Archive for the ‘Utah Air Conditioning’ Category

The air conditioning market has specific definitions that come with it. These phrases are important when searching or talking about air conditioning units. Below are some of the top things to look out for with AC units.

BTU
British Thermal Unit, or BTU, is a common phrase used with AC units. BTU explains the amount energy a unit has to use to increase or decrease a gallon of water one degree per hour. The BTU ratings are usually high numbers that run in the thousands.

Tonnage
Tonnage is also a common rating system used with Utah air conditioning units. Tonnage is measured by the amount of BTUs are in the system. Since there are 12,000 BTUs per ton, a system with a 36,000 BTU rating would be a 3-ton unit.

SEER
Another rating used with AC units is the SEER rating. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. Low SEER ratings mean that the unit is not very energy efficient, and higher ratings mean great efficiency. Obviously, the higher the SEER rating the less energy is wasted or used to run the unit.

These terms come in handy when understanding how the AC unit runs. Knowing how efficient the unit actually is will help you make a better decision in regards to what unit you should purchase. While better ratings generally mean increased prices, they will also be more efficient and trustworthy.

Those living in older homes located in warmer climates often suffer through the summer in misery. Many times they wish their home had a refreshing air conditioner, but think it would be too hard to add to an older home. Air conditioning can be added to older homes, sometimes quite easily.

If your home already has existing air vents used for the heating system, often those same vents can be used for the air conditioning system. If new ducts are needed, they can often be run through the attic or in corners of closets. A Utah air conditioning contractor can let you know if your present duct system will work for an A/C system.

When selecting an air conditioning unit, you need to size it according to your home’s cooling needs. Often a competent air conditioning contractor can help you select the right size based on their experience. A more reliable way is to have a heat gain calculation done on your home.

Air conditioner sizes are expressed in Btu or tonnage per hour, with one ton equaling 12,000 Btu per hour. The size is important since a unit that is too small won’t be able to cool your home enough on the hottest days. On the other hand, over sizing the unit will waste money as you will be spending more energy than is needed.

Another thing to consider is the efficiency of the unit, which is expressed as the SEER. The higher the SEER number, the more energy efficient the unit. Units with higher SEER ratings typically cost more up front, but are usually of a higher quality and will generally save money over the life of the unit.

Utah air conditioning units require regular checkups and maintenance work? Why? To make sure they are operating the way they are supposed to.

Proper operation means less energy usage. Less energy usage can be really beneficial when you are trying to conserve energy and lower your energy bill. It also increases the air conditioning unit’s life expectancy.

Maintenance work can be accomplished in a few ways. One way is by the owner of the unit. Other maintenance work, however, needs to be accomplished by a skilled Utah air conditioning professional.

Air conditioning unit owners can do the maintenance checks themselves for a lot of things with the unit. They can check and clean out or replace the air conditioning filter, for one thing. They can also check for other things, such as leak checks and moisture checks.

Other maintenance work should be left up to the professionals. Professionals do these types of maintenance checks when more expertise is needed. These things are maintenance work that involves handling major refrigerant handling or any specialized maintenance work.

Refer to your user manual to see how often a professional should come out to check on your unit.

Proper maintenance of your Utah air conditioning unit can keep it in good, working order. It doesn’t particularly matter what type of unit you have. Every unit needs some upkeep in order for it to work properly.

The best way to know how to keep up with your unit is to check your user or owner’s manual. The manual will have specific instructions regarding the maintenance that needs to be done on that specific unit, and can give you good information regarding upkeep.

There are obviously some things that are not within your control as far as breakdowns and leaks. However, maintenance on the system can drastically lower these mishaps and keep you from having a huge repair job that goes unnoticed for a while.

Another important practice is to make sure that the unit was installed correctly. Improper installation will cause issues for your system later on. Even well maintained units will have issues with correct operation if it isn’t installed the right way in the first place.

As with anything, if you notice anything fishy going on don’t wait until your normal “maintenance schedule” to check up on it. Even if you just looked the unit over a month ago and it was working fine, if you notice it isn’t working right or is making a strange noise, etc. don’t wait another five months to check on it again. Keep on top of it and get it looked at as soon as it starts acting up.

