Summer 2013

Changing Air Filters Can Extend the Life of Your Air Conditioner

If you were to ask an HVAC technician what’s the simplest way to extend the life of your air conditioning system and maintain the system’s efficiency, chances are the answer will be to change the air filters regularly. Having clean, quality air filters in your AC system is an invaluable part of maintaining not only efficiency, but also the quality of the air inside your home.

Air filters help to filter out pollutants, impurities and allergens from the air in your home. While you should change filters at least every few months, there are many factors that can affect how often you should change your air filters. Pets and indoor air quality are a major concern. You may not realize how much pollen and pet dander can get clogged in the air filters of your AC system, even after 60 days of use. Even if you don’t have pets, and clean your home regularly, you should still change your air filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. You can always call us if you have questions or aren’t sure how often to change your air filters.

In addition to efficiency and air quality, routinely cleaning or changing filters can help extend the life of your system. Airflow is important to the operation of the entire system. When the system has to work harder to function in a normal capacity, all the components are put under additional strain. This leads to unnecessary wear and tear on your compressor, capacitor and other important parts of your AC system. In the long run, the simple procedure of changing out an inexpensive air filter can save you a lot of headaches.

Hopefully this information has given you a basic understanding of and an appreciation for the importance of the filters inside your air conditioning system. If you still have questions or want to have your AC system checked out, call one of our HVAC technician’s today. They will provide you with any further information you need.

Have you ever cleaned your chimney professionally? Here is why you should do it

Chimneys and fireplaces are wonderful components of many homes. Not only are they beautiful to look at but they also provide comfortable warmth. If you used your fireplace and chimney a lot this last winter and have never had your chimney cleaned then now would be a great to get it done. There are a few very important benefits to getting your chimney cleaned.

Chimney Fires

As you burn fuel in your fireplace, the resulting smoke often contains creosote and soot which get deposited on the walls of your chimney. If enough creosote and soot gets stuck to the walls of your chimney they can actually catch fire and cause tremendous damage to your chimney and to your home. In fact, creosote and soot build–up is one of the most common causes of chimney fires in the country. Getting your chimney cleaned on a regular basis is a great way to protect your chimney and potentially avoid a chimney fire.

Efficiency

In order for your chimney and fireplace to operate efficiently your chimney needs to be open and clear of any clogs or debris. Your chimney uses draft to pull smoke and air up and out. As you use your chimney, soot and creosote can start to build up inside of it. This will likely restrict the flow of smoke and air exiting your chimney. By getting your chimney regularly cleaned you will be able to remove many of those clogs and blockages that would otherwise keep it from working well.

Reduced Repair

During your regular chimney cleaning visits your expert chimney sweeps will be able to find any small cracks or other issues that could be developing with your chimney. While chimneys can last for a very long time, they will eventually need some professional attention. BY getting regular chimney cleaning you could be able to find those problems early before they turn into larger, more costly repairs.

Extend the Life of Your Chimney

Your chimney is constantly exposed to rain, snow, wind and sun. This can take a huge toll on it and cause it develop problems. If you live in an area with snow it could happen that water freezes in between the bricks of your chimney and causes them to start to crack. Over time this can cause huge damage to your chimney. Unless you have a professional chimney sweep regularly visiting your home and cleaning your chimney there’s no way for you to discover this issue until it’s too late.

Getting regular chimney cleaning and sweeping is something that every homeowner should do. Just like regular oil changes, the components and equipment in your home also need to be regularly inspected and maintained.