Portable vs. Whole-Home Air Purifiers

July 15, 2024

Portable vs. Whole-Home Air Purifiers While you can’t see it, the air you are breathing right now likely has bacteria, mold, pollutants, and viruses in it. Gas combustion from cooking on a natural gas stove, mold growth, and wildfire smoke can all cause your home’s air quality to plummet. Fortunately, whole-home and portable air purifiers can help filter out harmful contaminants and protect your respiratory health. What Are Whole-Home Purifiers? A whole-home air purifier filters the air inside your home. It can reduce allergens, like pollen and dust. Additionally, it can remove chemicals and other contaminants. If you don’t want to replace your entire heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system to purify your air, a whole-home purifier is a good choice. Designed with electrostatic and ultrasonic technology, whole-home purifiers can remove any particles that are greater than 0.3 microns from the air. While each system is different, they typically use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. This kind of filter is incorporated into your ventilation system so that the purified air can circulate throughout your home. Other than HEPA filters, purifiers can use ion filtering or physical barriers. With ion filters, electronic filters use a high voltage to attract and...

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What Certifications / Licenses Do Good HVAC Technicians Have?

July 10, 2024

What Certifications / Licenses Do Good HVAC Technicians Have? When you hire a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) company, you need technicians who know what they are doing. Often, people read reviews and ask for word-of-mouth recommendations from their friends. If you don’t already know of a local business you want to work with, it can be hard to judge their service quality and experience. Certifications and licenses help you compare different companies. Because certifications represent a minimum standard of knowledge, you can use a company’s certifications to judge the quality of its services. What Are HVAC Certifications? HVAC certifications can vary significantly from one location to another. In some areas, HVAC technicians are required to have federal, state, and local certifications and licenses. Other than getting licenses for providing HVAC services, companies are also required to get business licenses and building permits. Why Do Technicians Need an HVAC License? An HVAC license is important because of the materials HVAC technicians use in their work. If they work with different heating and cooling systems, they will eventually have to handle refrigerants. Many refrigerants are harmful to the ozone layer if they are released into the environment. However, refrigerants aren’t...

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What Does Central Air Include?

June 18, 2024

Central air conditioning is the most widely used cooling system in the United States. As you evaluate replacing your old unit or adding a new one to your home, it’s important to know what it needs and what’s included in a standard installation. Use this guide to explore what central AC is, what’s included with the system, and what else you may need. What Is Central Air Conditioning? Central air conditioning is an AC system where air is cooled and distributed around your home. Central air conditioning is also often called a split system because part of it is outside and the other part is inside. In this type of system, the indoor unit delivers cool air, and then a central fan circulates it around your home through your ductwork. In non-central systems, such as window or portable air conditioners, the entire system is in a compact unit. There are also ductless mini-split systems that have a similar outside unit to a central system but have multiple indoor air handlers, each with its own evaporator coil. They can be a good option for homeowners without existing ductwork. What is Included With a Standard System? When you install a new unit...

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Benefits of Ductless Mini-Split

June 12, 2024

Whether you’re looking to install a heating or cooling system in your home, one popular option you may have come across is a ductless mini-split. These units are commonly marketed as highly energy efficient and easy to use. If you’re still on the fence about getting one for your home, we will share with you some great reasons why you should consider getting one. Zone Heating and Cooling Control With a ductless mini-split system, individual mini-split units will be installed in all of your home’s major rooms. Each unit will have its own remote that allows you to individually control its temperature settings, independent from the rest. This means that you can set your bedroom to 65 degrees to get better sleep at night while leaving your living room temperature at 70 degrees to optimize your energy use. Having zone control allows everyone in your home to remain comfortable without having to compromise on one household temperature setting. Even better, you can optimize your energy usage by only running units in the rooms that you’re using. Instead of heating or cooling your entire home, your units only have to work in small spaces, which takes up much less energy. Perfect...

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Can Poor HVAC Zoning Affect My Health?

June 5, 2024

HVAC zoning systems rely on dampers installed within your ductwork to control and direct air to specified areas of your home. These systems are often crucial for sustained indoor comfort and respiratory health. How your space is climatically zoned can significantly impact your indoor air quality. Below are eleven ways that poor HVAC zoning can induce various health issues, from breathing troubles to poor sleep quality, and how a properly zoned system prevents these problems. 1. Worsens Allergy Symptoms Poorly zoned HVAC systems proliferate allergens like dust, pollen, and pet dander in your indoor breathing environment. When airflow doesn’t disperse through your home as intended, these particles accumulate in the poorly circulated areas of your home. Of course, this exacerbates allergy symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes. An improperly zoned HVAC system is especially problematic for the residents of your household with known allergy issues because of the excessive allergen buildup. 2. Invites Mold and Mildew Growth The inconsistent humidity levels in your home could be due to ineffective zoning. The trouble is that this issue creates an environment conducive to mold and mildew infestations. When portions of your home are too humid, this introduces the ideal conditions...

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How Often Is IAQ Testing Necessary?

