’ve got a few pointers to help you make the transition as seamless as possible.

Clean the Registers

The warm air you’re going to be needing soon has to enter your home from the registers located around the house, and they accumulate dirt pretty quickly. When you neglect them for too long, the air will knock the buildup of dust off of them, leaving them free to float around your home.

Take just a few minutes to dust off your registers to ensure that your air will be clean and clear when the furnace kicks on!

Replace the Air Filter

Your registers won’t stay clean, however, if the air flowing through them is dirty in the first place. That’s why it’s important to maintain a rigid filter-replacement schedule! You should ideally replace your air filters every 30 days or so, but we recommend giving your furnace a fresh filter to work with when you start cranking up the heat.

Even if you’ve replaced your air filter recently, go ahead and swap it out for a new one when you really start using your furnace more than usual.

Give It a Test Run

If you haven’t begun using your furnace frequently yet, the time will soon come. And whenever that happens, your unit will have some catching up to do. It hasn’t had anything to do for a while, and it will take a bit of time for it to shake off the rust and get in sync.

Should you wait until you need your furnace to switch it on for the first time, then you might not get the performance you’re looking for right away. Instead of holding off until then, run your furnace for a bit while it isn’t required. That way, your furnace will be able to jump right in and heat your home with no issues when it really gets cold out.

Schedule a Tune-Up

The most valuable thing you can do, however, is to schedule a tune-up with a trusted service provider. When they check out your furnace, they’ll identify issues that need to be addressed and recommend the proper steps to fix them. They’ll also tweak a few things here and there to ensure your furnace performs like you need it to!

Roman Electric: Your Milwaukee Furnace Experts

With these tips in mind, your furnace will be ready to tackle the colder weather! When you need a reliable voice and trusted service provider, look no further than Roman Electric! Our team has the experience and knowledge to get your furnace in the best shape it’s ever been in. Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to see how we can help!

Why You Should Get a Summer Tune-Up for Your AC Unit

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Nothing’s more crucial to keeping your home cool and comfortable in the summer than having an AC unit that provides a steady stream of clean, refreshing air. You might take it for granted, but the second it goes out you suddenly realize how important this equipment is.

Now that we’re roughly halfway through the summer, your unit has already been putting in plenty of hard work pumping cool air throughout your home. Although you might not think a tune-up is what your home needs right now, it’ll help quite a bit. Let the experts at Roman Electric help tell you why you should get a summer tune-up for your AC unit!

It Resets and Recalibrates Your Unit 

As we mentioned, your AC unit has already been hard at work performing cycle after cycle of cooling your home. All that work adds up and takes a toll! Minor misalignments and issues can grow and become serious issues if you’re not careful – and because the AC is going most of the time anyway, these things get worse in a hurry.

A summer tune-up for your AC unit will reset anything that has gotten knocked off-course. It will also help recalibrate its efficiency to ensure that it lasts all through the summer.

You Avoid Expensive Repairs

Another side effect of ignoring small issues is that they can quickly grow into much more serious and costly problems. If you don’t take care of minor things while they’re still manageable, then they have the potential to spread into major repairs before you know it.

Simple Ways to Reduce HVAC Costs

When you enlist the services of a professional to come perform a summer tune-up on your AC unit, you’ll get the trusty help of a trained expert to identify and correct these problems while they’re still correctable. They’ll even fix and restore things you wouldn’t have noticed without their help, saving you lots of money down the road.

It Freshens the Air for Fall and Winter

A cool, crisp fall is one of the most enjoyable times of year, and it’s a nice reprieve from the harsh summer as you get a break before winter arrives. One of the benefits of a summer tune-up is that it’ll help your AC unit perform with higher efficiency, which means your home’s indoor air quality will be at its highest. This way you’ll enjoy clean air during the fall and avoid the myriad health problems that are associated with dry winter air.

Is Your Furnace Ready for Fall?

One Less Thing to Check Off Before Winter

Speaking of winter — you’ve already got a long list of home-related conditions to adjust and check to make sure you’re ready for the colder weather, and priming your AC unit to handle it shouldn’t be a hassle. When you get a tune-up now, you’ll avoid having to keep track of it as your mind is trying to juggle a million other things in preparation for the end of the year and the weather conditions that those months carry.

