Tag: Air Filter

Is your filter ready for the warmer weather?

When did you last check/change your system filter? Changing your filter regularly and properly is important for indoor air quality, your family’s health, and the life of your heating and cooling equipment. Neglecting to change your filter results in poor airflow and decreased filtration power.

Many homeowners should change their disposable furnace filter once a month, but the bare minimum is once a season. That’s why now is a great time to go ahead and change it out properly. Do you know the correct way to change your filter?

  1. The first thing you need to do is find out where your furnace filter is located. Is it in your ductwork? Near your furnace? Inside the air handler or furnace cabinet?
  2. Next, find out what size filter you need along with the proper filtration power. Higher efficiency filters can eliminate dust throughout your home and block all sorts of harmful airborne contaminants.
  3. Correctly place your furnace filter. This is where knowing which way the arrow is supposed to face is important. Always make sure that the airflow arrow on your filter is pointing towards your furnace or air handler.

If you have questions or concerns about your furnace’s filter, or aren’t sure where your filter is located, call Air Handlers today. You don’t want to go poking around in your ductwork or furnace cabinet to try and locate your filter. When in doubt, call a professional!

Controlling Your Indoor Air Quality

Spring is quickly approaching. With it comes an uptick in pollen and other allergens outside. What about inside, though? Pollen, pet dander, dust, and other allergens can easily get into your home. How can you avoid them?

1. Air Filters

The biggest thing to remember is to keep your air filter clean. Your air filters should be changed regularly. You can also have Air Handlers check your system to make sure it is working properly for your home.

2. Floors Floors Floors

Do you have carpet or wood flooring? Is one better than the other? When it comes to in-home allergens, not really. Certainly, carpet can hold onto dust and dander, but wood flooring can, as well (especially in any hard to reach areas, such as at the corners of the room or under low objects). One way to handle this would be regularly vacuuming. While this is a good step, you need to be careful how you approach it, since some vacuums could blow allergens back into your home. You should also consider having your floors professionally cleaned annually.

3. Venting About

If your home uses a furnace, stove, fireplace, or a similar item (which should cover most homes), then proper ventilation will help with indoor air quality.

Other “combustibles” (or products that create toxic particles in the air) include things like tobacco smoke. Avoid using these items indoors to help keep some particles out of the air.

Overall, start with your HVAC system. Have it checked by a professional and then make sure you change your filters regularly. Call Air Handlers Inc today for a system check!

Have You Changed Your Air Filter?

While it’s a simple question, changing air filters is one thing some people don’t always think about. Many people don’t think about their HVAC system until it stops functioning the way it should. When an HVAC system stops functioning properly, the culprit is often a clogged air filter.

HOW DO AIR FILTERS WORK?

Air filters are generally made of spun fiberglass or pleated paper and surrounded by a cardboard frame. They are inserted into a specific place in the HVAC systems and act as a barrier to prevent contaminants and other particles from circulating in the air, or from reaching sensitive parts of the system. Some of the common things that filters block are dust, pollen, lint, mold, hair, animal fur, bacteria, etc.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD FILTERS BE CHANGED?

This answer depends on the type of air filter you are using. Most manufacturers recommend that basic filters are changed every 30 to 60 days, but there are other circumstances that could affect that schedule.

  • A filter in a regular home with no pets should be changed every 90 days 
  • If your home has a single pet, the filter should be changed every 60 days 
  • For multiple pets, or if anyone in your home suffers from allergies, you’ll want to change the filter anywhere between 20 to 45 days
  • People in single-occupant homes with no pets, or those who own vacation homes that don’t get much use, can usually wait for 6 to 12 months before changing their filter 
By inhibiting PDE-5, this ingredient provides penis spongy erection tissues with a sudden gush of blood to have healthy erections and to make intercourse pleasing. pharmacy australia cialis Webbing Slings – These buy levitra cheap are polyester made slings which offer a high flexibility, which is demanded in certain lifting applications. A woman suffering from PCOS is more expected to have tadalafil samples some degree of ED, which are not reported to physicians. This cialis properien drug is a well tolerated structure and helps man to redeem impotency without any complications.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T CHANGE YOUR FILTER? 

When air filters are not consistently changed, they get clogged by the buildup of particles and contaminants that stick to the filter.  While the filter is designed to accommodate these minuscule items, the buildup creates an almost impenetrable barrier so that the air cannot completely flow through, which can ultimately cause multiple problems for the entire HVAC system.  

