Have you ever stopped and pondered all the conveniences we utilize every day, seemingly with the touch of a button? You turn on the faucet and instantly water appears. You tap a few keys on your laptop and suddenly your video conferencing with someone on the other side of the globe. With a turn of the ignition, a car can transport you distances in one day that 200 years ago might’ve taken weeks. And then there’s air conditioning; without it, places like Las Vegas or Phoenix m

Bat-proof your home to protect yourself and our winged friends. Does the sight of a bat send shivers down your spine? Or are you thrilled knowing that a single brown bat, one the most common bat species in North America, devours 1,200 insects an hour? Hopefully, you’re in the second category. Be a bat lover! Bats get a bad rap. Not one of them has ever actually been found to be Dracula. And our only flying mammals eat so many insects that they’re essential to controlling the

What follows is just a sampling of some of the funnier HVAC “hiccups” that we’ve come across on the web in the last few months – unless, these particular systems belong to you (in that case, we apologize.) Enjoy! Fail #1 Courtesy of hvac-hacks.com Why bother to fix a problem when you can just warn the next guy to proceed with caution? Fail #2 Courtesy of hvac-hacks.com We’re not sure if this is actually an HVAC system or post-modern art. Fail #3 Courtesy of hvac-hacks.com Qui

Preventative maintenance prevents unpleasant surprises, especially when those “surprises” pertain to your HVAC system and could end up costing hundreds of dollars in repairs, or even thousands if you need a total system replaced. Arguably the most important facet of HVAC maintenance is filter replacement, which should be done every 30 to 90 days, and can be accomplished by almost anyone with opposable digits. However, because the HVAC system utilizes electricity, and often ga

Let’s attempt to demystify the oft-misunderstood and underappreciated humble heat pump. Even the name itself, “heat pump” is a somewhat of a misnomer because it does so much more than merely pump heat. It also has the ability to pump cool air so it can serve in a dual-capacity as an air conditioner and heater. And that’s the gist of heat pumps: they move heat rather than make heat. Traditionally used in more temperate climates, new technology has paved the way for the utiliza

An old, temperamental heating and cooling system can be a pain in the neck on so many levels. It’s inherently inefficient which puts a hurt on your wallet. It’s an inconvenience, in that one minute you feel on the verge of hypothermia, and the next minute you swear you’ve been relocated to a sweat lodge. These old units, with their “bangs” and “clangs,” are jarring. They can also be tremendous space hogs where square footage is coveted. The best way to overcome all these issu

Now that Autumn is in full swing, and crisp, cooler temps are the norm it’s time to devote some TLC to your air conditioner. In less than an hour you can fully prep your outdoor air handler so it can easily withstand harsh winter weather; not only will it be shielded from snow and ice, it will also thwart potential rust and corrosion. Here are some simple steps that anybody can undertake to safeguard their HVAC investment. First, hit the kill switch on the exterior power to t

Imagine if every light bulb within your home was operated using only one switch. This might be a nice scenario when it’s bedtime, but during the evening it would be impractical and play out as a giant waste of electricity with every bulb illuminated. This “one switch” example is a metaphor that gets bandied about by HVAC professionals when differentiating between central and zoned HVAC systems. Central A.C. is the all-lights-on approach, whereas a zoned system is the procedur

Homeowners, most of them operating on fixed-budgets with limited wiggle-room, have to make some pretty tough decisions regarding home projects, repairs, and upgrades. These undertakings can cause more indecision when they fall under the banner of what realtors and appraisers dub “invisible upgrades,” such as, new insulation, plumbing, septic tanks, et al. These accoutrements make a home comfortable and habitable, but they operate behind the scenes. HVAC systems fall into this

If you’re in the market for a new car, one of your primary concerns is a vehicle’s MPG, or Miles per Gallon. This is perhaps the best gauge of fuel economy for an automobile; in other words, it’s a useful indicator of efficiency: for every one gallon of gas, you can drive for approximately X miles. Now, when it comes to air conditioners, the standard way to designate the efficiency of a certain unit is by its Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER. SEER is calculated by ta