Heaters usually come with air filters designed to catch dust, dirt and other particles before it can spread into the system (or your ducts). Normally filters need to be replaced every month or so, and you can pick up inexpensive replacements at any hardware store in Hammond, LA. But before you do so, you may want to consider a more thorough solution: a whole-house air cleaner. Not only will it keep your home more free of dust and dirt, but it will also keep dirt out of your heating system itself. Considering the operation problems that excessive dust and dirt can cause, it could be the best decision for your heater you ever made.
Professional Heating & Air Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category
Why Is Dust and Dirt a Problem for My Heater?
Monday, January 18th, 2016Reduce Asthma Attacks With Timely Cleaning
Monday, January 11th, 2016We love our sultry summers and mild winters here in Hammond, LA, but our muggy climate and high pollen counts can wreak havoc with family members who suffer from asthma or similar conditions. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot we can do about the weather around here. There is, however, quite a bit we can do about making your home healthier and happier if you or another family member suffers from asthma. With timely cleaning sessions, as well as judicious upgrades, you can help reduce the frequency of asthma attacks among vulnerable residents in your home and raise the indoor air quality.
3 Signs That You Need Duct Sealing
Monday, August 17th, 2015The duct system in your home is vital to ensuring that cool air from your air conditioner and warm air from your heater gets where it needs to go. Normally, they don’t encounter any problems, since they’re tucked safely away in your attic or in the crawlspace between your walls. But breaches can occur, either because the ducts suffer damage, or because the bolts and fittings become loose.
What Kinds of Problems Do Air Filtration Systems Fix?
Monday, August 3rd, 2015We live in Hammond, LA, which means that temperatures are excruciatingly high in the summertime. But because of those high temperatures, we often focus exclusively on our air conditioners to make our homes comfortable. They do a great job, but they tend to only address the heat, leaving a lot of other indoor air quality issues unaddressed. A good air filtration system can address many of these issues, whether it be a simple set of filters or a more elaborate system such as UV germicidal lights or a dehumidifier. Which system works best for you will depend on the specifics of your home, and the kinds of problems you need your air filtration system to fix.
How Do UV Germicidal Lights Help Me?
Monday, July 20th, 2015UV germicidal lights harness the power of ultraviolet light, which humans are unable to see, but which affects our world nonetheless. If you’ve ever gone to a concert or ridden a dark ride at an amusement park, and your white clothing begins glowing in the dark, that’s the effects of an ultraviolet light reacting to the chemicals in your laundry detergent. They can have a much more practical effect in your home: helping to keep your family healthier and happier as a result. Here’s a quick breakdown on how UV germicidal lights help you.
How do Dehumidifiers Work?
Monday, July 13th, 2015Hammond, LA, has more than warm temperatures in the summer. It features stifling humidity too, which can be as much of an impediment to your comfort as high temperatures. An excess of humidity in your home can leave your skin feeling damp and clammy, as well as making the air feel much hotter than it actually is. Furthermore, high humidity levels encourage the growth of bacteria and mold, which can present a considerable danger to your household. The solution is to install a whole-house dehumidifier, which lowers the humidity and provides a number of benefits in the bargain. Here’s a quick primer on how dehumidifiers work.
Common Problems with Ducts
Monday, June 22nd, 2015Your central air conditioner relies upon a series of ducts to do its job. They branch out from the centralized unit through unseen places in your home, like crawlspaces in the walls and your attic, and carry conditioned air out to various rooms through a series of vents. They’re designed to function without trouble, but like any other appliance, they sometimes run into problems. When they do, it pays to contact a seasoned professional to get them taken care of. Considering the heat of our summers here in Hammond, LA, common problems with ducts can end up costly you an uncommonly large amount of money in higher monthly bills if you aren’t careful.
What Kinds of Indoor Air Cleaners Are Available?
Monday, June 15th, 2015Here in Hammond, LA, the heat and humidity of our summers can lead to significant indoor air quality questions. High humidity breeds mold and bacteria, in addition to that clammy uncomfortable feeling that makes your body think it’s much hotter than it actually is. A good air conditioner can counteract some of this, but it can’t account for the proliferation of germs in your household and in any case it needs to work much harder to do its job when the indoor air quality is low. You can counteract this by upgrading your system with an air cleaner of some stripe, installed by a professional and working alongside your air condition. What kinds of indoor air cleaners are available? We’ve written down a few of the more common models.
Are You Doing Enough to Reduce Allergens in Your Home?
Monday, April 13th, 2015The beautiful sights of spring are all around us, but unfortunately, that means that so is the pollen. When you go outside, your allergies can really act up in response, but when you don’t have a quality system in place for indoor air quality control, the inside of your home may be just as prone to contaminants, if not more so. Try these tips to reduce allergens indoors and make it a little bit easier for those with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Ways to Tell You Need Duct Sealing
Wednesday, March 11th, 2015Is a small break along the ductwork in a home’s ventilation system really that major a problem? How much of an issue can a small hole be?
You’d be surprised. Any loss of the airtight integrity in the ductwork attached to a residential air conditioning and heating system can have significant consequences: it will lower comfort, place extra strain on the AC and heater leading to higher bills, and create indoor air quality issues. Studies have shown that leaky air ducts can result in an increase of 30% on heating and cooling costs for a home. If your house has damaged air ducts, you need to call on professionals to seal the air leaks. (No, you can’t do the job with duct tape. Don’t even think about it.)
For excellent duct sealing service in Covington, LA and throughout Southeast Louisiana, get in touch with A-Professional Heating and Air Conditioning. We offer a number of quality services to take care of your ventilation system—so that it takes care of you.
Because you can’t see most of the ductwork in your home, you will need to watch for warning signs that will tell you the ducts have air leaks:
- Low airflow from the vents: Leaks in ducts will cause the air pressure inside the ventilation system to drop, which will cause a reduction in the airflow from the vents. If you notice that a room feels too cold or too hot, check on the vent register in the room. If the airflow from it feels sluggish, the issue may be damaged ductwork.
- Elevated heating and cooling bills: It’s difficult to miss a 30% increase in how much it costs to heat or cool your home. When your monthly bills take an unpleasant upswing, there is something wrong with the HVAC system, and one of the likely culprits is a loss of integrity in the ventilation system. Call for professionals to find the cause and take care of it.
- Musty smells from the vents: Since the ductwork runs through enclosed parts of your home that have musty air and dust inside them, gaps in the ducts will cause this air to enter the ventilation system. If you notice musty and moldy odors coming from the vents, you may have trouble with ductwork damage.
As we mentioned before, don’t think about using duct tape to fix the problem yourself. Not only is duct tape ineffective on ducts (yes, duct tape is a misnomer), but you will have trouble even locating or accessing the duct leaks. Take the easy route: call A-Professional Heating and Air Conditioning and let our experts handle duct sealing in Covington, LA to restore your ventilation system.