Most of us know the importance of fresh air. Our grandmother was right when she told us to go outside and enjoy the fresh air, yet in many of our homes today, fresh air is hard to come by. Knowledgeable staff at Utah air conditioning companies can help us make sure our home is well ventilated.

As we strive to be more energy efficient, we do such a good job with insulation and sealing up cracks around windows and doors, that the only way fresh air can get in is when we open a door or a window. While this is good for our energy savings, it isn’t always good for our health, or our house. Along with being energy efficient, a home should still be well ventilated.

Proper ventilation is important to help control humidity levels in a home. Too much humidity allows mold growth, often in unseen areas such as inside walls, where it can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to a home. Dust mites also thrive in high humidity environments. Both mold and dust mites can be a serious problem for those allergic to them.

On the other hand, a home with dry air can cause discomfort to our nose and throat, making us more prone to sore throats. Not enough moisture in the air can also dry out our skin, as well as the wood in the home, causing it to crack and split. Ideally a home’s moisture level should be between 30 and 50% humidity.

Indoor pollutants can also build up in a home with poor ventilation. Smoke, whether from tobacco use or cooking, pet dander, household chemicals, cleansers, paints and solvents all contribute to indoor pollution. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and soot from heating appliances can be a serious threat if not ventilated properly.

Managing your home’s ventilation is one of the most important things you can do to improve your family’s health, as well as helping to maintain the value of your home. Using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, heat recovery ventilators, and having adequate attic ventilation, dryer vents, attic and crawl space vents will improve your home’s ventilation. A properly ventilated home will give us the fresh air we need to reduce allergy and asthma symptoms, ease respiratory ailments, and make your home a more comfortable place to be.

The spring weather is starting to break through here in Utah. This is great news after living through a cold winter here. With the sun starting to bear down on homes and warming up the outdoors, its time to start thinking about ways to keep your home cooler indoors.

Utah air conditioning is one way that you can keep your home cooler during the spring and summer months. Air conditioning can offer great relief to the heat of the day. However, there are other alternative methods to keeping your home cool.

One way is to keep the sun from penetrating your home. Sunlight can quickly absorb through your home and generate heat. Avoid this by blocking the heat with drawn drapes so the sun doesn’t penetrate through your windows.

Another thing to consider is the importance of reflecting the heat from the home. The color of your home can actually affect how much heat your home absorbs. Darker-colored homes absorb a lot more energy from the sun than light-colored homes do. If you want to reflect heat away consider painting your home a lighter color.

Another excellent way to avoid heat penetrating your home is to block it. You can do this through insulation. Insulation is great to have during the summer and the wintertime because it doesn’t allow warm air to penetrate your home in the summer and cold air to penetrate during the winter.

You can also block the heat through shading devices. An old remedy is planting a shade tree that covers your home with shade during the really hot part of the day.

1. Good ventilation brings in fresh air to your home. Typical houses have air that is used over and over again. The only time fresh air would come through the home is with an open door or open window, which we don’t use as often with more energy efficient Utah air conditioning systems in our home.

2. New air and ventilation helps create a healthier living environment. It gets rid of the stale or polluted air you might have in your home. Indoor pollution happens because homes don’t have a source to get rid of air that is polluted with things such as pollen, dust mites, pet dander, tobacco smoke, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, paints, and other common pollutants.

3. Air ventilation keeps the humidity levels in your home the right level. Most homes should only have humidity levels of around 30 – 50%. High humidity is a big cause of mildew, rot and mold in homes.

4. Poor ventilation can also lead to low humidity. Not having enough humidity in your home can cause other irritations, such as dry skin and throat and nose irritations. Low humidity can also cause wood to shrink and crack.

5. Good ventilation is very nice for those suffering from allergies or asthma. The more ventilation your home gets, the less stale air you will have to deal with. This can be very helpful for people who deal with air allergies and asthma.

