How to Locate Cold Air Leaks Around the House

Air leaks allow cold outside air to sneak into your home and steal your comfort and money. As the cold air gets into your home, your heating system is forced to work harder to deliver more hot air continuously, driving up your energy bills. The first step to winning the fight against cold air leaks is finding out where exactly the leakage is occurring. Here are some useful tips to help you achieve that.

Visual Inspection

The most common place for warm air to leak out of your home is around doors and windows. You can spot existing gaps by simply looking over door and window frames. If you see daylight around the frame, that's a sign of a leak. Having someone go outside at night and shine a flashlight over window and door frames will also reveal locations of large air leaks. If you observe from inside dark rooms, you'll see the light in the areas where the leaks are taking place.Also check for gaps and cracks around:

• electrical outlets

• baseboards

• switch plates

• light fixtures

• attic hatches

• vents and fans

Smoke Test

You can locate the leaks that are less easily visible by conducting a smoke test.

1. Turn off your furnace and any other combustion appliances on a cool, windy day.

2. Walk around the potential leak sites with a lit incense stick. You'll know you have a leak if the smoke wavers or is blown back into the room.

Call in a Pro

If you want an accurate gauge of your home's cold air leaks, hire a technician to conduct a professional energy audit. He or she can perform a thermal infrared scan or a blower door test to measure your home's airtightness and locate sources of air leaks.

The energy you lose through cold air leaks can be equivalent to leaving a window open throughout the winter, so locating and sealing these leaks is well worth the time and effort. If you want to truly maximize your Broken Arrow home's energy efficiency by scheduling an energy audit, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

How Do Galileo Thermometers Work?

At the touch of a button, your phone gives you the temperature, 5-day forecast, and more. Your smart thermostat tells you the temperature inside and outside, and lets you adjust accordingly. But it wasn't always this way. Centuries ago, people told the temperature using Galileo thermometers. And recently, they've made a comeback.

History of Galileo Thermometers

The Galileo thermometer was actually not designed by Galileo, but rather by a student of his, with a group of engineers. They first described the device in an academic paper in 1666. Called the Fifth Thermometer, or slow thermometer, the principle was that a liquid's density would change as the temperature grew colder or warmer, which could be used to determine exact temperature.As other, more efficient thermometers were developed, over time the slow thermometer fell by the wayside. Until the 1990s, when London's Natural History Museum started selling them in the gift shop. They've been increasing in popularity ever since.

How They Work

A cylindrical tube is filled with clear liquid, such as water or alcohol. In it is placed a series of glass balls of different weights, also filled with liquid, dyed different colors. Each colored ball represents a different temperature and has a tag attached to indicate it. The heavier the ball, the lower the temperature.Say the temperature is 80 degrees. All the balls tagged higher than 80 degrees are less dense than the surrounding liquid at this temperature, and will float to the top of the tube, with the 80 degree ball floating just beneath them. All others are at the bottom.Then the temperature drops to 75 degrees. The liquid being denser now, the 80 degree ball can float all the way to the top, and the heavier 75 degree ball takes its place, floating just below the others.It's not quite as precise as your thermostat's readings, but it's still perfectly accurate, and a colorful, and useful knickknack to have around the house.

To learn more about Galileo thermometers and other HVAC issues, contact us at Air Assurance. We proudly serve Broken Arrow's heating and cooling needs.

Emergency Heat During Winter Storms

Having a source of emergency heat in the winter can make the difference between staying safe and healthy or having to leave your home to wait out a bad storm or a prolonged power outage. Each of these suggestions is a sound way to supply enough heat to wait out an emergency. Always make sure your CO detector is working before using any of these heaters.

Emergency Heating Equipment

• Tent heaters. You can find these at sporting goods and big box stores, as well as online. They’re small heaters that use propane canisters and are capable of heating small spaces. They’re safe as long as you crack a window open and use them as the manufacturer intends.

• Ventless heaters. These heaters are available from specialty stores and online. They burn clean, which means they produce few toxic gases, including carbon monoxide (CO). Each heater, whether a ventless fireplace or heater, has an oxygen depletion sensor that turns the unit off when the oxygen in the room gets too low. Whenever you use a ventless heater, be sure that there’s a window open or a door cracked to bring in fresh air.

• Fireplaces. If you’re lucky enough to have a gas or wood-burning fireplace in your home, it will provide reliable heat during the outage. If it’s gas and lights electronically, it may start if you hold a lighter near the gas orifice inside the firebox. If it’s wood burning, keep a supply of seasoned firewood to use in the event of emergencies.

Retaining Heat

• Be sure you have at least three days of food on hand. Eating enough calories gives you plenty of energy to keep yourself warm.

• Dress in layers. Instead of wearing a one layer of heavy clothing, wear a few layers. They trap your body heat better so that you won’t feel as chilled.

• Plug as many air leaks as possible to prevent drafts throughout your home.

