Author: acshvac

Though it’s a hidden element in your home, ductwork is crucial to your home comfort. It’s the system by which warm or cool air circulates throughout your home. And all your conditioned air, whether it’s warmed or cooled, has to travel through these ducts. As such, it’s essential to have a well-maintained duct system in your home.

What Is Ductwork?

At ACS Air Conditioning Services, we take ductwork very seriously. Our heating and cooling professionals know what an important role your home’s air ducts play in so many areas—your comfort, energy bills, and health most specifically. Here in Tucson, we see the difference between ductwork that is well sealed and maintained and ducts that are not on a regular basis.

Your Arizona home’s ductwork or air ducts are corridors through which your warmed or cooled air travels back and forth to your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and to the vents in your home. It’s comprised of a system of ducts and pipes, typically metal, and has seams that are expertly sealed when they are first installed. Several places may also be insulated to help reduce energy loss.

Why Don’t You See Your Ducts?

Most of your ductwork is hidden behind walls or in places not as frequently used as other areas of your home are. You most likely don’t see the majority of it. Often it’s in the attic, and for most of us, ductwork can fall into the out-of-sight, out-of-mind category. But this mindset can compromise your indoor comfort, cost you money, and even affect your health.

Why Seal and Insulate Your Ductwork?

Properly sealing and insulating your ducts prevents your home’s treated air from leaking out the duct system. According to the US Department of Energy (DoE), 20 to 40 percent of energy is lost from most duct systems. Ducts are usually constructed from sheet metal or fiberglass, both thin materials. It’s easy for your circulating air to leak through these materials as well as through any duct seams.

Additionally, your duct insulation protects your ductwork from mold and mildew growth, because your home’s cool air travels through ducts located in warm areas of your house. This can cause condensation in your ducts, which encourages that mold and mildew. Insulating your ducts regulates the temperature and prevents this scenario.

Why Maintain Your Ducts?

Over time, your ductwork’s seals can deteriorate and rust, and your insulation can lose its effectiveness, both causing you problems. That’s why it’s so important to regularly have professionals inspect your duct system and address any leaks.

Poorly maintained and leaky ductwork can cause the following problems:

• An increase in your heating and cooling bills

Leaks in your ducts can occur where the ducts are joined. Leaked air is wasted air. Your furnace or air conditioner has expended energy, that you pay for, to heat or cool the air. When that air does not make it to the desired locations in your home, your HVAC unit has to work twice as hard to make up for the energy lost—it’s essentially throwing away money.

• A negative effect on your home’s indoor comfort

With energy leaking from your ductwork, your inside temperature can continuously vary and leave you without the comfort you expect. No matter what type of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system you have and how energy efficient it is, if you have leaky ducts, your system can’t provide you an efficient level of comfort and live up to its potential.

• Poor health for you

Leaks can cause undesirables from the air to leak into your duct system, meaning contaminants like exhaust, fumes, carbon monoxide, or many other pollutants can enter your duct system and circulate around your home without you knowing it. This can cause a myriad of problems including causing respiratory problems or exacerbating problems you may already have, such as asthma or allergies.

Call Us Today to Check Your Duct System

To diagnose and correct your leaky duct problem is a simple process that will greatly improve the comfort and health of your Tucson, AZ, home. Our ACS Air Conditioning Services technicians are experts with ductwork and its installation and maintenance. Call us at 520-230-5668 or contact us online for help with your air ducts.

Our highly climate-controlled indoor environments can often be extremely comfortable in our modern world. Combine that with the fact so many of our daily needs are easily met without needing to go outside, and you find a society that spends nearly all its time indoors. As a result, poor indoor air quality has become a significant area of concern as a contributor to potential health problems.

Our team at ACS Air Conditioning Services, along with many manufacturers of air filtration and air purification products, are working to provide tools to help you ensure clean indoor air for you and your family. Here are some details about currently available solutions.

Air Filters

Air filters are typically a part of your Tucson home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Before circulating air enters your furnace or air conditioner to be heated or cooled, it passes through a filter to trap and remove a wide range of particulates.

