Cleaning HVAC before Spring

Spring is not far. It is just around the corner and before you know it, spring will be here. All of us need the air conditioning in spring. But, have we ever thought that our air conditioners also need to be ready for spring and summer? So, is your HVAC unit ready to perform to the demands of warmer weather?

Many of you might say, “..oh I have a new system.” You feel having a new system does not require tune up for spring. You need to remember that a relatively new system needs regular maintenance so that it can run properly and efficiently. Surely, the last thing you would want is that your air conditioner breaks down in the middle of a hot day.

Why should I clean my HVAC before summer?

Servicing the air conditioner before spring is really important. Your HAVC unit will house effects of the harsh winter. Most systems have dirty coils and clogged filters that affect the working of the system. These problems, if not addressed immediately, can result in repairs that will make a hole in your pocket. Reports from the of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) say that if the heating and cooling systems are not cleaned periodically, the system is likely to incur additional costs of $1000 per cooling season.

Can I avoid my system from breaking down?

Yes. You can. But only if you have a twice-a-year maintenance check schedule and stick to it. There are a few checks that need to be carried out at least twice a year. These could be done DIY or by hiring the services of a professional, qualified HVAC technician.

What do I need to check in my HVAC before spring sets in?

These are some essential checks and probable repairs you need to carry out after winter.

• Inspection of the evaporator coil. This will ensure that the coil is functioning properly, is clean and allows the unit to drain sufficiently.
• Checking the filters of the air conditioning. Clean the filters thoroughly or replace it if necessary. Pleated air filters need to be changed at a frequency between one and three months. Standard fiberglass filters will need a frequent replacement and electronic air cleaners need careful cleaning according to manufacture specifications.  HEPA filters are ones that last up to six months and easy to clean too. You can clean them with a vacuum nozzle.  
• Inspect the wiring and all connections of the HVAC unit. This will help you detect if any cracks have formed in the wires and if all connections work properly.
• Thorough inspection of the condenser coil. This is essential because if it is clean, it will deliver efficiency.
• Analysis of the unit’s temperature drop. It you feel overly warm, there is sure to be a problem somewhere.  
• Ensure the drainage hole is clean. Most air conditioners have a drainage hole that is fitted to the base of the cabinet. Usually, these are found beneath the evaporator fins. This hole needs to be kept clean and clear so that the air conditioner can work properly. It will be good to use a paper clip or a wire to poke through the hole to check if it is clean. If it’s not clean, then proceed to cleaning it.

With a little advance planning, you can ensure that your HVAC system is ready for the spring, and that there will be no surprise breakdowns or unbudgeted expenses in the process.

Home Safety Campaign

In the United States, every year about 2,500 people die in home fires.

Home heating fuels are costly. This high cost has caused many Americans to look for alternate sources of energy for home heating. The past few years have seen an increase in the sales of wood-burning stoves and space heaters. Fireplaces have also become common and this means burning wood and man-made logs.

These heating methods, though acceptable, are a major cause for residential fires. It is reported that most fire victims die from smoke or toxic gases and not from burns. This data led safety experts to believe that this huge fire death toll could be greatly reduced if people knew more about how fires burn and what’s in the smoke they create.

However much we dismiss it, the fact that home fires are most common in winter looms over the head all the time. Numerous researches have paved the way to the development of various campaigns and programs to help reduce damage and loss of life in the home fires.

In 2008, the Alberta government rolled out a campaign after it accepted recommendations from the then recently established High-Intensity Residential Fires (HIRF) Working Group.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 1710 was created for benefits in the same line.

The main theme of these agencies was public education and the development of awareness campaigns that focus on what people require to do in those few minutes before the fire department reaches the spot. These are the most crucial moments that could mean the difference between life and death.

People were educated through the television and the Internet. Video clips broad-casted on television and announcements on the radio were most effective. This campaign also increased personal responsibility for fire safety among the people. They understood prevention of fires is most important. Next came detection of smoke and fire, and the importance of working smoke alarms; and finally, moving to safety, which was taught through fire escape plan.

The following fire safety tips can help you maintain a fire safe home this winter.

If you are using a kerosene heater, you need to

• Ensure that the kerosene heater is legal in your area.
• Make sure that the heater is in good working condition.
• Refrain from using fuel burning appliances when there is inadequate room ventilation. There needs to be room to let the fumes out.
• Keep kerosene stored in approved metal containers, outside of the house.

If you are using wood stoves and fireplaces, you need to

• Make sure that the fireplace or stove is installed properly.
• Wood stoves need to be of good quality, have a solid design and construction, and should be laboratory tested.
• The chimney needs to be inspected and cleaned annually.
• Always place a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace. This will prevent embers from flying out and burn something.
• Burn the stove twice a day for 15-30 minutes. This will reduce the amount of creosote buildup.

