Month: April 2020

Guest Post

For a lot of people, having an air filter system is very important to control the indoor air quality of their homes.

If this sounds like your situation, try to remember the schedule when you are supposed to remove old and dirty air filters and insert new, clean ones.

If you want to know more reasons why you should change your air filter regularly, here are some of them:

Clogged Up Air Filters Make Your HVAC System Work Harder

You might not know it, but there is a close relationship between your air filter system and your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Often, air from the air filter system goes into the HVAC system, where the air is heated or cooled before it is sent back to your rooms. I

f the air filters are already clogged with dust, pollen, pet hair, and any other indoor air pollutants, that will make your HVAC system function at a reduced capacity.

It might also lead to your HVAC conking out completely, making you and your family feel extremely uncomfortable during extreme heat (summer) or extreme cold (winter).

To avoid these situations, you simply have to remove the dirty filters and insert new ones, especially when prompted by your air filter reminder.

Dirty Filters Can Drive Up Your Energy Bills

If your energy bills seem to be costing much, you may want to look into your home’s air filter system.

If the filters are clogged, it means that the fan has to work double time to push air into your room.

Once that happens, your energy consumption is bound to go up.

Uncleaned Filters Can Breed Mold And Bacteria

If your air filters are not cleaned regularly, these can trap moisture from indoor air, which, in turn, can become the incubation site of mold and bacteria.

If these elements are allowed to spread, you and your family could be breathing them in, going straight into your lungs. This might lead to illnesses, such as fungal and bacterial infections.

Filters That Need Replacing Fail To Screen Particulates

Another problem with dirty air filters is that they may stop filtering out indoor air pollutants, which is bad news for people suffering from allergies and asthma.

Dirty air filters put all the household members at high risk of breathing in indoor air pollutants that can trigger allergic reactions or make it hard for them to breathe.

When Is The Right Time To Change Your Air Filter?

Your home’s air filter system needs to be changed on a regular basis so that you don’t forget doing such an important task.

If you set a date for cleaning or changing your air filters, it becomes a habit for you, thus you won’t need to be constantly reminded about when that should be done.

For example, you could make the first Saturday of every month as the fixed schedule for changing air filters.

Doing so would make it so much easier for you to integrate changing air filters into your regular routine.

Some need to be changed less often, depending on the quality of the filters.

So, you can actually opt for an air filter system that only requires to be changed every three months rather than every month.

If you are using an air filter system that is reusable, it will probably require cleaning once a month for it to function efficiently.

If you are using disposable filters, you may need to stock up on the replacement filters so that you won’t have to worry about consistent supply.

This is especially true if the air filters you use at home tend to go out of stock as the specific brand or made you need could be popular in your location.

Some stores may allow you to make bulk purchases of filters, thus you need to take advantage of this opportunity.

But, don’t store these filters just anywhere; you need to keep them somewhere clean and dry if they are not in use.

Conclusion

Changing filters is a necessity, especially if your air filter system is connected to your HVAC system.

This is for the reason that your HVAC system may perform poorly or even break down if the air filters are dirty or clogged.

Having said that, you should make it a point to change or clean filters on a regular basis.

Having clean filters will allow your air filter system to perform at normal capacity, which directly results in your HVAC system functioning properly, enabling you and your family to enjoy clean, fresh air that is devoid of any pollutants.

 

 

Guest Post by William Turner

Indoor ceiling fans can be a great fixture for any house, and most people will consider installing them in their own home or in any construction they’re working on.

However, outdoor fans can often prove just as beneficial in a house new or old. Whether it’s for a patio, deck, or any other area of your house or backyard, outdoor fans provide significant utility for a variety of installations. 

Efficient Cooling

Although a common patio fan may come to mind when you think of outdoor fans, the world of outdoor fans has a wide variety of designs and products to offer.

One of the biggest differences you’ll find between many fans is the length of the blades.

While most indoor ceiling fans for residential use feature blades of similar length across different products, the range in common outdoor fans is much larger.

A small patio can usually be efficiently cooled by a fan much like one you’d find in an average household room, with three to five blades of moderate length. 

However, if you’re looking to cool a larger area, it might be beneficial to look into high CFM fans, which move more air and provide more intense circulation.

Fans like these might have blade spans of up to 100 inches.

Like normal indoor ceiling fans, high CFM fans can be found with only three blades, but you’ll also commonly encounter models with six to eight blades.

Don’t be deceived simply by size and amount, however.

The shaping of the blades and the power behind a fan can have as much of an impact on cooling, and you might find a reasonably small three-bladed fan with surprising efficiency. 

Look into options with multiple speed settings and high specs from reputable brands to find the most power in any category. 

Pest Management

There’s nothing more annoying than trying to relax on a patio or porch and encountering droves of mosquitos or gnats.

Outdoor fans can help keep off unwanted pests as more powerful fans will create more intense air circulation that discourages small insects from attempting to fly into your area.

With a nice fan above your head, you can finally enjoy that cookout or family dinner without insects landing on your food left and right. 

Lighting can often be a challenge for outdoor areas.

Although sunlight can work its magic during the day, you’ll need something to supplement as the evening starts to wane.

You can avoid the instability of standing light fixtures and the clutter of more overhead lights by investing in a fan with a central ceiling light.

