Do you know what to do to get your home ready for an HVAC contractor visit?
Spring maintenance season is fast approaching! It is important that you not only schedule a maintenance appointment with your local contractor, but you take the time to prepare for that appointment. This will save the contractor time at your home and will make the appointment go much more smoothly.
Here are some things that you should do before your HVAC contractor arrives at your home.
Bathroom preferences. Is there a certain bathroom you would like your contractor to use? It’s much better to communicate this beforehand. Make sure you tidy up and put away anything you don’t want a stranger seeing.
Put up pets. Fido may be friendly as can be, but you never know how a contractor may feel about pets. Make sure you put your pets in a safe, secure location. You don’t want them interfering with the work your contractor is doing.
Clear clutter away from equipment. Make sure your contractor will have easy access to your equipment so they don’t have to move your stuff out of the way to get to your outdoor condenser, indoor gas furnace or air handler.
Know where your equipment is located. Is your indoor equipment in a closet, crawlspace or attic? Do you know where your outdoor equipment is located? Is all of your equipment located outdoors? Where is your thermostat? Do you have multiple thermostats? These are important questions to find the answers to before your contractor walk in the door. This can really save some time on the job. And, as we all know, time is money.
The start to any quality heating and cooling service call, maintenance appointment or install starts with the search for a quality local contractor. Make sure you do some research before you hire the professional who is going to work on your heating and cooling equipment.
Did you know these tips already? Is there anything extra you do when a contractor comes to work on your home?
Like this post? Share it!
Which IAQ systems do you have in your home?
Your indoor air quality equipment is an important part of your central heating and cooling system! While your furnace, heat pump or air conditioner is responsible for climate control, your indoor air quality system makes sure that the conditioned air in your home is as healthy and fresh as possible.
Here are some indoor air quality systems that you may want to consider for your home. If you’re interested in one of these systems, make sure you get in touch with your local heating and air contractor.
Air cleaners. These are one of the healthiest additions you can make to your HVAC system. They use innovative technology to filter out even the smallest particles from your indoor air.
UV light system. A UV light system destroys bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeasts. This can help eliminate unpleasant odors and improve the quality of the air you breathe. Bonus! Many models are low maintenance – you only have to replace the bulb once a year.
Humidifiers. Winter is a great time to talk about a whole home humidifier. The lower the humidity in your home, the colder your home actually feels. A whole-home humidifier is a great way to alleviate static, cold air, dry skin and more during the winter. Just don’t make it so that you have too much of a good thing. You don’t want to encourage mold growth.
Thermostats. These are not optional components of an IAQ system, but they are important to mention while talking about indoor air quality. You can set temperature, humidity levels and more at your thermostat.
Good air quality starts with your filter. Make sure you are changing your filter often enough to keep your indoor air fresh, clean and healthy.
When was the last time you changed your furnace filter?
Like this post? Share it!
Do you know how to safely operate your space heater?
Are you using an electric space heater to compensate for cold spots in your home? Cold spots can be a drag for comfort. You invested in a quality heating system, you shouldn’t HAVE to deal with uneven temperatures.
Uneven temperatures can be caused by a lot of things. They could be due to duct placement, drafty windows and doors, number of windows, where the room is located,etc. This is when a space heater may come into play. These can be great TEMPORARY solutions, but you also have to exercise caution. Space heaters can consume a lot of energy, and they can become a danger to your home if left unattended.
While a space heater can be a good temporary fix, there are more permanent, safer solutions that you should look into. If you are using a space heater as a temporary solution, here are some things to keep in mind.
- Make sure you have a least three feet of clearance around the unit.
- Never leave it unattended.
- Keep it out of the reach of children and pets – it gets hot!
- Invest in a newer model that includes safety features.
- Do not leave flammable materials around the heater.
- Plug it directly into the wall.
The best way to deal with uneven temperatures is to invest in energy-efficient windows, a zoning system and/or a variable-speed HVAC system. These are more permanent solutions, AND you won’t have to deal with safety issues mentioned before. If you are interested in upgrading your comfort game, make sure you talk to your local heating and cooling contractor!
Are you planning on making an HVAC upgrade to eliminate uneven temperatures?
Like this post? Share it!
How clean is your indoor air?
Here’s a scary thought…the quality of our indoor air is often lower than the air quality outside. Every day our home is bombarded with all sorts of things that can lower indoor air quality: dust, dirt, allergens, chemicals in cleaners, etc. AND our houses may be filled with materials that can trap those undesirable particles in our home, like carpet.
There are things you can do to really improve air quality. you can use natural cleaners, avoid air fresheners, vacuum regularly and invest in quality HVAC products.
