Should You Have a Winter Humidifier On in Your Home?

Cold winter weather can lead to dry indoor air as you run your heating system to stay warm. Should you put a winter humidifier in your Broken Arrow home to keep it from becoming too dry? Read on to learn more about whether or not investing in a winter humidifier is worth it during this time of year.

Lower the Risk of Illness

Dry air can make it easier for viruses and other germs to move around, while moist air has the opposite effect. Increasing the humidity in your home could make it harder for germs to thrive, which can help reduce your risk of getting sick. Since winter is cold-and-flu season, it’s a good idea to prevent too much dryness in your home in order to stay healthy.

Reduce Static Electricity

Dry air can cause your home to have a lot of static electricity. The shocks you get from this static can be unpleasant. In severe cases, static electricity can damage electronics in your home. Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier can help decrease static electricity.

Prevent Wood Damage

When your home is too dry in winter, wood floors, doors, and other wooden structures can end up being damaged. Dry air can cause wood to crack or change size, making doors tough to open and floors creaky. Using a humidifier during winter can keep wood structures in your home in good condition.

Maintain Healthy Skin

Wintertime is associated with dry skin, especially for those who spend most of their time indoors. Heated air from furnaces or heat pumps can dry out your skin, which can lead to irritation. Having more humidity in your home in winter can help prevent dryness and keep your skin feeling healthier.

Have a More Comfortable Home

Using a winter humidifier in winter can create a more comfortable environment in your home. In fact, your home might feel warmer with higher humidity levels, so you won’t have to run your heating system as much.

If you need a winter humidifier to keep your Broken Arrow home feeling more comfortable this season, contact Air Assurance.

What Are the Pros and Cons of HVAC Recycling an Old Unit?

While many persons recycle used cans, bottles, and paper, what about HVAC recycling? If you upgrade to a newer, more efficient air conditioner or furnace, what becomes of the old unit? A central AC or window unit, or a gas-fired home furnace, is not a small, insignificant object. It’s a considerable effort for most persons to handle and properly dispose of. So what are the facts about HVAC recycling when the time comes to do so?

Furnaces

A retired gas furnace may or may not be suitable for standard pickup by your local municipality due to its size and weight. However, some cities include objects as large and as heavy as a furnace in specially scheduled bulk-item pickups. The item will have to be moved to the proper spot for pickup — usually out at the curb on the street — then a pickup will need to be arranged with the city. In most residential installations, your HVAC contractor can haul the old furnace away for you.

Air Conditioners

Air conditioners of all sorts — central AC as well as window units — present a complication. Most municipalities will not pick up air conditioners for disposal if they still contain a refrigerant charge. Refrigerant is a toxic gas that is destructive to the environment. By federal law, refrigerant can only be removed from a disused AC by a licensed HVAC contractor. In the most common scenario during air-conditioner replacement, the qualified contractor will remove the refrigerant from the old unit safely in compliance with EPA regulations, then haul it away for proper disposal at an approved local site. 

Ancillary Items for HVAC Recycling

Other smaller items related to an air conditioner or furnace replacement are generally recyclable and may be picked up by your local municipality. Alternatively, you may opt to take them to a local recycler yourself for potential cash. These include:

• Blower motors

• AC coils

• AC compressor motors

• Copper refrigerant tubing and associated brass fittings

• Metal air ducts

For specific information and advice about HVAC recycling here in Tulsa and Wagoner counties, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.

Keep Working Pipes in Your Home This Winter

One of the most stressful problems of winter is the possibility of frozen pipes. Are your pipes ready for the coming season? It's always worthwhile to review all your home's pipes every heating season to ensure that they can hold up to freezing temperatures when they occur. Let's have a look at some of the measures you may want to take to protect your pipes so you can ensure they remain working pipes during and beyond the cold spell.

Ensuring Working Pipes

The pipes most vulnerable to freezing are those located in a northern exterior wall. This could be bathroom or kitchen pipes or pipes that serve some other purpose. Pipes in basements, garages, the attic, and outside may also freeze. Here are ways to keep them from freezing.

