How Ductless Air Conditioners Work

April 19, 2022

All About How Ductless Air Conditioners Work When it comes to keeping your home cool over the summer, the common approaches are central air conditioners and window unit air conditioners. Discover how the increasingly popular ductless air conditioner works and the benefits it’ll bring compared to the traditional options. Major Parts of an Air Conditioner Both central air and ductless air conditioners share the same primary components. There is the indoor unit that contains the evaporator coil. This is where the refrigerant gets cold enough to absorb the heat from the air inside. Then, there’s the outside condensing unit. This contains the condensing coil and the air conditioning compressor. It’s the outside unit that vents the heat absorbed from inside your home to the air outside. Finally, there’s the control unit for the air conditioner. A central air conditioner uses a thermostat to control the unit. A ductless system uses an on-board thermostat combined with a remote control. If you get an advanced system, you may have a control app for your smartphone. The Difference Between Central Air and Ductless AC If both systems operate by absorbing heat from inside your home and transferring it outside, how do they differ?...

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Does sleeping With the Windows Open Save Energy?

April 14, 2022

Can I Save Energy by Sleeping With the Windows Open? As the summer months fade into fall in O’Fallon, Missouri, the temperatures drop, and the wind picks up. In the evening and at night, it can be downright cool outside. The summer in Missouri is hot, so your air conditioner is running every day. It is expensive, so you might be looking for a way to reduce your energy expenditure now that the temperatures are getting cooler. Some people have considered the option to run the air conditioner during the day when the weather is the hottest outside and then open the windows at night to cool the home. There are definite health benefits to opening your windows and letting fresh air in your home from time to time. If you are strategic about when you open your windows during the summer and early fall, you might be able to save some money on your utility bills. However, there is no 100% guarantee that opening your windows at night instead of using your AC will lower your energy bills. There are several scenarios in which letting the outside air into your home in the evening will increase your energy bill....

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6 Ways To Assess Your New Home’s Heating and Cooling Systems

March 16, 2022

When you purchase a home, there’s always a little uncertainty about what you’re getting, especially if it’s not a new construction. At the top of that list of things that could go wrong are typically the roof and the heating and cooling system. The roof is normally included in the pre-purchase inspection, but the HVAC system may not get that much attention. Given that, consider these six ways to assess the condition of your new home’s heating and cooling system. 1. Review Your System’s Service Life When it comes to evaluating your new home’s HVAC system, you can get a good sense of where it’s at by assessing its current age. The average air conditioner will serve your home for about 10 to 15 years while a furnace may last 15 to 20 years, both with proper maintenance. If you don’t have the paperwork from when your system’s components were installed, you can easily find it on the unit itself. The easiest one to find is the air conditioner. There should be a nameplate on the unit’s housing, which will include the date that it was manufactured. The furnace can be a bit more tricky because you’ll be looking for...

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6 Reasons for Hiring Licensed HVAC Professionals

March 2, 2022

HVAC refers to systems that transport cooled or heated air throughout a home or commercial property to maintain comfortable temperatures for the occupants. An HVAC contractor’s work is to install, maintain, repair, regulate, and upgrade these climate control systems so that the residents can enjoy acceptable air quality and thermal comfort. Cooling and heating tasks aren’t DIY tasks, so it’s important to work with a licensed HVAC professional to make sure everything gets done right. If you have a furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, or air ducts needing repair, maintenance, or installation, you need to call in an experienced contractor to help you with the task at hand. Saving money is important for homeowners and business owners. So, there’s always the temptation to handle the tasks yourself or engage the cheapest contractor to save some cash. However, you might end up with regrets and losses later if that individual doesn’t install, fix, or upgrade the unit the right way. Here are more reasons to hire a licensed contractor for all of your cooling and heating needs. 1. Skills and Tools Licensed HVAC professionals have something you don’t have: training in HVAC care and maintenance and years of experience. The many...

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5 Times to Install a New Air Conditioner

February 17, 2022

Most people begin to think of their air conditioning unit when the temperature rises. If your unit needs replacement, getting a new one at the beginning of the heating season will cost more. Note that most HVAC technicians are usually busy attending to emergency calls in the summer. During this time, air conditioner prices also skyrocket due to the high demand. So, if you want to enjoy a quick replacement, consider getting a new unit during the off-season. The key to getting a great deal is targeting the opposite of the market. Note that AC companies tend to lower the prices when fewer buyers are in the market. You will save both money and time if you choose to buy a new air conditioner when there is less demand for one. However, people have different needs, so we cannot all replace our units at one time. If you want a seamless experience, these are the best times to install a new AC. 1. During Spring One good time to buy a new AC is during spring, especially when the central air conditioning unit will require professional installation. There are fewer buyers in the market in the spring, so you will...

