Product Feature: Indoor Air Quality Products - An Introduction

When we talk about indoor air quality, we want to look at four very important factors regarding the air quality in your home:

1. Temperate Air - Is the air in your house the exact temperature that you would like? Is there a temperature difference between rooms? Between floors? Do you find that you raise/lower your thermostat more and more as the years go on? If you answered yes to any of these, then you have a control issue. This usually means that the thermostat is not accurate, or not appropriate for the layout of your home.
2. Fresh Air - Today, houses are being constructed tighter and tighter. This makes it more difficult for homes to exchange the stale air that builds up inside the home. It is mandatory in commercial applications to have designated fresh air ducts piped into the space. So why isn't it mandatory in residential homes? Some of the effects of a stale house include: sluggishness & fatigue, dirty smells/odors, and "sick building syndrome."
3. Humid Air - Does your home or office have too much or too little humidity? There is a correlation between the amount of humidity in the air and fuel efficiency, health-related issues, and overall comfort.
4. Clean Air - Now, how often do you really change or clean your filter? Take a moment and think about that honestly. Your heating and cooling system's filter is installed, per manufacturer's specifications, to keep the system clean and running efficiently. The byproduct of a filter is that it will trap any harmful contaminants within the home or office that may compromise your health.

All of the major manufacturers have Indoor Air Quality Products available to the consumer. The Indoor Air Quality products that we'll be profiling on this blog in the coming months are units that we, Howell's, have used in the past and can vouch for their efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, the featured products are also designed with one or more of the above factors in mind.

Keep an eye out for future posts featuring specific Indoor Air Quality products!

Product Feature: Trane ComfortLink™ Remote Thermostat

Smart comfort. Total control. From anywhere.

Create your ideal home environment, even when you’re away, with the Trane ComfortLink Remote Thermostat. Remote access is provided through Schlage LiNK™, a comprehensive internet-enabled system that puts your home in the palm of your hand.

• Adjust home temperature remotely by computer or most web-enabled cell phones.
• Use a computer or web-enabled cell phone to check the status of your Z-Wave® lights or appliances.
• Receive text and email alerts for routine maintenance and system alarms.

The basic Trane ComfortLink Remote Thermostat kit installed by a participating Trane Comfort Specialist dealer contains:

• Trane ComfortLink Remote Thermostat
• Schlage® Bridge
• Schlage® Appliance Module

The reliability of Trane. The trusted security of Schlage®.

Trane has teamed up with Schlage, a leader in home security for over 90 years, to give you control of your home wherever you go with Schlage LiNK™. This simple to use internet-enabled interface lets you remotely adjust your home’s temperature and monitor security by computer or most web-enabled cell phones. Advanced Z-Wave® technology controls Z-Wave enabled Schlage® wireless keypad locks, lights and other components such as the Trane ComfortLink Remote Thermostat.

• Reduce energy consumption up to 15% compared to traditional non-programmable thermostats.
• Reduce energy consumption by scheduling Z-Wave®-enabled lights and small appliances to be on only when needed.
• Check the status of your Schlage wireless keypad locks, open and close, monitor activity and change codes remotely.
• Get text and email alerts on specific entry codes so you know who is home.

See the complete Schlage LiNK™ system in action.

Monitoring your home’s temperature and energy use is just the beginning. With purchase of additional Schlage LiNK™ options you can control everything from locks to Z-Wave® lights and more.

Electrical Requirements:

• Thermostat requires 24VAC power with minimum 5 wires for most single stage heating and cooling installations. One of the 5 wires must be common.
• Not for use with 120/240V electric baseboard heat, proprietary communicating systems, or radiant floor heating systems.
• Dual-fuel operation requires accessory kit available from equipment manufacturer.

Ventilation Improvements - A Guide to Indoor Air Quality, Part Nine

Welcome back to our Guide to Indoor Air Quality series. Last time, we talked about controlling the sources of indoor air pollutants. Time for part nine...

Ventilation Improvements

The second approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house. Opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans, when the weather permits, or running a window air conditioner with the vent control open increases the outdoor ventilation rate.

Local bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors remove contaminants directly from the room where the fan is located and also increase the outdoor air ventilation rate. It is particularly important to take as many of these steps as possible while you are involved in short-term activities that can generate high levels of pollutants - for example: painting, paint stripping, heating with kerosene heaters, cooking, or engaging in maintenance and hobby activities such as welding, soldering, or sanding. You might also choose to do some of these activities outdoors, if you can and if weather permits.

Advanced designs of new homes are starting to feature mechanical systems that bring outdoor air into the home. Some of these designs include energy-efficient heat recovery ventilators (also known as air-to-air heat exchangers). For more information about air-to-air heat exchangers, contact the Conservation and Renewable Energy Inquiry and Referral Service (CAREIRS), PO Box 3048, Merrifield, VA 22116; (800) 523-2929.

