It’s that time of the year! The temperatures are reaching near boiling point in some places, and we’re definitely ready to take our air conditioners out of retirement. For some, their air conditioner hasn’t been turned on since last summer. That means they haven’t been inspected through the winter’s potential damaging weather. Prior to turning on your air conditioner for the summer, you’ll want to have a Raleigh air conditioner inspection before turning on this system. This will guarantee that your HVAC system works efficiently and correctly, without doing any further damage.
Visual Inspection
Before turning on your air conditioner, do a cursory examination of the outside unit (aka the compressor). If you have a wall/window air conditioner, do the same. Take a brief visual air conditioner inspection to see if there is any blatant physical damage to the unit. Look for obstructions caused be vegetation overgrowth. Any obstructions can prevent your system from working correctly or at peak efficiency. Also, make sure there are no nests that have been settled in on your equipment. Search for any significantly flattened aluminum fins. If they’re minimally flattened you should be okay. However, anything more than that and you’ll want to call in a technician to service your unit. Lastly, check for damaged power cables. If cables are damaged, you’ll want to replace them completely, rather than repair them. Air conditioners require a lot of power to run properly, and a damaged cord/cable can overheat and cause further damage.
Clean The Unit and Filters
Outdoor air conditioners can be cleaned with a hose and some detergent. Many people make the mistake of using a pressure washer to accomplish this; however, using a pressure washer may cause damage to certain sensitive pieces of equipment and it could also cause water to get in areas where it shouldn’t. Window units can be wiped down manually. You can use a vacuum with a brush tool to remove excess dust and dirt. Clean or replace the filters for your indoor unit. If there is a musty smell upon turning on the unit, you can use a small amount of Lysol on the metal coils to remedy the issue.
Check The Sound
During the air conditioner inspection listen for any rattling or grinding sounds. The unit should sound exactly like it did the previous year. Sometimes you may hear a slight whistle or squeak that goes away quickly. This can be caused by rust on the shaft of the fan motor. If you notice a rattling or grinding noise, or you the whistling and squeaking happen to go on for an extended period of time, you should call in a professional technician to service your air conditioning unit.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6458969
If you are looking for a professional Raleigh ac repair contractor for your home or business, please call 919-662-4094 or complete our online request form.
Every home owner should know the fundamental concepts on how the heating system facilities operate in the home setting. This will also help the contractors in performing Raleigh heating repairs in a more efficient manner. Some of the aspects that you will need to know are (1) the type of fuel that the heating system can burn; (2) the type of heating system that you are using; (3) how to shut down the heating system; and (4) the location of the heating system. These things are important because every household has a unique structure. Therefore, a single type of heating system may work differently for each household. Conversely, various heating systems can have different rates of heating for a single household.
Aside from this, it is equally important for you to determine how long the heating unit has been used. The “current age” of the heating unit can give you a clue on the level of efficiency and amount of heating that it can provide the entire household. Knowing how the heating unit should be operated and how you take care of it will help the contractors determine if the heating repairs that should be done are extensive. In line with this, you should know how to perform a routine assessment of your heating system. This will help the contractors easily determine the source of the problem. Also, it will be helpful for you to know the costs of its operation and repair. These will help you determine if a replacement is recommended instead of a repair.
There are various procedures that should be done in dealing with heating units. You have to consider these if you are interested in having Raleigh heating repairs. For the forced heating units, you should consider the fact that all types have a blower motor or a pump in the furnace or boiler. As for the hydronic heating units, they are usually operated with the use of oil fired or gas fired burners. In some instances, some contractors would use electric resistance coils of the immersion type. This will allow the hot water to raise the level of pressure from the unit within a shorter span of time. In turn, this will allow the heat to be distributed more evenly. Eventually, the heat will dissipate so it gets to every part of the unit then to the room. Examples of these units are convectors, radiators, runtal radiators, and baseboards.
