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Diagnosing Common AC Problems

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Summers in many parts of the U.S. can be brutal (especially in Central Texas!), and AC failures can have devastating outcomes if not rectified as quickly as possible. With that in mind, it helps to know some basics about what to look for to prevent problems before they happen, and to know what to expect when you do have issues that you need fixed. Preventative Maintenance One of the first things you should always do when it comes to maintaining your central air conditioning system is to make sure that the filters are being changed on a regular basis. Failure to do so can result in allergens being sent into the ventilation system, and can lead to debris buildup over time. Eventually, this can damage the unit or introduce grime to the vents. It can lead to uneven cooling around your home, and can lead to a breakdown in your system. In addition to changing your filters, you should consider enrolling in a maintenance program to have your system looked at on a regular basis to catch sma
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Achieving & Maintaining the Ideal Temperature in Your Home

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Do you constantly feel like your AC or heater fails you because it always seems to be too hot or too cold? Sometimes you may wake up in the middle of the night shivering, other times you may find yourself sweating no matter what temperature it is outside. Of course, everybody wants their home to be at the ideal temperature at any given time of day throughout their home, but it may be tough to achieve a good balance. What is the Ideal Temperature for a Home? There is no “ideal” temperature for a home—each person has a different idea of what a perfect temperature may be. However, there is an ideal range that you should keep your home at to maintain comfort without racking up massive electricity bills or overstraining your system.  The consensus is that the average temperature range in your home should be anywhere between 68 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit to be comfortable. When temperatures are in that range, most people can feel comfortable – though it may come down to a compromise if dif
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The Effects of Carbon Monoxide in the Home

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Keeping your family safe from the invisible dangers of carbon monoxide is crucial to your family’s safety and well-being. Before we get into how carbon monoxide (CO) can cause harm and steps you can take to prevent CO in your home, it’s important to know exactly what carbon monoxide is. What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon Monoxide is an invisible, odorless, and colorless flammable gas that replaces oxygen in the blood. It can kill quickly and is undetectable to human senses—making it one of the most dangerous chemicals that can enter your home. How Can Carbon Monoxide Get Inside Your Home? It’s important to know that carbon monoxide can seep in through essential appliances in your home. Gas appliances are a very common way CO can get in without being detected. However, you would be surprised by all the ways this deadly can gas can make a home a death trap. Here is a shortlist of ways (CO) can come in: Vehicles : If you have a garage attached to your home, leaving your car running whe
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Preventing & Reducing Chemical Pollutants in Your Home

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Are we helpless when it comes to controlling pollution? Sure, large corporate factories expel most of the pollution and cause all sorts of havoc for the environment, but so do we when we use chemical pollutants in our homes. Yes, we create pollutants indoors, and sometimes just as many as there are outdoors. Our habits and traditional ways of doing things can harm indoor and outdoor environments. If you don’t think it’s a problem, consider the number of people in your family who suffer from allergies and minor health conditions like eye irritation, nasal congestion, sneezing, headaches, etc. These irritations can be a result of harmful toxins lurking in your home. In fact, very high levels of chemical pollutants can affect normally healthy adults by overworking the liver and kidneys. Children, the elderly, and pregnant women are more susceptible to health problems from chemical pollutants. If you want to make the air in your home cleaner for your family, here are some effective way
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Preventing Mold in Your Home

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Mold and mildew infestations are a common issue that many homeowners face, especially in places that experience high humidity levels like Central Texas often can. A mold infestation can decrease your property value, cause structural damage to your home, and cause health problems for your family. One of the things you can do to prevent mold infestations from occurring is to focus on the three things it needs to survive: a food source, moisture, and an absence of light. Below, we take a look at some things you can do to prevent mold growth in your home. 1) Use A Dehumidifier As mentioned before, mold needs water in order to live. One of the ways mold is able to consume water is from the air via humidity. This is why they tend to grow in places like the attic and basement—these two sections of the home usually aren’t serviced by the home’s HVAC system. As a result, they tend to have a higher humidity level than other areas of the home such as the living room. One of the ways you can co
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Avoiding HVAC Damage While Caring for Your Lawn

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Most homeowners conduct the majority of their landscaping duties during the spring and summer seasons. However, in the midst of working on your lawn, it’s important that you avoid damaging the outdoor components of your HVAC unit. This will help to ensure that your system continues to function efficiently during the summer months. In this post, we list some things to be aware of to avoid inadvertently damaging your HVAC unit as you work on your lawn. 1) Keeping Things Clear Weeds, dust, debris and other lawn garbage can interfere with the unit’s ability to cool your home, as a buildup of debris on or around the outdoor condenser can reduce air flow. This is why it’s important that you keep the outdoor component free from greenery which can affect its performance. By clearing all debris within close proximity of your unit, you will help to reduce wear and tear on the unit. It’s also worth noting that, when items obstruct a unit’s airflow, it will need to work harder and lead to highe
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Tips for Keeping Ants Out of Your Air Conditioner

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With spring in full swing and summer not too far off, many homeowners are starting to have issues with ants around the home. Despite the fact that most homeowners strive to keep their home pest free, ants usually find a way in. In some cases, ants may use the outdoor components of an HVAC system as a way to invade a home, as they’re often attracted to electrical currents. This sort of invasion is more than a simple nuisance—it can cause the entire HVAC system to stop working if too many dead ants accumulate in the outdoor components. If you notice any ant mounds near your air conditioner, try out some of these tactics to keep the ants away. 1) Apply Boric Acid Boric acid is one of the most effective chemical solutions that are available when it comes to getting rid of ants. Boric acid is extremely effective because its granules have the ability to stick to insects such as ants, who carry the poison back to the nest. This means that sprinkling boric acid around your air conditioner c
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