Boost Heat Pump Performance With These 5 Tips
A heat pump is an energy-efficient choice for heating and cooling your home in the Tampa-St. Pete area. Our mild winter days and nights usually have temperatures well above freezing, which is the ideal situation for efficient heating with a heat pump. Heat pumps are also very efficient air conditioners. There are several steps that you can take to make your system run more efficiently, both during the winter heating season and the summer cooling season:
- Replace your filter regularly. Check the heat pump’s air filter several times every season to make sure it’s not clogged with dust. A dirty filter restricts airflow in the system, requiring more energy to keep your home comfortable and decreasing the life of your equipment.
- Get a programmable thermostat. You’ll save energy by automatically setting a programmable thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter during regular times when nobody is home or at night when everybody is asleep.
- Let the thermostat do its job. In cool weather, set the thermostat and leave it alone. Avoid the temptation to temporarily bump it up to get a short blast of heat. Raising the temperature setting too quickly will make your backup heat source come on, wasting energy on electric resistance heating when you don’t really need it. Save your energy dollars for those times when temperatures get cold enough outside for your system to need that extra boost.
- Don’t block airflow. Check with your HVAC contractor before you close vents in unused rooms. Be sure all of your supply and return vents are free of obstructions. Keep grass and shrubbery trimmed away from the heat pump’s outdoor unit and make sure it’s free of dead leaves and other debris.
- Call for expert help. Other than changing your filter, you should leave most maintenance and repair tasks to your HVAC pro. Call for help if your outdoor unit freezes frequently, if your system is not keeping your house at your set temperature, or if you hear unusual noises coming from the equipment.
Call us at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating for more tips for efficient operation of the heat pump in your Tampa, Clearwater or St. Petersburg area home.
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Don’t Forget the HVAC System When You’re Planning Vacation Time
There are always a million details to tend to before you leave on vacation, but don’t overlook one that could save you a headache upon your return: making sure your HVAC system is properly set and cared for before you leave.
After all, your HVAC system is one of the biggest investments you’ve made in your home. Unfortunately, it’s also the one that can cause you the most grief if it’s not well cared for. And, who wants to come home from a vacation confronted with a furnace breakdown or other HVAC system mishap? Heed the following steps and you’ll enjoy your vacation all the more:
- Schedule your annual HVAC checkup if you haven’t already. Now’s the time to get your HVAC system cleaned and to expose and repair any small problems that may be lurking there. The peace of mind you’ll enjoy while you’re on vacation, knowing that your system is in tiptop shape, will be well worth it.
- Set the the thermostat to about 82 degrees in the summer months and about 65 degrees during the winter for the duration of your vacation. If you have a programmable thermostat that allows it, program the settings to return your home to a comfortable temperature on the day you plan to return. A WiFi thermostat can make the programming process even easier when you’re away from home.
- Turn the fan to “on” or “run” to keep the flow of air consistent in your home.
- Leave the name and phone number of your favorite HVAC expert with a neighbor, just in case there’s a problem that can’t wait until you return. This precaution has less to do with the reliability of your HVAC system than the unpredictability of the Florida weather. Think in terms of rain and flooding, which can also wreak havoc on your system.
Offering our customers peace of mind while they’re on vacation is one of our greatest rewards at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. Call us for an HVAC maintenance check and we’ll ensure that you can rest truly easy on your vacation.
An HVAC Maintenance Service Agreement: Why You Don’t Want to Be Without One
Your heating and air conditioning system is just like your car. It has a lot of moving parts and it runs for hundreds of hours per year. With this type of use, it’s simply impossible to completely prevent all problems. However, just like with your car, regular maintenance can keep your HVAC system in top shape for as long as possible. Here are five reasons you don’t want to be without a HVAC maintenance service agreement:
- Scheduling – One of the biggest benefits of a HVAC maintenance service agreement is that work is scheduled in advance. With advance scheduling, you can select a date for routine maintenance when the kids will be out of school or you’ll be home from work to avoid burning vacation days. You’ll also likely receive priority scheduling if you ever do need a sudden repair.
