What to Do if Your Pets Affect Your HVAC
It’s a safe bet that every pet owner out there can’t imagine their lives without their furry family members. Whether you have a dog, cat, bird, rabbit, or seem to have your own zoo, our pets are always there to greet us when we get home from a long day or give us a hug before hitting the road. What’s not always considered about pet ownership is the effects that their hair and dander can have on your HVAC system and indoor air quality. Here’s a closer look at how pets are affecting your home’s air and some helpful HVAC tips for pet owners. Clogged Air Filters With every move your pet makes, they are releasing pet dander into the air, which consists of dead skin particles, loose hair, and more. This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to your HVAC system’s air filters. Over time, air filters become clogged with whatever is floating around in your home’s air, and for pet owners, that means a lot of pet hair and dander. What does this mean for your indoor air quality? As pet dander prevents the airflow from traveling through your filter, your air conditioner will continue to cycle without actually cooling the air. That leads to a noticeable uptick in your energy bills, as well as an uncomfortable temperature throughout your home. The only true solution is to change your air filters as often as possible. It’s generally recommended that you should do so once per month, but it all depends on the quality of your air filters to begin with. For instance, cheaper filters will need to be swapped out more frequently than ones of a higher quality. Based on what we’ve seen, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are the most ideal option when combating pet dander. Effects on Air Ducts and Vents Your air filters aren’t the only components of your HVAC system that can fall victim to pet dander. When air ducts and vents become clogged with these particles, it turns your HVAC unit into a hot spot for viruses and bacteria. That means you’re unknowingly breathing in dirtier air than you realize – even if there are no odors to accompany it. This problem can be solved quite simply. Make it a point during your home cleaning routine to vacuum the dust, hair, and other particles that gather on your air vents. If that doesn’t help, your issue may be rooted in your AC duct, which is difficult to address on your own. Therefore, we recommend leaving the job to the professionals at Custom Aire, who will be happy to perform our duct cleaning service at your home. The Importance of Regular Maintenance Yes, you may be able to change out your air filter or clean your vents yourself. But the only way pet owners can ensure that dander hasn’t caused any detrimental issues to their HVAC system is with regular maintenance by an experienced professional. For residents in the Bensalem, Pennsylvania vicinity and the surrounding areas, this means trusting your routine HVAC maintenance to Custom Aire. For over 50 years, our team of professional contractors has been helping pet owners address the common HVAC problems caused by their furry friends. For more HVAC tips for pet owners or further information, contact Custom Aire today.
Tank or Tankless? Assessing Your Water Heater Needs
Of the many decisions homeowners face, one of the most crucial is choosing the right type of water heater. It’s not an easy task, to say the least, as it can be confusing to figure out whether a tank or tankless water heater would make the best fit for your family’s needs. With an investment so significant, the last thing you want to do is choose the wrong kind. At Custom Aire, we help our clients make this decision every day. Here are a few pointers that should help you get started. Considerations to Make The first place to start when deciding whether to invest in a tank or tankless water heater is with an assessment of your family’s hot water usage. How often do you do laundry? Do you have a dishwasher? How many people have to take a shower or bath every day? Do you have extra house guests often? What’s your average water bill? The answers to these kinds of questions will help you determine whether a tank or tankless water heater system is right for your home. When to Choose a Tank Tank water heaters are great for homes that run mostly on electricity, as tankless electric heaters typically require more capacity than the average home can provide. If your home is prone to power outages due to harsh weather, you can also opt for a natural gas model that will still function when the electricity is out. Depending on its size, tank water heaters can hold up to 80 gallons of hot water at roughly 120 degrees Fahrenheit, storing it in the tank until it is used in the kitchen, bathroom, or elsewhere. They also feature a lower price tag than tankless water heaters and a relatively fast installation time of usually only a few hours. So if your schedule or budget is tight, a tank system might be the best way to go. When to Go Tankless If you don’t have the space for a tank water heater, tankless systems provide a host of advantages. For one, they can be installed both inside and outside of your home. They are also easier on your electric bill, as they only heat the water when you need to use it instead of constantly heating the water like a tank system. However, depending on your electrical system or gas line setup, a tankless water heater may require new pipes, exhaust vents, or other equipment. Though they typically have a more expensive upfront cost than tank water heaters, they also feature an average lifespan of over 20 years. That means they’re likely to last longer than tank water heaters and save you the hassle of revisiting this decision again in the near future. Ensure a Proper Installation Regardless of whether you choose a tank or tankless water heater, the only way to ensure it will operate properly is by having experienced professionals complete your water heater installation. For over 20 years, Custom Aire has been successfully setting up a variety of tank and tankless water heaters for residents in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding areas. If you’re still not sure which type of system to choose, our team of experts will be happy to meet with you for a consultation. For more information, contact Custom Aire today.
What to Bear in Mind About Your Heat Pump in Winter
As one of the most cost-effective HVAC options on the market, your heat pump is proving to be a great investment. Taking the heat from the outside air and moving it into your home, heat pumps eliminate the need for costly natural gas systems to keep your home warm all winter long. But with the chill in the air during the coldest months of the year, how does your heat pump find heat to bring into your home to begin with? What needs to be done to keep it in the best working condition? Here are just a few things all homeowners should know about their heat pump in winter. How It Works during Winter Months You know all too well what’s happening outside this time of year – howling winds, frigid temperatures, and endless ice and snow. It seems downright impossible that a heat pump in winter would be able to find any outside heat to bring into your home at all. That’s the amazing benefit of heat pumps – they will always be able to source heat out of the air, even in the depths of the winter season. Think of it this way. During the summer, your heat pump’s cooling mode utilizes refrigerant to collect the heat indoors and force it outside. During the winter, it does the opposite. The refrigerant acts again as a sponge, but this time it collects heat from the outside air and pushes it inside. Even in temperatures in the teens and 20s, there is still enough heat in the air for the air pump to do its job and sufficiently heat your home. Components to Monitor While heat pumps are known for their efficient operation year-round, the winter months present it with a unique set of challenges. For one, if ice forms on the outdoor components of your heat pump in winter, it will kick into defrost mode. This is exactly what it should do, but if you think the defrost mode is running for too long or starting up more frequently than normal, have it serviced by the experienced professionals at Custom Aire right away. There are a few other things to keep in mind to allow your heat pump to function properly this winter. You should always keep its outdoor components clear of snow and other debris, if its airflow is blocked your heat pump will not operate efficiently. Also, monitor your heat pump’s filter closely to ensure you’re breathing the cleanest and highest-quality air possible. Last but certainly not least, we recommend that you avoid using emergency heat during extremely cold days. Doing so can negatively affect your heat pump’s efficiency, as well as cause drastic increases to your energy bill. Expert Service for Your Heat Pump As always, if you encounter any problems with your heat pump in winter or any other time of the year, you can rely on Custom Aire to solve the issue and have your equipment functioning normally again. We’ve been serving Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding areas for over 20 years, and we understand how important it is to have your heat pump working properly all winter long. For more information, contact Custom Aire today.