If you are using furnace heating, you need to

• Ensure your furnace is inspected to prove its safe working condition.
• Make sure that all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs work properly.
• Do not try to repair the furnace yourself, leave it to qualified specialists.
• Check the pipe seams and flue pipes. They should have proper supports and free of holes and cracks.
• Keep trash and combustible items far away from the heating system.

Finally, you need to be sure that you have a smoke alarm that works. Clean it on a monthly basis to check there are no hindrances.

Practice the evacuation plan with your family. Contact your local fire department if you have any questions on home fire safety.

Freeze the Winter Fires

Winter is a time to be ‘fire smart.’ Home fires occur in winter often. Surprising, isn’t it? This is the time when you and your family are most vulnerable as it is only fire for cooking that you think about in this season. It is at this time of the year that most homes use unsafe heat sources or slip following fire safety rules while using candles in the kitchen.

The United State Fire Administration (USFA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have rolled out their analysis, which says that half of all home fires occur in the month of December, January and February. Let’s take a look at the common causes of fires at home.

1. Residential properties have reported carbon monoxide incidents during the winter months. 2006-2010, municipal fire departments have received calls for an annual average of 72,000 carbon monoxide incidents. These calls have been common during the early evening hours.
2. Electricity, our basic needs, is another source of fire. The only way we can keep our home safe from electrical hazards is by taking good care of appliances. Using all electrical equipment properly and according to the instructions goes a long way in preventing home fires.
3. Heating appliances are one of the leading causes of home fires in winter months. Heaters can burst and cause a fire if left on for very long.
4. Cooking has been reported to have caused about 156,300 home structure fires in 2011. The U.S. fire departments has reported that cooking has caused 43% of the home fires, 38% of home fire injuries, 16% of home fire deaths, and 12% of damage to property. NFPA discourages using outdoor gas-fueled turkey fryers. These fryers need a lot of oil to immerse the turkey while cooking. They use a substantial quantity of cooking oil at extremely high cooking temperatures and this pose danger of hot oil being released at some point during the cooking process. This hot oil can catch fire immediately.
5. Candles are dangerous too. The top three days when home candle fires have been reported are Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Among the total calls for fires attended by the U.S. fire department on an annual average, 10,630 home structure fires have been caused by candles.
6. Winter holiday season also means decorations made of paper and other inflammable materials. There are fires and injuries associated with holiday decorating materials during this season. The US fire department says that there have been 230 home structure fires that started with Christmas trees between 2007 and 2011. Decorative lights on line voltage have been the cause for the most of these fires and resulted in 12% of these incidents. Electrical failures or malfunctions were the main factors in most of them. All these have involved holiday or decorative lights. On an average, there has been one of every 40 reported home structure Christmas tree fires that have resulted in a death.

We can prevent these fires easily with a little precaution and care.  It is good to have a fireplace screen or heat tempered glass in front of the fireplace. Keeping children at least 10 feet away from the cooking fire is another good way to prevent injuries. Ensuring that portable heaters can automatically shut off is a good way of avoiding heater appliance fires. Testing the carbon monoxide alarms to ensure that they are working fine is a must in every winter.

Stay Tuned! We will be back with more tips to prevent domestic winter fires.

Residential HVAC Tune-up

As we have been discussing, periodic tune-ups for your residential units is a must. However, there are a few things that you have to keep in mind that are essential when you actually are tuning up your air conditioner.   

These tips will help a great deal in your regular tune-up activities.