Many different types of air filters are available, ranging from very basic and inexpensive to more costly versions that filter out microscopic particles.

An industry-wide rating system promoted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) helps consumers compare one type of filter to another in terms of performance. A minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating system measures a filter’s ability to remove particles from the air. Filters carry a rating somewhere between 1 and 16, with the higher values signaling finer filtration.

Air filters can be made of many different types of materials. You may have used a layered fiberglass filter that’s surrounded by a metal grate or a pleated polyester filter in a cardboard frame. These filters typically need to be replaced every one to three months.

Homeowners living in Arizona who have family members with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory illnesses may want to consider using a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. These filters capture 99.97 percent of all particles 0.3 microns or larger. The National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) specifies six different levels of HEPA filters.

Air Cleaners

Air cleaners are often used in conjunction with HVAC-related air filters. These are usually separate appliances typically designed for a single room or a certain square footage of space. A wide variety of different technologies and systems are available, and each one usually focuses on a particular set of particles.

For example, home ultraviolet (UV) air cleaners were developed from purifiers used in hospitals for disinfecting the air. These tackle bacteria, viruses, mold, and other pathogens. On the other hand, activated carbon filters are very effective in removing gasses, odors, smoke, and other particles.

HEPA air purifiers work in a similar way to HEPA filters and remove dust, pet dander, pollen, and mold spores from your indoor air. Although HEPA air purifiers are effective at filtering out very small particles, they are unable to remove bacteria and viruses.

Another type of air purification technology is using ions. These purifiers emit negative ions into your living space, which attract positive ions like dust. The resulting particles become heavier and land on your home’s flooring or other surfaces to be collected during vacuuming and dusting chores. Remember to use a HEPA vacuum bag to maximize the capturing of the resulting particles.

Although all of these air purification systems typically work in a single area or confined space,  you can invest in house-wide purification systems as well. For instance, electronic air cleaners work with your HVAC system by employing static electricity, HEPA filters, and ionic cleaners in a single system. Centralized air cleaners can be installed as part of your ductwork and can complement your HVAC filtration system, and air-to-air exchange systems will allow you to pull in more fresh air from outside.

Contact Us for Clean Indoor Air

At ACS Air Conditioning Services here in Tucson, Arizona, our professionals can provide more details about air filters and air purification systems. Our trained team can help you choose an air treatment system that can meet the needs of you and your family. Call us at 520-230-5668 or request service online today.

Busy careers, bustling families, engrossing hobbies, and overwhelming responsibilities keep most people busy day in and day out. It’s understandable why worrying about the air filter in your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is probably way down at the bottom of the priority list.

However, our team at ACS Air Conditioning Services wants to pass along a gentle reminder about the importance of this small maintenance task. It’s one that takes only a minute or two but can make a huge difference in your Tucson home.

Respect Your Air Filter’s Responsibilities

Think about it. Your air filter is responsible for cleaning every bit of your indoor air as it circulates through your home, providing life-giving oxygen to you and your family. It’s responsible for filtering out dust and dirt as well as things like pet dander and allergens. It has a big, important job to do—one that can contribute significantly to your family’s health, comfort, and financial situation.

Changing your air filter in your Arizona home is something that usually needs to be done a few times a year. When you think about it, it’s really a small price to pay for such a big job.

Health Implications of Clogged Filters

When air filters are dirty, they cannot do their best job cleaning your indoor air. Since most people spend the majority of their lives inside, it can significantly impact your overall health. Outdoor pollen can make its way into your home, and daily living will generate dust and dirt easily inside your house. In addition, if you have pets, you smoke, or you have any remodeling projects underway, all of these can add to poor indoor air quality.

Depending on the type of air filter you choose, you can minimize or eliminate many of these allergens easily. Keeping a small stash of filters on hand to help you remember to change them can help.

If you have family members who suffer from asthma or allergies, they will suffer much more in a home with a clogged air filter. Even those with strong constitutions may feel the effects of poor air quality on their overall health. If you notice health effects already, it may be time to investigate higher quality air filters such as high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that filter out the majority of the smallest particles.

