High humidity causes a variety of uncomfortable physical symptoms. It can make your home feel warmer than it actually is. High indoor humidity can affect your energy levels, making you feel sluggish and tired. Excessive humidity can even make you feel physically ill.

Your indoor environment will also suffer from high humidity. Insects, bacteria, dust mites, mildew and mold can thrive and spread quickly in high-humidity environments. Your indoor air is likely to feel stuffy and musty, with an increase in airborne particulates affecting your respiratory health. Your home can also be damaged by high humidity, leading to results such as:

• Peeling or flaking paint
• Peeling wallpaper
• Damaged, warped or rotted wood paneling, flooring or furniture
• Damage to books and electronics
• Wet spots and stains on walls or ceilings
• Increased condensation on windows or pipes

You may try to overcome excess humidity by turning up your air conditioner, but this is an inefficient way to remove humidity in your house. You’ll make your home colder than necessary and will waste energy and money with little return.

The best way to deal with high indoor humidity is with a whole-house dehumidification system. These devices are installed within the airflow of your central cooling system. As air circulates through the system, it enters the dehumidifier, where the device removes moisture from the air. The drier air exits the dehumidifier and travels throughout your home like normal, cooling your home and reducing the level of humidity in your living spaces.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for more information on improving indoor air quality and for more information on whole-house dehumidification systems and how they can keep your living spaces cleaner, more comfortable and safer for you and your family.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about whole-house dehumidification systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!     

Humidification image via Shutterstock

By installing and using an energy recovery ventilator (ERV), you can overcome these problems while improving your HVAC system efficiency and enjoying increased savings on your seasonal heating and cooling bills.

ERV systems include both heat recovery and energy recovery (or enthalpy recovery) ventilators. Both use an efficient heat exchanger and fans to move air through the system. They function by transferring heat energy (in the winter) and cooling (in the summer) to fresh air being pulled into your house from the outdoors. This means that energy you’ve used to condition air in your home is recycled and effectively reused while fresh air continually flows into your house.

ERV systems offer three important benefits:

1. Improved indoor air quality: With a steady stream of conditioned fresh air coming indoors, you don’t have to open doors and windows to ventilate your indoor spaces. The amount of particulates in your indoor air is reduced by this improved ventilation.
2. Better indoor moisture control: Energy recovery ventilators transfer moisture from humid outdoor air to the exhaust stream of air leaving your house. This helps prevent humidity and moisture buildup throughout your home.
3. Increased energy savings: ERV systems efficiently recycle heating and cooling energy present in your home’s indoor air. This reduces utility expenses and dramatically reduces the waste of energy for which you’ve already paid.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for more information on energy recovery ventilators and how they can provide improved indoor air quality, better moisture control and increased energy savings everywhere in your home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy recovery ventilators and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!     

All of the heated or cooled air used to control the temperature in your home travels through the HVAC system’s ductwork. Because it is used so extensively, there is an ongoing chance that problems with the ductwork will cause substantial air and energy leaks, which in turn cause your utility bills to increase unnecessarily. Not only do you lose air you’ve already paid to heat or cool, your HVAC system must work harder to make up for the loss and you must pay a second time to heat or cool a suitable amount of air.

In any season, as much as 20 percent of the air traveling through your ductwork can be lost because of leaks, gaps, loose duct segments or poorly sealed connections. If your ductwork is uninsulated and placed in unconditioned areas of your home, such as an unfinished basement or crawl space, you can lose as much as 60 percent of the energy in the conditioned air. Air and energy losses of that nature quickly lead to out-of-control energy bills.

Inspect all ductwork you can see throughout your house. Check segments, branches and elbows to make sure they fit together tightly. Ensure ducts are firmly connected to vents and registers where conditioned air enters your home. Insulate ductwork with rigid fiber board or fiberglass roll insulation. Seal any gaps or holes and all connections with metal tape or with mastic, a sealant made especially for use on ducts. Standard duct tape is not recommended; it tends to dry out and come loose.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for more information on duct sealing and how well-sealed ductwork will reduce your seasonal energy expenses. We can provide the equipment and supplies you need for duct sealing or schedule a professional duct-sealing service.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about duct sealing and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!    

Sealing Air Leaks image via Shutterstock

Here are a few things you can do for keeping dust out of your air conditioner.

