What Types of Home Insulation Can You Get This Winter?

If you're working on combating drafts and improving the efficiency of your HVAC system, you have likely come across several types of home insulation. How do you know which option for home insulation is right for your needs? Here are some of the benefits of different types of home insulation.

Fiberglass Insulation

If you are dealing with an area that is easy to reach and does not have nooks to fill in, fiberglass insulation may be the right choice for you. Fiberglass insulation tends to be less expensive than other options, and the installation process is simple enough for a homeowner to take on the job themselves. Fiberglass is the traditional insulation option that many homeowners think of when they are working on insulating their home against the cold.

Sprayed Foam

Areas that are hard to reach or have an irregular shape that makes other insulation materials more difficult to install efficiently and effectively can benefit from the use of sprayed foam. This type of foam insulation is applied via a spray that then expands to create a seal against air leaks. While sprayed foam tends to be a more expensive option when it comes to home insulation, it is also one of the most effective options.

Cellulose Insulation

Cellulose insulation is made from plant fibers and comes in several forms that are applied differently depending on which option you choose. Loose-fill cellulose is an option that is used in older homes, as it can be blown into existing walls to provide a protective layer against drafts. While other types of cellulose insulation are applied wet, loose-fill cellulose is dry when it is blown into the wall. No matter what form is used, cellulose insulation is a cost-effective option due to its lower cost when compared with spray foam.

To learn more about the different types of insulation and how they can work for your home, contact Air Assurance today. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas.

Tips for Winterizing Your Home During Cold Weather

Cold weather will be here before you know it. Don’t wait until it arrives to get your Broken Arrow home ready. Take steps now by using the following helpful tips for winterizing your home.

Schedule Heating-System Maintenance While Winterizing Your Home

Your furnace or heat pump needs routine maintenance to make sure it runs efficiently and safely. Gas furnaces can have buildup that needs to be cleaned to prevent safety issues. Set up an HVAC maintenance visit before you start using your heating system this season.

Find and Seal Gaps While Winterizing Your Home

Gaps and cracks make it easy for cold winter air to get into your home. It might flow in through openings around doors and windows, for example. Add weatherstripping to these areas or replace existing weatherstripping that’s worn. Seal up other gaps in your home exterior to keep cold air out and hot air in.

Check Insulation While Winterizing Your Home

Insulation in your attic helps keep heated air in your living space. Otherwise, it can escape through the roof. This causes you to use your heating system more and more, leading to wear and tear and higher utility bills. Add insulation to your attic if you don’t have enough in there.

Test Carbon Monoxide Detectors While Winterizing Your Home

Check carbon monoxide detectors this season. These detectors alert you immediately if carbon monoxide, which is odorless, colorless, and potentially deadly, is leaking inside your home. These leaks can be life-threatening, so making sure your carbon monoxide detectors are working is essential.

Change Air Filters While Winterizing Your Home

Put new air filters into your HVAC system, especially if you haven’t changed them in a while. This helps ensure that your heating system can work efficiently while also improving your indoor air quality (IAQ). Check your air filters again during winter to see if they need to be replaced.

If you need help winterizing your home, such as with HVAC maintenance or adding insulation, contact Air Assurance. We offer dependable HVAC services for homeowners in and around Broken Arrow.

What to Do If Your Home Furnace Is Blowing Cold Air

Few things can make life in your Broken Arrow home more frustrating and uncomfortable in the winter than a furnace that's blowing cold air. Several issues could cause your furnace to act up in this way. Keep reading to learn more about these issues with cold air and what you can do to restore normal functioning to your furnace.

Thermostat Settings

If your thermostat is set to "On" rather than "Auto," the furnace fan will run continuously, including when your furnace isn't producing heat. As a result, the system may circulate cool air between the heating cycles. Change the thermostat fan setting to "Auto" to ensure that the blower runs only during the heating cycles.

Clogged Air Filter

An air filter clogged with airborne pollutants restricts airflow and can lead to overheating and short-cycling of the furnace. If your furnace is blowing cold air and your thermostat has been set correctly, you may need to remove and clean (or replace) your filter.

The Pilot Light Has Gone Out

If your gas furnace has a pilot light and is blowing cold air, the reason could be that the pilot light has gone out. If you've set your thermostat correctly and see that there's no flame when you check the pilot light assembly, you'll need to relight the pilot flame. Furnace instruction kits usually have details on how to check and relight the pilot light.

Flame-Sensor Problems

A flame sensor that's worn out or covered in dust, dirt, and grime will make your furnace shut off because of its inability to detect the burner flame correctly. Cleaning the flame sensor may solve the issue. You may also need to have the sensor replaced.

Leaky Ductwork

Cracks and holes will allow warm air to escape and cold air to enter your ductwork and be circulated throughout your home. Duct sealing will eliminate these leaks.