Comfort Implications of Dirty Filters

An HVAC system is designed to deliver either heating or cooling services to your living space so that you and your family can be comfortable. Clogged air filters can affect the overall performance of your HVAC system, making it work harder and perform less efficiently. In addition, an HVAC system helps control the humidity in your home. Dirty air filters can negatively affect humidity levels in your home. Failing to perform this simple maintenance task can then reduce the overall comfort levels in your home.

Financial Implications

Clogged air filters can significantly impact the performance of your HVAC equipment. When filters are dirty, air has trouble moving through the system. That means your air conditioner or furnace must work harder to push air through the system. This can wear out components faster than necessary, shortening the overall life of your HVAC equipment. It can also mean additional repair costs and higher levels of maintenance.

In addition, it will take more energy to deliver heat or cooling to your home, which means your utility bills will be higher on a regular basis. In fact, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE), simply changing your air filters can reduce your energy consumption by between 5 and 15 percent every month.

An Easy Solution

The solution to these issues is simple: remember to change your air filters once every three to six months or according to your manufacturers’ recommendations. This small maintenance task will take only a few minutes, and it can mean better health, increased comfort, and less impact on your pocketbook.

Contact Us for All Your Air Filter Needs

Our professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services in Tucson, Arizona, can help answer any questions you have about air filters. We can provide recommendations or help with other regular maintenance issues. Just call us at 520-230-5668 or request service online today.

We know how serious carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is. Our ACS Air Conditioning Services professionals provide maintenance and service on all possible carbon-monoxide-producing appliances, as well as carbon monoxide detectors for your Tucson home and office.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, odorless, and tasteless gas. It’s formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon, or by the incomplete burning of natural gas and other things containing carbon.

Many times it’s mixed with other gases you can actually detect because they emit odors. Carbon monoxide can result when you burn gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, coal, wood, and the like. It is also a by-product of an internal combustion engine.

What Is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

When you inhale carbon monoxide, it displaces the oxygen in your blood and therefore deprives your heart, brain, and other organs of oxygen. The severity of your exposure is related to the level of carbon monoxide in the air and the duration of your exposure. If there is a large amount present, it will work very quickly, causing you to pass out or suffocate.

A small carbon monoxide leak in your home may cause gradual and mild symptoms you may not notice until it’s too late. A larger leak, typical in more industrial environments, would cause sudden exposure, loss of muscle control, and, in some cases, death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 400 people per year die of carbon monoxide poisoning, 20,000 more visit the emergency room, and 4,000 people are hospitalized.

What Are the Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning range from mild flu-like symptoms to more serious and dramatic symptoms, like loss of consciousness and breathing issues. The severity is again related to the levels and length of exposure.

Here are just some of the symptoms you could experience:

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Weakness

• Upset stomach

• Vomiting

• Chest pain

• Confusion

• Shortness of breath

• Blurred vision

• Loss of consciousness

Carbon monoxide can be especially dangerous to those sleeping or intoxicated and for young children and elderly. It may cause death before any symptoms are noted.

What Is a Dangerous Carbon Monoxide Level?

Most people will have no symptoms at 1 to 70 parts per million (ppm). If you have someone in your house who is more susceptible, such as someone very young or old, you may see symptoms at any level.

But for the average person, you will not see any symptoms until the levels get above 70 ppm.  A 150 to 200 ppm level will cause disorientation, unconsciousness, and death.

How Can I Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Here in Arizona, there are a number of things you can do to prevent poisoning and keep the carbon monoxide levels down in your home or office:

• Be sure you operate all appliances according to the manufacturers’ guidelines and read all owner’s manuals before attempting to service or clean anything. Never service your fuel-burning appliances yourself. Have a trained professional install, service, and clean any appliances that utilize combustion of any kind.

• Have one of our professionals inspect your heating system annually, if not more, for any leaks or potential blockages, corrosion, or disconnections.

