Keep Your Home Warm Without Spending More Money – St. Louis HVAC

February 22, 2016

Keep your home warm and cozy without increasing your heating costs. Cranking up the furnace is one way to keep your house warm, but it could be costly in terms of energy expenses and environmental impact. We will recommend some simple ways to keep your home warm without increasing your energy bills. Weather Proof the Garage Doors You might be letting in cool air through the garage doors. Weatherstrip and insulate the garage doors and seal all cracks around the windows. Check the Furnace Filter Regularly Change the furnace filter every month during the winter season according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A clean air filter will improve the efficiency of your furnace and keep you warm even during the coldest of winter months. Check the Vents Make sure that your HVAC system’s vents are clean and not clogged with dirt or blocked by furniture. This is important to ensure that warm air circulates freely across the house. Prevent Cold Attic Air From Cooling Your House The attic access cover and staircase may be a source of cold drafts. Weatherstripping is a good way to counter this problem. Ask your St. Louis HVAC contractor for a ready-made insulating attic access cover. Minimize Heat Loss Through Windows Windows are a major source of heat loss. Use weather stripping and caulking to prevent heat...

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Did Your Boiler Just Die a Cold Death? – St. Louis HVAC

February 12, 2016

Do not face discomfort due to issues with your boiler system during the winter months, when you most need heat and hot water. Your family relys on your home’s boiler system to provide heat and hot water, especially during these chilly days. However, many issues with boilers are caused by negligence. Homeowners tend to overlook their boiler systems – until the boiler stops functioning. There are signs to look for that may suggest there is something wrong with your home’s boiler. In order to prevent a breakdown, here is what to look for. Common Boiler Issues The hot water supply in your house is notably lesser than before or is diminishing slowly. You can hear a gurgling, whistling, or banging noise from the boiler system. There are water leakages in the boiler. The pilot light of the boiler has gone out. The boiling system shuts off on its own periodically. There is a loss of pressure in the boiling system. There are problems in the thermostat or the radiator is not generating enough heat. What Causes Boiler Issues? There can be a number of reasons that can cause the aforementioned boiler issues. There is a loss in electrical supply to the boiler. The gas supply reaching the boiler is...

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St. Louis HVAC – How to Maintain Ductless Mini-Split HVAC

February 4, 2016

Homeowners are using ductless mini-split air conditioners as a cost-effective alternative to central air conditioners. If you are one of them, you may want to learn some tips on how to maintain or troubleshoot your mini split air conditioner on your own. Regular maintenance and timely repairs help extend the lifespan of air conditioners. Installation of Mini-Split Air Conditioners Ductless mini-split air conditioners come with three components – an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and a remote. The outdoor unit contains a compressor, while the indoor unit consists of an air handler. Unlike a central air conditioning system, a mini-split air conditioning system does not require extensive reconstruction for installation. The indoor and outdoor units are installed and connected with pipes and wires. A small hole is drilled in the wall to pass the pipes and wires through. Regular HVAC Cleaning and Maintenance If properly cleaned and maintained, a mini-split air conditioner can last for 12 to 15 years. Regular cleaning is perhaps the most important maintenance task. Remove and clean the filters regularly with soap and water. If a filter is damaged, replace it as soon as possible. Use your garden hose for cleaning the compressor. Make sure that you unplug the system before cleaning it....

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How Much Can I Save by Investing in a High Efficiency Furnace?

January 31, 2016

With winter upon us, we rely on our HVAC systems to keep us warm. If you are considering investing in a new furnace for your home, look for a high efficiency furnace. The benefits of a high-efficiency furnace are real and measurable. How much can you save by investing in a high-efficiency furnace? As energy costs continue to rise, homeowners are looking for ways to reduce heating costs during the winter. Energy-saving tips such as turning the thermostat down, closing the blinds, and investing in weather stripping can lessen energy use. However, to make a big impact on energy savings, you will need to replace your old furnace with a newer high-efficiency model. High Efficiency Furnaces Gas furnaces have a component called a heat exchanger. This component converts propane or natural gas into heat energy and the by-products of the combustion process are vented through the flue system. Condensing gas furnaces have more than one heat exchanger. A secondary heat exchanger removes additional heat from the gases, which condense to produce water vapor. Furnaces that are 10 years or older do not meet the same efficiency requirements that modern furnaces are required to meet. Not only do older furnaces lose efficiency over time due to normal wear and tear, they lack the newer...

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Was Your Home’s HVAC System Affected by the Floods that Swept Through St. Louis?

January 29, 2016

If your home was affected by the record-breaking floods that recently swept through St. Louis, it is important to have your home’s heating and cooling systems checked. It was difficult to watch the St. Louis area recently experience such incredible record-setting floods. For many of us, we were reminded of the Flood of 1993 and recalled the devastating effects that had on our communities. The floodwaters wreaked havoc on areas such as Valley Park, Fenton, High Ridge, Union, St. Charles, and many others, including parts of Illinois. People lost their belongings, homes, and vehicles. Many businesses were seriously damaged as well. Here at Scott-Lee Heating, our own facility was greatly affected. St. Louis Flooding and Your Home’s HVAC System If your home or basement was exposed to standing water due to the recent flooding, or for any other reason, there may be damage to your water heater, boiler, heater, air-conditioner, ventilation or heat-pump system. This can put you and your family at great risk. Depending on the amount of damage, your heating and cooling systems may need to be replaced and not just repaired. It is important that your systems be inspected, and then replaced or repaired, by qualified heating and...

