Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

Signs That You Should Invest in an Air Cleaner

Monday, January 9th, 2023
woman-suffering-from-dry-eyes-sinus-problems

Have you ever woken up one day and noticed that your home is particularly dusty? Maybe you can’t remember the last time you wiped down the surfaces, but it still doesn’t seem like your home should be quite this dusty. High dust levels can actually be caused by your air conditioner or heater.

And dust isn’t just an inconvenience. Dust is made up of dirt, pollen, dust mites, and many other contaminants that can impact your health. If dusting your home seems like a never-ending task, then you may need a whole house air cleaner. Learn more about the signs that an air cleaner would be a great investment for your family and home.

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The Perks of a Whole-House Humidifier Vs a Portable System

Monday, December 26th, 2022

Did you know that the humidity levels in your home have a great impact on how comfortable the air temperatures are? You may think that humidity in the air is up to fate–whatever is going on outside your home is what you have to work with inside your home. But that’s not really true.

While your HVAC system does help some to control humidity levels, it can’t add a lot of humidity into your home if there isn’t any. That’s where a whole-house humidifier comes in. If your air is too dry, it can add moisture that you so desperately need to the air. When your home reaches the desired level, the humidifier shuts off until the levels dip down again. 

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Should You Have a Steam Humidifier Installed?

Monday, November 28th, 2022

When it comes to staying warm in the winter, you want to take every action you can to maximize the warmth in your home. There are a variety of ways to increase your heater’s efficiency to lower your energy costs and feel even more comfortable on the coldest days of the season.

Did you know that a steam humidifier can help your home feel even warmer? It also offers the added benefit of improving your health at the same time. Dry air naturally feels colder than warm air, even if the temperatures are the same. If you’re interested in having a steam humidifier installed in your home, keep reading to learn more about the benefits. 

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Is Professional Duct Sealing Worth It?

Monday, June 28th, 2021
hand-applying-sealant-to-duct

In many cases, particularly in older homes with ductwork that’s just as old, it may benefit you to replace your ductwork when you get a new HVAC system. This helps your HVAC system work as effectively and efficiently as it’s meant to for years on end. But, your ductwork damage isn’t always that detrimental. Sometimes, the answer is instead duct sealing.

Duct sealing is a professional service we provide. Of course, you might be thinking, “why can’t I just use duct tape to seal my ducts?” Well unfortunately, duct tape is not appropriately named. It’s not really appropriate for problems with your air ducts after all! The reason for this is because it gets brittle and starts breaking off due to temperature fluctuations. Instead, you need the special mastic sealant that our professionals use. Read on to learn more!

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Do Your Windows Look Like This?

Friday, February 19th, 2021
condensation-on-window-spelling-out-the-word-condensation

From potential mold or mildew growth to bubbling paint, water damage from condensation on your windows isn’t good.  When outdoor temps drop, condensation on windows is often on the rise.  So what should you do about it? 

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Is Humidity Hurting My Air Conditioner?

Monday, August 24th, 2020
vent-low-on-wall

Humidity does not directly hurt your air conditioner, but it’s not great for it either. It’s even worse for the health of your indoor air!

Humidity is excess moisture that comes alongside our warmer temperatures in the summer, making it feel hotter than it actually is outside. The only way to dissipate humidity is by lowering the temperature, so homeowners often set their thermostats as low as they’ll go.

Unfortunately, all this is doing is causing your air conditioner to run longer than it should have to in order to keep your household cool, and it’s really not doing an effective job of eliminating humidity in the meantime. Read on to learn more!

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Can Your Air Conditioner Cause Allergy Symptoms?

Monday, June 1st, 2020
woman-blowing-her-nose

Using your air conditioner can cause your allergy symptoms to flare up if you aren’t utilizing the right indoor air quality practices and products.

Ideally, you are well aware that your central air conditioning system has a filter in it that you should change on a regular basis (every 1-3 months, to be exact—it depends on the type of filter and the level of contaminants in your home). A clean air filter helps your cooling system operate as it should. What it won’t do, however, is filter out all the allergens and contaminants that can cause you to have flare-ups.

The standard air filter is actually designed with the purpose of protecting the air conditioner itself. It should provide a basic level of filtration, but may not be all you need. In fact, it probably isn’t. Read on as we explain.

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Should You Install a UV Air Purifier?

Monday, March 23rd, 2020
uv-germicidal-light-bulb

It would be really easy for us to answer this question with a simple, “yes” and leave it at that. But we know you deserve a better explanation! There are a number of factors that can negatively impact your indoor air quality, and there are also a variety of systems that can help improve it.

Indoor air quality is a big concern just about any time of the year—in fact, at any given moment your indoor air quality can be worse than the air quality outside, without the right products in place. And a UV air purifier is one of these products.

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“Does Dry Air Hurt My Furnace?”

Monday, February 10th, 2020
vent-in-wall

You may have read here on our blog or heard us say that too much humidity hurts your air conditioner in the summer. The reasoning behind this is that the excess moisture makes you feel hotter in your home, which means you may adjust the thermostat so your AC will cycle on and cool your home faster. This practice wears down on the air conditioner, making it more likely that repair needs will occur and shortening the systems’ lifespan.

The answer, in this case, is having a dehumidifier professionally installed—this will cut down on the humidity levels, which should be between 30% to 50%, and allow you to use your air conditioner more efficiently and effectively.

So now you may be wondering, if humid air hurts your cooling system, does dry air hurt your furnace? Read on!

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Don’t Let Excess Humidity Get You Down

Monday, September 23rd, 2019

woman-using-fan-to-cool-downWith temperatures finally on a cooling trend, it’s almost time to shut down our air conditioners for the season and turn our attention to maintaining our heaters to ensure they’re ready for winter. In the meantime though, we’re still dealing with the warmer temps, as well as humidity that makes it feel even warmer.

Have you ever considered the installation of a whole-house dehumidifier? This system works with your air conditioner, increasing the quality of your indoor air to make you and your family more comfortable. Many homeowners use portable dehumidifiers around their home, but this just isn’t the same when it comes to efficiency. You’d do well to consider a whole-house approach to dehumidification, for improved comfort, better air quality, and energy savings. Keep reading to learn how eliminating humidity in your home can benefit you.

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