The Comfortable Blog

Breathe easier with duct cleaning!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:41:00 GMT

Over the years, I’ve seen an increase in concern over indoor air quality… people combating breathing problems or other allergy-related issues in their homes. Of course, you should talk to your HVAC professional about air filtration systems, HEPA filters and other devices that will reduce the dust, dander and allergens in your home. But in addition to good quality filtration, you should also consider duct cleaning!

HVAC equipment and air ducts collect dust, pet hair and dander and, yes, even debris like toys, pet food, socks and other strange items. Your ducts are long tubes that direct air through the walls of your home and into the rooms. Just imagine if you had never dusted your home! Well that’s what the inside of your ducts look like if you’ve never had them cleaned. What can be even more distrubing is that it may not even be your dirt, unless you have lived in the house since it was built. Yuck!

You should shop around and ask questions before scheduling a duct cleaning, and always require a duct inspection before and after for comparison. Some companies use a hose attached to an extremely powerful vacuum that sucks dust out of your ducts into a truck outside your home. Others use smaller, portable vacuums that are brought into the house. Make sure any vacuum system that is brought in the home has a HEPA filter on it, and look for contractors that use a vacuum system combined with a rotary brush or high pressure air hoses with special nozzles to loosen the debris.

Before you hire a contractor, be sure that he explains to you how he is going to clean your entire system and not just your ducts. Duct cleaning should include the entire furnace system, including the blower, heat exchangers, cooling coils and condensate pan. If any of these parts are missed, dust, mildew and contaminants can recontaminate your whole system. If the duct cleaning contractor does not work on HVAC equipment too, ask your HVAC contractor to perform an inspection as close to the duct cleaning as possible.

Left uncleaned, HVAC eqiupment and air ducts breed mold and mildew, so don’t underestimate the importance of cleaning them. Removing these allergens from your ducts will prevent them from circulating in your house and will help you breathe easier. Inspecting them regularly, and cleaning and sanitizing them as needed, is an important aspect of your home maintenance.

If you really want to do your homework, check out www.nadca.com.

“Today, I am thankful for heat”

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:23:00 GMT

What a difference a couple of months can make! Not only is the weather getting cooler here in Indiana, but we have a new baby at our house, which really puts things into perspective! As a mom of two now, I’m more aware than ever about creating a safe, comfortable environment for my two boys to grow up in.

I know that new moms are especially reflective, so don’t laugh… but I was touched by the simplicity of this blog post from Amanda, who writes The Towne House from Rhode Island, in which she said:

“Today, I am thankful for HEAT. We wait until November 1st to put our heat on (mostly–I cheated the other day) –there isn’t any reason not to pile on a sweatshirt or blanket when the weather isn’t *too* cold.

And it is SO nice to just turn a dial and have heat. We’ve vacuumed out most of the baseboards (just the living room to do), and I can smell that “just turned the heat on” smell, and I’m just so grateful to live in a home where the heat works, and I’m grateful that we were able to put oil in the tank 2 weeks ago.”

Since I work for Genteq, this really resonated with me. Heat! This is something that we really take for granted, and most of us don’t even realize how sophisticated our heating systems have become. Life would be a whole lot different if we turned back the clock even 50 years and had to shovel coal into furnaces in our cellars!

So when you’re giving thanks this month, be aware of the special blessing of heat, which is truly a luxury. It allows your little boys to roughhouse comfortably in your family room and keeps your pipes from freezing. And have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Getting ready for winter… a simple furnace test

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:34:00 GMT

Have you taken the big step of turning on your furnace yet?! Of course, it depends on whether you live in Florida or the chilly northern reaches of the U.S., but aren’t you glad for the coolness of fall?

Some TLC for your furnace: Think Safety!
Turning on your furnace for the first time should require a bit more forethought than just flipping the thermostat to “heat.” Turning on your furnace for the first time in months can be a shock after months of inactivity, so don’t wait until it’s freezing outside to turn on your furnace for the first time.

Let me give you some pointers on giving your furnace a little TLC before you head into the cold of winter.

The sniff test

When you first turn on your furnace, stop and sniff. It is normal to smell the burners igniting for the first time. You should be concerned if this odor is strong or lasts more than a few moments, though. Although rare, it is possible for the igniter in your furnace to cause a fire, so it is wise to be mindful of that possibility.

How does it sound?

