5 Tips for a Healthier Home

You spend the majority of your time within your home, and healthful changes here can ensure it remains a safe haven for you and your family. Though creating a healthy home is no easy feat, it is one of the best investments you can make in your future health.

How Can You Provide a Healthy Home Environment?

These 5 tips from your local home air conditioning company can help you create a healthier home.

1. Guard Against VOCs
   Chemicals from cleaning products, air fresheners, and the breakdown of carpet and building materials can release dangerous compounds into the air. These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can cause headaches, fatigue, respiratory issues, and serious disease, including cancer. Talk to your local heating and cooling professional to ensure adequate ventilation to reduce VOCs in the air. Today’s tightly sealed homes often struggle with this issue. Whenever possible, opt for natural cleaners and building materials. Keep levels under control within your home with the right ventilation tactics.
   Upgrading to HEPA home air filters or integrating a whole house air purifier into your heating and cooling system can also help you in the fight to reduce VOCs and improve indoor air quality. Learn more.
2. Tackle Moisture Issues & Prevent Mold
   Mold poses serious health risks. Musty, moldy smells and areas of mold greater than 10-sq.ft. should be addressed by a pro immediately. To prevent these issues, enlist the help of an indoor air quality professional. They can test the air quality in your home and help you mitigate mold through proper ventilation or the simple addition of a whole house dehumidifier to your central HVAC system to control moisture.
3. Vacuum Regularly
   Dander and pollen that cause allergies are top offenders in the home environment. However, these can be easily controlled with regular vacuuming. How often? Every other day, or at least weekly. If possible, choose a vacuum outfitted with a HEPA air filter, which is capable of removing smaller particles a regular vacuum cannot trap. For optimal control, you must also maintain your vacuum, cleaning the filter and associated components (or changing bags) every couple of months. To avoid introducing mold, always let parts dry thoroughly before reassembly.
4. Check Dirt at the Door.
   These ‘old-fashioned’ cleaning tips will help improve air quality in your home.
   • Leave shoes outside.
     This will reduce the amount of chemicals, allergens, and dirt brought into the home.
   • Splurge on a ‘paw-wiper.’
     Paw wipers or dog ‘booties’ can help prevent tracking unwanted particulates in as well.
5. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
   Upholding the air quality outside is key to ensuring the air quality within your home remains at its best. To this end, reducing your carbon footprint by upgrading to a more efficient heating and cooling system, your home’s largest energy consumer, is essential. Uncover the impressive efficiency of ductless Mitsubishi home air conditioning systems, and how their superior efficiency can reduce your carbon footprint and energy bills.

Not feeling so good? Learn how to improve indoor air quality in the home with the help of H&H Heating & Air Conditioning today.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/5-tips-for-a-healthier-home/

Reduce Allergy Symptoms with the Help of Your HVAC System

Spring and summer allergies wearing on you? Ensure a healthy, enjoyable indoor environment with the help of your heating and air conditioning system. A great ally in the fight against indoor allergens and lung-irritating pollutants, take advantage of all the benefits your system has to offer with these 5 tips…

Make the Most of Filtration

Keep your air filter clean, changing it every 1-3 months, or more often if you have kids and pets. Filthy filters force your system to work harder to distribute air and spread more allergens and contaminants throughout your home. Consider upgrading your standard filter to HEPA-rated air filters for your home air conditioner. Standard filters are constructed to keep your system clean, not the air in your home. True HEPA filters with a MERV rating of 10 or higher can remove more allergy-inducing particles from the air, including smaller particles standard filters miss.

Keep Surfaces Clean

Control dust, pollen, and pet dander with weekly vacuuming. Bathe your pet regularly as well. Keep your home spic and span to prevent the buildup of allergens and irritants like mold. Store shoes outside, showering and changing after outdoor activities to prevent the inadvertent spread of irritants collected outdoors. This can prevent the buildup of these particles within your air filter and ductwork. Regularly clean vent registers and ductwork as well. This not only boosts system performance, but prevents the spread of allergens and other pollutants throughout your home.

