Indoor Air Quality and You

     Air is absolutely essential for life. The problem is that the purity of the air is not assured. Outdoor air pollution is pretty obvious, but indoor pollution is not always so readily noticed. The impurities found in homes can build to levels that have a direct effect on our health and quality of life. One report from 2007,  based on independent testing of the air in 10,000 American homes across the country, that 96% had a least one type of indoor air quality or IAQ.
     What does this mean to you? When allergy problems send people to the doctor, invariably the patient asks about about air filtration. Patients want to know what they can do to reduce the pollutants in their homes. Many ask about air cleaners and doctors are telling them that air filtration should be part of their comprehensive health strategy.

     To help you understand about air filtration for your home, there are three approaches to improve air quality.  They involve, Source elimination, Ventilation, and Air Cleaning.
     Source Elimination is just as implied. Doing things in your home to reduce or remove the source of pollutants. Examples would be, not smoking indoors and removing animals, plants and solvents from your home.
     Ventilation is critical, especially in newer homes. New construction methods utilize energy efficient window and doors, extra caulking and weather stripping, along with more insulation. The problem created is, that tighter construction means decreased movement of outside air through the home. The lack of ventilation leads to a build up of stale and dirty air. According to the EPA, the lack of air movement throughout homes can lead to concentrations of pollutants up to a hundred times greater inside a home than outside.

     Air Cleaning by the use of filters and or whole house filtration systems are a vital part of the strategy in improving your overall health. These cleaners remove the particulate matter that remains AFTER source elimination, and ventilation have failed. Some whole house electronic air cleaners can capture particles as small as .01 microns. That is pollutants like influenza, and other bacteria. Because they are part of your heating and cooling system they clean the air in your entire home.
     As time goes on I will share more things about indoor air quality. You can read more of my blogs at www.hvaccomfortguyjerry.blogspot.com, or go to our website at www.greensheating.com.

There Are No Free Rides - Really!

     It is sad that we live in a time and economy that we are careful about every dollar we have and at the same time squander money by not being smart about our homes and appliances. A case in point is regarding Service Calls made at our request and then trying to figure out a way not to pay them. Yes, we do not want to pay more than we should, but we don't want to squander money on poor, or NO service.
    Recently we had two experiences here in Boise that demonstrate peoples total lack of regard for a company. THEY, the home owner, called to have a service tech come out and diagnose what was wrong with their air conditioner and why it wasn't cooling.

     In one instance, the problem was a simple wiring issue, that the tech fixed. The company charged the homeowner for a service/diagnostic call, and for a "level one" minor repair. The home owner was furious because he expected the tech to show him how to fix the problem himself, and because it took very little time to repair, didn't want to pay for the call.
     Come on folks! Who does not expect to pay for a Tech just to show up, let alone pay for the service rendered? Lets face it, the company the tech works for has to pay him, and has to pay for gas, a truck, wear and tear on the truck, Workman's Compensation insurance, uniforms, tools, and equipment to make the diagnosis and repair, plus, etc, etc,. There are no free rides, really!!  Everyone in the service industry has a  fee for a service call and that does not include a fee for the repair, no matter how minor. 

I know we live in tough times, but sometimes we have to bite the bullet and have a professional service tech to our homes for repairs of all descriptions. Personally, @comfortguyjerry has had service men come out to repair my clothes dryer, my garage door, my sprinkler system, my refrigerator, and by the way, we chose not to repair the refrigerator but I still had to pay for the service call of $89.00. That's just the way it is in the real world. Read more of my blogs at www.hvaccomforguyjerry.blogspot.com.

Air Conditioner Preventive Maintenance - Rx for Longevity

     This morning I had a doctors appointment to see why I have been having shoulder pain, and It got me thinking about the importance of having health problems checked out by a medical professional. A doctor can evaluate the problem, do a diagnosis, and offer different types of treatment to restore our health. Sometimes it's a simple fix, other times it may involve extensive treatment or even surgery.

      Now, the question is; what does this have to do with my air conditioner, or my HVAC system? Well, think about it. We spend a pretty good chunk of money to invest in a heating and cooling system to keep us comfortable year round. We also hope that we can get some longevity out of that system, so we can feel we have made a 'healthy' investment in our home.
     We usually go once a year to get a physical for our own health and longevity, so, why not see the same importance for the longevity, and health of our air conditioner. Here in the Boise, Idaho area we are going to see temperatures reach 106 degrees in just a few days and that is going to make our air conditioners work overtime and put real strain on its 'heart', the compressor.
   During the 'house call', your HVAC 'doctor will do a physical inspection, run some 'tests' as to the health of the electronics, the 'brain', take the 'blood' pressure of the freon, running through the copper 'arteries' of the system. The 'doctor' will also clean out the system. If you are having problems, he will 'diagnose' the problem and write out a 'Rx' to bring your air conditioner back into a state of health. If something has broken or burned out, he most likely will perform 'surgery' to correct the defect so it can 'live' healthy for many years to come.

