Professional Heating & Air Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

Ways to Tell You Need Duct Sealing

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Is a small break along the ductwork in a home’s ventilation system really that major a problem? How much of an issue can a small hole be?

You’d be surprised. Any loss of the airtight integrity in the ductwork attached to a residential air conditioning and heating system can have significant consequences: it will lower comfort, place extra strain on the AC and heater leading to higher bills, and create indoor air quality issues. Studies have shown that leaky air ducts can result in an increase of 30% on heating and cooling costs for a home. If your house has damaged air ducts, you need to call on professionals to seal the air leaks. (No, you can’t do the job with duct tape. Don’t even think about it.)

For excellent duct sealing service in Covington, LA and throughout Southeast Louisiana, get in touch with A-Professional Heating and Air Conditioning. We offer a number of quality services to take care of your ventilation system—so that it takes care of you.

Because you can’t see most of the ductwork in your home, you will need to watch for warning signs that will tell you the ducts have air leaks:

  • Low airflow from the vents: Leaks in ducts will cause the air pressure inside the ventilation system to drop, which will cause a reduction in the airflow from the vents. If you notice that a room feels too cold or too hot, check on the vent register in the room. If the airflow from it feels sluggish, the issue may be damaged ductwork.
  • Elevated heating and cooling bills: It’s difficult to miss a 30% increase in how much it costs to heat or cool your home. When your monthly bills take an unpleasant upswing, there is something wrong with the HVAC system, and one of the likely culprits is a loss of integrity in the ventilation system. Call for professionals to find the cause and take care of it.
  • Musty smells from the vents: Since the ductwork runs through enclosed parts of your home that have musty air and dust inside them, gaps in the ducts will cause this air to enter the ventilation system. If you notice musty and moldy odors coming from the vents, you may have trouble with ductwork damage.

As we mentioned before, don’t think about using duct tape to fix the problem yourself. Not only is duct tape ineffective on ducts (yes, duct tape is a misnomer), but you will have trouble even locating or accessing the duct leaks. Take the easy route: call A-Professional Heating and Air Conditioning and let our experts handle duct sealing in Covington, LA to restore your ventilation system.

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Why Is Professional Duct Sealing Important?

Friday, December 5th, 2014

Ducts are one of several parts of your home’s infrastructure that you probably never think about. They’re largely invisible, serve a fairly simple purpose with no moving parts to malfunction, and are just generally unobtrusive. It may come as a shock, then, when we tell you that ducts are actually responsible for some of the biggest wastes of energy and money regarding your heating system. Let’s dive into the evidence supporting this claim, and why you should employ professional duct cleaning to solve for it.

Heat Loss

The US Department of Energy estimates that forced air systems lose between 20 and 30% of their heat on average to duct leaks. That means that almost a third of the energy that your heating system spends on heating goes completely wasted. You’re still paying for that energy, however, which means that your heating bill is often substantially higher than it should be. This is the primary reason for professional duct sealing. A lot of these leaks are not noticeable without close inspection, which drastically lowers the chances of a homeowner spotting and sealing one on his or her own.

Uneven Heating

In addition to wasting a great deal of money, duct leaks hinder the ability of your heating system to evenly distribute heat throughout the house. This creates uncomfortable cold spots in your home, some encompassing multiple rooms, depending on the size of the leak. Professional duct sealing can return equilibrium to your heating system, ensuring that you are comfortable and warm no matter where you are in your home.

Contaminants

The dark ductwork in your home can be a prime habitat for all sorts of harmful organisms. Viruses, bacteria, and mold are among the most common contaminants found in a home’s ducts. Many of these organisms are prevented from gaining a foothold in your ducts by a lack of easy entry. It only takes a small duct leak, however, for these contaminants to begin thriving and multiplying. They can then be circulated throughout your house by your forced air system. Professional duct sealing makes it harder for contaminants to enter your ducts, making it a good way to improve your air quality.

If you haven’t had your ducts sealed in a while, call A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning. Our heating professionals cover the entire Covington area.

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Is It Time To Get A Dehumidifier?

