Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Month: June 2015

Everyone wants and, we believe, deserves to be comfortable in their own homes. That being said, there are many factors which can influence someone’s heating and/or cooling habits. Worrying about how much it is going to cost to maintain a comfortable environment in your home, or about how you will ventilate your living space successfully without wasting energy, are not problems that you need to concern yourself with any longer. Simply use an energy recovery ventilator in Fort Collins, CO to ensure that you are striking the right balance between comfort, efficiency, and air quality. Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning today for more details about how ERVs work. 

 

Better Air Quality

An energy recovery recovery ventilator is a mechanical ventilation device designed to recoup energy that would otherwise be wasted in ventilating one’s home. Modern homes tend to be pretty airtight, as we have grown more and more concerned with the efficient use of energy in our homes. However, sealing one’s home up too tightly can be very detrimental to the quality of the air in one’s home. While it will eliminate the risk of energy loss via air leaks, it can also make it virtually impossible to ventilate one’s home successfully. Older homes may err on the side of too much ventilation, with inefficient home envelopes. By equipping your modern, tighter home with an ERV, though, you can adequately ventilate your living space without wasting energy in the process.

Better Energy Efficiency

How exactly does an ERV balance air quality and efficiency, then? Well, when dry, cool air is vented out of your home in the summer, the hot, more humid air being brought in is precooled by the outgoing stale air. In the winter, warm but stale air is vented outside, and heats up incoming fresh, but cold, air in the process. Humidity is also balanced, unlike with an HRV (heat recovery ventilator). The result is air of a high quality, lower energy costs, less energy waste, and an overall better heating and cooling experience.

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The thermostat that you use to regulate the operation of your HVAC system is one of the most important components of that system. If you hope to heat and cool your home with the greatest efficiency and reliability possible, then it is absolutely necessary that you have a quality thermostat, and it is installed and serviced by skilled, trained professionals. Considering the fact that your thermostat is the only means through which you can communicate with your HVAC system, it should be clear any problems with your thermostat in Fort Collins, CO must be resolved promptly. Here are 3 common causes of thermostat issues. Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning if you have any concerns regarding the condition or operational quality of your thermostat.

Poor Placement

It may not sound like a major concern, but it is very important that your thermostat is ideally placed in your home. You don’t want to have it in direct sunlight or next to window and door fixtures, as these environmental conditions could lead to inaccurate temperature readings. We’ll make certain of the fact that your thermostat is installed in an area representative of your home’s true temperature.

Insufficient Maintenance

During routine HVAC maintenance services, your thermostat should be evaluated, calibrated if necessary, and tuned up along with the rest of your system. That being said, it is not the type of component that you’ll likely have maintained on its own. Simply keeping your thermostat free of dirt and dust buildup can really help to boost its overall performance quality. Between HVAC maintenance services, give your thermostat a quick cleaning from time to time.

User Incompatibility

There is no point in purchasing a programmable thermostat if you are going to be fiddling with it, just as you shouldn’t invest in a smart thermostat if you don’t plan on taking the time to learn how to use it properly. It is just as important to have a thermostat which is a good fit for your usage habits as it is to have a high-quality thermostat from the start. We’ll see to it that you do.

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Whatever type of business you may be in, you need to know that any necessary commercial refrigeration equipment is in fine working condition at all times. This can be trickier than you may realize, though, as commercial refrigeration equipment is put to extremely heavy use, at all times of the day and night. All of this use will, naturally, result in some general wear and tear.

To ensure that serious problems do not develop with your system, routine maintenance is an absolute necessity. Of course, even well-maintained systems will run into operational problems from time to time. When you notice problems develop with your system, contact the Fort Collins, CO commercial refrigeration experts on our staff immediately. Let Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning know if you discover any of these common problems with your commercial refrigeration equipment.

  1. Frost or Ice Develops: If you notice frost and/or ice in your commercial refrigeration equipment, or on its various components, then you may wonder precisely what the problem is. After all, this equipment is designed to keep things cool. Doesn’t this mean, then, that frost and ice are good things? The answer, in fact, is no; you should not see frost or ice developing in your system. It may be the result of poor airflow, or you may have a refrigerant leak. Whatever the precise nature of the problem may be, though, you can count on our staff to resolve it entirely.
  2. Trouble Maintaining Temperatures: On the opposite end of the spectrum, you may find that the refrigerated space within your commercial refrigeration equipment is acually not cold enough. You may have bad seals on doors, a problem with your compressor, or, again, refrigerant leaks. It could also be a case of simple user error, or a malfunctioning thermostat. Again, it is always best to have a trained professional evaluate the system when problems develop.
  3. Loud Operational Levels: You can expect to hear some noise coming from your commercial refrigeration equipment. After all, it has fans, motors, a compressor, and other mechanical components. You should not hear excessive noise when it is running, though, nor should new, unfamiliar sounds develop. If you notice anything at all out of the ordinary with your system, schedule service with the pros on our staff immediately.
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It is not uncommon for humidity to rise along with the temperature when summer gets underway. Because excessive levels of humidity can exacerbate the already uncomfortable conditions of the summer season, you may want to dehumidify your home to achieve ideal humidity levels. While your AC does dehumidify the air somewhat as part of its operating cycle, this system is not designed to do so as a primary function.