• Duct sealing: If ductwork sections are not fitted tightly together, or if the connections are not properly sealed, dust can work its way into the ducts and into the internal parts of your air conditioner. Make sure ductwork sections fit snugly within each other, especially at elbows and branches. Seal connections with metal tape or the specialized sealant mastic. Avoid using standard duct tape, since it can dry out and reopen gaps and holes over time.
• Filter changes: Air conditioner filters not only keep dust out of your house, they also prevent it from accumulating inside your air conditioner. Change filters at least once a month, or more often if you notice an increase in dust and particulates in your indoor air. Use high-efficiency filters if possible; they will trap and hold more dust and dirt. Clean filters will also keep your cooling system operating at its best.
• Household cleaning: By keeping the inside of your home as dust-free as possible, there will be less chance for dust to be sucked into the return ducts and into the air conditioner. Vacuum using high-efficiency bags that capture and hold more dust. Clean air conditioner vents and grilles.
• Professional cleaning: Schedule professional maintenance and cleaning by your trusted local HVAC contractor. The technician will be able to get deep inside your air conditioner and remove dust and particulates that cause problems with electrical connections, contact points, moving parts and important system components.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for more information on keeping dust out of your air conditioner or to schedule a professional cleaning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!     

• Sizing: The ductwork system must be the right size for your home’s layout and the capacity of the HVAC unit. Ducts that are too small will not be able to carry enough conditioned air to heat or cool your home evenly. Small ducts can also increase the amount of noise coming from the system.
• Placement: Install ductwork within conditioned areas of your house where possible. Putting your ductwork in an unfinished basement, garage, attic or other area that doesn’t get appropriate temperature control will result in energy loss and system inefficiency.
• Type: Install a “hard-ducted” system that uses actual ductwork segments throughout the network. If you rely on crawl spaces, areas under floors or other building cavities to carry conditioned air, considerable air and energy leakage will result.
• Location: Install supply duct registers well away from exhaust vents in bathrooms, kitchens and elsewhere. This keeps heated or cooled air from being captured and blown outside by exhaust fans as soon as it comes out of the supply ducts.
• Layout: Use a common ductwork pattern such as “radial” or “trunk and branch” design. Radial design has the HVAC unit in the center with supply and return ducts radiating outward. With trunk-and-branch design, large duct pipes extend away from the main unit, with smaller supply and return ducts attached to those pipes.
• Insulate and seal: Make sure the ductwork is sealed at all connections with mastic or metal tape and that the entire network is properly insulated.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for more information on efficient ductwork design and for help with finding a configuration that works best for your home’s layout and indoor comfort needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ductwork design and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!     

Ductwork image via Shutterstock

Ducts should be cleaned when there is mold present in the ducts or HVAC components, when ducts contain vermin such as insects and rodents and their nests or ducts are clogged with debris that releases particulates and contaminants into your indoor air. A duct cleaning also presents an opportunity to inspect ductwork systems for loose or missing components, leaking connections or other problems.

When you hire a professional service such as AirRite Air Conditioning Company to clean your ducts, the technician will clean away accumulations of dust, animal hair, mold and other contaminants. The technician will clean the full length of the ductwork system as well as HVAC system components, supply and return vents, and fans and fan motors.

When the cleaning is complete, you should expect to see results such as:

• Ductwork clear and clean, inside and out, including plenums (areas where air in the system mixes or moves)
• Cooling coils cleaned on both sides
• Coil fins straight, undamaged and evenly spaced
• Drain pans cleaned
• Humidifiers cleaned
• Blower blades cleaned and free of oil or debris
• Blower chamber cleaned
• Air vents, registers and grilles cleaned and firmly reconnected to ducts and to floors, walls or ceilings
• Filters replaced and fitted properly within their slots
• Access doors solidly closed and not leaking air
• System tested to ensure proper operation after cleaning

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for expert answers to your questions on duct cleaning and what to expect. We’ll give you additional information about our duct cleaning services, prepare an estimate or schedule a service call.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about duct cleaning and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!     

1. Use your air conditioner: Air conditioners filter the air and reduce humidity inside your home. Cleaner indoor air means less exposure to allergy-causing dust, pollen and other particulates. Less humidity reduces the possibility of mold growth. Even if outdoor temperatures don’t yet require full-time air conditioning, you can use the unit to help keep your home’s air clean.
2. Change cooling system filters: A dirty filter in your air conditioner will decrease the unit’s efficiency and effectiveness, and it can cause a system breakdown. However, since dirty filters are already full of particulates, they also let more allergens back into your indoor air. Change filters monthly.
3. Install an air cleaner or purifier: Air cleaners and purifiers are designed to be installed within the airflow of your forced-air cooling system, where they capture allergens before they enter your indoor spaces. They hold mold and mold spores, bacteria, viruses and other biological contaminants that your regular air conditioner filter might not be able to capture.
4. Apply a germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light: UV light destroys potentially harmful living microorganisms and is a strong defense against allergens. These lights are also positioned within the airflow of your cooling system. Exposure to UV light kills mold, bacteria, viruses and other tiny living organisms that aggravate allergies and cause disease.
5. Use HEPA filters or double-layer bags in your vacuum cleaner: A HEPA filter in your vacuum cleaner will be very effective at trapping large amounts of allergens such as dust, dust mites, pet hair and dander. Double-layer bags seal these allergens in and keep them from getting back into your indoor air.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for more information on how to improve your indoor air quality and keep spring allergies at a minimum.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!     

