10 Things on your spring cleaning checklist

The daffodils are peaking through, the thunder storms are rolling, and the layers are coming off… Spring has sprung here in Richmond!

With the equinox comes spring cleaning. There’s never a nicer time to fling open the windows and refresh your home. Often overlooked is a home’s heating and air systems. There is no better time to do a check up on your equipment… The sweltering Richmond summers are a terrible time to find out you need work done!

ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. Energy Star has put together a spring checklist to make sure your equipment is in top shape to keep you and yours comfortable and healthy in the months to come!

Maintain your equipment to prevent future problems and unwanted costs. Keep your cooling and heating system at peak performance by having a specialist do annual pre-season check-ups. Specialists get busy once summer and winter come, so it's best to check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall. To remember, plan the check-ups around the time changes in the spring and fall.

A typical maintenance check-up should include the following:

Check thermostat settings to ensure the cooling and heating system keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy while you are away.

Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on motors. Faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.

Lubricate all moving parts. Parts that lack lubrication cause friction in motors and increases the amount of electricity you use.

Check and inspect the condensate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump (when in cooling mode). A plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels.

Check controls of the system to ensure proper and safe operation. Check the starting cycle of the equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.

Clean evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils. Dirty coils reduce the system's ability to cool your home and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.

Check your central air conditioner's refrigerant level and adjust if necessary. Too much or too little refrigerant will make your system less efficient increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.

Clean and adjust blower components to provide proper system airflow for greater comfort levels. Airflow problems can reduce your system's efficiency by up to 15%.

Actions To Do Yourself:

Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your contractor can show you how to do this. A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.

Howell’s offers a Comfort Club membership designed to troubleshoot your system for you.  As a member you receive routine maintenance on your HVAC system, discount on repairs, preferred services, and much more. Give us a call today for details!

Enjoy the sun and blooms, RVA!

HVAC Throughout History

                We may take our heating and air for granted sometimes (maybe not when we’re shivering in the movie theatre or sweating it out in the summer!) but the history of ventilation has been a fascinating one, full of innovations to make humans more comfortable indoors.

                Looking back at the first designs of heating and air, we’ll never take the chilly rush of air in the office for granted again.

Historical HVAC Facts:

In 1906 North Carolina textile manufacturer came up with the phrase “air conditioning” because the technology actually improved the quality and condition of the cloth being made in his plant

In 1903, the New York Stock Exchange building in New York City was one of the first structures to use an air conditioning system.

The Romans were the first civilization to use any type of warm-air heating system.

The first concept of air conditioning occurred 500 years ago when Persians built wind towers to try to get the same effect as air conditioning. These towers were rigged with wind scoops to catch prevailing breezes. Internal vanes circulated that air throughout the buildings while forcing hot air out. This was especially handy considering the 100+ degree temperatures during summer.

Radiant heat isn't a new concept. The Romans had something very similar where the floors were laid out as a series of stone slabs with a heat source located below the floor.

The very first steam-heating system installation was in England so the Governor of the Bank of England could grow grapes in the cool temperatures.

In 1936, Packard was the first automobile manufacturing company to incorporate air conditioning in passenger cars.

Before air conditioning was common, many businesses and government offices took a summer vacation.

Can I Move The Thermostat On My Heat Pump Up And Down Like Other Heating Systems?

During the heating season, we recommend a setting that is comfortable for your household. Once your thermostat is set, the best policy is to leave it alone. Raising the thermostat as little as 2° F may cause the supplementary heat to come on, thereby increasing your energy usage. Although night setback is recommended during the winter for most types of heating systems, to save energy and reduce costs, it is not generally recommended for a heat pump unless a programmable thermostat designed expressly for a heat pump is used. When you have a heat pump, and raise the house temperature in the morning, the supplementary heat may come on using more electricity than you save during the night. Reduce the thermostat temperature setting for weekend trips or vacations during the heating season.

What Are Some Ways To Help Control My Heating And Cooling Costs?

Once the thermostat is set, it should be left alone. However, programmable thermostats are commonly installed on systems to setback the house temperatures while you are away from your home. The air filters inside the system need to be checked, cleaned, or changed each month. The outdoor fan should not be covered or obstructed, so it can receive proper air flow. Precision Tune Up checks should be performed which include refrigerant level checks, indoor/outdoor coil inspections (cleaning, if needed) and duct inspections. Duct inspections are very important. A poorly performing duct system can cause air comfort problems, high utility bills, and could become hazardous. We can measure your entire system's performance and show you how to get the most out of your heating and cooling system.

Is The Heat Pump An Economical Or Expensive Way Of Heating And Cooling, And How Does It Operate?

A heat pump may actually provide more than three units of heat for each unit of electricity used. If a kilowatt-hour of heat is needed for comfort, it can be supplied by a one thousand-watt electric heater. To provide the same amount of heat the heat pump might use as little as 330 watts in an hour. This is a ratio of three to one. The ratio is referred to as the Coefficient of Performance (COP). Electric resistance heaters have a COP of 1 because they are using electricity to create heat. A heat pump moves heat from the outside to the inside of the home and vice versa, not using energy to create heat. We recommend. a COP of at least 1.8 at standard test conditions of 17° F dry bulb and 15° F wet bulb.

I am sure that explanation was as clear as mud. Let's look at it this way. Gas and fuel oil prices are going through the roof. It looks like the heat pump is becoming a better option.

Time Delay Relay

By stopping your unit from going on and off (short-cycling) so much, a time delay relay keeps it from wearing out prematurely. A time delay relay is also the perfect accessory for families that have children who like to play with the thermostat. No matter how often you change the setting on the heat/cool switch or the fan on/auto switch, you can't burn out your compressor. This is because the time delay relay won't turn your system on for 3-5 minutes after the last thermostat adjustment has been made.

Ceiling Saver Kit

Protect your home from unexpected “flash floods”

More than cooling the air, the main function of an air conditioner is to dehumidify the air to create a comfortable environment. The water released from the dehumidified air is then drained away. If your air conditioning system is located in your attic, this can pose serious problems. If your drain ever clogs, the condensation will overflow from your air conditioner and onto your ceiling. Repairing or replacing your ceiling could cost you hundreds or possibly even thousands of dollars if you have a cathedral ceiling. For this reason, we offer a ceiling saver kit. The ceiling saver kit catches any potential leaks in a custom fabricated pan that has a separate drain line to protect your ceiling from leaks. What if the back-up drain gets clogged? We’ve got it covered. We also install as part of our ceiling saver kit a safety switch that will automatically turn your air conditioner off eliminating the possibility for any more condensation to occur. At this point, you will realize that your air conditioning system is not working and call us for service to correct the problem without ever leaking a drop of water onto your ceiling.