Save Money with Our HVAC System Tips

January 8, 2015

The HVAC system in your house is a critical system for maintaining your family’s comfort. A reliable HVAC system will keep the temperature and humidity inside your house at an optimum level. A fully operational system also means lower energy bills, helping you save money. Importance of Regular HVAC Maintenance When the winter season starts, it is essential that you have the entire HVAC system checked for any defects and damages. It is advisable to call a St. Louis HVAC company to inspect the system so that the performance of the equipment can be checked. This scheduled maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system does not break down for want of repairs during sweltering heat or freezing cold. Replacing the Air Filters The performance and efficiency of the HVAC system reduce with time as dust and dirt accumulate over moving parts and filters. It is, therefore, essential that the air filters are checked and replaced each month that the HVAC system is in use. To save on the costs of filters, some homeowners try to clean and reuse them; however, they are not as effective as new filters and may hinder airflow. Dirty filters increase power consumption as the system has...

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HVAC System Maintenance – What Does It Mean for a Homeowner?

November 20, 2014

Regular maintenance of the HVAC system keeps it running as efficiently as possible and saves you a lot of money by preventing costly repairs. For the HVAC system to function effectively, it is important to inspect and maintain the filters, fins, and coils regularly. This ensures that the system runs efficiently and effectively. Neglecting HVAC system maintenance will lead to a decline in system performance over time and an increase in energy consumption. Air Conditioner Filters We have devoted many posts to emphasize the importance of changing the air filters regularly. Dirty and clogged air filters obstruct airflow and reduce the system’s efficiency. If the filters are clogged with dirt, the air that passes it will carry dirt to the evaporator coil and reduce its heat absorption capacity. By regularly replacing the air filters homeowners can reduce energy consumption by over 10 percent. There are different types of air filters available in the market, and some of them are reusable and others need to be replaced. During the winter season, it is recommended that the air filters are replaced every two months or so. Depending on how much the system is used, the quality of air, and whether or not there are pets in the...

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Prepare Your Home For Cold Weather

October 2, 2014

Use this checklist to ready your home for this year’s winter season. Our St. Louis HVAC experts recommend that homeowners schedule maintenance of the HVAC system before the winter season starts. The following checklist can be used in getting the system ready for the upcoming cold winter season. Inspect the Outdoor Unit Remove any debris surrounding the outdoor coil, including grass, leaves, shrub cuttings, garbage cans and lids, recycling containers, lint traps and outdoor dryers. Remove debris from the air vents and prevent snow from covering it. Clean the coil using a garden hose. Check the service valve caps along with the refrigerant line insulation. Set up a covering on the air conditioning system, if necessary. Inspect Indoor Equipment The indoor air filter should be changed at the start of every season. There are some videos online showing a demonstration on how this can be done. If you are not sure, call your local St. Louis HVAC company. If applicable, the indoor humidity filter should also be changed. The thermostat should be set for heating or reprogrammed for the new season. Programmable thermostats allow homeowners to save a good amount of money. Inspect the connections of the indoor coil drain. Inspect and...

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Benefits of Regular HVAC Maintenance

August 4, 2014

Make sure you and your family stay comfortable by scheduling regular maintenance of your HVAC system. You may feel that your HVAC system is in proper working condition and that it does not need any maintenance, however, HVAC maintenance is not only advisable, but crucial to prepare the system for the next season. There are various benefits that regular HVAC maintenance offers. Financial Benefits of HVAC Maintenance HVAC maintenance can offer numerous financial benefits to homeowners. HVAC maintenance usually involves adjusting loose parts, cleaning dirty areas and components, and lubricating moving parts. This ensures that the system works at its peak efficiency without costing you too much in energy bills. HVAC maintenance also helps early detection of defects, giving you an opportunity to make sure preventive repairs are completed in a timely manner. Dirty coils can increase your cooling costs by over 30 percent. Proper cleaning ensures that the air can travel efficiently, and that desired temperatures can be achieved without putting extra burden on the compressor. Leaky ducts can also increase your cooling costs by over 20 percent. Sealing all leakages can prevent energy loss and make your system more efficient. Low refrigerant levels can add another 20 percent to your cooling costs. Refilling...

