Author: Dave

Not that long ago, I got it in my head that I should adopt another dog. I saw this one online that just pulled at my heart, and it made me take a trip to the animal shelter in my city. I really don’t like to go to the animal shelter because I usually end up walking out in tears unless I take the dog with me. I have an additional problem in that I already have a dog and she does not necessarily get along with other dogs. She is very picky about her friends. I went there anyway and Walked along the road looking at my potential best friends. That is when I noticed something. The last time I went to the animal shelter 2 years ago, it was extremely hot there. this time, though, it was nice and cool. I said something to one of the employees about it and that is when I learned that the animal shelter recently got a brand new HVAC system. They have all kinds of modern HVAC technology put into place. They have heating and cooling for both the employees and the animals. They have half of their building set up as a Zone in HVAC with a Zone control so they don’t have to have the same thermostat settings all over the building. They have Ultra Modern thermostat systems. They have absolutely no smell in there, and I discovered that is because of the AC filters and filtering system that provide good indoor air quality for all.The place is so much nicer than it used to be.

hvac tune-up

If you are building a house one of the things you are going to have to decide on is what kind of HVAC technology you are going to employ in your new building.

I really had no idea how far HVAC technology has come over the years until just recently.

I have now learned, however, that heating and cooling technology improves and changes over the years just like all other kinds of Technology. When my brother decided to sell his house and build one to his own specifications, I started learning about all the different Heating and Cooling options he could get. That’s because he told me all about it. Anyway, you can now get smart thermostats, whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers, High Velocity HVAC systems, mini split heating and cooling units, heated flooring, sensors on your air conditioning vents, different kinds of duct work, HVAC with Zone control, and all kinds of heating and cooling decisions can be made through your cell phone. Personally, I find all these Heating and Cooling options a little overwhelming, but I do absolutely love the idea of having heated floors. Heated flooring seems like it just makes good sense and I wonder why all of us don’t have it automatically. You know how Central Heating and Cooling is pretty much standard in most houses nowadays, right? Well, I wonder why it’s not the same with heated floors. It seems like it should be the building standard. Anyway, I don’t envy my brother having to decide among all those HVAC choices, but I’m sure he will do just fine.

air conditioning repair

Whether the air conditioner is blasting at maximum capacity, battling temperatures in the upper eighties, or sitting idle over the winter, there is the potential for problems. Wear and tear can cause broken parts or loosened connections. The accumulation of dust and growth of mold, algae and bacteria restricts airflow, causes difficulties for moving parts and gradually diminishes performances. The reduced output of cool air requires the system to run more often and longer and puts more strain on components. There’s the potential of contaminated air quality, increased energy consumption and even system failure. The best way to improve and protect system operation is through preventive maintenance. Rather than react to problems, it’s better to take proactive strategies to avoid them. Once-per-year upkeep fulfills the warranty requirements and corrects potential issues before they lead to disruption. It’s best to schedule service during the spring, before the air conditioner is necessary. A technician completes a thorough inspection, cleaning, adjustment and testing. The process doesn’t take all that long or create any mess and yet makes a huge difference in the cost of operation and ownership. The air conditioner can be expected to require fewer repairs and last longer. Many HVAC companies offer maintenance contracts with extra perks. Enrolling in a service agreement sometimes includes priority scheduly, discounts on parts and labor and no extra fees for overtime emergency repairs. A record of maintenance is necessary to validate warranty coverage. If there is a repair, the parts are paid for by the manufacturer’s warranty. The maintenance agreement adds up to peace of mind for home and business owners.