Listen to your furnace as it begins working for the first time. You have the advantage of not having heard it for many months, so now is a good time to listen for unusual noises. Does the system seem to be struggling? Is it noisier than you remember? These could be signs that your system needs a tune-up.

Check for carbon monoxide emissions

As your system is getting started for a new season, take the time to check your carbon monoxide reading (you do have a carbon monoxide detector, right?). Carbon monoxide is odorless and deadly, so take any alarms from your detector or readings over 30 very seriously – clear the house, open the windows and call your NATE-certified service technician immediately.

Of course, this checklist can’t replace a check-up by a qualified service technician. It’s like the difference between exercising and eating right, and going for an annual physical – like a doctor, your service tech will be able to diagnose long-term issues and prevent serious breakdowns from occurring.

Take good care of your furnace! As I mentioned in a previous blog, a little TLC now could prevent a big problem down the road.

With a furnace house-call, it’s all the little things that matter

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:45:00 GMT

It’s been a season of change at our house… a new baby, a new big brother, and that wonderful fall feeling in the air. This has been a great time for me to focus on some of the house-related things that get overlooked, and one of those has been scheduling an annual furnace check-up with Gerald.

Let me tell you why I love Gerald, my favorite heating and cooling technician. We’ve had to call him a couple times in the past year about A/C issues and some other stuff (read through my previous blogs for the back-story here!), and he’s always been very professional with me, and also honest when he’s had to deliver bad news. But I’m learning that it’s the little courtesies that make a really good HVAC technician.

Not only did Gerald arrive on time for my appointment, but he even called me 15 minutes beforehand to let me know he was on the way. When he arrived, he pulled booties from his pocket to wear over his work shoes, asked me if I had any concerns that I wanted to discuss, and then spent about 20 minutes giving our furnace the once-over.

Thankfully, the news was good. A quick cleaning and he said we’re good to go for another season. He even took time to pet my cat.

Working for Genteq, I hear a lot about how motors and furnaces work, but it’s good for me to spend time interacting with the technicians that do the work. Aside from the above-mentioned items, three things really stood out about Gerald’s visit:

Even though I was dressed in slippers and sweats, he was respectful of me as the homeowner.
He didn’t try to up-sell me.
He didn’t call me honey.

Every visit from Gerald has included these same qualities. It’s obvious that his company has trained him well and that customer service is really important to them. They’ll definitely be getting our business again in the future. But hopefully not too soon!

Why’s it so stinking hot upstairs?!

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:26:00 GMT

Although the weather is cooling off, we still get a lot of customers wanting to know why their home’s upstairs is so warm. So, I wanted to explain some things I’ve learned at Genteq about why your upstairs is warmer than the downstairs, especially when it's warm and your A/C is running.

Even if you have a central air system, your home may still be warmer upstairs than it is downstairs because heat rises. Your thermostat is most likely downstairs, so the part of your home near the thermostat is being kept at your specified temperature. Upstairs, which is far from the thermostat, isn’t getting to that temperature because the cool air that reaches the upstairs is being diluted by the hot air that’s already there.

Maybe you’ve tried closing all the downstairs vents in an attempt to force all the cold air upstairs. All that does is make your system work really hard… and it also causes your downstairs vents to whistle. Don’t do that.

Here’s a solution that’s simple and revolutionary: did you know it’s possible to have multiple thermostats in your home?! It’s called a zoning control system, and it lets you control the temperature in your home zone by zone. Having multiple thermostats monitoring the temperatures throughout the house helps you achieve the even, comfortable air temps you want.

Of course, you should go over the specifics of your house with your own HVAC tech. You may have issues with your duct sizes or something else that’s preventing cool air from reaching your upstairs. But be sure to bring up the topic of a zoning system. I predict that you’ll be happy with the results!

Baby your furnace. You can thank me now, or you can pay me later!

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:32:00 GMT

You know you should, but somehow you never get around to it. Having your furnace inspected, that is! Unfortunately, if you have one of those “if-it-ain’t-broke, don’t-fix-it” mentalities, it could cost you a lot of money.

A furnace tune-up is all about longevity, reliability and safety. A good quality, expertly maintained system should last up to 20 years (depending on regional usage). But just like cars, they do need maintenance and inspection if you want them to last.

