These are condensed versions of the Radio Program

09/01/04

Today’s questions are about IAQ.

Our first one is: What is I.A.Q.? It’s Indoor Air Quality. It simply refers to the effect, good or bad, of the air inside a structure, on its occupants. Good IAQ is the quality of air which has no unwanted gases or particles in it which will adversely affect someone. Poor IAQ is when those gases and/or particles are present in enough concentration to affect someone’s health or comfort. What do indoor and outdoor air quality have to do with each other? No building is perfectly sealed so, ultimately, indoor air originates outside. Outdoor pollutants will get in. What are some common IAQ problems? Fortunately, most problems are minor. Occupants may suffer cold-like symptoms but serious health issues are possible, although rare, like Legionnaire’s disease outbreaks. What kinds of pollutants get inside? Some are in the form of gases and would generally be called toxic chemicals. Some types might be combustion products like carbon monoxide and others are in the form of particles. Those could be mold spores, pollen, bacteria, or even lint and carpet fibers. What effect do they have? Some are toxic and have the effect of poison on the body (like pesticides). Others are irritants like fiberglass. Still others could cause cancer, and others are allergenic. One of the most common is tobacco smoke. How do you improve IAQ? You have to remove the offending pollutant. That can be dome through filtration and even UV lighting. To learn more, call us at 635-3452. We’ll be back next week.

09/08/04

Today, it’s my favorite question topic…maintenance!

Why is maintenance so important? There are three major benefits. They are: lowering utility costs, increasing the life of the equipment, and better comfort. How does maintenance lower utility costs? Just like your car, if your equipment is well maintained, clean, oiled, and every part is working properly, it will operate at its most efficient. That efficiency saves you money. What can I do to do my part to maintain my air and heat equipment? Contact Quality Service and get involved in our maintenance program! That was the easiest answer-but there are things a homeowner can do between professional maintenance visits. The one I harp about all the time is “Change your filters!” It’s very important to change (or to clean permanent ones) them monthly. Even if they don’t look dirty after a month; they are. The homeowner can certainly keep the coils at the outside unit clean and free from grass clippings, weeds and pet hair. Just spraying the coils off occasionally will help. Just don’t bend the coils by spraying too close. What’s the deal with the Quality Service Maintenance Program? It’s great! We come twice a year, once during heating season and once when we’re cooling. We clean and give the equipment a complete tune-up each time. We check operation and make sure it’s working at its peak. We can catch problems before they occur, and program customers get a discount on parts and labor. Plus, it’s only $125 per year! We’ll talk to you next week!  www.qualityserviceinc.com

09/15/04

Heat pump or conventional heat and air?

That is a wonderful question. The answer may seem somewhat unsatisfying at first, though. The answer is, “It depends. It depends on the homeowner’s particular needs and preferences. There are some people who feel that heat pumps don’t keep a house as warm as gas (or any) type forced air heat does. This is a common misconception that can easily be explained. A heat pump uses heat from the outside. It brings in the heat and distributes it inside the home. When it operates in air conditioning mode, there is no difference. When a heat pump transfers heat from outside to inside, the temperature of the air coming from the vents will be different from that of a forced air furnace. Forced air heat will feel warmer to the touch because it is warmer than the 98.6 degree temperature of your hand. Heat pump warm air will feel cooler because, while it is warmer than the indoor temperature, it may be cooler than the 98.6 temperature of your hand. The heat pump is warming the house, but in a very even manner which makes it run longer. Even though it runs more, a heat pump is far more efficient than regular heat. It’s more efficient because it doesn’t have to use energy to create the heat it distributes. It only uses energy to distribute the warmth. Also, when does your car get the best mileage? Is it when you stop and start all day (like city driving)…or is it when you hit a certain speed and just keep driving (like highway operation)? A heat pump may cost more on the front end, but it will cost less to operate afterward. Consult a professional for more facts. Call us with your question at 635-3452! Heat pump or conventional? It depends!

09/22/04

We all waste energy every day; some more than others. That’s what our question is about today. What are some ways we waste energy? We do it and have no idea we’re doing it. If you have your ductwork in the attic…you’re wasting energy! How? The most extreme temperatures in your house are in the attic. Summertime temps can easily reach about 140 degrees. In the winter, your attic is going to pretty much be the same temperature as outdoors, save for a little bit of wind chill. Now in these extreme conditions, you have to pass all your paid-for conditioned air the entire length of your house to each room. The environment in the attic WILL have an effect on the conditioned air inside the duct. On the other hand, the temperature in the crawl space remains pretty even at around 55 or 60 degrees. That’s perfectly medium and great for ductwork. Why would ductwork ever be put in the attic? It’s easier to throw the ductwork in the attic. There’s usually plenty of room and you don’t have to dodge sewer or plumbing lines. It’s cheaper and many times, attic ductwork is run using “flexible” duct. That’s like running dryer vent hose, there’s just not a lot of insulating material in it. We only use it when necessary or when a customer requests it for price considerations. Is it ever a good idea to have ductwork in the attic? There are certain applications when it can be the best alternative. If the house is on a slab or is very old with no crawl space to speak of, that’s a good time to do it. Usually, if the old system’s ductwork was overhead, people are reluctant to make a change. There are many other ways we waste energy, like little or no insulation or no regular maintenance, and we’ll focus on more of those soon. Call us with your questions at 635-3452 or go to www.qualityserviceinc.com.

09/29/04

Mike,

I saw a website where I can order my own central heat and air unit and install it myself. It sounds like a way to save a lot of money, and I bet you don’t think much of that idea, right? No HVAC contractor will think much of this idea and we don’t either. But the reason may not just be what you think. This is a bad idea in all except maybe a very few cases. Even if someone is very mechanically inclined, there is a great deal to installing a central comfort system they’ll have trouble doing on their own. There are a lot of electrical and gas connections that must be done right to ensure safety and proper operation. You’d have a better chance if it were just a change out of an existing outdoor unit. If it’s a split system or if you have to install the ductwork, it’s only going to get uglier. There are certain procedures that will still have to be performed by a professional. Do you have the equipment and knowledge to recover the refrigerant from the old unit as required by federal law? Can you properly charge the new unit with refrigerant? If the duct system isn’t designed properly you’ll never get the house to cool even. Did you know you should never use “duct” tape to seal the duct connections? You should use mastic to avoid duct leaks. (Mastic is a sealant that is painted on the duct connections and dries hard to completely seal them) There are permits and inspections necessary many times and you can’t get some of them without a license. By the time you pay for the things you can’t do, you’ll probably spend as much as you would have anyway. The old saying again rings true…you get what you pay for. We’ll be back next week.

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