Give that HVAC System Some Love

How often should you get your HVAC system serviced? We recommend it every year! And we suggest changing your filters at least 3X a year. Scheduling an HVAC specialist annually to do a safety check and clean and inspect your system will help catch issues before they become problems and increase the lifespan of your system. We also look for other efficiencies and long-term savings by exploring new thermostats and measuring airflow to detect duct leaks. Nest claims that their smart thermostat can save you somewhere between 10-12% on energy and some of their competitors claim up to 20%.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is not a single system or appliance but rather individual systems that typically share a blower and ventilation system. There can be some variation in how these systems work and the complexity varies with every property. Some homes we work with have as many as five or six AC units! When we first on-board a new client we connect with the HVAC company on record to get a lay of the land. Furnaces, blowers and AC units can be hidden in hard to detect areas like attics, rooftops, etc.

Here is some basic info on how each system works -

AC UNIT - AC units are typically outside the home and use electricity and refrigerant fluid to cool air. Warm air is exchanged for cooler air and then distributed through the home. Simply explained, the compressor, the condenser coil and the evaporator coil work together to convert gas into liquid and back into gas again. Hot air is discarded and cool air is pumped through the ducts by the blower fan.

FURNACE - Your furnace is typically inside the house usually in a closet, basement, attic or garage out of sight. A flame and gas heat up the heat exchanger and exhaust is sent out the flu and warm air is pushed through the ducts via the blower. In this case cold air from inside the home is exchanged for warmer air. The warmer air basically pushes the dense cold air back to the return where it travels back to the furnace to be warmed.

Understanding how the system works and its setup can help us troubleshoot common issues like temperature fluctuation and high energy bills. Waiting until something is “wrong” is too late to give your HVAC some love.

Protecting Home Air Quality

Every year clients get increasingly anxious about fire season and the quality of air. Sadly, this is our new normal. There are tons of new products surfacing on the market that claim to remove all the particles from the air. We want to introduce a new device on the market and talk about how you can protect your home with some simple steps.

A Promising New Device on the Market

Recently we were asked to look into a new whole home air purification system called Air Scrubber by Aerus with ActivePure technology. This system hooks up to your existing HVAC system and is tested in FDA compliant labs for efficacy. We cannot officially vouch for this product because we haven't installed any yet, but it promises to be the solution our clients have been asking for. It's proven to remove over 99% of airborne pathogens and pollutants. Not only will this system keep your whole house smoke free, it also removes 99% of SARS COV-2 particles, which is the virus that causes covid-19. This filter cleans not only the air in your home, but also sanitizes the surfaces as well. Pricing starts around $2K. If you are interested in learning more let us know!

Tried and True Ways to Have Cleaner Air

For clients who aren't ready to invest in a whole house purification system there are plenty of steps you can take to make sure you air quality is protected. Here are our suggestions.

• Make sure you have good seals on all your windows and doors. If you have noticed a draft or a gap in any exterior doorway or window then let us know!

• Upgrade or replace your HVAC filter and keep your air on a recirculating cycle. Using a higher Merv rated filter means it might be a little harder for your furnace to breathe but it will grab more pollutants. We recommend changing your filters every 3-4 months and specifically before the fire season and having an annual HVAC inspection.

• Buy some air purifiers. They aren’t perfect, but if you keep the house closed and the HVAC running, they really do help. It is important to pay attention to how many square feet of air they can clean. This can mean for a larger home you need a lot of purifiers. We don’t recommend waiting until it is smoky to shop around Amazon … resources will get tight!

Water Conservation is a Must

Did you know that the average load of laundry uses 14 gallons of water? The average 4 minute shower uses 25 gallons? And leaving the faucet on when you brush your teeth can waste about 4 gallons of water? We use water for everything! And water use adds up quickly, so it is no wonder that the average American household uses around 300 gallons of water a day.

Droughts in California have infinite consequences for us and our environment - increased wildfire risk followed by increased landslide risk, receding reservoirs and closed recreational waters, reduced crop yields, more expensive produce, and even the death of baby salmon due to extreme temperatures. YES … even baby salmon. So if you like lox on your bagel, we suggest you stock up.

It may feel like there is little we can do to effect change and we don’t want to get all meta about climate change and politics. Let’s stick to water here. There are many ways you can reduce water usage at home. Californians have been asked to voluntarily reduce water use by 15%. Here are some things you can do to help:

• Ask your gardener to reduce your outdoor watering or irrigation to 50% and only water during the cooler parts of the day (before 8AM or after sunset)

• Instead of washing each dish individually fill your sink with soapy water (this can save up to 60% of the water you usually use)

• Only run your washing machine when you have a full load. And use the “quick” cycles for items that aren’t heavily soiled like towels.

Project Preservation suggests that every home have an annual plumbing tune up and inspection to make sure that drains aren’t clogged, toilets aren’t leaking and faucets aren’t dripping. The average leaky toilet wastes up to 200 gallons of water a day. So if you have put this off, let's get something scheduled!