Five Tips For Preparing Your HVAC System For Summer Vacation

School is out and it's summer vacation time! As you are readying for your vacation to the beaches or mountains, prepping your air conditioning system is the last thing on your mind. There are a few important ways to keep your HVAC system running smoothly. The last thing you want is to come home to air conditioning problems. Below are 5 Tips to prep your HVAC system so you can enjoy your vacation:

• Raise the Thermostat- While your away, you want to ensure your HVAC system is keeping your home comfortable. Raising the thermostat will save you energy and prevent future repairs. In general, it is a good idea to keep the thermostat set at 85 degrees. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can set it to a more comfortable temperature on the day you are arriving home. 

          Do not turn your air conditioning system off! To understand why, you need to understand that             one of the things air conditioners do is remove humidity. The humidity should no more than             50% . More than that and you run into problems with mold, musty odors, peeling paint and                warped furniture.

• Surge Protection - You never know when you might lose power at your home. Especially here in Florida with the onset of hurricanes in the summer months. If there is a power outage, your HVAC system could be damaged. Installing a surge protector will put your mind at ease with the knowledge your a/c system is safe. If you are unsure if your system has surge protection contact us here 321-639-4691.
• Air Filter Maintenance- While you are away, your a/c system will still be running. To ensure it is running at peak efficiency, make sure you replace the filter or clean the filter before you go.
• Security - The new smart thermostats, or WiFi thermostats have a function that you can receive an email if your hvac system is having problems. You can also have it set up to notify your HVAC company to be notified with a phone number of someone that is watching your home. We can have it fixed before you return.
• Routine Maintenance - It is a good idea, if you haven't had your a/c system serviced in a while, to have us come out and check out. We also offer Planned Maintenance Contracts to our customers. If you are interested in this, check out one of our blogs The Just Right Club, or check out our website Emery Air and Heat.

The Low Down Dirty Facts On Your Air Conditioning Filter

Most people know they should change their air conditioning filter, right? But it's not high on our list of priorities. Changing your filter should be a priority and here's why:

Dirty air filters reduce air flow- As a filter becomes clogged, it reduces the air flow, causing the fan motor to work harder. This results in more energy use, causing higher electric bills.

Dirt builds up inside the unit- This causes such problems as dirty coils which can make them freeze up. Frozen coils block air flow, causing your unit to work harder to try and cool your home. This puts more strain on the unit in those hot summer Florida months. If this continues, you may end up having to replace your system sooner than you should have.

Dirty ducts - Dirty air filters cause your ducts to become dirty. This causes your unit to work harder, You will have more dust in your home and higher electric bills, as well as multiple health problems from allergies and sinus problems.

There are many different kinds of Filters. In our next post, we will talk about the types of filters, there are, MERV ratings and what it all means.

Emery Air and Heat
2845 W. King St. # 204
Cocoa, Fl 32926
321-639-4691

The Best Options To Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

12 Reasons Why the Guardian REME+ Air Purification System is a Great Investment:

1. It is a whole house air purification system. It is installed directly into your existing air conditioner or home ventilation system.
2. Independent lab tests show that it kills off up to 99% of harmful bacteria, yeast, allergens, viruses and mold, both in the air and on the surface.
3. Independent lab tests also show that it kills up to 85% of toxic gases and noxious smells.
4. It uses ZERO chemicals. Cleansing comes from a light, water and oxygen powered PHI cell (Photohydroionization) to create naturally occuring hydro peroxides. These air purifiers circulate through your air space and kill airborne and surface odors, chemicals and VOCs before they can spread.
5. It leaves no residue upon cleaning.
6. Independent lab tests show that it reduces microbials on food surfaces up to 99%. It also reduces E.coli, Listeria, strep, MRSA, Avian Flu and the Norwalk Virus by 99%.
7. It is top of the line air purification technology, and is used in over one million homes, businesses, hospitals and government agencies in the USA alone.
8. It is EPA, FDA and USDA approved.
9. It takes out the bad stuff and leaves the good stuff, like cleansed oxygen and hydrogen.
10. It requires minimum maintenance, unlike other filtration systems.
11. It is proactive and uses oxygen to aggressively seeks out and destroys pollutants at the source- in the air and on surfaces before than can reach your family.
12. More cost effective than buying multiple air purification units for each room of your home.

   

For more information, check out our website and enjoy the video above. 

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Indoor Air Quality and What It Means to Your Health

Do you know if the air your breathing in your home is clean?  Which of your family members has allergies or asthama?
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air qualilty within a building or a home.