1. When a hard freeze threatens, wrap exposed pipes in insulation. You can acquire insulation sleeves from the home store. Heat tape wrapped around the pipes is also effective. Place a protective cover on outdoor faucets.

2. Close up minute holes and cracks around pipes that travel through an exterior wall. Otherwise, cold air from even the tiniest cracks may cause pipes to freeze. Use caulk or insulation.

3. When a cold-weather event is imminent, leave open cabinet doors where pipes are located to be sure warm air gets inside.

4. Turn on faucets, allowing water to run at a slow drip. With water running through the pipes, they are less likely to freeze.

5. If you normally set the thermostat a few degrees lower overnight, it's best to change your routine and bump the thermostat setting upward to ensure the house stays warm.

6. For particularly vulnerable pipes — say, in the garage or basement — you might want to turn on a space heater.

7. Going away during the cold spell? Don't set your thermostat lower than 55 degrees. Have someone check on your home to make sure the heating is working and that no pipes have frozen.

For more on maintaining working pipes, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area to make sure homeowners have working pipes and everything else they need when it comes to their HVAC system.

What HVAC Cleaning Solutions Can You Use and Not Use on HVAC Equipment?

Cleaning is an integral part of HVAC maintenance. It helps reduce airborne particles that can affect your health and your HVAC system, and it can improve energy efficiency. The right cleaning products and techniques are essential to the proper cleaning of HVAC equipment. Let's explore effective HVAC cleaning solutions.

Agitation

Cleaning an HVAC system requires the removal of dirt, dust layers, and other sources of contamination. Agitation devices break contaminants loose from the surfaces within your heating and cooling system. These devices include:

• Rotating brushes on extendable poles

• Air whips

• Compressed air nozzles

You can also achieve agitation through contact vacuuming or hand brushing.

Disinfection with HVAC Cleaning Solutions

Over time, your HVAC equipment can become an incubator for microbes like mold, fungi, yeast, and bacteria. Antimicrobial chemicals like sanitizers, deodorants, and disinfectants are applied to the nonporous surfaces within your HVAC system to tackle antimicrobial contamination and control odors. However, only chemicals that have been registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be used.

Antimicrobial products should only be used after the completion of mechanical surface cleaning. The products can be applied through several methods, such as spray disinfection, cool mist disinfection, and aerosol disinfection.

Spray disinfection involves spraying an antimicrobial chemical directly onto surfaces from a short distance. Cool-mist disinfection involves the use of smaller spray droplets. The spray mist penetrates farther around obstacles and curves. In aerosol disinfection, the antimicrobial chemical is atomized into smaller droplets than those cool-mist disinfection uses. It offers excellent surface coverage but has a higher susceptibility to soiling.

While using HVAC cleaning solutions isn't difficult, it's usually fairly labor-intensive. You may have to create service openings to clean the inside parts and then close the openings after you've finished cleaning. This requires professional skills and craftsmanship.

Having your HVAC equipment cleaned properly will protect your family's health and your heating and cooling system. If you need HVAC maintenance using top-quality HVAC cleaning solutions in the Broken Arrow area, don't hesitate to contact the certified technicians at Air Assurance.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Ductless Mini-Splits?

You need a new HVAC system. The typical option is an AC or furnace, but that's not right for every home. Maybe you'd be better suited to a ductless mini-split. Here are some of the pros and cons of ductless mini-splits for home comfort.

Pros

The main advantage to mini-splits is their efficiency. They run on electricity, which allows the most efficient models to have SEER ratings up to 30. The most efficient AC, on the other hand, has a SEER rating of around 25.

That efficiency is compounded by the fact that mini-splits don't lose energy through ductwork. Holes and other damage to your ducts can cause energy loss in your home averaging 30%. Ductless systems don't have that problem, and they deliver all the air directly to you with no loss.

Finally, mini-splits provide zone control. While smaller systems are designed for a single room, larger ones include multiple units, which can be placed in rooms around the house. Each unit has its own thermostat and can be adjusted according to that room's needs — and the occupants' preferences — without disturbing the rest of the house.