boiler installation

It wasn’t that long ago that furnaces were single stage models. The heating system was only able to operate at maximum capacity. The furnace would kick in and blast at full speed until reaching the temperature setting on the thermostat. At that point, the furnace would shut down completely. The repetitive on and off cycling caused indoor temperature fluctuations, wear and tear on components and excessive energy consumption. Eventually, the industry developed multi-stage furnaces. These heating systems were able to operate at low and high speed. This improvement helped to maintain a more consistent temperature and increase energy efficiency. Today, there are furnaces featuring adaptable-speed technology. The smart technology enables the furnace to automatically adjust output to match the exact requirements of the home. The advanced engineering provides adjustments in tiny one percent increments anywhere between forty and one hundred percent capacity. Very rarely does the furnace need to operate at full capacity. Other than starting up the heater for the first time when the outdoor suddenly drops, it can operate at a lower capacity. Running more often at lower speeds, the furnace uses less energy and deals with less strain. It doesn’t cause as many issues with overly dry air. Modern furnaces offer the added benefits of wireless technology. With the addition of a smart thermostat, the system can be adjusted remotely from a laptop, tablet or smartphone. An independent thermostat in each room provides for zone control. Targeting individual rooms significantly increases energy saving potential, trims running costs and improves comfort. There is less impact on the environment.

ductwork sealing

In areas with extremely cold winters and hot and humid summers, heating and cooling accounts for about fifty percent of household energy consumption.

The cost of temperature control has a big impact on the budget.

Reducing the workload of the furnace and air conditioner is a priority. Preventing leaks around windows and doors is essential. Attic insulation can go a long way in reducing heat gain and loss. Another energy saving opportunity is ceiling fans. There is a wide variety of sizes, styles and price ranges of ceiling fans available to match preferences and decor. They offer light, improve aesthetics and assist with comfort. Installation isn’t difficult. The upgrade to a ceiling fan is a do-it-yourself project. While many homeowners are aware that a ceiling fan works to combat the summer heat, they might not realize they are also beneficial in the winter. Changing the direction of the rotation of the blades is just as effective as in keeping the home warm and reducing demands on the furnace. In the summer, the ceiling fan needs to spin counter-clockwise to draw warm air up toward the ceiling and push cool air down. In the winter, the fan should rotate clockwise. This direction creates an updraft. It pulls cold air up and pushes the warmer air toward the floor. This is especially helpful because heat naturally tends to rise. The fan movement allows comfort at a lower thermostat setting, saving money on heating bills. The reduced operational costs help to cover the investment into ceiling fans. A combination of energy saving measures elevate the efficiency, value and enjoyment of the home.
a/c care

The heat pump costs less to operate than a gas furnace and works to trim household energy consumption and expense.

The majority of homes are heated by way of a forced air furnace. In most cases, the furnace is partnered with a conventional air conditioner to include cooling capacity. However, there are benefits to choosing an electric heat pump instead. Although the initial purchase and set up of the heat pump is higher than an air conditioner, it offers greater potential for cost savings. While an air conditioner only provides cooling, a heat pump combines both heating and cooling capabilities. During warmer weather months, the heat pump performs similarly to an air conditioner. It absorbs heat out of the indoor air and uses refrigerant to convey it outside. Modern heat pumps are especially effective at dehumidifying and can help to lower cooling costs. As the weather cools off, an air conditioner simply sits idle. A heat pump actually reverses the flow of refrigerant and takes advantage of ambient heat available in the outdoor air. It compressors this heat to a higher temperature and uses it to heat the home. This process avoids the burning of fossil fuels. It eliminates combustion and the harmful side-effects such as carbon monoxide. Because the heat pump doesn’t generate greenhouse gasses, it is especially environmentally friendly. The heat pump costs less to operate than a gas furnace and works to trim household energy consumption and expense. While modern heat pumps are quite powerful, they tend to struggle to keep up with demand when the outdoor temperature drops well below freezing. The furnace works as a backup system, automatically cycling on and taking over for as long as necessary. The combination of a forced air gas furnace and an electric heat pump is called a dual fuel or a hybrid system.

furnace

It is a horrible blizzard outside right now.

I can’t see a thing.

