The air inside your home is not as clean as you may think. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside homes and other buildings can be more polluted than the air outside. There are many things that can contribute to poor indoor air quality, such as smoke, mold, dust mites, and pet dander. The good news is that there are some simple things you can do to improve the air quality in your home and enjoy a healthier environment. 1. Invest in an Air Purifier Air purifiers work by trapping harmful airborne particles, such as allergens and smoke and removing them from the air. This can help reduce various respiratory problems, such as asthma and allergies. Additionally, air purifiers can also remove harmful chemicals and pollutants from the air, providing a cleaner and healthier breathing environment. An air purifier can also extend the life of your furniture and reduce household dust levels. When purchasing an air purifier, it is important to look for one with a high clean air delivery rate (CADR). The higher the CADR, the more effective the purifier is at filtering the air. 2. Change Your AC Filter Regularly You might not often think about...
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Energy costs can make up a significant portion of your monthly bills. This is particularly true during the summer season when many people run their air conditioners frequently. Whether you are in need of a new cooling unit or are looking for a way to save money, you may be wondering if a window unit or whole-home HVAC system is a better option. This depends on a number of factors. Let’s take a look at those factors so that you can make the best decision according to your home’s needs. How Much Will You Pay for a New System? When deciding between a window unit or an HVAC system, one of the most important factors to look at is the amount you need to pay upfront. On average, a window air conditioning unit ranges in price from around $250 to $1,000. According to the most recent statistics, a new central AC system will cost between $3,800 and $7,400, with the national average sitting at about $5,600. You also have to factor in installation fees. Most homeowners can install a window unit on their own in as little as 30 minutes. A central AC, on the other hand, requires professional installation,...
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Your HVAC system is one of the most crucial aspects of your home. During summer, your air conditioner keeps you and your loved ones cool and helps eliminate the humidity that encourages mold growth in your home. During winter, your heater protects you against freezing temperatures. But if you have a bigger home that relies on one central cooling or heating unit, cooling or heating your home can become a difficult task for your HVAC system. As you consider adding another unit to your home, you may find yourself wondering if you should choose HVAC zoning or two systems. Both approaches have their pros and cons, and which one is the best for you depends on your unique situation. If you’re unsure which HVAC system you need, is here to help. Consider your heating and cooling needs and compare HVAC zoning with installing two systems using the guide below. What’s HVAC Zoning? HVAC zoning refers to the practice of dividing your heating and cooling system so it cools and heats different areas of your home. This practice allows you to set cooling and heating conditions independently for each zoned area in your home. A zoned HVAC system leads to better...
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You rely on your furnace or air conditioner to keep your Oak Harbor home comfortable. When there is a problem, most people immediately suspect that the heating or cooling equipment is the culprit. The experienced technicians at are more than happy to handle your AC or furnace repair needs. However, there is another component of comfort systems that homeowners often forget. A network of ducts carries the warm air from your furnace to the vents scattered throughout your house. If there is a problem with your ductwork, it can impact your home comfort and climate system efficiency. Dusty Vents If you notice excess dust around your vents, it may point to leaky ductwork. In a well-functioning system, filters will remove a good portion of the dust, hair and other impurities floating around your air. Dusty vents may point to impurities getting into the system after passing through the air filters. Holes or cracks in your ductwork may be the problem. Lingering Allergies You may not see the dust, pollen and dander around your vents, but sensitive household members may experience allergy symptoms if the air is not clean. If one of your loved ones has cold symptoms that never seem...
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There have been inventions in the history of mankind that have been game-changers of their era. The invention of the air conditioner in the early 20th century was one such invention. What started as a customized engineering solution for a local paper mill led to the invention of one of the most influential products of the century. The inventor of the air conditioner was Willis Carrier, who didn’t stop at just inventing the air conditioner but made it into one the most successful products of its time. The Genius of Carrier Willis Carrier was born in Angola, NY, in 1876. He attended Cornell University on scholarship, graduating with a mechanical engineering degree. Carrier was always passionate about mathematics and experimental engineering. After graduation, he was hired by Buffalo Forge, an engineering firm in the state of New York. In 1902, a local paper printing press approached Buffalo Forge for a solution to the inconsistency in the printing of their paper machines. The ink would not stick to the paper properly because of the high temperature and humidity at the printing press. The task of finding a solution to this problem was given to Carrier by his employers. Carrier developed a...