Cons

While it's true mini-splits are efficient, they're also expensive. They cost much more to purchase and install than traditional HVAC units. You can make that money back over time through energy savings, but it's definitely a long-term investment, and not everyone can afford that initial cost.

Another problem is IAQ. Ductless mini-split air filters aren't as efficient as regular furnace and AC filters, and they won't eliminate as many contaminants. If you have allergy or asthma sufferers in your home, it might be a good idea to supplement your mini-split with an air purifier.

Ductless mini-splits aren't suited to every home. In the right situation, however, they can be a real asset in terms of comfort, savings, and other advantages. Talk to your HVAC contractor to see if a mini-split is the right option for your needs.

To learn more about ductless mini-splits and other heating and cooling options, contact us at Air Assurance. We serve all of Broken Arrow's home-comfort needs.

How Can You Keep Pets Safe and Comfortable From Cold Weather?

Even though cats and dogs tolerate the cold temperatures of winter, it's a good idea to take precautions when it comes to your pets and cold weather. Just like you, pets need protection from the cold in order to maintain a healthy and comfortable life.

Most cats and dogs need the same temperatures we do to thrive. While there are a handful of cat and dog breeds that can handle freezing temperatures, most can't. Keeping their coats combed and mat-free helps them survive winter. But their best defense against cold temperatures is the same as yours: maintaining a warm living and sleeping environment. Here are some key tips to remember when it comes to pets and cold weather.

• Winter isn't the time to have your dog or cat's coat clipped short. If they're a short-haired breed, they may benefit from wearing warm sweaters or coats when they'll be outside.

• A cold car is just as dangerous for your pet as a hot one is in the summer. Cold cars and trucks can quickly cause hypothermia for pets in cold weather. Be sure you have a stack of warm blankets for them to nest inside or, if policies permit, bring them inside with you, since pets and cold weather don't mix well.

• If you notice places around your home where your pets spend little time, investigate them for inadequate insulationor air leaks. A cold room could also indicate a ductwork leak leading to that space that an HVAC technician can diagnose and fix. Not only will everyone's comfort increase, your heating bills will drop.

• Inspect the area where your pet sleeps. If you keep them in the basement, be sure you have a warm bed or an insulated, enclosed area for them. Rigid, foam insulation on the floor, walls, and ceiling will help it maintain body heat. A blanket for the bed will help keep it warmer.

• If you have outdoor cats in your neighborhood and park outside, bang your hand on the hood of your car before you start it to frighten away any who are resting inside your engine compartment where it's warmer.

The pros at Air Assurance can help you with your pets and cold weather. We provide HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

What HVAC Trends Should You Keep an Eye on for Your Home?

Both companies and consumers have been increasingly concerned about saving both money and the environment. That has led to many changes in the HVAC industry in recent years. Here's a look at the latest HVAC trends that can greatly benefit your comfort and energy-efficiency needs.

HVAC Trends: Thermally Driven Cooling Systems

An Australian company has invented a thermally driven AC system. The system uses energy from solar panels. When solar energy runs short, the system can utilize natural gas. Thermally driven systems are highly likely to be mass-marketed as low-cost alternatives to conventional air-conditioning systems in the next couple of years.

HVAC Trends: Energy-Analysis Software

A variety of energy-analysis software has become available in the past few years and has changed how HVAC professionals approach, choose, and implement HVAC technologies. The software can help determine the most economical and efficient HVAC systems for a particular space.

HVAC Trends: Ice-Powered Air Conditioner

An ice-powered air conditioner freezes a large quantity of water overnight and makes it available for cooling the next day. When switched on, the unit can provide up to six hours of cooling. The cooling task reverts to the building's conventional AC unit when the ice melts. The ice-powered AC unit is still in the early stages of development.

HVAC Trends: Dual-Fuel Heat Pump

Dual-fuel heat pumps use a combination of electric heat pumps and gas furnaces to heat homes. The dual-fuel pump uses electricity to heat your home at temperatures above 35 degrees. At lower temperatures, it uses gas heat for better efficiency.