Of course, a key component of any maintenance program is preventing future failure. It’s just like having your car serviced, when the mechanic shows you how much life is left in your air filter, spark plugs, etc. The same is true with your furnace – a good technician will do a thorough system inspection and let you know which parts are showing wear and may need replacement. Making repairs early can save you a fortune over replacing your entire system down the road because you didn’t maintain it properly!

You can trust recommendations made by a NATE-certified technician. NATE (short for North American Technician Excellence) is an independent organization that certifies heating and cooling technicians. Professional heating and cooling companies will insist that their technicians are NATE-certified, and they will provide you with an honest assessment of your system to ensure that your furnace is safe and running properly. You can find NATE-certified contractors in your area by entering your ZIP code at GenteqComfort.com.

Just remember that you play the key role in keeping your furnace fit and safe. It’s very important to change your air filter as recommended, keep air vents clear of obstructions, install and maintain a good quality CO detector and schedule annual maintenance. All these things will work together to ensure that your system operates well for many years.

We need a new WHAT?

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:45:00 GMT

This is about our fifteenth 90+ degree day in a row, and we have been miserable because our house is so stinking hot! We set our thermostat at 72 degrees, and even though our air conditioner seems to chug non-stop, the indoor temperature reads 80.

You will remember that I have not magically developed an intuition about our HVAC system, in spite of working alongside the brilliant minds at Genteq. Nevertheless, I figured that we just needed more refrigerant, so I called my HVAC guy, Gerald. He wasn’t there long before he dropped the bomb on Guy and me: our A/C unit is too small for our house.

What!? How’s that for a shocker?

According to Gerald, this isn’t an uncommon situation. Builders put in whatever is cheap, not taking into account all the factors they should. Homeowners may not realize for years that their unit is inefficient or not cooling their house well until they hit a long spell of super-hot days, like we’re seeing now.

We’re not happy homeowners right now. It looks like we have three options:

1. Upgrade to an air conditioner that is adequate for the size of our house. We hadn’t budgeted for that.

2. Limp along with our current unit, knowing that the heat wave will eventually break.

3. Open the windows and get out the fans.

We’re chalking this up to another home maintenance lesson learned the old-fashioned way. I advise you to have that annual A/C check-up so that your technician can assess your entire system top to bottom. You may just avoid a shocking surprise.

Set it and forget it! Save money on your energy bill and keep your house comfortable

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:24:00 GMT

Last month I blogged about installing a zoning control system in your home so that you can keep the temperature steady throughout the house. I want to talk more about managing your home’s air temperature, because you can realize energy savings with some simple changes.

Today’s thermostats are pretty sophisticated, and you can program them to raise and lower the temperature throughout your house. Most homeowners just keep their thermostat at one temperature, whether they’re home or not. If you think about it, cooling your home to 75 degrees all day while you’re at work isn’t an efficient use of your money. Some people manually change their systems when they leave for work, but then come home to a sweltering house that can take hours to cool down.

A programmable thermostat is a good solution. You program it to a comfortable setting when you're at home, and then you can adjust it to a higher temperature when you are at work. Before you return home, the system will kick in to return the temperature to your ideal setting. If you like your indoor temperature to be 78 degrees in the summer, I’d recommend programming the thermostat to 82-84 degrees while you’re gone during the day. It will save you money by raising the temperature that your A/C is working toward without making the house so hot that it burdens the A/C to cool things down at the end of the day.

You can make similar adjustments in the winter, if you like the house cooler while you sleep. Or when you are gone for vacation.

Talk to your contractor about how a programmable thermostat would work in your house. A thermostat is an inexpensive component that will start saving you money right away.

Set it and forget it! Save money on your energy bill and keep your house comfortable

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:24:00 GMT

A programmable thermostat is a good solution. You program it to a comfortable setting when you're at home, and then you can adjust it to a higher temperature when you are at work. Before you return home, the system will kick in to return the temperature to your ideal setting. If you like your indoor temperature to be 78 degrees in the summer, I’d recommend programming the thermostat to 82-84 degrees while you’re gone during the day. It will save you money by raising the temperature that your A/C is working toward without making the house so hot that it burdens the A/C to cool things down at the end of the day.

You can make similar adjustments in the winter, if you like the house cooler while you sleep. Or when you are gone for vacation.

Talk to your contractor about how a programmable thermostat would work in your house. A thermostat is an inexpensive component that will start saving you money right away.

Take care of the basics… and enjoy your summer!