There are a lot of differing options for Utah heating. There are some heating devices, however, that are not often used in Utah because of the cold Utah winters. One of these devices is a heat pump.

Heat pumps can be used very effectively in Utah, but it is important to use one that works with Utah’s climate. Some of the pumps, such as the popular air source heat pumps, aren’t very practical in areas that have very hot summers or very cold winters. Be sure to purchase the right heat pump that will work with the climate you are living in.

Heat pumps have been looked at as a very practical way to heat a home. They don’t need the use of external fuel to work, so they are very economical and energy efficient. You can see how energy efficient any heat pump is by checking out the EnergyGuide label the pump has. The label can help you know how efficient the pump is with cooling and heating measures. Energy efficiency keeps your heating bills lowered, and is nicer on the environment.

Also check out the HSPF, or “heating season performance factor” on the label to see how well it will do during the cold winter months. The higher the HSPF rating, the better the model will do in the cold. Never buy a model lower than an 8. This is especially true in Utah.

Another thing to look for on the EnergyGuide label is the SEER, or “seasonal energy efficiency ration”. The SEER rating rates the performance the pump during the hot months of the summer. Recent units have gotten higher rankings here. An average efficiency rating starts at 12, with a really efficient system can be as high as 18.

If you are interested in lowering your heating bills, consider a heat pump today. Speak to your professional plumbing and heating specialists today to see what pump is best for you.

”Going Green” is a popular concept, especially when it comes to energy use. Besides helping the environment, using less fuel can also help our pocketbook. Using less energy means saving more money.

The highest uses of energy in a home are usually for central heating hot water. If we can find ways to conserve in these areas, we can make a big impact on our energy bills. Before starting any re-modeling project, keep in mind ways you can have the project help your home be more energy efficient.

One of the most important things we can do to any home is to make sure there is adequate insulation, especially in the attic. Holding on to the heat we have will mean less heat is needed to keep us comfortable. Adequate insulation in walls and under the home will also help cut our energy bills.

The best known “green” heating systems are geo-thermal heat pumps and solar powered electric heat, but they are by no means the only options. Radiant floor heating, passive solar design, and pellet stoves can provide efficient heating in the right circumstances. Even conventional natural gas can be eco-friendly and energy efficient.

If you will be building a new home, you may want to look into using a passive solar design or other system that works well in your area. Designing your home to take advantage of the natural resources around you makes sense. If you have a lot of wind in your area, consider using it as a source of energy. If you live where there is a lot of sun, use it as well.

Installing alternative energy systems may cost more up front, but when the small costs of running and maintaining the system are figured in, you may save a lot of money over the long term. To accurately compare the costs of different systems, consult an energy specialist in your area. You may be surprised at how the true costs compare.

Improving your home’s energy efficiency can be as simple as installing a more energy efficient replacement for your old heater. Perhaps you could use an efficient pellet stove to help heat your home in winter? Opening the blinds and curtains to let in the natural warmth of sunshine during the winter months can also help heat your home while giving you natural lighting as well.

The best heating systems are those paired with proper home design. Utah heating specialists can help you decide the best system for your home. Small changes made now can help you save money on next winter’s heating costs.

There are quite a few things to consider when installing a new Utah heating system in your home. Whether you are getting a new system for a new home, or replacing an outdated system, there are still a lot of things you need to decide on. Here are some tips to remember.

1. Look at the options available. You no longer just have to use a fireplace to heat your home. There are a lot of great heating options out there for you to look at and decide on.

2. Price shop. A lot of times you might know the type of system you want, but it is still a good idea to compare prices of heating units. You can call different shops around town or even look online.

3. When you know what type of heating system you would like, whether that is a forced air heating system or a wall furnace, decide on what model you would like. Each model and type of system will have its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Typically the better quality the system has, the more expensive it is. So it is important to find a system within your price range but still good quality.

4. Consider the energy efficiency of the system. Energy efficiency is very important for the environment and for your electricity bill. Newer systems are much more efficient than older systems, but it is still a good idea to look carefully at the energy efficiency rating of the system before making your final decision.