Seal Allergens And Pollutants Out

Seal gaps and holes around windows, doors, plumbing and outlets with caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping to keep pollen and particulates out of your home. Keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.

Give Indoor Air Quality A Boost

Adding a whole house UV air purifier with an ionizer to your HVAC system can help remove additional allergens and airborne contaminants, helping you ensure the distribution of clean air throughout your home. Recommended by the American Lung Association and Environmental Protection Agency for asthma and allergy sufferers, these special systems include electrically-charged HEPA filters that trap small particles, effectively removing contaminants from the air. UV light additions destroy bacteria and mold.

Keep Humidity Levels In Check

Keep humidity levels in check with the addition of a whole house humidifier or dehumidifier to your heating and cooling system. Air should neither be too dry nor too humid. Relative humidity levels around 40% are best. Most know humid air can lead to the proliferation of mold and mildew, which can produce spores that worsen allergy and asthma symptoms. However, many do not realize dry air is also detrimental. When there is too little moisture in the air, allergens and pollutants can remain airborne longer, causing asthma and allergy flare-ups and increasing the spread of particles throughout your home.

Put down the tissue box. Eliminate allergens from your home with the help of the local air conditioning contractors at H&H Heating & Air Conditioning today.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/reduce-allergy-symptoms-with-the-help-of-your-hvac-system/

Is a Ductless System for Me? Pros & Cons

Ductless heating and cooling systems get a lot of great press when it comes to comfort and energy efficiency. Are they too good to be true? Today, the local air conditioning contractors at H&H will take a look at the reality of living with a ductless system, examining their pros and cons to help you determine if this style of system might be right for your home.

What Makes a Ductless System Different?

A ductless ‘mini split’ system gets its name from it’s resemblance to more common split heating and cooling units. Like split systems, a ductless system is made of two parts, including a large outside compressor and one (or more) ceiling/wall-mounted units within the home. Unlike their split system cousins, which rely on large ductwork to distribute, ductless systems rely on tubing dispersed through the home via a few small 3-inch holes. This tubing accommodates refrigerant lines between the exterior and interior, where one or more interior units, each with their own adjustable thermostat, deliver conditioned air. This type of ‘zoned’ setup allows for superior efficiency.

The Advertised Benefits Of A Ductless System

Mitsubishi ductless air conditioners offer a number of benefits over the typical ‘split system’ setup:

• Superior Efficiency
  Top-performing ductless systems offer near 30 SEER performance, compared to the typical 14-17 SEER range of split systems. This could save you up to 50% on monthly heating/cooling costs
• No Heat Loss
  Leaky ducts in unconditioned attics/crawlspaces can cause thermal loss of up to 25% in traditional systems. With no ducts, however, ductless systems eliminate heat loss, vastly improving comfort and efficiency and delivering substantial savings.
• Easy Installation
  With no air handler or drainage, and minimal work necessary to run refrigerant lines, heating and air companies can install ductless systems quickly.
• Space-Saving
  The smaller footprint of ductless systems makes them an ideal option for small and older, historic homes. No closet, utility, or basement space need be sacrificed for a ductless addition.
• Quiet Operation

Quiet as a whisper, ductless systems are only as noisy as common kitchen refrigerators.

Facing Reality: Ductless System Cons

Despite the stellar benefits of ductless systems, they aren’t for everybody. These realities of ductless systems can send homeowners searching for other options:

• Bulky Components
  The interior units for ductless systems, of which there may be up to 7 based on  home setup/size, look like large printers strapped to the ceiling or wall.
• Higher Initial Investment
  These systems have a higher up-front cost (though this is easily recoverable via energy savings over the life of the system).
• More Involved Maintenance
  In addition to the typical annual maintenance, the air filters of ductless systems require more frequent attention. Monthly air filter maintenance is advisable, but more frequent attention will be necessary in homes with children/pets. Fans must also be cleaned regularly and will not work properly with accumulated debris. This requires professional attention to prevent shortening the lifespan of the system.
• Limited Heating Performance
  Though certain ductless models provide some heating, performance is limited to certain climate zones.