In cases of excessive humidity, a whole-house dehumidifier may be necessary in order to reign in humidity levels throughout the home. We’ve put together a brief list of signs that you may need a dehumidifier in Fort Collins, CO, which you’ll find below. Give Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning a call today if you think that whole-house dehumidification is right for you.

  • Trouble cooling the house: Because very humid air can retain heat with great success, cooling a very humid home can prove to be too much of a challenge for many whole-house cooling systems. By dehumidifying the air in your home, you can help your AC to function more effectively. This can also cut down on cooling costs.
  • Signs of mold or water damage: Biological pollutants, such as mold, can really thrive in very humid conditions. While a dehumidifier is not going to resolve problems with existing mold in the house, it can certainly help you to reduce the risk of mold developing due to high humidity levels. Plus, you can avoid water staining on your walls and carpeting by sufficiently drying out the air in your home.
  • Poor indoor air quality: In addition to problems with mold, you should know that pollutants such as dust and other allergens can cling to moisture in the air if it is too humid. This can make life in your home very difficult and uncomfortable for those suffering from allergies or respiratory ailments. Alleviating these symptoms is just one more way in which the use of a whole-house dehumidifier can benefit you.
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You don’t need us to tell you just how many responsibilities you have on your plate when it comes to running your commercial ventures. No matter what sort of business you may be in, one thing is certain: your clients, employees, and/or tenants all expect a certain level of comfort upon stepping into the commercial property that you own. That is why you must have a great commercial air conditioning system installed in your property. One option that you are wise to consider is the rooftop unit. If you have questions, or are thinking about installing a rooftop unit on your Fort Collins, CO property, give us a call. Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning is the company you can count on for exceptional rooftop system services. 

It really doesn’t matter if you opt for a designated rooftop air conditioning system, or if you package your heating and cooling components together upon your roof: the benefits are universal. In order to determine if a rooftop unit is right for you, consider the following information. We think you’ll like what you see:

  • Accessibility: Space can be pretty tight in commercial settings. Many buildings are purchased by commercial property owners, rather than built from the ground up according to their specifications. Because of this, your HVAC equipment may not be ideally located for servicing. With everything stored on the roof, access to your system is a breeze.
  • Aesthetics: Your commercial HVAC system is a vital component of your property. It is also quite ugly, and there is no dressing it up. However, by keeping your commercial HVAC system stored upon the roof, you can keep it out of view and protect the visual appeal of your property.
  • Space: We’ve mentioned that space can be pretty tight in commercial properties, and that it can make accessing commercial HVAC systems difficult. It can also leave you without room for outdoor seating or sufficient parking spaces as well, though. When you choose to use a rooftop system on your property, though, you can free up valuable space for more beneficial uses. Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning today to get your rooftop unit project underway.
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While many homeowners may mistakenly believe that they need only concern themselves with temperature regulation in order to live comfortably, the fact of the matter is that the quality of the air in your living space is just as important to your comfort as the temperature of that air. It is for precisely this reason that you may want to consider the use of an air purifier in Loveland, CO. However, you are wise to remember that there are different types of air purifiers on the market today, and that you must be sure to use the right one for your needs. Call Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule your air purifier services, and know for certain that you have the right equipment installed in your home.

Electronic Air Purifiers

For a number of homeowners, air filtration systems are more than sufficient for maintaining high indoor air quality. In certain situations, though, a mechanical air filter just won’t be able to get the job done. If you are struggling with a high concentration of airborne pollutants in your home, you may be better off using an electronic air purifier in addition to air filters. Such systems charge pollutants in the air within an ionization chamber. The pollutants are then collected on oppositely charged plates, which care simply removed for convenient cleaning. Some models allow pollutants to adhere to surfaces in the home, and they are just removed during routine cleaning.

UV Air Purifiers

Not all pollutants can be successfully removed from the air by air filters or electronic air purifiers. Biological pollutants, such as viruses, mold, and bacteria, for instance, are better off being destroyed. That is just what UV (ultraviolet) air purifiers do. Such systems, including UV germicidal lights, emit small, safe amounts of UV radiation. This is sufficient to destroy biological pollutants and to render them incapable of reproduction. Such systems do not remove dust, dander, and other pollutants from the air, though. That is why you may be best off in utilizing a combination of systems for a multi-faceted air purification regimen. Contact us for more details.

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