May 10, 2024

It’s incredibly important that we pay attention to the quality of our indoor air. Many homeowners in the St. Louis, MO, area spend a great deal of time indoors. Your home should be a healthy refuge from the pollen and pollution that you’re exposed to outside. Indoor air quality testing, or IAQ testing, is something that should be performed periodically to gain knowledge of what contaminants you’re encountering. A professional can perform this service at your request. The Frequency of IAQ Testing If you’ve never had indoor air quality testing performed before, you should expect your first appointment to take a little longer. The technician will explain the process to you and complete the testing. They will ask you a bit about your lifestyle, your health, and whether you have pets in the home. After this initial visit, you can expect your IAQ testing to take less time in the future. Ideally, you should schedule testing once every year, even if you think that your air quality is adequate. You may need to have testing performed more than once in a 12-month period, especially if you are trying to fix a problem that was discovered during your initial testing. Typically,...

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Common Split HVAC System Issues

May 5, 2024

Mini-splits have become popular among property owners because of their high energy efficiency and easy installation. They provide customized comfort, allowing you to set individual temperatures in different rooms. Like other HVAC systems, however, mini-splits can develop issues over time. Let’s explore how mini-splits work and the four most common problems you can anticipate with your system. Understanding Mini-Splits Mini-splits are heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Unlike central systems, they provide both heating and cooling functions. They are composed of two units, an indoor and outdoor component, that are connected by a conduit running through a small hole in a wall. During installation, the technician drills a hole through the wall, about three inches wide. They pass the conduit, which houses the power and communication cable, copper tubing, and a condensation line, through this opening. The indoor unit is often mounted on walls or ceilings. It houses the evaporator coils, filters, and blowers. The outdoor unit features a compressor, condenser coils, and a fan. In cooling mode, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the warm air as it flows on the coils. It then transfers the warmth to the outdoor unit for release to the environment. On cold days,...

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Are Electric Furnaces The Way of the Future?

May 1, 2024

When winter weather hits, your home needs an adequate heat source to keep you and your family comfortable and safe. Most homeowners nationwide rely on a furnace that burns natural gas or heating oil. However, electric furnaces are becoming a new trend that could transform how we heat our homes. Here is a brief list of ways electric furnaces are leaping into the forefront of residential heating in St.Louis and nationwide. What Is an Electric Furnace? Most people are familiar with a gas or oil-burning furnace, where the fuel is ignited to create heat. Electric furnaces work much differently when heating the air inside your home. This type of furnace pulls air into its internal heat exchanger. In the exchanger, there are heating elements powered by electricity. These elements work to transfer heat to the air that passes over them. Then, the warm air is delivered to your home via your ductwork. There is no physical burning or flame in an electric furnace. The Benefits of an Electric Furnace Whether you’re purchasing a furnace for your newly constructed home or are considering an upgrade, it pays to weigh the pros and cons of each option. In many areas, the electric...

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Benefits of HVAC Maintenance Agreements

April 28, 2024

Why Investing in an HVAC Maintenance Plan Is a Smart Move An HVAC system is critical in ensuring your home or business is comfortable and efficient. Nevertheless, your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system needs routine service to work optimally. That is where HVAC maintenance agreements come in. Maintenance agreements offer a holistic plan for attaining long-term maintenance of your HVAC system and have a range of advantages that will save you time, money, and tension. In the St. Louis area, has been providing top-notch HVAC services for the past 45 years, and we offer maintenance agreements designed to keep your system running smoothly and efficiently. What Is an HVAC Maintenance Agreement? An HVAC maintenance agreement is an arrangement between you and an HVAC service professional whereby you schedule regular maintenance visits for your heating and cooling system. This entails a tune-up, inspection, and cleaning each season, priority service, and discounts on repairs and parts. By signing a maintenance agreement, you reap the long-term benefits of taking care of your HVAC system. Benefits of HVAC Maintenance Agreements Regular System Inspections When you have a maintenance agreement, those regular system checkups are like a secret weapon for your HVAC’s health. During...

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Poor Outdoor Air? Prepare With Indoor Air Quality Products

April 8, 2024

Dealing With Poor Outdoor Air: Use Air Quality Products to Improve Indoor Air Quality While it’s nice to open your windows and doors and allow fresh air to come inside your St. Louis, MO, home, there are times when outdoor air quality isn’t healthy. This can be because of things like pollution, smoke and pollen. For people who are extremely sensitive and suffer from allergies or asthma, it may be a better idea to keep windows and doors closed and remain indoors. Unfortunately, many homes experience poor indoor air quality as well. This creates a confusing situation that makes you wonder if you should be inside or outside. The solution is to utilize your HVAC system along with indoor air quality products to mitigate any indoor air quality issues. Air Filters As a very affordable and simple method of keeping your indoor air free of pollutants and allergens, it’s recommended that you replace the filter in your HVAC system once every 30 to 90 days. The exact frequency will depend on the filter that you’re using as well as how frequently you run your furnace or air conditioner. Not only does this filter help you maintain healthy indoor air, but...

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