Tulsa, OK - Where Does Your Home Need Insulation Most?

Tulsa OK - Insulation Services

Making sure your home is well insulated is one of the best things you can do to boost energy efficiency and lower your utility bills. If you're planning to replace or supplement your home's insulation, it's important to know how to evaluate insulation, and which parts of your home need it the most.Where to startSome areas in your home are a higher priority than others when it comes to insulation. If you can invest in adding insulation to only one area, it should be your attic. Heat rises, and it can easily flow right out of your house if your attic doesn't have enough insulation.Other areasOf course, insulation should never end with your attic. An energy-efficient house should be well insulated throughout. A few other important areas include:

• Exterior walls

• Cathedral ceilings

• Foundations

• Floors, especially over an unheated garage

• Ducts

• Basements and crawl spaces

Evaluating insulationBefore you add insulation to your home, you should get an idea of how much insulation you already have, and what types of insulation are being used in your house. There are a few ways to do this.

• Contact a home energy auditor to perform a whole-house energy assessment, including an insulation check.

• Inspect the insulation yourself in unfinished areas where it might be exposed. Good places to check include exposed floors and walls in your attic, basement and crawl space.

• Inspect exterior walls through electrical outlets. To do this, first turn off the power to an outlet, then remove the outer cover. Shine a flashlight in to see the insulation, and remove a small piece if necessary.

R-valuesYou can judge the efficiency of new and existing insulation by its R-value. Insulation's R-value is a simple way to judge its resistance to heat conduction, and thus its efficiency. R-values are listed on the packaging when you purchase insulation. Most homes should be insulated with an R-value of at least R-30.For more information on adding insulation to your home, contact Air Assurance Heating and Air Conditioning. We've been serving the Broken Arrow area for more than 30 years.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today!     Insulation Maintenance image via Shutterstock

How to Live With Higher AC Temperatures in Your Home

In the summer heat, your energy bills skyrocket. The simplest way to bring them down is to raise your thermostat. Higher AC temperatures mean less energy usage. They also mean less cooling. Can you survive the increased heat? You don't have to. With a few simple tricks, you can stay just as comfortable, even when the thermostat is set higher.

• Ceiling fans. Ceiling fans are great for air circulation. They can also make your home feel cooler than it is. The windchill factor makes the air feel cooler as it blows against your skin. This means you can set higher AC temperatures — raise your thermostat about 4 degrees — with no reduction in comfort.

• Sealing leaks. Saving energy means eliminating waste. That includes sealing leaks in your ductwork so that all the air makes it from your AC to your home, as well as sealing cracks and other leaks in your house to prevent that air from escaping once it's in there. Reducing air waste means your home will stay cool longer without your system having to work as hard.

• Smart thermostat. The best time for higher AC temperatures is when you're not home. A smart thermostat gives you better control over your home's temperature, allowing you to set higher AC temperatures more easily. You can have it in cooling mode while you're in the house, but program it for energy-saving mode (a few degrees higher) when you leave for work. Then have it switch back to cooling mode half an hour or so before you get home so your house is comfortable upon your return without wasting energy cooling an empty house.

• Window treatments. The more heat you can block from entering your home, the less cooling you'll need to stay comfortable. Heavy drapes on your south-facing windows will keep the heat out, but they'll also keep the sun out. If you still want to let light in, consider solar shades. They let in some natural light while filtering out a good deal of the heat that goes with it.

For help lowering your energy bills while keeping your house comfortable, contact us at Air Assurance. We provide Broken Arrow with quality heating and cooling solutions.

Learn How BTUs Work Inside Your Home's HVAC System

When you're in the market for a new HVAC system, you'll encounter the abbreviation "BTU." Understanding this term is crucial to ensuring that you get the right HVAC system for your home's comfort and energy-efficiency needs. Read on to learn more about how BTUs work.

What Is BTU?

