Benefits of Duct Sealing

Duct sealing represents a service performed by many HVAC professionals. When thinking about cooling and heating systems, homeowners may think solely about the air conditioner and the furnace. They don’t always think about the ducts, which provide a “highway” for the air to travel. With proper duct sealing, homeowners can receive performance support for the HVAC system. What is Duct Sealing? Air can leak through the ducts, often around the seams or in gaps. Duct sealing involves processes intended to eliminate these leaks. And there are scores of benefits to patching things. Improved Efficiency If hot or cold air escapes through leaks, then the air isn’t circulating through the home. While a homeowner might not receive the full benefit of the air, expect to receive a full energy bill. Think of the electricity and natural gas required to heat or cool the air. The fan spins to send the air to the ducts, and, if it gets lost due to leaks, the energy expenditure to create it remains the same. Then again, continually running the HVAC to make up for the lost air would drive costs up even further. assists Charlottesville-area residents with HVAC and indoor air quality service requests....

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How Can Air Quality Affect Your Mental Health?

The air in your home can have a significant impact on your ability to sleep, concentrate, or otherwise live a normal life. Let’s take a look at how poor air quality can lead to problems at work, school, or in your personal life. It Can Be Difficult to Sleep With a Stuffy Nose If your nose is clogged, you may spend half of the night rolling from one side to the other trying to find relief. It may also be hard to sleep when your eyes won’t stop itching or you can’t stop sneezing. When you don’t get adequate rest, you may be more vulnerable to changes in mood that can lead to anxiety and depression. Not enough rest can also be responsible for lowering your immunity to illnesses as simple as a cold. Mold Toxicity Can Lead to Cognitive Issues Exposure to mold can cause a variety of symptoms including depression, insomnia, and attention issues. These and other symptoms occur as the result of toxins entering the body and accumulating over periods of weeks, months, or years. Those who believe that mold is causing problems with their mental health may want to have a professional from in Charlottesville, VA,...

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How to Tell if You Need Air Conditioning Repair Work

When a cooling system is working properly, it can make the air in your home significantly more comfortable than the air outside. However, if an air conditioner isn’t properly maintained, it may not operate as efficiently or effectively as it should. Let’s look at some signs that repairs may be needed. The Condenser Unit Is Making Unusual Noises If you hear rattling or banging noises coming from a condenser unit, there is a chance that debris has become stuck inside of it. There is also a chance that a fan blade or part of the motor has broken off and is rattling around in the unit. Ideally, you will have someone from in Charlottesville come to your house and inspect the air conditioner. It may also be possible for a technician to replace your current cooling system with a newer and more efficient one. You Notice Strong Odors It is hard to miss the smell of wires or other electrical components that are hot or melting. Electrical problems can be caused by lightning strikes that hit close to your home or by running your air conditioner for several hours or days at a time. If you notice a sweet aroma...

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How Indoor Air Quality Data Helps HVAC Technicians

As an experienced HVAC technician will tell you, it is absolutely crucial for technicians to have well-rounded knowledge, clear information, and reliable data relating to the indoor air quality of any space they work in. There are many aspects of HVAC work that make indoor air quality data an important feature for technicians to understand and pay close attention to during their time with any given HVAC system. The Overall Importance of Indoor Air Quality When people discuss air quality, they often speak about outdoor air quality issues, such as large-scale pollution from the abundant modern use of fossil fuels and other factors like factory farming. However, the more direct threat to any individual’s health is most likely to be the quality of their indoor air. Most people spend the large majority of their time indoors, whether at work, home, school, or any other place they frequent. Because of this, indoor air quality is an extremely important topic. Pollutants traveling through the air in an indoor space can easily cause harm to the occupants of that space, whether it be immediately and quickly or slowly over a long period of time. How Indoor Air Quality Data Helps HVAC Technicians Since...

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Five Air Conditioner Maintenance Tips

Whatever the age of your ducted or ductless air conditioner, it can benefit from regular maintenance. While many maintenance tasks require the work of an expert, some can be done on your own in your Charlottesville home. Below are just a few tips to maintain your AC unit. 1. Replace the Air Filters Filters, normally located in the return air supply vent, capture indoor pollutants and prevent them from collecting in the air handler and ductwork. The amount and type of pollutants that air filters can trap depends on what they’re made of. Your vents most likely have pleated filters; these tend to be effective for 60 to 90 days. If you don’t replace them, they’ll obstruct airflow and put extra wear on your AC unit. 2. Clean the Evaporator Coil The evaporator coil, found in the indoor air handler, has refrigerant running through it to absorb heat. Even with filter replacements, this component can build up dirt, which insulates the coil and hinders the absorption. Keeping your evaporator coil clean will allow for more efficient cooling as well as for keeping the air flowing smoothly. 3. Clean the Outdoor Unit In particular, you’ll want to clean out the condenser...

