Air conditioning devices are essential devices used to cool rooms and buildings when it is hot. In the past, you could not carry around an AC because they were usually AC wall units. Nowadays, you can even find portable ACs that you can carry anywhere. However, there are very many portable air conditioners on the … Read more
When it comes to heating and cooling your home, you have options – but which option is most appropriate for your home? One of the newer styles of air conditioning units is the mini split air conditioner and, given all of its great benefits, it may be the best fit for cooling and heating your … Read more
Air circulation in two story homes
Air circulation in homes which are older and / or in poorly designed newer ones equipped with a central, forced air system might be compromised because they do not have an air return port installed on the second floor. It doesn’t matter how much you run the air conditioning system during the summer – that second floor will always stay much hotter than the first.
During the winter it becomes difficult to keep the property warm without proper air circulation as well. In both situations, the forced air system is wasting huge amounts of energy to keep […]
Thermostat fan ON – OFF
Use forced air heating and / or AC thermostat fan ON – OFF feature to your advantage and help your HVAC forced air system perform most efficiently.
Utilizing thermostat fan ON – OFF feature will probably be more beneficial for multi-level homes equipped with just one HVAC unit and little to no air return ports assigned for each room (ie. two air returns on a two story residence / one per floor only).
HVAC systems designed with a single air return port, usually installed in the center of the house or in the center of each floor, are often […]
Recommended thermostat settings and thermostat location
Before I explain recommended thermostat settings for energy savings I’d like to point out the best and the worst thermostat locations.
To maximize home energy savings and ensure the most efficient operation of your HVAC system, thermostat location should be chosen on an inside wall in a frequently occupied area of the house or the apartment.
Additionally, thermostat location should be at least 18″ (46cm) from any of the house’s outside walls, and approximately 5′ (1.5m) above the floor surface in a location with freely circulating air of an average temperature.
Thermostat locations you should avoid!
The recommended thermostat settings […]
Following industry standards apply to the attic air conditioner drip pan installation and locations where leaking condensate could damage building components.
Making seasonal inspections of your furnace and air conditioning system makes sense, and I’d highly recommend having it done on a regular basis on any age furnace and AC units. The question is – do you trust your HVAC guy? Most people do, because they are always very happy to announce at the beginning of … Read more
HVAC Air Filters Type and Locations
We notoriously forget to replace air filters in our forced air heating / air conditioning systems… Air flow starts deteriorating through the house, system seams to be operating, but it takes significantly longer to achieve desired temperature …
The solution might be simple – clogged air filter, or missing air filter, and in that second case, you might have a contaminated evaporator coil (part of air conditioning system). Air filters, usually come in two groups: electronic/electric and passive (reusable, electrostatic or disposable).
Electronic/electric – reusable filters, click on link for detailed information and maintenance instructions (this one […]
One of the problems with home forced air air conditioning systems is icing, which you my notice during its operation on: exterior condensing unit (inside the enclosure), refrigerate lines, or evaporator coil (AC section inside the house, usually not visible without removing of the access panel). Condition is usually associated with inadequate or lack of … Read more
Refrigerant Line Insulation
Refrigerant line insulation is partially responsible for the efficiency of your air conditioning system operation. Two different diameter copper refrigerant lines, run between the air conditioning system condensing unit (house exterior), and the AC coil (named after its shape) installed inside the house (sometimes crawlspace or attic) / contained within its own compartment.
Suction refrigerant line
This is a thicker copper pipe, carries cool refrigerant gas and has a temperature of approximately 40°F (4.4°C) / requires insulation.
Liquid refrigerant line
Thinner copper pipe carries liquefied refrigerant, […]
