Need a New Cooling System? Consider a Heat Pump (Seriously)
What is a Heat Pump? You may have seen the term on various devices including the indoors part of your central air conditioning system, near the furnace. It’s been used a bit too freely, and it’s confusing. Let’s clarify: for the purposes of this article, a “heat pump” is a device that uses a reversible […]
LED Lighting – Cool, Easy, Efficient
It pays to be smart about home upgrades. If you’re getting hot and you think it’s because you need a bigger AC – well, that is probably not true. Most homes already have over-powered and over-sized furnaces and air conditioners on the order of 2, 3, or 4 times too large. Furthermore, having a high […]
Air Sealing and Indoor Air Quality
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Air Sealing a home’s points of leakage is the first step in making a home efficient. But, you might ask, what about making the home comfortable and healthy? It turns out that air sealing is essential for air quality as well. Here’s why. Indoor Air Quality When speaking […]
Should I Replace My Furnace?
My electricity bill is too high. My heater is too noisy, and wakes me up at night. Some rooms are too hot and others are cold. The air feels stuffy or musty. My heater has stopped working entirely. Please read the following before replacing your furnace. The long-term effects of making the right (or wrong) […]
Hydronic Forced Air Heating Advantages
Hydronics refers to the use of a liquid as a medium of heat transfer in heating or cooling systems. Specifically, a Combined Hydronic Air Handler, often described as a “hot water furnace,” uses hot water to heat a home. How does a Combined Hydronic Air Handler system work? It uses two appliances in conjunction: a […]
Air Conditioner: Repair or Replace?
If there’s nothing wrong with your air conditioner, but your electricity bill seems too high during those hot months, you may want to schedule an energy audit. During this process, we will thoroughly evaluate the energy efficiency of your house, and recommend the most cost-effective combination of upgrades. If you’re deciding whether to repair or […]
When are Mini-Split Systems the Right Choice?
How It Works Mini-Split systems use heat pump technology. Basically, heat pumps combine an evaporator and a condenser, using puron refrigerant and phase change to provide heating and cooling. They are essentially a high efficiency air conditioner that can also run in reverse to heat the home. The condenser is usually located outdoors. It distributes […]
Duct Leakage – An HVAC Epidemic!
What is Duct Leakage? Duct leakage can be defined as a percentage, or a surface area value. The percentage rating is determined by the ratio of a home’s calculated leakage rate vs its air handler flow rate. The surface area value is useful for visualizing the total area that is leaking, and estimating the amount […]
