Tuesday 24 June 2014

Importance of Air Duct Cleaning in East SF Bay Area

The East Bay area is known for its dramatic variations in weather conditions. If you are in SF Bay area, then you can enjoy cool mornings and pleasant evenings; whereas, midday temperatures might rise slightly. Thus, it is no wonder that San Francisco or East Bay homeowners are bit oblivious to the significance of HVAC system maintenance. Often, they tend to overlook one significant aspect i.e. cleaning of air duct of the HVAC system.

In general, homeowners tend to sincerely consider other aspects of their HVAC systems like changing filter or its general maintenance. The problem is very few give serious thought to the most important component of the unit, i.e., the air duct. This might be because many are unaware of the fact that efficient working of the air duct helps deliver pure heated or cooled air inside the home.

East Bay HVAC professionals always emphasize on air duct cleaning especially for households with pets. A regular cleaning regime is suggested to maintain good health of your entire family. Here are few reasons which should encourage you to seriously consider air duct cleaning.
  • Respiratory problems among children have become quite common nowadays. An unclean duct accumulates dirt, mold spores, rodent droppings and many other germs. When you run the unit, contaminated air gets circulated in your home. So, if you want to live in a healthy and fresh home environment, then don’t feel hesitant investing in air duct maintenance.
  • If you have often wondered exactly from where that unpleasant odor is coming, then blame it on the air duct! Dust and debris gather inside the duct for months, thus emitting intense foul odor right inside the room. To make the situation even worse, small rodents might find their way inside the ductwork in case, the duct has cracks or inaccurate seals. Thus, the room ambiance turns horrible as the smell of decaying rodent vitiates the environment when you switch on the heating or cooling unit.
  • An unclean duct pollutes air and turns your room dirtier. As dusts keep gathering inside the ductwork, these have to find some way out. Ultimately, a portion of dirt ends up right inside your home. Then, you would soon notice more of dust building up on furnishings and floors. Rather than blaming yourself for inefficient home cleaning, take a close look at the unclean air duct.
Being a resident of SF Bay area, you might not need the HVAC system on regular basis but this doesn’t mean you can neglect its maintenance. Don’t think that cleaning or changing filter is just enough. If you want odor-free, dust-free and healthy indoor air, then take proper care of the HVAC unit focusing more on the air duct. Hire a professional heating and air conditioning company that has expertise in offering services in the SF Bay area. A good idea is to check out the company’s track record and performance history before finalizing the service contract. 

Thursday 12 June 2014

Should You Run a Central Cooling Unit or Three Wall Air Conditioners?

Air conditioning is the perfect way to turn a sultry summer day into a pleasant one. However, escalating energy costs comes in the way of keeping your air conditioner on for longer time. So, does this mean you suffer in the sticky weather? The solution actually lies in finding cost effective and energy efficient cooling solutions.

If you need to air condition an expansive room or the whole house, then it becomes more significant to choose appropriate cooling method. In general, consumers have two options, i.e. pick up three wall window air conditioners or settle for a central air conditioning unit. Now, how do you decide which is the right cooling strategy for the entire house? There are few factors to be considered.

Compare Power Usage

In general, a central air conditioning unit uses more energy than a window unit. A 2.5 ton central cooling unit uses approx. 3,500 watts to keep a 1,500 to 2,000 square-foot home cool. On the other hand, a window system uses energy ranging from 500 to 1440 watts. If you are thinking of installing the central cooling system then include furnace costs too. In order to spread cool air throughout the house, a furnace blower is also needed. This automatically enhances energy expenses.

Unit installation Cost to be Included

When it comes to finalizing an air conditioner, considering only energy costs is not enough. Purchase price and installation cost of the central air unit is clearly much higher than the window unit. You can always do a little calculation to verify the fact. Divide the purchase price and installation costs by estimated number of months you might use it. This brings out the true cost of having an air conditioner. Add monthly utility bill to it and the real picture emerges, which might not appear that presentable for a central unit!

Proper Maintenance Matters Too

So, you think you have covered the entire expenses by considering the purchase price, installation costs and energy bill? Then you are wrong! For the central cooling, maintenance matters a lot. You might have installed an energy efficient unit; but, if the duct is full of holes or poorly insulated, then that affects the entire system’s efficiency. Automatically, cooling costs go up too.

When you pick up a central air unit give special emphasis on proper insulation of ducts. A regular inspection and maintenance routine is highly advisable. In comparison, a window unit runs fine with occasional cleaning/checking, may be yearly once.

While it can’t be denied that the central unit costs more, it is undoubtedly the best and easiest way to cool three or more rooms.

A good idea is to research and compare different cooling alternatives. Even better is to talk to a HVAC specialist. An expert guidance would undoubtedly help in picking up the most appropriate cooling option for your home.