Should I Upgrade My Thermostat?

April 5, 2021

Homeowners should generally replace their climate control systems every one or two decades. However, few people remember to replace their thermostats. Since thermostats control all climate control systems, it’s imperative to replace them often or when you notice specific signs. Don’t worry if you are among those homeowners who don’t know when to replace their thermostats. Read on to discover the signs that it’s time to replace your AC’s thermostat. Your HVAC Keeps Turning Off The thermostat sends signals to the air conditioner on when to lower or increase temperatures. If the air conditioning system stops receiving signals from a thermostat, it’s probably because your thermostat has an issue. The wiring inside the thermostat could be faulty. It’s wise to hire an HVAC professional to check on the thermostat and replace it. Faulty Thermostat Readings Correct thermostat settings ensure that your home doesn’t get too cold or hot, especially during the winter or summer seasons in the TX area. It may be time to consider replacing your thermostat if it starts registering incorrect temperatures. You can verify whether the temperature is correct by testing the reading with a portable indoor thermometer. Your thermostat’s sensor could be faulty if you find...

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Are Space Heaters Energy Efficient?

March 9, 2021

If you have an old furnace or need a new one, you may have thought about heating your home with space heaters. How efficiently they can heat your home depends on several factors. The bottom line, though, is you’re likely better off relying on your HVAC system. Can a Space Heater Be Significantly Energy Efficient? The only way a space heater can be energy efficient is if you only want to heat one room in your home. You’d spend far less money heating your entire home with even an old furnace than placing a space heater in every room. The other factors include how much electricity the space heater uses, what heating system it uses, and how much your utilities cost. Natural gas is almost always a cheaper way to heat your home than using electricity. Getting the Most Out of a Space Heater If you do want to heat a single room with a space heater, buy one made for the size of the room you plan to use it in. Look at the wattage of similar ones to see which uses the least electricity. Look for energy-saving features, such as a timer setting and thermostat. Is a Radiant...

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Why Is My Furnace Blowing Cold Air

February 8, 2021

It’s not much fun to expect warm air to blow from your registers only to get a blast of cold air. There are several things that can cause this, some of which you can fix yourself and others that need to be resolved by a professional. Incorrect Thermostat Settings Make sure the fan setting on your thermostat is set to AUTO and not ON. When it’s set to AUTO, the fan will only run when the furnace is on. When it’s set to ON, the fan will run constantly. This results in cold air blowing when the furnace is off. Also, check that it’s set to HEAT and not COOL. Overheated Furnace You’ll know your furnace is overheated if it blows warm air before blowing cool air, and then shuts off altogether. When your furnace overheats, the fan limit switch shuts off the burners. The most common reason for this is a dirty air filter. If the filter isn’t the problem, make sure all your supply vents are open. Pilot Light Is Out Older furnaces have a pilot light that’s always lit. A gust of wind can cause the pilot light to be extinguished. If you know what you’re doing,...

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How Often Should You Change Your Air Filter?

January 5, 2021

The air filter is an essential component of any HVAC system. It works to trap contaminants such as dust, dander, and dirt. However, if it isn’t replaced regularly, it will become full of these particles and won’t be able to continue trapping new particles. This will lead to increased dust, dander, and dirt entering your home and producing poor air quality. How frequently do you actually need to change your air filter? Keep reading to find out. Why Is an Air Filter Important? Your air filter can help keep your home’s air cleaner and reduce the chances that someone in your house will suffer from allergies, an asthma attack, or more serious breathing issues. In addition to helping keep your home’s air clean, air filters also help your HVAC system function more efficiently. When clean, the HVAC’s blower doesn’t work as hard to push air through your system, which can help extend its life and keep your energy bills lower. This can also help decrease the chances that your HVAC will overheat or stop working. How Often Should You Replace Your Air Filter? Generally, air filters should be changed once a month or once every two months. This will help...

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Determining Whether You Have a Heat Pump or a Furnace

December 3, 2020

As a homeowner, it’s good to know basic information about your home’s mechanical systems. One of the most complex and confusing of those mechanical systems is the HVAC system. For example, there are some HVAC components that look similar but work in entirely different ways. One component that often causes some confusion is the heating component. While some people have furnaces, others have heat pumps. If you want to know which system you have in your Burbank, CA, home, check out this basic guide from . Indoor Versus Outdoor One way to tell the difference between heat pumps and furnaces is that a furnace is entirely inside while a heat pump has components both inside and outside. That’s because a heat pump uses a compressor on the outside to extract heat from the air. Therefore, if you turn on the heat and you see that the outside component is operating, you have a heat pump. If the outside component doesn’t turn on, you have a furnace, and the outside component is only used by the air conditioner. Utility Bill Another idea for determining whether you have a heat pump or a furnace is to take a look at your utility...