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:43:00 GMT

Since I work for Genteq, you’d think I would know basic stuff about how my home’s A/C system works. At least that’s what my husband thinks. But what happened last week just goes to show that I’m not picking up A/C maintenance tips by osmosis.

We had been enjoying having our windows open quite a bit – the days were breezy and the nights were even chilly. Then last week, the humidity came back, so we closed up the house and turned on the air conditioning. And nothing happened.

This sort of thing gets Guy pretty perplexed. He thinks I should automatically know why the cold air isn’t blowing, even though we can hear the A/C unit working outside.

Well, the truth is, I had no immediate idea what was wrong. But I did know what to do: call Gerald, the best HVAC contractor in the world! As luck would have it, I was calling late in the day and Gerald was all backed up. But I think Gerald’s dispatcher heard the urgency in my voice, so she said, “Have you changed your filter lately? You know, if you’re not feeling any air flow, it could just be a clogged air filter.”

This is the point where I felt very much embarrassed! I know that changing your air filter is like Home Maintenance 101. SO BASIC. But, of course, ours hadn’t been changed since the new year. We all have good intentions at the start of the new year – keep the house clean, loose 10 pounds, give more to charity, stop chewing on pens AND remember to change your furnace filter every month! So I sent Guy to the hardware store and replaced our dingy, crud-filled air filter with a new one. And wouldn’t you know it, that did the trick!

Is it really that easy? Truthfully, yes it is. As a result of this latest panic, I’ve set a reminder on my smart phone for the first of each month to change our filter. It’s a pretty inexpensive way to save my sanity and my marriage. I’d much rather spend my time enjoying summer with Guy and our two-year-old. I only need to remember to change one of their “filters!”

Say “so-long” to hot and cold spots

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:00:00 GMT

One of the most common complaints I hear from homeowners is about uneven temperatures throughout the house. One room or one level is always too cold or too hot depending on the season and the time of day.

The explanation for this is simple for most homes: you only have one thermostat controlling your whole house. That would be like having one light switch for your whole house! As logic would have it, the room where the thermostat is located is always comfortable, whereas other rooms may not be due to factors like drafts, the number of windows or inadequate ductwork.

This is an issue that can be easily remedied by installing a zoning system, which places multiple thermostats throughout your home. Each thermostat monitors the temperature in its individual zone, so it can be heated or cooled as needed.

Installing a zoning system is an easy fix that will keep your home more evenly comfortable. Ask your contractor to help you assess your home and recommend a zoning system that will work for your family.

Don't assume the worst!

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:23:00 GMT

Here in Indiana, summer has been a long time coming. And it seems like it went from turtleneck weather to sticky and humid overnight. We didn’t even get to ease into spring or anything before it was time to turn on the A/C. So you can imagine how ticked I was when we got home from Guy’s softball game the other night and discovered that the A/C wasn’t working!!! We were both thinking “new air conditioner.”

Of course, since I work for Genteq, Guy thinks I should know everything about the air conditioner and the furnace. So I called Gerald, the best HVAC contractor in the world (…that’s another blog post altogether).

After one hot and sticky night using window fans, I was willing to pay whatever it cost to get some A/C going in our house. Gerald gave me the best news ever: we didn’t need to replace our A/C unit after all. We just had a bad capacitor.

So let me save you a few gray hairs down the road – the more you know about how your home works, the better, right? A capacitor is like a battery. It holds a charge and helps the motors in your air conditioner work properly. Capacitors do wear out, but they’re fairly inexpensive to replace, so no sweat!

The moral here is: Don’t assume the worst! I felt like a hero when I called Guy. Another marital hurdle jumped. Cool days ahead!

#1 Secret for finding a great heating/cooling expert

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:01:00 GMT

Did I get your attention? Good, because this is an easy one!

The best way to find a well-trained professional to take care of your furnace and air conditioner is to ask whether contractors are certified by NATE (short for North American Technician Excellence). NATE certification is voluntary, so contractors who are NATE-certified have demonstrated both their professionalism and their knowledge of today’s sophisticated heating and cooling systems by passing specialized testing. It’s like an HVAC technician’s degree, which covers not only theory but also practical knowledge from field experience.

Unfortunately, there is no national certification required in the heating and cooling industry; certification is determined state by state. In some states, that may mean that as few as one person in the company is required to have a contractor’s license. Outside of a contractor’s license, in almost all states there is no certification requirement to be an HVAC technician.

