Should You Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned Now or Wait Until Spring?

January 30, 2018

It will not only help to decrease your monthly heating costs, but it will also increase your indoor air quality. As the cold weather persists, doors and windows in your home are continually closed up. That means that you have the same dirt and dust repeatedly circulating and trapping in all the viruses, allergens, and toxins in your home. If you haven’t had your ducts professionally cleaned, you might not want to wait until springtime to air things out. Duct cleaning is not only important for your family’s health, but it can also save on your heating and cooling costs and put less wear and tear on your HVAC system. When you have dust and debris building up in your ductwork, it makes your furnace work harder to push and pull air through the system. That can make your system work overtime and cost you more in energy costs monthly. When your ducts are caked with debris, it takes more energy to move air, which makes you lose all the way around. Having your ductwork cleaned now is an excellent idea to increase the energy efficiency of your home and to not tax your furnace more than is needed through...

View Article

Read More

What Might Be Lurking in Your HVAC System?

January 26, 2018

If you have allergies, bacteria and allergens that are trapped in your system could be one of the causes. When people think of pollution, they typically think about the air quality outside. However, the air quality inside your home typically contains far more toxins than you come into contact with outside. If you haven’t had the air quality of your home checked recently, you might be doing your family a disservice. Often, toxins get trapped into your HVAC system and can wreak havoc on your health – and if you have allergies, it can be causing you a whole lot of unnecessary discomfort. The best way to rid your home of toxins is by having a professional St. Louis HVAC company clean your ductwork and your furnace to make sure that you aren’t unknowingly recirculating toxic air around your home. There are all sorts of viruses, bacteria, and toxins that can get trapped in your system. The most common ones to look for, however, are the ones that can hurt your health the most. Everyday Products The things that you use in your home may contain toxins that you don’t even know about. Everyday cleaners, air fresheners, and detergents can...

View Article

Read More

The Importance of Having the Air Quality of Your HVAC System Checked

December 22, 2017

Now is the time to make sure your family isn’t breathing in allergens or other harmful toxins. During the winter months, it is important to have the indoor air quality of your home evaluated. There are many harmful pollutants that cannot be seen but could be making you and your family sick. Others have the potential to be life-threatening. Therefore, it is important to have your home’s air quality checked by having your HVAC system and ductwork inspected. If you or your family members are prone to allergies or asthma, this is even more important. If you have symptoms such as headaches or ongoing sinus issues, these may be signs that these harmful things are lurking in your home. The indoor air quality of your home has a lot to do with your overall health. Some allergens may only be annoying, but others can lead to serious, long-term health issues. Although there are a wide variety of toxins that you can be exposed to through your HVAC system, the most common include: Carbon Monoxide Carbon monoxide is a an odorless and colorless gas that is deadly in high concentrations. When fuel doesn’t burn completely this gas is created and it...

View Article

Read More

Poor Indoor Air Quality in Health Clubs Can Turn Away Clients

October 13, 2017

While having good gym equipment is important, so is having good indoor air quality. Most of us have experienced walking into a swanky looking gym and being turned off by the nasty air. No one would ever like to go to a gym that smells bad. The problem of poor indoor air quality in a gym can be addressed with proper air conditioning and ventilation. In this post, St. Louis HVAC technicians will talk about how you can maintain good air quality in your gym and attract new customers and retain old ones. Poor Air Quality Can Affect Health of Clients People visit a gym to improve or maintain their health through regular exercise. While having good gym equipment is important, so is good indoor air quality. If your gym’s ventilation system has not been properly designed or is not functioning properly, it can make the environment hot and humid. This happens because the system does not remove enough moisture from the air. Here is what can happen if you fail to correct the ventilation problem in your gym: Hot and humid air will become breeding ground for the growth of mold and mildew Humid air can create musty smells...

View Article

Read More

What to do About Spores and Mildew in Your HVAC System

July 22, 2017

Our technicians can improve the indoor air quality in your home, so your family can breathe easily. Unfortunately, mildew and spores is a common problem with HVAC systems. It’s a potential health problem and it can also cause issues with your system. It’s very important to deal with the problem as soon as you discover it. At Scott-Lee Heating Company, our experienced technicians can help improve the indoor air quality in your home. HVAC Systems – The Perfect Breeding Ground The problem is, that HVAC systems are the perfect breeding ground for mildew and spores. They are hard to spot, and so it is likely the first thing you’ll notice is that you or someone in your household becomes ill. It can be pretty dangerous if anyone suffers from allergies or asthma. A cold you can’t get rid of, or symptoms that appear like asthma are signs to watch out for. For anyone particularly vulnerable, such as babies, the elderly, or anyone suffering from respiratory problems, spores in the air can sometimes be life-threatening. Another Early Warning Sign Another sign to look out for is a musty smell. A clear system will never have this smell. If you notice it,...