For the hot air heating units, you will have to consider the furnace itself for your Raleigh heating repairs. Usually, the furnace will have to pull the air to the heat exchanger. At the same time, this will also let the cold air return. An additional duct may be needed to enhance the efficiency of the heating capability of this heating unit. Aside from that, you will also have to consider the use of heat registers. This will aid in directing the heat from the unit to the various rooms that need heating. You may ask your contractor to optimize this by providing a shutting and opening mechanism to increase the level of heat distributed among the rooms of the house. Resizing the cold return of the heating unit can also aid in maintaining the integrity not only of the entire heating unit but also of the heat exchanger. This can also help you reduce the amount of electricity, gas, or oil that is wasted every time you use the heating units.
If you are looking for a professional Raleigh furnace repair contractor for your home or business, please call 919-662-4094 or complete our online request form.
You may not realize it but the air quality in home or business may be worse than you think, especially during the winter months. In the winter, windows are rarely opened and the same stale warm air is usually reticulated throughout the building.
Air quality is so poor in fact that some studies have shown that Raleigh indoor air quality during the winter months is 10 times worse than during other seasons. If you’d like to improve your health, you should start with the air you breath. Here are 10 things that can improve your Raleigh indoor air quality.
1. Decorate with Live Indoor Plants:
Plants are nature’s way of cleaning air. There are many chemicals can contribute to poor Raleigh indoor air quality and many of the chemicals that make us sick are the ones that plants thrive upon and convert to fresh air.
2. Don’t Smoke Indoors:
This tip seems to be a pretty obvious one, but can provide challenges for regular smokers. But there are hundreds of dangerous chemicals in smoke that can be harmful to your health. To protect the quality and freshness of your Raleigh indoor air you should tell anyone that smokes, to do so outside. Some business’s especially bars and restaurants now have areas with ventilation fans that pull contaminants out of the air. which is the rule we implemented, which is another option during the winter months.
3. Don’t use Aerosols:
Aerosols can case respiratory distress in those people with lung disease or asthma. Instead, substitute aerosols with other products that do not disperse themselves into the air or that use a spray bottle instead of using compressed air in a can.
4. Cleaning Your Shower Curtain and Humidifiers:
Moist environments encourage the growth of mold. You should replace your shower curtain if it has a large amount of mold on it. If the mold is minimal, you can remove the shower curtain and scrub it with a household cleaner and rinse before re-hanging.
5. Check Plant’s Soil for Mold:
If the potting soil you’re plant is growing in has mold you should repot it. Such mold usually appears as white fuzz. This will help to improve your Raleigh indoor air quality. To prevent it in the future, be sure not to over water your plants.
6. Change Air Filters:
To improve Raleigh indoor air quality, air filters were all should be changed on a regular basis. It doesn’t take long for the filters to fill with dust and other particles. But every particle caught by your filter is one less you’ll have to breath in.
7. Use Ventilating Fans:
Ventilation fans exist for a reason and that is to ventilate the areas where they exist. They are usually found in kitchens and bathrooms. It couldn’t hurt to install them in any area with smoke or fumes such as a garage. In fact lots of billiard halls use them. They should pull unclean air out of your house or building.
8. Vacuum And Dust:
It’s obvious to vacuum carpets you should also vacuum other areas such as your furniture and drapes. For these things it might be best to get a smaller hand held vacuum. You should also dust weekly to keep the “dust mites” at bay. You might want to wear a dust mask while vacuuming because it can actually kick dust up temporarily.
9. Groom and Clean after Pets:
Shedding hair can a problem to your air quality, but with the better vacuuming regular grooming you can solve a lot of the problems. You should also regularly bath your pets and clean their areas or cages. For cats, it might help to move your litter box into an area with less human traffic, like the garage.
10. Let some fresh Air In:
It might not be the most pleasant thing to do in the winter, when it’s cold outside, but maybe you could open the window while you take a quick trip to the store. You’d be surprised out how big of a difference it makes.
