Service Your Furnace To Prepare For The Winter

Properly caring for your furnace offers countless perks, and annual service is an integral part of proper care. When you allow us to service your heating and AC systems, we can help you keep your home comfortable all winter (and summer) long.

In addition, spending a little bit of money each year on inspections is a sure-fire way to save on costlier (and untimely) repairs later on. Want to learn more about how to keep your family safe and warm all winter long?

The heating and cooling technicians at Serenity Air Inc. have the expertise and passion to ensure your furnace is prepared for whatever Mother Nature has in store. Contact us today to learn more about how we can keep you warm all winter long.

Keep Your A/C Running Cool

Extreme heat is putting extreme stress on your air conditioner. We want to make sure you stay cool and your A/C runs efficiently. 

On extremely hot days it seems as if the air conditioning isn’t working overtime; it’s working all the time. There are a few things you can do this morning to make sure the A/C isn’t broken when you get home tonight.

Step 1: Change the air filter. Dirty filters are the biggest reason for air conditioner break downs. Dirty filters use more energy. They decrease your efficiency by 15%. Dirty coils reduce efficiency by 5%. Don’t know what filter you need or how to check? Give us a call. We would be happy to help you figure it out.

Step 2: Don’t turn the A/C off when you leave for the day. The experts say air conditioners work harder and use more energy to cool your home back down. It’s better to move the thermostat up a few degrees.

Step 3: It may be time to get you’re A/C checked if it runs constantly, feels humid inside your house, there is ice on the unit or it is more than ten years old.

If you have questions please call our professional staff and we will answer any questions you may have. We are here to serve you. We want you to stay cool during these hot summer days.

Summer 2016 Energy Saving Tips

During these hot summer days it can be a difficult thing to save energy. Here are some great tips to help you save!

•       Keep your blinds, drapes or shades closed during the day.
•       Use ceiling fans or windows fans instead of air conditioning.  Ceiling and window fans use much less electricity.
•       Only use air conditioning when it is really hot outside.
•       Turn off your air conditioning if you will be gone from home for a long time.
•       Clean or replace your air conditioning filters every month (in both central and window air conditioners). Give us a call here at Serenity Air Inc. if you have questions about this!
•       Turn the thermostat up a few degrees when you have the air conditioning on.  74 degrees is very comfortable and you are saving up to 5% on your electric bills for each degree of temperature change.
•       If you can, shade your air conditioning unit.  If your unit is in the bright sun, it will use up to 5% more energy than if it was in the shade.

Using any of these tips will help you save on energy costs. The final tip is this: It may be time to replace your aging AC give us a call here at Serenity Air, Inc. and we can help you determine exactly what you need to do.

Choosing The Right AC

How to Choose an Air Conditioning System

Choosing a system can be a daunting task. As a Trane dealer we will help you decide which HVAC system to have installed in your home. When making such a major decision, the first place to start is by looking at the size of the room or home that needs to be cooled. When an air conditioning unit has been sized correctly, that means that the system is large enough to cool the home in any situation but small enough that it is not wasting energy.

We will take the square footage of the home, or other space where the air conditioner will be working, and also look at the exposures of the windows and doors at the same time. If a lot of direct sunlight comes in through the windows of a home, for example, then that has to be taken into consideration when choosing the best air conditioner for the space. In addition, they may also look at how much glass the house has and what direction the home's windows are facing in order to get a heat load estimate that is as accurate as possible.

We will then consider what type of unit is right for your home. You will receive a written estimate and our guarantee of our work.

It’s very important to have a trained professional help you make your decision. Put our years of experience to work for you!

Mother's Day 2016

Mother’s Day 2016 is fast approaching and Mother's day gifts are a quintessential part of the celebrations, but have you thought of ways to make the event unique and memorable? Besides great gift ideas, that include curios, flowers, chocolates, cake and jewelry, there are other innovative ways to make the event special. 

Here is some great ideas for Mother's Day, this year:

Hand Crafted Gifts:

In addition to the traditional gifts you may make the day truly special if you add a personal thought to it. How about making some handicraft items or creative accessories which your mother is certainly going to like? There is a plethora of handicraft items too which make ideal gifts if you opt to send Mother's Day Gifts.

Flowers:

If your mother is not by your side, you can turn to online flower delivery. Fresh flowers are always a great way to say “thank you” and “I love you” Dried flowers can also be used to fill large vases. Choose vases of clear glass that are interesting shapes, and fill them entirely with one specific type of dried blossom to achieve magnitude of scale. If you want to mix the colors, fill a vase with a variety of blooms to match your mom's home décor. The vases can be finished off by tying wired ribbons around the tops in coordinating colors.