  This is why we should have a yearly 'physical' done on our A/C to make sure our system is healthy and operating at maximum efficiency. A yearly check up is really the 'Rx 'for making our A/C operate trouble free for many years.
Enjoy more of my blogs at hvaccomfortguyjerry@blogspot.com. Or visit our website at www.greensheating.com.

Spring Clean Your Ductwork Now

As spring starts to roll around the country, people start thinking about spring cleaning. Yes, I know in some parts of the East and Southeast they just got hit with big snow storms, but trust me, spring like weather will soon be here. Usually spring cleaning includes cleaning floors, windows, cob webs, cleaning out closets and pantries. We even start cleaning up our yards and flower beds. We guys think about cleaning out the garage. But the area we overlook the most and should clean every five years or so is our DUCT WORK. We don't think about that because it is out of sight, out of mind. I am adding some pictures of some pretty bad duct work that is not all that uncommon.

I had my duct work cleaned a few weeks ago, and its only my wife and I that live in the house so I was quite surprised at how bad it was..

My advice is to get this done by a professional heating and cooling company or a company that specializes in duct work cleaning. The most thorough cleaning is called 'negative air' cleaning. It will vacuum and brush out everything thats not suppose to be in your duct work. Trust me, you do not want to be breathing air that has blown across that filth. Dirty ducts contain, microbes, dust mites, pet dander and just plain old dirt. Don't forget to have your clothes dryer vent cleaned. It is reported that about 3000 fires a year in the U.S.A are from clogged dryer vents. If you or your family suffer from allergies you know the importance of a clean home and the effort it takes to keep it clean. So be sure to include duct cleaning in your spring cleaning and enjoy the fresh air. This blog from @comfortguyjerry. For more information check our website at www.greensheating.com.

Reducing Electricity Use in Your Home

     In most parts of the country we see a slow but steady rise in our utility bills. To help buffer the rising costs of electricity in our homes, many folks inquire of their local utility companies what they can do to save money. So, what are the 'best' energy improvements you can make? Well, first look at your insulation levels in your attic, and in your floor crawl space. Make sure your attic insulation is up to code, or what your power company recommends for your area. Some states offer rebates, or tax credits for adding more insulation to the attic. Insulated floors or crawl spaces are important to keep cold air from getting into your house through the floor. (An extra tip, is to close your foundation vents in the winter to keep cold air out, and to open them in the summer to allow ventilation. Easy to do if you just remember to open them the first time you mow your yard in the spring)
     The next thing you can do, is to install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in your home's most-used fixtures. Also, if you have an old, inefficient refrigerator in your garage, think about upgrading to a 'energy star' rated fridge. Some utility companies will even 'pay' you and pick it up and get rid of old ones. They call it 'Cash for Clunkers' programs, etc.
     What about good DIY projects for spring and summer that can save on your utilities? I feel like I have said this a million times but, CHANGE THE FILTERS in your furnace and air conditioning systems. Clean leaves and debris away from the outside A/C unit. Spring is a good time get up in your attic and check to see that your duct work is all connected and sealed. Go into your crawl space with a flashlight and make sure duct work is connected and not leaking. If you feel that this is a bit beyond your DIY abilities, then call your local heating and cooling professionals, and have them come out and do it for you. It may cost you as little as a hundred dollars or so to have that checked.
     Okay. You say you just don't have any money to spend for improvements. What can you do?
Electricity use is determined by two variables - watts and time. Efficient appliances save you money because they either take less time to do a job, or use fewer watts. So use this principle and apply it to each electricity consuming activity in your home. Turning things off when not in use, like lights. Enabling power saving features on you computer and monitor reduces watts used. I looked around my house one morning while it was still fairly dark outside and I was amazed how many things were using watts! Every little red, blue or green light on our clock radio, cable television boxes, wall chargers for our phones, tablets, & laptops The clock lights on our stove and microwave, our alarm clocks, our irons that are still plugged in and flashing. There may be lights on our digital washer and dryer that are on all the time. Now, I'm not saying run around and turn them all off, or unplug them, but, could we do a better job of turning off or unplugging the non-essential cords and apparatuses we have.
     Raising the thermostat a couple of degrees can also reduce watts being used, by reducing run times on your air conditioner, and saving you money. I know these are little things, but little things begin to add up, and over the course of a year save you money. Thanks for following @comfortguyjerry on Twitter, and Greens Heating and Air on Facebook. Learn more at www.greensheating.com, your Boise Idaho heating and air conditioning professionals.