Negative Impacts of Dirty Air Filters

Have you ever had a dull, stuffy headache that just won’t go away? Are things in your home not smelling quite right? These could be signs of air quality issues caused by dirty air filters. Dirty air filters can cause serious health and maintenance problems in your home, but they’ve often overlooked contributions to indoor air pollution and other consequences.

Keep reading as we discuss the negative impacts of forgetting to replace or clean dirty air filters!

Effects of Dirty Air Filters  Energy Inefficiency 

A dirty air filter restricts airflow through your HVAC system, which reduces its efficiency and causes it to work harder than necessary. As a result, your utility bills will skyrocket as your HVAC is forced to consume more energy to adequately heat or cool your home. On top of that, the extra strain adds strain to your HVAC system and shortens its lifespan. 

Poor Air Quality … read more

What Size Furnace Do I Need?

What size furnace do I need?

What size furnace do I need? First, you need to determine the square footage of your home. To determine how big of a furnace you need, measure the length and width of each room in your home and multiply those measurements to determine the square footage of the house. Adjust your measurements accordingly since most furnace size charts assume the ceiling height to be eight feet. You should also not include rooms without ductwork or a sunroom.

Calculating the BTU output needed for your climate in the winter

To calculate the BTU output needed for your climate in winter, you must know its zone. For instance, the southern climate zone requires around 30 to 40 BTU per square foot of floor. You need about 40 to 45 BTU per square foot in the middle climate zone. In the northern climate zone, you need up to 60 BTU per square foot … read more

Does Air Pollution Cause Mental Health Issues?

According to a recently published study, evidence has been unearthed linking air pollution to mental health conditions. However, there isn’t much clarity on whether and how our brains are affected by pollution.

What discoveries have been made by this new study?

Researchers have identified a strong correlation between poor air quality and increased rates of major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder as well as personality disorders. This was from data analyzed from 151 million individuals in the United States and 1.4 million individuals in Denmark. This points out a link but doesn’t certainly imply that these conditions are caused by pollution.

Is the link between these conditions and pollution strong?

It was realized that air quality was the second strongest predictor that led to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Air quality followed ethnicity which was the strongest predictor. This was uncovered when health insurance claims in the United States were … read more

What Appliances Should You Be Buying Warranties For?

Allstar Appliance Repair BirminghamIt’s your right to be worried about what warranties you are buying. The horror stories told by HVAC companies are all true. In most cases, all that you are actually purchasing is just a piece of paper.

However, in some cases, a warranty is one of the smarter purchases as some appliances are generally known for breaking down within 5 years.

Here we will discuss the right way to purchase a warranty. We will also let you know about the appliances that are the most commonly repaired, and the ones that cost the most to fix. We have on average 25 technicians in 8 to 12 homes on a daily basis, so our understanding of repairs is better than most.

But to begin with, we need to give you a bit of a perspective.

My 30 Years Involved in Not Selling And Selling Warranties

31 years back we were not … read more

Steps to Unclogging Your Clogged Kitchen Sink

Your kitchen sink is one of the highest traffic areas in your house. You prepare meals there, wash dishes, get water for cleaning and a host of other tasks involve the sink. Well it’s no wonder then that from time to time your kitchen sink drain will slow down or become completely clogged. If that happens, here are the steps to get the problem of your clogged kitchen sink resolved so you don’t have to call a plumbing professional.

Step 1 – Try using hot water to free the clog

If you are like most people you may not take the time to always put your cooking grease into a container and then put it in the trash. It is so convenient to just run hot water and let that goo go down the drain; the problem is that grease turns back into a solid almost the minute it hits … read more

Problems with High Humidity

High humidity can actually make us feel either hot and sticky or cool and sticky especially during the warm summer months. Moreover, it gives off a distinctive odor in your home. When we cut down the air temperature and invest in cooling to fight off that “sticky” feeling, the results can be “cold and sodden.”

Most of us think high humidity only happens during summer but the most critical times of the year where the high humidity becomes an issue is during spring and fall when temperatures are more or less stable (times when cooling is not required) and outside humidity levels are high.

Indoor humidity can’t be sufficiently or adequately controlled with a ventilation system/cooling system alone. While various people assume that modifying the indoor controller makes the system work better, it is actually the other way around, contrary to popular belief. Modifying the indoor controller without understanding how … read more

Pet Dander – Indoor Air Quality Disturbance

Healthy Air Quality Tips

A lot of people have pets as their companions at home and some even treat them as their own children whom they love so much and cannot live without. These pets are not only mere animals who accompany them but they are a big part of the lives of many animal lovers. They may even have their own private spaces in certain parts of the house, so they don’t feel like an outsider.