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protocol

We have all received way too many of these letters in recent days. So first, we want to say thanks. Thanks for trusting us to keep you and your families safe and comfortable in your homes and workplaces. Thanks for continuing to support local businesses like ours so that our employees and their families can continue to thrive. To that end, we are taking the following actions to ensure the safety of our employees as well as your safety and comfort. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protocol Following the current guidance from health authorities, we at Beck Cohen are taking steps to protect our employees, our customers and our community: In the field: Technicians are wearing fresh disposable gloves at every job and wearing ventilators as needed or at your request. Trucks are stocked with disinfectant cleaning supplies to be used wherever technicians are touching surfaces in your home or workplace. Each call will end with technicians wiping down everything in your home which they have touched. Keep in mind that most of our work will be out of your living space and we will attempt to minimize the amount of time we spend with you. Washing hands before and after each service...

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Carbon Monoxide’s Impact on Indoor Air Quality

Most people think carbon monoxide is just a danger during house fires, but the reality is that it can cause problems in many other situations. Learning how your indoor air is affected by carbon monoxide can help you figure out whether or not it poses a risk for you and your family. What Does Carbon Monoxide Look and Smell Like? Carbon monoxide’s effect on your indoor air quality may not be immediately noticeable. This gas is completely odorless and tasteless, and it is completely invisible. This means that you cannot tell if your air quality is affected by the smell or look of your air. Does Carbon Monoxide Damage Your Health? Carbon monoxide might not seem that noticeable, but it can be even more dangerous than other air quality problems like dust. The problem with carbon monoxide is that it keeps your body from being able to carry oxygen around with blood cells. This means that having high amounts of carbon monoxide is essentially like suffocating. At levels of around 10 to 29 parts per million, carbon monoxide can cause chronic health problems like headaches and trouble focusing. At higher levels, it can cause problems like nausea, impaired vision, dizziness,...

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Should I Repair or Replace my Furnace?

There comes a time in every furnace’s life when it needs to be replaced. There are warning signs that you will soon need to replace it. A good rule of thumb is that if it’s reached 75% of its life expectancy and the repair would cost over 33% of replacing it, then you should get a new furnace. Here are some other considerations. Furnace Is 16 to 20 Years Old Furnaces are designed to last this length of time. If your furnace is in this age range, there are several reasons to replace it, such as newer units being more efficient. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend too much money repairing a furnace that’s going to stop working regardless in the next few years. Your Energy Bills Are Increasing Older furnaces weren’t as efficient as new ones when they were installed. Their efficiency declines as they get older. This is especially true if they’re not properly maintained. If you notice your energy bills going up in the winter months, it’s likely that your furnace is to blame. If you live in the Conroe area, installs and repairs furnaces. We can provide you with an estimate for either...

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What Should You Never Put Into a Garbage Disposal?

Your garbage disposal helps to prevent the pipes connected to your sink from clogging. The disposal’s purpose is to grate as many food remains as possible into tiny particles so that they can go down the drain easily. This includes solid food particles as well as liquids, such as grease. If you pour grease down the drain, for example, you are advised to douse it with cold water so that it hardens. Then, it can be shredded by the disposal. While the disposal can pulverize just about anything, there are some items that should never be put in it. Here are a few. 1. Bones Bones are pretty tough, which is why they should never be put into a garbage disposal. When you attempt to grind them, they will not break up into smaller pieces. Instead, they are going to spin around with the help of the blades. This is going to make loud sounds and force you to fish them out. 2. Celery HVAC professionals recommend that you do not put celery down a garbage disposal. The fibrous strings of celery do not get grounded up. Instead, they can cause problems. Since they do not tear, they may get...

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3 Tips for Holiday Lights and Electrical Safety

This holiday season, thousands of holiday enthusiasts will be expected to use the Christmas tree to decorate their homes in preparation for Christmas and the New Year. The desire to have fun at home will most probably throw of most of us in trouble, especially as far as electrical safety is concerned. The temptation to play around with some DIY holiday decoration techniques at home should, however, not have you compromise on your personal and home safety. Here are three important tips for lighting and electrical safety to consider this holiday season. 1. Consider Buying a Fire-Resistant Tree There are high chances that you will purchase a Christmas tree to decorate your home. When shopping for a Christmas tree for your house, you should pay attention to the kind of tree you go for. The primary threat to consider is the risk of the tree catching fire at home. It is, therefore, highly recommendable to consider purchasing a tree that is labeled as fire-retardant as that will help make your home much safer. 2. Avoid DIY Contraptions As we approach the Christmas season, the temptation to consider renovating your Christmas tree to suit your needs will be particularly high. One...

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