Ways To Banish The Stuffy Air During Summer

What does it mean when your house feels stuffy and stale during the shifting seasons? It might be down to a single cause or a mix of things. Allergies often play a role, and low humidity does not help; stuffiness may also show a need for maintenance of your heating and cooling system or cleaning of the duct. Although homeowners have a choice to work on some essential steps to banish the stuffy air during the summer for good.

When does your house start feeling stuffy?

Here are some general reasons that prompt the stuffiness in your home.
1. For the first time in months, you switched on your Air Conditioner.

2. When plants release pollen and leaves start fluttering to the ground.

3. You close the windows and until spring you keep them shut.

4. Closed windows with issues in furnace and ventilation system can also result in staler air.

These issues when combined together can worsen allergy symptoms. Therefore, it’s better to take appropriate precautions in advance to avoid any inconvenience in the future. Below are the points discussed that trigger the stuffiness and stale air in our homes.

1. Indoor humidity is high

It is probably one of the major reasons why your home feels stuffy during the summer. Humidity often makes the summer environment unbearable whenever it exceeds from 45-65%. The high level of humidity makes the place muggy and sticky inside. The low humidity also has worse impacts on homeowners. Air with low humidity can dry out the nasal cavity he and we become more vulnerable to the viral diseases. 

2. Air leaks:

Leaking or damaged ductwork can make the situation of stuffiness even worse. The leaks allow the air loss resulting in reducing the supply of cold air to the home. With a compromised supply of conditioned air, the indoor gives the stuffy feel.

3. Dirty Air ducts:

When the air conditioner is turned on for the first time in months, it ultimately stirs ups all the mites and microbes that were residing in the air ducts. Therefore, contaminated air ducts often initiate sneezing and other symptoms and make the air feel staler. Cleaning air ducts timely will reduce many potential problems for your home.

Once you decide to clean the air ducts, make sure to hire a professional and certified HVAC team; who has expertise in using the appropriate steps and right air cleaning equipment and ensures the problem will not elevate in future.

4. Issues in Ventilation System:

Stuffiness in homes is often due to the poor ventilation system. The poor air flow makes hard for the stale air to circulate out of our living space. The problem is more common for homeowners who don’t check up their heating and cooling system for years. The right care and maintenance make your air conditioner to deliver the desired result for the extended period of time and also increases its lifespan.

3 HVAC myths

There are a number of homeowners who once start following a HVAC myth never again revise their practice and never really try to find out if the practice they are following has some real grounds. Today, we shall learn about some commonly followed HVAC practices that are nothing more than myths.

Duct Cleaning is a DIY 

Filter cleaning is certainly a DIY but duct cleaning? Say that again? Did you say Duct Cleaning is also a DIY? Well, that is the same that a vast majority of Canadian homeowners think and as a result, try to perform the cleaning themselves instead of calling professionals. A proper Duct Cleaning requires proper equipment, professionalism and the right way so that all the dust and debris of the ductwork does not fall out into the home or does not go and stick into the system's components. In addition, getting harsh with cleaning can result in damaging the ductwork, creating a trouble of repair which could be costly depending on the damage. So DIY duct cleaning is both a bad and risky idea. If you have never taken a professional duct cleaning before, take it now and you'll know the difference between a DIY and a professional's work.

Once the ductwork is installed, it's all done, all set 

Of course, once the ductwork is installed, it is anticipated that it will provide with comfort for the years to come. But that is not always true and should not be considered so. Just like all the other components of the HVAC system need maintenance, the ductwork needs it too. Over time, it can develop holes and leaks, the material can damage or corrode, as in the case of metal sheet ductworks and foil ductworks. And other than that, there are some cases in which the ductwork installed is not the right ductwork for the type of architecture the home has or the type of system that is later installed. In the former cases; of ductwork damage, it is important to maintain the ductwork and get it repaired as soon as it develops holes and leaks. In the latter case; of the wrong duct type or in the case of upgrading the system, get the ductwork renovated accordingly.
So buddies, "ductwork once installed is an all good good", is actually not a real thing. A myth once again!

