Turning off your HVAC system can lead to headaches and strong spring allergy symptoms
The mild temperatures that come with spring can be an absolute blessing when it comes to spending more time outdoors. But, I don’t have to tell you that it can be a real nightmare for allergy sufferers. All those pretty blooms remind us just how much of a nuisance that pesky yellow pollen can be.
That’s why coming indoors for allergy sufferers after spending time outdoors can be such a relief. Your HVAC system is the first line of defense when it comes to keeping allergens out of your home. That’s why the single worst thing an allergy sufferer can do during the spring is turn off the heating and cooling system.
Not only is it better to keep your system running longer at lower levels than turning it on and off (in terms of energy efficiency and utility bill spending), but if you turn off your system, you lose the filtration power of your system. If you are keeping windows and doors open to control the temperature of your home, you are letting all of those things you want to avoid unfiltered into your home. These can settle on your surfaces and be kicked up when you go to clean things.
So, make sure you resist the temptation to turn your system off. Your eyes, nose and ears will thank you later.
Remember, spring is also the time when you should schedule air conditioner maintenance. Get in touch with your local heating and cooling contractor. They can even help fit your home with a great indoor air cleaning system that can filter out additional dirt, allergens and particles from your indoor air.
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What you need to know about air conditioner efficiency
It’s spring preventative maintenance time! It can also be a good time to replace your old air conditioner with something shiny, new and more efficient! Finding a new air conditioner can be tough, and before you go into the purchase process it can be a good idea to get a general idea of what to look for in a new system.
Arguably, the most important indicator of performance and overall system satisfaction over the course of an air conditioner’s life is its efficiency. That is because heating and air conditioning equipment comprises the majority of your utility bill expenses month-to-month – nearly 60% in some cases. So, any way you can cut back on heating and cooling operating costs will mean more money in your pocket.
The main indicator of air conditioner efficiency is SEER. SEER stands for the Seasonal Efficiency Ratio. There are minimum requirements for air conditioner efficiency generally starting at 13 or 14 SEER (depending on the type of air conditioner/system and the area of the country that you live in). The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the system, and the more money you can expect to save on cooling costs during the summer.
Now, higher SEER systems typically come with a higher price tag. But, you have to weigh a couple of things before you decide that you don’t want to spend more money up front. The main thing is the savings you can see over the life of your system. Maybe you’re spending more up front, but you may be able to recoup those costs over the life of your system. But, if your budget doesn’t have the room for a high-efficiency air conditioner, you can always make an upgrade to standard efficiency. If your system is over 10 years old, even a standard-efficiency system today is going to be significantly more efficient than an old standard-efficiency unit from the past – maybe 30 to 40% more efficient in some cases! This can still translate to significant savings over your old system.
Always consult with a local heating and air conditioning contractor before you settle on a system. They will be able to give you the best system recommendations for a home in your area with your specific wants.
Do you have a high-efficiency air conditioner? Are you seeing savings?
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What’s your favorite part of spring?
Whether it’s taking a stroll to your local park and whipping out a picnic basket or getting yourself swimsuit ready for summer – spring can really be a great time of year. Here are some of our favorite things to do during the spring…what are yours? Of course, spring is also the time to schedule preventative maintenance with your local heating and cooling contractor. Schedule preventative maintenance now and rest easy during the summer.Like this post? Share it!
Spring cleaning tips for healthier indoor air.
It’s spring cleaning time! I know, I know…not the most exciting thing about spring. BUT, it can do wonders for creating that homey feeling and can improve your indoor air quality. But, you want to be careful. There are actually a couple of things you can do while spring cleaning that can lower indoor air quality.
So, what do we recommend you do? Well, we’ll tell you…
Use Natural Cleaners
We spritz, spray and wipe all sorts of chemical cleaners while spring cleaning. And, all of those chemicals can have a negative effect on the quality of your indoor air. So, explore natural alternatives for those harsh chemicals. For example, did you know that baking soda can be used to remove odors and stains from your upholstered furniture? Just sprinkle a little on and vacuum it up.
