Summer is Here! Stay Cool in the Face of High Energy Costs

May 22, 2015

Getting ready for the summer heat is something that every home owner must consider. There are a number of ways that this may be done. To ensure the best possible results the home owner can consider trying to do some of the things on their own, or they may choose to have their local HVAC company come and do an inspection for them. How Professionals Can Help The local HVAC professionals have the knowledge and the experience to check all aspects of the home energy efficiency as well as operating systems. These individuals can offer valuable advice on how to make the home the most comfortable temperature it can be for every season. One such way that these individuals can aid in getting the home ready for the summer heat is to inspect all air conditioning systems. A thorough check can be done that will offer the changing of filters, as well as checking the mechanics of the overall system. What May Enhance Cooling Efficiency Blinds and curtains can play an integral part in the coolness of your home during the summer heat. Using blinds to keep the sunlight from entering the home can aid in keeping the spaces cooler...

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7 Signs of an Inefficient HVAC Unit

May 15, 2015

7 Deadly Signs of an inefficient HVAC Unit Your HVAC system works hard to maintain a regular temperature inside your home. There are signs of an inefficient HVAC unit that could be costing you more money on repair bills. Maintaining your HVAC system will help it run more efficiently and prevent some repairs. Read about the clues that let you know your HVAC unit is not up to par. You will also learn when to call a professional for help. Refrigerant Too Low This is a common problem that presents itself during the spring and winter months. You have the air conditioner turned on but it simply is not cooling your home. Refrigerant problems require immediate professional help from your local HVAC contractor. You may have a leak that is preventing the refrigerant from cooling your home. Your HVAC contractor will repair the leak, and then charge the system with the right amount of coolant. Thermostat Sensor Problems The thermostat works hard to keep your home at a constant temperature. However, it does not last forever. If your HVAC system is not keeping the right temperature in your home, then the problem could be the thermostat. A trained professional can...

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5 Ways to Prevent Indoor Air Pollution

May 8, 2015

Preventing Indoor Air Pollution Although indoor air pollution is invisible, its effects are definitely able to be seen. Low indoor air quality causes difficulty with breathing, clogged air vents and a rise in allergies, among other things. Here are five ways that you can prevent indoor air pollution. Check the insulation on all doors and windows. A great deal of indoor air pollution comes from outside. Your doors and windows may shift during extreme changes in weather. Check their insulation to make sure that you are protected from outdoor elements. Have your HVAC system cleaned regularly. It is par for the course to accumulate dust and grime in your HVAC system over time; the entire point of the system is to catch it to keep it from entering your home. However, you must have the system cleaned routinely in order to prevent overload. Ventilate your home. Air pollution can also come from indoors as well. If you use hair spray or cook a great deal, you are letting loose pollutants in your air that need to be let out of the home. Make sure that the flue damper is open before you use the fireplace for an extended period of time. Wash...

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Go Green and Keep Your Green Where It Belongs… Your Wallet!

April 24, 2015

Rising energy costs are almost as predictable as the fact that the seasons will change. Throughout the hot summer months and the cold winter months, your home’s HVAC unit must work a bit extra to keep you comfortable inside your home. Listed below are a couple different tips and tricks to lowering your home’s energy consumption. Keep Your System Maintained And Your Home Properly Sealed Routine maintenance of your home’s HVAC unit helps ensure that it is always running at peak performance. When filters get clogged or the system is not maintained in general, it must work much harder to keep you comfortable. A well maintained HVAC unit will run at peak performance and help ensure that it is not using more energy than necessary to keep your home cool or warm. Drafts that happen within your home from windows or doors that are not properly sealed work against the HVAC unit in your home. Drafts allow outside air into the home, whether it is cool air in the winter, or warm air during the summer. Keeping your home properly sealed is just as important during the summer months as it is during the winter months. Turn Your Thermostat Down...

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Allergens are Everywhere this Season…

April 17, 2015

  If you suffer from allergic asthma or hay fever, then it is important to take precautionary measures to avoid health complications this spring. Reducing indoor allergens is the best way, but outdoor setup influences the intensity of these allergens too and should not be set aside when preparing for spring. Allergy attacks occur when delicate membranes such as those found in the throat, nose and eyes get exposed to substances perceived by your immune system as a threat. Following these three steps will go a long way in ensuring your home is allergy-proof. 1. Regular cleaning While you might need to enjoy the weather when spring sets in, limiting the amount of pollen that gets blown inside the house will partly solve this menace. Regular cleaning removes pollen and other allergens that get stuck in your house. Materials that generate dust such as carpets should regularly be cleaned to help keep the house dust free. Acquiring a vacuum cleaner that has high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter will help when you have to clean your carpets. Still, it can be done by seeking the services of a professional company to do periodic cleaning. 2. Choose the right landscaping Landscaping makes...

