Should You Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned Regularly?

May 1, 2017

Our experienced HVAC technicians can help you determine if it’s time to have your air ducts cleaned. What Air Duct Cleaning Does Air duct cleaning generally involves the use of brushes, vacuums, and cleaning agents to scrub and clean your air ducts. This will remove dust, pollen, and other debris in your home. Air duct cleaning has long been understood to help increase the air quality in your home by removing these pollutants. When You Should Consider Air Duct Cleaning Whatever debris that you find in your home is most likely in your air ducts as well. If you have had roaches, ants or other pests in your home, their carcasses may also in your air ducts. The carcasses and droppings can decompose and cause health problems or clog up your system. Severe rat infestations may call for a complete re-installation of your air duct system. Rats and mice tend to damage air ducts and insulation. You should also consider having a St. Louis HVAC company clean your air ducts if you have pets that shed, someone in your home smokes inside, or if you often use a real wood fireplace. Most importantly, an air duct cleaning is perhaps most...

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Do I Need a Whole House Humidifier in My St. Louis Home?

April 25, 2017

Humidifiers control moisture to increase the indoor air quality of your home. A whole house humidifier can relieve many problems associated with winter weather such as dry and itchy skin. These units add moisture to the air inside your home, and help with sinus problems that are usually aggravated by dry air. In this article, we will discuss the various options available when it comes to choosing a humidifier for your home. If you and your family are facing problems such as sore throats, chapped lips, and seasonal colds and allergies because of dry air, then you should consider installing a humidifier in your home. The central humidifiers, also known as whole house humidifiers hook up directly to your HVAC systems along with the plumbing. Here are some types of central humidifiers available in the market: Steam humidification system: It uses less water compared to other types, and is an eco-friendly system. The unit adds an equal amount of amount of moisture to the air for each gallon of water used. These systems are approved for use in homes that up to 3000 square feet. Fan powered whole house humidifiers: These systems are also approved for use in home up...

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Does Your Home Have the Right Humidity Level?

April 19, 2017

Humidity is one of the top factors that can affect the overall comfort level of a home. Moreover, it can have an impact on the efficiency of the HVAC system. It is therefore important that homeowners maintain the right humidity levels in their homes. In this post, our St. Louis HVAC technicians will explain why this is important and how it can be achieved. Why is maintaining ideal humidity levels important? Proper humidity levels are essential for the efficient working of your HVAC system. Having the ideal humidity level can ensure that your system functions in the way it is intended to – that is, it cools the air in the summers and heats it in winter. Secondly, managing ideal humidity conditions will ensure that you and your family live in a comfortable environment that is free from impure air. Without correct humidity management, residents can become susceptible to a host of respiratory diseases, allergies, and chemical reactions. Additionally, improper humidity levels can even affect the physical interior and exterior of a home. For example, too much moisture can lead to a damp environment that, over a period of time, can attract termites and other insects and could potentially damage...

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Tips to Improve Winter Indoor Air Quality – St. Louis Heating

December 17, 2016

Help your family breathe easier this winter season by improving the indoor air quality in your St. Louis home. Modern homes are sealed tighter than ever and are designed to minimize heat loss and be energy efficient. However, this also traps pollutants within the home and may create a stuffy and dry environment. In this post, our St. Louis HVAC technicians will discuss ways to improve indoor air quality in winter and help you and your family breathe easier. Tips to improve winter indoor air quality Change your filter regularly: During summer, the indoor air is likely to be cleaner, because the indoor air gets exchanged with fresh outdoor air through open doors and windows. However, in the winter, the indoor air is constantly recycled through the heating system and ductwork. This can cause some pollutants to remain inside the home. One of the simplest ways to traps these pollutants and allergens is through the HVAC filter. This makes it very important to have the filter changed every four to six weeks during the heating season. Control humidity: High humidity levels can cause conditions that promote mold growth. If the humidity levels are too low, it can make you and...

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Solution to Humidity in Your Home: Energy Recovery Ventilators

August 31, 2016

An energy recovery ventilator can increase the comfort level of your home and improve air quality. As the temperatures in St. Louis continue to rise, even into September, so does the humidity. That can affect the inside of your home as well. This may be the perfect time to talk with your trusted HVAC company about installing an ERV, Energy Recovery Ventilator, system with your existing heating and cooling units. How an ERV Works As our homes are increasingly becoming tighter due to an effort to make our homes more energy-efficient, new problems start to arise. Indoor air quality can be compromised as the same stale air is constantly being recycled through the house. Higher humidity levels may become an issue as you have basically created an airtight environment with levels that fluctuate drastically and far from the 40% ideal range. Adding an ERV, or energy recovery ventilation, system to your homes HVAC system can take care of both of these issues. They are able to exchange the stale air with fresh, conditioning it first to match the indoor temperature of the house. In the summer the system is pre-cooling and dehumidify outside air as it is being brought into...