Related: Problems with high humidity

Most pets like dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and even mice have furs which make them extra cute, extra fluffy and extra lovable and huggable. Due to their fluffiness, their owners can’t resist to hug them all the time. However, excessive fur circulating in the house may be an allergen to some and cause people with sensitivities to get sick. Guests with allergies may not be too eager … read more

How To Reduce Indoor Air Pollution

You can no longer ignore the fact that more people prefer to stay indoors now. Why go outside if you can accomplish the same things, if not more, from the comforts of your own home. You can study or work, connect with family, friends, and colleagues, shop, or just about everything as long as you have a great Internet connection and a computer or a smart device. The hours will just pass by and you won’t even notice it. There is even no such thing as the word “boring” anymore because there are countless things you can do on your own.

See https://furnace-repair-etobicoke.ca for more valuable HVAC information.

Homeowners make it their business to clean their homes at all times because it is where their loved ones stay but no matter how meticulous you are in cleaning, hidden dirt will be there. These pathogens and allergens are just … read more

Warm and Clean by Pumping the Heat!

Temperatures rise and fall, they vary and change over time and seasons. It is never constant, and so heat pumps are created to adapt to these changes in the surroundings. They were made to regulate the environment indoors and outdoors. Its purpose is to maintain the balance that the human body needs despite the changing temperatures. Not to mention, it is energy efficient and could be considered as an energy-saving alternative too.

Humidity in your homes actually plays bigger roles than you think. They can affect your comfort in ways that you wouldn’t normally believe. A lot of people may feel annoyed with how Florida’s temperatures constantly rise and fall especially how humid it is during hot summers, but humidity – although annoying- can be advantageous to us especially during the winter season. The humidity changes and drops during the cooler times of the year make the atmosphere colder. You … read more

A Guide to How a Split Air Conditioner Works

Just as the heating of a home is necessary during colder months, an air conditioning system is needed during the warmer months.  While warmer air can be enjoyable after very cold temperatures, increased temperatures can cause discomfort and higher levels of humidity.  To manage these issues, it is recommended that you install an air conditioning system known as a split air conditioner.

The split air conditioner is unique in that it separates the temperature from the humidity during operation.  It presents as two different units with an indoor and outdoor part.  The indoor item has a blower with evaporation and the outdoor item consists of compressors and condenser coils.  Despite being separate, these two units do work together to provide effective cooling.  This article will provide some information on how they do this.

The Parts of the Split Air Conditioner

Similar to all other air conditioning systems, the split air … read more

Keeping Your Air Conditioning System Purring

Air Conditioning

When you turn on the AC for the first time this season, make sure you are getting maximum efficiency comfort. The following steps will make sure that you can enjoy a cool house for years to come.

One of the easiest ways to ensure an efficiently purring air conditioner is by swapping out to a new air filter regularly. Go ahead and check it every month. This way you can determine how often you need to change the filter. Some households only require twice yearly while others may involve more frequent monthly changes.

Even if it does not require replacement, cleaning the air filter quarterly is one way to keep it clean in the meantime, between replacements. Dirt is the arch nemesis of your air conditioning and your heating system. When particles get into the heater it forces your machine to work a lot harder. The added dirt costs more … read more

Improving Your Insulation Is the Key to Lower HVAC Bills

In most Canadian homes, heating and air conditioning are the leading power consumers.  This is hard for a cash-strapped homeowner to swallow, but the simple fact of the matter is that keeping the home at a comfortable temperature is an absolute necessity for most parts of the year. That doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about high energy bills, though! Making sure your home has the insulation it needs is a great way to keep your power consumption down to a minimum.

Are You Wasting Your HVAC Power?

There’s no sensible reason to spend money heating or cooling air if you’re going to let it escape from your home, is there? The power that you use up conditioning air is simply wasted when that air slips away through cracks and holes. Insulation is an easy solution to this problem: It keeps your treated air — and your heating money … read more

Resolving Heating Disputes with Your Family Members

HVAC Problems

It’s sad, but it’s true – not all of those who share a home have similar room temperatures. Worse yet, oftentimes, a minor disagreement with a roommate or family member over heat can turn into serious, full-fledged arguments. There are ways to deal with heating disputes, however, so instead of living in constant conflict, read on and check out these heating tips on how to find solutions which will leave everyone happy when heating your home.

Avoid Stress In Your Relationship

Conflict over temperature indoors tends to pop up along gender lines – women tend to have a slower metabolic rate than men, making them feel more cold (according to a recent study, frigid air conditioned offices are designed to accommodate preferences of men, leaving a company’s female employees shivering in the middle of the summer). Noone wants to deal with domestic stress due to an argument over air conditioning … read more

Go Online to Learn More About Your HVAC

Is your HVAC system giving you problems? Do you know what to do to fix the issue? Because problems with your heating and air conditioning system can crop up seemingly overnight, it is a good idea to have an HVAC and plumbing company that you can call in a pinch. However, the reality is that most people don’t have a company that they can call when things go wrong. They may not have thought to establish a relationship ahead of time or they may not have a reliable company in mind. If you are searching for a technician to fix your system, go online. It is the best place to find information related to your HVAC system unit.

How The Internet Can Help

Before the Internet, there were several ways you could go about hiring a technician. It was very important to get recommendations from friends and family members, and … read more