11. Hire An Raleigh Indoor Air Quality Contractor
By getting in touch with your local Raleigh Indoor Air Quality experts, they can help you increase the quality of your air. They usually offer services and products such as various types of humidifiers and whole house air cleaners, which drastically cleans indoor air.
If you follow these 11 steps the Raleigh indoor air quality of your home will improve dramatically, which will result in you enjoying the indoor environment of your home or business more and the improved health that comes with better air.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/988145
If you are looking for a professional Raleigh air cleaner contractor for your home or business, please call 919-662-4094 or complete our online request form.
Furnaces are appliances that keep our homes warm permanently through the movement of air, hot water or steam. Since they produce a lot of heat, there may be times that the improper Raleigh furnace installationmay pose danger to our homes. Contractors are required to follow strict guidelines in order to ensure a safe and running furnace and to keep clients away from harm.
There are many things that a contractor takes into consideration before installing your furnace. Below is a checklist of the things that should be observed by a contractor:
- Load calculation – In order to know a home’s heating and cooling requirements, a contractor should understand the load calculation of the house. There are contractors who base or determine the needs for heating or cooling on the size of the house (square feet). This should not be the case because it will produce inaccurate information on the total load that a home can actually handle.
- Replacement – Contractors are not allowed to replace any parts of the furnace with any identical parts because there is a possibility that these are already incorrect originally.
- Ventilation – Venting systems should always be compliant to Raleigh furnace installation requirements and regulations. Your old venting system can still be used as long as it is compatible to the new furnace you had installed by your contractor. However, for blower-type furnaces, it is required to have at least 2 square inches for every 1000 BTU. The rest of the furnaces only require 2 combustion openings.
- Garage furnaces – An elevation height of at least 18 inches from the floor of the garage to the point of ignition must be observed. At the same time, the furnace should be kept away from the path leading to the garage area.
- Restricted areas – Bedrooms, closets and bathrooms cannot be installed with gas-fired furnaces.Raleigh furnace installation in the attic requires a five feet space from the floor to the ceiling with a 30”x30” opening within 20 feet of the furnace’s location.
- Underfoot furnaces – Underfoot furnaces should have a light switch near it in order have visibility during operation. Suspended furnaces, on the other hand, must be elevate at a 6 inch height above the ground.
- Inspection – After the furnace installation, your contractor should provide a description of the installation for the building inspector to check. Chimneys are inspected to verify the compliance to the standard 350 degrees.
Hiring a contractor for your Raleigh furnace installation needs can be a breeze if you have checked on skilled technicians who can do the job for you. It is very important to hire contractors that offer warranty on their work, especially if you have a furnace that is top of the line. A lot of furnaces have a five year warranty on parts and a lifetime warranty on the heat exchangers. It will be a great addition to have a contractor who will do a perfect installation job. Some will even offer added warranty on labor or money-back guarantees.
If you are looking for a professional Raleigh heating contractor for your home or business, please call 919-662-4094 or complete our online request form.
Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are fundamental tools to help control the humidity problems in a home. Nevertheless, if you are unsure whether you really need a humidifier or dehumidifier in your home, you could measure the level of humidity using a hygrometer. It is an affordable tool that could monitor the air you breathe, so you can do something to maintain the air’s optimum level. You could also seek the assistance of your Raleigh heating and cooling contractor, who will be able to accurately assess your need for humidity control.
Both humidifiers and dehumidifiers can be used in various household, commercial and office settings. When properly used, they could make a difference to a living quarter whether at your Raleigh home or at work.
If you decide that you need them in your home, you should be able to determine what kind you prefer. Basically, there are two processes that a humidifier could use to generate steam or moisture, the evaporative, which is commonly used, and also the cheapest and the ultrasonic, which produce a finer water mist.
Both types are useful for cool or warm mist models, but the ultrasonic type is safer because it does not produce mist through boiling water. Thus, the humidifier does not have hot water that could be risky if the unit is knocked over.
Humidifiers can differ in their capacity from compact ones to large, which is usually used in the living areas or the bathroom. A console model is big and freestanding which is considered a whole-house humidifier. Another kind of whole-house humidifier is the flow-through unit that is installed in the duct system.
