Setting Your Thermostat When You Go on Vacation

July 27, 2021

When you’re out of the house for an extended period of time, the topic of your home’s temperature must come into play. There are several possible pitfalls that could happen while you’re away having fun in the sun. However, allowing your home to stay at a proper temperature could save you a big headache when you return. The question is how cool should your home be while you’re lounging on the beach? There are several things you will have to consider when making your decision. So before you hit the airport, make a mental checklist of the things you want to protect in your home while you’re out on vacation. Why Cool Your Home Most people would agree that they want to save money while they are away on vacation, and some think that leaving their air conditioner off is their best option. Unfortunately, there are a few things that could go wrong with that scenario. While heat builds up in your home, there are many things at play. Speaking of money, imagine how much energy you would need to use if you leave your home for an extended period of time without the AC. Your house will sit for...

View Article

Read More

Common AC Problems in the Summer

July 12, 2021

Is your air conditioner underperforming? Below, we highlight some of the most common problems that could be affecting your AC unit. If you think your equipment is suffering from any of these issues, take a look at our solutions to get your system back to working like normal. 1. Mold and Dust in HVAC Vents Air duct cleaning is a necessary service. According to some estimates, there are 300,000 cases of asthma each year in the United States alone, which may be attributed to living in an unclean indoor environment. The NCBI reports that numerous studies have demonstrated a significant association between increasing levels of indoor pollutants and allergies, neurological impairment, cardiovascular effects, and cancer. Mold allergies are a serious, widespread health threat. Therefore, good indoor air quality should always be your highest priority. The mold that grows in the air ducts of your house is a severe risk factor for asthma and allergies for you and your family. Mold growth can be hard to locate in your ducts, but the presence of mold spores indicates that you need a professional service to come and take a look at your system. Mold growth is caused by moisture and humidity. For...

View Article

Read More

How To Prepare Air Conditioner for the Summer

June 29, 2021

In the sweltering peak hours of summertime, your family’s comfort hinges on one appliance more than anything else: your air conditioner. If your AC breaks down completely or stops producing cold air, rest and relaxation are off the table, especially for days when temperatures can reach upwards of 90 degrees. Doing a comprehensive maintenance check of your air conditioner prior to summertime is a good way to identify any minor issues that require the attention of a professional. Some of these steps will require specific tools, but most of the skill set and maneuvers involved can be done by any homeowner with limited to zero experience in HVAC systems. Without further ado, here are 10 tips to keep your AC unit in tip-top shape. 1. Buy and Install a Programmable Thermostat If you are using a standard thermostat that came with your air conditioner, you may want to upgrade to a new programmable one. As with any technology, thermostats become outdated over time. The life expectancy of most household thermostats is around 10 years. If yours is nearing its lifespan, replace it with a programmable thermostat that automatically switches the AC unit on or off, depending on your presets. Aside...

View Article

Read More

4 Ways to Reset Your Air Conditioning System

June 13, 2021

An air conditioning system is critical for productivity, safety, and comfort. One of the most frustrating experiences is when it fails to start during O’Fallon’s sweltering, muggy summer weather. There are many reasons the AC may not work, such as faulty equipment. However, sometimes you can solve the problem with a restart. In this article, we will outline how to reset your system and why it may be essential. 1. Use the Reset Button Your AC may fail to start if the compressor does not engage the electrical system. Such faults are common in digital appliances, which are prone to electrical discharges. Using the reset button could solve the problem after an outage or a sudden disconnection. Before you reset your system, ensure there is an adequate supply of power. You can determine if there is electrical energy by switching on other appliances. Once you’ve established there is power, you can restart your AC using the reset button. Some air conditioning systems have a reset switch, which is a small, red button. Typically, the button will be on the outdoor unit. If you have a problem locating it on the outdoor unit, you may find relevant details on the equipment’s...

View Article

Read More

Why Does My Air Conditioner Smell?

May 25, 2021

If you are dealing with persistent smells in your home, there is a chance that your air conditioner might be the cause. Air conditioners usually help improve your indoor air quality, but if something goes wrong, they might get stinky. It is important to identify the source of a smelly air conditioner, so you can fix the problem right away. How to Tell If Your Air Conditioner Is Smelling When you notice a weird smell around your home, the first thing you need to do is pinpoint the source of the smell. It might be tempting to assume that any strange smells are coming from an unemptied garbage can, a clogged drain, or lingering cooking odors. However, an air conditioner is actually one of the most common reasons for a smelly house. If you have cleaned up every source of a weird smell you can think of but are still getting odors, your air conditioner might be the culprit. To see if the smell is coming from your air conditioner, pay close attention to when you are smelling it. Does it only happen when the air conditioner is on? Do you get a particularly strong whiff of it when you...

View Article

Read More

Why Do Air Conditioners Freeze Up?