Clogged Condensate Drain Lines

The latest furnace models have condensate lines to help remove excess moisture. Your furnace may not work properly if there's a blockage in the lines. It's best to have an HVAC professional clean clogged furnace-drain lines.

If your furnace is blowing cold air despite your best efforts to rectify the issue, don't hesitate to contact an HVAC professional. Don't forget that furnace maintenance will help you avoid this and many other problems. Contact Air Assurance if you need furnace installation, repair, or maintenance in the Broken Arrow area.

tulsa tankless - water heater services

tulsa tankless - water heaters

The tankless water heater represents the most major advance in residential water heating since the first storage-tank model was invented in 1899. A tankless model generates hot water entirely on-demand. This eliminates many of the limitations of the traditional storage tank heater and improves energy-efficiency. As the typical American household spends about $500 annually on water heating, any cost savings can make a difference in the family budget. Here are some ways a tankless water heater improves both convenience and economy in your home.

• No standby heat loss. A typical conventional water heater utilizes a tank to store about 50 gallons of hot water. As time passes, water in the tank gradually cools, and the burner must activate to maintain proper water temperature. Due to this standby heat loss, energy is wasted reheating water in the tank multiple times until the water is finally used. Instead of storing water, a tankless unit heats only when hot water is needed.

• Unlimited hot water. When someone opens a hot water tap in the house, a tankless unit senses the requirement and instantly begins heating the continuous flow of water for as long as required. You never run out of hot water like you do with a storage-tank unit when demand is high. Nobody ends up shivering in a cold shower.

• Longer service life. The tank is a weak link in a storage-tank water heater. After an average service life of about 12 years, standard water-heater tanks are subject to internal corrosion, mineral accumulation, and leakage that require replacement of the entire unit. Tankless units eliminate these downsides and, with proper maintenance, will usually last more than 20 years.

• Improved energy efficiency and lower costs. In a home that uses up to 40 gallons of hot water daily, tankless heaters are about 30% more energy-efficient than a conventional tank model. According to the EPA, a tankless heater with Energy Star certification can reduce hot water costs by $100 per year in the typical household.

More Benefits Of tulsa Tankless Water Heaters

Not only will a tankless heater save you money on your energy bills, it will also save space within your home since these systems do not require large holding tanks like their traditional counterparts do. This can free up some space in your basement for extra storage, or a kid’s play area.

Another feature that makes these new, more modern heaters very popular is the fact that it is virtually impossible to run out of hot water. It only takes a few consecutive showers to deplete a traditional heater’s tank. Afterwards, it is necessary to wait until the tank’s contents are heated once again before you can access hot water. With a tankless system, the supply is continuous and plentiful.

Tankless Water Heater Installation

The proper installation of a tankless water heater is very important for it to run efficiently and perform as it is designed to do. There are many aspects to properly installing a tankless water heater and you should hire Air Assurance’s professional plumbers to complete the installation.

To properly install a tankless water heater, Air Assurance will first check the gas line. A tankless water heater will typically require a gas line with a larger diameter. There is a little electrical wiring involved as well, and once the old water heater is removed and disconnected, we can begin setup of the new water heater. Tankless water heaters are mounted to the wall, not left on the floor like a conventional water heater.

For more about the efficiency and performance benefits of a tankless water heater, contact Air Assurance.

Getting Your Home's Furnace Ready for Fall and Winter

Is your furnace ready for another northeastern Oklahoma winter? Low temperatures during winter months here average around 28 degrees. That’s definitely a good reason to prepare your furnace to keep the house cozy. It’s also important to ensure that your furnace is operating up to specifications to ensure maximum energy efficiency and low operating costs, as well as safety. As the weeks pass and temperatures drop, here are some tips to get your furnace ready for whatever Mother Nature has in store this winter.

Schedule Annual Furnace Maintenance

Now’s the time of year to schedule a furnace checkup with a qualified professional HVAC technician to get your furnace ready for colder weather. This procedure is critical to ensure that all heating components are fully operational and meet industry criteria for reliable operation, as well as economical use. This service also includes vital tests to confirm that all functions are operating safely. Also, if your heating components are still under warranty, annual professional maintenance is likely also specified in the terms.

Verify Programmed Thermostat Settings

It’s a good idea to run through the thermostat settings to make sure they're correct. It’s not unusual that someone might have altered the settings last winter or that conditions in the home, such as the number and temperature preference of occupants, have changed.

Replace the System Air Filter

Your HVAC air filter is ready for replacement after this hot summer. A clean, fresh filter helps your furnace operate up to the manufacturer’s energy-efficiency specs, as well as ensuring that warm air effectively circulates throughout all the rooms in your home. The Environmental Protection Agency, as well as most furnace manufacturers, recommend installing a new air filter every 60 to 90 days.  