Roman Electric: Your Milwaukee Tune-Up Experts

With the watchful eye and steady hand of technicians who have decades of experience like the ones at Roman Electric, your home will be good to go for the upcoming seasonal change. Our team has the tools and knowledge to turn your home’s air system into a comfortable environment that will last, and we won’t rest until we’re sure you’re satisfied.

For the best service in the Milwaukee area, give Roman Electric a call at 414-369-3798!

Common HVAC Complaints in Milwaukee

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common hvac complaints

From the outside looking in, it might not seem like Milwaukee has much to worry about when it comes to AC problems. But those people would be surprised! If you’ve lived here for any amount of time at all, then you know how easy it is for something to go wrong. Despite our notoriously cold winters, the summers aren’t anything to laugh at.

Here are a few of the more common HVAC complaints we here at Roman Electric tend to get from our Milwaukee neighbors. If you experience any of these, don’t wait around in the hopes that they’ll fix themselves. Time is of the essence, so get in touch with the pros you can trust!

Abrupt Increase in Cooling Costs

You should have an idea of how much your energy bills should cost at the different points of the year. Winters will probably be more expensive if you have your heater running constantly, and the summers might be a little less costly if you avoid turning the AC on full blast all the time.

So when your costs spike all of a sudden, that will understandably set off some alarms in your head. When this happens and you don’t know why, let us figure it out for you!

Strange Noises in Your Home

If you’ve been in your home for a while, you’ve gotten accustomed to the usual creaks and squeaks you hear. Most of them are harmless, so you’re good at ignoring them since they haven’t been a problem up to this point.

All it takes is one or two unusual sounds to raise some questions, though. When the ducts start rattling, or when the AC starts groaning, it’s time to call a professional to come take a look. This might just be the newest member of the “sounds you can ignore” club, but it also might mean something more serious.

Inconsistent Airflow

The first job of an HVAC unit is to funnel air through your ducts and out the vents. So when the air isn’t coming out at the right temperatures – or at all – you should rightfully be concerned. While we can’t say that you’ve clearly got a mechanical problem on your hands, you’d rather be safe than sorry. If you let a technician inspect your system to check for an issue, you’ll at least know for sure one way or the other.

It might be because your ducts have an obstruction, or it could be the system working out a minor kink that won’t be a problem in a day. Either way, it’s something a professional will figure out for you.

Roman Electric: Milwaukee’s Go-To HVAC Service Provider

If your home is experiencing one of the above issues – or another one entirely – don’t wait around hoping that it’ll go away. Oftentimes, kicking the can down the road can make things worse. Prevent the problem from becoming worse by calling Roman Electric at 414-369-3798 today!

Simple Ways to Reduce HVAC Costs

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What’s the one thing that drives most of our decisions at home? It’s saving money, right? Any time or place we can come up with a way to cut costs without sacrificing too much of our livelihood, we usually take it. But it’s hard to do that with certain things like our home appliances, especially our HVAC unit.

Fear not! It is possible to save a significant amount of money on your heating and cooling costs. The ways to do that don’t require a full-scale overhaul – in fact, they’re pretty simple. Read on, and let the HVAC experts at Roman Electric help you figure out a couple of handy ways to reduce HVAC costs at home!

Make Use of Your Ceiling Fans

The fans that are installed in our rooms do quite a bit to help regulate temperature. In the summer, they help keep us cool, and they cost far less to operate than your AC does. But did you know that they can be just as effective in the winter?

If you reverse the direction that ceiling fans rotate when the weather gets colder, the fans will blow warm air down instead of cold air. But since ceiling fans don’t *actually* affect the temperature of the air – they just blow the existing air over your skin – you only need to run them when you’re in the room.

Seal Leaks Throughout the Home

Over time, your home may spring leaks through certain areas where air flows regularly. Places like your ducts and in the cracks of your doors and windows (which can eventually widen), can help you lose valuable cold (or warm) air.

Make sure to seal these up to prevent any airflow loss. If left unattended, the leaks will force your HVAC system to work significantly harder to achieve your desired temperature, spiking heating and cooling costs.