• Never run any gasoline-powered appliance or generator in or near an enclosed space. Even with proper ventilation, carbon monoxide levels can build up rapidly and cause death or loss of consciousness. The same is true for any kind of combustible appliance, including camping stoves, gas grills, and other fuel-burning devices or equipment.

• Do not use your gas stove or other appliances to heat your home.

• Never leave your car running in the garage, even with the garage door open.

• Install a carbon monoxide detector. A carbon monoxide detector or alarm is a device that measures the level of carbon monoxide in the air and alerts you when levels reach too high. Although this is not a substitute for proper carbon monoxide safety procedures, this can aid in your protection. Install an alarm near any area where people sleep in your home. People who are sleeping are often the most at risk of death. They can breathe in lethal doses of carbon monoxide before they would ever wake up and exhibit symptoms.

Call Us to Help You With Carbon Monoxide Detection

At ACS Air Conditioning Services, we want to help keep you safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. Call us at 520-230-5668 or contact us online about installing a carbon monoxide detector today in your home or office.

Is your energy bill too high in the winter? Are you looking for ways to cut costs? There are a number of simple things you can do at home to save money. Some of them are bigger projects, but most are simple things you can do in your day-to-day life to help reduce your heat cost this winter.

At ACS Air Conditioning Services, we want to help you achieve the highest comfort in your Tucson home at an affordable price.

Air Seal Your Home

Air leaks are where outside air enters your home or where the inside air can escape your home. Reducing this leakage is a very cost-effective way to save money on your home energy bill. Two simple-and-effective techniques are caulking and weatherstripping. If you are building new construction, talk to us about air sealing for your new home.

Adjust Your Temperature

Most of us keep our thermostats up a few degrees higher than we need during the colder months. Turn your thermostat as low as you can while still feeling comfortable. When you are not going to be home, turn it town another 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can also invest in a programmable or smart thermostat to have more direct control over your home’s temperature at different times of the day. These thermostats can be a little more expensive up front, but often you will recoup the cost within the season from saved energy.

Insulate Your Attic

We all know that heat rises, and it’s no secret that heat is lost through the roof of your Arizona home. Check the insulation levels in your attic. Be sure you have adequate depth and fill coverage of insulation. You can also have one of our professionals come out for a home-energy test and evaluate your insulation needs.

Cover Your Drafty Windows

You can get plastic window-covering kits at any hardware store. They are relatively inexpensive and will save you quite a bit of energy consumption while increasing your overall comfort level. This is a fairly cheap-and-easy way to save quite a bit of money on your bill.

Use Space Heaters

Depending on how much time you spend in your entire home versus just a few rooms, you may want to invest in a space heater. If your time is spent mainly in one or two rooms, you can turn your thermostat down quite a bit and heat the rooms with an electric space heater. It’s cheaper to heat a small room than to heat an entire house. As always, follow all safety precautions with a space heater.

Dress Warmly Inside

Turn down the thermostat a few degrees and layer up. It can be nice to snuggle in blankets and sweaters on a cold winter’s night. In addition to all this coziness, you’ll save money at the end of the month.

Change Your Furnace Filter

A clean filter is essential to being sure your furnace is running as efficiently as possible. It’s also crucial to maintaining healthy indoor air quality. You should follow your furnace-industry recommendations, but we recommend changing your filter at a minimum of every three to six months. A dirty filter restricts airflow and causes your furnace to work harder than it should to maintain a constant temperature.

Have Your Furnace Cleaned and Checked According to the Manufacturer’s Recommendation

This isn’t just about safety—it’s about preventative maintenance. You can catch a problem before your furnace stops working in the middle of the night or on the weekend. This will also ensure your furnace is working at its optimum efficiency, providing you with the most heat for the least cost. Another advantage to regular maintenance is an increased system life span.

Close Your Fireplace Flue

Of course you should always keep your flue open if you are using your fireplace, but be sure you close it when it’s not in use. An open flue is like an open window, and great amounts of heat can escape. According to Indiana Michigan Power, investing in a fireplace flue sealer may be an inexpensive way to prevent air from escaping through the chimney when your fireplace isn’t in use.