1. Finding leaks can be a tedious exercise while you are in the process of tuning up your air conditioner. However, it is very essential. If you find a leak in the coils, it is best you replace the system.
2. Take a look at the condenser coil. You may need to clean it. However, it is advisable that you hose off the condenser coil once every month.
3. Hose off the coil with a biodegradable cleaner. This way, you preserve the environment and do not harm your plants or pets.
4. Inspection of the evaporator coil to check if it is properly plugged is important. The evaporator coil needs to be cleaned when the air filter of your air conditioner has not been changed for a long time.
5. The next important thing is the inspection of the blower wheel. If you want to know how dirty your evaporator coils are, you need to look at the blower wheel. If you find a lot of dirt accumulated, there can be a hindrance in the evaporator coil.
6. Oil motor is the next check. It is important that the oil ports face upward. This ensures that there is no oil draining out.
7. Clean the evaporator condensate line every time you inspect the system.
8. Check the operation of the condensate pump. You can empty a cap full of white vinegar in the pump once a month. This helps to keep the pipe line and the float clean.
9. Next comes the inspection of the amp draw of the air conditioning unit. If you notice that the compressor is working at a higher- than-normal amp draw, it means that there is some weakness in the compressor. This could be due to restricted airflow across the compressor to the condenser coil.
10. If the compressor is operating at a higher amp draw than normal, it could indicate there’s a weakness in the compressor, or you could have a restriction of airflow across the compressor through the condenser coil.
11. Also check the amp draw of the condenser fan motor. Make sure that the condenser fan motor and the blower motor are all within range.
12. Checking the voltage drop across the contactors is important. You need to make sure that no contactors are burnt or pitted. If the voltage drop in more than 10%, it is recommended that you replace the system.
13. Though there are not too many belt-driven blowers seen in the last two decades, it is required that the belt n the blowers are checked for any cracks or glazed surfaces.
14. The next stop will be the condensing unit. If it is a little off the level, it is okay. But the inclination should not be too much as the oil within may spill off.
15. Check the thermostat. It should be secured to the wall. In the case of mercury thermostats, the level and calibration should be proper. A digital thermostat is always advised.
16. The heat exchanger may have some carbon monoxide leaks, especially during the cooling season tune-ups.

These were some tips on what a periodic air conditioner tune-up should consist of. It is advisable that you hire the services of an experienced technician or a contractor to carry out these tune-ups.

Air Conditioner Tune-Up

Have you ever wondered whether a tune-up for your air conditioner is really required?

Have you laughed quietly when the HVAC contractor advised you on a regular tune up?

Have doubts about how a tune-up can save energy cost have cropped in your mind?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then this article is for you.

You regularly service your car or truck, change the oil filter, air filter, and any other part that is likely to cause a breakdown, so that you get maximum life and mileage out of your vehicle. In the same way, your heating and cooling units need to be regularly checked and tuned.

Before we actually go into why a tune up is required and what to endure during the tune-up sessions, lets take a look at the benefits of periodic tune-ups.

• Savings as you reduce energy costs
• Longer life of the equipment
• Improved performance and efficiency
• Reduced risk of break downs
• Protection and safety
• Comfort and well being

If you think that all this is important to you, read on!

The government site for HVAC, www.energystar.gov, says that an annual tune-up of your heating and cooling unit improves the efficiency of the system, increases comfort levels prevents future problems and unexpected costs. 

There are HVAC contractors and technicians who will come over periodically to check your air conditioning units. This is especially so when the season starts. With winter around the corner, it is required that you keep your heating systems in good condition so that you are free of any likely breakdowns and your comfort levels are maintained through out the season.

Here are some essentials of a HVAC tune-up for a residential unit.

1. Check operating pressures.

There may be leaks in your system that you may not know of. You can find this out if the operating pressure of your system does not fall into the proper range for superheating or subcooling. This could also be due to restriction in the airflow, compressor valve problems or mechanical failure in the compressor.

If you find discrepancies in the pressures, you need to first check is the air filter to check if it is dirty. Check the suction pressure. If it is low, it means that the air flow is good and the filter is not dirty. If not, then you will need to clean the filter.

2. Check air filter

This is one of the first things that most technicians will do. This check will rule out if there are any frozen coils that are hindering the working of the air conditioner or dirt that may have accumulated and causes problem in the running of the system. 

It would be beneficial to change the filters periodically, whether they give a problem or not. This is not an expensive exercise and helps in keeping major problems at bay.

3. Check for leaks.

When the refrigerant pressure is not satisfactory, there is a need to check for leaks. Finding the leak is where technician expertise is required. You need to look for brazed and mechanical connections first and then you look at the coils. You may not know where the leak is and even if you find one you may not know the best solution to fix the leak.

The best way to fix a leak after you find it is by repairing it or replacing the system. However, if the cost is high and you do not wish to spend much at the moment, you can use a leak sealant as an alternative. If there is a leak in the coil, it best to replace the system.

There is more to the essentials of a tune-up for HVAC. We will bring all the tips. Read on!

Making Optimum Use of Natural Environment

Every country is proud of its resources. They are the backbone of the economy. Using the economy’s resources and transforming them into positive energy results in building capital stocks. These again add to the wealth for generations to come.

However, the current use, or rather misuse, of the existing resources is delivering a message, loud and clear, that there are slim chances that there will be enough resources left for future generations to use. This scenario is especially dominant in the developing countries, where access resources are plenty, but their use is so rapid that their share of the already scarce resources is endangered.

On the other hand, there are serious consequences of our use of the resources. The impacts, or rather the harmful impacts on the environment can induce damages that go far beyond the capacity of the environment.

Let us see why our natural resources are essential.