HVAC Trends: Geothermal Heat Pump

Geothermal HVAC products have been available since the 1940s but have been gaining popularity in the past couple of years. The technology uses energy from the earth to heat your home. In the summer, it draws warmth from your home to cool it. It's currently the most efficient HVAC solution.

HVAC Trends: Zoning

A zoned HVAC system divides your home into two or more zones and lets you heat or cool each zone separately. As a result, you avoid wasting energy in unused rooms.

The latest HVAC trends indicate that the new technologies that will be produced will keep giving homeowners more opportunities to further reduce their energy costs and environmental impact. Contact us at Air Assurance for the best HVAC products and exceptional service in the Broken Arrow area.

Which Winter Allergens Are Most Common?

Most winter allergies are triggered by indoor allergens. Although these allergens are usually in your house throughout the year, they may flare up during the winter because you spend more time indoors with your windows closed. Your heating system may also circulate them throughout the house. Find out what these common winter allergens are and how you can avoid them or minimize exposure to them.

Common Winter Allergens

The indoor allergens that commonly trigger allergy symptoms in the winter include:

• Pet dander. You can find pet dander from cats and dogs on almost any surface in your home. They can cause more allergies in the winter due to your furry friends spending more time indoors, particularly in the living room or bedroom.

• Mold. Indoor mold thrives in damp areas such as under sinks, basements, and bathrooms. Humidifiers and leaky faucets or pipes can encourage mold growth.

• Dust mites. These are commonly found on carpets, bedding, and upholstered furniture in your home. Their poop can become embedded in your household dust. Use of indoor heating and failure to wash bedding regularly can increase exposure to these allergens.

• Cockroach droppings. They are commonly found in dark, moist spaces like under sinks, behind appliances, or inside kitchen cupboards.

How to Combat Winter Allergens

Here are some useful preventive measures you can take to guard against common winter allergens:

• Use a humidifier to combat winter air dryness, but make sure the indoor humidity doesn't exceed 50%.

• Put hypoallergenic cases over your pillows and mattresses to keep out dust mites.

• Wash your bedding, removable upholstery covers, and clothes in hot water regularly to reduce the buildup of dust mites and pet dander.

• Seal crevices and cracks, fix leaky pipes and faucets, and clean up any crumbs or leftovers.

• Vacuum your home regularly using a vacuum with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter.

While removing the common winter allergens entirely may not be possible, you can significantly reduce your exposure to them using the steps above. Contact us at Air Assurance for the best heating, cooling, air-quality, and plumbing solutions in the Broken Arrow area.

Be Sure You Know the Average Gas Bill in Winter

The fluctuations in your energy usage during the year may make it difficult to predict how much you'll spend on your monthly bills. The price of utilities can also vary by region. Let's break down the average gas bill in winter.

What's the Average Gas Bill in Winter?

According to the American Gas Association's most recent findings, U.S. households spent $712 (on average) in natural gas to fuel and heat their houses. In Oklahoma, the average residential gas bill was $670. However, several variables affect your gas consumption, so your bill could be higher or lower.

For example, your monthly gas bill will likely be higher if you use gas to power all your major appliances, such as your furnace, dryer, water heater, and stove or oven. The size of your home also impacts your monthly gas bill. You'll pay more monthly if you have a big house.

A better way to understand your usage is by assessing your yearly consumption and comparing your monthly bills.

Lowering Your Gas Bill

If your gas bill is making a nasty dent in your finances, you can take several steps to lower it. Winter heating is a common cause of high gas bills. You could lower consumption by nudging down your thermostat. Boosting your home's energy efficiency will also help you reduce the gas you consume each month. You could achieve that by installing multi-pane windows and more insulation.

Other tips to help you reduce gas consumption include:

• Turn the water heater temperature down to 120 degrees.

• Insulate your hot-water pipes to retain heat.

• Shorten your shower time.

Remember that the little changes you make could add up to significant energy savings. For more information on the average gas bill in winter, contact us at Air Assurance. We've helped Broken Arrow-area homeowners keep their homes comfortable and energy-efficient for more than 35 years.