HVAC Holiday Tips This winter holiday season is expected to be packed by a ton of indoor activities. Chances are that you will have to accommodate a couple of your friends and visitors in your home. The last thing you would want to expect is having a house with filthy air as a result of poor air conditioning. At , we have been through many holidays and have the experience to advise you about how to prepare your HVAC system for the holidays. Change Your Filters In case you changed your air filters a few weeks ago, then it is fine. However, if your air conditioning filters have not been changed for over a month, then this is your opportunity to change them and to boost your indoor air quality. Luckily, changing the filters is not an overly complicated task, as it can be done within a couple of minutes. Go for a Programmable Thermostat Programmable thermostats have become a major trend in HVAC systems today. They enable you to adjust indoor temperatures automatically, depending on the kind of activities within the house. For example, when your friends come over, and you hurdle together in one room, temperatures are highly...
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The Right Temperature For Your Thermostat During The Winter Finding the right home temperature in the winter season can be a real challenge. You want to find a thermostat setting that keeps your family comfortable without costing a fortune in heating bills. In the greater St. Louis area, works with countless commercial and residential heating systems. With all that experience, we think we have some insight into the best home temperature for the winter. The Recommended Setting According to the Department of Energy, most homeowners should keep their thermostats at 68 degrees during the winter months. At this temperature, the majority of people are comfortable, or they can get comfortable by putting on a sweater. It is also a temperature that will not overtax your heating system, avoiding extra heating costs and unexpected repairs. Exceptions to the Rule As a cost-saving measure, it is important to recognize that your house does not need to be 68 degrees when no one is home. If the house is empty during the day, you can let the temperature drift down as much as 10 degrees. Modern, efficient heating systems will use less fuel returning the house to a comfortable temperature than maintaining that...
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My Furnace Is Blowing Cold Air If your furnace seems to run well but it blows cold air, there’s a cause for concern. Though furnaces blow cold air for several reasons, there are a few steps you can take before calling in St. Louis. Here are some of the most common reasons for a furnace to put out cold air. An Inaccurate Thermostat Setting Your home may not stay at the desired temperature, or the air coming from the vents may seem somewhat cool even when the fan is on. In these cases, the solution may be a simple one, especially if the thermostat’s setting is causing the problem. Check the thermostat, making sure it’s set to “Auto” instead of “On.” If that doesn’t work, call for help. A Dirty Air Filter If the furnace overheats, it may blow cold air. Modern furnaces include safety devices known as limit switches, which turn off the burners when an unsafe temperature is reached. However, the unit’s fan will continue to run, cooling it down and preventing damage. Most instances of overheating are due to poor airflow, which is usually caused by a clogged air filter. If a replacement filter doesn’t get the...
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Pros And Cons Of Space Heaters Indoor space heaters can be a polarizing topic. Some swear by them while others contend that the risk outweighs any benefits. At in St. Louis, we maintain that space heaters can play an effective role in heating your home if you are aware of the pros and cons. Pro: Potential Cost-Savings Space heaters are inexpensive relative to other heating equipment. These heaters also cost less to operate than running a central heating system at the same temperature. You can save by keeping the main thermostat 10 degrees or even more below what you would normally need, and you can stay warm by using the space heater in the room you are actually occupying, such as a family room. Con: Fire and Burn Risk The National Fire Protection Association warns that space heaters account for more than 40% of all home heating-related fires. Space heaters are also responsible for most fire-related deaths during winter, and they account for thousands of burn-related injuries each year. Pro: Easy to Use Modern space heaters are often elegant, user-friendly, and very easy to use. If you are in an emergency situation where you need to heat your living space,...
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5 Ways To Save Energy This Fall When the heating season comes, it’s wise to see where you could improve the energy efficiency of your unit as well as your home. The following are some basic steps, most of which are inexpensive, to get you started. 1. Professional Heating Maintenance Annual maintenance is always a plus for saving energy. In fact, some heating system warranties require it, or they become void. You can look to for annual tune-ups no matter where you live in St. Louis, MO. A tune-up can keep all the parts clean, the electrical connections tight, and the thermostat calibrated. 2. Air Filter Replacement Many tune-ups will cover the air filter replacement, but this is a job you can just as easily do yourself. Pleated air filters become inefficient after six months, while fiberglass filters last only 30 days. Replace these so that the heating system can blow out warm air without the hindrance of dirt and debris. 3. Insulation Upgrades You could add insulation to your attic, wall cavities, and (if applicable) basement or crawl space to keep warm air in and cold air out. If there’s already insulation, look at its R-value, which is the...
