Efficiency – Page 2 – Air Handlers Inc.

How Does Rain Affect Your HVAC System?

It’s no secret that we live in a rainy environment. In fact, as we post this, the drizzle is falling in Olympia. So, how does this weather affect your heating and cooling system? Well, here’s the short answer: rain isn’t harmful to your unit. Here’s a more in-depth explanation:

Your outdoor unit is made to withstand most weather patterns.

Average seasonal rain patterns will not have a negative impact on your AC unit. In fact, some rain can help remove vegetation or debris that could otherwise remain lodged in the unit.

Your unit’s hardware is designed for durability, from the materials it is made from to the way the AC unit actually works. But the system is not at peak performance when it’s burdened with leaves, dirt, or other buildups. This means that if your area has been short on rain during the spring and/or fall months, you may want to spray the unit down with a hose. Don’t worry about getting the electrical components wet — any electrical wiring, such as those used in the condenser coil, will be insulated from wet or rainy conditions.

What about more severe weather?

Severe weather conditions, such as flash floods, are a different story. Any water that submerges the outdoor condensing unit could result in a short circuit, ultimately damaging the unit. This can also be a concern when lightning is present and poses a risk of striking the unit directly.

Storm Damage:

Even though heavy rains cannot damage your AC unit, the winds accompanied by the same rain can leave dirt, leaves, twigs, and other debris to damage the condenser fan grille. Even objects falling on your unit, such as tree branches, from the storm can cause damage. It is important to note that if there is damage on the exterior, the interior might be at risk too. Therefore, it is necessary to inspect both the exterior and interior of the unit once the storm subsides.

Flooding:

Central AC units are built to withstand different weather conditions. Although, if your area is experiencing heavy rains with floodwaters exceeding 15 inches, it is advisable to get your unit inspected by a professional contractor.

Corrosion:

Many homeowners prefer to cover their AC units for the winter if their internal parts are exposed. Avoid covering your unit with plastic wraps or garbage bags because the moisture from the condensation can stay trapped inside rusting and corroding metal parts. It is advised to use a covering that allows ventilation. Lack of ventilation or proper openings in the cover can increase the growth of mold and mildew causing further damage to the unit.

It’s good to know that you won’t have to worry about your AC unit withstanding normal weather conditions. But, when facing a more severe forecast, these simple precautions can go a long way. Of course, if you need to get your unit serviced, contact Air Handlers today!

A Special to Fall Into

It’s that time of year again! Leaves are going to start changing (if they haven’t already) and the weather will start to remain cooler. Are you ready? Air Handlers can help ensure your system is running smoothly and efficiently.

For a limited time, get up to $1,600 in rebates or low monthly financing when you finance a new system! Check our Specials page for more details.

Home Projects to Help Avoid Winter Repairs

The weather is changing and it’s time to run those heaters. Home improvement may not seem like the first thing to do, but here are a few things you should check around the house. These projects can help avoid costly repair bills later down the road and could possibly help save some money on your energy bill.

You should check your roof and chimney (if applicable) to make sure they’re clean and ready for the winter weather, clean the gutters, and more. More tips are available in this article on Real Simple’s website.

According to the article on realsimple.com, most, if not all, of these projects can be checked by you. If you’re not comfortable, of course call in a home repair professional to help. And don’t forget to call Air Handlers Inc. to have your home heating checked for this winter!

Air Conditioning Tips

Summer has been trying to leave us for some time now. However, among the few days of cool relief, we keep seeing days near or over ninety degrees. Until these days are gone to make way for Autumn weather, you should make sure your air conditioning unit is still working properly to keep your home comfortable. Here are a few common air conditioning problems to keep an eye out for:

Less/No Cool Air

Can you hear your unit working but you’re not feeling any cool air? If so, your refrigerant levels might need to be checked. Refrigerant helps make sure your air conditioner is actually cooling the air that blows out of it.

Fan Not Rotating

Your condenser fan may have burned out and need replaced. Another possible issue is humidity. It can cause more condensation to form, so you should also watch for water not draining correctly or a restricted drain.

Not Cooling Properly

A good first step is to try lowering the temperature on your thermostat. If that doesn’t work, check the air filter. A dirty air filter can cause major cooling troubles. Another possibel issue is that your air conditioner is not properly sized. This is a frequent issue when homes are constructed.

Short Cycling

Short cycling, or turning on or off repeatedly, can mean one of multiple things. Your condenser or evaporator could be dirty and in need of cleaning. After cleaning the unit and ensuring all blockages are removed, you may be good to go. Humidity also plays a part. If your home cools to the correct temperature, but then humidity causes your home to quickly heat up, it could result in your air conditioning working harder to keep your home comfortable.