Air Filters/Purifiers purify the air completely 

As far as the common duct air filters are concerned, they are of such quality so as to only trap dust and debris and that too limited to their capability. The bacteria, viruses and other microscopic organisms never get filtered by these paper filters. The Air Purifiers that are additionally installed with the ductwork; however, do some additional work of cleaning but then their capabilities are limited as well and not all Air Purifiers are meant to serve the same purpose. While some are for smoke, others may be for odours or bacterias. Assuming that one ordinary unit completely purifies all types of indoor impurities is....a myth once again. However, there are some latest models that are multi-purpose. But those are neither cheap nor very economical for everyday use.   

Air Conditioning Health Risks - An explanation

Advancement in technology has provided us with many blessings and air conditioning is one of those discount. But it needs to be kept in mind that in order for a thing to remain fully beneficial, it is important to use it in the right manner. Air Conditioner on hand provides comfort in the summer and maintains a desirable indoor environment but on the other hand, creates some health issues as well. Here, it is needed to mention that Air Conditioning is not risky in entirety, it is just the wrong usage and wrong practices that makes it risky. So the fearsome articles on the dangers of air conditioning are of course too much of an exaggeration. This article is meant to explain the health problems associated with Air Conditioning and when and how they occur.

Health Risks associated with  Air Conditioners 

- High Humidity 

 This problem is not caused by Air Conditioner itself but the wrong usage of it or because of selecting the wrong size. In case one, running an Air Conditioner on ''On'' setting of the fan makes the fan run constantly, resulting in returning all the humid air back inwards. This raises the humidity level. The latter case is the case of wrong size AC. A very large sized AC cools the indoor quickly and trips often resulting in not allowing the system to dehumidify the air; the indoor humidity rises. As a consequence of indoor humidity, bacteria, viruses, mould and spores spread. And the mould growth can sometimes spread to such an extent that it can affect the entire building and the homeowners throughout the home.

- Low Humidity is also a problem! 

Once again, low humidity is a result of the wrong use of AC. When the system is run constantly, it dehumidifies the indoor to such an extent that the humidity does not remain desirable. Too low humidity can cause health problems like skin, eyes, throat irritation. sinus problems and other respiratory tract problems.

- Exposure to refrigerant is risky!

The exposure does not really take place as the refrigerants are too tightly contained in the lines and keep on getting used but in case of leaks, an exposure may take place. Only a few minutes of inhaling in an environment with AC refrigerant gas can result in cutting off the supply of oxygen to your cell resulting in serious health issues.

How to avoid Air Conditioning Health Problems? 

In order to make the most efficient use of HVAC appliances, the process starts right from the time of purchase. As mentioned above, even a wrong size can lead to creating health problems, it is important to seek professional suggestion when purchasing appliances. Secondly, the user guides and the do's and don'ts need to be practised seriously. An Air Conditioner should not be expected to give absolute benefit when it is run constantly, not given maintenance and operated in the wrong way. Last but not the least, the repairs should always be get done by professional technicians. Following the proper guidelines keep the health risks away.
Have you ever faced any Air Conditioning health risks? How did you cope with them?

Start Summer with these must HVAC to-do's

As HVAC professionals, we suggest homeowners to not start any season randomly and instead make necessary preparations before a season arrives. With special reference to HVAC, there are some important to-do's that need to be done as the winter starts, as the autumn begins, as the spring takes its first swing and as the hot summer kicks off. The consequence of not performing the necessary maintenance and making appliances ready is that they are put into use without proper clean and tune up which compromises their efficiency while also worsen any problems that already exist. Since Summer is on way, this blog is dedicated to the necessary Summer HVAC preparations that you, as a homeowner are supposed to do on your own particularly when you don't take a professional's help.

To do#1: Check Filters

Changing/cleaning of filters takes no more than 15-30 minutes. And yet there are a number of homeowners that don't perform this task which is meant to be performed every 3-6 months and more often in the peak seasons. Checking of your filters will tell you whether or not they need cleaning/replacement. So before you turn on your Central Air Conditioner this summer, make sure the filters are super clean and don't carry the dirt of the last season. 

To do#2 Check Coils 

The function of compressor coils is to ward off heat in order to cool the refrigerant. Just like dirty filters, a dirty condenser coil affects the indoor cooling. Dirty coils fail to expel heat and as a result, cant cool the indoors properly. Moreover, the system works harder with dirty coils which raises the energy bills too.