- Routine checkups – Cleaning, checkups and basic maintenance are included in your plan. If you don’t have a plan, you probably aren’t having your HVAC system regularly checked. This is a mistake, since small problems can make themselves more expensive over time by putting a strain on the rest of your system.
- Discounts – Because you sign up for service in advance, you receive a discounted rate on each checkup. In addition, if repairs that aren’t covered by the agreement are needed, there’s often a discount for plan members.
- Service you can trust – One of the hardest parts about choosing an HVAC contractor is knowing whether you can trust them. Even if they have great reviews, you may feel they have an incentive to overcharge you or perform unneeded work. When you have a service agreement, you know your long-term satisfaction is the contractor’s first priority.
- Lower utility bills – Small problems such as dirty air filters or parts needing replacement can increase your utility bills by several percent. When you’re paying hundreds or thousands of dollars a year in cooling and heating costs, these savings are not insignificant.
For more information on a HVAC maintenance service agreement, contact Cox Air Conditioning & Heating today.
Tight Ductwork: Key for Savings
By now, you probably already know that having an energy efficient HVAC system can provide huge savings on your monthly energy bill. One lesser known source of energy loss and potential savings is your ductwork. Often forgotten because it runs out of sight and out of mind, the ductwork running through your ceilings and walls is actually one of the biggest sources of heat loss that can increase your energy bill.
Potential Duct Problems
Because ducts are made to be flexible, they can easily develop problems over time. The biggest source of leaks is where sections of ducts join or split off toward different areas of your home. The seals at these locations frequently wear out over time and can send air flowing into your attic instead of your living spaces. In rare cases, the original contractor may not have even installed the ducts properly and left them unconnected altogether.
Leaks can also occur in the middle of duct sections. Typically, this occurs when someone storing items or performing other work in the attic punctures a duct without realizing what they’ve done. Ducts bent around corners or placed against another object could also puncture over time from the vibrations of passing air.
Checking Ducts
To keep your energy bill low, periodically check your ducts. In the areas of your attic where there is good crawl space, you can visually inspect your ductwork. While the system is running, carry a piece of paper close to the accessible ducts and look to see if it is blown away from or pulled toward the ducts to detect less obvious leaks.
If you do detect leaks, your energy bill is unexpectedly rising, or a room isn’t heating or cooling as expected, it’s time to call in the pros. While you can detect and repair some problems yourself, it’s likely that there are additional leaks in the areas you can’t reach. A HVAC pro will have special tools to measure your airflow and be sure your ducts are 100 percent airtight.
For ductwork improvements in the St. Petersburg and Clearwater area, contact Cox Air Conditioning & Heating today.
Pet Allergies? Lessen Your Exposure to Allergens and Feel Better
One of the sources of human joy, our beloved four-legged friends, can sometimes be the cause of ill-health through pet allergies. Although allergens affect many people, they can be controlled and virtually eliminated from your home.
What Is Pet Dander?
These are tiny scales of dead skin that animals shed. Dander contains a protein that may cause an allergic reaction in humans. These allergens can be found in the air and, because they’re sticky, they also adhere to walls, furniture and floor rugs.
Combating Dander
There are a variety of ways to keep your home as clear as possible from pet dander:
- Bathe and brush your pets as often as is practical. Check with your vet as to how frequently you can wash your domestic animals.
- Keep pets off furniture. Supply them with their own bedding and train them from a young age where they should sleep.
- Wipe down walls and furniture to remove the sticky pet allergens.
- Install an air purifier in your home. These devices help to remove dander from the air, reducing the triggers for pet allergies.
Choosing an Air Purifier
Two types of air purifiers are suitable for removing pet dander from the air: mechanical or electronic air cleaners.
- Mechanical air purifiers are often fan-driven and work by capturing particles on a mesh filter. These devices come with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV), 1 being the least efficient and 20 being the most effective. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regards air filters with a rating of between 7 and 13 to be efficient enough to remove many allergens from the air.
- Electronic or ion-type air purifiers use electrical charges to attract particles from the air. These particles are then deposited onto a collecting plate.
Your HVAC provider will be able to assist you in choosing the most appropriate air purifier for your home and provide you with other suggestions to combat pet allergens. Contact Cox Air Conditioning & Heating for more information. We’ve proudly served homeowners throughout Clearwater, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Trinity and Westchase for more than 55 years.