Friday, September 26th, 2014

Humidity is part of our weather in Louisiana, especially during the warm months of the year. Humidity can be as much a problem for your air conditioner as it is for you. One way to help alleviate the problems caused by excessive humidity is by installing a whole-home dehumidifier. Whole-home dehumidifiers are installed as part of your existing air conditioning system, and work seamlessly with its operation (they can also work independently). Your indoor air quality is important, and part of having good indoor air quality is having a comfortable moisture level. A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning can help you achieve that with the installation of a whole-home dehumidifier.

How Does High Humidity Affect Your Air Conditioner?

As we mentioned above, high humidity levels affect both you and your air conditioner. Here are some of the ways excess humidity affects your AC:

  • It has to work harder – humidity holds heat, so when it’s excessively humid outside, your air conditioner has to work harder to cool your living space.
  • Clinging debris – certain parts of your air conditioner will sweat due to the excess humidity, which can cause dirt, dust and debris to stick to components. Sticking debris can hamper the operation of your air conditioner.
  • Excess water drainage – when there is more moisture in your air, more liquid will drain from your system. If there are existing problems with your condensate drain or tray, you could have the potential for leaks.

Signs of High Humidity in Your Home

  • Condensation on the inside of your windows
  • Mold and mildew growth
  • Clammy feeling when air conditioner is running
  • Bubbling/peeling paint

The Benefits of Whole-Home Dehumidification

Here are some benefits of whole-home dehumidifiers offer:

  • Better health – mold, mildew, dust mites and other contaminants thrive at humidity levels higher than 60%. With a whole-home dehumidifier, you can control your indoor moisture levels to ensure that your humidity level stays below 60%.
  • Improved comfort – removing the excess humidity from the air allows your air conditioner to cool as it should, leaving you with cool, dry air to enjoy.
  • Increased energy efficiency – the dehumidifier removes the excess moisture in the air, allowing your air conditioner to run without being stressed. This can help save energy.

Humidity is a part of our weather, but it doesn’t have to weigh down you or your air conditioner. If you think you, your home and your air conditioner can benefit from the installation of a whole-home dehumidifier, call A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning today and schedule a dehumidifier installation in Hammond, LA with one of our experts.

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The Benefits of Professional Duct Cleaning

Monday, November 18th, 2013

Cleaning your ductwork sounds like an enormous amount of work. And it is, we won’t lie to you about that. However, you need to have it done for a number of important reasons, which we’ll outline here for you. But you don’t need to do the hard work; in fact, it’s better if you don’t. Leave the job of duct cleaning in Hammond, LA to experts. A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning offers comprehensive duct cleaning in Hammond, LA, in addition to other services that will improve your indoor air quality and your HVAC system’s performance.

Here are the major benefits of professional duct cleaning:

Improved air quality

Because Americans on average spend 85% of their time indoors, the quality of the air inside homes and buildings is especially important. The U.S. Department of Health has determined that poor indoor air quality is one of the major health threats in the country.

One way that you can improve the quality of the air you breathe in your home is with annual duct cleaning. Because your ducts are sealed along their length, there isn’t anywhere for the dust inside them to escape once it starts building up. A faulty or clogged air filter will also cause more dust contamination—and eventually this will blow out through your vents. A thorough cleaning will cleanse these pollutants and improve the air you breathe daily.

Better energy efficiency

Ducts covered with dust will increase resistance to the air moving through them. This will force your air conditioner and heater to labor harder. The more stress placed on your HVAC system, the faster it will wear down and require repairs, or even a full replacement.

A cleaner house

The dust blown from dirty ducts through vents does more than contaminate the air you and your family breathe. It also spreads over carpets, furniture, and household surfaces. You’ll struggle keeping your house looking clean and pleasant if clogged ducts continue to waft dust everywhere.

Duct cleaning involves more than using a whisk broom to sweep out the visible surfaces. Professionals need to access the difficult to reach sections of your ductwork and apply tools such as power vacuums, chemical sanitizers, and rotary brushes to give you the best cleaning. If you should have a microbacterial infection, duct cleaning specialists have UV germicidal lights that can eliminate the problem.

When you need experts who will do a thorough job with your duct cleaning in Hammond, LA, get in touch with A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning. We can do more for you than duct cleaning: we install air filters and perform duct sealing. We’re available 24 hours a day for emergency services.

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