These are condensed versions of the Radio Program

01/07/03

Occasionally, we are asked to repeat some major points of topics we’ve discussed in this article or on the radio. We figured our first article of the New Year was a good time to re-cap. Here are some tips on how to reduce your heating bills. We know people are interested, because Parade magazine (in the Sunday paper) recently had some of these in an article. *Turn the thermostat down. 68 is a great setting for during the day, and some suggest going as low as 55 at night or when you are away. Remember, for every degree you lower the thermostat, industry standards say you can save up to 5% of heating costs! And, when warming the house, cranking the thermostat to 90 degrees will not speed up the process. The furnace cannot hurry nor burn any hotter. If the temperature is 68 and you want it to be 70, cranking it to 90 doesn’t get it to 70 any faster! Many times we forget we cranked it until the house is suddenly way too warm. * Replace the filters. If you are using the standard blue looking fiberglass filters, they must be changed every thirty days. A great way to remind yourself is to replace them every time you get a utility bill. Trust me, they won’t forget to send the bill-then you can’t forget to change your filters. Better filters should be changed or cleaned as per the manufacturer’s guidelines. * Open the drapes on sunny days and let the warmth in. That is basically free heating. Windows let light in, and light means heat.  * Use weather stripping around windows, doors, and pipes. This is really important for tightening up the house. It helps keep the warm air in and the cold air out. You can also save money by washing clothes in cold water, turning the water heater to 120 degrees, using the microwave to prepare meals when possible, keeping lights turned off when not in use, and many others. If you’d like more information, just contact us. There are several easy ways. The easiest is our website at www.qualityserviceinc.com. You can call us at 635-3452, or write us at PO box 616, Ripley. Catch “Ask Mike” on Saturday mornings on WTRB.

01/14/04

Here are some questions we’ve received recently about heating. The first one concerns gas logs. (Gas wall heaters and the like could be included) If I burn my gas logs and turn on the ceiling fan to move the warm air around, I’m saving money on my heating bill, right? Well, the answer is maybe. It’s maybe because while the logs are very efficient in turning raw gas into heat, they must burn in a particular manner to burn properly. Too much air circulating around the logs will change the way it burns. The logs must be positioned in a certain way and they are really part of the burner. If they are not positioned properly, they aren’t burning properly. If they don’t burn right, you can be looking at safety problems along with efficiency issues. It goes without saying that if you have ANY gas whatsoever run into your home, it should be equipped with at least one carbon monoxide detector. It can save lives. Next question: We no longer use the spare bedroom and hardly ever go in there. If I keep the door shut and the vents closed, will I save a lot of money on heating? Not much! The small amount you might save could easily be countered by the possible damage you could cause to your equipment. If your central air unit cannot breathe properly, it adds more strain, which can shorten its life. Think of the return duct as inhaling and the supply as exhaling. You have to breathe out what you breathe in. Also, if you leave one area or room of the house colder than the rest, it tends to collect moisture. Moisture always follows the cool. When it warms up in spring, many things can grow in that moisture and you could be faced with mold issues. It’s really best to leave the unit blowing just like it was designed to. If you have a question for “Ask Mike”, please call us at 635 3452, drop us a line at PO Box 616 Ripley, or go to www,qualityserviceinc.com.

1/21/04

Indoor air quality is the subject of many questions we hear. Let’s cover some today. How important is indoor air quality? Very. The EPA recently listed indoor air pollution as “One of America’s top five most serious environmental health risks”, and the American Lung Association says, “indoor air can be up to 100 times more harmful to your health than outdoor air”. If someone in the house suffers from asthma, allergies, or chronic sinus infections, it’s even more of a consideration. How can we improve our indoor air? There are a lot of methods. Electrostatic filters, charcoal filters, UV lights, Ion generators, Ozone generators are a few. What do you suggest? In my experience in this region, I like the 5-inch media filter coupled with a UV light. The light kills the living problems it comes into contact with, and the pleated thick filter keeps most of the pollutants out of the air. There could be different answers for different folks. No matter how clean a house is dust, pollen, mold spores, and other allergens will be present. Are there other ways to make our air cleaner? Along with air purification, you have to have good humidity control. Humidity levels that are too high can promote the growth of mold in the house and create a nice environment for things like dust mites to enjoy. Too little humidity and the air is dry and hard to breathe. Anything else? Yes. We all need fresh air ventilation. Houses are built tighter these days and older houses are being updated to be more energy efficient. These tighter homes limit the amount of “fresh” outdoor air that gets in. If too little fresh air gets in, microorganisms can collect to levels that pose serious health and comfort problems. If you suspect indoor air quality issues in your home call us and we’ll try and help you figure it out. Our number is 635-3452 and our website is www.qualityserviceinc.com.

01/28/04

Our most common questions concerning heat pumps are: What is the difference in a heat pump and any other heating and air conditioning system? The answer is that a heat pump takes the heat from outside and uses it to heat inside your home. Just imagine turning a window air conditioner backwards. It simply pulls the heat from outside and brings it inside. No matter what the temperature is outside, there’s always heat out there to be used. (Around here anyway) There are times; however, that there’s not enough heat outside to transfer and meet the demand the thermostat setting is calling for. That’s why every heat pump also has “auxiliary” heating, a second stage of heating available when needed. Usually, that is electric also, but it can also be gas. If the temperature outside is 20 and the stat is set on 78, the auxiliary heat will be called for. That’s when the savings from using a heat pump start to diminish. The majority of the time the heat pump alone is sufficient, saving a LOT of energy by heating with the outside warmth. When cooling, a heat pump is the same as an air conditioner. How do heat pumps save so much money? A good example is that with a regular electric heat system, you burn 1 watt of energy to get 1 watt of heat. With a heat pump, the 1-watt of energy can produce as much as 4 watts of heat. That’s up to 400% efficient compared to the amount of energy it is consuming. That will vary, of course, with the weather and the thermostat setting inside. Why does it seem to run continuously? Probably, the balance point has been reached. The balance point is when the amount of heat being generated by the equipment is equal to the amount of heat being lost by the house. There is generally no cause for concern if your heat pump seems to run a lot. We’ll look at some more heat pump questions in the near future. If you have any questions concerning your indoor comfort and air quality, call us at 635-3452 or visit our website at www.qualityservice.com.

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