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4 Reasons to Upgrade the HVAC System in an Older Home

Posted on Author Bruzzese Home ImprovementsCategories Energy Efficiency, home improvementTags , , Leave a comment on 4 Reasons to Upgrade the HVAC System in an Older Home

The average HVAC system lasts about 10 to 20 years. Therefore, if you have a home that is 20 years or older, it may be time to consider a new HVAC system. Besides upgrading your HVAC system because “it’s time,” there are a number of other smart reasons to give your old home a new heating and cooling solution. Below are 4 reasons to upgrade your HVAC system in your older home.

Save Money on Electric Bills

In many cases, your HVAC system will be the largest contributor to your electric bill. As HVAC systems get older, they become less efficient. When you upgrade your HVAC system, you will have a heating and cooling solution that will work faster and lower your electric bill. In the long run, your HVAC system will essentially pay for itself.

Increase the Value of Your Home

As your home gets older, you will want to make upgrades in order to maintain or increase the value of your home. Since older homes don’t have modern HVAC systems, you can really increase the value of your home with a late model heating and cooling system. In fact, a newer HVAC system can help make your home much more attractive if you ever decide to sell.

Prevent Large Repair Bills

As HVAC systems get older, they will require more frequent maintenance and more costly repairs down the road. In fact, HVAC services can run into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars if the older HVAC system requires a major repair. By replacing the entire system, you won’t have to worry about frequent maintenance and repair bills.

Reduce Downtime on Your HVAC System

Every once in a while, an HVAC system will simply breakdown. That means that your older home may have to go hours or even days before the system can be repaired. This could be a great hardship if your HVAC system goes down during the middle of the summer or the dead of winter. By upgrading your HVAC system, you will greatly reduce the chance that your HVAC system will break down when you need it most.

Upgrading your HVAC system can be one of the best investments that you can make on your older home. In addition to saving money every month on your electric bill, upgrading your HVAC system can also increase the value of your home, reduce your maintenance bills, lower your repair bills and decrease the amount of downtime on your HVAC system. Consult with a number of HVAC professionals before deciding on which system you want in your home.

What to Know When Installing New Heating & Cooling Systems & Repairing Services

Posted on Author Bruzzese Home ImprovementsCategories Home Improvement Tips, Energy EfficiencyTags , , , Leave a comment on What to Know When Installing New Heating & Cooling Systems & Repairing Services

One of the most important decisions you’ll have to make for your home is choosing the right HVAC system. Aside from making your home life smooth and comfortable, the right system also reduces the chances of having to deal with constant breakdowns and repairs. If you take the time to choose the HVAC system that really suits your budget and your lifestyle, you may be lucky enough to have it for life.

While personal preferences are typically considered, it’s worth noting that you should prioritize energy-saving features for your new HVAC unit. Although an energy-efficient unit may cost more to install, savings on energy bills will soon become apparent. Here are some other factors that you should consider when you’re planning to get a new HVAC system:

Inspecting Your Old HVAC System

Before you have a new HVAC system installed, you should first consider having your old unit inspected or repaired. Professional technicians like those from Winchester HVAC repair will be able to tell you whether your current unit can still be repaired or you’re better off installing a brand new one.

Additionally, a technician can also give you qualified advice about the most appropriate HVAC system for your current vent set-up and ducting. Your needs and preferences will be carefully considered when they make recommendations.

Getting Quotes and Project Details

It’s recommended to get quotes from two to three contractors to ensure that you’ll be able to go over your best HVAC options. Also, don’t accept a quote from a contractor if they haven’t gone to your home and inspected your set-up. The questions you should consider asking are:

  • What are the payment terms?
  • What is the estimated yearly cost of your recommended HVAC unit? What are the maintenance measures that I must take note of?
  • How long is your estimated timeframe for this project?
  • What do other customers say about your recommended unit?
  • What HVAC system does your company specialize in?

Choosing the Right HVAC Size

When it comes to HVAC systems, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. A system that is too big will be idle most of the time, resulting in unpleasant levels of humidity in the house. On the other hand, a system that’s too small will always be overcompensating just to reach the optimal temperatures. In this case, you’d end up with an unreasonably large energy bill.

Choosing Filter Types and Thermostat Options

Filters come in two types: disposable and permanent. Most HVAC units are compatible with either of these filters. When choosing which one is better suited for you, ask yourself if you’re willing to spend time, effort, and money in cleaning them or if you’d prefer to replace them every two months.