From the Kitchen:

Homemade goodies like cookies, chocolate cake etc with a personal message is also ideal for your mother who deserves the best. You could add a personal touch to it with photo or message customization.

We want to encourage you to honor your mother this year on “Mother’s Day”. And remember if you have emergency HVAC needs over the holiday that our 24 hour emergency service is always available!

Earthwise Earthday

Earthday is next week and it’s a good Idea to be EarthWise as well. With a new EarthWise system you will be doing your part for the earth!

Pair an electric heat pump such as the ultra efficient Trane XL20i with a gas furnace from the 80, 90 or 95 family for a flawless working EarthWise Hybrid Split System. The Trane EarthWise Hybrid Split System will provide your home with outstanding comfort and energy saving efficiency season after season. Enhance your energy savings further by adding Trane Comfort Control. An EarthWise Hybrid System can further clean and condition the air that is heated and cooled in your home when joined with Trane CleanEffects, providing your home with a comfortable, safe, welcoming environment for many years to come.

 A Trane EarthWise Hybrid Split System will provide your home with consistent comfort because of Trane’s “matched system”. The matched system uses multiple Trane components to maximize your central heating and cooling performance. Each Trane component is engineered to work together seamlessly, enhancing the overall performance of your system and enhancing maximum efficiency and reliability. You will find no better way to create a fresh, comfortable environment for your family.

A variable-speed indoor blower motor with Comfort-R will provide your home total comfort and humidity control. A variable speed motor reduced noise on startups and shutdowns and helps distribute conditioned air evenly into every room of your home. Comfort-R, which is set by your installer, permits further fine tuning. Comfort-R allows a present day delay providing even greater humidity control when cooling. 

A little about the Trane CleanEffects™ Air Filtration System

What is a CleanEffects™ Air Filtration System?

Trane CleanEffects™ uses breakthrough, patented technology which has been performance verified by professors from the Harvard School of Public Health. Trane CleanEffects™ removes more airborne allergens from the filtered air in your home than any other air cleaning system, up to 100 times more than a standard 1" filter.

This system makes the air in your home better to breath. It improves  your quality of life and your health. Call the staff at Serenity Heating & Air Conditioning today to learn more about the Trane CleanEffects™ Air Filtration System.

March is a Time for Madness

Everyone knows about March Madness, what we want to talk about is March sanity.

One of the sanest things you can do is to give your HVAC system a regular checkup. Before you drive your car there are certain things you check; tires, windows, tail pipe etc. Well each month there are some things you should check on your HVAC system.

Check Your Air Filters. Clogged filters lead to a 5 to 15 percent drop of efficiency, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, which recommends changing or cleaning filters every one to two months during peak use. Reusable filters should be cleaned according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and placed back in the system. Disposable filters should be thrown away. New filters to replace the ones you tossed are available at most hardware stores.

Check your drains. This HVAC repair is primarily applicable to cooling systems, which feature drains used to remove condensation that builds up over time. The condensation usually isn’t clean: it carries dirt and other particles that clog these drains. Removing the dirt is simple: with the system off, push a wire through the drain to knock it out, being careful to avoid injury.

Check your thermostat. Verify that your thermostat is working correctly. A thermostat that leaves your home too cool or too warm can waste energy. Check to make sure your home is at the same temperature set on the thermostat and that timed cooling or heating is working properly. Generally, thermostat repairs require professional maintenance.

If you take these few basic steps you can prevent some madness in your house!

March is the Time to Think Green

When you think green as it relates to your home, the green you think of is money. Your home can be a money pit but if you think green you can change that!

We all look around our homes and can identify endless home improvement opportunities. But today with energy costs at an all-time high and continuing to increase, investing in home energy efficiency can really pay off.

For example, replacing a 10-15 year old furnace & air conditioner and making sure that the ductwork is sealed properly, can reduce your heating and cooling cost by over 50% and depending upon home construction and climate zone, installing energy efficient high-performance windows can save $300-400 a year.

The average U.S. household spends approximately $2,200 per year on energy -- nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling, according to Energy Star and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Of the rest, about 14 percent goes to heating water, 12 percent to lighting and 13 percent for appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers.