Air Filters: How Efficient Does Yours Need to Be?
One of the most important components of forced air heating and cooling systems are the air filters. They make an impact on energy bills, system longevity and indoor air quality. Although it’s one of the most important elements of your HVAC system, it’s also one of the easiest to overlook.
Filters carry efficiency ratings known as minimum efficiency reporting values, or MERV, which tell consumers the smallest particle the filter can trap. The scale runs from 1 to 16 for residential filtration, and efficiency rises as the numbers get higher. Most HVAC systems can use a filter with a MERV rating of 8 or less, and anything higher has the potential to slow the airflow through the air handler, which harms your system and increases energy bills.
The least expensive air filters are fiberglass and have MERV ratings no higher than 4. The size of the particles an air filter can remove is measured in microns, and a filter with a MERV of 4 will trap particles no smaller than 10 microns, including dust, pollen, lint and larger mold spores. An air filter with a MERV up to 8 will trap airborne particulates that are 3 microns and larger, including mold and other spores, hair, animal dander and very fine dust.
Before you upgrade your filters to a higher MERV rating, check the owner’s manual to learn the maximum density your air handler can handle, or check with an HVAC professional who can tell you.
No matter what filter you choose, be sure to check air filters monthly. Higher efficiency filters trap more particles, so they can accumulate dirt quicker. One of the ironies of filtration is that the fiberglass filters actually trap more particles when they’re dirty, but combined with the slower airflow and the fact that more dust enters your system, it’s not a good way idea to use them when they’re dirty.
To learn more about air filters for your HVAC system in the Tampa and St. Petersburg area, contact Cox Air Conditioning & Heating today.
A Heat Pump Might Be Just the Thing to Keep You Warm on Those Chilly Nights
If you’re thinking about installing a new heating system in your Clearwater area home, you should consider the benefits of installing an air-source heat pump. A heat pump is the ideal appliance for warming homes during our more mild Florida winter. These units utilize the heat exchange properties of refrigerant to transfer heat from one site to another. In other words, they work on the scientific principle that hot air will naturally seek a cooler environment.
Due to a reversing valve that switches the flow of refrigerant, heat pumps are actually able to both heat and cool a home. During winter, heat pumps pull heat from the outdoor air into the outside condenser unit. The refrigerant here picks up the heat and flows into the indoor heat exchange coil where a fan blows over the coil and heats the interior air. During the summer, the opposite happens as the evaporator coil captures inside heat and exhausts it outside. This dual ability has made heat pumps an ideal option for many homeowners.
An air-source heat pump is especially energy efficient for heating in mild Florida winters, particularly compared to other types of heating systems. Their one big disadvantage is that their performance efficiency is decreased when outside temperatures fall below 35 degrees. However, given our more mild temperatures, this factor doesn’t matter for Clearwater residents.
Their energy efficiency is worth boasting about, however. A well-maintained heat pump can generate three to four times the amount of heat from one unit of electricity. Meanwhile, a combustion furnace can’t exceed an energy efficiency of 100 percent, or one to one. Since most of your conditioning requirements in Florida is for cooling, heat pump systems provide an economical and convenient way to accomplish both.
To learn more about how an air-source heat pump system will improve your indoor environment this winter, or for information on other quality HVAC products and solutions, contact your local experts at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve have been providing expert advice and service since 1958.
Mold: Don’t Let Your Guard Down, Even in Winter
Mold and mildew need four things to thrive: available spores, moisture, organic matter to feed on, and temperatures between 68 to 86 degrees. Even though it’s thought of as a summertime problem, due to our hot, humid climate, homes can become a haven for mold growth in the winter months too. Condensation that occurs along the roofline in the attic, or in rooms that are poorly ventilated, can yield the moisture mold needs to get started.
In addition to causing unsightly stain and rot, mold causes serious allergies and respiratory problems. The following tips will help you prevent its growth in your home this winter.