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Energy Saving Tips for a St. Louis Winter – St. Louis HVAC

January 26, 2016

With winter upon us, keep your home heating system in optimal working condition. Enjoy the remainder of the St. Louis winter season from the comfort of your home. There are a number of simple and cost-effective ways to keep your heating bills under control. Draft-Proof Your Home Do not allow the cold air to leak in and the warm air to leak out of your home. Inspect your house for unwanted gaps and vents and seal those gaps. Look for hidden cracks and crevices in the walls, floors, utility pipes, and ceiling. Air leakage makes your indoor atmosphere not only uncomfortable but also unhealthy. Long-term exposure to chilly outside air may cause mold growth inside your house, making the indoor atmosphere unhygienic. Windows can account for 25 percent of heat loss in most houses. Check your doors and windows for any unnecessary gaps and seal them. Replace conventional doors and windows with new, energy-efficient ones. In addition, have your home insulated by professionals. Improve the insulation capability of your existing doors and windows. Storm windows come with a layer of thin metal and help keep the heat inside your home.  A cost-effective way to insulate your windows and doors is by hanging heavy curtains to restrict the entry of cold...

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5 Reasons to Consider Geothermal Heating – St. Louis HVAC Solutions

January 15, 2016

Talk with a St. Louis HVAC expert about geothermal solutions for your home. Maybe the higher cost of installation or the thought of having to dig up that flower bed you had painstakingly planted made you pass on upgrading to a geothermal system. However important your reasons for not considering a geothermal heat pump for your home, there are five compelling ones that will make you reconsider. Geothermal Heat Pumps Are More Efficient The most efficient gas furnaces on the market are able to provide an efficiency rating between 90 and 94 percent. With a geothermal heat pump, you see an efficiency rating of at least 400%. In other terms, for every one unit of electrical energy used, you get four units of energy. Geothermal Heat Pumps Operate Silently Geothermal heat pumps are much quieter than your central air conditioning unit or current heat pump. There is no outdoor unit humming over your summer barbecues and no banging as they start up on a winter night. Geothermal heat pumps operate at the same sound level as your kitchen refrigerator, making it one of the most quiet components in your house. Geothermal Heat Pumps Are Environmentally Friendly Both the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency recognize...

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St. Louis HVAC – Is There a Mold Problem in Your Facility?

December 31, 2015

The HVAC system in commercial buildings provide a suitable environment for mold growth. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment in a commercial building is more susceptible to mold growth than other equipment. Maintenance and engineering managers can play a major role in preventing mold growth in a commercial building. The Key Problem Areas Molds need water, food, air, and the right temperature to grow. Unfortunately, commercial HVAC systems provide a suitable environment for mold growth. For example, the indoor environment usually provides a variety of food sources, such as cardboard, wooden structures, building furnishings, papers, and fabrics. One way to discourage mold growth is by reducing moisture in the indoor environment. Some managers prefer using chemicals, sprays, and fungicides for mold control. Using fungicides helps to kill mold but does not provide a permanent solution to the problem. Molds residing in the HVAC system may still survive. In most cases, eliminating molds from the HVAC system requires implementing a pre-emptive plan. Maintenance managers need to develop a detailed mold prevention plan and seek professional help when required. Lack of Guidelines There is a lack of standard guidelines on how to prevent or control mold growth in commercial facilities. Most states,...

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How to Lower Commercial HVAC Costs – St. Louis Commercial Heating

December 21, 2015

Careful planning and regular maintenance can lower your commercial HVAC costs. With the energy market shifting towards dynamic pricing, facility management professionals are concerned about how to lower commercial HVAC costs. It is not easy to control pricing in this market-based environment. But with careful planning, management, and regular maintenance, it is possible to cut down on your HVAC costs significantly. Adjust Temperature Setpoints In general, a building requires maintaining a temperature of 78 degrees during the summer and around 68 degrees during the winter, according to energy conservation construction codes. In reality, most housing structures have daytime temperatures between 72 and 75 degrees throughout the year. More comfort calls for spending more on energy bills. Facility management professionals need to take steps to raise awareness about the importance of setting the daytime temperature to the state’s energy conservation construction code. It is also important to note that some buildings may require maintaining a setback temperature to ensure a low level of heating or cooling during unoccupied periods. Preventive Maintenance Without regular maintenance, mechanical parts and control instruments in the HVAC system may lose efficiency. Regularly monitor the performance of the mechanical system and take timely steps to repair and replace any damaged components. Perform regular preventive...

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HVAC Efficiency: What You Need to Know Before Installing Windows

December 14, 2015

Windows play a major role in keeping our rooms well-ventilated and also allow for the entry of sunlight into our home. However, windows have low insulation values, so they allow more heat or cold air to pass. As a result, the cost of heating or cooling your rooms with many windows is higher than the cost of heating or cooling rooms with more solid walls. Moreover, a window consists of several movable parts, so it is more likely to leak air into your rooms. This is exactly why we need windows with low U-value or high resistance to heat or cold. Understanding U-value and R-Value U factor simply implies the rate of heat loss through a window. The lower the U-value, the better its insulation value and the greater its resistance to heat flow. U-value is inversely proportionate to R-value, meaning that U=1/R. Windows usually have an R-value of two or three. In comparison, walls generally have an R-value of 13, and attics often have an R-value of 38. This simply means that windows are less resistant to heat flow. You’ll find windows with higher R-value, but you need to know certain things about them before making an investment. A...

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