By replacing your appliances and light bulbs you can save even more in your home. And in 2016 there maybe more tax incentives.

So isn’t this month time to think green?

Dry Air?

Dry air can cause dry skin, dry hair, chapped lips and itchy eyes. It’s not very comfortable and neither is sweaty, sticky humidity. The right level of humidity can make your home more comfortable, and that’s the kind of ideal home environment we strive to have.

Adding a humidifier to your home’s heating & cooling system will keep the atmosphere comfortable.  It is designed to work hand in hand with your central heating and air conditioning system to control humidity levels in your home and banish dry air. During the colder months, it helps furnaces deliver heat to your home without drying it out. One of the most important reasons for adding a humidifier to your home during the winter months is dry throats and mucous membranes. For most people it is extremely hard to sleep at night with either a dry itchy throat or a dry nose!

But you can have too much of a good thing. When things start to get sticky, a de-humidifier removes humidity from your home during those hot summer days. An added benefit: they help reduce dust mites, so your family can breathe easier.

Until the day someone invents a device that can control the weather, you’re at the mercy of your local climate with all of its storms, winds, and hot and cold flashes. But just because you can’t turn down the sun on a hot summer day doesn’t mean you’re not in control of your home. A great hvac system will increase and perfect the control you have over the climate in your home. No matter what’s going on outside, it’ll be exactly how you want it inside.

Importance of Air Quality

A comfortable home means a healthy home. Indoor air quality is a major factor in the comfort level of your home.

Whether relaxing, working from home or enjoying a meal with your family, people spend a large amount of time in their home. Homes today are designed and built for maximum comfort using quality materials and appliances. Trane heating and cooling systems are the highest in quality and design.

Indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental risks to public health. 50 million Americans suffer from allergies and 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, including one in thirteen school-age children. Pollution levels indoors can be many times higher than outdoors. Controlling the levels of airborne allergens is extremely important.

Whole-house air cleaners work in conjunction with heating and cooling systems to remove airborne allergens from the filtered air in every room.

Contact us today to find what solutions we have to improve the air quality in your home.

Mid-Winter Energy Saving

As we head into the middle of winter, now is a great time to take a look at a few things you can do to save some energy this winter!

First, you can start with your thermostat. Have you replaced it with a programmable one? A programmable thermostat allows you to control the temperature throughout the day and night, adjusting it for when people are actually in your home. If you have already have programmable thermostats now is the time to relook at your programming. Has something changed in your family over the last year that changes when your home is being used? Did you change work shifts? Did a child leave for college? Did you get new windows? There are all kinds of reasons the demand on your home may have changed. Take a few moments to adjust your programming for these changes.

Second, go around and check each window and door seal for air leaks. Repair any seals and chalk any gaps to prevent air from passing through.

Finally remember to not leave your bathroom fan on continuously. Add a timer switch to it so that it turns off after a certain amount of time. This will keep it from exhausting all the heat from your home as well.

Implementing just a few of these tips will help you save more in 2016!

Start the New Year Off Right

During the December holiday season we tend to get lost in hustle and bustle of the season.  But with December’s celebrations the New Year looms. The New Year is the perfect time to check a few things around your house.

The first thing you should check is your furnace filters. A clogged or dirty air filter is a detriment to your heating and air conditioning system and your health; therefore it’s well worth what little time it takes to make sure the filter is clean all year round. With a little planning and forethought, you can keep your HVAC system working as efficiently as possible while decreasing your electric bill, reducing allergy and asthma symptoms, and keeping you cool and comfortable during those hot summer days and warm and cozy all winter long.

The second thing is your smoke detector batteries. In standard type battery powered smoke alarms, the batteries need to be replaced at least once per year and the whole unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.

Next if you have a carbon monoxide detector, please press the test button to insure that it is working. Also replace the batteries in the unit as well. This may save your life.

The last thing you should replace is your water filters on your tap water and in your refrigerator.  There are quite a few benefits to changing your water filter. Changing your water filter more frequently will help avoid cloudy ice, a funny-taste, unpleasant odor, discoloration and floating particles. It can also save you from expensive repairs to water fixtures, because ineffective filters allow sediment build-up causing fittings to break, fixtures to leak and reduced water pressure. Not changing your filter frequently enough can also result in “filtered” water containing more bacteria than the original water source. Water contaminants can be trapped in the filter, resulting in bacteria growth.

Have a safe and Joyous New Year and remember, if you need emergency service during the season, our staff is here and waiting to help you.