As a building owner or facilities manager, you’ll eventually be confronted with the decision to replace your current commercial HVAC system or keep it in service for a bit longer. There are several factors that may influence your decision to maintain or replace your existing HVAC system, but chances are your decision will be based on the five criteria listed below.
Consider Your System’s Age
Although they’re are designed to be a bit more robust than a typical residential HVAC system, commercial HVAC systems can still age just like any other type of equipment.…
There are plenty of variables to consider as you shop for your next air conditioning system, including price, brand name, and energy-efficiency ratings. However, size is the most important of all of these variables. All too often, many homeowners make the mistake of buying an air conditioner that’s too large or too small for their home, resulting in wasted money and poor cooling performance.
The following explains the importance of making sure your air conditioner is the right size for your home.…
When the weather begins to cool down outdoors, you’ll most likely shut down your air-conditioning system for the rest of the year. But before you do so, it’s important that you clean any parts of your cooling system that could potentially cause you problems in the summer, including the outdoor unit. Here’s what happens if you don’t clean up the outdoor unit before you shut down your system and the tips you can use to do this job quickly.…
It’s not out of the ordinary to see a little frost forming on your air conditioning system. When that light dusting turns into slabs of ice, however, it can pose serious problems for your A/C system. Excess frost and ice buildup can prevent your A/C from cooling effectively, plus it could lead to long-term damage to your A/C system’s various components. The following guide shows how you can break the ice and thaw out a frosty A/C unit.…
From showering and bathing to washing clothes and dishes, it is easy to see why your home’s water heater is so important. Unfortunately, the amount of energy used by a traditional water heater can be wasteful and costly, so reducing your energy usage without affecting your supply of hot water is smart. Considering a heat pump water heater is 2 to 3 times more energy efficient than traditional models, installing this eco-friendly option in your home is a worthwhile investment.…
Digital thermostats are much more precise and capable than analog thermostats; for example, digital thermostats can be set to bring on heat or cooling at an exact degree, and they can also be programmed to operate the system differently depending upon time or day of the week. While upgrading your thermostat may seem like a daunting task, it is actually simple as long as you work slowly and pay careful attention.…
Many homeowners think the only way to cool their home more efficiently is to upgrade to a larger central air conditioner. However, the way that you use your air conditioner can have just as much to do with your home’s cooling efficiency as the type of air conditioner you have. Here are four myths about air conditioning that can help you lower your monthly cooling bill.
Myth 1: Lowering the Thermostat Cools You Home Faster…
Gas and electric furnaces are a powerful way to heat your home because they are fast and effective. However, they are one of the least efficient ways of heating your house because they use up a lot of energy. If you are looking for ways to reduce the amount of energy your furnace wastes, check out these useful tips on what you should and shouldn’t do.
Seal Gaps in the Ducts…
The plumbing system in your house provides a myriad of ways you can teach your children not only about household plumbing, but about subjects such as water conservation and responsible behavior. They’ll learn practical knowledge they can use throughout a lifetime.
Teaching About Conservation
Loading the Dishwasher
Show your children the most efficient techniques for loading the dishwasher and explain why it’s best to only run the appliance when it’s full.…
Despite what you might think, air locks aren’t just for space ships and sci-fi novels. In fact, if you have a malfunctioning faucet, you might just have an air lock in your own home. Fortunately, diagnosing and removing air locks from your plumbing should be simple, and you can even take steps to prevent getting one again.
How Does An Air Lock Form?
Though we typically think of plumbing as airtight, small amounts of air pass through most pipes all the time.…