BTU, or British Thermal Unit, is a heat-energy measurement. A BTU is equal to the energy used to heat 1 pound of water by 1 degree. A BTU is relatively small. However, the BTU rating of appliances such as HVAC systems is in the thousands. For example, a furnace may be rated at 100,000 BTU.

BTUs help reveal the performance of an HVAC system. The BTU rating of HVAC equipment indicates the amount of energy a furnace or heat pump uses to generate heat or an air-conditioning system uses to absorb heat from your home's air and take it outside.

The Right BTUs for Your HVAC System

BTU helps you determine the type of HVAC system you need for your home. Getting an HVAC system without considering its BTU rating can significantly downgrade your comfort and increase energy bills. The square footage of the space to be heated or cooled is a key consideration in choosing the correct BTU rating.

Getting an HVAC system with too many BTUs for a house your size will lead to the equipment short-cycling and wasting energy. Short cycling can damage the equipment and shorten its life span.

Due to how BTUs work, HVAC equipment with too few BTUs for your space also presents its own set of problems. The equipment won't have enough cooling or heating capacity to cool or heat your home effectively. Besides causing comfort problems, the equipment may run nonstop as it strains to serve your indoor spaces, costing you more in utility bills.

Based on how BTUs work, it's essential that you get an HVAC system with the BTUs that your home needs. A local HVAC professional will assess your home and give you accurate, expert recommendations. If you need quality HVAC installation, repair, or maintenance services in the Broken Arrow area or want to learn more about how BTUs work, don't hesitate to contact us at Air Assurance for assistance.

Proper Attic Insulation Can Save Money and Energy this Season

Attic insulation estimates - tulsa ok

Good attic insulation is one of the easiest ways to keep Broken Arrow's freezing winters from stealing your comfort. By reducing the load on your furnace, insulation also helps hold down your heating bills.

The Importance of Attic Insulation

The warm air from your furnace naturally rises toward your ceiling. Without sufficient air sealing and insulation in the attic, that warmth will flow into the attic and then through the roof. This not only wastes heat, it also contributes to moisture and mold issues in the attic and ice dams that could damage your roof. To keep your home warm and free from damage, your attic should have at least an R-38 layer of insulation, which requires around 12 inches of fiberglass batts. For even greater energy efficiency, add more insulation to achieve an R-60 layer.

Choosing the Right Insulation

Insulation is available in two forms and a number of different materials. Every type of insulation has pros and cons, so review your options before you decide how to improve your attic insulation. Your options include:

Batt insulation — These strips are cut to fit between floor and wall joints, making them easy for a non-professional to lay into place. Batts are produced in fiberglass, cellulose, mineral wool, plastic fiber, cotton, and sheep's wool, among other materials. Fiberglass and cellulose are the most efficient of these, but mineral wool helps more with noise reduction.

Loose-fill (blown-in) insulation — Produced as small pieces of material designed to be installed using a blower machine, loose-fill insulation fills in small corners better than batts, so it insulates more efficiently. On the downside, you'll need to rent a blower machine or hire a professional for insulation.

Rigid foam — These stiff boards of polystyrene or other foam can be set into place without special equipment. While they're highly efficient and moisture resistant, the higher cost compared to batts or loose-fill makes them less popular for use in attics.

If you could use professional help to improve your attic insulation, contact us at Air Assurance in the Broken Arrow area.

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). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “irin k/Shutterstock”

Is It Wise to Get a Secondhand HVAC Unit for Your Home?

We've all saved money by buying something secondhand. The question is whether or not the savings is worth it. Here, let's take a look at what you should consider when deciding whether or not to purchase secondhand HVAC equipment.

Find Out Info About the Equipment

When you purchase a new HVAC system, you're obviously going to know a lot about it because of  the manufacturer details, Energy Star label, etc. With a secondhand system, you need to know certain details such as how old it is, how many repairs it's been through, its average energy usage, etc. This will give you a good idea of how long it will last and how well it will work.