If you’d like more information about using emergency heat because of power outages or a furnace breakdown, contact Air Assurance, providing HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

How to Properly Winterize Your HVAC

With the arrival of colder weather in the Broken Arrow area, it's time to get your home's HVAC system ready for the coming winter. You can ensure your family's comfort, and protect the system's various components from damage by taking these steps to winterize your HVAC now:

Promote Good Airflow and Air Quality

There are some simple tasks that you can tackle to prevent airflow restrictions and boost air quality when the heating system is running. Replace the HVAC air filter first, then clean the vents throughout your house by removing and wiping down the covers and vacuuming inside each duct opening. Make sure your registers are fully open too, and that nothing is blocking the return air grilles.

Protect the Outdoor Component

If you have a central split-system air conditioner, you'll want to shut down the outdoor unit so it won't get harmed if the thermostat accidentally gets switched over to cooling mode during the winter. This is easy to do by via the breaker in your main electrical panel, and the switch that's located outside near the unit. To shield the unit from falling ice, place a board or piece of plywood on top, and weigh it down with a brick or concrete block.

Clean Up Around the Outdoor Unit

Yard debris like piles of dead leaves around the outdoor unit make it more attractive to rodents and other nesting pests. To discourage them from setting up housekeeping, trim back and clear away dead vegetation, then open the cabinet and vacuum/sweep out any accumulated debris from inside.

Schedule Professional Maintenance

Having a certified technician service your HVAC system can give you peace of mind that it's operating safely and efficiently. A pro will inspect and clean the furnace and verify that critical components like the blower, venting, heat exchanger and electrical are in good repair. If you have a heat pump, they'll check the refrigerant level and clean the coils, and make sure that the defrost and back up heat are functioning properly.For more advice about how to winterize your HVAC, contact us at Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Are Snow Melt Systems Right for Your Home?

When snow falls in Broken Arrow, it means you have to get out your shovel to clear off your driveway and other outdoor areas. While shoveling snow is good exercise, it’s also exhausting and even dangerous for some individuals. With snow melt systems, you don’t have to worry about clearing your driveway to make it safer for your loved ones and your car.

How Snow Melt Systems Work

These systems provide a convenient way to keep driveways, patios, and other outdoor areas free of snow and ice by serving as an outdoor heating system. Some systems use electricity to accomplish this, while others use a combination of hot water and antifreeze circulating through a series of tubes and pipes. Snow melt systems sometimes have manual controls that homeowners can turn on and off when needed. Other systems have sensors installed to detect the presence of snow on the surface. When there is enough snow, these systems turn on automatically.

Benefits of a Snow Melt System

A snow melt system offers convenience for you as a homeowner. With one of these systems installed, you won’t need to spend time shoveling snow from your driveway. This is highly beneficial if you have health conditions that make it difficult or dangerous for you to shovel snow. These systems also help keep your driveway safer to drive or walk on by clearing away snow and ice. This helps lower the risk of personal injuries from falling and damage to your car if you slide.

HVAC and Energy Bills

Your snow melt system doesn’t use the same source of heat as your HVAC system, but it can be integrated with it. Keep in mind that running a snow melt system leads to increased energy usage. You can make up for this by lowering your home’s heating bills through routine HVAC maintenance for improved energy efficiency and replacing air filters regularly.If you need more information on snow melt systems, please contact Air Assurance. Keep in mind that our company can also provide your Broken Arrow home with HVAC maintenance and other services this winter.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

How to Properly Vent your Kitchen During Thanksgiving Preparation

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house fills it with the aromas of the turkey, dressing, and pies baking, along with all the heat the stove and oven generate. Taking a few minutes to assess your kitchen ventilation before the holiday arrives might help you stay more comfortable while you put this celebratory meal on the table.The combination of heat plus the steam that the cooking creates is a recipe for discomfort in the kitchen. It’s the same thing that happens in the summer when the humidity combines with warm temperatures that has you reaching for the air conditioner’s thermostat. Add it all the body heat your guests will generate, and things could get uncomfortable.Fortunately, by Thanksgiving, there’s plenty of cool air outside to use instead of the A/C. Getting inside is all a part of ventilation methods for getting rid of the humidity and the heat. To start, determine if:

• Your kitchen fan exhausts outside or just recirculates the air. Look above the fan to see if there a vent pipe that leads up through the ceiling or goes out of a wall. If you see either, your fan exhausts air outdoors.

• Does the kitchen have a window that opens? Sometimes builders put in fixed windows or windows can stick over time if they’re not opened periodically.

• Is there a door leading outdoors or into the garage? A door that leads outdoors will give you ample kitchen ventilation.

• Do you have a portable fan?