Turn Down the Temperature on Your Water Heater

Most water heaters are set by default to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Check your heater’s temperature, and turn it down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind the less heat required to heat your water, the less you are paying for energy costs. This can slow mineral buildup and corrosion as well.

Contact Us Today

Call our professional ACS Air Conditioning Services team today at 520-230-5668 or request service online. We have the needed expertise here in the Tucson, Arizona, area to help you with all your heating needs.

Most of us tend to take our heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for granted. As long as they are working, it’s easy to go on day after day without thinking about them. But, like most other things, taking care of your HVAC system through regular maintenance is critical to keeping it in good working order.

Many Tucson homeowners today have installed a heat pump to handle their heating and cooling needs. If you have a heat pump, you’ll want to be aware of some special considerations when it comes to regular maintenance issues. Our team at ACS Air Conditioning Services offers the following information and tips to help.

Heat Pump Basics

Let’s start with understanding a little bit about how a heat pump operates. Heat pumps are typically more popular in areas with milder temperatures. They operate by essentially moving heat from outside to inside in the winter and inside to outside in the summer.

Since heat pumps do not have to generate heat by consuming electricity, natural gas, propane, or another fuel, they are more energy efficient. According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), heat pumps may reduce your electricity usage by nearly 50 percent when compared with furnaces or baseboard heating units.

Heat pump technology continues to develop, and high-efficiency units can now operate reasonably well in climates with more extreme temperatures.

Air Filter Changes

One of the easiest maintenance tasks you can perform is to change your air filter regularly. Just like in all HVAC systems, the air filter in a heat pump is responsible for cleaning the heated or cooled air before it’s delivered to the rooms of your Arizona home.

Basic air filters will remove larger particles of dust or dirt that float through the air. Choosing a high-efficiency filter like a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter will remove most of the smallest particles including pet dander, pollen, and dust mites.

Clean air filters not only result in better air quality but also help your heat pump operate more efficiently. That means lower energy bills and a longer equipment life span.

Proper Installation

Hopefully your heat pump was installed properly originally, but it’s not a bad idea to double check some important requirements. First, your heat pump should be at least four to six inches off the ground. This helps ensure the unit is not obstructed by the ground itself and allows for proper drainage.

Second, your heat pump should not sit under a leaking gutter. If your gutter began to leak after your heat pump was installed, you may want to prioritize that repair for the sake of both your gutter and heat pump.

Provide Plenty of Room

If your heat pump gets covered in snow, ice, overgrown plants, or yard debris, it will malfunction. It’s a good idea to spend some time inspecting the area around your unit during every season.

During the winter, snow or ice that accumulates on the heat pump must be removed. If a normal thaw or a simple brushing is not enough, you’ll want to turn off your unit and allow it to completely power down.

At that point, you can pour warm (not hot) water over the unit to melt the snow and ice. Be sure not to try to chip off the snow or ice using any type of tool, because you can easily damage the heat pump. Once the unit is clear of snow and ice, turn it back on.

In the other seasons, be sure to keep weeds, grass, and other nearby growth trimmed and out of the way. You’ll also want to clean things like fallen leaves, stray branches, or other yard debris that may gather on top of or under your heat pump.

Be Gentle During Cleaning

If you want to wash off your heat pump in the warmer weather, be sure to use your garden hose, not a power washer. The fins on the heat pump coil are delicate, and a jet of water can easily damage them. At the same time, it’s important to keep the outside of your unit clean and free of dirt, cut grass, or other debris.

Rely on the Professionals Annually

Since heat pumps operate on a 240-volt circuit, they are extremely dangerous for amateurs to work on. It’s a good idea to have your unit inspected, professionally cleaned, and tuned up annually by one of our trained and certified HVAC professionals.

Our experienced technicians will inspect your entire heat pump system including ductwork, airflow, refrigerant charge, electric terminals, thermostat, and more. A regular maintenance call will go a long way in helping to keep your unit operating well all year long.

Contact Us for Your Heat Pump Needs

Our team at ACS Air Conditioning Services in Tucson, Arizona, is ready and waiting to help you with heat pump maintenance. Call us at 520-230-5668 or request service online today.