Check to Make Sure the Secondhand HVAC Is the Right Size

Some homeowners will purchase HVAC equipment that's not quite the right size for their home because it's a great deal. Trust us when we tell you that this is a mistake. A wrongly sized HVAC system will either not be big enough to cool your home or it will produce too much moisture because it's cycling off too frequently due to being oversized.

Figure Out Who Will Install the Secondhand HVAC

If you decide to purchase a secondhand system, you need to figure out who's going to install it. Professional HVAC installers may not agree to do the job because they can't guarantee that the system will work. This could leave you with a general contractor, a friend, or yourself,  all of which risk improper installation.

Decide If Saving a Few Bucks Is Worth It

You really need to decide if saving a few bucks on a secondhand unit is worth the hassle. Yes, a brand-new HVAC system can be quite expensive, but it will last you a very long time. The risks of a secondhand piece of equipment just might not be worth it in the end.

If you have any questions about purchasing a secondhand HVAC system or would like to set up an appointment, contact the friendly professionals at Air Assurance today. We've been serving the Broken Arrow area since 1985.

What AC Wattage Should Your Home's System Be Using?

Summer is almost here, and with it comes high electric bills as you try to keep your house comfortable. How much electricity does your AC use to cool your home? How do you ensure it's using that power as efficiently as possible? Here's what you need to know about AC wattage.

AC Capacity

On average, a central AC system uses 1,000 watts per hour for every ton of cooling it produces. One ton of cooling covers about 600 square feet. Therefore, for a 2,000-square-foot house, you'd need between 3 and 3.5 tons of cooling, which would use 3,000 to 3,500 watts per hour.

A window unit uses less — between 500 and 1,400 watts per hour, depending on its size. However, they also cover much less square footage than a central AC. In order to cool your entire home, you might need up to three or four large units, which would add up to more energy usage in the long run.

Sizing and AC Wattage

A number of factors besides square footage affect what size AC your home needs — and what AC wattage it needs. For instance, if you have large, south-facing windows, they'll get a lot of sun exposure, producing more heat. If you have good insulation, though, it can help keep the heat at bay. Even the materials your home is made from can affect how much cooling you need.

When you buy a new AC, your HVAC contractor will take all of these factors into consideration to determine the cooling capacity your home requires. If your unit is too small, it won't cool your home adequately. It will run longer and use more energy trying to get your home to your desired temperature.

However, if your unit is too big, it also wastes energy. It cycles on and off rapidly, which wears out the system prematurely. It also causes disparate temperatures between rooms and even across the same room, making your home feel clammy and uncomfortable in the process.

For help getting the most out of your AC wattage, contact us at Air Assurance. We provide Broken Arrow with quality heating and cooling solutions.

How Well Do Air Purifiers Help Your Home's Air Quality?

Your HVAC system removes some of the contaminants from your home's air, but that's not what it's designed for. If you suffer from allergies or asthma and you want to maximize your indoor air quality, you'll need something more powerful. Will an air purifier do the trick? If so, what kind do you need? Here's what you need to know about air purifiers and IAQ.

What Air Purifiers Do

An air filter's effectiveness is measured by its MERV rating. The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value measures a filter's ability to remove contaminants from the air — how many and what size. A residential HVAC system can usually handle a filter rated up to MERV 12. This will eliminate basic dust and pollen, as well as milled flour, auto emissions, and a few other things.

However, if you want a filter that can remove viruses, bacteria, or smoke, you'll need a higher rating. The most effective option is a High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. HEPA filters are rated between MERV 13 and 20, which is too thick to go into a regular HVAC system without causing damage. With an air purifier, though, a HEPA filter can remove up to 99.97% of contaminants down to 0.3 microns.

Keep in mind, though, that 99.97% is measured in ideal, laboratory conditions. The filter's effectiveness in your home will likely be a bit less. Additionally, the air purifier only remains effective if you change the filter regularly. Still, as far as air purifiers go, HEPA is the best.

VOCs and IAQ

Good air purifiers eliminate most airborne contaminants, but VOCs are a different matter. Volatile Organic Compounds are harmful gases released by common household items such as paints and cleaning supplies. As gases, they flow through even HEPA filters and circulate through your home.