Next in this series... Air Cleaners.

*Content provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. CPSC Document #450. This document is public domain.*

Little Known Facts About Your HVAC System

These are third-party studies that we have compiled to emphasize the importance of looking at your HVAC system as an ENTIRE system, ductwork and all, and not just the equipment. Feel free to use these interesting facts to amaze your friends and family at your next get-together!

North Carolina Alternative Energy Corp. (non-profit organization) examined air conditioning manufacturers' efficiencies versus the actual efficiencies that resulted after installation.

• 90% of the units tested exhibited some sort of energy wasting problem.
• 50% had an improper refrigerant charge.
• 40% failed to meet minimum air flow criterion. 20% were barely inside the range specified by manufacturers.
• A deficiency of 20% in air flow reduces the SEER rating by 17%.
• A 15% return air leak from a 120º attic could reduce a 12 SEER system to a 6 SEER system.

Texas A & M University found that a 23% refrigerant undercharge could result in a 52% efficiency loss.

Pacific Gas & Electric (CA.) found the average heating energy savings for:

• Repair of disconnected ducts was a 15% savings. 
• Repair of diffuser, or register, leakage was a 7.5% savings. 
• Correct low air flow was a 5.6% savings. 
• Repair refrigerant leaks and correct refrigerant charge was an 18.4% savings.

Lakeland Electric & Water (FL) and the Florida Solar Energy Center's researchers found that by repairing leaking duct work, cooling energy reduced by an average of 17.4%.

Honeywell Corp.

• A typical heat pump would lose almost 50% of its efficiency after 20 years, even if a typical "dust stop" filter had been installed.
• In 20 years, a 12 SEER system could degrade to a 6 SEER if it is not properly maintained. This would DOUBLE the energy cost, without sacrificing comfort.

Louisiana State University and Gulf States Utility found consumers could save about $30 per month just by making sure that their air conditioning system is cleaned and serviced regularly.

Industry Research shows:

• Every .01" of dirt on an evaporator coil can increase operating costs by 5%.
• A 10% refrigerant undercharge can increase operating costs by 20%.
• Up to 80% of all air conditioning and heat pump compressor failures could be eliminated if the problems that led to the failures were corrected in a timely manner, such as a routine maintenance schedule.

Source Control - A Guide to Indoor Air Quality, Part Eight

Welcome back to our Guide to Indoor Air Quality series. Last time, we talked about ways to weatherize your home. Time for part eight...

Source Control

Source control is the first of three basic strategies for improving your home's indoor air quality. Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions. Some sources, like those that contain asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed; others, like gas stoves, can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions. In many cases, source control is also a more cost-efficient approach to protecting indoor air quality than increasing ventilation because increasing ventilation can increase energy costs. Specific sources of indoor air pollution in your home will be discussed at length in future posts.

Next in this Series... Ventilation Improvements.

*Content provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. CPSC Document #450. This document is public domain.*

FAQs: Should The Thermostat Be Set Back At Night Or Should I Close Off Registers To Cut Back Usage?

Although night setback is recommended during the winter for most types of heating system to save and reduce costs, it is generally not recommended for a heat pump unless you're using a programmable thermostat designed expressly for use with 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 saved during the night. It is a good idea to reduce the thermostat temperature settings for weekend trips or vacations during the heating season.

The use of a standard automatic nighttime setback control with a heat pump is not recommended. Many manufactures now provide programmable thermostats designed for night setback so that the supplementary heaters will not normally be energized during the time that the heating system is recovering.

Do not block registers and return grills with furniture, draperies, or rugs. Although cutting off heat to unused rooms is frequently suggested as a conservation measure, we recommend that all supply registers for a heat pump be left open. The system is designed to heat or cool a specific space. If air circulation is reduced drastically, the compressor may be damaged.

Weatherizing Your Home - A Guide to Indoor Air Quality, Part Seven

Welcome back to our Guide to Indoor Air Quality series. Last time, we talked about measuring pollutant levels in your home. Time for part seven...

Weatherizing Your Home

The federal government recommends that homes be weatherized in order to reduce the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling. While weatherization is underway, however, steps should also be taken to minimize pollution from sources inside the home. In addition, residents should be alert to the emergence of signs of inadequate ventilation, such as stuffy air, moisture condensation on cold surfaces, or mold and mildew growth. Additional weatherization measures should not be undertaken until these problems have been corrected.

Weatherization generally does not cause indoor air problems by adding new pollutants to the air. (There are a few exceptions, such as caulking, that can sometimes emit pollutants.) However, measures such as installing storm windows, weather stripping, caulking, and blown-in wall insulation can reduce the amount of outdoor air infiltrating into a home. Consequently, after weatherization, concentrations of indoor air pollutants from sources inside the home can increase.

Next in this series... Source Control. 

 

*Content provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. CPSC Document #450. This document is public domain.*