Dirty Air Filter: 3 Problems It Can Cause
Although the air filter may seem like a minor part of your home’s HVAC system, its job is essential to keeping your family healthy, keeping your home clean and comfortable and prolonging the life of your HVAC system. Changing a clogged or dirty air filter may be inconvenient and messy, but by doing so in a timely manner, you can help prevent the following problems:
Reduced System Airflow
A dirty air filter will reduce the airflow through the forced-air cooling or heating system, which not only decreases your comfort level, but forces the HVAC system to run longer and work harder to move the air. This can prematurely wear out sensitive system components including compressor motors, blower motors, fan motors, pulley bearings and belts. Air conditioners may begin to freeze up if the reduced airflow slows the heat absorption in the evaporator coil, or furnaces may stop heating when the reduced airflow in the heat exchanger causes that component to overheat, shutting off the burners. Additionally, because the system is running much less efficiently, your utility bills will increase, sometimes dramatically.
Higher Indoor Air Pollution
With a dirty air filter, airborne particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander and other harmful pollutants will remain in the air, continually circulating throughout the house. This can cause breathing difficulties for anyone living in the home, but the situation is much worse for those who suffer from allergies, asthma, emphysema or other respiratory illnesses. Checking the air filter monthly, and cleaning or replacing it when necessary, can help keep your indoor air quality high and your family safe.
Accumulation of Excess Dust
Without being removed by the air filter, dust will begin to accumulate in more places around your home, increasing your cleaning workload. In addition, the dust will begin to gather in the air ducts, costing you extra money to have them cleaned.
To learn more about the effects of a dirty air filter on your health and your HVAC system, consult our experts at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. We have been serving Clearwater, Tampa, St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas since 1958.
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These Myths Can Undermine Your Energy Savings Every Summer
Energy savings in the summer months is a common goal of many Florida homeowners, but the following energy myths can actually sidetrack savings and result in higher maintenance costs and electrical consumption.
- Setting the thermostat way down cools your home faster. This is a myth if you have a single-speed cooling system, which most homeowners do. The cooling output is the same whether it’s set at 70 degrees or 80. The only kinds of systems that cool faster based on the cooling load are either variable-speed systems or those with a thermal expansion valve, found on newer, more efficient air conditioning equipment.
- Closing off a room saves energy. This can be an effective way to reduce energy costs, but only if the room is small and far from the air handler. Shutting off a room’s registers and closing the doors can increase the air pressure in the ductwork, which can force them apart. If your cooling system was properly sized when it was installed, closing off rooms can throw off the intended air balance in your home, possibly resulting in short cycling and other problems.
- Turning the system off when you leave saves energy. In a climate like ours, this can backfire in higher energy costs and system wear. When you do return, your equipment will have to work much harder to remove the accumulated heat and humidity. Instead of offering energy savings, the reverse occurs and the long running cycle can damage your equipment. This doesn’t mean, however, that it’s not a good idea to turn up the temperature eight to 10 degrees when you’re gone. A programmable thermostat will allow you to implement energy-saving settings for when you’re not at home.
- Keeping the ceiling fan on when you leave a room helps keep it cool. Ceiling fans move air, which is the only way they help you cool off. The perspiration on your skin dries faster when air hits it, creating the perception of being cooler. When no one is in the room, the fan is just using electricity without any cooling effect.
The pros at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating can show you a variety of ways to achieve energy savings with your air conditioner. We’ve provided superior HVAC services for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area homeowners since 1958.
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Three Common A/C Problems Most Homeowners Will Encounter Eventually
When the summer heat turns on, your air conditioner should as well. During those hot Tampa-Clearwater days, you count on having a cool home to find relief in. When untimely problems occur, resolving the issue quickly becomes your main household priority. The good news is that some A/C problems are relatively easy to take care of and don’t require the know-how of a professional. Fixing the problem yourself is not only faster, but will save you money. Learn about some common A/C problems and what steps you should take to try and remedy them.
Common A/C Problems and How to Fix Them
The following A/C problems often have a simple solution that any person can handle. If the suggested course of action doesn’t fix the problem, or if the mentioned issues don’t apply to you, professional help is likely the way to go:
- Your system isn’t cooling your home well enough. Check the air filter and replace it if it’s dirty. Or try lowering your thermostat by five degrees. If that doesn’t help, examine your evaporator coil. If it’s coated in dust, cleaning it may repair the issue. If not, your unit may not be the right size for your home. Also, be aware that achieving a very cool environment can be difficult in extreme heat.
