Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Tue, May 18, 2010
In our last post we talked about indoor air pollution problems than can cause discomfort and unhealthy conditions inside Lorain County homes. Inadequate ventilation, poor humidity control, ineffective filtering and inefficient furnace or air conditioner operation are frequent causes of unhealthy indoor air pollution. Fortunately, your Lorain County plumbing, heating and air conditioning professional can perform and AirAdvice Indoor Air Analysis to pinpoint the source of indoor air quality problems and recommend effective solutions.
Here’s a quick rundown on typical indoor air quality equipment and the problems they solve:
Air cleaners
Trap polluting particles, pet dander, plant pollen, mold spores and other airborne contaminants in fine filters and keep them from circulating in the air. Standard fiber glass-mesh furnace filters trap only 15% of airborne pollutants, leaving 85% of these particles in the air you breathe. Mechanical Air Cleaners use a heavy-duty media filter capable of trapping up to 28 times more particles than a standard fiber glass filter. Electronic Air Cleaners are even more effective in cleaning indoor air, capturing up to 95% of all airborne particles, including smoke, grease, bacteria and many viruses.
Humidifiers
Control humidity levels inside your home, increasing comfort year round. Because humidity affects the way our bodies feel heat, using a humidifier to maintain optimum humidity inside your home will also save on utility bills. Increasing humidity in winter when the air is dry allows you to feel comfortable at lower temperatures. Decreasing humidity in the summer increases comfort and allows you to set your air conditioner to a slightly higher temperature.
Ventilators
Regularly exchange unhealthy indoor air with clean outdoor air to create a healthier indoor environment in your home. Ventilators remove from your home harmful accumulated carbon dioxide, cooking fumes and gases from building materials and furniture and replace that spent air with clean, fresh outdoor air.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Feb 19, 2010
The recent article “Sensitive Precautions on Residential Project” in the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News 2010 edition of Refrigeration Zone highlights an important approach to building chemical free homes. In particular the difficulty of finding home building products and contractors that can face the challenges.
Contractors are constantly facing new demands regarding energy-efficiency. This particular home needed to be “chemical free” because one of the homeowners has acute chemical sensitivity. This meant that special precautions needed to be taken concerning the HVAC equipment chosen and how it was installed. What I found interesting is that something as simple as finding chemical-free wallboard becomes difficult when there is not a suitable replacement.
The approach of the general contractor to involve multiple layers of experts had to be a task within itself. This had to add layers to the building process that had to be checked and rechecked. Then to make sure every subcontractor followed the guidelines was an accomplishment in itself.
But answer this: Do these people ever go outside their home? How do you accommodate this type of guest in your home or business?
Read full article here.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Feb 05, 2010
Install Ventilators to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Back when energy was cheap, many U.S. homes were not insulated or weatherized. Homeowners didn’t need to worry about indoor/outdoor air exchange. Plenty of fresh air seeped into older homes through unsealed windows, doors, chimneys and roofs. Back then, homeowners didn’t have to worry about stale air, humidity buildup or sick homes. And when the house felt cold and drafty, homeowners just cranked the furnace up another notch.
Over the last few decades, as energy costs climbed steadily, the need for more energy-efficient homes drove development of products and building techniques designed to prevent heat loss. Insulation products and weatherization practices allowed builders to create homes that were so well insulated that indoor/outdoor air exchange was practically zero. It wasn’t until families started getting sick that people realized a certain amount of air exchange is healthy for humans – and houses.
Not only did super-weatherized homes trap cold and flu germs inside where they could infect and reinfect families, these well-sealed homes didn’t allow the safe dissipation of chemical vapors emitted by building materials, household cleaners and other things we use everyday. In homes with little air exchange, these vapors could build to unhealthy levels. Another unexpected consequence was the build-up of excess humidity, promoting mold and bacteria growth. Sweating windows also rotted window frames and played havoc with paint and wallpaper. Families feared they were sacrificing their health for energy efficiency.
Ventilators Draw Fresh Air In, Then Distribute Air Through The Home
The solution was simple. Heating and cooling professionals started installing ventilators to draw fresh air into homes and expel stale air and excess humidity. Ventilators draw fresh air in through a filter, heat or cool the air, then distribute it through the home. Indoor air stays fresh and warm or cool while stale, humid air is expelled. Homeowners now enjoy the best of both worlds. Safe, fresh, well-ventilated air and energy-efficient homes.
Are you worried about the air you breathe in your home? Find out if your home's air is polluted with a simple diagnostic test called the AirAdvice™ Indoor Air Analysis. Register with us online today!
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, Jan 07, 2010
Healthy Indoor Air Requires Proper Ventilation
Energy efficiency is a good thing. It saves money while protecting the environment. But there are times when energy efficiency can go a little too far. There have been cases of new energy-efficient homes that were sealed so tightly against outdoor air that they became germ factories or “sick” homes. Homeowners traded off low fuel bills for high doctor bills. What researchers discovered is that healthy homes require a certain amount of air exchange – fresh air replacing used, stale air – to maintain the health of their occupants. When a home is too tightly sealed against air exchange, air is circulated over and over, constantly reused, spreading germs, mold and other unhealthful qualities. Healthy indoor air requires proper ventilation.
To solve the problem, the heating and cooling industry has developed energy efficient ventilators that bring fresh air into your home without any loss of energy. Performance Heat Recovery Ventilators introduce necessary outdoor air into your home during the long heating season. These energy-efficient ventilators replace stale, germ-laden, recirculated indoor air with fresh, clean outdoor air. Bringing fresh air into your winter home also replaces some of the humidity forced air heat removes from your home. Higher humidity is easier on stressed winter sinuses, making breathing easier and actually protecting delicate sinuses from infection. Proper winter ventilation boosts indoor air quality and creates a healthier indoor environment for your family.
During the summer cooling season, Performance Energy Recovery Ventilators perform the same service. When you operate your air conditioner, these high efficiency energy recovery ventilators guarantee that the air you breathe is healthy while you are indoors escaping from summer’s heat. Ventilators that work with your air conditioner not only provide a healthy exchange of air that reduces indoor air pollutants, they reduce humidity as well. In summer, reducing humidity increases indoor comfort for your family.
Making a ventilator part of your home comfort system is like being able to open a window in every room even on the hottest or coldest days ... without the drafts, the humidity or the high energy costs. Its literally a breath of fresh air. For proper sizing and operation, Performance Ventilators should be installed by a heating and cooling professional. If you live in Northeast Ohio, contact Raymond Plumbing.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Wed, May 06, 2009
If you’re aware of the recently signed U.S. Department of Energy’s Recovery Act and Stimulus Package, then you might be wondering, what does this mean for me?
Well, to put it simply, it means that you, as a taxpayer, can receive tax credits for your home and business expenses in 2009-2010. The tax section of the act provides greater tax credits for clean energy projects for homes and businesses.
For homeowners, you can receive tax credits up to $1,500 to help offset the costs of certain qualified energy property. Qualified spending includes various models of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Products meeting the requirements will be eligible for a tax credit equal to 30% of installed cost to a maximum $1,500 tax credit.
The act also provides Geothermal credits up to 30% of the installed cost on equipment, installation labor, loop material and loop labor in the year the system is placed into service. The geothermal credit has a longer term, from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2016.
Stay tuned for our Tax Credit Frequently Asked Questions blog! Please leave your questions below.