Month: October 2020

With fall now upon us in Tucson, cooler temperatures are here to stay. This transition from one season to another most definitely affects your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). And your indoor air quality directly affects your comfort in your home.

At ACS Air Conditioning Services, we know in cooler weather people tend to spend more time indoors at home. Knowing this, it’s important to be sure your indoor air quality is protected, keeping both you and your home protected.

How Is Indoor Air Quality Affected in the Fall?

Think about it. Your Arizona home’s indoor air is a composite of many sources: the outdoor air that comes through your open windows, the dander from your pets, the air in your basement which flows through your furnace, the harsh chemicals you may use in your cleaning products, the mold spores existing in the crawl space beneath your house—just to name a few.

In the warmer months, the open windows allow fresh air in on a regular basis, diluting the stale air in your home, and your air conditioner is keeping your home’s humidity in check. When the windows close and your air conditioner is turned off for the season, these good effects disappear until next year.

Now, the air that’s in your home simply circulates, and all those composites and particles in the home stay there. The humidity decreases, causing your body’s membranes and nasal passages to dry out, inviting harmful bacteria and viruses in. Drier air also wreaks havoc on allergy and asthma sufferers. This is all a recipe for health issues.

What Can You Do to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality?

In the cooler months with the windows continually closed and your furnace switched on, you need to take additional steps to protect the air you breathe in your home. You can prevent or lessen the possibility of some of the health concerns above by following these recommendations:

• Use a humidifier. It’s so important to keep your home’s humidity levels between the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendation of 30 to 50 percent. Drier air causes nosebleeds, cracked skin, respiratory problems, sinus issues, static electricity, and many other negatives. The comfort in your home isn’t only determined by its inside temperature.

• Change your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters regularly, at least every three months. A good high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter will catch the particles before they reach your lungs. There’s just so much floating in the air our eyes can’t even see.

Changing your filter makes such a difference. We at ACS Air Conditioning Services suggest changing it monthly if someone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma, otherwise at least every three months. Regularly changing your filters also helps to increase your HVAC system’s life span by preventing those particles from running through the system.

• Clean regularly. Many health challenges are caused by dust, dirt, pests, bacteria, viruses, and mold. Regular house cleaning, especially vacuuming and dusting, helps to prevent these from building up and getting into the air.

Also, when cleaning, switching to more natural cleaning products using essential oils instead of harsh chemicals can make a substantial difference in your home’s indoor air quality.

• Have your heating system cleaned and checked before turning it on. Be sure to schedule your annual heating system’s maintenance appointment before using your heat for the first time. A proper cleaning and tune-up allow your system to run properly, helping to improve the indoor air quality and increase your system’s life span.

• Open your windows daily. Even in the coldest temperatures, it’s a good idea to open a window in every room for at least a few minutes to invite some fresh air in. It helps to keep bacteria and viruses at bay.

Get in Touch With Us Today

There are so many things to enjoy about fall. Be sure your home’s indoor air quality is protected to keep you healthy and comfortable, so you’re able to enjoy fall’s pickings. Call ACS Air Conditioning Services at 520-230-5668 or request service online to discuss how we can help you improve your Tucson, AZ, home’s indoor air quality.

As the saying goes, “Time and tide wait for no one.” Whether you’re prepared or not, the summer months and warmer weather are gone, moving aside for fall and cooler temps. That means here in Tucson you need to think about preparing your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for fall maintenance.

Maintaining your heating and cooling equipment ensures it’ll run smoothly the way it should when you need it. Investing your time and money in these seasonal maintenance tasks goes a long way to protect both your Arizona home and your HVAC investment, including your wallet. Well-running systems are more energy efficient, so they end up costing you less to run all season long.

Fall Maintenance for Your Air Conditioner

Just because you won’t be turning your air conditioner on now doesn’t mean you should forget about it til the spring and summer months. Part of protecting your home and equipment is winterizing your cooling system.

If you’ve already had your air conditioner cleaned and checked by our ACS Air Conditioning Services professionals before you used it this year, you can simply ask our heating and cooling professional to winterize your unit while he or she is out cleaning and checking your furnace. You can compare the maintenance checklist to what ENERGY STAR® recommends.

Things you can do yourself:

• Clean off the outside unit (condenser) from debris and dirt. If involving water in the process, be sure to switch off the unit’s power or the circuit first.
• Remove any branches, tall grass, or brush within a four-foot proximity to the unit.
• Insulate any exterior-exposed pipes with foam pipe covers, wrapping them with duct tape.
• Cover the unit with a plastic or vinyl cover. Some folks have an air-conditioner-specific cover. If you don’t, you can use a tarp. Be sure to secure the cover, in whatever form, with bungee cords or vinyl rope. Perform this step after your HVAC technician has already done his or her part in the winterization process.

Things to ask your technician to do:

• Clear drain lines and pipes to avoid having standing water in your system all winter.
• Clean the coil from dust and dirt.
• Check the refrigerant charge, belts and pulleys, and ducts.
• Clean and check the entire system if you haven’t had it done yet this year.

Fall Maintenance for Your Heating System

You should schedule your annual maintenance appointment for your heating system before you use it for the season, regardless if you have a furnace, boiler, or heat pump. This appointment shouldn’t be skipped, as keeping your heating system in good order will be sure it’s ready when you need it and keep it functioning properly throughout the season for you.

Things you can do yourself:

• Stock up and change your filters every three months, but if you have allergy issues, monthly is advised.
• Vacuum your vents to keep them clear of dust, avoiding extra filter buildup or decreased indoor air quality (IAQ).

Things to ask your technician to do:

• Clean and check your heating system, including (depending on whether you have a furnace or boiler) all the connections, controls, sensors, drains, ignitor, ducts, pipes, burners, valves, motors, thermostat(s), and smoke/carbon-monoxide detectors, and instruct you on anything you could do between your service visits.
• Calibrate your thermostat to be sure the readings and heating are accurate.

Contact Us Today

Taking care of your HVAC system includes seasonal maintenance. With fall here in Tucson, AZ, and colder weather encroaching, it makes good sense to call one of our ACS Air Conditioning Services professionals at 520-230-5668 or request service online now to schedule your fall appointment. Keeping your system in good working order so it’s there when you need it is one of the things we do best!