You probably don’t spend too much time thinking about your indoor air quality. After all, as long as the air seems clear, what is there to worry about? Well, your air may not be as clear as you think. Inside the average home’s air are millions upon millions of microscopic particles, some of which are harmful to your health. Dust, pollen, mites and dander are all common lung irritants and allergens. Meanwhile, viruses and bacteria can infect you and make you sick. Read on to find out more about how these contaminants can lessen your air quality, and how duct cleaning can improve it.
How Duct Cleaning Improves Your Indoor Air Quality
May 11th, 2015Why You Should Consider a Heat Pump for Air Conditioning
May 4th, 2015When you think about air conditioning, chances are you imagine a traditional central air conditioner. While central air conditioning units are quite effective at keeping homes cool, however, they are not the only option available. Plenty of other options exist for cooling your home during the warm season, one of which is a heat pumps. Have a look at the reasons why you should consider a heat pump for air conditioning this summer.
3 Air Purifier Types That Can Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
April 27th, 2015The air in your home may look empty, but that doesn’t mean that it is. Actually, the average home’s indoor air is filled with millions upon millions of microscopic particles, many of which can be harmful. Dust, pollen, germs, dander, mites, and mold spores are just a few of the airborne contaminants commonly found in homes. These can cause inflamed sinuses, coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes, especially in allergy sufferers.
How Duct Sealing Can Improve Your Air Conditioner Efficiency
April 20th, 2015With summer almost upon us, it’s time to start making sure that your air conditioner is ready for the hottest days of the year. Annual maintenance and timely repairs are obviously both a good idea. However, there is one thing you can do to improve your air conditioner efficiency that most people never think about: duct sealing. Read on to find out more about duct sealing, and how it can help your air conditioner keep you cool this summer.
3 Air Conditioning Problems That Require Immediate Repair
April 13th, 2015No air conditioning problem should be left alone, once discovered. The longer a problem with your air conditioning system is allowed to continue, the worse it’s going to get. However, there’s a difference between problems that need to be addressed as soon as possible and those that need to be fixed right now. There are some problems that, if allowed to continue for any appreciable length of time, could cause catastrophic damage to the air conditioning system. The following are 3 of those problems.
3 Ways to Evaluate Whether You Need to Replace Your Air Conditioner
April 6th, 2015With summer fast approaching, now is the time of year when homeowners start to get their air conditioning systems ready for the season. There comes a time with every air conditioning system, however, when maintenance and repairs simply aren’t good enough. At that time, the only thing left to do is replace your air conditioner. As this is the perfect time for new air conditioner installation, you should take a hard look at whether your current air conditioner can make it through another year. What follows are 3 ways that you can tell whether or not you need to replace your system.
Operating Cost
If you’ve kept your system in pretty good operating condition over the years, you probably have a good idea of how much it costs to operate it from month to month. If you notice that costs start to increase over the course of a few months, it might mean that your system is wearing out. The wear and tear that all systems accumulate over their lifetimes will eventually cause yours to steadily decrease in efficiency. That forces it to operate for longer to achieve the same results, which costs you more money.
Repairs
Another good way to tell whether or not you need to replace your air conditioner is to keep track of how often it requires repairs. Normally, you shouldn’t need to have your system repaired more than once or twice a year. Older systems have many more worn out parts, however, which are liable to fail much more often. If you have to have your air conditioner repaired every few months, it’s a good sign that it is ready to be replaced.
Age
The average lifespan for an air conditioner is between 15 and 20 years. It is possible for an air conditioner to operate well past that point, but oftentimes the problems that begin to occur at that age are enough to warrant a new system. If your air conditioner is older than 15 years, you might want to consult a professional about replacing it.
If you think it may be time for a new air conditioner, call touchstone Heating & Air, Inc. We provide air conditioner installation services throughout Gainesville, FL.
Why Consider a Ductless AC System?
March 27th, 2015Spring has brought some very warm weather with it this year, and if you are in the market for a new air conditioner, we have a suggestion for you: why not consider the installation of a ductless AC? Ductless air conditioners have become very popular for a number of reasons that we’ll get into more detail about below, but gaining the benefits a ductless system has to offer is very dependent on good installation. The experts at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., can offer you and your home in Lake City comprehensive ductless AC services, so if you are considering going ductless, call us today!
How a Ductless AC Works
The main components of a ductless system are the outdoor unit, which contains the compressor and condenser, and the individual indoor blowers, which contain a small fan, a small set of coils and a small air filter. The indoor blowers connect to the outdoor unit via a conduit and a single outdoor unit can support up to 4 individual blowers. When a blower is turned on, the refrigerant begins to flow, cueing the cooling cycle to begin. The system will operate just as a traditional AC system, accept that the cool air is delivered through a single blower (or as many blowers as are on) instead of ductwork.
Benefits of a Ductless System
There are several benefits a ductless AC can offer that are worth considering:
- No need for ductwork – with a ductless AC system, it is possible to offer whole-home cooling without the significant expense of adding ductwork.
- Customized comfort – the individual blowers of a ductless system allow you to cool only what you need to and at the exact temperature you want.
- Better energy efficiency – unlike a ducted system that cools all or nothing, a ductless system allows you to cool only the areas you want cooling, which can save you energy.
- Can work with a heat pump – a ductless system that has heat pump technology can offer your home both heating and cooling.