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Three Reasons Why Your Heat Pump Is Loud

November 18, 2020

In places with moderate climates like Burbank, CA, a heat pump is an energy-efficient way to maintain indoor comfort all year long. Most of the time, a properly installed heat pump operates quietly, and all you’ll hear is the whoosh of air in your vents and a click on and off at the start and end of a heating cycle. However, there are three reasons why your heat pump may be louder than usual on certain occasions. 1. Switch to Defrost Mode In the wintertime, your heat pump will occasionally go through defrost cycles. The purpose of the defrost cycle is to melt ice that has built up on the coils. The defrost cycle is noisier than a heating cycle. The sound should stop within 15 minutes. 2. Debris in Outdoor Housing Debris may have fallen into the outdoor unit’s housing. A tree branch, bird’s nest, or something else could be stuck in there. Each time the fan turns, it hits the debris. After the end of a heating cycle, power off the heat pump. Take a look to see if there’s debris stuck in the housing. If you can see it but can’t get to it, a service call...

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How to Maintain Healthy Indoor Air Quality During Local Wildfires

October 20, 2020

This year’s wildfires in Burbank, CA, and the surrounding areas have burned a record-breaking amount of land. Even if you’re able to stay in your home, the smoke and smog from the wildfires are likely affecting the air you breathe. You might be surprised to learn that the wildfires could even be affecting the quality of the air inside your home. Read on to learn how wildfires affect indoor air quality and what you can do to breathe easier and stay healthy. How Wildfires Affect Indoor Air Quality Even if you’re tens of miles away from the wildfires, their smoke travels a great distance. Wildfire smoke can get into your home. The smoke contains tiny particles of ash as well as other particles. They irritate your eyes, nose and throat. Breathing in the particles could worsen your asthma. People with breathing disorders or heart disease have a high risk of complications from wildfire smoke. How Wildfire Smoke Gets Into Your Home Wildfire smoke enters your home in up to three ways. It can infiltrate through little gaps around your doors, windows, flue and vents. Your heating and cooling system’s mechanical ventilation may bring the contaminated outdoor air into your home....

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How Dirty Ductwork Can Damage Your Home Comfort

September 20, 2020

Air ducts become dirty from more than just dust and pollen. Allergens, smoke by-products, pet and human dander, rodent and pest droppings, and other contaminants accumulate in the ductwork. Dirty air ducts decrease your home comfort and indoor air quality. Here are three of the top reasons dirty ducts need to be addressed. 1. Restricted Airflow Dirty ductwork restricts airflow from your heating and cooling systems, which is not only bad for the system, but it also reduces your home comfort. The system won’t be able to effectively cool or heat your home due to the restricted airflow. It may take longer for the heating and cooling systems to reach the thermostat’s set temperature, resulting in higher energy bills. This problem also causes increased wear and tear on your heating and cooling units. You might have to replace them sooner than expected. They may also require more frequent repairs because of the excessive strain. is a heating and cooling company in Burbank, CA, that offers maintenance for heating and cooling systems. Just as your ducts need to be cleaned, the actual healing and cooling systems need to be cleaned, too, for maintaining home comfort. 2. Unpleasant Physical Symptoms Dirty ducts...

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How To Effectively Set Your Thermostat For A Multi-Story Home

August 16, 2020

One of the challenges of living in a multi-story home is that the temperature could be different on each floor. Warm air rises, so upper floors will inevitably be hotter than lower levels. The information below explains how to make your whole home comfortable without dramatically increasing your energy bills. Install Multiple Thermostats Most homes, including new ones, have just one thermostat located on the first floor. You should have a thermostat on every floor so that you can properly zone them. Without a thermostat on every floor, it is unlikely that you can guarantee what the temperature will be on each of them. of Burbank, CA, installs programmable and smart thermostats. We can help you get your home properly zoned so that it’s at its most comfortable. Thermostat Settings for the Summer In the summer, you should set the temperature to what you want on the thermostat located on the uppermost floor. Each floor below that should be set two degrees cooler. This creates what’s called a temperature cascade. The upper floor will reach the temperature on the thermostat. From there, the cool air on the upper floor will fall as warm air rises, cooling your lower floors. With...

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Do I Need a Humidifier or a Dehumidifier?

July 16, 2020

The climate in Burbank is hot but not always so humid. Therefore, you may wonder if you need a humidifier or dehumidifier. Because the air tends to be dry here, you’re more likely to need a humidifier for the cold months. However, some homes can still become too humid during the summer, in which case you’ll need a dehumidifier. Each home is different, so check your humidity level in the summer and winter to find out if you need a humidifier, a dehumidifier, or both. Problems Associated With Dry Air If the air inside your home is too dry, you will fall sick more easily because cold and flu viruses thrive in cold, dry environments. Dry air can also dry out your sinuses which hinders their ability to ward off illnesses. Humidifiers combat dry air by dispelling water vapor into the air, which increases the humidity level. You can adjust the machine to control the humidity in your home. Problems Associated With Humid Air Indoor air that’s too humid is harmful to your health too, especially if you have a respiratory health condition like asthma. Too much humidity causes damage to wood furniture, wood floors, and other wood structures in...

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