View Article

Read More

HVAC Air Filters – How they Help with Allergies

June 14, 2017

Air filters help your HVAC system run more efficiently and filter out allergens too. As any St Louis HVAC technician will tell you, air filters have a variety of functions. They keep the dust away from the internal workings of your HVAC system and so help it to run efficiently and have a longer life. But they also filter out a wide range of allergens too. HVAC filtration has even been found to be more effective at combating allergens than portable HEPA units. This is important news for anyone who suffers from allergies! Different Levels of Filtration Available MERV 1-4 :: This is the cheapest type of filtration with the most basic of filtering. This will filter general household dust such as skin cells. It will also filter clothing lint, dust mites, and pollen. While it is basic filtration, anyone suffering from hay fever should notice a reduction in their symptoms when using this type of filtration system. Additionally, it can be a benefit to anyone with asthma due to the fact that it filters out dust mites. Around half of the people with asthma have an allergy to dust mites. MERV 5-8 :: The next level of filtration is...

View Article

Read More

Vent Covers – Why the Right Ones Are Important

April 12, 2017

Vent covers are an integral part of the HVAC system, though they might not seem as vital. Most homeowners do not put much thought into a vent cover. While there are some who place importance on how the vent covers look with respect to the decor of their home, there is much more in terms of functionality that homeowners should pay attention to. Here are a few reasons why it is important to pay attention to the vent covers in your house. What are Vent Covers? Vent covers cover the vent openings of the HVAC system that circulate the air in the room that comes through the ducts. They are an integral part of the HVAC system, though they might not seem as vital. There are two types of vents that an HVAC system comprises of: Supply Vents – Supply vents or supply register vents allow the desired hot or cold air to enter the rooms in the house from the HVAC. They are often found on the outer walls, on the floor or under windows and are ideally spaced separately from return vents, to prevent re-circulation of the conditioned air coming in from the HVAC. Return Vents – These...

View Article

Read More

St. Louis HVAC – New Solutions for High Humidity

December 5, 2016

Before summertime and humidity makes it way back around, talk with your HVAC company about installing an energy recovery ventilator. When temperatures rise in St. Louis, so does the humidity, even inside of your home.  As our homes become more energy-efficient, new problems start to arise. Indoor air quality is compromised as stale air is recycled through the house and humidity levels increase. You have basically created an airtight environment with humidity levels that fluctuate drastically and far from the 40% ideal range. Energy Recovery Ventilator Adding an energy recovery ventilator system to your HVAC system can take care of both of these issues. The ERV system can exchange the stale air with fresh air, conditioning it first to match the indoor temperature of the house. In the summer the system is pre-cooling and dehumidifying outside air as it is brought into your home. The opposite happens in the colder months when the system warms the air and humidifies it. This leaves you with a comfortable indoor environment that is infused with fresh air. Reducing Energy Costs ERV systems have proven to be an effective way of reducing energy costs by reducing heating and cooling loads. It does this by using air that has already been conditioned...

View Article

Read More

Top 5 Reasons You Have Poor Airflow – St. Louis Heating and Cooling

November 15, 2016

St. Louis homeowners sometimes complain of low airflow in their rooms. This could be the result of a number of issues. A trained HVAC professional can be called upon to determine the reason for poor airflow. Nevertheless, it is essential that St. Louis homeowners also have the proper knowledge about what causes poor airflow in their home. Consider the following reasons. Dirty or excessively high efficiency furnace filters Any dirt accumulating on the furnace filter over a period of time increases the thickness of the filter. Apart from causing a host of other issues, a dirty filter also restricts airflow causing inadequate or uneven distribution of air. Another cause could be installing a filter with a high MERV rating. While filters with high MERV ratings are meant to purify air better, they can at times create resistance in airflow in an attempt to block small airborne particles. This resistance can pressurize the fan of the AC or the furnace and cause damage leading to poor airflow. Therefore, homeowners should check if their HVAC system is compatible with the high-efficiency MERV filters. Improper duct work It is essential to design and install ductwork properly, after careful consideration by a trained and...

View Article

Read More

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...

View Article

Read More