How Often Should You Get HVAC Maintenance?

February 16, 2021

The weather in Missoula, MT, goes from one extreme to another. Winters can be frigid, windy, and snowy, and summers can be intensely hot. You’ll need a reliable heating and cooling system to get you through these extremes and keep your home safe and comfortable. Maintaining your heating and cooling system is essential to its efficiency and effectiveness. Follow these tips for how frequently and when to schedule HVAC maintenance. Springtime Tune-up for Your Air Conditioner Central air conditioning systems need a springtime maintenance visit. April and May are good times of the year to schedule this visit. During an air conditioner tune-up, we measure the refrigerant level, clean the condensate line and replace the air filter. Autumn Maintenance for Your Heating System Heating system maintenance is critical for your health and safety in the winter months of the year. We recommend scheduling a heating system maintenance visit any time in September through November. During a heating maintenance visit, our technicians check the pilot or igniter, heat exchanger, and combustion chamber. We also check and replace the air filter and clean the burners. Semi-annual Tune-ups for Your Heat Pump If your Missoula home has a heat pump, you’ll use it...

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Does Having Indoor Plants Improve Air Quality?

January 20, 2021

For a long time, it was believed that having house plants could improve the indoor air quality in a home. However, in recent studies, it’s been shown that houseplants can’t make an appreciable difference. While it’s been shown that house plants can’t change the air quality in a home, they still can provide a variety of benefits to a household. Past Information In the past, houseplants were encouraged in homes to remove harmful substances from the air. These substances included volatile organic compounds among other harmful vapors. English Ivy, Bamboo Palm, Chinese Evergreen and Dragon Tree were all marked as exceptionally good at cleaning indoor air. However, new studies have shown that the timescales needed for the plants to remove VOCs are too large to make a difference in an average-sized home. Current Studies New studies published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology have shown that the widely held belief that house plants remove VOCs from the air is false. The current studies suggest that other forms of air filtration are much more effective at ridding the air of dangerous substances. Other Ways to Clean Indoor Air Most buildings have a high enough level of circulation and...

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How to Monitor Your Indoor Air Quality

December 18, 2020

To help protect your family in your Missoula home, there are many safeguards that you can put in place. From home security systems to childproof medicine bottles, safety is an important part of everyday life. To improve your home’s safety even further, one thing you can do is monitor your home’s indoor air quality. Given the numerous contaminants that can exist in indoor air, we at recommend the following steps to help you keep your air healthy. Perform a Radon Test Many people think that radon is only a problem for people who have basements. However, radon can affect homes of any type, even those with a simple slab foundation. Therefore, it’s important to test your home for radon to ensure that the concentrations of this radioactive material are within acceptable limits. If they’re not, you’ll need to install a radon removal system to prevent a risk of lung cancer in your family members. Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors While it typically takes several years of exposure for radon to cause negative health effects, carbon monoxide can cause problems in as little as a few minutes. That’s why we at recommend protecting your home by installing carbon monoxide detectors. These devices...

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Don’t Dread the Montana Winter When You Choose the Right Furnace

November 19, 2020

If there’s one thing that separates a miserable Montana winter from an enjoyable one, it’s a quality furnace. With a good heating system in place, you can keep your home comfortable without worrying about exorbitant utility bills or constant breakdowns. Therefore, when you need to replace your furnace, it’s important to take some time to evaluate your different options to ensure that you make the best purchase for your needs. At , we replace a lot of furnaces, meaning that we have a pretty good idea of what you need to look for in a heater. Choose Your Fuel Type Modern furnaces come in two main varieties: gas and electric. Gas furnaces use propane or natural gas to fuel a flame to heat your house. Electric furnaces, on the other hand, use electricity to heat up a resistive metal that then heats the air as it flows past. Although both types of furnaces can provide reliable heat, at , we tend to recommend gas furnaces for most applications. Gas furnaces can create more heat with less energy. Given the cold temperatures experienced during Montana winters, this is a key selling point. Proper Size Each furnace on the market is rated...

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How Does a Heating System Work?

October 20, 2020

A look into today’s heating systems can provide some fascinating insights into the physics, human engineering and problem-solving, and current technology used in these systems. There are many types of heating systems on the market, but all heating systems basically work the same way. Heat Source, Firing Chamber At the heart of every heating system is some sort of heat source, a fuel, and a chamber to safely house the heat source. Some heating systems utilize electric heat which uses electricity to heat coils that the air travels over. Others actually utilize a controlled fire that may be fueled by natural gas, oil, or some other propellant. There are still other types too, but in all cases, your heating system will likely be built around this central heat source feature. Circuitry, Safety, Ducting Attached to the above-mentioned heating chamber, every heating system then has an array of circuitry and ducting. Ducting is the term for the various chambers attached to a heating system that takes in as well as blow out air. Even small, “ductless” heaters utilize some sort of intake and outbound ports for air movement or exchange. The more complicated parts of heating systems tend to be those...