This list of ventilation options will provide the basis for your approach to Thanksgiving dinner. If your kitchen fan vents outside, increase its speed from low to high as the heat in the kitchen increases. Opening a nearby window or door will pull in cooler, fresher air. If your kitchen fan recirculates only, place your portable fan inside the doorway or window and exhaust the air outdoors.Home and kitchen ventilation matter even when it’s cold outside. If you find that it’s hard to ventilate your home, contact Air Assurance for expert advice. We provide HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

How Wood-Burning Affects Indoor Air Quality

Wood burning for indoor heating has sure gotten a bad rap these last few years, and no wonder. Wood smoke is full of particulates that adversely affect the indoor air quality of a home, and that aggravate all kinds of respiratory problems, from allergies to bronchitis and asthma. It can even aggravate conditions leading to heart and lung failure.What's more, wood smoke is full of the carbon emissions that are contributing to the greenhouse effect; plus it creates a layer of smoke that can hover over cities in the winter time. Some municipalities have even had to ban the burning of wood to diminish the haze.Still, some people are mighty partial to having some kind of heating option in addition to their central HVAC system. Let's look at some choices that might not have as many potential problems as a wood-burning fireplace.

Other Heating Options

The majority of wood stoves sold have some of the same issues as wood-burning fireplaces. They give off carbon emissions and particulates that foul your IAQ, and are inefficient to use. However, a new generation of so-called catalytic stoves are a much better option. These stoves have a catalytic combustor that traps smoke and other combustion byproducts. A chemical coating in the combustor interacts with the smoke, igniting it at a much lower temperature than the 1100 degrees F that is normally required for wood stoves.The fact the ignition occurs at low temperature means the stove is more efficient, and that the amount of emissions given off is reduced. Wood also lasts much longer. These stoves do require maintenance to keep them clean so they continue to burn efficiently. Also, the parts can be expected to wear out within a decade or so.Non-catalytic stoves are easier to maintain, but release more emissions and have a higher burning rate so are less efficient.Pellet stoves are another option. They burn cleaner than non-catalytic wood stoves and fire places, but require some electricity to ignite the pellets.

For more on fire places and indoor air quality, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Do Fireplaces Efficiently Warm Your Home?

Fireplaces are much beloved for the coziness they bring to a room on a blustery winter night. However, they are also much reviled on several fronts. Fireplaces are inefficient, allowing most of the energy they produce to go up the chimney. Fireplaces can be unsafe, leading to fires in the chimney or from smoldering embers. Wood burning gives off smoke, and with it, unhealthful particles that can compromise your indoor air quality. Wood burning gives off massive amounts of carbon emissions, and is actually banned in some cities.Add to the list of disadvantages the fact you've got to store firewood, which can harbor rodents and termites.So should you buy a house with a fireplace? If you have a fireplace in your home, should you stop using it and replace it with a more efficient type of heating?Our best answer: It depends on how much any of the above disadvantages bother you. Read on for further considerations on fireplace warmth.

Fireplaces as Backup, and Other Options

One of the best reasons to have a fireplace is it can be a backup source of heating in an all-electric house when the power goes out and your furnace won't come on. The fireplace will keep you from freezing, albeit inefficiently.Why else have a wood-burning fireplace? They're great for roasting marshmallows.Seriously, you may want to look into using that fireplace space for a catalytic wood stove. These stoves trap smoke and other combustion byproducts. A chemical coating on the catalyst interacts with smoke and ignites it at a lower temperature than the 1100-degree F temperature normally required, thus making it burn more efficiently. These wood stoves also release fewer carbon emissions and burn wood slower than non-catalytic models. The downside is they are more expensive than non-catalytic types, and the catalysts generally break down after 10 years or so.You might also look into a pellet stove. These are more efficient than a traditional wood stove or fireplace.

For more on fireplace warmth, and whether it's worth the trouble, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Ductless Technology Myths Busted

If you’re considering a ductless mini split system for your home, don’t let ductless technology myths stand in your way. Before ruling a ductless system out based on what you’ve heard, consider these facts that dispel the myths.

Myth #1: They can go anywhere.

This is not quite true, although ductless system offer a lot of flexibility. The position of the air handler in the room depends on the size of the room and its layout.The outdoor condenser should be placed as close to the air handler as possible to limit the length of the conduit that the mini split requires. A shorter conduit improves the energy efficiency of the mini split.

Myth #2: They’re only good for remodels or add-ons.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Ductless mini splits work well in new construction as well. They don’t require square footage for ductwork, don’t need a special room or closet to house the air handler and act as zoning systems.Each air handler for a mini split has its own thermostat, which means you can turn it off when you’re not using the space. The ability to zone saves energy dollars, as well as extends the life of each mini split.

Myth #3: Ductless systems are just for supplemental heating and cooling.

Properly sized, a ductless system will keep any interior space comfortable. In order to get the most comfort and efficiency from each mini split, the room should be well insulated and have few air leaks.It’s always best to work with a reputable HVAC contractor from start to finish to find the best system for you and avoid all the ductless technology myths.

Myth #4: A mini split can’t be used with ductwork.

HVAC engineers have found that ductless air handlers work as efficiently, if not more so, than central heat pumps. Many ductless systems use inverter technology that saves substantial amounts of electricity, as do the thermostats on the separate air handlers.

If you’ve like more information about these ductless technology myths and others, contact the pros at Air Assurance. We provide HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.