- The A/C is running, but not cooling your air. You should starting by checking your thermostat settings. Try the heating mode on your thermostat; if that doesn’t work, it probably means the problem is in your thermostat rather than your air conditioner. Look at the indoor and outdoor coils to make sure dirt and dust aren’t interfering with the heat-exchange process. Other causes, such as a faulty compressor, will require professional help.
- The whole system just isn’t working. Look for a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse. The last thing you can try is lowering the temperature by five degrees to see if that triggers the system’s start.
For more tips on fixing A/C problems in your Tampa-Clearwater area home, or to schedule the help of a professional contractor, please contact at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating anytime.
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Don’t Let HVAC Efficiency Fall Through the Cracks
Since ductwork is mostly hidden behind walls or in the attic or crawl space, you probably don’t give it much thought. But it could be a major source of energy losses if it’s not properly constructed and well sealed. A typical house with central air conditioning and heating might lose as much as 30 percent of its cooling and heating energy due to ductwork problems.
Major ductwork repairs and duct sealing are jobs that are best left to HVAC professionals, but there are some things you can do before you call in the pros. Here are some basic do-it-yourself tips for increasing HVAC efficiency by repairing your ductwork:
- Inspect the ductwork – Look at the ducts that you have easy access to, such as those that run through closets or the attic. Take note of any duct joints that have come apart, flexible ducts that are crushed or kinked, holes in ducts, and ducts in unconditioned spaces such as your attic or crawl space that should be insulated.
- Make basic repairs – Use mastic to seal duct joints and seams. Common cloth duct tape isn’t adequate for sealing ducts since it deteriorates quickly under harsh conditions. Try to straighten any crushed or kinked flexible ducts. If they won’t hold their shape after you straighten them, replace them if they’re in easily accessible locations.
- Insulate ducts in unconditioned spaces – After you’re finished with basic duct sealing work, add insulation to ducts that run through your attic, garage, crawl space or other unconditioned areas. Heat transfer by conduction from uninsulated ducts can account for a lot of the energy losses from your system.
- Get professional duct sealing help – Major duct sealing, ductwork repairs and duct insulation jobs should be left to the pros. Your HVAC contractor can get to ducts in hard-to-reach spaces and will know how to apply the correct adhesives, clamps, screws and insulating materials to do the job right.
Call us at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating for help with HVAC Efficiency. The money you spend on ductwork repairs will pay for itself in reduced energy bills.
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The Secret to Saving is Attic Ventilation
Effective attic ventilation plays a vital role in keeping your home comfortable on hot summer days. Passive ventilation via soffit vents and roof or gable vents will keep the air in your attic from getting excessively hot on sunny days, so your cooling costs will be lower and your roofing materials will last longer than they would with an unventilated attic.
Consider attic ventilation as one part in an overall system that also includes a well-sealed attic floor, adequate insulation and roofing materials that are appropriate for our Florida climate. Here are some things to consider as you work with HVAC pros to make your home comfortable and energy efficient:
- Seal air leaks – Be sure air leaks between living areas and the attic are blocked. Openings where wiring, plumbing stacks, ductwork or chimneys penetrate the ceiling should be sealed. Weatherstrip the attic access hatch so that air doesn’t leak around it when it’s closed.
- Add insulation – Adequate insulation will keep reduce heat transfer between the attic and living areas. Insulate ducts anywhere they run through unconditioned areas of the attic or crawl space.
- Don’t block soffit vents – When adding insulation, keep soffits and soffit vents open. Install barriers to keep blown-in insulation from filling soffits and keep airways between soffit vents and the attic open by stapling rafter vents to the roof decking between rafters where the decking meets the attic floor.
- Install the right number of vents – Work with your HVAC contractor to determine how many soffit, roof and gable vents you need for your house’s design and location. Roof vents and ridge vents can pose leakage problems, so you don’t want to have any more of them than you need for adequate attic ventilation.
- Choose shingles for our climate – White or light-colored shingles will reflect much of the incoming summer sunlight so that the attic doesn’t have to expel as much heat as it would with dark shingles.
Call us at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating for help keeping your home energy efficient and comfortable in every season.
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Spring Is Allergy Season: Improve Your IAQ
One of the best gifts you can give yourself if you suffer from allergies, seasonal or otherwise, is to improve indoor air quality St. Petersburg area home and consider adding an air cleaner to your home comfort system. You can more easily avoid avoid pollen and outdoor allergens in your controlled indoor environment, but still face allergens like dust mites, animal dander and insects which often trigger allergy symptoms. Improve your IAQ to reduce allergy and asthma symptoms. Here are some strategies for a sneeze-less spring allergy season:
Reduce Exposure to Allergy Season Triggers
- Close windows and doors at night and early morning when pollen counts are highest, and set your air conditioner on recirculate.