Use Natural Air Fresheners
Air fresheners may smell nice, but there is nothing natural about them. Ever stick a candle too close to a light colored wall? You can actually see dark patches from soot climbing up your walls! Imagine the stuff you don’t see that could be entering your lungs? Luckily, you can make your own candles at home by adding safe, essential oils to natural waxes.
Vacuum and Dust Those Hard-to-Reach Places
Don’t just focus on what you can see immediately when you walk in a room. Make sure you are moving things around while dusting and vacuuming so you get to those places that may not be easily accessible on a regular basis. It can be good to wear a mask while doing this so you don’t inhale too much dust and debris.
Airing Our Your Home
On those warm spring days, it can be more than tempting to throw open the windows and air out your home. And, while it can be good to air our your home briefly, you shouldn’t go overboard with the open windows. Yes, an open window can alleviate some of the stuffiness you feel during the winter, but it can also let in pesky allergens and dirt. If you do open the windows, make sure you keep it brief and that your window screens are in good condition.
Don’t Neglect the Outdoors
For your heating and air conditioning equipment, it is a good idea to remove any dirt and debris from your condenser. When stuff builds up on your air conditioner or heat pump, it can reduce airflow. When airflow is reduced, it can lead to a system that has to work harder (translation: consume more energy) to cool your home. So, make sure you aim grass clippings away from your condenser and consider hiring a contractor to come out and clean your system for you.
What do you do during the spring to make sure that your home sparkles for summer?
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Saving energy (and money) during the spring
Are you planning a big summer vacation this year? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a few extra bucks to take along with you? Heck, even if you aren’t planning a vacation, lower utility bills are always welcome. Remember, your heating and air conditioning equipment is most likely the biggest consumer of energy in your home – making up around 60% of your utility bills. And, although this is the time of year where your heating and air conditioning equipment is least used, it is still a good idea to try and efficiently manage your systems.
Here are our tips for keeping the utility bills low this spring.
Don’t turn your air conditioner on and off.
Spring can be a confusing time (temperature-wise). It may seem like you need heat one day and then the air conditioner the next. Best practice is to set your thermostat and forget it. Only make the switch over from heat to cooling mode once.
Make sure your condenser’s airflow isn’t blocked.
Whether it’s grass clippings or plants, you want to make sure that your air conditioner or heat pump isn’t having a hard time drawing air into it. Make sure to keep grass clippings away from your condenser and plant at least two feet away from the unit.
Same goes for your furnace…
You may want to also consider changing your filter. A dirty filter, like grass clippings, can block airflow and increase the amount of energy your unit has to use to distribute air throughout your home.
If your air conditioner is on… 
Make sure you don’t have the windows open. Not only can open windows let in dust, dirt and allergens – it can also result in longer running times for your air conditioner, heat pump or furnace (if you’re using it).
Take advantage of your windows and blinds.
Controlling the amount of sunlight that comes into your rooms with south-facing windows can heavily affect the temperature of that room. If it’s a bit chilly, open the blinds or curtains and let in some sunshine. If it’s too toasty, close them back up.
Check your registers and vents.
Make sure they are all open. It may be tempting to control comfort by opening and closing vents, but it could affect the performance of your HVAC system and increase utility bills.
You can also ask your local heating and air conditioning contractor to come out to your house for a spring maintenance appointment. This way they can make sure that your equipment is operating (or has the potential to operate) at the most efficient levels possible.
What are your energy-saving tips for spring?
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Time to start on your spring home maintenance checklist!
Springtime is great for getting out and checking things off of your home maintenance to-do list! The weather is better, you’ve shrugged off the winter blues and are looking forward to summer. Start things off on the right foot by not ignoring those things around your home that need attention during this beautiful season.
Summer will be here before you know it! Here are a few things that you should knock off your to-do list before hot summer temperatures roll in.
- Clean ducts for clean indoor air! If you haven’t already, make sure you schedule a duct cleaning appointment with a local specialist. Your ducts can be the home to all sorts of dust, dirt and debris. Since your ductwork is your primary air distribution network, these particles can hop a ride on your air streams and into your living spaces.
