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.

More About HVAC Systems

Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems help to regulate the climate and maintain the indoor air quality of homes and commercial buildings. While sophisticated and reliable HVAC systems have become common in daily modern life, they have not always been so widespread. However, the principles that these systems operate on have long been known to scientists and engineers. Even though advances in the reliability and cost effectiveness of HVAC systems continue to improve, we enjoy very mature technology from the industry today. Manufacturers have continued to develop quality products that have greatly improved efficiencies and reliability.

The modern air conditioning system has been in continual development since its invention in 1902 by Willis Haviland Carrier. The system that Carrier invented was used in a printing plant to regulate the temperature and humidity of the air, thus causing the process used there to operate more consistently and reliably. Thereafter, the demand for commercial air conditioning exploded and Carrier formed his own company. It was not until the 1950s, however, that residential air conditioning became wide spread. As the modern time of large offices and facilities has grown, the need for HVAC systems has increased.

With increasing costs for energy a primary focus, continued research today is improving the energy economy of HVAC systems. In an effort to reduce the ecological impact of new and existing building design, the U.S. Green Building Council promotes adherence to a set of guidelines known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Energy efficient HVAC systems are an important component to the success of the implementation of LEED standards.

Today we enjoy safe, efficient, and reliable HVAC technology. As an essential part of our daily lives, these systems will continue to be adapted to our changing needs by today's scientists and engineers. These systems are brought to you locally by quality HVAC dealers, here at Ambient Edge we are proud to be your local HVAC dealer! If you have questions or comments please call us today!

What is Energy Star?

Over the holidays many of you will get new appliances for around your home. One of the things you will see when you are shopping is the Energy Star Ratings. We have many people ask us what this is, so we thought we would explain it to you.

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. ENERGY STAR is the trusted, government-backed symbol for energy efficiency helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices. ENERGY STAR products are the same or better than standard products, only they use less energy. 

To earn the ENERGY STAR, they must meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency or the US Department of Energy. Since they use less energy, these products save you money on your electricity bill and help protect the environment by causing fewer harmful emissions from power plants. And you get the features and quality you expect.

We hope this helps you as you shop this holiday season. As always if you have any questions please give us a call!