Did you know the average American spends nearly 90 percent of life indoors? That’s why it is increasingly important to ensure indoor air quality (IAQ) is clean and healthy. If your Tucson home is facing air-quality issues, you may be suffering anything from minor discomfort to significant allergy or health problems. Our team at ACS Air Conditioning Services wants to help keep your home’s indoor air quality high and you and your family healthy and comfortable.

Understand the Scope of the Allergy Issue

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), roughly 10 to 30 percent of people suffer from allergies.

Although some common allergens originate outdoors, such as grass and tree pollen, they can still make their way into your home. Dust and dust mites are present in every Arizona home, causing an allergic reaction for many. Common pets such as cats and dogs shed hair and dander, which affects air quality. Other indoor allergens may include mold, fungus, and chemicals released from paints and carpets.

Individuals react to allergens differently. Some just suffer from minor sneezing and itchy eyes. Others may have significant respiratory problems that can interfere with daily life. Remedies from over-the-counter medications to allergy shots can be used to battle this common ailment. However, most health care professionals will encourage avoiding allergens in the first place as the best line of defense.

Improve Air Quality With an Air Conditioner

Most heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have built-in air filters designed to address basic indoor air quality issues. Standard filters can trap large particles, and with regular filter changes, this can improve your indoor air quality.

Homeowners who suffer from allergies may want to invest in a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which can trap very small particles, helping to clean the air further. Pet dander, dust, and small fibers from paper and clothing can be filtered out easily.

Air conditioners also dehumidify the indoor air, which discourages the growth of other allergens such as mold and fungus.

Consider Installing Air Purifiers

Many different kinds of air purification systems are available on the market today. Each has a different strength and purpose.

For instance, if you are concerned about bacteria and viruses, you may want to consider an ultraviolet (UV) air cleaner. These were originally used in hospitals and can also kill mold and pathogens. Smoke and odors, on the other hand, are best removed with activated carbon filters.

HEPA air purifiers work similarly to HEPA air filters used on HVAC systems. They work to filter dander, pollen, mold spores, and dust.

Another popular air cleaner is the ionic air purifier. These force allergens such as dust to become heavier by attaching negative ions to them. Allergens then accumulate on carpets and surfaces to be cleaned up.

Some more advanced systems may include a static electricity, HEPA filter and ionic purifier in a single unit that works with your HVAC system.

Clean Air Ducts to Remove Allergens

Air ducts carry your heated or cooled air throughout your home from your central HVAC system. Often, common allergens such as dust, dirt, dander, and other debris can build up in your duct system. Over time, these allergens may be transported to the living areas of your home.

Many HVAC companies offer air duct cleaning services that use high-powered vacuum systems to clean out these allergens from your air ducts. You may want to research this option as a possible action item to improve the indoor air quality of your home.

Contact Us Today About Your Indoor Air Quality

Our professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services in Tucson, Arizona, can help you find ways to reduce allergens in your home through different indoor air quality solutions. Call us at 520-230-5668 or request service online to speak to one of our knowledgeable team members today.

Energy-efficient homes are more common than ever. Although they provide many benefits, including reducing overall energy usage and a smaller carbon footprint, they come with some disadvantages as well.

What Disadvantages?

The most significant disadvantage is poor indoor air quality. Tightly sealed Tucson area homes prevent heated and cooled air from escaping as easily, but they also contribute to the buildup of indoor air pollutants.

Since most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, this can be a significant problem if the air inside your Arizona home is two to five times more polluted than outside air, which is common. Our ACS team wants to help you understand the risks of indoor air pollution as well as steps you can take to reduce it.

Negative Effects 

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air pollutants can contribute to a host of short- and long-term effects. Because typical symptoms can be mistaken for allergies, an illness, stress, or many other causes, it’s easy to overlook indoor air quality as a main culprit.

Possible short-term effects and resulting symptoms of indoor air pollution include coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, sore throat, and respiratory congestion. In addition, poor indoor air quality can make some existing illnesses worse.