This can open up a whole new world of usability in the evening and night hours, and effect of air circulation on pests will help counteract the issue of drawing bugs to the light that you might suffer with many other light fixtures. 

Outdoor resilience

Most indoor ceiling fans would have difficulty holding up to the elements, but many outdoor fans are built to weather the storms.

If a fan is damp rated, it means it can handle the moisture of being outside on a covered patio or a similar structure. You shouldn’t have to worry about minor water damage or issues like the blades warping.

However, for a more fully exposed outdoor area, it’s best to look into wet rated fans, which are properly waterproofed to withstand rain in the environment.

Normal environmental conditions shouldn’t cause damage to the motor or tarnishing of metals with proper wet rated fans.

No matter what the purpose, an outdoor ceiling fan brings an enormous amount of value to the table.

If you’re designing or remodeling a space like a patio or porch, be sure to think about how you could naturally incorporate a fan.

You might be surprised by just how much it can transform an area!

Guest Post by Andrea Estrada

If you are serious about buying a new dream house for you and your family, then you have to be extra careful before you put pen to paper.

For all you know, your dream house may turn out to be a complete lemon – beautiful on the outside, but a total wreck on the inside. . . . and because of that mistake, you’re the one who’s going to be paying for all the pending issues.

We understand how badly you and your family want to get into a new house but it’s not worth it if you’re going to end up being worse off financially.

So to ensure you don’t regret purchasing your new house, it’s highly recommend you inspect the home more diligently to look out for any lingering issues that need fixing or addressing. 

To help you out, we have put together a new house checklist highlighting some of the common issues that you should be wary of before buying.

Warning Signs Before Buying a New House

Problematic Construction

This is one of the more prominent issues that can, sometimes be determined with your own two eyes.

It’s not that easy to notice at first glance or from afar.

That’s why we suggest inspecting things up close to ensure there isn’t anything unusual with the walls like holes, cracks, or flaking paint. 

Sometimes, such structural issues can be very well hidden by home sellers to sweeten the deal to their clients.

You might never know when the problem isn’t obviously visible until and unless rain starts pouring down, a friendly neighborhood electrician comes in for a checkup, or a family member who works in construction notices something peculiar.

So before someone else’s problems become your own, wouldn’t it be better to get a proper inspection of the place done before officially committing to a deal?

If you don’t want to take any chances, you can hire a professional house inspector to browse around right in front of you and ensure everything in good condition.

Will Local Projects Affect the Home

You should also look into the construction of infrastructure around your home.

For those living in Australia, learn more about the various projects underway in your home area.

Noise and extra traffic for these projects may negatively impact your home’s value.

You can get a renowned, professional real estate agent to guide you over the process, giving you particular advice for the area where your new house is located.

Water Damage

Like construction, water damage can be, at times, easy to spot – like when you see a dark ring on the floor or the ceiling – and sometimes not.

Be sure to check for tiny cracks in the ceiling, some missing tiles from the bathroom, peeled off or bubbling paint.

These are obvious indicators of leaks from bathrooms, sinks, the roof, and other places.

If a simple repair is all it takes, then there’s nothing to worry about.

However, we implore you to pay extra heed to water damages and do not leave them up to chance as it could lead to bigger potential issues later on.

For instance, if the ceiling or the tub has been leaking for a while, it could result in grandiose structural problems.

Burning Smells

Another critical aspect of the ‘moving into a new house checklist’ is looking for burning smells.

Aire Serv owner Richard Ciresi says that some burning smells are quite common and harmless, especially when we turn on the heat, but others can be a lot more concerning.

For instance, a burning smell coming from the heater could suggest that the blower motor might have overheated due to frayed electrical wiring or mechanical issues. 

Other smells that we should be wary of are gunpowder-type odors from a fried motor fan or circuit board.

Any nasty smells coming from AC vents could mean that the unit’s wire insulation has fried.

Ciresi says that other types of burning heater aromas are not only possibly hazardous, but also quite expensive to repair, and require a professional heating technician to have a look.

The Roof

Usually, roofs are well maintained and can last at least 30 or more years – but those with tiles that are in poor condition or have been poorly installed could need to be replaced sooner than you expect.

If you notice the roof in such a condition, ask the seller how old the roof actually is.

You must also have the gutters inspected to ensure the drainage systems are in proper working condition.

Besides that, keep a sharp eye out for dry rot – usually the result of poor ventilation – that leads to crumbling and sagging.

Some cracks or damaged tiles may be visible from the ground, but it may be more feasible to have a professional roofer perform an inspection either while the offer is being made by the seller or during contract negotiations. 

But if the seller has already performed an inspection of the house before putting it up for sale, then ask them to review it in front of you.

Flood Zone

Another crucial aspect of moving into a new house checklist is checking to see if your new property is located in a flood zone.

Perhaps a picturesque waterfront view could serve as a unique selling point for a new house, but if that house is in a flood zone, then you could be facing a slew of problems over the course of your stay.

Unfortunately, many homeowners’ insurance policies don’t factor flooding as part of their plans and your bank probably might also ask you to invest in a flood insurance policy over the home insurance that you already have. 

Depending on the flood zone, insurance premiums can cost somewhere between hundreds or perhaps even thousands of dollars a year.