There are many things that affect the quality of the air you breathe:

• Allergies
• Mold
• Flu
• Bacteria
• Dust
• Pollen
• Viruses
• Odors
• Tobacco Smoke
• Dander
• Voc's (Volatile Organic Compound) organic chemicals are widely found in household products such as paints, varnishes and wax. Cleaning supplies, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing and hobby products.

According to the EPA, most people spend 90% of their time indoors, not realizing that the air indoors can be more polluted than the air outside. The EPA also reports that indoor air pollution levels can be 100x higher than the air outdoors.

Tomorrow we will touch base on the different types of products and what are the best to improve the air you breathe in your home.

Emery Air and Heat Indoor Air Quality

8 Signs It's Time To Upgrade Your Air Conditioner

8 Signs It's Time To Upgrade Your Air Conditioner

There are a few telltale signs it's time to consider replacing or improving the performance of your Air Conditioning System. It's time to call a professional if any of the following apply to you:

• Your Air Conditioner or Heat Pump is more than 10 years old. Consider replacing your unit with a system that has a high efficiency rating. Seer ranges from 14 - 20. The higher the SEER the more efficient it will be.  This can save you as much as 15% on your energy bill.
• Your equipment needs frequent repairs or your energy bills are going up.
• Some rooms in your home are too hot or too cold. Improper equipment operation, duct problems or inadequate insulation could be the cause.
• No one is at home for long periods of the day and you do not have a programmable thermostat. Install a programmable or smart thermostat to start saving money while your away or sleeping, A WiFi thermostat will have an app for your phone. If you leave home without raising your thermostat, you can raise it using the app. Smart thermostats learn your habits and will learn your schedule and adjust accordingly.
• Your home has humidity problems. Leaky ducts and inadequate equipment can cause the air to be too humid in the summer and too dry in the winter. 
• Your home has excessive dust. Leaky ducts can pull particles from the attic and distribute them throughout your house. Consider having an Air Quality evaluation ( which we will talk about in our next post.)
• Your air conditioning system is noisy. You could have an undersized duct system or a problem with your indoor coil.
• Your score on theHome Energy Yardstick is below 5. This means that your probably paying more than you need to on energy bills.

Give Emery Air and Heat a call if you would like us to assess your current HVAC system. We're glad to help!  Emery Air and Heat is always here to serve our customers.

Why Your Air Conditioner is Freezing Up and What To Do About It

If your air conditioner is freezing up, you will know immediately. If your house is suddenly warm in the dog days of summer, this could be the problem.


What To Do If Your Air Conditioner Freezes Up

• Shut off the system to avoid risking damage to the compressor.
• While you wait for the ice to melt, find the condensate drain and make sure it isn't plugged.
• The un-thawing process can take up to 3 hours.
• Once the ice is melted, turn the air conditioner back on. It should start cooling your home immediately.

What Causes an air conditioner to freeze up?

There are several things that can cause this:

• Dirty Air Filter: Restricted air flow is the culprit frequently. It is extremely important to change or clean your filter once a month.
• Low refrigerant levels: Whether you have a leak, or the freon was overcharged at installation, low freon can make the evaporator coil to cold. Call an air conditioning company to fix the leak, or to have the refrigerant recharged according to manufacturer directions.
• Drainage Problems: When hot humid air blows across the evaporator coil, the coil removes heat and moisture from the air. In humid areas like Florida, this can turn into condensation within the air conditioner. In normal circumstances, the water drips into the drain pan and out of a floor drain. If something blocks the drain, the backed up water freezes all the way back to the coil.Check the drain pan weekly in the summer to make sure the water is dripping into the pan. 

The best way to make sure these things don't happen to your unit is to have a maintenance plan. To learn more or schedule a repair, please contact Emery Air and Heat. Proudly serving Brevard County since 1976.

      

Why You Should Have A Planned Maintenance Contract On Your Air Conditioning System

Air Conditioners and heat pumps that receive regular maintenance can maintain up to 95 percent of their efficiency, however for every year that they are not maintained, they can lose 5 percent of their efficiency. The Coils (indoor and outdoor) if dirty are two key pieces that can have a negative effect on the entire comfort system. Coils become dirty when particles and debris naturally accumulate and dirt can build up around the cooling fins. Dirty coils can cause many problems, including:

Blocked Airflow

Imbalanced refrigerant levels

Reduced comfort levels inside the home

Increased utility bills

Decreased performance and lifespan of equipment

If the problem is left unattended, it can become severe. Seriously blocked coils can lead to:

Ice on the evaporator coil

Decreased cooling capacity

Overheated compressor 

All air conditioning manufacturer's require their systems to have at least once yearly maintenance to keep the warranty intact.

Emery Air and Heat's Just Right Club will take care of your maintenance needs.

Emery Air and Heat's Just Right Club

321-639-4691