For instance, if you suffer from asthma, heart disease, chronic lung illness, or other infections, indoor air pollution may exacerbate your symptoms.

Certain indoor air pollutants can cause additional serious illnesses or even death. Secondhand smoke and radon cause lung cancer, and carbon monoxide poisoning can silently kill unaware residents.

Common Indoor Air Pollutants

Daily living contributes to a great deal of indoor air pollutants. Dust, dirt, pollen, and mold are common in just about every home. In addition, pet dander and hair, smoke, and chemicals from common cleaning products can contribute more gas and particles to the indoor air. During cold and flu season, you may add bacteria and viruses to the mix.

If your home has inadequate ventilation, you won’t be able to sufficiently exchange outside and inside air regularly, which can lead to buildup of indoor air pollutants. Failing to maintain your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a suitable manner can also lead to indoor air problems.

For example, a clogged air filter can no longer trap more particles as they move through your system. An antiquated HVAC system can also introduce further serious problems like incomplete combustion and gas leaks.

Solutions to Improve Air Quality

As a homeowner, it’s understandable to be concerned about your indoor air quality. You can take several steps to improve your air quality right now.

First, replace and maintain the air filters in your HVAC system regularly. If you have family members who suffer from allergies or asthma, consider using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that can remove very small particles which often trigger reactions.

Second, have an HVAC professional clean, inspect, and tune up your heating and cooling equipment twice a year. Our trained technicians at ACS will ensure no dangerous gas leaks exist and all your fuel-burning appliances have adequate ventilation. We will also provide safety checks on all your equipment.

Be sure you take extra precautions when you are cleaning with chemicals or embark on home improvement projects such as construction or painting. Your working area should be well ventilated during and immediately after the work is completed.

Consider investing in a humidifier and/or dehumidifier to help keep your home at an optimal humidity level. This will help discourage mold growth and keep your home more comfortable in all seasons. Be sure to clean this equipment according to the manufacturers’ recommendations to prevent buildup of pathogens and to keep your warranty intact.

If you’re a smoker, take your habit outdoors to prevent secondhand smoke buildup inside, and be sure to test for radon in your basement every two to five years. Install a carbon monoxide detector on every floor of your home, and don’t try to remove asbestos yourself.

Finally, keep your home clean using a HEPA vacuum and wash your bedding, curtains, and other household items regularly.

We Are Your Indoor Air Quality Experts

Our professionals here at ACS in Tucson, Arizona, can help you address indoor air quality problems in your home. Our team can help you keep your HVAC system well maintained as well as provide suggestions about air filters or air purifiers. Call at 520-230-5668 or request service online.

Once the cooler weather hits here in Picacho this fall, you are going to want the inside of your home toasty and comfortable. This means turning on your furnace. Long before the first night you’ll want to use it, you should have your furnace cleaned and checked by a professional from ACS Air Conditioning Services.

You may think this maintenance is unimportant and you can save money by forgoing it, but you would be mistaken. Here are five reasons you should call to schedule your appointment today.

1. It prevents unexpected and costly breakdowns.

When you schedule your furnace clean and check regularly on an annual basis, you are preventing breakdowns. By having one of our seasoned experts inspect and clean your system, he or she can spot any impending repairs or weaknesses. This alerts you so you can take care of the issue in a timely manner, circumventing middle-of-the-night emergencies when emergency services will cost you more.

2. It saves on monthly energy bills.

By having your furnace cleaned regularly, which includes replacing or cleaning your filter, your furnace can work more efficiently, saving you energy. Once it gets dirty, airflow becomes diminished and blocked. This causes your furnace to work harder, using more energy to do the same amount of work it normally does under easier conditions.

3. It keeps you and your family safe.

When your furnace is not inspected and cleaned before you use it every fall, you run the risk of missing a possible unsafe issue or repair. Sometimes something as dangerous as a cracked heat exchanger can occur.

According to the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), this can leak toxic carbon monoxide into your Arizona home’s air, and you may not be aware of it at the beginning stages of the problem. By then, dangerous levels of the poisonous gas could already be in your home. One of our professional and highly trained technicians can spot and address safety issues prior to them becoming unsafe.