You could expect a certain operating noise from a humidifier, but if you are going to use it for the bedroom, try to look for one with low or silent setting. The ultrasonic kind is the quietest because there is no hissing of boiling water and moisture is ejected in a fine mist.
While a humidifier puts humidity or water into the air, a dehumidifier does the exact opposite. A dehumidifier’s purpose is to remove moisture or ‘dry out’ the air around. There are four types of dehumidifiers that you could use in your home, such as a compressor based dehumidifier, the peltier type that uses metal to condense the air, an desiccant dehumidifier and the silica gel based one that comes in a rechargeable tub or cassette which can be used in small compartments such as drawers.
A dehumidifier can greatly help through the day in the house during hot season. Using dehumidifiers are considered important in every household. Nevertheless, the option to use both humidifier and dehumidifier can be determined by the pre-existing conditions of your home. You should first determine if you have too much or too little humidity in your Raleigh home.
Too much humidity causes fungal infection of the skin, respiratory concerns due to the fertile breeding environment that moisture provides. Furthermore, many equipment and mechanical equipment could also be impaired by humid surroundings.
Insufficient humidity is equally irritating and troublesome because it can cause asthma symptoms, allergies and skin problems such as itchiness and dryness. Less humidity could also mean that the people living in a home are more prone to flu and colds. Additionally, the fittings and fixtures like wood furniture, musical instruments, and hardwood floors could also be severely affected by dry air.
If you have either of these problems in your Raleigh home, then consider installing a humidifier or dehumidifier now. Investing in a relatively small yet effective tool could go a long way in making you feel better.
If you are looking for a professional Raleigh humidifier contractor for your home or business, please call 919-662-4094 or complete our online request form.
The thought of snow, cold and blowing winds lead to thoughts of Shotwell warm blankets, furnaces and glowing fires. Home heating is a very important subject in most parts of the country, everything from furnaces to space heaters are used to keep the house toasty warm for our return from the “frozen tundra.”
The heating sources that are used can lead to dire consequences if used improperly. Space heaters, for example are responsible for numerous house fires every year. The use of these devises for home heating requires responsibility and constant awareness of the safety issues they present. However, the use of space heaters can be a way to lower heating costs when the price of heating fuel rises by allowing you to use electricity instead.
When shopping for a space heater look for a model that stays cool to the touch and that has a wide base. These two options will make the heater safer to operate. Never use a space heater around a child, even if that child is asleep, the effect of a burn from the unit can be devastating. The chance of a child waking up and stumbling into the heater causing it to tip over and catch on fire is too great to risk.
When preparing your home heating plan for the winter season, it is not enough just to turn the furnace on and hope for the best, it needs to be serviced on a yearly basis to ensure its safety and reliability. Without this inspection, you could, literally be playing with fire.
The furnace inspection will consist of a visual inspection, cleaning of the Shotwell furnace, detection of carbon monoxide (CO) as well as the checking the burner, ducts and pilot light. This is a short list of what an inspection consists of, but is a good indicator of what to expect when the licensed professional knocks on your door.
The visual portion of the inspection will help to detect any cracks that may exist in the heat exchanger. These cracks may result in the leakage of carbon monoxide fumes into the home. The flue will also be tested for the reason of detecting carbon monoxide (CO) gasses that may leak from the furnace. To be on the safe side, it is best to install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in the main sleeping areas of the home to warn of a possible danger.
The professional heating inspectors will also be cleaning the furnace ducts of dust that has accumulated throughout the summer. Dust can be combustible therefore, it is necessary to remove it before starting the furnace. The burner and pilot light will also be inspected to ensure that they are working properly.
Follow these tips when heating your home this winter and sleep peacefully at night knowing that you have done you duty to protect your family, when they are snuggled in their beds as well.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/116377
If you are looking for a professional Raleigh furnace repair contractor for your home or business, please call 919-662-4094 or complete our online request form.
