Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Month: July 2019

air quality

When you think about air quality in Colorado, you’re probably thinking about smoke from wildfires and exhaust from cars lowering the quality of our outdoor air. Environmental pollutants are a big issue in our world, but it’s important to pay attention to the air quality inside your home too.

You might think of your home as a safe haven away from this pollution. But your indoor air quality is often worse than the air quality outdoors. Air quality inside homes is so low because homes modern home across the country are tightly sealed and impeccably energy efficient. This is great for your energy bills but bad for your lungs. If you’re wondering what factors cause low indoor air quality, keep reading below, if you’d like Loveland HVAC services you can contact our team.

Factors That Lower Your IAQ

You might be surprised to learn how many things can bring down the quality of your IAQ here in Loveland. When people think of Colorado, they often think of fresh air and mountain ranges. You’re a resident here, however, so you know that our reality isn’t always this idyllic. Additionally, indoor air quality plays by different rules. Indoor air quality is often worse than outdoor air quality because of the following factors:

  • Dirty Ductwork: When was the last time you had your ductwork cleaned? If you’re completely drawing a blank or if you’re realizing that it’s been years then it’s time to pick up the phone. Your ductwork is responsible for circulating all the conditioned air in your home in summer and winter. Your ductwork naturally accumulates dirt, dust, grime, and other debris over time. You need a professional team to deep clean your ductwork. Just dusting at the air registers in your room isn’t enough.
  • Humidity: Excess humidity or a lack of humidity is a real problem in your home. There’s a “sweet spot” of the humidity in your home. It should always hover around 30% to 50%. If it dips below 30% then it’s likely that you’ll feel dried out and cold in winter with a heightened chance of sickness. If it swells above 50% then it’s likely that you’ll feel hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable in summer. Balancing your home’s humidity can help you feel comfortable for a lower cost. If you’d like to get more from your HVAC system, then you can contact our professionals about our humidifier and dehumidifier services.
  • Bacteria, Viruses, and Volatile Organic Compounds, Oh My!: Airborne contaminants in your home can have a wide-ranging effect on your indoor comfort and personal health. If you’re coughing, wheezing, sneezing, or dealing with constant headaches, the real culprit behind your discomfort could be contaminants in your indoor air. We have a wide variety of IAQ systems including air purifiers, air filters, and UV germicidal lights that we can install in your home to alleviate these issues. You can contact our team to learn more. We’ll help you breathe easier.

Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning today to schedule an appointment for our IAQ services. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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professional plumber

Would you cut away at the walls in your home in order to service—or attempt to service—your electrical wiring? We’re betting and, frankly, hoping that you wouldn’t. Let us ask you this, then. Would you feel more comfortable servicing the pipes in your home?  If you answered yes, we’ve got to ask: why? Safety is probably your first and foremost answer, but we really want to stress that DIY plumbing services come with their own inherent risks.

While there are certainly some cases in which you can handle your own plumbing needs—you probably don’t need a professional plumber to plunge the toilet on occasion—most plumbing issues are really going to require the skill and expertise that only a professional plumber can offer. In today’s post, we’ll talk about a few instances in which it’s in your best interest to contact a professional plumber. So read on, and be sure to contact a member of our team when you need any plumbing services in Loveland.

 

Your Drains Keep Clogging

Oh, I think you lost your train of thought. We’re supposed to be talking about plumbing issues that require professional intervention. Drain clogs I can handle on my own. 

Not effectively, you can’t. And no, that is not a challenge on our end. We know that there are cheap chemical cleaners you can use to clear up clogs in your drains, but the fact is that they’ll probably only do an effective enough job to allow the cleaner itself to pass through. Same with DIY-drain snaking. Yes, you can buy an auger. Yes, you may be able to free up some clogs. But you may also just push the auger through the clog. In either event, clogs will likely redevelop before too long.

Your Hot Water Isn’t Hot

That doesn’t mean that it has to be frigid, either. The idea that “good enough” is ever really good enough when it comes to a plumbing system is exactly how so many homeowners wind up in—apologies for this—hot water.

You may have a temperature control issue. You may have sediment at the bottom of your tank. You may simply need to replace an old, ineffective heater. Whatever the case, you want to have a professional resolve the problem ASAP.

Your Water Bills Keep Rising

This is an issue that way too many people overlook. In this world of automatic payments and managing different accounts, it can be easy to overlook fluctuations in what you’re paying for what. Don’t let high water bills sneaky by under your radar, though. If you do, you may wind up ignoring a pretty clear sign that you’ve got leaks in your plumbing system.

Remember, not all leaks are “major” and not all leaks are going to result in flooding. Many will trickle away for quite a while before you notice that anything is wrong.  Keep an eye on spiking water costs, and contact us if you have any reason to suspect leaks in your home.

Schedule your plumbing services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care

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