Indoor Quality Monitors There are many contaminants inside your home such as smoke, carbon monoxide, pet dander, and dust that could make it uncomfortable and cause or worsen conditions like asthma and allergies. Research shows that indoor air pollution is sometimes higher than outdoor air pollution, and the World Health Organization states that approximately 3.8 million deaths annually are a result of indoor pollution-related issues. You can protect yourself by getting an air quality monitor to help you determine indoor air quality and understand how to improve it. What Is an Air Quality Monitor? Air quality monitors are electronic devices used to detect and measure the presence of tiny liquid and solid particles plus gases in your house or business that could be dangerous. Sometimes, the contaminants in your home or commercial building could accumulate. Without the monitor, you might not notice it, and it could eventually become a health threat for your family. Depending on the size of your home or business premises, you can choose a floor or tabletop model, a ceiling- or wall-mounted model, or a handheld, portable monitor. Wall or ceiling-mounted are permanent, and you can’t move them from room to room like the handheld or...
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Spring AC Tune-Up The warmer seasons are just around the corner, and so is the need for your air conditioner. To avoid paying more in electricity costs, you’ll want to schedule your spring AC tune-up to ensure it is working properly. Consider the following benefits of having regular system maintenance and what you can expect during your maintenance visit with one of our experienced technicians. Lower Operating Costs One of the most important reasons to have your system regularly maintained is to keep it running efficiently. Your system experiences additional strain when it isn’t functioning properly. This increases the amount of energy needed to effectively cool your home, ultimately increasing your electricity bill. Keep costs low by keeping up with routine maintenance of your equipment. Reduce Preventable Repairs Along with increased energy consumption, lack of efficiency also means your system experiences excessive strain. For example, airborne contaminants that flow through your filter and settle on the equipment components restrict airflow through the system, increasing resistance on your circulating fan motor. The motor itself creates vibration, which slowly loosens the mounting hardware and electrical connections in the air conditioner. Both of these increase wear on the circulating fan motor. It can...
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Maintaining Clean Indoor Air One of the healthiest ways to encourage air circulation in a home is by opening a window. By opening the windows on a daily basis, you’re able to eliminate the collection of stale smells and more. However, if someone in your household has allergies, you can’t necessarily open your windows every day. Even if a person doesn’t have allergies, you still probably don’t want to invite a ton of pollen or ragweed into your home. In order to encourage clean air during allergy season, consider the following tips. 1. Monitor Your Beds and Linens Statistics show that the average individual spends a third of their life asleep. If the average person is getting at least eight hours of sleep, this is a significant amount of time to be in one space. Knowing this, it’s important to prioritize a clean bed environment. After a long day, it might be tempting to climb in bed. However, it’s best to take a shower and thoroughly clean yourself. This helps you to wash off all of the dirt, debris and allergens you can’t always see. Change your linens on a weekly basis. Cover your mattress, pillows and your box spring...
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Did you know that you should clean your furnace at the start of each heating season? The fact is that repeating it sometime mid-year will also help with keeping your furnace operating at peak efficiency while also helping you to prevent any future problems. In addition, to keep it running efficiently, annual servicing by an HVAC professional is recommended. On the other hand, if your home has a heat pump, you should be cleaning your supply and return registers annually as well as straightening their fins if they get bent. You should also call in a professional service provider, like , at least once a year to inspect your blower, ducts, filters, and indoor coil for any dirt or other obstructions. Check Your Warranty First Before doing any repair or maintenance work on your own on any HVAC unit, read your warranty carefully. Many units require that maintenance is regularly done by a professional (and not by you) in order to stay valid. Others will state that, if you work on your own furnace without the right credentials, your warranty is also voided. These requirements vary by brand, age and type of service performed. Routine Heat Pump Cleaning Simply put,...
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Tips for Prevention of Carbon Monoxide Leaks in Furnaces Furnaces are necessary for many households, but they can also be a significant source of high carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas produced by incomplete combustion. The presence of carbon monoxide has been linked to increased rates of heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and neurological damage. Causes of High Carbon Monoxide Levels Several causes lead to high levels of CO inside your furnace, including blocked air vents, blocked chimney flues, gas appliances installed incorrectly or not serviced regularly. A blockage in the air vents can cause your furnace to work harder than it should, which can lead to high levels of carbon monoxide. Your chimney flue is a significant part of the furnace, and it helps to remove the exhaust from your home. If this is blocked, it can cause the fumes from the furnace to enter your home. Insufficient ventilation can also lead to high levels of carbon monoxide inside your furnace. Make sure that you have sufficient fresh air coming into your home to help prevent this from happening. If you have a gas appliance in your home, it is essential to have...