4. It extends your furnace’s life span.

Your furnace is meant to run smoothly and efficiently, with an expected life span of 15 to 20 years (for gas furnaces). When you neglect its annual clean and check, the dirt and dust accumulated inside builds up and causes problems.

This in turn forces your system to work harder, wearing down its parts sooner. Keeping things running smoothly helps your furnace live a long and healthy life.

5. It keeps the warranty valid.

Your furnace most likely came with a manufacturer’s warranty. Many of these warranties specify that regular maintenance needs to be performed to keep the system in tip-top shape and to prevent unneeded repairs. By not scheduling these maintenance appointments, your chance of incurring repairs increases and may void your warranty.

Schedule Your Furnace Clean and Check Today

To ensure the best results for both your furnace and your pocketbook, be sure to schedule your annual furnace clean-and-check appointment before the cold weather hits here in Picacho, Arizona. You want your furnace to start right up without issue. Call one of our ACS Air Conditioning Services team members at 520-230-5668 or request service online to make your appointment today.

It’s the first really hot day of summer in Marana when the floor fans and the open windows just don’t cut it anymore. You head over to your thermostat and select “air conditioner” and wait for that refreshing icy air to start blowing out of your vents. When you check a few minutes later, you feel only hot air. Why?

Many reasons can cause an air conditioner to malfunction, resulting in warm or hot air blowing through your vents. Our ACS Air Conditioning professionals want to help you diagnose those problems quickly and then get them fixed, so you can cool down your family and your home.

Start at the Thermostat
The thermostat controls when your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system turns on and off, depending on what temperatures you have designated. When your air conditioning system blows hot air, start by checking your thermostat.

Be sure it’s set correctly and not set to heat. You need to set your thermostat to cool, being sure you’re not only setting the fan function. If you are sure you have it set correctly, there may be an issue with how your thermostat is sending messages to your HVAC system or some other problem. Call us to come out and fix the issue for you.

Lack of Air Circulation
Air conditioners need plenty of air circulation to operate correctly. Start by checking your air filter and being sure it’s clean. Clean air filters can not only improve your air conditioner’s performance but can help save significant amounts of energy.

Then, head on outside and be sure your unit is not buried under leaves, grass, weeds or other yard debris. If there are things blocking the outside unit, take the time to clear them away. Once that’s taken care of, check the inside unit for any blockages or clogs that may be restricting airflow there.

Too Much Ice
Sometimes restricted airflow and dirty condenser coils can cause a buildup of ice on the outside portion of your air conditioning system. If too much ice builds up, it can cause your air conditioner to malfunction and blow only hot air.

If a great deal of ice exists, you may need to turn off your entire system and allow it to defrost. Once the ice melts, clean the condenser coils, and turn your system back on to see if it functions properly. If it doesn’t, call one of our professionals to help.

Low Refrigerant Levels
Your air conditioner needs a certain level of refrigerant at a particular pressure to operate efficiently. If you have a refrigerant leak or you notice your refrigerant levels are low, you’ll need to call a professional to come in and replenish the refrigerant.

This is a toxic, regulated chemical, so it’s important to rely on our experts to assist with this problem. Refrigerant leaks are damaging to the environment, so be sure to get that repaired as soon as possible.

Mechanical Problems
An air conditioner has many complex parts, and if any of them malfunction, it can cause your unit to blow hot air. If you cannot resolve your air conditioning problem with simple fixes, it may be time to call an HVAC professional to inspect your air conditioning system.

One of our trained technicians can check the condition of your blower, condenser, and evaporator as well as be sure your electrical connections are secure and working correctly. You’ll have the added benefit of having a professional give your air conditioning system a complete cleaning and tune-up, which should help you minimize repair bills over the long term.

Call ACS Air Conditioning Services Today
When you can’t figure out why your air conditioner is blowing hot air, contact our trained professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services in Marana, Arizona, for help. Call 520-230-5668 or request service online today.