What this should tell you is that anybody who takes steps to acquire certification through an independent organization like NATE is serious about his or her profession.

So, the next time you’re looking through the Yellow Pages or asking around, trying to find someone to help with your air conditioner, a good place to start is with NATE. The NATE web site www.hvacradvice.com has a contractor locator where you can input your ZIP code and locate NATE-certified professionals close to you.

Shut the front door! (and other tips for saving energy)

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:01:00 GMT

Do ever feel like you should just install a revolving door at your house? Between kids and their BFFs, one door or another at my house seems to be open more often than not.

Don’t get me wrong… my wife and I love all the coming and going that goes with kids. We wouldn’t trade the commotion of being the neighborhood hang-out! So maybe I’m too vigilant (no need to ask my wife on this one…), but I just see money flying out the door whenever the kids leave it open.

OK, sure, home energy efficiency is my job! It’s just instinct for me to help people save money. And leaving your front door hanging wide open is a sure gut-buster on your energy bill.

So, as summer approaches, we’re going to try yet again to enforce the door closing policy. It really does make a huge difference both on the comfort level of your home and on your energy bill. I want to share some other simple energy-saving tips you can do in your own home.

Shut the front door!
Turn off lights when you leave a room.
Replace standard light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.
Clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator twice a year – this will make your refrigerator work more efficiently, extend its life, and can save you up to 6% on your energy bills.
Seal older windows inside and out – it’s really not hard, and your local hardware store will have experts who can talk you through it.
Schedule an inspection for cleaning of your home’s vents and ducts – this prevents dust and grime from hampering furnace performance.
Wash and dry full loads of clothes rather than doing partial loads.
Turn off appliances like TVs, computers and radios when no one is around.
Schedule regular maintenance on your heating and cooling system.
Upgrade to an energy-saving heating and cooling system.
Even though many of these are really obvious, sometimes it’s helpful to have a reminder.

Now get busy and start saving some $!

Down with draftiness!

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:00:00 GMT

In an earlier blog, I talked about how common it is for people to put up with noisy furnaces. Today’s topic is along those same lines… I’m astounded by the number of people who tolerate homes where one room is always hot or another is always drafty. They just think that’s the way houses are. They don’t know any different.

I realize that heating and cooling updates are not on most people’s reading lists. We tend to go with the flow of what we know until we’re challenged or someone makes us aware of something different.

Well guess what, folks! I’m here to challenge and educate you! I’ll start by filling you in on a secret: it is not “normal” for houses to be drafty! Home heating and A/C today is much more sophisticated and effective than it was when we were growing up in apartments and old houses where the temperatures fluctuated 10 degrees from room to room. No more! Don’t settle for drafty!

Imagine what a difference it would make if you could actually control the heat in each room separately. Well you can! Your contractor can install a zoning control system that will put separate thermostats in however many zones of your home you’d like. That way, you can control your upstairs, the south-facing room that always gets hot, the family room with the fireplace, and your kitchen all separately. Typically, the room with the thermostat is the most comfortable, but a zoning control system allows you keep all your rooms comfortable.

It’s a whole new way of thinking, isn’t it? Talk to your contractor about adding a zoning system to your home. You’ll be a believer.

Listen… is your furnace running?

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:06:00 GMT

Even though I’ve been doing this for years, I’m still amazed how many people live with noise. They just don’t know anything different.

I’m talking about furnaces, of course. (I tend to think about furnaces a lot.) People get used to the sound of their furnace jolting on, just like they become accustomed to the sounds of their refrigerator or their sump pump or garage door opener. It becomes background noise, and they just tune it out.

People just take noise for granted, but isn’t peace and quiet nicer? More often than not, when I install a high-efficiency furnace with an ECM motor for a homeowner, they comment on how quiet it is! In fact, sometimes they call to ask me if it’s even running because they can’t hear it. Well the good news is that the high-tech Genteq motors in new furnaces are designed to be ultra-quiet. They run at low speed all the time, and gently ramp up to high speed when the thermostat dictates. This is high efficiency at its best, and there’s no more clunking or bursts of air when the furnace turns on.

A noisy furnace isn’t the end of the world. But the new technologies available today provide better efficiency and better quality of life. It’s time to stop settling for what you’ve always known!