How a Zone Control System Saves You Money

November 20, 2020

A zone control system built into your HVAC system is an excellent way to exert much greater control over your HVAC system’s operation. This greater control directly translates to savings, refined comfort, and other great benefits. To learn more about how it works, follow along. What Are Zones? In most homes and businesses, the layout of the entire structure is organized into different “zones.” While zones aren’t necessarily marked by physical borderlines, they’re used by your HVAC installer and service technicians to better assign heating and cooling values to the various parts of the structure. For example, a home with three bedrooms might be mapped out to have four or five zones. Each bedroom would likely be considered its own zone, while other major areas of the home are considered to occupy another one or two zones. By zoning out a structure, the professionals can isolate these specific areas and design a system that can adequately affect each of them. Larger homes typically have more zones. Smaller homes have fewer zones or may even just be considered to encompass a single zone. How Zone Control Works As the name suggests, “zone control” is the ability to control individual zones without...

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Preparing Your Thermostat for Heating Season

October 18, 2020

Autumn has arrived in St. Louis, MO, and cold winter temperatures won’t be far behind. Now is the best time to make sure your thermostat is ready. Checking and setting your thermostat now ensures that your home will be comfortable throughout the winter months of the year. Read on for seven tips on preparing your thermostat for the heating season. 1. Check Its Battery Programmable and smart thermostats use batteries to save your settings and power the backlight of the touchscreen. If the battery loses its charge, your thermostat will lose its programmed temperature settings. Thermostat batteries usually last for two years, but it’s a good idea to check them every six months. You can test its voltage with a multimeter, or our technicians can do it for you during your fall heating system tune-up. 2. Calibrate the Temperature Sensor All thermostats have a temperature sensor. A power outage or shutdown of the equipment during a repair or replacement could cause the thermostat to lose the calibration of the temperature sensor. Calibrating thermostats can be tricky, but it is possible to do it yourself. The manufacturer’s website or owner’s manual should provide detailed instructions. If you’re not sure of how...

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Decoding Common HVAC Terminology

September 19, 2020

Decoding Common HVAC Terminology If you need air conditioning, heating, and other household comfort systems, then you’ll probably end up doing some online research. A quick search may give you a lot of unfamiliar terms. These will range from confusing phrases to very cryptic abbreviations. To conduct a successful search for HVAC systems, it’s good to understand the various terms, phrases, and abbreviations. This will help you understand everything there is to the system that you purchase. To help you decode these terms, the following is a list of the most popular terminologies and their meaning. EER This term is an abbreviation of the Energy Efficiency Ratio. You will mostly find this terminology used for geothermal heat pumps and also air conditioners for windows. When used, the rating provides an idea of how efficient your heat pump or air conditioner is. Using this ratio, you have a way of differentiating between and comparing various products. To calculate this ratio, EER assumes that the indoor temperatures are at 80 degrees, outdoor temperatures are at 95 degrees, and the humidity is 50%. ACCA When looking for technicians to help you with HVAC solutions, understanding what ACCA means could be handy. This term...

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FAQs About Ductless Air Conditioning

August 8, 2020

Ductless Air Conditioning A ductless air conditioning system is both efficient and dependable. If you live in an older home with no ductwork, installing a central HVAC unit is expensive and requires a lot of time. A ductless air conditioning system—also called a ductless mini-split or ductless HVAC—is designed for homes without ducts. This type of system controls the temperature in the rooms of your home. The two components are an air handling unit and an outdoor heat pump. How Does the System Work? A ductless AC system works just like a heat pump but without the need for air ducts. When the temperature is warmer, warm air is taken from your home by the air handler. The air is then sent over evaporator coils containing refrigerant to absorb the heat. The warm air is sent to the outside unit to lower the temperature in your home. During the colder months, everything happens in reverse. Heat is absorbed by your outside unit then passed through a line containing refrigerant, resulting in warm air blowing into your home through your air handler. A ductless AC system is effective because of heat transfer. Hot air is removed from your home during the...

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How to Improve Seasonal Allergies with Better Indoor Air

July 14, 2020

Improve Seasonal Allergies with Better Indoor Air Seasonal allergies are a challenge for many people. In the spring and autumn, pollen grains, mold spores and other seasonal irritants leave allergy suffers feeling miserable. In an ideal world, retreating to the safety of your home would give you a break from allergy triggers. However, poor indoor air quality can concentrate allergens and leave you feeling even worse. What Causes Seasonal Allergies? Allergies are an unpleasant part of life for a large section of the population. You’ve probably heard of people with life-threatening allergies to things such as bee stings, peanuts and shellfish. Other people may have a mild allergic reaction to pet dander. The red itchiness from poison ivy is an allergic reaction to a compound found on the plant. The human immune system causes all of these reactions. When you injure your body, you may see swelling and redness at the site. These are signs of your immune system at work battling bacteria and preventing infection. When you have a cold, the sneezing and sniffling are byproducts of your body fighting off the virus. An allergy is what happens when the immune system treats something harmless as a threat. For...

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Why Does My AC Smell?