Thermostat options also come in two variants: programmable devices and ones that you manually set yourself. There are many advantages to using programmable devices but it may not be compatible with your HVAC system. Ask your technician about all your possible options so you can take care of your unit the right way.

Scheduling Maintenance

To prolong your HVAC’s lifespan, maintenance plans should always be kept in mind. Hence, it’s worth noting if maintenance plans and warranties are included in the contractor’s price quote. Although it may initially cost more, the fees will end up being cheaper over time compared to an installation project that doesn’t have it.

Generally, technicians will visit your home twice a year to evaluate your HVAC system and see if anything should be fixed. For best results, ask your technician about the recommended maintenance schedule for your particular unit.

Preparing Your Home for HVAC Installation or Repair

When you’ve finally decided on a contractor and everything has been agreed upon, it’s time to get your home ready for the work that has to be done. Make sure that the technicians have enough space to do everything they have to do. They should be able to easily carry their equipment from their vehicle to your home and back.

Once your new HVAC system has been fully installed, you should take note of the following:

  • How often should my HVAC system be checked and assessed by a professional?
  • How should the air ducts be cleaned? How often should I clean them?

Almost half of a home’s energy bill is associated with HVAC systems. Hence, carefully choosing your heaters and air conditioners can help you save a huge amount of money in the long run.

Tips To Stay Comfortable If Your HVAC System Goes Down

Posted on Author adminCategories DIY Projects, Summer Tips, Winter TipsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Tips To Stay Comfortable If Your HVAC System Goes Down

With more than 80 percent of American homes having some kind of air conditioning or heating system installed, it’s easy to take that technology for granted. However, these systems don’t always function the way we expect. In those situations, we have to cope with the climate the way our ancestors did, in the days before these modern conveniences existed.

Coping without heating or air conditioning is an inconvenience no one wants to deal with, but it’s something everyone needs to be able to do. Fortunately, staying comfortable, even without your HVAC system, is a matter of following some relatively simple guidelines. With these tricks in mind, you can keep from feeling too hot or too cold, even if your HVAC system is on the blink for more than a day.

For example, keeping cool in the summer without air conditioning means dressing for the weather, drinking plenty of cold water, and avoiding the use of heat-generating appliances — unless necessary. For additional cooling, you can take a lukewarm bath or shower before bed, or stay in your basement during the hottest hours of the day.

Staying warm without your furnace is possible if you stick to only a few rooms and block the doors to the unused rooms with heavy curtains or blankets. Dressing in layers of warm wool clothing and blocking drafts under doors with rolled-up towels and blankets also helps you stay comfortable even when it’s cold inside your house.

Modern conveniences such as HVAC systems have certainly made life easier. However, knowing how to live without them will make life easier for those brief periods when they aren’t working. Or, you might want to live without them voluntarily to save a little money on your energy bills. Either way, these tips can help you stay comfortable without your HVAC system.

Tips to stay comfortable if your HVAC system goes down from Randazzo Heating & Cooling

Sweltering Heat: How to Troubleshoot HVAC Problems

Posted on Author adminCategories Energy Efficiency, Home Maintenance, Summer TipsTags , , , Leave a comment on Sweltering Heat: How to Troubleshoot HVAC Problems

Sweltering Heat, How to Troubleshoot HVAC Problems

There is almost nothing worse than sitting in a hot house in the middle of summer without air conditioning. If you suspect that there’s something wrong with your HVAC unit, it’s best to investigate the issue as soon as possible so that you’re not left sitting in the heat. After troubleshooting your issue, you might need to seek the assistance of a professional to get the problem fixed.

Power Supply

The first thing that you should check is the power supply to the unit. Sometimes, the circuit breaker can get tripped or a cord can get disconnected. This is often a simple fix and the least expensive of the issues that could be wrong with the HVAC unit. Try turning the breaker off for a few seconds before turning it back on to see if the unit will respond. You should also look at the fuses for the unit to see if any of them are bad.

Adjusting the Thermostat

To check the thermostat, set the unit to cool. Turn the setting to where it’s about three degrees below the temperature in the room. The unit should come on with cool air blowing from the vents. If no air can be felt, then you may be looking at an issue with the thermostat as it won’t pick up on the temperature in the room to make the unit come on at the right time.