If a ductless system seems like a fit for your Lake City home, call the experts at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., today and schedule an appointment for ductless AC services.
What Types of Thermostats Are Available for Upgrade?
March 20th, 2015There are a lot ways to improve your home’s comfort and achieve better energy efficiency, but one of these ways is often overlooked. What is it? Upgrading your home’s thermostat. Your thermostat is the control center for your HVAC system. It tells the system when to cycle and the temperature to achieve. The keys to better energy efficiency and comfort are being able to set your temperature appropriately and being able to set a precise temperature. For instance, there’s no need to heat or cool your home the same when it’s empty versus when it’s occupied. It’s also helpful to be able to set an exact temperature versus aiming for one with a thermostat that only provides a range of temperatures. So what types of thermostats can you consider for installation in your Gainesville home? Let’s take a look.
Digital
Digital thermostats can easily replace your dial or slide thermostat when you hire an expert for help. Digital thermostats have easily-ready faces, and the digital format allows you to set a precise temperature. This is important, considering each degree you can lower during heating season and raise during cooling season can save you up to 3% on your annual energy costs. Digital thermostats also have easy-to-use, intuitive buttons that allow for smooth operation.
Programmable
A programmable thermostat is one that brings all the digital benefits, but that also allows you to create programs for heating and cooling your home. With a programmable thermostat, you no longer have to worry about constantly remembering to adjust your thermostat when leaving and arriving home, or have concerns about vacation times. These types of thermostats allow you to program 4 temperature changes per day for up to 7 days, and if you are in a routine, you can loop the program continuously.
Smart
Smart thermostats are the ultimate in control and convenience. These types of thermostats offer all the benefits that digital and programmable thermostats do, but with many added features, including remote access. This means you can program your thermostat, track and monitor energy use, all from any smart device.
The best way to gain the benefits of any thermostat installation in Gainesville is to hire experts for the work, so call the specialists at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., today!
How a Whole-Home AC System Helps Control Humidity
March 13th, 2015Air conditioners are interesting systems. Many people believe that they cool by blowing cool air into warm air, but this isn’t actually what’s happening. Yes, cool air blows in, but more importantly, air conditioners remove the heat and humidity from your living spaces and release it, then use this air to cool your home. It’s all part of the heat release/cooling cycle, and one of the benefits of this cycle is that humidity is also removed. How does your Lake City air conditioning system do this? Let’s take a look.
How Humidity Is Removed
Air conditioners use refrigerant to help facilitate the transfer of heat to the outside. The cycle starts with the heat from your return ducts being absorbed by the refrigerant. The refrigerant travels to the compressor where it is pressurized; as the pressurized refrigerant leaves the compressor to enter the condenser, the heat is released and the refrigerant starts to cool. The refrigerant travels from the condenser to the evaporator, where warm air from your home is blown over the evaporator coils that now contain cooled refrigerant. When hot air meets cool air, condensation is formed, and this condensation is removed via the condensate array of your air conditioning system. This is how your air conditioning system helps remove the excess humidity in your home.
Benefits of Removing Humidity
Humidity holds heat, which is why a humid day at 70 degrees feels much more uncomfortable than a dry day at 70 degrees. But excess humidity does more than make you feel uncomfortable – it can lead to mold and mildew development, dust mite populations and create rot. When you install a whole-home air conditioner, you gain the benefit of dehumidification along with improved comfort.
Get Ahead of Humidity with a Whole-Home Air Conditioner
Today’s air conditioners are some of the most energy efficient around, and can offer your home cool, comfortable air for years to come.
If you’ve been struggling with indoor comfort because of heat and excess humidity, call the experts at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., today.
Is Your Commercial AC Ready for Summer?
March 6th, 2015Having a comfortable atmosphere in your business space is critical to your business’s daily operation, and with spring almost here, it’s time to schedule commercial AC maintenance for your Gainesville business. You may be saying to yourself that your system just had a maintenance appointment this fall, but it’s recommended that commercial systems are scheduled for maintenance bi-annually. Why? Commercial HVAC systems are large and complex, and many systems perform both heating and cooling. Plus, you don’t want to risk experiencing poor performance from your system just because you didn’t schedule maintenance. Only trained commercial experts should work on your commercial HVAC system, so call the experts you can trust: Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc.
What Are the Benefits of Maintenance?
Maintenance is a full tune-up of your commercial HVAC system, so there are a number of benefits to scheduling AC maintenance:
- Better energy efficiency – staying on budget with heating and cooling costs can be tough, but maintenance helps your system to work optimally, which reduces the system’s energy usage.
- Better comfort – the cleaning and adjusting your system receives during a maintenance appointment allows it to achieve your set temperature without a problem, ensuring that your office space will be comfortable.
- Prevents repair – during a maintenance appointment, the technician will closely inspect your system and its working parts to make sure there are no existing or developing problems. Should a problem be discovered, you’ll be alerted.
- Extends life of the system – each year your system goes unmaintained, it loses 5% of its energy efficiency; conversely, following through with bi-annual maintenance keeps your system operating within 5% of its original efficiency level. Keeping your commercial AC in good working order year after year helps extend its life, which is great for you and your business.
Always Call a Commercial Expert
Commercial HVAC systems are very different from residential ones, so it’s important to always call for a commercial expert when needing any kind of work for your business’s HVAC system.
The commercial experts at Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc., have the commercial experience needed to perform any kind of commercial HVAC work, so call us today!