If you’re facing these or other air conditioning troubles, give Air Handlers Inc a call. We can help you check your system and make sure everything is working properly.

Efficiency Tips for the Summer

Summer is pretty much here. Schools are either out or extremely close. Temperatures are rising and the days are longer. Will your home cooling system be able to keep up? Here are some good tips everyone should bear in mind for helping their cooling system work efficiently and keep their house as cool as possible.

1. Cover your windows. Blinds/curtains are your best friend when it comes to keeping the heat of these summer days out of your house. They block much of the light and keep a lot of heat out of the room. You can also hang blankets over the windows to block out the heat or put foil in the windows to reflect the sun.
2. Make sure any room fans or ceiling fans are situated to help move cool air around the house. This can help your system work less and save money without sacrificing comfort.
3. Turn off unnecessary electrical items. If you don’t need a light in a room (due to natural lighting, for instance), then leave it off. Done using that computer or television? Make sure they’re turned off. Electronics like this create heat during use.
4. Summer is a heavy use time for your cooling system. Make sure you check the filter. A clean air filter can help your system work smarter and save your money.
5. Seal those cracks! Just like in winter, it’s a good idea to make sure there isn’t any outside air seeping into your home. After all, if warm air is coming from outside, then some of that cool air is escaping, which makes your system work harder and costs money.

Another tip is proper maintenance/check-up of your system. Have a professional come and see if your cooling system is working properly, or if it needs an upgrade. Check out this video about Lennox’s Precise Comfort technology, if you’re considering or need a new cooling system:

The Importance of HVAC Maintenance

Your heating, ventilation and cooling system is integral to your comfort, whether at home or in your place of work. To ensure this comfort is sustained, you should take every necessary step to ensure that you keep your HVAC system working all year round.

The benefits are incredibly long term. If your air conditioning system is maintained it can last for ten to fifteen years, while your heating can give you twenty to twenty-five years of quality service. This means lower cost of maintenance and the absence of major costs in case of a breakdown. However, getting the best deal off your HVAC system is not an overnight thing; you have to be deliberate about it.

You shouldn’t wait for something to go wrong before you schedule a maintenance visit. Anticipating problems and nipping them in the bud is one sure way to make sure that you get the best value out of your HVAC system for years to come.

In this article, we examine how you can ensure that your HVAC delivers the best value for years and the benefits of it.

Get an expert

While there are a lot of routine maintenance tasks that you can do on your own, some will require the input of a professional. An experienced technician will be sure to check loose connections, ensure your thermostat is working well, lubricate parts, and check system controls.

Nothing beats efficiency

A well-maintained HVAC system will perform at an optimum level of efficiency. Without regular maintenance, you might still have a working system but it is delivering poor value and is severely less efficient. Your system might keep cooling or heating but the strain on its internal workings means that it is consuming much more energy to perform at that level. The end result is a massive energy bill at the end of the month that leaves you scratching your head.

Comfort

There is nothing worse than your heating system breaking down right in the middle of winter or your cooling system leaving you stranded on one of the hottest days of the year. At those times, you would give almost anything to have it up and running. The key to ensuring comfort when you need it the most is to pre-empt it and ensure that you have your heating or cooling system running smoothly as you enter the appropriate season.

Safety

Proper maintenance does not only guarantee cost-effectiveness and comfort, it can also be the difference between you and a major hazard in your home. When your heating or cooling system is not properly maintained for a long while, it can quickly lead to problems that can affect you and your home. From short-circuiting to electrocution and air poisoning, the risks are much too high to compromise on maintenance.

Spring Cleaning

Spring has come and appears to be here to stay. If you haven’t already, it’s a good time for Spring Cleaning. Dust and dirt can settle around the house, making both allergy season and your system performance worse. There are always a few tasks that seem difficult, but here are some tips to make cleaning this Spring easier. From cleaning your refrigerator’s coils to the fixtures, here are some tips to make it all a little easier for you this year.

Spring Cleaning Tips – Reader’s Digest

Spring Heating & Cooling Maintenance

The spring season brings different changes to many things, including the weather. The temperatures can swing anywhere between soothing and frigid. A sunny day might be trailed by several days of rain.

As the spring climate is unpredictable, preparing your system bodes well. Keeping up with a healthy home is more than just traditional Spring Cleaning. During winter, numerous parts of your house are dismissed or are not used as frequently as others. Getting both the interior and exterior of your home in place for spring will guarantee that you are prepared to enjoy the warmer weather.

Below are some maintenance tips you will surely find helpful this season!