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There’s a reason utility companies put additives in natural gas to ensure you can’t miss its pungent odor: gas leaks can be quite dangerous. A gas furnace is a common source of gas leaks in an Oak Harbor home, meaning that you need to be vigilant when it comes to this piece of equipment. When you smell gas from your furnace, though, it’s not necessarily a cause for concern. To learn more about when you should take action, check out this troubleshooting guide from . How a Gas Furnace Works When your thermostat senses that your home has dropped below a certain temperature, it sends an electrical signal to a relay in your furnace. This starts the draft inducer in your furnace’s flue pipe to remove unburned gas and any carbon monoxide that the system releases. Once the draft inducer is operating, the system opens the flow of gas to the burner so that the pilot light can light the burner. Then, the blower motor turns the blower fan to pull air through the furnace, heating the air in the process. If this process occurs out of sequence, you could experience problems with your furnace. Common Furnace Problems A problem...
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If you’ve noticed more dust in your Oak Harbor, WA, home, you might be wondering if it’s time to schedule air duct cleaning. Dirty air ducts reduce heating and cooling system efficiency and make it more difficult to breathe. Use these tips to schedule duct cleaning so that you can enjoy clean indoor air. General Air Duct Cleaning Recommendations For most households, professional duct cleaning every three to five years is a wise plan. If your air ducts get filled with debris more frequently than this, there could be some other issue with your heating and cooling system, such as a gap, failed seal or dirty filter. A good way to keep track of the condition of the air ducts is to clean the vent covers once a month. Wipe down the vent covers with a damp microfiber cloth. If you see a lot of buildup in the wall opening, use the vacuum cleaner’s extension hose to remove it. If you can see a lot of buildup in the ducts within a few months, you should have the ducts professionally inspected and cleaned. Circumstances That Warrant More Frequent Air Duct Cleaning While three to five years between professional duct cleaning...
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Roughly 90% of American homes are outfitted with heating, cooling, and ventilation systems. Despite how common residential central air systems are, many people perpetuate myths about heating and cooling. Interested in uncovering the truth behind what you’ve heard? Look no further! This short guide will shine a light on several oh-so-common air conditioning and heating myths you may have come across. 1. Ceiling and Box Fans Reduce Indoor Temperature You’d be hard-pressed to find a home without at least one fan. These devices use electric power to spin fan blades, circulating air in the process. Box and ceiling fans both use the same power conversion processes to move air around. Ceiling fans also serve a decorative purpose for homeowners. Most people have heard that fans make indoor spaces cooler. You’ve probably deduced this “fact” on your own. While fans can make you feel cooler, they don’t lower the temperature indoors. If anything, due to the release of energy by fans, they make indoor spaces hotter. In actuality, however, this effect is negligible. As you know, your body sweats to release heat. Evaporation is responsible for transferring heat from your body to your immediate environment. Water’s rate of evaporation increases as...
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Although there are plenty of perks to owning a larger home, one of the downsides is that it costs more to keep it comfortable. Whether you’re running your furnace or your air conditioner in Oak Harbor, the amount of energy it takes to maintain the perfect temperature can leave you with less money to spend on things you actually want to buy. The good news is that there is a way to keep your Oak Harbor home comfortable while saving significant amounts of energy and money. That great solution is a zoned HVAC system. What Is a Zoned HVAC System? A zoned HVAC system essentially exists to take advantage of the fact that you don’t use all areas of your home equally. While there are some areas, such as the kitchen, living room, bedrooms and bathrooms, that are used frequently, there are other areas that aren’t used that often. A zoned system, then, seeks to split up these areas into two or more sections that can be heated and cooled separately from each other. Literally, HVAC zones in a home are separate HVAC systems from that can be controlled independently to allow you to fine-tune the comfort of your home....
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Most people know what an air conditioner compressor is. After all, because it sits outside, your compressor is one of your Oak Harbor home HVAC system’s most visible components. At the same time, very few people actually understand what an air conditioner compressor does. Understanding the functions of your compressor will help to shed light on the operation of your air conditioner as a whole and also make sense of any problems you may be experiencing with the compressor. A Word on Refrigerants The reason a compressor is needed at all is because of how an air conditioner works to cool your house. An air conditioner uses a refrigerant, most commonly a gas called R-410A, to remove heat from your home and expel it into the outside air. In order to perform this heat exchange, though, the temperature of the refrigerant has to be changed. In a closed system, the easiest way to change the temperature of a gas is to change the pressure of the gas. That’s what the compressor does. Changing Temperatures and Forms As its name suggests, the compressor compresses the refrigerant, which causes it to become superheated. This superheated refrigerant is hotter than the outside air...
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