I usually just look out the window, see my beautiful truck that is within 15 feet and it’s gone. Well, it’s not gone but the blizzard is so bad right now that you can’t really see anything at all. The power for our house just went out and my family and I are waiting it out, thinking it can come back on at any moment but my wife told me that her phone says it will be several hours until anyone is able to do any repairs. There are outages everywhere and I know they won’t start doing repairs until this blizzard is over. So our electric heater is also down. This isn’t good because I can see this house dropping to dangerous temperatures in less than a few hours. We do have this old fireplace which I turn on once in a while. I say once in a while, but in all actuality, it’s probably been 5 years. I had it cleaned out about 3 years ago thinking we would be getting more use out of it but it hasn’t been used at all. I’m a little nervous to start it up but first I have to grab firewood from the other side of the shed, the shed I can’t see currently. I know in order for our safety I have to get outside and at least grab a few logs. We will need it started for however long so I guess I have to suck it up and grab some wood and start the fireplace until our HVAC system is up and running again.

hvac professional

I hate working at this factory.

It’s got great benefits, the pay is fantastic and the people are good to work with.

The problem I have with it is the lack of air conditioning when we are working. I get it, we have lots of deliveries so the doors are open all the time to drop things off or send things out. It’s part of the job and there really isn’t anywhere to escape the heat. There is a spot though and the frustrating thing is that upper management doesn’t spend the extra dollar bills to increase the comfort. That area is the breakroom. How can management not put some sort of air conditioning system in there? It’s crazy to think that we have a spot where we can relax, get out of the heat and prepare for the next several hours again in the warmth. But nope, they don’t see it as an issue apparently. The winters aren’t bad but the summers are just outrageous and it will definitely help if they called up the HVAC company to send out one of their cooling technicians just to provide a quote or whatever. Show us that you care about your employees. I currently don’t see it and I know that many other people that I work with feel the same way. Five days a week with one Saturday a month dealing with this heat. The company makes a ton of money during the summer because that is when we are busiest. They should take a little of that money and help us a little more. I’m already well compensated, but just a little air conditioning could help go a long way.

 

air conditioning provider

I hate how I just let things go until it’s too late.

• I always just do my thing, let things slip my mind, and worry about it when the time comes.

Well, that happened again right now during the worst part of winter. I knew the heating system was acting up back in late October but didn’t want to call the HVAC company. I just figured I could make it through one more winter and all will be golden. Well, it isn’t and now I am lacking heat and I procrastinated so hard on getting my heating system looked at. It probably would’ve been a cheap fix and now it might be disastrous. I called them just a few minutes ago and guess, they are busy! Now I either get them in the morning or they may show up in the middle of the night. I told them I’d call them back so I’m just sitting here feeling the house slowly getting colder and colder. I really don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night. Also, they may not show up in the window slot they give me so I could be up much longer than I would like. There is the possibility of me falling back asleep when the HVAC expert shows up and I miss the scheduled appointment. I really hope this is a small HVAC maintenance job and that the heating tech is only at my place for like a half hour and is gone. I need to be better about not procrastinating because someday it will be something far more important.

 

a/c installation

A new unit is expensive, but it was an investment for my home

It’s always good to know when it’s time to replace an appliance. Proper service and care can increase the lifespan of an appliance. But, like everything, wear and tear means you must replace it at some point. This past spring, I had to buy a new phone. See, I’d been using the same phone for a decade. I don’t need much from a phone apart from calls, texts, a bit of internet, and maybe pictures. They don’t have to be the best images, just nice memories with my family. That’s why I had the same phone for close to a decade without having any issues. However, this past spring, the phone started acting up. I’d try to make a call, but the other person wouldn’t hear me. So, it was time for a replacement. The same thing happened to the HVAC system in our home. I’d had that HVAC system installed about 18 years ago, and it served us well. However, I’d had to contact the HVAC business for repair several times. During late spring, it got warmer, so we had to use the cooling system. It worked, but not so well, such that the house still felt warm. I had to think long and hard before paying for HVAC repair. I spoke with a HVAC specialist and we decided a replacement was the best option. A new unit is expensive, but it was an investment for my home. The HVAC specialist carried out the HVAC replacement and we all noticed the change in our indoor conditioning. It truly was time to replace the aging HVAC system.
electric furnace