Measuring the essentialness of a resource has different dimensions. It can mean several things. One could be that a resource might be essential for disposing waste or processing waste. Then, a resource may be essential because it offers satisfaction to the human psyche. There are some resources that can be termed as essential because of ecological reasons.   

A resource could also be essential for production. The production of oxygen, clean air, graceful surroundings, etc.

Here are some tips on how we can use natural resources to our advantage, without polluting the environment. We can actually save energy, reduce pollution and help in preserving the environment by proper utilization of the natural resources. The bottom line is awareness.

Planting Trees the Right Way

Ø  Trees provide multiple benefits to us. They give us shade, block the wind, prevent soil erosion, attract birds and make the air pure.

Ø  They also clean our water and make our surrounding more beautiful with their greenery. 

Ø  We all know that in winter, we look for methods to avoid the chill wind from blowing indoors. And in summer, we enjoy the shade under the trees.

Ø  What we do not know that planting trees in the right direction can help save up to 30% of our energy bills. 

Ø  Deciduous trees are trees that shed their leaves in winter. If we plant deciduous trees on the east and west sides of the house, the house will be cool in the summer and warm in winter.

Ø  The shade from the foliage of leaves will protect the house from the direct rays of the sun, preventing the walls from getting hot.

Ø  You will need to run the air conditioning lesser or maybe not too. Reduction in energy use means savings in terms of money.

Ø  Plus your green gas contribution also reduces and helps you fight global warming.

Ø  Planting trees and shrubs in a position where they can provide shade to the outdoor unit of the air conditioners helps in cooling the building more efficiently and reduces about 10% of our energy consumption.

Ø  Trees can be used to shade the patios, sidewalk, and driveway too. The shade will keep the concrete, yard and the surroundings cool.

Ø  If you want to block the cold winter winds, plant an evergreen conifer on the north and northwest of your house. A row of conifers will create a kind of wall to keep off the cold winter winds. This will also save heating costs up to 30%.

Ø  When the leaves of the deciduous trees fall in winter, the sun pours into your house through branches, reducing your need to keep the heater on to ward off the chillness.

Winter is the Time to Save Energy

Fall and winter are the best times of the year for some and not so for others. While attempting to keep warm, most of us end up in spending far more energy than what is required. You try to keep the heater or furnace on all day in an attempt to keep your indoors warm and save the chill from sweeping indoors. These activities can prove costly in terms of energy, which translates into cost for which payments need to be made.

One good way to assess the energy efficiency of your home is to get a home energy checkup or an energy audit done just before winter. You can conduct an energy audit yourself or employ the services of a professional energy auditor.

Benefits of an Energy Audit

1. A home energy audit helps owners determine the places where the house is leaking energy, in other words, money.

2. An energy auditor will help you find problems and corrected them too.

3. Thermography or infrared scanning equipment used for home energy audit can detect the various leakages in your home that allow, warm air to move out and cold air to sweep in.

4. The blower door test is the best way to identify air leakages and analyze why the house is not comfortably warm in winter.

There may be air leaking out through the face plates on switches, windows, pipes, and may be under the sinks too.

Energy auditors may use thermography -- or infrared scanning -- to detect thermal defects and air leakage in building envelopes.

If you do not wish to hire a professional, you could conduct a simple do-it-yourself walk-through of your home. This can help you identify the energy gaps in your home and prioritize on some energy efficiency upgrades.

There are a few other ways in which you could refrain from using more energy in winter. Here are some tips that could prove useful.

• Rearrange the furniture of your rooms. You could move your furniture in such a way that you are away from the exterior walls and windows of the house. These may be drafty and you may end up increasing the temperature to keep warm. 
• Open the drapes and let the sunshine in. This holds good for windows that face the south as the rays of the sun in winter can reach indoors. Keeping drapes open, allowing sunshine in reduces the need to keep the room heater or furnace on for warmth.
• Take shorter showers. People usually like to linger in the shower. If you are one among them, try to make your shower time shorter. This will save the energy spent on heating water that you use while spending that additional time basking in the shower.
• Clean or replace the furnace filters every month. If the filters are dirty, they restrict the airflow into the furnace and thus the system has to work doubly hard to provide the required heat. This translates into excess energy usage, which again makes you end up with increased energy costs.
• Keep your furnace well lubricated. This will help you save up to 5% energy.
• Make use of your appliances efficiently. Using the dishwasher only when it is full, using cold water to wash reduces your washer's energy consumption by 75 %. 
• Insulate the hot water pipe all the way to the wall. This will help in reducing heat loss in transit.
• Plug all appliances that "leak energy." Many electronic appliances, such as VCRs, chargers, computer peripherals and TVs continue to consume electricity even when they are switched "off." Turn off all these when they are not in use.