Helter Swelter: How to Stay Cool When the AC Conks Out
Life happens. Sometimes appliances – including air conditioners – just conk out for no rhyme or reason. Whether it’s a power grid outage, a faulty wire connection, or a plummeting meteorite just happened to crush your outdoor condenser unit. The reason why an air conditioner stops running in the middle of a heatwave matters little; what does matter is finding a way to alleviate the discomfort that sweltering temps bring. When hot spells roll in, HVAC companies get swamped wit
Are Smart Vents a Smart Idea?
Smart appliances are everywhere. We use them for everything. There are now smart refrigerators, smart trash cans, even smart litter boxes! I’m beginning to feel like Elroy Jetson. So, I wasn’t surprised when I came across a few articles in various tech publications that were touting the latest generation of smart air vents being manufactured. Full disclosure: we ran a blog about these gizmos a couple of years ago, but has our opinion changed after reviewing the latest models?
What’s the Right Temperature for Yoga at Om? I Mean Home!
If you’re like me, maybe you don’t have time to jet to a yoga class. I have a jam-packed schedule and have to plan my laptop-based yoga sessions around it. For the best workout, I require two things: the absence of family members pointing and laughing at me and a temperature that doesn’t leave me so cold that I hurt myself. Not to mention (but I’m completely mentioning), it’s a bummer when I get to Shavasana and I’m too chilly to fully relax. The argument for warmth in yoga i
Is Duct Cleaning a Scam?
Recently a friend of mine whose opinions and recommendations I value — on anything from movies to marriage to motor oil — told me he had just had his home’s air ducts cleaned. In fact, he couldn’t stop raving about it. He claimed he’s never breathed easier, the air is fresher and he regrets not doing it years ago. I politely nodded and tried to change the subject. Working in the HVAC industry, I’m no stranger to the debate on duct cleaning. Debate? Yes. The fact is, empirical
Removing the Mystery: What Happens During Spring HVAC Maintenance.
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
Add to the List of "Things that ain't Good": Water Underneath the Furnace
So, you’re down in your basement adding strawberry preserves to the food cache you’ve stockpiled in preparation for the Zombie Apocalypse. Or, maybe you’re just down there doing laundry. As you navigate your way around the shop-vac, duck under some cobwebs, and zero-in on your destination, something in the back of your brain sounds an alarm. Not everything is as it should be. You pause for a second and wonder what exactly your subconscious picked up on. Then a brief shock of
Get Pumped and Move Your Heat
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
How to Help Your Furnace This Winter
For most of us, whenever we feel even the slightest tinge of temperature discomfort, like automatons we seem pre-programmed to reach for the thermostat and dial-in quick relief. This shouldn’t be our default tactic in warding off the winter chills. There are easier and cheaper means of keeping cozy, rather than throttling the furnace, while Jack Frost is up to his dastardly deeds. In terms of winter home comfort, a furnace is the go-to weapon in your arsenal for warmth, preve
How to Avoid the HVAC Zeros (and Find Your Hero)
There’s a host of occupations that have gotten a bad rap over the years. Often stereotyped as unscrupulous or shady, if you thought about it for a second you could probably call to mind a few jobs with bad reputations: auto mechanics, lawyers, used-car salesman, politicians. Some even put HVAC contractors in this bunch. Obviously, there are “bad apples” in every industry, across every job demographic. And as much as we hate to admit it, there are some chiselers in the HVAC fi
When brushing snow off your car this winter - do yourself and your wallet a favor - brush off the ou
When Old Man Winter touches down, accompanied by arctic gusts, freezing temps, and snow, most of us are primarily concerned with the interior state of our HVAC system. That is, as long as toasty air is blasting indoors, and we can go about in relative comfort, all is well with the HVAC unit. The condition of the exterior portion of the system rarely gets a second thought. However, this is no time to get complacent about the outdoor elements of your heating system; especially
