Electric Air Cleaning - If You Demand Break From Seasonal Allergies

Any person experiencing seasonal allergies knows that retreating indoors does not always bring relief. In some instances, indoor air might be much more polluted than outside air. A reliable way to keep your indoor air clean and a source of allergy relief is by utilizing an electronic air cleaning system.

Electronic air cleaning systems, when combined with germicidal ultraviolet (UV) lights, are potent weapons against indoor air contaminants along with the substances that result in allergies flaring up and leading to discomfort. The air cleaners take away particulates including dust, dirt, pollen and fibers and the UV light kills organic matter and potentially dangerous microorganisms for example viruses, bacteria and mold spores.

The two most typical types of electronic air cleaners are electrostatic precipitators and ion generators. They may be installed inside the ductwork near the main HVAC unit within your home. There, all of the air that heats or cools your property also travels by way of the air cleaner.

Electrostatic precipitators use a high-voltage electrical source to charge particles in the air as they may be drawn via an ionization location. These charged particles are then attracted to flat metal collecting plates with an opposite charge, exactly where they accumulate.

Ion generators send charged ions into the airflow within your HVAC system. These ions attach to and charge particulate matter in the air. These charged particles are attracted to surfaces in your household which include walls, furniture or drapes. The particles also can attach to each other and settle onto the floor, tables, counters or other surfaces.

UV light is usually a really effective disinfectant that removes biological contaminants in the air by causing irreparable damage to an organism’s DNA, rendering it unable to reproduce. In addition to electronic air cleaning units, UV lights are placed inside the airflow of the forced-air HVAC systems, where they destroy microorganisms traveling within that airflow.

Sandium Heating & Air has provided design, installation, repair and maintenance to customers within the greater South San Francisco Bay location for far more than 10 years. Contact us today for far more information on electronic air cleaners and UV lights and how they can keep your indoor air clear of the particles that aggravate seasonal allergies.

The Most Effective Protection for Your HVAC System - Regular Service

Routine maintenance and check ups are an essential part of owning any type of commercial building. The challenge for most owners is that they hold off until something fails to have their HVAC system serviced. However, it is essential that you be proactive concerning your system.

The fact is, you could look at regular maintenance service as being the best insurance plan you can get against a critical system failure. Keeping the system functioning helps you to save money because it will increase the system's performance. Are you aware that about 40 percent of your electricity bill comes from your HVAC system? By taking steps to making sure it is operating as efficiently as possible, you may see a substantial savings in your heating and cooling monthly bill.

It is definitely very easy to keep postponing regular maintenance because it feels as though you don't have enough money. But what do you do when something severe goes completely wrong? You definitely won't have the funds then either. By preventing serious problems with a small bit of money now, you'll probably avoid the need for costly fixes and longer down times down the road. Additionally, you will prolong the life of your cooling and heating system by making sure that routine servicing is performed on it.

Developing a Maintenance Schedule

Probably the greatest things you can possibly do for your commercial HVAC system is to have a maintenance schedule. It will help to keep on track for making sure that these standard maintenance jobs get accomplished. Deal with a reputable company for regular service several times of a year so that these crucial service calls don't fall through the cracks. Having a routine service plan prepared, you can count on the business you hire to call you and remind you that service on your HVAC system is due.

Follow this advice to assist you to come up with a maintenance schedule you can easily live with:

• Be sure all filters in your system are replaced each and every month. Put this on your maintenance schedule and include it in with the duties of your tech. By doing this you will not forget to change the filters.

• Schedule regular check-ups at least 2 times each year. The best times are in the fall and the springtime. These are periods of change for the temperature ranges, so you will want to make certain your hvac system is completely good to go.

• When the HVAC specialist you've hired to adhere to your maintenance schedule calls, don't wait to schedule that appointment. It's too easy to let these service things go rather than to keep on top of them. It's quite likely you'll redirect major problems later on.

There's nothing worse than an HVAC system not working, so you should do all you can to avoid that. Using a maintenance schedule and also following it is like creating your own insurance plan for your HVAC system. You help ensure that potential issues are caught early and prevent major disasters.