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Preparing For Fall Allergens Fall allergies can run amok on your respiratory system. These allergy symptoms can include a runny nose, itching, and fever. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to keep your home free of fall allergens. The Most Common Fall Allergens Fall allergens differ from the ones that cause your sinuses to act up in the spring. In the autumn months, ragweed is the major culprit. Ragweed pollen can travel hundreds of miles being carried by the wind and can, therefore, affect you even if you are not surrounded by vegetation. Other particles that can aggravate your allergies include dust mites and mold spores. Replace the HVAC Filter Your home’s airflow is sifted through the air filter, and therefore, a lot of these allergens that happen to make it into your house will be collected there. It is important to change your HVAC air filter regularly because a dirty filter will mean having allergens floating freely inside your living space. A clogged air filter also means that your HVAC system may not operate optimally, and this will cost you money down the road. Schedule Duct Cleaning Schedule an experienced HVAC professional to clean your ducts so...
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Dealing With Water Dripping From AC Vents 3 Causes of Water Accumulation There are several issues that could lead to water dripping out of your AC vents. If you notice this happening, it’s important to determine the cause of the problem and take action in a timely manner. Some issues can be resolved without professional assistance, and some will require an air conditioning professional to take a look. Some of the most common issues that will lead to leaking air conditioning vents include the following. 1. Condensate Drain Line Issues A condensate line in your AC system that is clogged can cause condensation around your vents. To determine if this is the problem, check the drip pan on the outside part of your air conditioner. If it is full, this is likely your issue. You can clean the drain line with a shop vac or call a professional. 2. Dirty Air Filters If the air filters in your AC system are dirty, they can impede air flow. When this happens, it can cause frost to build up on the filter. When the AC unit is turned off, this frost will melt and end up dripping out of your vents. This...
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Dealing With a Broken AC Motor understands the stresses that a faulty air conditioner can cause. One of the issues that some systems have is a broken air conditioner motor. This could cause inefficient cooling and cause a variety of problems down the road. There are several signs that could indicate a problem with a motor. Signs the Motor May Be Broken If your AC unit is starting to make a strange noise, it could quite possibly be the motor. You might hear humming or a rattling sound. If there are any unusual noises coming from your system, it’s time to have a professional take a look at it. A faulty air conditioner motor might not be able to turn off when it needs to. If you still hear the motor running even though you’ve turned the AC system off, you might have a problem. While it might be tempting to ignore the problem, it could cause major issues in the future. Another sign of a motor on the fritz is one that cycles on and off unexpectedly. If you’re noticing that the motor cuts in and out when the AC unit is on, it’s time to have it looked...
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Is Your Thermostat Reading The Correct Temperature? Have you ever walked into your home and immediately felt unusually cold or warm even though your thermostat says that the temperature is normal? If so, there is a good chance that your thermostat is broken or malfunctioning. Inaccurate thermostat readings may occur for a wide variety of reasons. A Broken Sensor Your thermostat reads the internal temperature in your property through a built-in sensor. If this sensor has been damaged or is otherwise broken, it is likely to result in inaccurate temperature readouts. To fix the issue, your sensor may need to be recalibrated or replaced. An Old Thermostat Like any other product, your thermostat will eventually begin to wear down. When this occurs, you will find that it is not as accurate as it once was. Though you can always opt to have it serviced, it usually makes more sense to simply have a new one fitted in its place. A Bad Location Your thermostat records and reads out the temperature from the location that it is situated in. As such, if it is located next to a drafty window, it is likely to show lower than expected temperatures. In contrast,...
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Reducing Exposure To Indoor Air Pollutants Your home may be a safe haven and a personal escape, but there are could still be indoor air pollutants lurking throughout your interior. The air in the building may not be as clean as you think it is. Fortunately, certain steps can be taken to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants. Here are a few ways to reduce indoor air pollutants in the house. 1. Avoid Smoking One of the main steps residents need to take to maintain clean indoor air is to avoid smoking indoors, which will pose as health hazards, especially in rooms that have a lot of upholstery or carpet. When smoking outdoors, close all of the windows in the home to prevent secondhand smoke from transferring into the building. Cigarette smoke is tough to clean and to remove because it’s a strong odor that can linger for many years. 2. Avoid Using Household Cleaners Household cleaners may remove dirt and grime in the building, but they can also affect the air quality in the building due to the chemicals they contain. Household cleaners have been linked to respiratory issues in both children and adults, which makes it necessary to...
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