We’re getting into the latter half of heating season here in Orlando, FL and soon enough, it will be time to turn off our heaters and turn on our air conditioners. This is usually the time when breakdowns strike your heating system, as regular use can take its toll and leave you without reliable heating during the mild days and chilly nights still to come. The sooner you can summon a repair technician to handle such breakdowns, the better. But not every breakdown announces itself so obviously, and while it’s easy to call for repairs when the system won’t turn on, it’s harder to notice the more subtle signs of a problem. Here’s a brief list for you to watch out for as winter enters its final few weeks.
Downtown Air and Heat Blog
Common Signs You Need Your Heater Repaired
February 8th, 2016Get Ready for Summer with the Installation of a Dehumidifier
February 1st, 2016We’re still in the middle of winter here in Orlando, FL, which means relatively cool temperatures. Summer will be here before you know it, however, and in addition to the soaring temperatures comes a truly stifling level of humidity. Your air conditioner can handle the heat just fine, but for the moisture levels, you should consider installing a whole-house dehumidifier in your system. Here’s a quick breakdown of how it works and the kinds of benefits it can provide.
3 Upgrades to Help Your Heater Perform at its Best
January 25th, 2016A house is not unlike the human body, in that it has multiple different systems that need to work in conjunction together in order to provide a pleasant and comfortable environment for your family. Here in Orlando, FL we don’t spend a whole lot of thought on our heating systems, since most of the year is devoted to keeping our homes cool, not warm. But you may be spending more than you need to on your heating bills every month, in part because you don’t have any auxiliary systems working in conjunction with it. These upgrades are easy to install and can make a huge difference with your HVAC system, not just in the winter, but all year round. Here are 3 of them that can help your heater perform at its best.
How Do UV Lights Keep My Family Healthy?
January 18th, 2016We often focus on temperature control as the sole means of keeping our homes comfortable, and considering how hot our Orlando, FL summers can get, it’s not hard to see why. But we also deal with high humidity, which promotes germs, bacteria and all kinds of other problems in our home. Biological contaminants can do more than make our air feel stagnant and gross. They can foster colds, flus and all kinds of other health problems. That’s a concern to everyone, but especially those with new babies, elderly relatives or those suffering the asthma in their household. The solution to biological contaminants is a UV germicidal light, placed in your HVAC system and screening the air as it circulates through your ducts. How do they keep your family healthy? Read on for the answers.
Good Ways to Reduce Asthma Attacks in Your Home
January 11th, 2016Orlando, FL has a lot to recommend it, but we also suffer from a hot and humid climate, and if you suffer from asthma or a similar condition, you can feel the effects of our atmosphere every time you draw breath. Unfortunately, the heat and humidity aren’t going anywhere, but you can reduce asthma attacks in your home by installing indoor air quality products and conducting other activities designed to improve the cleanliness of your air. Here are a few options for you to think about if someone in your household is asthmatic.
Common Features of Commercial HVAC Systems
January 4th, 2016Businesses and commercial spaces need proper HVAC systems just like homes do. Otherwise, your employees won’t be able to work comfortably and customers will go somewhere more pleasant to do business. That’s a huge concern here in Orlando, FL, especially considering the heat of our long summers. But despite having the same basic features and goals, commercial HVAC systems differ from their commercial brethren in a number of ways, most designed to cover a greater amount of space with minimal fuss and bother. The more you understand about the common features of commercial HVAC systems, the better you can address potential problems and concerns.
How Do I Tell How Efficient My New Heat Pump Will Be?
December 28th, 2015Just about anything mechanical you buy comes with some kind of rating to tell you how much energy the item will consume. With cars, it is the miles per gallon (mpg). With furnaces and boilers, the rating is AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency). So what is the rating when it comes to your heat pump HVAC system? The acronym is HSPF, which stands for heating seasonal performance factor.
Do You Know How Efficient Your Heat Pump Is?
December 21st, 2015Heat pumps are great HVAC systems to own in Orlando, FL. They provide excellent cooling during our long summer months and with the touch of a button on your thermostat, they can just as easily switch to heating during the short winter months. Heat pumps are known for their efficiency, which is why so many people choose them as their household HVAC systems. But do you know how to tell exactly how efficient your system is? It’s something called HSPF.
The Importance of the AFUE Rating
December 14th, 2015Most homeowners in Orlando, and elsewhere, don’t look at heating replacement as an opportunity, but it is on several levels. One way replacing a failing heating system is a great opportunity is by increasing your energy efficiency. It stands to reason that if you are replacing a heating system that is 10+ years old, there’s no doubt you will increase your home energy efficiency simply by purchasing and using an updated heating system. But if you really want to know just how efficient a particular furnace or boiler system will be in your home, the best thing to look at is the AFUE rating.
Building a New Home? Make Sure You Have an Expert Calculate the Heat Load!
December 7th, 2015We don’t have a huge call for heat here in Orlando, as we get plenty of it during the long summer months. But, we do get chilly enough during the short winter months to need a reliable heating system. Reliability isn’t the only aspect you want to have, though; you also need to make sure that any heating system you install is the correct size for your new home. Otherwise, you may be too chilly or too hot. The heating and cooling experts from Downtown Air and Heat can help you with the entire installation process, including the correct calculation of the heat load of your new home.