June 13, 2020

Why Does My Air Conditioner Smell? When temperatures rise during the summer, you want your air conditioner to be in peak functioning condition. An AC that is operating accordingly will enable you to remain cool and cozy even in the middle of a heatwave. Unfortunately, as you keep relying on your air conditioner over the years, the machine’s wear and tear are likely to lead to various malfunctions. One of the most common cooling system problems that customers complain about is the foul smell that seemingly suddenly permeates from the unit to the rest of your household. Any mysterious smell from your AC unit may indicate myriad malfunctions and needs to be addressed accordingly. Want to know the reasons why your AC unit is suddenly giving off an unbearable odor? Here are seven possibilities. 1. Clogged Air Filter Your AC system is likely to pick up pollutants and other particulates during its day-to-day operation. Over time, these substances build up significantly and may manifest in terms of a foul smell that spreads when the air conditioner is operating. If your air filters have unwanted particulates, then the air in your indoor environment will become unhealthy and hazardous. Make sure to...

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Precision Maintenance Agreements From Scott-Lee

May 10, 2020

Maintenance Agreements Maintenance agreements offer several benefits in cities like St. Louis, MO. A maintenance agreement is similar to a business guarantee to an HVAC company like . For your loyalty, you are given some benefits like: Priority customer status Discounts of some parts No overtime charges Inflation Peace of mind When you sign an agreement for maintenance on your heating, cooling, and ventilation system, you understand that regular inspections and tune-ups are important. This is how you keep the unit within the warranty. It is also how you ensure that it makes it to its expected life expectancy. Since the equipment is cleaned, lubricated, and tested, the unit is less likely to break down in the middle of summer or winter use. Energy efficiency is achieved more easily, which leads to fewer energy costs. You are also less likely to incur costly repair costs. The following are the types of maintenance agreements offered by . Air Conditioner It is said that the kind of weather experienced in your area is hot, humid and damp as well as wet and wetter. So, you probably spend a lot of time indoors. While indoors, you probably want to be away from the...

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How Often Does an Air Conditioner Need Service?

April 15, 2020

Frequency Of Air Conditioner Service You may ask yourself how often you need to service your air conditioner if it is already functioning well enough. At , we recommend that customers in St. Louis, MO, and its surrounding communities choose our AC maintenance services at least once every year. This is done to make sure that your AC system keeps operating at peak condition. Whether your air conditioner is malfunctioning or not, it is always a good idea to have our skilled technicians inspect your equipment annually. The following are six benefits that show why annual tune-ups are absolutely vital. 1. Improved Energy Efficiency As your AC unit operates around-the-clock to maintain your indoor comfort, it is likely to pick up dust, fluff, debris, and other pollutants. The presence of unwanted particulates means that your unit works even harder than usual to deliver cool air into your household. Regular maintenance helps get rid of these substances, hence allowing your system to operate more efficiently. This will lead to less energy consumption. This greatly reduces your carbon footprint and contributes to a more sustainable planet. 2. Lower Utility Bills An aging or underperforming AC unit not only affects the efficiency of...

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Which Electric Heating Systems are the Best?

March 19, 2020

The Best Electric Heating Systems As the temperature outside dips lower and lower, you deserve a warm home to live in and enjoy your daily life. The dilemma comes when deciding the best way to keep your home warm throughout the long and blustery St. Louis winter. Natural gas furnaces are a popular and economical choice. However, natural gas furnaces can have some drawbacks, including the risk of exposure to carbon monoxide. If you choose to heat your home with electricity instead of natural gas, it’s important to choose the electric heating system that will heat your home most efficiently. Here are a few insights into electric heating systems to help you choose the best one for your needs. Challenges of Heating With Electricity While heating your home with electricity eliminates the risk of an explosion or of exposing yourself to carbon monoxide, there are some challenges of heating with this fuel source. The main challenge is that traditional electric furnaces aren’t all that efficient at producing warm air when compared to natural gas furnaces. Since natural gas furnaces can reach a higher temperature than electric furnaces, natural gas units can heat more air more efficiently. In an electric furnace,...

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Coronavirus Notice from Scott-Lee Heating Company

March 17, 2020

Coronavirus Protocol As we continue to monitor the unforeseen situation that is present with the coronavirus (COVID-19) and associated illnesses, Scott-Lee Heating has developed this policy to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all team members, visitors, customers and stakeholders. Scott-Lee Heating wishes to ensure all customers that we have continuity plans in place to deliver uninterrupted service and support to customers as we navigate the uncertainty of COVID-19. Scott-Lee Heating has implemented an extensive COVID-19 Policy accompanied by our COVID-19 Temporary Risk Management Procedures. We have implemented additional sanitization and cleaning protocols in our office, warehouses, fleet vehicles, and work locations. We have equipped field staff with the necessary equipment to ensure safe working procedures in homes and businesses of our customers. We have increased options for remote work where possible. The policy and procedures set in place are largely precautionary and will be constantly monitored and adjusted. Scott-Lee Heating Company Plan No employees showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be working while showing symptoms, and will not return until medically cleared. Prior to each home visit, your technician will call to confirm the appointment. At this time, the technician will describe the increased sanitary measures and confirm nobody...

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