 To do#3 Check Refrigerant Lines 

There are possibilities that your AC's refrigerant lines could be seeking repair this summer. Refrigerant lines work as a bridge between the outdoor condenser and the inside evaporator coil. These lines are insulated with a foamy material in order to avoid heat loss. Check your refrigerant lines to see if they need repairs. If the foam is torn and the repair is minute, you can try a DIY, else a professional's help is always recommended.

To do#4 Give it a start! 

A turned off system cannot tell you about all the issues it is facing so turn the power on and start the system once you are done with all the necessary cleaning. Carefully analyse the system as it starts. Listen to the sound of the fan if its normal. Listen to any unnecessary sounds; banging, rattling etc. When you are checking the AC, it is also the time you can check your Thermostat operation. Run your AC system for some time to see if it successfully cools the indoor in the expected time.

To do# 5 Call a professional 

You don't need to call a pro if your system doesn't need any serious repairs but you seriously want to take a professional's services if there is need of serious repairs. Delaying of the needed repairs only worsen the problem. We also suggest to not try any temporary solutions as they may out your system at risk. So here's your last to do of calling a pro to make the repairs.

Have you made your Air Conditioner ready for summer? What are some of the HVAC issues that you face on a regular basis?

DIY HVAC Repair? A big NO!

Planning to perform a DIY repair? Beware beware! No matter how careful you try to act, there still remains high risks that you may, in an attempt to save some dollars, would end up inviting danger and damage to yourself and your home. There are several accidents that took place in GTA areas as a result of homeowner's attempt at DIY HVAC repair. HVAC technicians undergo training and certification tests to finally get the authorization to touch and tackle HVAC appliances. All this procedure is followed in order to provide homeowners with safe and secure HVAC services. Therefore, there remains no need to still try on DIY HVAC repairs when one is neither proficient nor certified to do so. If you wonder what worst and what least can happen if you make one such attempt, read on to explore;

- Fixing what doesn't need any fix 

O yeah! This is what you did the last time when you tried an AC DIY repair; fixed what did not require any fix. Know that HVAC repair is not simply an open, fix, close procedure. The first thing is a proper diagnosis of what actually went wrong. For example, an AC outdoor unit may be making noise and a homeowner, assuming it a consequence of loose grills may tighten them, not realizing that the sound was coming from inside of the unit. Fixing what doesn't require any fix not only keeps that problem there where it is, it also adds to the problem when another component is put into a repair need. O gosh!

- High voltage, Danger! 

HVAC appliances use high voltage electricity. The professional technicians are not only equipped with special tools to perform repairs, they also know when and when not to keep the electric supply during the repair procedure. A common homeowner does not know these details. So yes, performing DIY repairs can give you some real ''shocks''. Bad ones.

- Exposure to chemicals and gases

Did you know that HVAC chemicals and gases are sometimes are a real danger to your safety? CO leaks, for example, can cause CO poisoning leaving the homeowners dead (at the worst) or fainted (at the least). Similarly, the cooling refrigerants used in Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps can cause environmental pollution and therefore, need to be tackled carefully. Performing a DIY, you are most expected to expose yourself and the environment to hazardous chemicals and gases leaving not only yourself and your home in danger but also the people living nearby.

- Cancellation of warranties

Hey! Did you know that almost all brands void the offered warranties if their product is repaired by an unprofessional? By performing DIY repair, you actually void your own HVAC warranty which is a quite bad deal. Isn't it?

- The danger of ''Tutorials''

The DIY fever of online tutorials is creating some real dangers. There are for sure certain things that can be performed by homeowners on their own but as it comes to HVAC stuff, most of the repairs are strictly ''professionals only''. Conversely, homeowners are into a delusion that following the instructor of an online tutorial they can fix all HVAC stuff safely. The truth is; not all video instructors are authorised. And when they are authorised, they are not equally expert at explaining the stuff so you are most likely to misunderstand the instructions. Other times, you might be following a video different than the problem you are facing. The list goes on and the conclusion is; No! Following online tutorials doesn't authorise you to perform DIY repairs.

Keeping all the above-mentioned prospect dangers and damages in mind, it can thus be said that professionals are professionals and homeowners should, therefore, avoid HVAC DIY repairs. Rely on professionals! It's safe and hey! Economic too.