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Get Ahead of Indoor Air Pollutants with these HVAC Upgrades

September 18, 2020

Indoor air pollutants are no fun. While some people seemingly aren’t affected by poor indoor air quality, many Americans suffer from a lower quality of life as a result of indoor air pollutants. Nothing can safely be substituted for medical advice though these HVAC fixes will certainly improve your indoor air quality. Try High-efficiency Particulate Air Filters High-efficiency particulate air filters, or HEPA filters, are the highest-quality consumer-ready air filters you can buy. After checking the dimensions of your HVAC system’s filters, shop around for well-reviewed HEPA filters. Although more expensive than economy air filters, high-quality HEPA filters are great for getting a headstart on improving indoor air quality. Consider Getting Professional Duct Cleaning Help Ducts transfer air from your home’s HVAC unit throughout the residence. They take the form of flexible, lightly insulated tubes that are run through your home’s walls, floors, and ceilings. Over time, even if you’ve regularly changed your air filters, dust still accumulates in HVAC ducts. Trying to clean ducts yourself isn’t recommended as it requires expensive equipment and technical know-how. By hiring a professional to clean your ducts, you’ll be protected from any mishaps thanks to your HVAC company’s insurance–not to mention they’ll get...

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Do Air Purifiers Help Prevent Respiratory Diseases?

August 10, 2020

Air purifiers allow you to feel good about taking deep breaths. In addition, there are some serious health benefits associated with these devices. Here’s a rundown of whether air purifiers help to prevent respiratory diseases. Particles in the Air In a nutshell, particles in the air pose a threat to your health. Some particles are harmless, but others can lead to respiratory diseases down the line. By eliminating these particles, you’re keeping yourself as healthy as possible. An air purifier is a great way to remove these contaminants and carry out your daily activities. Remember that you can’t see these microscopic particles with the naked eye. So, you need to trust your instinct and install an air purifier for the sake of your health. Pre-existing Health Conditions Individuals with pre-existing health conditions should highly consider air purifiers. Even if the atmosphere of your house seems reasonable, the slightest bit of dust and debris can cause coughing and an irritated throat. Before long, you’re looking at respiratory diseases that may require treatment. Even minor allergies and asthma fall into this category. There’s no harm in running an air purifier just to be on the safe side. Running an Air Purifier Running...

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Will Air Conditioning Remove Home Humidity?

July 15, 2020

If you’ve ever come in from outside on a hot day, you may have stood near a vent somewhere in your home as the cool air blew through. While it’s clear that the air coming from your air conditioner is colder than the rest of the air in your house, are there other ways that your air conditioner works to keep your Missoula home comfortable? At , we want to empower our customers with knowledge about their HVAC system. Read on to find out if your air conditioner removes humidity from your residence. A Thoughtful Design Your air conditioner is uniquely designed to be able to cool the air in your home. As the refrigerant flows through your refrigerant line, it is compressed in the outdoor unit, which raises its temperature. Then, this excess heat is expelled into the outside air. As the refrigerant reenters your house, it is expanded, which causes it to cool. By the time the refrigerant reaches the condenser coil, which sits just above your blower motor, it is cold to the point that the air moving over the coil can release heat into the refrigerant, which lowers the temperature of the air. Then, the air...

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Air Conditioner Troubleshooting Guide

June 16, 2020

Your central AC system will wear down over time, giving rise to numerous problems. Before calling over a professional, you may want to do some troubleshooting on your own and see if repairing the system can be a DIY project you can accomplish on your own. 1. Your AC Does Not Power On If your AC won’t start, the problem may be a tripped circuit breaker, so take a look at your electrical panel and ensure that the AC breaker is in the “on” position. If the breaker keeps tripping every time you turn on the AC, or if you actually experience a blown fuse, this will signify an overheating system. As for why it would overheat, the possible reasons include: Clogged air filters A dirty evaporator coil A failing compressor Low refrigerant levels Air filter replacement is a basic maintenance task that every homeowner should be able to perform. The evaporator coil could be cleaned with a simple solution of warm water and detergent. Bad compressors must be replaced. When It Blows Lukewarm Air If the air is lukewarm or hot, see if your thermostat is set to “cool” or to “heat.” If it’s correctly set to “cool,” then...

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How to Reduce AC Power Consumption

May 12, 2020

Cooling your home during the summer will raise your energy bill, and while this cannot be helped, you can still do a lot to minimize the expense. It all comes down to ensuring that your AC runs efficiently and only when necessary. Change the Air Filters Filters, which keep the air handler free of dust and other pollutants, can have a negative effect on cooling performance if they get really dirty and dusty, causing them to clog up. Anything that hinders the circulation of air will strain your system and your wallet. This is why you will want to replace your filters regularly. If you use fiberglass filters, replace them every 30 days; if you use pleated filters, replace them every 60 to 90 days. Clean the Evaporator Coils Even with regular filter replacement, the evaporator coils in your air handler can become caked with dirt, hindering their ability to absorb heat and provide cool air. You could easily clean these with a soft bristle brush and a spray bottle containing a mixture of warm water and gentle detergent. Program the Thermostat If you own a programmable thermostat, use it to create an energy-efficient schedule. For starters, you could raise...

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