But, there are also things you may not realize can improve indoor air quality – like house plants. Here are some plants that can spruce up your home AND improve your air quality. Just please make sure, if you have puppies or kitties, to check the pet friendliness of the plant you choose. Improved indoor air quality is no good if it harms our furry friends.
- Aloe Vera
- Ficus
- Garden Mum
- Spider Plant
- Gebera Daisy
- Dracaena
- Snake Plant
- Peace Lily
- Bamboo Palm
And more!
If you’re looking to take your indoor air quality improvements to the next level, contact your local heating and cooling contractor. They can point you in the direction of the air cleaner or HVAC improvement that can raise the quality of your indoor air.
Do you have any of the plants we listed above? What do you do to maximize indoor air quality?
Like this post? Share it!
Are you looking for some simple ways to improve efficiency and comfort?
Make sure you start by improving the airflow of your heating and cooling equipment. Obstructed airflow can signal the death of efficiency and system performance. It makes your equipment work harder to heat or cool your home, putting a strain on critical components, reducing lifespan, raising bills and hindering home comfort.
Improving airflow is not a hard thing to do. The trickiest part is remembering to do all of the things on this list. Here are our suggestions for improving airflow.
Keep registers and vents open at all times. Do you think it’s important to close registers and vents in rooms that don’t necessarily need heating and cooling power? Don’t! Your equipment is designed to heat or cool a certain amount of space. Closing vents and registers alters this load.
Have a contractor come and clean your equipment. You may be able to get away with using a hose to get some debris off of your outdoor equipment. However, you should always have a contractor come out to clean your indoor equipment. A not for outdoor equipment: NEVER use a power washer! This can damage components of your unit, your coil in particular.
Regularly change your furnace filter. Not changing your furnace filter often enough can kill airflow, especially if you have pets. A dirty filter decreases indoor air quality and may affect the health of your family. Make sure you are changing your furnace filter once a season, at the VERY minimum. Under certain conditions, it may be prudent to change your furnace filter once a month.
Have a contractor come out and inspect your ductwork. Once a year, you should have a contractor come out and inspect your ductwork to look for any collapses or blockages. This can not only improve airflow, but indoor air quality as well. Plus, it is a good place to look for any problems that you may not be able to see, like rodents or mold.
Always plant two feet away from your outdoor equipment. This is something you’ll want to keep in mind during the spring planting season! It’s important that you give you outdoor air conditioner or heat pump proper clearance. Plants can invade your unit, affect performance and damage equipment.
Of course, the bets way to improve efficiency and performance is upgrading to a new high-efficiency unit. Make sure you get in touch with a local heating and cooling contractor if you want a new system or are looking to improve airflow.
What do you do to improve airflow?
Like this post? Share it!
Do you know what you need to do for your HVAC system during the winter?
How cold is it near you? Winter is finally here, and it’s definitely been a cold one already, Do you know what to do during the winter to keep your gas furnace in peak condition? There’s nothing worse than a “no heat” emergency during the holidays!
Here are some things you should add to your winter HVAC to-do list.
Make sure all of your vents and registers are opened. Poor airflow can be a real performance and efficiency killer for air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, you name it!
Change your furnace filter regularly. If you have pets, you may want to consider changing your furnace filter every month. If you don’t, you still want to consider changing your furnace filter at the beginning of each season. This is to ensure proper airflow and the highest quality indoor air.
Dust or vacuum debris from your vents. No, its not a substitute for a proper duct cleaning, but you want to make sure that things aren’t falling into your vents or registers – obstructing airflow and lowering indoor air quality.
Change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector. During combustion, one of the gases produced is carbon monoxide. Since it is a colorless, odorless gas you want to make sure you have something that can detect it and keep your family safe.
Rearrange your furniture so that the main living/seating areas aren’t by drafty windows. This can help you feel warmer and help you resist the temptation to raise the thermostat a few degrees on really cold days.
Did you remember to get your gas furnace checked before the start of the heating season? If not, you can always have a contractor come out and inspect it during the winter. Just be aware, this is a busy season for contractors. It may take them awhile to get to your job.
What do you have on your winter home to-do list?
Like this post? Share it!
Are you ready to put on your holiday baking cap?
Thanksgiving is over. Black Friday deals have been snatched up. We are right in the middle of the holiday season! And, what does the holiday season signify for those of us in the comfort business? Colder temperatures! Colder temperatures mean higher utility bills, which is no fun for those that want to invest in fun holiday activities!
Luckily, there is something you can do that is both festive AND fun that can also help your home feel warmer – limiting your need for your gas furnace on these cold December days. What is it you ask? Well, baking of course!