Higher Energy Bills

When the filter becomes clogged, air cannot easily flow through the system. This causes the whole system to have to work harder to distribute heat or air where it is needed, which increases your utility bills since the air is running for longer. 

Poor Temperature Regulation 

Since clogged air filters make the system strain to create airflow, warm or cool air cannot adequately go where it is needed. This means that some rooms could be too cold during the winter or too hot in the summer.

Health Concerns 

If the air filter is clogged and cannot trap contaminants as it did before, those things can end up back in the air that everyone in your home is breathing. Immediate issues could include headaches, itchy eyes or throat, and dizziness. If the air filters are not changed and the issues continue, the long-term effects could be respiratory diseases, heart disease, or cancer.

Furnace Failures

As the system is working harder to get around clogged air filters, it can cause the entire system to overwork and eventually break. If this happens, you’ll need to replace the entire system, which can be expensive. Air filters usually cost less than $40, so they are easy to replace frequently compared to replacing the entire system.

Clamped-Up Coils 

Evaporative coils, which help remove heat from the air to keep your home cool, can freeze up if they are overworked. With a clogged air filter, the air won’t flow over the coils correctly, which makes them stop working and leads to total system failure. Again, the price to fix this issue is greater than simply purchasing a new air filter every few months. Protect your HVAC system and your wallet by replacing the air filters on a regular schedule.

Air Conditioning Tips

Summer has been trying to leave us for some time now. However, among the few days of cool relief, we keep seeing days near or over ninety degrees. Until these days are gone to make way for Autumn weather, you should make sure your air conditioning unit is still working properly to keep your home comfortable. Here are a few common air conditioning problems to keep an eye out for:

  • Less/No Cool Air

Can you hear your unit working but you’re not feeling any cool air? If so, your refrigerant levels might need to be checked. Refrigerant helps make sure your air conditioner is actually cooling the air that blows out of it.

  • Fan Not Rotating

Your condenser fan may have burned out and need replaced. Another possible issue is humidity. It can cause more condensation to form, so you should also watch for water not draining correctly or a restricted drain.

  • Not Cooling Properly

A good first step is to try lowering the temperature on your thermostat. If that doesn’t work, check the air filter. A dirty air filter can cause major cooling troubles. Another possibel issue is that your air conditioner is not properly sized. This is a frequent issue when homes are constructed.

  • Short Cycling

Short cycling, or turning on or off repeatedly, can mean one of multiple things. Your condenser or evaporator could be dirty and in need of cleaning. After cleaning the unit and ensuring all blockages are removed, you may be good to go. Humidity also plays a part. If your home cools to the correct temperature, but then humidity causes your home to quickly heat up, it could result in your air conditioning working harder to keep your home comfortable.

If you’re facing these or other air conditioning troubles, give Air Handlers Inc a call. We can help you check your system and make sure everything is working properly.

Efficiency Tips for the Summer

Summer is pretty much here. Schools are either out or extremely close. Temperatures are rising and the days are longer. Will your home cooling system be able to keep up? Here are some good tips everyone should bear in mind for helping their cooling system work efficiently and keep their house as cool as possible.

    1. Cover your windows. Blinds/curtains are your best friend when it comes to keeping the heat of these summer days out of your house. They block much of the light and keep a lot of heat out of the room. You can also hang blankets over the windows to block out the heat or put foil in the windows to reflect the sun.
    2. Make sure any room fans or ceiling fans are situated to help move cool air around the house. This can help your system work less and save money without sacrificing comfort.
    3. Turn off unnecessary electrical items. If you don’t need a light in a room (due to natural lighting, for instance), then leave it off. Done using that computer or television? Make sure they’re turned off. Electronics like this create heat during use.
    4. Summer is a heavy use time for your cooling system. Make sure you check the filter. A clean air filter can help your system work smarter and save your money.
    5. Seal those cracks! Just like in winter, it’s a good idea to make sure there isn’t any outside air seeping into your home. After all, if warm air is coming from outside, then some of that cool air is escaping, which makes your system work harder and costs money.

Another tip is proper maintenance/check-up of your system. Have a professional come and see if your cooling system is working properly, or if it needs an upgrade. Check out this video about Lennox’s Precise Comfort technology, if you’re considering or need a new cooling system:

Spring Heating & Cooling Maintenance

The spring season brings different changes to many things, including the weather. The temperatures can swing anywhere between soothing and frigid. A sunny day might be trailed by several days of rain.

As the spring climate is unpredictable, preparing your system bodes well. Keeping up with a healthy home is more than just traditional Spring Cleaning. During winter, numerous parts of your house are dismissed or are not used as frequently as others. Getting both the interior and exterior of your home in place for spring will guarantee that you are prepared to enjoy the warmer weather.