Which home comfort solution is best for your home? Get help from the HVAC installation service pros at H&H Heating & Air Conditioning today.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/is-a-ductless-system-for-me-pros-cons/

Still Stalling? Why 2019 is Prime Time for a Smart Thermostat

Waiting on technology in the smart thermostat market to stabilize before upgrading the thermostat in your home? Though the market was more volatile several years ago, it has now steadied.

Why Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat Model Now?

There are a number of reasons to upgrade to these convenient, money-saving devices, which offer energy savings of 20-30% on average:

• Update cycles are lengthening.
  2018 was viewed by many as a plateau in smart thermostat hardware updates. Today, manufacturers are updating hardware far less frequently, with fewer changes between models. In fact, rather than updates featuring significant screen or feature improvements, today’s newest additions tend to be budget-friendly versions of popular models. Improved design and software updates have also reduced the need to repeatedly upgrade hardware, which today, typically relies on over-the-air software updates.
• Many models now integrate fully with other home automation products.
  Today’s most popular smart thermostat models for heating and air conditioning units belong to a family of integrated products. Many top models integrate fully with Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa, allowing for voice-activated operation from anywhere in the home. (The popular Ecobee 4 and Ecobee switch have Alexa built in.) NEST models integrate with the company’s NEST Secure home alarm system, NEST Hello video doorbell, as well as the NEST Protect smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, as well as integrate with Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa.
• High-quality, budget-friendly options now exist.
  Recent additions come at budget-friendly prices and with nearly all the bells and whistles of flagship models. These include the Ecobee 3 Lite and NEST Thermostat E,, which have a low $169 MSRP.
• Smart thermostat apps have improved, integrating improved features.
  As smart thermostats have evolved, they have come to offer coveted features such as Amazon Echo and Google Home compatibility, allowing operation with no need to lose your warm, comfy seat on the couch. They also deliver updates to your Chaddsford home automatically, granting access to new features and device improvements with no need for hardware replacement. Many companies now release these updates based on consumer feedback, such as Ecobee’s recent software update that allowed Ecobee 4 users to disable the red light on thermostats which homeowners choose not to enable for Alexa.
• Utility companies are offering incentives for smart thermostat upgrades.
  Many local American utility companies offer an incentive of $50 or more towards upgrading to a smart thermostat. Nest’s website will help you locate rebates and incentives in your area, or you can simply Google “Ecobee/NEST + Rebate” to determine whether your local utility company is participating.
• You don’t have to rely on DIY installation or a hire a home automation specialist.
  The best heating and air conditioning companies are familiar with smart thermostats. They can help you quickly identify whether your current wiring is compatible with an upgrade, helping you select the best model for your system type, budget, and lifestyle.

Think you’re ready for a NEST or Ecobee smart thermostat installation? Now is the time to make the leap to smart thermostat technology. Uncover your ideal smart thermostat model and ensure installation is a breeze with the help of H&H Heating & Air Conditioning today.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/still-stalling-why-2019-is-prime-time-for-a-smart-thermostat/

HVAC Issues? Resetting Your Digital Thermostat May Help

Have you recently started experiencing home comfort issues? If you’ve been cranking the thermostat up and down, but failing to achieve a comfortable temperature, you may need to reset the thermostat for your heating and cooling system.

Why Reset Your Thermostat

Like other personal electronics such as computers, tablets, and smartphones, your thermostat sometimes needs a reset. Any time you are having an issue with heating and cooling units, such as after a sudden power failure or after your children have had ‘control’ of the system while you’ve been away, resetting the thermostat should be the first thing you try when attempting to rectify HVAC system issues.