During the height of winter and summer, power bills reach their peak as well due to people constantly heating or cooling their Holly Springs home. The cooled or heated air can leak through cracks along window and door frames and poorly maintained units can cause unnecessary energy to be used to cool or heat your home. However, there are many things you can do to reduce the cost of your energy bill every month. your professionals Holly Springs HVAC contractor can assist you be ensuring that your system is working properly.
First and foremost, sealing your house properly will reduce heating and cooling costs for those extreme temperatures. Investing in caulk and weather-stripping to fill gaps, is essential for saving money and energy inside your home. A home that’s properly insulated and sealed improves energy efficiency by up to 20% year-round. Keep in mind; Insulation Materials are also eligible for the 30% energy efficiency federal tax credit, up to $1,500 for all improvements combined.
Another important means of saving on heating and cooling your home is to make sure your HVAC unit is running properly. Leaking ducts, clogged air filters, and other poorly maintained components of your unit can really make a difference on your energy costs at the end of the month. Fine-tuning your equipment can reduce energy efficiency by up to 20%. It is recommended to hire a certified technician once a year to inspect your home’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system for optimized efficiency.
The size of your air-conditioning unit is important for saving money on your power bill as well. Consumers in the market for a new room or window unit should consider the proper size needed to achieve efficient heating and cooling. A unit that is too small won’t cool or heat the space properly and with a unit too big, it wastes energy and is inefficient at reducing humidity.
Most air-conditioning installations today come with programmable thermostats. These thermostats are typically digital and offer settings for times and temperatures, which allows you set a different temperature for when you’re away for work or vacation and reduces the need to continually run your system when not present. Almost all older units can have digital thermostats installed. Giving the air conditioner a break during the work day and allowing higher temperatures at those times could cut $180 from the average household’s electric bill a year according to Energy Star.
Investing in a new energy-efficient unit can cut long-term bills and be cheaper upfront, too. Through the end of 2010, qualifying central air conditioners were eligible for a federal tax credit of 30% of the cost, including installation, up to a total of $1,500 for all projects. Certain states also have rebates available under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment. Act. Florida homes, for example, can get up to $3,350 back on a qualifying central air conditioner in tax credits and energy-saving rebates.
Making small life changes can make a huge difference as well. For example, avoid doing chores during the hottest peak hours in the summer, the more heat that is generated, the harder the air conditioner must work to keep things cool. That means limiting the use of heat-generating appliances such as the oven, dishwasher, and clothes dryer during the daytime hours when temperatures are hottest, swapping incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs, and closing the blinds are also good ideas.
There are a lot of things that you can do to reduce the energy costs on your next bill. Fixing leaky ducts, setting thermostats, and having an all around knowledge of the energy being used to heat and cool your home is essential for saving money throughout the year. Have a certified HVAC technician check your home and get started on saving money.
If you are looking for a professional Holly Springs air conditioning contractor for your home or business, please call 919-662-4094 or complete our online request form.
As summer approaches in Raleigh, many people will start to use their air conditioners. And many have the chance to need servicing and maintenance. Most problems are caused my lacking proper air conditioning maintenance and cleaning. Just as a car needs its oil changed all HVAC units need to be properly maintained. A clean and maintained ac unit and filter helps to increase longevity and air flow; therefore minimizing the possibility of clogged air filters choking the system.
Other common issues requiring air conditioning repair are faulty cooling, water collections under the unit, and rattling sounds when the unit is shutting down. Whatever the problem may be, you should always contact your local Raleigh Air Conditioning repair professional. The small problem you think you have could actually be the result of a larger, unseen issue. An expert HVAC contractor can also diagnose possible future problem areas, saving you money in the end. And also get you on an ever-important maintenance plan.
Since summer is approaching, it is best to contact your Raleigh HVAC specialist before you fire up your air conditioning unit. Have Dunsten Aire give it a good check-up to make sure you’re going to have a reliable unit providing you with constant cool air and lower energy bills.