Duct Cleaning

For better breathing and indoor air quality, you should hire an expert duct cleaner, usually every five to seven years. Amid an expert tune-up, an expert in HVAC can educate you on the condition of your air ducts. Talk with an expert about testing those air ducts for you.

Air Filter

Changing the air filter during this season is a good idea, as well. Your air filters ought to be replaced based on need and use, normally around thirty-to-ninety days. Always examine and inspect your air filter monthly, ensuring whether it is clean enough to continue using or if it should be replaced.

Your air filters are critical to keeping up good and quality indoor air. If the air filter is messy, the air is likely also dirty. Moreover, if the air filter is messy, it is harder for your air conditioner/cooling system to carry out its activity; bringing about poor air current, increase wear and tear, and higher energy costs.

Keep away from heat by using your windows and vents effectively.

Work your thermostat efficiently and make good use of your fans and other ventilation methods to help cool your home. Check all vents and window seals to ensure that you shield hot air from leaking into your home.

You should observe that your cooling system is efficiently running. Lighting and appliances can increase the heat inside your house, making your system work overtime and cause wear and tear. Try to limit the appliances running together, especially during peak hours.

Regulate your thermostat to a comfortable level.

This is a season to keep your home warmer than ordinary when you are away, and regulate down the thermostat setting to 68°F (approximately 20°C) just when you are at home and need cooling. A thermostat that could be programmed will make this easy to reset your temperature.

Learn how to use your thermostat to save more energy.

Refrain from setting the thermostat colder than typical when you are using air conditioner. This won’t cool your home any quicker and could bring about overcooling and other costs that are not necessary.

There you have it, a few tips to make sure your home is prepared for the pleasure this spring season has to offer.

DIY Help – Caulking Your Windows

Winter is fast ending, but that doesn’t mean we’re finished with this subject just yet. If you have checked your windows for drafts, that’s good! If not, you probably should. This isn’t just a winter problem, as drafts around seals, especially windows, can make your system run overtime any day of the year. That can mean higher bills.

Nobody wants that.

So, in addition to smart thermostat settings and an even temperature maintenance, here’s another way you can keep your system running smoothly and efficiently. Start by taking a candle and holding it around the edges of your window. This works best on windy days. The candle flame will move when you encounter a draft. This tells you that your caulking on the outside is likely old and/or cracked. This can happen easily in the summer sun, especially after some time has passed. This article on DIY Network’s website tells you what you need and how to replace the glaze and caulk around your windows.

Could Your Air Filter Help Relieve Your Allergies?

One of the home duties you should not take with levity is the health of the family members especially where allergies or asthma is noticeable. It’s unfortunate that people do not know that air inside our homes can be just as polluted as that outside.

Installing screens for windows and doors are one way people secure the health of their family members when it comes to allergies and other respiratory challenges. However, another reliable way to improve the quality of air inside your homes is by using air filters in your air conditioning system or heater. No doubt, the relationship between electrostatic filters and indoor air quality cannot be overemphasized, as the uses of electrostatic filters increase the extent to which healthy and hygienic indoor air is achieved.

Electrostatic filters serve as the perfect air filter especially for pet owners as it goes a long way to curtailing possible tiny flecks of skin shed by pets which can result in reactions in people who are specifically allergic to these triggers.

It is found appealing, as it is a safer way to acquire allergy relief. You can significantly reduce Asthma, allergy and respiratory symptoms when agents like dust, pollen, mold spores and animal dander are prohibited with the aid of the electrostatic filters.

You can increase and keep ventilation when you make use of an exhaust fan, especially in the bathroom, kitchen and when you are making use of the dishwasher. This smart action serves as a defense against moisture and indoor pollutants that may pose a threat to your home.

Getting rid of dust and pollen with a filter removes the particles causing allergy issues with your house, rather than simply adjusting your body to allergies through pills. Using the electrostatic filter is a much more natural way to help your allergy problems inexpensively.

Electrostatic air filters attract and capture tiny air particles through the use of static charges. These filters are found efficient, time- and money-saving, and helps protect and maintain not only your respiratory condition but overall well-being as well.

Using Electro filters can help reduce, if not prevent further triggers of asthma attacks, allergies, and other respiratory health conditions in your homes.

The functionality and the extent to which electrostatic filters work solely depend on maintenance and monitoring. The outcome of a regularly monitored electrostatic filter is always a quality indoor air with fresh and clean air; thus ensuring a healthy living for the entire family.

Choosing a professional HVAC company is the most important decision that could give you and your family a peace of mind as this decision will not only save you money but also prevent health risks like allergies and other respiratory issues to household members. Lastly, let the professional company check your air conditioning filter once a month to ascertain the level of reliance and effectiveness.