- Seal air leaks. Air leaks may primarily be on your mind during the winter. After all, an unexpected, shockingly cold breeze can quickly alert you to the problem. But, air leaks are just as important to seal during the summer. Invest in weather stripping or caulking for those areas of your home that may be the source of air leaks. Air leaks can dramatically raise your utility bills and lower home comfort.
- Time to clean out those gutters. Whether you hire someone to do it or do it yourself, you want to make sure to get all of the debris out of your gutters. Springtime is the rainy reason! Make sure your gutters are in good enough shape to handle the extra downpour.
- Get a tune-up for your lawnmower. April showers doesn’t just bring May flowers – it also bring higher grass. A luscious, fresh-cut lawn looks great. Just make sure your lawnmower is up to the job. A tune-up is going to cost less in the long run than having to replace your lawnmower sooner rather than later.
- And, last but not least…schedule springtime preventative air conditioner maintenance with your local heating and cooling specialist. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You don’t want to have to schedule an emergency service call during the peak season and suffer without air conditioning when you could have headed-off any problems with preventative maintenance.
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Which should you choose: an air conditioner or a heat pump?
We’ve talked about it before, but it’s probably time for a refresher. It’s spring time! Which means it is prime time for a cooling system upgrade – you’re scheduling maintenance appointments, diagnosing any issues and making decisions about your summer cooling system.
If you decide to replace, your two cooling system options (in terms of split systems) are air conditioners and heat pumps. Both an air conditioner and a heat pump will be able to effectively and efficiently cool your home during those hot summer months. The difference lies with their heating capabilities.
Air conditioners (unfortunately) cannot heat your home without having to use supplemental, original heat creation methods. These heat creation methods include space heaters, gas furnaces, oil furnaces, heat strips and more.
With a heat pump, however, you can use the principle of heat transfer to provide heat for your home – the same principles that both an air conditioner and heat pump use to cool your home but in reverse. As we’ve discussed before, heat transfer is the more energy-efficient heating method (as opposed to heat creation). This heating power will be particularly handy during seasonal transitions (like the months of April and October) for all areas of the country. That is because you could need some supplemental heat during these months, but you don’t need the power that a gas furnace provides. 
Heat pumps are also great for those Southern states that do not see too many days below freezing. In fact, you could address all of your heating and cooling needs with a heat pump – no gas furnace required.
So, a heat pump can be incredibly versatile. But, there are cases where a heat pump may not be necessary and an air conditioner is the ideal fit. For example, if you live in the southernmost parts of Florida and Texas, you may not need heating power at all. In this case, an air conditioner paired with an air handler may be all you need for your year-round HVAC needs.
If you want more information about choosing an air conditioner or heat pump, you can visit our previous air conditioner or heat pump article, OR you can talk to your local heating and air conditioning contractor.
Did you make the switch last year? How are you liking your heat pump?
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Why you should keep your non-programmable thermostat’s settings consistent
Spring can be a tricky time when it comes to setting your thermostat. The temptation to switch from heat to cool and back again can be particularly strong. But, is this really a good idea?
When it comes to thermostats, there are both programmable and non-programmable models. With a programmable model, you can set your own comfort schedule so that you maximize energy efficiency. So, it stands to reason that you would manually do this with a non-programmable model, right?
Actually, not at all. The reason programmable models are so great are their scheduling properties. You can set your schedule by hour and day and the thermostat does the rest of the work. Once you set your schedule you are going to keep that schedule consistent (unless you switch over from heating mode to cooling mode or vice versa). You aren’t constantly rescheduling temperature settings from day to day.
With non-programmable models, you don’t have the luxury of that schedule. So, if you want to regulate temperature, you are going to have to manually go to the thermostat whenever you want temperatures to change. Making constant changes that aren’t scheduled can lead to inconsistencies and longer run times (if not timed correctly). This can lead to higher utility bills.
Here are some things to keep in mind about thermostats:
- A higher set temperature during the winter or a lower set temperature in the summer does not mean that your home will reach temperature more quickly. Your system will just run longer to reach the temperature setting.
- Raising the temperature setting a degree or two during the summer can lower your bills at the end of the month. That being said, a good rule of thumb is a setting at around 78°F.