Below are some maintenance tips you will surely find helpful this season!

  1. Duct Cleaning

For better breathing and indoor air quality, you should hire an expert duct cleaner, usually every five to seven years. Amid an expert tune-up, an expert in HVAC can educate you on the condition of your air ducts. Talk with an expert about testing those air ducts for you.

  1. Air Filter

Changing the air filter during this season is a good idea, as well. Your air filters ought to be replaced based on need and use, normally around thirty-to-ninety days. Always examine and inspect your air filter monthly, ensuring whether it is clean enough to continue using or if it should be replaced.

Your air filters are critical to keeping up good and quality indoor air. If the air filter is messy, the air is likely also dirty. Moreover, if the air filter is messy, it is harder for your air conditioner/cooling system to carry out its activity; bringing about poor air current, increase wear and tear, and higher energy costs.

  1. Keep away from heat by using your windows and vents effectively.

Work your thermostat efficiently and make good use of your fans and other ventilation methods to help cool your home. Check all vents and window seals to ensure that you shield hot air from leaking into your home.

You should observe that your cooling system is efficiently running. Lighting and appliances can increase the heat inside your house, making your system work overtime and cause wear and tear. Try to limit the appliances running together, especially during peak hours.

  1. Regulate your thermostat to a comfortable level.

This is a season to keep your home warmer than ordinary when you are away, and regulate down the thermostat setting to 68°F (approximately 20°C) just when you are at home and need cooling. A thermostat that could be programmed will make this easy to reset your temperature.

Learn how to use your thermostat to save more energy.

Refrain from setting the thermostat colder than typical when you are using air conditioner. This won’t cool your home any quicker and could bring about overcooling and other costs that are not necessary.

There you have it, a few tips to make sure your home is prepared for the pleasure this spring season has to offer.

Could Your Air Filter Help Relieve Your Allergies?

One of the home duties you should not take with levity is the health of the family members especially where allergies or asthma is noticeable. It’s unfortunate that people do not know that air inside our homes can be just as polluted as that outside.

Installing screens for windows and doors are one way people secure the health of their family members when it comes to allergies and other respiratory challenges. However, another reliable way to improve the quality of air inside your homes is by using air filters in your air conditioning system or heater. No doubt, the relationship between electrostatic filters and indoor air quality cannot be overemphasized, as the uses of electrostatic filters increase the extent to which healthy and hygienic indoor air is achieved.

Electrostatic filters serve as the perfect air filter especially for pet owners as it goes a long way to curtailing possible tiny flecks of skin shed by pets which can result in reactions in people who are specifically allergic to these triggers.

It is found appealing, as it is a safer way to acquire allergy relief. You can significantly reduce Asthma, allergy and respiratory symptoms when agents like dust, pollen, mold spores and animal dander are prohibited with the aid of the electrostatic filters.

You can increase and keep ventilation when you make use of an exhaust fan, especially in the bathroom, kitchen and when you are making use of the dishwasher. This smart action serves as a defense against moisture and indoor pollutants that may pose a threat to your home.

Getting rid of dust and pollen with a filter removes the particles causing allergy issues with your house, rather than simply adjusting your body to allergies through pills. Using the electrostatic filter is a much more natural way to help your allergy problems inexpensively.

Electrostatic air filters attract and capture tiny air particles through the use of static charges. These filters are found efficient, time- and money-saving, and helps protect and maintain not only your respiratory condition but overall well-being as well.

Using Electro filters can help reduce, if not prevent further triggers of asthma attacks, allergies, and other respiratory health conditions in your homes.

The functionality and the extent to which electrostatic filters work solely depend on maintenance and monitoring. The outcome of a regularly monitored electrostatic filter is always a quality indoor air with fresh and clean air; thus ensuring a healthy living for the entire family.

Choosing a professional HVAC company is the most important decision that could give you and your family a peace of mind as this decision will not only save you money but also prevent health risks like allergies and other respiratory issues to household members. Lastly, let the professional company check your air conditioning filter once a month to ascertain the level of reliance and effectiveness.

This air filter photo will make you think twice about putting off maintenance

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes put off changing the air filter at my house. That constant little blinking light on the thermostat doesn’t even do the trick. But don’t put off replacing that filter! Take a look at that dirty air filter…gross!

Your air filter keeps both your unit and your airstream clean by trapping particles. As the filter does its job, it becomes dirty and a source of pollution. Remember to change your air filter every 60-90 days.