- Insulate the attic – A warm attic causes condensation to collect along the cool roofline, dripping back onto the surfaces below. By keeping your attic at an ambient temperature, providing adequate insulation on the floor, you’ll be able to keep warm, conditioned air in your living space while preventing condensation from forming along the roofline. Also, consider installing an attic ventilator, which will prevent excess moisture in the winter and mitigate heat gain in the summer.
- Ventilation – Make sure your home is adequately ventilated. Sealing the leaks in your home is a powerful step toward increasing energy efficiency, but it needs to be paired with an adequate whole-house ventilation system for a fresh air supply and to allow trapped moisture to escape. Ventilation is especially important in rooms where condensation is an issue such as the kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms.
- Identify and repair leaks – If you have a plumbing or storm leak, it needs to be repaired immediately. Make sure you dry the interior wall or ceiling spaces thoroughly before closing them back up.
Contact Cox Air Conditioning & Heating to learn more about mold prevention and to balance humidity levels in your Tampa area home this winter.
Your Ductwork Won’t Last Forever – When Should You Replace It?
Has your ductwork been inspected lately? If not, having it looked over is a good idea. Duct systems can show significant deterioration after as little as 10 years of use, depending upon the quality of the materials used at installation. If your duct system has been in place since the home was constructed, chances are that its design and materials were chosen with more regard for cost than quality, which means they may be developing problems that can affect air quality, comfort and energy costs in your home.
So how do you tell if your ductwork needs repair or replacement? The best way to find out is to have your duct system inspected by your HVAC technician. However, if you’re hesitant to call your HVAC contractor without knowing that there’s cause for concern, you can check for telltale signs of duct deterioration on your own.
- Do a visual inspection of exposed ducts, generally found in the attic, basement or crawl space. Pay special attention to joints and seams, looking for deteriorating duct tape, gaps where joints have loosened or seams that have come apart completely, leaving ducts disconnected. Also look for crumbling duct insulation and holes, rust or corrosion in all visible air ducts.
- Check vents in each room of the house. Rooms that have weaker airflow than others may be served by damaged, collapsed or disconnected vents. Temperature differences from one vent to another can indicate leaky ducts or spans of ductwork that have lost their insulation.
- If you discover potential problems, your next step is a professional evaluation of your duct system to determine whether it’s time to replace or repair your home’s ductwork. Typically, a duct blower test will be performed to evaluate duct performance, which uses a blower fan to pressurize the system and sensors to measure airflow, allowing your technician to calculate the rate of air leakage.
For more information on keeping your ductwork in good shape, please contact Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve been serving homeowners throughout the Clearwater, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor,Trinity and West Chase areas since 1958.
Heat Loss in Your Clearwater Home – It Costs You, Even in Florida
You may not think much about your home heating costs here in the Clearwater area since we have such mild winters, but there are several things you can do around your house to reduce heat loss and save money, particularly during occasional cold snaps. These things don’t cost much money upfront, but they will make your home more comfortable this winter and continue to pay off next summer. Stopping heat loss works both ways—you’ll save on winter heating bills and reduce your summer air conditioning load.
You can do most of these things to reduce heat loss yourself, but call a licensed heating contractor if you need expert help:
- Reduce your water heating costs. Turn your water heater setting down so that your hot water is kept at 120 degrees or lower. Also wrap the water heater tank in an insulating blanket to reduce further heat losses.
- Check ductwork for leaks and inadequate insulation. Your ducts can lose a significant amount of heated and cooled air before it reaches its destination. Be sure duct joints are fastened with sheet-metal screws and sealed with mastic to prevent leaks. Insulate your ducts anywhere they run through an unconditioned space such as your attic.
- Seal air leaks in your home’s exterior. Caulk and weatherstrip around doors and windows to prevent energy losses. Check the places where plumbing and electrical wiring penetrate your walls to be sure the holes around them are well-sealed with caulk.
- Check your roof for damaged shingles. Leaks in your roof can cause structural damage and degrade insulation so that it no longer blocks heat from moving between your living spaces and attic.
- Maintain your furnace. Change your filter regularly. Have your heating contractor come out for an inspection and maintenance call every year. A well-maintained furnace will heat your Florida home efficiently and inexpensively.
Call us at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating for more energy-saving tips for your Clearwater home. We’ve been helping homeowners in this area stay comfortable since 1958.
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