Resetting Your Thermostat Isn’t Complicated

Instructions for resetting a thermostat vary slightly by model. There are many online video and written tutorials on how to service and air conditioning unit by resetting the thermostat, both from manufacturers, HVAC pros, and well-meaning homeowners. Though you can get more precise directions by jotting down your thermostat model number and visiting your thermostat manufacturer’s website, overall, most units can achieve a successful reset via one of the following methods:

• Battery Backflip
  Install the batteries backwards. Wait 5 seconds, then reinstall batteries properly to reset.
• Paper Clip Punch
  If your thermostat has a recessed reset button, press it in with a paper clip, holding it in for 5 seconds before release.
• Circuit Breaker Flip-Flop
  If neither of the above methods work, turn your thermostat to the ‘off’ position. Then go to your home’s circuit breaker box. Locate the breaker for your HVAC system, then flip it to the ‘off’ position. Wait a total of 30 seconds, then flip the breaker back to the ‘on’ position. Return to your thermostat, setting the mode to heat/cool and adjusting temperature settings, observing carefully for the flow of conditioned air. If this does not address the issue, you may need to schedule heating and air service.

Resetting For Comfort & Savings

When setting thermostat temperature following a reset, carefully consider your choice. Every degree you turn back the temperature can reduce your energy bill by 1%. What’s the best temperature setting for comfort and savings?

• Winter
  A winter temperature setting of 68 degrees F is ideal for times when your home is occupied. Set this temperature cooler when sleeping beneath the cozy comforter of your bed for additional savings.
• Summer
  In the summer, when temperatures soar, a thermostat setting of 78 F is ideal.
• When You’re Away

When you are away at work or out of town, set the thermostat temperature back 10-15 degrees F. A smart learning thermostat addition can help you maximize comfort and savings, learning your routine and adjusting settings automatically to meet your comfort and energy savings needs.

HVAC out of sorts? You deserve to be comfortable in your home. If a reset isn’t managing your systems issues, it may be time for a thermostat replacement. Ensure optimal system function with the help of H&H Heating & Air Conditioning. Schedule a system service today.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/hvac-issues-resetting-your-digital-thermostat-may-help/

My Heat Pump is Loud – Is Something Wrong?

Heat pump going bump in the night? The experienced professionals at H&H Heating & Air Conditioning have the information you need to help you distinguish normal sounds from dangerous system issues.

If You Hear these Normal Heat Pump Noises, All is Well with Your System

These noises are typically mild and of the lower decibel variety, including:

• Whooshes
  Heat pumps often make whooshing sounds during defrost mode. This can last a several seconds, and is usually followed by a slightly louder compressor sound. These sounds may be louder in the winter, when your heat pump works hardest.
• Rattles & Vibrations
  These sounds, which can be similar to an off-balance washing machine or back-peddling flutter, are normal at startup and shutdown.
• Clicks & Taps
  Clicking and tapping noises are normal at startup and shutdown.
• Humming, Buzzing Sounds
  A slight buzzing from your system, even when its not in operation, is normal in most cases. This is typically from the reversing of the valve solenoid coil, a low-voltage valve that is louder in certain systems.
• Squeals
  A high-pitched squeal at startup is typically normal.

Uh-Oh! These Systems Noises Indicate Trouble

These loud, worrisome heat pump noises indicate the need for rapid system attention:

