Use This Tax Credit Before the End of the Year

November 4, 2013

Do not miss the opportunity to claim the 30% tax rebate for geothermal heating systems. Put aside for a moment how environmentally friendly they are or how they can cut up to 70% off of your utility bills. Forget for now that they are more quiet and reliable than ordinary air conditioners and heat pumps. Focus instead on the tax break being offered by the federal government if you have one installed in your home or business. The Federal Tax Credit 2014 is right around the corner. Do not miss out on your opportunity to claim the 30% tax rebate being offered to homeowners who have a geothermal heating system installed. All you need to do to qualify is have purchased and installed a system that exceeds the requirements of the energy star program after 2007. You will not be required to provide any proof of purchase, but you should retain all receipts in the event of an audit. Business owners also can benefit from a tax credit of 10% if they install a geothermal heating system on their premises. Your Return on Investment A geothermal heat pump is an expensive investment initially. There is a need to dig large...

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Signs You Should Be Concerned About Your Air Conditioner

October 29, 2013

These are some signs that the air conditioner you rely on to keep your home cool and comfy during those hot summer months may either need repairing or replacing. When your air conditioner is working properly there is no need to give it a second thought. This is true about residential HVAC systems in general. They are one of the most crucial components of keeping our homes comfortable, but we rarely think about them until something goes wrong. But learning to change these habits and give a little more attention to an HVAC system will keep it functioning and avoid any emergency malfunctions that could lead to costly repairs. Preventative maintenance can make a world of difference. It can also significantly extend the life of your system. Something as easy as routinely changing filters can save you a big headache later on. Knowing the signs to look for that may be indicative of problems with your system is something else that you should be familiar with. While preventative maintenance is one of the best things you can do for your HVAC system, there still are problems that do need to be addressed by a professional. These are some signs that...

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Will a Humidifier Improve My Child’s Asthma Symptoms?

October 24, 2013

A well maintained whole house system that is set properly will keep the humidity levels at their optimum.  Humidity is a measure of how much moisture is in the air. Ideally, you want your home’s humidity level to be between 30% and 50%. This can be measured using a device called a hygrometer. Too much moisture in the air and your house becomes a perfect home for mold and mildew as well as dust mites and bacteria. Too little and you have an ideal environment for the spread of viruses and can also contribute to respiratory ailments. You can find small, tabletop humidifiers for sale at many retail chains and pharmacies. The problem with these is that they only have the capacity to humidify small areas and they must be cleaned daily to avoid bacteria growth. Left unattended, such as at night time, and it has the potential to add too much moisture to the air. There are larger, more expensive portable units but they are difficult to move around and noisy. Plus you must constantly check to make sure that the water reservoir is full. Whole House Humidifier A whole house humidifier will keep the entire house at its...

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Importance of Routine Maintenance on Your HVAC System

October 9, 2013

Just like prevention is key in health care, prevention is also key when it comes to taking care of your HVAC system. Maintaining your HVAC system is extremely important. There are things you can and should be doing on your own – like checking and changing the filter. But scheduling regular maintenance on your HVAC systems is extremely important.  With HVAC, prevention is key. If you notice that your HVAC system is not functioning properly, first you should check the filter. A clogged filter is oftentimes the source of the problem and thankfully is one of the easiest fixes there are. Why regular maintenance? Just like prevention is key in health care, prevention is also key when it comes to taking care of your heating and cooling system. HVAC systems have multiple components that must all be functioning properly in order to provide heating and cooling and air circulation for your home. For everything to be functioning smoothly, the system will need to be cleaned and inspected on a regular basis. Failing to do so may lead to larger problems that will then be more expensive to fix. The times of the year when people rely on their HVAC systems...

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What Is A Ground Source Heat Pump?

September 26, 2013

Ground source heat pumps utilize the solar energy that is stored in the earth. The earth has a fairly constant temperature and can be used to provide hot water, as well as heating and cooling for either commercial buildings or residences. Ground source heat pumps are electrically powered. What do they do? Ground source heat pumps can provide space heating, cooling, and hot water for a home or business through the one system. There is a thermostat located indoors and to switch from one mode to another you simply adjust the thermostat. How do they work? Ground source heat pumps use either open or closed loops that can be installed in three different ways. Determining which choice you should go with (horizontal, vertical, or rock/pond installation) depends on your location and the surrounding land. Open-loop systems and closed-loop systems operate in similar ways. Closed-loop systems use either antifreeze or a water solution that circulates through pipes made of plastic buried underground. Then during winter months, the solution is used to collect heat from the earth and then circulate it back to the home or building. During warmer months the system is reversed and the solution takes the heat out of...

