Air Filter Replacement – it is very important to replace the air filters in your ventilation system. Doing so annually or bi-annualy will ensure your system stays dust and dirt free. In addition, it can help reduce allergies and sicknesses associated with dirty air entering your home.

Sealing Your Ducts – ducts are designed to evenly distribute the air throughout the various rooms in your home. Keeping them sealed properly will help keep your system running efficiently and will result in lower energy consumption. A poorly sealed duct will cause your system to have to work harder, and your home will not heat/cool evenly.

Air Quality Checks – its important to occasionally check the air quality in your home. A malfunctioning system can create excessive moisture, creating mold which is then circulated throughout your home. This mold can cause illness. Most heating and cooling companies can help test your air quality, and adjust or service your system to help keep the quality of air high.

Zoning – in practice, we don’t need our homes to be heated and cooled evenly. There are parts of your home that you spend more time in during certain parts of the day. A proper HVAC system will divert air to the areas you are in during the right parts of the day. Heating and Cooling service companies can install and adjust ducts to create various “zones” in your home which can be controlled independently of one another.

Symptoms that your heating and cooling systems are in need of repair are:

1. air not getting cold, even with the thermostat turned down and the fan running
2. air not getting warm, even with the thermostat turned up and the fan running
3. abnormal sounds originating from your heating or cooling unit
4. intermittent shutting down of your outside air conditioning unit’s main fan
5. excessive moisture appearing on ventilation pipes, or inside ventilation pipes
6. excessive consumption of freon by your air conditioner

Most heating and cooling repair companies will provide a FREE estimate to service or repair your system. Doing a search on google will provide you with local results for heating and cooling companies. We suggest you get quotes from at least 3 companies to ensure you get the best deal possible. In many cases, your system will require only minor maintenance. In these cases your cost will consist mainly of the parts needed as replacements, with a bit of labor cost built in. Total replacement of your heating or cooling system can be quite costly. Be aware that the government offers tax subsidies for the purchasing of energy efficient systems that have less impact on the environment.

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) is any system that provides a means to condition the air indoors, be it warming, cooling, or removing humidity from the air. As heating and cooling systems have become more standard over the past few decades, and as the technology becomes cheaper and more efficient, there has been a surge in the number of professionals employed in the repair and maintenance of these systems. Here we will briefly explain the different aspects and types of HVAC systems.

Heating:

Central heating systems are used to heat houses and commercial buildings. These systems have a centralized heating unit that creates heat, which is then circulated throughout the rest of the building. These central heating systems employ boilers, furnaces, of water systems utilizing steam or hot air.

Resistive heating systems are used to heat the various surfaces in building, often seen with heated floors. These use various methods, often times electricity or gas burning, to transfer heat to the surfaces.

Heat pumps extract heat from the ground or the air, but generally work better in mild climates.

Ventilation:

Ventilation systems are the component responsible for moving and transferring air throughout the building. This involves replacing air with air of a more desirable nature, such as cooler or warmer air. In addition to moving the air, the ventilation system is also responsible for cleaning the air – removing molds, odors, smoke, moisture, bacteria, or other harmful components.

Air Conditioning:

Air conditioning involves the removal of heat from the air before it is injected into our homes. Central air systems often combines components both inside and outside the home. A unit outside takes air, removes heat, and injects the air into the ventilation system. In addition to removing heat, most air conditioning systems also dehumidify the air. This allows the air to be cooled easier, as moisture holds heat at a greater capacity than the air itself.