May 17, 2021

You’re in the middle of a heatwave when suddenly your air conditioning stops working. It can be a pretty scary moment when this happens, and there are a variety of reasons for it. Today, we’re focusing on one of the most common causes: a frozen AC. The air conditioner is one of the most essential appliances in every home. The last thing you want is for it to suddenly stop working because of freezing or damages caused by freezing. How to Check If Your AC Has Frozen A frozen air conditioning system can wreak havoc on your health and financial situation. Dealing with it can lead to serious air quality issues, which could make you very ill. If your cooling system freezes, you may need to replace the entire unit, and that can cost you thousands of dollars. Here are some warning signs to look for indicating that you have a frozen AC: You set your thermostat lower than usual, but the temperature in your home is still warmer than you’d like. Your air conditioning emits a strange noise. You notice frost on your windows and/or on the outdoor unit of your air conditioner. Ice accumulates around the cooling coils...

View Article

Read More

How Do UV Light Indoor Air Quality Products Work?

April 19, 2021

UV lamps emit UVC radiation to disinfect nonporous surfaces, air, and water. For many years, UVC radiation has been used to reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria such as tuberculosis. Thanks to their ability to kill microorganisms, these lamps are referred to as germicidal lamps. What Determines the Effectiveness of UV Lamps? The ability of a lamp to destroy microorganisms has a few limitations. For starters, for a lamp to damage the coating of viruses and the DNA of other microorganisms, the organism has to be directly exposed to the light. The lamp needs to shine on the organisms to damage their coat or their DNA. Most of these units install in the HVAC system of your home where they clean air that flows over the coils or through the ducts. The duration of exposure also determines how effectively the lamp kills microorganisms. Most of the lamps used in homes are of low dose, and they may take longer to inactivate microorganisms. As such, the air needs to circulate through the HVAC system severally for the lamp to inactivate all the microbes. The wavelength of the UV light emitted also determines the effectiveness of the lamp. Short-wavelength light (UVC)...

View Article

Read More

Are Modern Air Conditioners More Energy Efficient?

April 14, 2021

Your air conditioner is a crucial piece of equipment in your home. It regulates temperatures in your residence and keeps you cool and comfortable. However, an air conditioning system can consume a considerable amount of energy, especially if the unit is old and inefficient. In recent years, manufacturers have been working to optimize the efficiency of AC units. Here are some of the ways modern air conditioners are more efficient than their traditional counterparts. Modern Air Conditioners and Energy Efficiency Ratings SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. It quantifies the amount of energy your AC unit uses to cool your house. The higher the rating, the less energy your air conditioner is likely to consume. Even though they are often more expensive than older models, you can save by reducing your energy bills. The EPA minimum standard for a cooling system in Missouri is a 13 SEER rating. However, the number can go up to 25. The most energy-efficient systems today can attain ratings of 20 or more. Most homes still have cooling systems with a SEER rating of 10 or less. As the system ages, its efficiency goes down considerably. If your AC unit is older than a...

View Article

Read More

What Are Ways I Can Conserve Energy?

March 17, 2021

For many people, their gas and electric bills are some of the highest bills they pay. This can leave less money for other more enjoyable pursuits. Plus, excess energy use leads to excess carbon emissions, which can reduce the quality of the air in O’Fallon. If you want to take control of your energy usage, the good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to lower your energy usage and your utility bills. Here are a few tips from to help provide some inspiration. Turn Lights Off When You Can Turning unused lights off is one of the simplest ways to save energy in your home. Some people worry that the initial start-up energy required to illuminate a light will undo any benefits of turning lights off when you leave a room. However, this theory has been proven to be false. Therefore, get in the habit of flipping the switch when you leave the room. For exterior lights, make sure they are on timers or utilize light sensors so that the lights aren’t on when they aren’t needed. Switch to LED Bulbs If you haven’t already, recommends switching to LED bulbs. Compared to incandescent and fluorescent...

View Article

Read More

How Efficient is Geothermal Heating?

March 10, 2021

Heating your home during the cold O’Fallon winters can often come at a pretty steep price in terms of your utility bill. On especially cold days, it can seem like your furnace never stops running, using lots of electricity or natural gas in the process. While it’s important to keep your home warm during the winter for the comfort of your family and the safety of your plumbing pipes, doing so doesn’t have to be expensive or inefficient. In fact, one option, geothermal heating, provides exceptional efficiencies to the point that you’ll wonder why you ever heated your home any other way. At , we’re proud to be able to install these exceptional systems, and we want to tell you more about them to see if one could be right for you. What Is a Geothermal Heating System? A geothermal heating system is a high-efficiency heating and cooling system. The system uses a series of pipes buried under the ground that is filled with refrigerant to transfer energy from under the ground to the interior of your home. Inside your home, a geothermal system has a unit that changes the temperature of the refrigerant to thereby change its pressure to...

View Article

Read More