Check the Coils and Wires

This can be a detailed venture, but you need to know if the coils are still working as they should. The cover of the unit will likely need to be removed. After scanning the coils and electrical components, take note to see if any are burnt or damaged. A company such as Edge Guys HVAC can send professionals to the home to replace the parts that are impacting the unit or replace the entire unit if the parts can’t be repaired or replaced.

Proper Ventilation

Check the vents in the home as well as the ventilation system. There shouldn’t be anything blocking the flow of air from the unit to the inside of the home. Check to see if the fan is on or if the unit is set to auto. If the fan is on, then it will run for a longer period of time. Clean the vents and the rest of the system to remove dirt and debris that collects over the winter months.

Troubleshooting your HVAC unit can take a few minutes or a few hours, but the result should mean cold air in the home. While some tasks can be completed yourself, there are repairs that might require the help of a professional. Once the unit is repaired and you have air flowing, it’s important to maintain the unit so that there aren’t any issues in the future.

Guest Post By:

Anica Oaks.

Freelance writer and web enthusiast
Read some of my published work on my Google+ page.

Healthy Ways to Use Air Conditioning at Home

Posted on Author adminCategories DIY Projects, Energy Efficiency, Home MaintenanceTags , , , 1 Comment on Healthy Ways to Use Air Conditioning at Home

air conditioning unit

Modern homes are more often than not equipped with air-conditioners. As manufacturers of these devices keep coming up with cutting-edge tech solutions, today an average air-conditioner can replace several other devices. For instance, if you get an air conditioner inverter, you do not need a special heater or radiators, but the AC is a two-in-one device. However, no matter what air conditioning device you have and use, it is essential to follow some health-related guidelines to keep your home and your air conditioner in a proper condition.

Indoor air quality and air conditioners

The largest number of air-conditioners uses the indoor air for recirculation. By doing so, they increase energy efficiency and reduce electricity consumption. However, this procedure can make the air inside the conditioned room stale, which harms your respiratory system.

Moreover, if your windows and window frames leak the air inside your home, the efficiency of the AC device will be reduced. Because of that, if you want to keep the air inside the AC-equipped room fresh, let some air from the outside into the room a few times a day. Also, do the necessary weatherstripping works, to increase the productivity of the air-conditioner and reduce your electricity bills.

Prevent dust and debris

With more and more people suffering from all kinds of allergies, today people have to pay special attention to germs, pollen and dust in their homes. What these three allergens have in common in an average home are dirty air ducts. If you have not cleaned them for a while, there is a high probability that several layers of gunk have piled up on those vessels of your home ventilation. This can be especially serious and dangerous if you have kids. Therefore, it is important to clean the air ducts on a regular basis, especially if your house or building has been redecorated recently. It is highly likely that some of that debris and dust ended up in the air ducts and got right into your home. To avoid any hygiene and health problems, deal with that area as soon as possible.

Remove the filter dirt

Although specifications of different manufacturers can differ, the rule of thumb is to have the air filters cleaned at least once per cooling/heating season. The crucial thing when it comes to residential air conditioning devices is to maintain them in accordance with their manufacturer’s manuals.

Also, most manufacturers contact their customers during the warranty period to remind them that they should have the AC filters cleaned or replaced. However, this cleaning has to be performed regularly even after the warranty period expires. It is not a complex procedure and every home owner can learn how to do it. In addition, if you live in an extremely humid or hot area and you keep the air conditioner on all day long, the filter should be replaced every 45 days.

AC interior inspection

air conditionerReplacing or cleaning the filter is only one aspect of air conditioner maintenance. Home owners should also pay attention to the inside of their air conditioner(s). As this device works and cools a particular area, there are also some by-products of this process, the most important being condensation. The more condensation there is, the more mildew and mold is formed on the fan and other parts of the air-conditioner. If the inside area of the AC-unit is left unmaintained before winter, the pileups of mold and mildew grow significantly, providing a fertile ground for all sorts of germs. Therefore, clean the inside of the air conditioner at the end of the summer season or any other period in which you use this device and ensure a high level of hygiene.

If you use your air conditioner in accordance with the described health standards, you will ensure that every member of your household stays safe from any AC-induced diseases. Finally, a regularly maintained AC-device will last longer and waste less electricity. Therefore, take good care of your air conditioner to remain healthy and save some money along the way.

 

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