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Tips to Heating Your Home Effectively

February 28, 2014

Heating your home during the winter may turn out costly and problematic due to several factors. To ensure that your house is heated well, you need to pay attention to some important aspects of your HVAC system. It is important to inspect equipment and identify any flaws that can cause the heating system to work ineffectively. Working Efficiently and Saving Money Here are some simple tips from HVAC experts that can help ensure that your heating system is working efficiently and cost effectively: • The first and foremost thing that you should do to ensure that your heating system is working efficiently is to hire a professional heating company to conduct a routine maintenance of the system. They will inspect the system to look for any defects such as damaged parts or loose connections. The defects should be repaired well before the start of the season so that your heating system should not ditch you when you need it the most. • The next most important factor that will determine the effectiveness of your heating system is the insulation inside your house. Improper insulation will not let the system heat up the home well. If insulation around windows, doors, attic,...

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HVAC Filters 101: Their Purpose and How to Choose the Right One

February 11, 2014

You already know that the filter in your homes heating and cooling system needs to be changed on a regular basis. Learn how to choose the correct one. While you know that this helps prevent contaminants from entering your home through the ductwork, the filters are also providing protection to the equipment. If you don’t know when the last time your filter was changed, call your local HVAC company. They will be happy to send out a technician who will not only show you where it is located but can give you good advice on what type to buy and how often to replace it. Why You Should Change the Filter Frequently A gas furnace and air conditioner are reliant on many delicate moving parts in order to run efficiently. Heavy layers of dust will affect how they work and can even cause some of them to breakdown prematurely. Any particles that make it through the filter will eventually circulate back down to the unit and settle there. Changing the filter frequently to collect as many dust particles as possible will aid your heating and cooling systems in running more efficiently. Damage Done by a Dirty Filter A dirty filter...

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The Benefits of a Knowledgeable HVAC Technician

January 30, 2014

The services performed by a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) company should be enough to keep your home warm during the winter and cool in the summer. An HVAC system that is not kept maintained and up to date will not be able to regulate your home’s temperature efficiently. Once this happens, you will not only notice a marked increase in your home’s utility bills, you will see more viral infections develop in family members as air quality regulators cease to work as well as you are used to. There are some steps that you as a homeowner can take to prevent these problems from manifesting. Assessing Your HVAC System An inspection from a reliable HVAC company should be your first step. They will come out and do an assessment of your entire system including the ductwork. If they detect any problems or note areas that could benefit from improvement they will let you know and usually give you a ballpark estimate of the cost. As a homeowner you should pay attention to their work and ask questions about any part of the process that you do not understand. The homes HVAC system is one of its biggest assets....

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DIY Projects and HVAC Systems – Never a Good Idea

January 6, 2014

You may believe that by tackling HVAC maintenance yourself, you are saving a lot of money.  However, you may want to consider the problems you could be creating for yourself. In this age of do it yourself home improvement projects, many people are led to believe that the need for a certified HVAC technician has become obsolete. Homeowners think that by tackling maintenance themselves, they may be saving a lot of money. This is simply not true for anything beyond a simple filter change. A home’s HVAC system is very complex, and should only be handled by an experienced and licensed technician. Safety First There is a huge array of issues to consider when dealing with a central air conditioner or furnace in a home. First of all, the source of power needs to be taken into consideration. Air conditioners generally run on electricity. Messing around with the connections could cause you to be electrocuted or put your home at risk for fire if not properly installed. The same is true for an electric furnace. Gas furnaces pose an entirely different risk of possibly polluting the air inside your home if not handled properly. Not to mention the possibility of...

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