Use a Smart/Programmable Thermostat

Depending on the season, our thermostats can account for a massive portion of our energy bill. If you like to leave these on for a big part of the day, then you will pay the price. But with a programmable (or smart) thermostat, you can save a ton.

They allow you to adjust the temperature based on when you’ll be using it the most. Meaning, if you’re not home for the majority of the day, then you can set the thermostat to shut off until you usually return home. You’ll avoid running up the cost of heating or cooling a home you aren’t there to enjoy, and that saves you quite a bit as it adds up.

Account for Extra Heat Sources

If your home is situated in such a place where it absorbs natural sunlight more than usual, then you probably overcompensate with your HVAC unit to combat the excess heat. But this isn’t efficient. It means you pay more in the long run to fight the heat, costs that pile up quicker than you realize.

To naturally avoid this problem, invest in some blackout curtains for rooms that endure direct sunlight, and be sure to always close your blinds/curtains when you can. Also, avoid doing or using anything that will add more heat to the interior of your home throughout the day.

 

Saving money on heating and cooling costs doesn’t need to be difficult! With these tips, you’ll be on the path to enjoying a lower energy bill without sacrificing your comfort level at home. And for more comprehensive strategies, just ask Roman Electric!

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to speak to a heating and cooling expert today, and we’ll work with you to ensure you’re staying comfortable year-round.

Can a Ductless Air System Save Me Money?

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can a ductless air system save me money

It’s hard enough finding ways to save money throughout the day, and that’s before you come home and crank on the AC or heater. It may be more appealing to sit down, kick back, and enjoy the fresh air your HVAC system is circulating, but for some of us, there’s a little voice in the back of our heads that won’t let us forget how much money it’s costing to run the air.

There’s got to be a cost-cutting alternative, right? With all the different ways that people have figured out how to save money, doing so with an air system has to be possible too, doesn’t it? Well, thanks to a ductless air system, it is possible. One of these systems can save you a surprising amount of money through ways you didn’t know were possible!

They Help — Just By Being Installed

If you’ve got a traditional air-circulation system in your home, then you’ve got a series of ducts that carry the air from the HVAC unit to your vents. But what happens to ducts as they age? They leak. Air escapes through cracks or separations, meaning your unit has to work harder to get the right amount of air through to your living room, or wherever you are.

With a ductless system, though, the unit is situated right there in front of you. It uses copper tubing, which won’t fall apart like ducts can. As a result, they won’t leak — meaning they stay efficient and less expensive!

You Can Divide Them Into Areas

One of the biggest pluses to a ductless air system is the unmatched freedom and customization that they afford you. When you get one installed, you’ll receive a remote for each individual unit. This lets you adjust and control how hot or cold you want each one, meaning it’s totally up to you to determine the temperature of different areas of your home.

Does one member of your family like their room warmer than the rest of you do? Not a problem. With a ductless system, they can create whatever environment they want without forcing a central air system to choose one temperature for the whole home! What about a spare room that doesn’t get much foot traffic? Now you don’t have to waste money heating or cooling it!

The savings that the zones in a ductless air system provide add up over time, and you’ll be shocked when the energy bill comes in!

They Use Less Energy, Period

On top of all those benefits, a ductless system just doesn’t use as much energy as a traditional unit does. It doesn’t have to work up the power to carry a ton of air throughout your home through ducts. As a result, it doesn’t require as much energy to achieve the same result.

And, as an added bonus, the air reaches you quicker!

Roman Electric: Providing Air System Solutions to Milwaukee

Here at Roman Electric, we pride ourselves on helping our neighbors achieve the perfect heating and cooling situation. Thanks to our unmatched technical expertise and wealth of experience and knowledge, you’ll be in good hands. From the first step of the process until the job is finished, you can count on us!

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 today!

Energy Efficiency for the New Year

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What’s at the top of your to-do list this year? Is it to start eating healthier or to get back in the gym? What about cleaning out the big spare room that still has a bunch of useless boxes in it? Maybe it’s something else entirely! All of these are good, but have you considered re-evaluating how energy-efficient your home is?