Allergens image via Shutterstock 

Lighting
Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star-certified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). These energy-saving bulbs provide plenty of light and last up to 10 times longer than regular bulbs. Replace porch lights or outdoor lamps with Energy Star-certified fixtures. Buy outdoor fixtures with other energy-saving features, such as photocells that turn the light on at night and off during the day, or motion sensors that activate the lights only when someone is near. Turn off lights when you don’t need them.

Basement equipment
It’s easy to lose track of HVAC equipment housed in your basement simply because you don’t see it regularly. However, you should make a particular effort to keep this equipment well serviced and properly maintained. Regular preventive maintenance and frequent filter changes are the best things you can do to keep furnaces and air conditioners running efficiently and without breakdowns.

Vents, ductwork and fans
Keep cooling and heating vents and registers clean of dust and clear of obstructions. Seal and insulate your HVAC system ductwork to reduce loss of conditioned air from your heating and cooling systems. Put in ceiling fans that keep cool air circulating throughout rooms where they are installed.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for more information on improving home efficiency and increasing conservation and energy savings everywhere in your house.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!     

Contact your trusted local HVAC contractor to set up a maintenance appointment. This type of regular maintenance allows your HVAC pro to find any small problems that need to be fixed before they cause breakdowns or other troubles later. If any parts of your air conditioner are wearing out sooner than they should, your technician can trace the source of the wear and put a stop to it. By having a thorough pre-season tune-up performed, your air conditioner or heat pump will operate more efficiently; regular maintenance can keep an air conditioner operating at up to 95 percent efficiency even after several seasons.

Professional HVAC technicians will perform maintenance tasks such as:

• Checking refrigerant level and filling as needed
• Checking for refrigerant leaks
• Inspecting and sealing ducts to prevent air and energy leaks
• Checking, cleaning and securing electrical connections
• Lubricating all moving parts, including fans and motors
• Inspecting belts for tightness and condition
• Calibrating the thermostat

You can easily do some types of maintenance yourself, such as overall cleaning on the air conditioner case (indoors and out), and on vents and registers in your home and in the case. You should also be able to change the filter, which will help the unit run more efficiently and prevent breakdowns. Clear plants and vegetation away from the air conditioner’s outside unit, and clean up accumulated dirt, leaves and twigs inside the unit. By doing these simple tasks yourself, you leave your HVAC technician with more time to focus on technical issues and repairs.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company has been serving the Fort Worth and Arlington areas since 1955. Contact us today for more information on improving indoor air quality and for more information on our air conditioner tune-up services and how they can keep your cooling system working well all season long.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!     

Maintenance Man image via Shutterstock

A heat pump is generally made up of five basic components:

• Compressor
• Condenser
• Evaporator
• Air handler
• Reversing valve

Here’s a simple explanation of how such a system works:

During the heating process, the compressor takes on refrigerant and moves it through the coils. As air moves through the system, the compressor extracts heat and the refrigerant changes into a gas. It then passes through to the indoor unit, where the gas then “condenses” to liquid form again, after releasing its heat into the home via the air handler.

The reversing valve, which is generally housed in the compressor, will direct the refrigerant’s flow for heating, as described above, or reverse its direction for cooling, as well as for defrosting during the winter when the coils can freeze during cold temperatures.

Now that you know how the system works, you’re better positioned to understand why choosing advanced features will help to increase the efficiency—and energy savings—during the heat pump’s operation.

When you’re selecting a system, there are certain features that should be considered:

• Variable-speed air handler – These systems will continuously move heated or cooled air throughout the home at low speed, consuming less electricity.
• More efficient coils – These allow for maximum use of refrigerant with an increased coil surface space.
• Thermostat expansion valve – This valve will deliver just the right amount of refrigerant for the coils to use, according to weather demands.
• Two-speed compressor – This improved design enhances the efficient use of refrigerant and energy.
• More efficient motor – Look for a motor that will use energy wisely and increase energy savings for both the heating and cooling seasons

Get the most out of your heat pump, and choose a system that will take its efficiency to new heights. For help selecting a system, contact AirRite Air Conditioning Company. Serving Fort Worth and Arlington-area homeowners since 1955, we’re happy to answer your questions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AirRite Air Conditioning services the greater Fort Worth and Arlington area. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!