• Metal on Metal
  In cold weather, this may be from your fan blades hitting chunks of ice. It can also result from blades hitting loose wires or other components. When this occurs, turn off your system immediately to avoid damage to fan blades and other components, as well as to avoid overworking the motor.
• Rattling & Vibrations
  If you there aren’t a couple of loose screws in the cover panel, ratting and vibrations that worsen over time indicate loose hardware/parts in need of adjustment. They also occur if refrigerant piping is strapped too tightly, or emanate from unsecured ductwork. Some air conditioners are also noisier than others, with this scenario worsening over time until replacement.
• Clanks
  Frayed or loose fan belts often clank.
• Popcorn Popping or Tumbling Rock Sounds
  This strange sound typically occurs when the compressor receives liquid refrigerant. There are a number of causes. All should be addressed immediately.
• Gurgles
  Gurgles point to low refrigerant levels, which can severely effect performance.
• Grinding Noises
  A precursor to shrieking, grinding noises indicate dirty components or the need for lubrication.
• Shrieks 
  Unbearably loud shrieking noises usually indicate a faulty compressor under high pressure. Shut down your system immediately. This is a dangerous situation, indicating the need for 24-hour air conditioning service. Dirty motor bearings can also be unbearably loud, indicating a motor in need of replacement.
• Hissing
  Hissing typically indicates a massive refrigerant leak and a system that will likely be out of commission in the immediate future.
• Humming, Buzzing Sounds When System is Inoperable
  A humming, buzzing noise when your system will not run could point to a stuck relay or contact, faulty capacitor, or motor issues.
• Squeals
  A high-pitched squeal that begins without notice could indicate the heat pump motor is going bad.

Heat pump sound like a broken record? Avoid unexpected and potentially expensive repairs. Investigate worrisome issues with the expert 24/7 HVAC repair services of H&H Heating & Air Conditioning today.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/my-heat-pump-is-loud-is-something-wrong/

Spring Cleaning? Don’t Neglect HVAC Needs

As the weather warms, spring cleaning needs come to the forefront. In the midst of swapping your sweaters for lighter spring clothes and clearing dust bunnies, don’t overlook annual air conditioning maintenance needs. It will be swimsuit season before you know it, and you don’t want to wind up sweltering away while you await emergency HVAC repairs due to neglected system maintenance.

How Can You Make Sure Your System is Ready for Warmer Weather?

• Swap that stinky old filter.
  To keep the air in your home fresh and clean and to keep system circulation flowing freely, swap out last season’s stale, old filter for a new one. These filters trap dirt, allergens, and debris that can get recirculated throughout the home, reducing indoor air quality. Dirt accumulations also force cooling units to work harder to circulate air, effecting system life span. Perform this simple DIY task yourself, washing or replacing the filter every 3 months, at a minimum.

• Do a little lawn maintenance.
  The area surrounding your outdoor unit (called the condenser) can become clogged with grass, leaves, twigs, and other debris. These can get caught inside the unit, clogging the condenser or sticking to the motor and fan blades. When the components of your system are overloaded with this debris, it forces your system to work harder to cool your home. To keep your system running efficiently, you have to clear the area. Luckily, its not too hard to trim back grass and landscaping and hose off the unit gently with a garden hose. To access debris, within, however, you’ll need to enlist the help of a local air conditioning company. A good time to handle this is when you…

• Schedule a spring condenser and evaporator coil cleaning.
  Components clogged with dirt and debris destroy system efficiency and can lead to the need for emergency air conditioning repair in summer temperature extremes. These essential components, including the compressor, coil, and evaporator are typically housed within a cabinet and are not easily accessible. They may also be easily damaged when improperly cleaned. A professional HVAC service technician can help you go through your annual air conditioning maintenance checklist safely. In addition to cleaning the evaporator, condenser, and coils, a professional can help you:
  • Clear lawn detritus from the motor and fan blades housed within the exterior unit.
  • Clean the drain line and pan, which can backup and cause water damage in your home.
  • Remove and clean the blower assembly, which distributes air through the equipment.
  • Check your ductwork for leaks when can drastically reduce performance and comfort.
  • Verify refrigerant levels, too little or too much of which can adversely effect performance.
  • Check for proper thermostat function to safeguard comfort and efficiency.

Springtime to-do list getting a little long? Tackle annual maintenance tasks with the help of H&H Heating & Air Conditioning. Schedule routine service and maintenance with one of our heating and air conditioning professionals today.

This blog was originally posted on https://www.delcohvac.com/spring-cleaning-dont-neglect-hvac-needs/