Let Sandium Heating & Air care for all your residential and commercial HVAC servicing. They have more than a decade's experience of creating comfort and satisfaction for home and business owners south San Francisco Bay area. 

25C Tax Credit Program Reinstated for Home-owners

Have you made an energy-efficient renovating in 2012? What this means is you could be entitled to a tax credit as much as $500. That’s because the 25C Tax Credit, which initially expired at the end of 2011, was reinstated as part of the bill to prevent going over the so-called ‘Fiscal Cliff.’ The decision means qualifying home improvements retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012 qualify for the tax credit.

I am certain what you’re asking - just which home improvements meet the criteria? With an air conditioning system to qualify, it must:

A split system central a / c must meet or exceed 16 SEER and 13 EER.

Package system central air conditioning units must meet or exceed 14 SEER and 12 EER.

An air source heat pump must meet or exceed 15 SEER and 12.5 EER and 8.5 HSPF, to be able to qualify for the tax credit.

Package heat pump systems must meet or exceed 14 SEER and 12 SEER and 8 HSPF.

Details Courtesy: Air Conditioning Contractors of America

Additional projects possibly qualified for the tax credit include new roofs, windows, doors, insulation and hot water equipment, just to mention a few. Visit http://ase.org/taxcredits to read more about the 25C Tax Credit. The IRS will release information in the coming weeks regarding how to apply.

Ventilation And Insulation: Solutions For Any Attic space That’s Running A Temperature

Since your house is kept comfortable with an air conditioning unit, your attic will almost always be hotter in the summertime in comparison to your home’s inside. However, there's two concepts that may work as remedies for any attic that’s running a temperature: insulation and ventilation. Here’s a glance at these particular methods; why they are important and the way you can implement them in your South Bay area home.

Air movement

The reason why it’s important: As the summer sun beats upon the roof top, the shingles can warm up to 150 degrees or even more. This heat transfers in the roofing material and in to the attic air, where it's going to remain dormant and unbearably hot unless ventilation circulates the hottest air out and introduces comparatively cool air from the outside. This impacts household comfort because exceedingly hot attics enables heat to seep inside your house and drive your air conditioning unit to operate harder.

Forms of attic ventilation: Probably the most subtle type of attic ventilation is natural ventilation, having a eave and ridge vents. Whenever a breeze shows up, air is forced inside at the eaves and rises out from the ridge vents. An even more aggressive and effective choice is attic fan ventilation, an approach designed to cool-down your attic by actively pulling air in from the outside.

Selecting an attic fan: The fan you select ought to be able to move large quantities of air to make a difference in attic temperature. Look for a flow rate in cubic ft per minute (cfm) that equates to your attic volume level x 10, divided by 60.

Insulation

The reasons why it’s crucial: Attic ventilation and insulation perform hand-in-hand. In reality, insulation is necessary for ventilation in order to work, because with out a correctly enclosed and insulated attic floor, an attic fan will just pull conditioned air out of your home into your attic. Insulation must also never ever cover up vents intended for ventilation purposes.

Kinds of attic insulation: There are several types, however the most cost-effective way for you to improve the insulation inside your attic is to distribute loose-fill insulation into any spaces you discover on the attic floor.

For more information regarding attic ventilation and insulation for your South Bay area home, please contact Sandium Heating & Air today.

HVAC Energy Ratings: Knowing These May Help You Save Money

Selecting the most energy-efficient a / c and home heating system is a lot more important than ever before, as San Francisco Bay Area utility prices consistently rise. However, deciding which heating or cooling system is the most efficient isn't necessarily as simple as it appears. HVAC energy measurements can often be perplexing.

HVAC energy measurements

The heating, ventilation and cooling industry (HVAC) utilizes an variety of measuring scales to show the energy efficiency of household cooling and heating systems. The Energy Star rating system, established by the US Department of Energy (DOE) in 1992, gives shoppers ways to tell right away if an appliance meets the DOE’s minimum efficiency standards. Search for a large, yellow sticker along the side of the unit. This system also allows you to easily do a comparison of two products manufactured by different companies.

The annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) presents consumers a solid idea of how good a heater performs. This number is indicated in a percentage. For example, an AFUE of 90 shows that the home heating system is 90 % efficient.

The seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) measures the cooling effectiveness of heat pumps and a / c system. The greater the ratio, the more efficient the device. To become qualified as an Energy Star-rated appliance, a unit will need to have a rating of a minimum of 12, but you'll find systems available with ratios as high as 20.

The heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF) measures the efficiency of heat pumps. The amount is the total heat generated by the pump (in Btus) throughout a single heating season.

If you want help understanding HVAC energy measurements or in selecting the comfort system that’s best for your home and family, let Sandium Heating & Air serving the south SF bay area assist you throughout the procedure of analyzing, purchasing and setting up a new central air or home heating system. We’ve been helping the San Jose bay area home owners with their heating and air conditioning needs for over a decade. Call us at (408) 894-9072 to arrange a free consultation.

A Nice and clean Technique To Remove Dust From Your Indoor Air

Maybe you have no influence over the quality of air when you leave your house, but you do have complete control over the environment within your four walls. Changing the air temperature is as easy as bringing up or lowering the thermostat, however, you might need to do some more work to get the quality of air up to speed, including lowering the level of dust in your house; here’s a three part tactic to get you going.

Eliminate

To get free of dust, you’ll have to get rid of several things. First, those knick-knacks will need to go. Objects cluttering every surface area in your house only compound the dust problem. Pare them down, and you'll be surprised by just how much easier it is to clean, and how considerably cleaner the air is.

Next on the list will be the closets. Sort through your set of clothes and store all the items that you aren't currently wearing before donating the things you don't need.

When you're over and done with that task, proceed to the closet floor. Keep this space empty, because this is where most of the dust is produced in your house by way of the shedding of clothing fibers; a clear floor is much easier to vacuum.

Clean

Thoroughly clean each room utilizing a micro-fiber or electrostatic cloth. Work from top to bottom, finishing with the vacuum, ideally one with a good filter. Change all bed linens every week, for the reason that the linens will likely be full of dead skin cells, which contribute significantly to dust.

Always maintain

When your house is clean, keep it up! Great habits create great results, and one of the greatest will undoubtedly be cleaner interior air.

The quality of your indoor air is essential towards your level of comfort and great health. Should you have any concerns concerning your indoor quality of air, or any other element of your HVAC system, contact the experts at Sandium Heating & Air. We've been proudly servicing the greater South Bay area for over a decade, and our mission is to keep you more comfortable and breathing easier.

What are the Advantages of a High Velocity HVAC System?

Traditional HVAC System

A standard, low velocity, air-conditioning system is effective, if somewhat inefficiently for a lot of homes. Very first, a refrigerant liquid is cooled from the condenser on the exterior of the house. Then it's moved inside to the evaporator where it's allowed to turn into a gas again. These steps substantially cool the temperature of the gas which is inside a series of tubes. 

The last element of the cooling process blows air across these tube. Air is then pushed into the living area by a blower fan and cools the home. This process has worked really well for several decades but present times demand modern-day solutions. 

Perhaps the biggest issue using a low velocity, HVAC system is that the cooled down air is only immediately available in a little area of the space. Movements in the space by individuals, pets or by simple conduction gradually cool the entire room but a at an unacceptably slow-moving rate. High velocity HVAC systems directly address this deficiency. 

High Velocity HVAC System

An additional, far more convenient answer, as the title implies, high velocity HVAC systems push air into a space at a much higher rate of speed. This force generates a multitude of air currents that equally disperse the cooled air in a much shorter time period. 

High velocity HVAC systems in addition offer other added benefits. The ductwork required for a high velocity system is a lot less intrusive and installed alot more affordably. Because of their smaller size, the ducts may be put far more advantageously and precisely to a customer’s requirements. Finally, they take up a more compact profile in a room and blend in with décor to a much greater degree. 

Inconclusion:

While, the conventional HVAC systems might appear to be the most preferred choice since they are the tried and tested, home owners should still consider a high velocity looking to totally replace their Air conditioning systems should look at a high velocity system. Most believe that they are able to reuse their pre-existing ductwork however the duct work utilized in high velocity systems is incredibly different from the conventional duct work. Due to this final fact in mind, a high velocity HVAC system becomes alot more competitive regarding installation and operating costs.