So, why don’t we get those ovens going!? Drop your favorite holiday baking recipe below. Or, get some ideas from fellow commenters. Not only is a day of baking going to result in some tasty treats, but you just may be able to save some bucks on heating.
Like this post? Share it!
How do you control humidity in your home?
In our previous blog post, we explained how indoor humidity is a crucial part of home comfort. Humidity levels can affect indoor air quality and how comfortable you are in your home during both the winter and the summer. We know it’s important to control humidity, but what can you use to do so?
There are things that you do in your house that contribute to indoor humidity: boiling pasta, taking a shower, heck…even just sitting around doing nothing. Human beings produce moisture.
Controlling humidity starts right when your HVAC equipment is being installed. Proper HVAC equipment sizing is extremely crucial for system performance, system life AND humidity level regulation. For example, an air conditioner that is too big is not going to run long enough to remove enough humidity from the air. This results in high indoor humidity levels, a hotter home and lower indoor air quality.
Is it as simple as using your thermostat? Well, not necessarily. Your average, “run-of-the-mill” thermostat is not necessarily going to have a way to measure humidity. However, here are a few things that you can add to your home to help keep humidity levels under control.
- Use a humidistat to automatically regulate the humidity in your home.
- Invest in a thermostat with humidity control.
- You can also purchase a whole-home humidifier. Just keep in mind, you don’t want humidity levels to be TOO high. This can lead to mold growth and discomfort.
- Remember when we said taking showers adds humidity to the home? A bathroom vent fan can be a good way to curtail moisture from the shower and prevent mold growth.
- Purchase a dehumidifier if your home gets too humid, especially during the summer. Just make sure the air doesn’t become too dry.
Remember, humidity levels are going to have an impact on comfort and indoor air quality. Talk to your local HVAC contractor about your humidity control options.
What do you use to monitor humidity in your home?
Like this post? Share it!
How is humidity affecting the comfort of your home?
Did you know that humidity plays a big role in maintaining the comfort of your home? In fact, monitoring and controlling the humidity in your home can help you save money on utilities during the hot AND cold seasons. And, where is the best place to control the humidity in your home? Why, your HVAC equipment of course!
If you raise the humidity level in your home during the winter, it will feel warmer in your house. If it feels warmer in your home, you could lower the temperature setting at your thermostat a degree or two, helping you chip away at those monthly heating costs. However, the same principle holds true for summer. The higher the humidity in your home during the winter during the summer, the hotter your home is going to feel. During the summer, high humidity levels can also encourage mold growth and a host of other IAQ problems.
If you lower the humidity level in your home during the summer, it will feel cooler in your home. If it feels cooler in your home, you can raise the temperature setting at your thermostat a few degrees. This may result in smaller cooling bills, leaving your budget open to fun summer activities. However, during the winter, it is not ideal to have low humidity levels. Not only will your home feel colder, but you could suffer from dry air. Dry air in your home during the winter can negatively impact your health.
So, what should you do for humidity control? Well, if you are having a problem with humidity regulation, start by talking to your local HVAC contractor. If you aren’t having problems, but would like to make slight adjustments to improve comfort while saving money, it’s as simple as adjusting your settings at the thermostat.
What do you set you humidity levels in your home?
Like this post? Share it!
Are you ready to block those cold drafts?
Are you getting your shopping lists together and prepping for Black Friday? With all of the holiday hullabaloo, it may be easy to forget about your end-of-fall home to-do list. After all, who wants to think about insulation and gutters when there are presents to buy and dinners to plan?
Well, this is a big mistake. Weatherizing for winter can be a big help when it comes to comfort and finances. Who wants to spend their paycheck on the gas bill when they could be spending it on making the holidays more festive? Here are some things you should do to weatherize your home and how you can get them accomplished.
Seal air leaks. Start at your attic and work your way down to your basement. Ensure that your attic contains adequate insulation. Remember, warn heat rises. You don’t want the warm air in your home escaping outside.
That goes for your chimney as well. Make sure the damper is closed when you are not using your fireplace. Otherwise it will act like a big vacuum and will suck all that warm air out of your home.
Make sure you check around your windows and doors. Use caulk or weather stripping to seal any leaks. Don’t forget to go outside and make sure that those cracks are sealed outside as well for a truly tight seal.
Insulate. Insulation is going to be your best defense against the cold. Remember, the water in pipes can expand during the winter and crack your pipes. This can lead to major repairs (and headaches). This is particularly important if you have plumbing located in exterior walls.
Remember, a little bit of prevention can help avoid major headaches later. In addition to getting your home weatherized, make sure you have a contractor come out and inspect your gas furnace. This way you can avoid a potential emergency “no heat” call during the winter when you need your furnace the most.
What else do you do to weatherize your home for winter?