Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for December, 2011

Dangers of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Monday, December 12th, 2011

We’ve been lucky not to have too severe of a winter so far! Don’t push your luck with your family’s safety though – make sure you have functioning carbon monoxide detectors that are less than 3 years old and make sure they have fresh batteries.

Click here for a news article on the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

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How Often Should You Change Your Filter?

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

The age old Filter Dilemma – How often should it be changed and what’s the best type of filter?

Most filter manufacturers recommend that filters should be cleaned or replaced once a month (some special filters may vary in length of time between replacing), however the best recommendation is to start with changing your filters once per month and inspect them.  If they are pretty clean then try going two months and so on until you find the filter frequency that is best for your home.  Make sure to always replace your filter with the same size as the original to filter ALL of the airflow and don’t let air go over the top of or behind an improperly sized filter – it will cause big problems down the road.

The best type of filter for your home is a big misconception.  Higher priced filters don’t necessarily mean better.  The expensive pleated (accordion looking) filters at the big box stores may do a halfway decent job at filtering your air, but they also restrict your airflow by a lot.  This causes your system to work much harder and can measurably reduce the amount of airflow (and comfort) your system can deliver.  This will also increase your utility bills and reduce the expected life of your equipment.  The filter’s job is to extend the life of your furnace by keeping it clean, and an expensive (but restrictive) filter can actually do the opposite.  The best filter for the efficiency, comfort, and long term reliability of your system is a low resistance fiberglass filter!  If you want to improve your air quality do so with high performance filters that also have low resistance to airflow!

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2nd Annual Share with Shavitz Food Drive

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

We are in the midst of our 2nd annual Share with Shavitz Food Drive.  Since the economic downturn, food pantries have seen an increased need but dwindling supplies.  Our local Niles Township Food Pantry is struggling to meet the needs of the community and serves 3000 hardworking people each month.  Your help is much appreciated and makes a difference!

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