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9 Tips to Extend the Life Expectancy of your Furnace

February 3, 2022

Your furnace is one of the most important pieces of equipment in your home. It keeps you warm all winter long, and if it breaks down, you’re in for a cold winter. That’s why it’s important to take care of your furnace and make sure that it lasts as long as possible. Here are nine tips to help you do just that. 1. Change the Filter Filters should be changed every month or so for maximum efficiency. Changing filters can help keep dust particles out, which will help with air quality and prevent wear on the motor and other internal components. However, a few key factors determine how often you should change your filters. The first consideration is size. The size of a filter impacts how often it should be replaced. For example, if you have a 4-inch filter, you may go six months without changing it. If you have a 1-inch filter though, you should change it at least once every month or two. The type of filter also makes a difference. This includes standard fiberglass, pleated, HEPA, or electrostatic. Depending on what type of filter you have, check the manufacturer’s instructions for changing it. Another factor to consider...

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Heat Pump or Furnace? Choosing Wisely for Your Home

January 18, 2022

Deciding on a new heating appliance for your household isn’t something you can rush into. You have to choose the right installation experts, select a heating unit that’s the right size, and evaluate the efficiency needs of your home. On top of all that, you also have to ensure that you’re selecting the right type of heating system for your specific situation. You may not realize this, but heat pumps and furnaces have quite a few major differences. Some of these differences are minor, such as the amount of noise each appliance makes, but some of them are far more significant. Selecting the right type of heater can have a major effect on your finances as well as your home comfort and lifestyle. Different Heating Principles The major difference between heat pumps and furnaces comes down to the method of heating they use, and this difference is the root of several other differentiators as well. As you may be aware, there are two primary types of furnaces: gas-burning and electric. Electric furnaces warm your house by constantly blowing air over a hot element. Gas-burning furnaces, on the other hand, utilize a combustion process in which they burn their fuel, which...

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Learn More About Your Furnace

January 4, 2022

If you own a house or an apartment, you need to understand how your furnace works. There are many benefits to knowing a little bit about your furnace, including having a better understanding of when something might be wrong and what might need to be fixed. You’ll also be able to get a better sense of who you should trust to work on your heating system and what you can expect when it’s time to buy a new unit. There are many parts to a furnace and the overall system that your furnace runs on. If you’re not entirely certain of what you should expect when you get a furnace or what you need to know, don’t worry because you’re not alone. Most people simply turn on their thermostats when their homes begin to get a little chilly, but you can learn pretty quickly about your heating system when you talk to us about your furnace. The Three Types of Furnaces There are three basic types of furnaces when it comes to how they’re powered. Some use natural gasoline that you pay for through the city or another energy provider. Then, there’s also a way to fuel your furnace with...

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How Do You Know What Size Furnace You Need?

December 20, 2021

Unfortunately, furnaces don’t last forever but have an expected service life of usually between 15 and 20 years. While it’s disappointing that you will have to reinvest in your furnace, at least it’s something you can plan to happen. When it is time to replace your furnace, you want to make sure you get the right size for your home. Here’s some information on why size matters and the variables to consider. Understanding Furnace Sizes The very first part of learning about furnaces is understanding how they are sized. When thinking about most HVAC systems, the size is measured in terms of BTUs, which stands for British Thermal Units. One BTU is the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. Commonly seen among furnaces is also the use of the term tonnes, such as 10.5 or 11.3 tonnes. This is simply another way of referring to BTUs, with one tonne equaling 12,000 BTUs. So if you need a furnace that produces 92,000 BTUs, that’ll be about 7.7 tonnes. Why Does Furnace Size Matter? A furnace that produces more BTUs produces more heat at once, which may seem advantageous. Common logic would say that...

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Top Reasons Why Your Furnace Is Blowing Cold Air

December 6, 2021

It can be frustrating when your furnace is blowing only cold air in winter. Several factors may force your heating system to generate insufficient heat. Here are some tips for troubleshooting your furnace. Problems With the Thermostat If your furnace is blowing cold air, the problem could be incorrect thermostat configurations. So start by checking the settings on your thermostat. Ensure it is on “AUTO” mode and not “ON.” Some systems can run efficiently on the “ON” mode. But for most conventional furnaces, it will only make the furnace run continuously. Your furnace will heat your home insufficiently, and critical components will deteriorate faster. You may have a defective or incompatible thermostat. As the center of heating regulation, an incompatible device may not work correctly with your HVAC system controls. But before getting a new thermostat, change the batteries on the device. Also, consider the placement of your thermostat. When the device is in direct sunlight, the heat modifies the temperature readings. Since the device assumes that the room is warm enough, the furnace will produce air that feels cold. Air Leaks in the Ductwork or Around the Building Your furnace may fail to heat your home because of air...

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