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Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Furnace If you are purchasing a new home or have lived in your home for some time, you will eventually need to address your home’s heating and cooling needs. Purchasing a furnace is a sizable investment. You want to get the biggest bang for your buck. This means that you need a furnace that is efficient and reliable. The challenge is that since you will only buy a furnace once or twice during your homeownership, you may not know where to begin. There are several factors to consider when purchasing a furnace. This complete guide is designed to lay out everything you should consider when purchasing a furnace for your home and your family’s needs. Types of Furnaces Furnace technology has advanced drastically in recent years. Purchasing a new furnace means that you will be purchasing a unit that will be energy efficient, provide even heating, and offer the most value for your investment. The three basic furnace types are single-stage, two-stage, and modulating heating systems. It is good for you to become familiar with these three basic types of furnaces before making a purchase. Most people are familiar with a single-stage furnace. This...
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There are two integral factors when choosing the temperature for your home heating this winter. The first is to ensure that you and your family are comfortable throughout the season. The other is to avoid the high costs that are often associated with heating a home in an area like St. Louis that has extremely cold winters. With that in mind, let us explore some strategies that you can use to strike a balance between comfort and savings. Your Ideal Winter Temperature Is Not Fixed Having a fixed temperature setting that is used 24 hours a day is wasteful for the average home. In fact, the EPA advises that the average home can save up to 10% just by lowering their thermostat 10 degrees for an eight-hour period each day. There are even greater savings available when you consider that the usual household will have at least three phases within a 24-hour period in which a distinct temperature can be set: away from the home, at home and awake, and at home and in bed. Programmable and Smart Thermostats While it is possible to control the various temperature periods of a day with a manual thermostat, it is not recommended....
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What Can You Do When Your Furnace Fails The winter months can bring harsh weather. You need to have a functioning heating system. Unfortunately, your heating system can fail when you need it to support you the most. Here are some steps you can follow if your home heating goes out and some reasons why your home heating system might fail. Shut Off the Gas Shut off the gas to your gas furnace immediately. Doing this prevents carbon monoxide leaks, which can be dangerous for your health. Almost 50% of homes in the United States use natural gas for their heat. If your home heating system suddenly fails, pay attention to any strange odors. Natural gas does not produce natural odors. Natural gas distributors add mercaptan to natural gas to give it a sulfuric smell. If there is a gas leak in your home or your furnace is producing gas, but it is not being burned, you will smell rotten eggs. Natural gas is between 85% and 95% methane. This colorless, odorless gas is flammable. Inhaling methane can cause nausea, headaches, and suffocation. If your heating system fails, turn off the gas. If you smell sulfur, exit your home. Contact...
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How Do I Conserve Heat in the Winter? If winter days and utility bills make you shiver, your house might be too cold—and you may be paying too much to heat it. Thankfully, a few simple changes will give you a cozy and warm home while saving energy and money. Here, we’ll look at a few ways to conserve heat during a tough St. Louis winter. Use a Programmable Thermostat Today’s families are busy, and there’s no need to keep the home toasty when no one’s there to enjoy it. A programmable thermostat allows you to set temperatures for different timeframes, so you can save energy without sacrificing comfort. While they’re not recommended for use with heat pumps, programmable thermostats are a significant heat- and money-saver with central HVAC units. To use a programmable thermostat efficiently, choose a high setting when you’re at home and a lower one when you’re away. Using this type of thermostat can bring energy savings of up to 20% in some cases—which will help you save heat and money. Most thermostats can be installed with DIY methods and a few simple tools, but if you’re uncertain about the process, we’re here to help. Close the...
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Common Reasons Why Your Heater May Not Shut Off Your HVAC air filter is a small and relatively low-cost component that’s incredibly significant when it comes to overall furnace operation. If it isn’t changed out regularly, major problems can ensue. When the air filter is allowed to become excessively dirty, normal airflow decreases. The furnace has a much harder time drawing air in and distributing it. More importantly, it cannot efficiently cool down the interior of the building. This leads to longer operating times, lower indoor air quality, and accelerated system wear. If your heater is constantly running but your home never actually gets warm, one of the first things you should check is your HVAC air filter. 2. The Thermostat Is Set Incorrectly Another simple and easy-to-resolve problem that might cause your furnace to run nonstop is an incorrect thermostat setting. When there are multiple residents in the household, there’s always the likelihood that someone else has cranked the thermostat to its highest possible setting. Check the temperature reading and the thermostat setting to see if this is the case. It’s also important to verify that your thermostat is in the right operating mode. Modern thermostats for central HVAC...
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