To eliminate VOCs, you'll need a system that uses a gas-phase filter, such as activated carbon, working in tandem with your HEPA filter. Carbon or charcoal absorb harmful gases to keep your air breathable.

For help improving your indoor air quality, contact us at Air Assurance. Broken Arrow's home comfort is our top priority.

Warm Weather HVAC Tips to Know as Summer Approaches

It's warming up in Oklahoma. If you haven't turned on your air conditioner yet, you will soon. Even though nights are still cool in our area, we're due for some warm days with higher humidity, which will make conditions sticky indoors. So, you may as well get ready for what's just around the corner: summer weather. 

What warm weather HVAC tips are helpful for Broken Arrow homeowners? Let's take a look at what most HVAC consultants recommend.

1. Schedule a spring preventive-maintenance appointment. Yes, of course, we always say this. But the fact is, preventative maintenance is the best thing you can do in spring and fall to keep your HVAC equipment running correctly and efficiently. Have your HVAC tech go over such key parts as the blower, the condenser and coils, the evaporator coils, the condensate drain, the thermostat, the refrigerant lines and levels, the electrical connections, and the airflow. Be sure to discuss what your HVAC technician finds and note recommendations for current or upcoming repairs and replacements of parts.
   

2. Change the air filter. This is just about as important as spring maintenance. In fact, it's considered part of maintenance, especially when it comes to warm weather HVAC. Depending on what kind of filter you choose, you may need to change it as often as every month or every three months. If conditions in your house are dusty or smoky, or you have shedding pets, you probably should check the filter now and then to see if it needs changing more often. Keeping a clean filter in your equipment will allow air to flow through the system so that the AC can cool more effectively and efficiently.
   

3. If your home isn't air sealed, then see that it is. Sealing the minute cracks in walls where conditioned air can get out and hot air can get in makes your home inefficient when it comes to warm weather HVAC. Sealing these cracks — around doors and windows; by baseboards; under electric plates; and around any pipes, wires, or cables in exterior walls — can really make a difference on your electric bill. Have your HVAC tech check your ducts for disconnected or broken sections.

For more warm weather HVAC tips, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

Insulation: What's The Difference Between Cellulose And Fiberglass?

Choosing between cellulose and fiberglass insulation remains a hotly debated topic among homeowners, considering that these two are very common and affordable insulation options. Both materials have advantages and limitations, so let's take a look at the main differences to determine which type works best for your home and why. CompositionCellulose is made from shredded recycled paper mixed with chemicals to bind the fibers together and reduce the flammability of the material. Fiberglass, on the other hand, is made from recycled glass and sand.Fire Resistance When exposed to high temperatures, fiberglass will melt but will not catch fire. Cellulose, while made of paper, is treated with fire retardants to prevent combustion. However, these chemicals could leach out over time and decrease the material's ability to resist fire.SettlingFiberglass rolls and batts do not have settling issues. The loose-fill type, however, will settle slightly over time, although the settling is negligible. Cellulose material, on the other hand, can settle by as much as 20 percent, thus affecting the final thickness of the material and requiring an additional layer.Low Temperature PerformanceFiberglass loses heat more quickly than cellulose and often registers a lower R-value in cold weather.MoistureWater is used for installing cellulose insulation, so vapor retarders are added. It has to be completely dry before the wall cavity is closed up. Otherwise, the material will absorb moisture and become susceptible to rotting. Fiberglass does not have this issue.InstallationMost DIY projects involve fiberglass because it is easy to cut and install. It does, however, require careful, meticulous attention to install properly, which takes time. With cellulose, however, the process is quicker provided you have an insulation blower and you are not likely to do a sloppy job.So which type of insulation is right for you? Let our technicians at Air Assurance  help you decide. We have been providing top quality products and services to our clients in Broken Arrow for nearly 30 years. We can work with you to identify the best solutions for your needs.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). Image courtesy of Shutterstock