You’d be surprised at how much of a difference even a few energy-efficient tweaks to your home can make. With all the different ways we try and better ourselves in the new year, why not try and save a few bucks on the energy bill as well? Here are a few ways to help increase your energy efficiency in the upcoming year!

Use Energy-Efficient Windows

It might not seem like windows are responsible for losing a lot of energy, but they are! According to the Department of Energy, windows are responsible for anywhere from 25 to 30% of residential heating and cooling energy usage.

By upgrading to energy-efficient windows, you’ll prevent a lot of that excess energy from escaping from your home – saving you money in the process!

Inspect Your Insulation

Another area that valuable heat can get lost is in the places where your home’s insulation isn’t as effective as it once was. If it’s been a while since your insulation has been reinforced, then heat will escape through the cracks and gaps.

Give your insulation situation a lookover as best you can, or give a professional a call if you can’t look at it yourself. Installing new insulation can end up making your home’s air system much more efficient.

Use Power Strips

If you’re like the majority of Americans these days, you’ve got more electronics than you know what to do with! And while you might do a good job of making sure you turn them off, they still may be sucking up valuable energy.

Even when they’re turned off, appliances use something called residual, or “vampire,” energy when they’re plugged in. But by using power strips, you can avoid this problem entirely. Plug a few appliances into a power strip, and you can turn them off all together – ensuring you don’t waste electricity. As a bonus, they’ll be better protected against power surges!

Run Full Laundry Loads

It’s tempting to just wash clothes as-needed, whenever the clothes closet starts to empty. However, that wastes plenty of energy and water since the washing machine needs the same amount of energy to wash a load no matter how much is being washed.

Maximize its performance by waiting until you have full loads of laundry before washing clothes. Your wallet will thank you!

Roman Electric: Serving Milwaukee since 1929

When you need professional electrical help in the new year, you know who to call! Roman Electric has long been a household name in the area for a reason. Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to find out why our service is second to none!

 

Adjusting Your Furnace for Christmas

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When you and your loved ones are all gathered together around the Christmas tree, enjoying the holiday together, dealing with a faulty furnace is the last thing you want to do. It cuts into valuable time with your family, and it forces you to address a potentially costly and time-consuming problem. It brings the mood down, and it grinds the Christmas festivities to a halt.

If you take a few precautionary steps to adjust your furnace for Christmas ahead of time, though, this won’t happen. The experts at Roman Electric have created a simple list of easy steps you can take right now to ensure your Christmas goes off without a hitch!

Make Sure the Vents Aren’t Blocked

Hold on, you might be saying. This was supposed to be a furnace maintenance blog, not an interior design guide!

Not so fast. Although your vents aren’t literally attached to your furnace, they’re just as important – just follow the airflow. When your furnace generates hot air, it’s got to come out somewhere, right? Well, if your vents are covered by couches, tables or other pieces of furniture, then that air doesn’t have anywhere to go.

It gets backed up, and your furnace doesn’t know what to do with all that air. Its efficiency takes a dip as a result, and your home suffers as well as your energy bill.

Change the Air Filter

When you change your air filter, it’s like you’re giving your furnace a breath of fresh air. After a month or so, the filter starts struggling to screen out the harmful contaminants and your indoor air quality gets poor in a hurry.

Air filters are fairly inexpensive to replace, but you can upgrade to a higher-efficiency version if you want. Just make sure that your furnace can handle whichever furnace you opt for, since choosing one that is too high can actually be just as bad as a low-quality one.

Swap your filter out every 30 days or so, and you’ll be golden.

Have Someone Take a Look

Really, though, there’s nothing better for your furnace this Christmas season than to have someone give it a thorough inspection. Sure, you can come up with little ways here and there to try and optimize your home’s heating unit, but that can only take you so far.

A professional, like the ones from Roman Electric, will look over your unit and all its connections with the trained eye of an expert. They’ll notice tiny, nearly invisible things that would otherwise be almost impossible to spot. You’ll receive trustworthy recommendations for potential problems, and they’ll be able to tell you exactly how to optimize your furnace for Christmas.

Roman Electric: Serving Milwaukee since 1929

When your furnace is on the fritz, you know who to call! Roman Electric has long been a household name in the area for a reason. Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to find out why our service is second to none!