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Understanding Your A/C Unit Starts Here

April 10, 2015

Evaporator coils are the lifeblood of your air conditioning. The coils help create the cool air that circulates through your system with the assistance of coolant. You must learn how the coils operate, and you can check them for damage. The steps listed in this article allow you to maintain your HVAC unit properly. What Do Evaporator Coils Do? Evaporator coils hold the coolant that changes the temperature in the house. Your coils use a steady flow of coolant that will leak when the coils are damaged. You can easily inspect these coils by removing the casing on your air conditioner, or you can ask your HVAC technician to handle this part of the job for you. Common Issues With Evaporator Coils Evaporator coils experience cracking after repeated use. The tight bends in the coils will break after the metal in the tubes wears down. You may observe leaking fluid in the bottom of the air conditioner, and you may notice the coils leaning out of their brackets. These problems are common because the coolant is so heavy. Your HVAC technician can replace the brackets, replace the coils or patch small holes in the coils. How Do You Properly Maintain...

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Understanding SEER Ratings

April 3, 2015

  When buying a new HVAC unit, it is important for customers to fully understand what the SEER rating on the unit means. The SEER rating has a lot to do with how much energy is used in a home and that is a very important aspect of buying an HVAC unit. What Does The SEER Rating On Your AC Unit Mean? The SEER rating on an HVAC unit can be interpreted as the ratio between cold air output during the warm months of the year and the amount of electricity used to produce the cold air. When looking for a new HVAC unit, homeowners want to look for the highest SEER rating possible because this represents the most energy efficient unit. How Does This Rating Effect Your Energy Consumption? The SEER rating on an HVAC unit directly effects energy consumption within the home. The higher the SEER rating on an HVAC unit, the less energy that is used. In air conditioning terms, it is how many BTU’s are used per hour or per watt. A law passed in the year 2006 required all HVAC units for residential properties to have a minimum SEER rating of 13. Older AC units...

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Air Quality Control: Take Charge This Spring

March 27, 2015

  Springtime brings pollen and dust into your home. You cannot anticipate how much dust and dirt will make it into your house, but you can take steps to stop it. The suggestions in this article are intended to change the way you prepare for the warm season ahead. The HVAC System Your air conditioning system must be serviced before the spring. Your technician will handle repairs, replace your air filters and check your ducts. You can call a duct cleaning service to ensure the cleanliness of the system, and you can clean your own vents to keep the dust out of the house. Caring for the HVAC system with these four steps alone makes quite a difference. Your Attic And Crawl Space You may not go into your attic or crawl space very much, but you must check these spaces before the spring. The attic can harbor dust and pollen that leaks in through the roof. You can clean this pollen on your own, but you need to ask a roofer to check the roof for problems. A roofer that inspects your roof can do small repairs on the spot to prevent dust and pollen from getting in. Your...

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We Think It’s Time to Upgrade Your Thermostat

March 20, 2015

  Digital setback thermostats enable you to program your home to change heating and cooling patterns throughout the day. While this sounds like a high-tech and complicated device, a digital setback thermostat is actually very easy to install, program and manage. There are also several great benefits associated with the use of these new digital devices. Easy to Install and Use What is better than finding out your new gadget is super simple to install? When you purchase a new digital setback thermostat, you can easily self-install it by reading the manual. If you are still unsure about the ease of installation, it is always possible to find a professional installer to handle it for you. These digital thermostats are also very easy to program and use. The manual can easily walk you through everything you need to know, or your hired professional can walk you through it. Being digital, you will simply need to push a few buttons and then sit back and enjoy your new control. Save Energy and Money By using a digital setback thermostat, you will be choosing exactly when your heating and cooling changes occur. This precise control allows you to save even more energy...

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Keep Track of Your Gas Pressure

March 13, 2015

  Often times a lot of things go unnoticed when we don’t really check on things as we should do to neglect. Your heating system is extremely important in giving your home a certain temperature that’s comfortable. It’s imperative you do regular checks to make sure the gas pressure is just right for your heating system. Not sure why you should take this extra step? Here are some reasons below: Check your water levels Before even checking the gas pressure itself. You should see the water levels in the feed tank. Learn how to adjust the levels and see the accuracy of the reading. Add more water as needed to get it to the right marking. This is a preliminary maintenance task you should become familiar with as you begin to test your unit for proper functionality. Most water pressure units are in the basement. Find out from your water provider where to look to do your own self-check. Raise the Temperatures This is another good way of checking the gas pressures because you can hear the sounds of the pipes as it responds to the change in temperature. Just raise the temperature a few degrees more and let the...

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