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Common Problems You May Have With Your Air Conditioner

September 12, 2013

What Can Occur From an Air Conditioning Malfunction Summer may be winding down but we still have quite a few hot days ahead of us. When your air conditioning system is not working properly, it can become a big problem. You will undoubtedly want to solve the problem as quickly as possible. Some air conditioning problems are easier to solve than others. Common air conditioning problems include improper operation, insufficient maintenance, or faulty installation. Maintenance For air conditioners to work properly you will need to regularly have your air filters changed and the air conditioner coils checked to make sure they are not dirty. Allowing the coils and filters to become dirty will cause your air conditioner to not function properly and decrease its lifetime. The compressor fans will prematurely fail. Refrigerant Leaks If you are having problems with your refrigerant this could be caused by a number of issues. If the refrigerant is low this either means that the system is leaking or that when it was installed it was undercharged. Refrigerant levels should match the exact specifications of the manufacturer, so leaks should be dealt with immediately. You will need to contact a trained air conditioning repair technician...

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What to Look for When Choosing an Air Purifier

September 5, 2013

Your best defense against poor indoor air quality is having an air purifier installed in your home.  Should you invest in an air purification system for your home? Your best defense against poor indoor air quality is having an air purifier installed in your home. If you or a family member has problems with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues, an air purifier could help. Before you invest in any type of air purifying system though you should first take steps to keep your home as free of pollutants as possible. This means sealing any air leaks. Air is constantly leaking both into and out of your home. Setting up an air filtration system will do little good if you do not first take care of this problem. Due to air leaks, the air in the average home is replaced by outside air about every two hours. As you can imagine, this could render any air purifying relatively worthless. There are a few additional steps you should take to make sure that could make a big difference. Look at this checklist and see if there are any: ●    Are you vacuuming frequently? ●    Have you had your house tested for...

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Choosing the Right Air Conditioning System for Your Home

August 27, 2013

Which is the Right Air Conditioning System for Your Home? If you have not thought about your home’s air conditioning system until this summer, you probably have thought about little else since the summer began. Staying cool in whatever way possible has been a top priority for many people during this summer in St. Louis. Investing in or upgrading to the right air conditioning system to keep you cool during the hot summer months is important. You will rely on whatever system you choose to provide you comfort and improve your quality of life, so choosing the right cooling system is pretty important. You should know a little more about what to look for because being informed of all your options will help you to keep costs down. There are plenty of options and this can be a little overwhelming, so take a look at the basics. If you have the budget for it, you may want to think about some home modifications that will make your home more energy efficient and save you a lot of money once you get your cooling system up and running. In order to discover how to make your home more energy efficient, you...

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Why Use Geothermal in Your Home or Business?

August 21, 2013

The Benefits of Using a Geothermal Heat Pump Geothermal heat pumps are ground source heating/cooling systems that use solar heating to provide energy. They get their heat from the sun and are energy-efficient, as well as a cost-efficient, system for heating and cooling your home or business. They provide year-round reliable heating and cooling and provide energy-saving opportunities. The EPA has reported that compared with other air-source heat pumps or electric resistance heating, the use of geothermal heat pumps reduces energy consumption and emissions by 44% and 72%, respectively. Cost and Maintenance There are multiple benefits to a geothermal system. These include a very high efficiency, which in turn reduces the cost of the system and the need for maintenance. Installation costs are competitive and once the system is installed, it requires a very minimal amount of maintenance and does not require a high cost of operation. In fact, in the heating and cooling world, geothermal systems are some of the most cost-efficient. Water source heat pumps are among the easiest to maintain. And because maintenance is so easy, the owner of the system is not saddled with the extra cost of finding a specialist to work on it. It...

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Benefits of Whole House Humidifiers

August 14, 2013

Your home’s humidity level can save you money on heating, better your health, and increase your comfort level. Winter months can be brutal. Not only do we contend with ice, snow, and frigid temperatures outside for many months at a time, conditions inside our homes may not be ideal either. The air inside our homes can become incredibly dry, due to the lack of humidity, and as many know, this can become absolutely unbearable. Combating Dry Air Some people combat the problem with small humidifiers. Most people put these in their bedrooms. In a small house, this may be enough to keep you going. Normal activities like showering, cooking, leaving a bathtub filled with water, boiling water on the stove, etc., help to keep some amount of humidity in the house, but for larger homes, this will most likely not be enough. Not to mention that some of these alternative solutions may not be appropriate for families with small children. Some worry that increasing humidity levels in their homes may increase the risk of mold. Discussing these concerns with an expert may alleviate some of the hesitation you feel about installing a humidifying system. And it is important to realize...

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