- By the same token, lowering the temperature setting a degree or two during the winter can lower bills. Try to keep that thermostat at around 68°F.
- If you have a heat pump, the emergency heat setting on your thermostat is NOT the same as heating mode.
- Seasonal transitions during fall and spring can be tricky. It is important to not switch between heating and cooling mode frequently during these seasons. Pick a date and permanently make the switch.
- If you are noticing a problem with your equipment, don’t just turn it off at the thermostat. Make sure you also turn your equipment off at the source.
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Here are five things you should know about your thermostat
Let’s take a little time to talk about the “brains” behind your HVAC system – your thermostat. If bills seem high, if your system isn’t kicking on at the right time, or more, it could very likely be a problem with your thermostat. On the flipside, a properly installed and matched thermostat can have money-saving and comfort benefits.
Do you have questions about thermostats? Here are some of our answers to your thermostat questions.
- Are thermostats universal? No. Unfortunately, thermostats are not universal. You have to make sure that your thermostat is correctly matched with the type of system you have in your home. For example, if you have a two-stage heating and cooling system, you are going to need a thermostat that is compatible with two-stage equipment.
- What’s the difference between programmable and non-programmable thermostats? Well, a non-programmable thermostat is probably what you think of when it comes to thermostats. With these models, you set a temperature that your system will reach – regardless of date or time. Programmable thermostats are becoming more and more popular. with these models, you can set a comfort schedule. So, for example, if you work from 9 to 5 during the weekdays, you can set a temperature lower (during the winder) or higher (during the summer) than your comfort target during those hours and days to maximize energy efficiency and reduce utility bills.
- How can my thermostat save money? Like we said above, programmable thermostats can be a great way to save money. With these models, you can maximize efficiency energy use by setting a schedule that allows your equipment to run only when you really need the heating or cooling power. If your equipment has to run for less time, you will see lower utility bills.
- How can I tell if my thermostat is working properly? If you notice changes in operation (like equipment never shutting off, high utility bills, equipment never turning on, etc.) there could be a problem with your thermostat. It could be sending the wrong signals to your equipment or not registering the correct temperature from inside your home. Either way, you should switch off your equipment and call a local heating and air conditioning contractor so they can diagnose the problem.
- How do you properly set a thermostat? This will depend on the type of thermostat you have. For example, you shouldn’t frequently change the temperature setting of your non-programmable thermostat. By contrast, different temperature settings are common with programmable models because you set your comfort schedule (although you are not manually changing the settings frequently). When your thermostat/equipment is installed, make sure you talk to your contractor about proper thermostat settings and usage. Also, it doesn’t hurt to peak at the user manual.
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Five things you should look for when hiring a contractor
Spring has finally sprung! So, hopefully, you are getting ready to schedule those preventative air conditioner/heat pump maintenance appointments. Did you know that the most important part of scheduling maintenance, repair, installation or replacement is finding the right HVAC technician to do the job? After all, your heating and air conditioning equipment is expensive, and you want your contractor to get the job done right – the first time.
Here are our five smart tips for finding a heating and air conditioning contractor.
- Turn to reviews. Online reviews can be a great source of information when it comes to hiring a contractor. If a contractor has a positive reputation with past clients, chances are they are going to continue that history of excellence.
- Don’t just go with the lowest bidder. There is a lot of money that goes into running a high-quality heating and air conditioning company. A quality contractor will be up-to-date on all training, permits, licenses and more. So, the contractor who offers the lowest cost, may not be as current on technology or may have cut corners to offer that lower rate.
- Make sure they are familiar with your equipment. Different service technicians may be trained on different equipment. Before you hire a contractor, make sure they are familiar with your particular brand.
- Turn to those close to you for recommendations. Get recommendations from your family and friends. Some of the best information you can get about your local heating and cooling servicers is by word-of-mouth.
- ALWAYS opt for a professional. At the end of the day, a trained heating and air conditioning professional is always going to be better than a “Mr. Fix-It” handyman-type of solution. Heating and air conditioning systems are complex. It requires special training to become completely familiarized with these complex systems. So, if you want the job done right, always turn to a professional.