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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 an Air Conditioning System Improves Indoor Air Quality

March 26, 2015

The role of an air conditioning system is not limited to circulating cool air inside a house. The latest air conditioning systems, particularly high-efficiency systems, also help control the indoor air quality in a house. Indoor air quality combines clean air with temperature, odor, and humidity control. Indoor air quality is significant to the well-being, health, and finances of a homeowner. The following suggestions will help you to maintain fresh, clean, and healthy indoor air inside your home. Replace Air Filters Every Three Months Filters prevent pollen, dust, spores, and other pollutants from entering the house. Replacing the filter is necessary since dirty filters reduce airflow, which affects the efficiency of the system and increases the operating expenses of the system. Dirty filters may also result in overheating of the system along with other issues that can permanently damage the system. Verify the recommendation of the original equipment manufacturer for proper scheduling. Install a System with a High SEER Rating To ensure good air quality inside the house, a longer air circulation period is required to allow air to continuously flow through the filter. High efficiency systems use low power at extended periods of time. They also ensure continuous air flow inside the house while enhancing both...

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How Clean Is the Air Inside Your Home?

February 6, 2015

With so much focus on energy efficiency, indoor air quality is at times overlooked. Poor indoor air quality can lead to different types of illness and painful side effects. So how do you find that happy medium where your HVAC system and home are energy efficient, but the air quality is clean? How to Recognize Poor Air Quality in Your Home You can not see the micro-organisms floating around in the air that you breathe, but there are other signs that let you know when they are there: Condensation build-up on the inside of your windows, in the walls, and on appliances and fixtures. Mold growth under sinks or in the bathroom. Heating and cooling equipment that has become overridden with scaling. A sense of stuffiness when you enter your home. Physical Symptoms of Poor Indoor Air Quality All of these signs are pointing to a house that has become rampant with dust and mold spores that are continuously being recycled into your breathing air. Before long, you and your family may begin to feel physical symptoms including: persistent and unexplained headaches frequent sinus infections frequent lung infections like bronchitis or even pneumonia unexplained coughing or difficulty in breathing If it seems as if someone in your home is...

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How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

June 3, 2014

There has been growing concerns over indoor air quality in the last few years. The concern is for the indoor air quality in our homes and offices. As energy concerns have pushed homeowners to make their houses airtight, they have created an indoor environment perfectly suited for contaminants and known allergens to grow and thrive. Qualified HVAC technicians offer some much-needed advice on ways you can cut down on the pollutants that are floating around inside your own home. Clean and Dust Free Keeping your home clean and dust-free is one of the easiest ways to help cut down on respiratory irritants in the air. When your vents blow air into the room, the air will be disturbed and any build-up of dust will be added to the circulating air. The particles next pass through your ductwork and those dust particles and any contaminants they contain are now part of the indoor air you breathe. You should always try and clean with the blower fan off and make vacuuming the last step of the process. Use vacuum filter bags that are designed for allergen reduction and do not forget to use it on upholstery and window dressings. Cleaning regularly will help cut down on the particles in your...

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Improving the Internal Air Quality In Your Home

May 6, 2014

We spend a large part of our day indoors, so it is important that we ensure that the air inside our homes is free from all allergens. Poor internal air quality can cause several health problems ranging from skin irritation, to severe respiratory problems such as asthma. The problem is that homeowners tend to underestimate the level of pollution inside their home. The fact is that dust, pet dander, pollen, and other pollutants can adversely affect the internal air quality and lead to a lot of health problems. The First Line of Defense The air filters in your HVAC system act as the first line of defense against air pollutants, however, it may not suffice if the level of pollution is reasonably high. In such cases, it is worthwhile to invest in an air purifier to keep the pollution under check. Before we proceed to understand how an air purifier can benefit your home, it is important that we have a look at the main source of pollutants, and how bad they are for your health and well being. Sources of Air Pollution Inside Your Home You might vacuum your home daily and keep it in a sparkling clean state,...

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