- Avoiding pets entirely cuts your risk of allergy flares, but the next best thing is keeping a short-haired pet and shampooing him/her often. Keep your pet out of the bedroom if possible.
- Avoid carpets and overstuffed furniture. Choose hardwood floors and sleeker furnishings when possible.
- Keep household surfaces clean and uncluttered.
- Encase mattresses and pillows in zippered, allergy-reducing covers.
- Wash bedding often in hot water.
- Get annual HVAC maintenance to help keep heating and cooling equipment clean and running properly.
- Clean floors/furnishings often with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner and/or special double filter bags.
- Wear a dust mask while cleaning your house.
- Use a damp or specially treated cloth when dusting.
- Leave the area for a few hours after housecleaning.
- Limit houseplants.
- Fix household leaks promptly and eliminate other causes of dampness.
- Thoroughly clean moldy surfaces.
- Control ants and cockroaches. Securely cover your garbage can. Opt for boric acid traps and poison baits, rather than chemical agents that can worsen your allergies and asthma flare-ups.
Keep Indoor Air Clean
- Use air conditioning with high-efficiency air filters compatible with your system. Change the air filter often.
- Some homes may benefit from duct cleaning.
- Keep indoor air dry and cleaner by using a whole-house dehumidifier and air cleaner, integrated with your central A/C. You’ll have cleaner air and inhibit dust mite and mold growth.
To learn more about how improve your IAQ to survive allergy season, contact Cox Air Conditioning & Heating today!
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Spring Is Prime Time for Air Conditioner Maintenance
Summer is fast approaching. Residents in some parts of the country would laugh at that statement, but here in Clearwater, FL, area, we know to prepare for its arrival in just a few weeks. That makes now the perfect time for Tampa area homeowners to schedule routine preventive air conditioner maintenance. This way, you can be sure that your air conditioner is ready to handle the heat and humidity we’ll get this year. Once the summer heat, rain and thunderstorms get started, your HVAC contractor will be very busy. Don’t chance a long wait for service.
Are You Using Your Programmable Thermostat To Its Fullest?
A programmable thermostat differs quite a bit from a traditional one. Instead of setting the thermostat manually, you pre-set the thermostat’s program to what temperature you want the house to be during what time frame. The thermostat takes over at this point, handling the temperature changes automatically. A homeowner can override and set the temperature manually when needed.
Duct Cleaning: What You Can Expect From Your Contractor
Air ducts are susceptible to harboring contaminants, such as mold and mildew, dirt, pollen, pet dander and other debris, that are not captured by the air filter. If it has been more than a few years since the duct system in your Tampa area home has been inspected, it may be time for a good duct cleaning to protect your family, as well as your home’s HVAC equipment, furniture and other physical items.
Beat Heat Pump Problems Early With Regular Maintenance
When you want the most from your heat pump, don’t neglect heat pump maintenance, some of which you can do yourself. You can use a professional for the routine tasks that need to be done to keep your system performing without any potential problems or breakdowns.
Routine maintenance provides these significant benefits, improved energy efficiency, better indoor air quality, and a prolonged life span for the system.
Do-It-Yourself Maintenance
The most important thing you can do to keep your heat pump performing as it should is to check and change the air filter for the air handler regularly. Dust can build inside the air handler and the ductwork and circulate through your home’s air. A clean filter will keep your equipment and indoor air cleaner. When dust covers the evaporator coil inside the air handler, it slows the heat transfer process which will drive up heating and cooling costs.
Keeping the outdoor condenser’s coil clean also improves energy efficiency. In the winter, the coil collects the heat outdoors to warm your home and in the cooling cycle, it dissipates the heat the pump collects from your home. Clean the coil with a light spray of the hose occasionally and be sure no vegetation collects around the unit that could impede airflow through the condenser’s coil.
Professional Heat Pump Maintenance
The heat pump works hard year-round. Professional heat pump maintenance will keep your system running optimally. One of the simplest ways to manage the maintenance is with a service agreement between you and your HVAC provider that simplifies scheduling and monitors the system’s performance over time.
- Check the thermostat’s settings and recalibrate if necessary.
- Verify that the refrigerant level is within the manufacturer’s specifications.
- Clean and inspect the electrical connections, lubricating them if necessary. Dirty and loose connections present a safety issue.
- Lubricates the motors.
- Checks airflow levels and inspects the ductwork for leaks, sealing with proper materials when necessary.
For more information about the importance of heat pump maintenance, contact the pros at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve provided HVAC services for the Tampa and St. Petersburg area since 1958.
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