Protect the Outdoor AC Component

Once you’re certain you won’t be operating your central air conditioner until spring rolls around, consider covering the outdoor unit to protect it from potential weather extremes, as well as accumulation of dead leaves, falling icicles, and animals that might try to take shelter inside the unit. 

For professional service to get your furnace ready for winter weather, contact the HVAC pros at Air Assurance.

What Is the Best Sleep Temperature in Colder Weather?

Do you have trouble sleeping? Many people do for various reasons. One of the main reasons — and one you may not have heard of — has to do with temperature. It turns out that sleep temperature is best when it's on the low side.

Melatonin Rules

Most of us live in houses where the heating can be on the warm side in winter. Unfortunately, making the house warmer can inhibit our brain's production of a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin helps us fall asleep, and in addition to being produced when the temperature is cooler, it's also produced when the light diminishes, as in a natural setting. A cool, dark, quiet setting — one not jazzed up by TV light or noise from your phone — is more natural and apt to be more conducive to good sleep because it fosters melatonin production. 

Ideal Sleep Temperature

Setting the thermostat at a cooler temperature can promote good sleep. A temperature of around 65 degrees is ideal. Actually, the best temperature for sleeping could be anywhere from 60 to 72 degrees. If that seems a bit chilly, you can always add a blanket. In the winter, keeping the thermostat at this cooler temperature will also help you save money on the utility bill.

In summertime, however, it may be a little more costly to keep the interior of your home at 72 degrees or lower. That's when it's important to keep the window shades, blinds, or drapes closed in the daytime to cut down on solar radiation. Keeping the sun from shining into the home can go a long way toward cutting back on your utility bill in the summer. A window unit might also help. 

Sleeping in a colder room, where your brain is producing more melatonin, has actual health benefits. When your sleep temperature is lower, you'll be less restless and more likely to sleep without waking. Sleeping in a warm (and humid) environment can contribute to a decrease in slow-wave sleep and REM sleep, both of which we need for better health.

For more on sleep temperature, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow. 

The Real Differences Between a Furnace and a Heat Pump

When looking for the perfect heating system for your Broken Arrow home, you'll need to choose between a furnace and a heat pump. Let's help you out by breaking down their major differences.

How They Work

Most furnaces burn natural gas, propane, or oil to generate heat and blow it into your house. On the other hand, heat pumps don't generate heat or use fuel sources. They use electricity to move heat energy from outside into your home.

Due to how heat pumps work, they may not provide enough heat when the outdoor temperatures are too low. As a result, they're ideal for milder climates. Furnaces produce heat by themselves, providing greater heating ability in harsher winter conditions.

Furnaces only heat your home. Heat pumps can reverse how they work in the summer, collecting heat from your home and transferring it outside. As a result, heat pumps provide both heating and cooling.

Both heat pumps and furnaces include filters that you can replace easily. Typical heat pumps have an indoor and outdoor unit. Furnaces typically don't require an outdoor unit. However, they're frequently paired with central AC units.

Energy Efficiency

Scientifically, highly efficient heat pumps are more energy efficient than highly efficient furnaces. A heat pump can transfer more energy than it uses. At peak performance, the system can take a single unit of electricity to move as much as three units of heat into your house. As a result, it can be up to 300% efficient. On the other hand, highly efficient furnaces can have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating of around 98%.

In warmer climates, a highly efficient heat pump typically uses less energy than a gas furnace. However, in colder climates, a highly efficient gas furnace, such as one with an AFUE of 95% or higher, performs better than even an Energy Star-certified heat pump.

An HVAC professional can provide more help with choosing between a furnace and a heat pump, considering several factors like your individual needs, efficiency comparisons, and lifetime operating costs. If you need help with navigating different heating and cooling options or have problems with your current HVAC system in the Broken Arrow area, don't hesitate to contact us at Air Assurance.

Does Air Quality Improve During the Colder Months?

You might think air quality is better when the weather is colder. It would seem that warm air encourages pollution, but that's not so, say the experts. It turns out that various factors are at play to make cold air more polluted than warmer air. Let's see what they are and what that means for your breathing when you're outside. Cold, polluted air can also have an effect on your indoor air quality.

Why Cold Air Is More Polluted

It has to do with the fact that cold air sinks and warm air rises. Cold air is denser, with less space between the molecules of air. When there is a plunge in temperature, warm air is forced to pass over a blanket of cold air. This cold air keeps a cap on the environment, and pollutants can't escape and disperse. 

Being denser than warm air, this cold blanket of air moves slowly. Thus, cold air traps pollution and keeps it in place. In fact, it keeps it in place much longer than in the summer. 

Most efforts in this country to reduce air pollution have been focused on the summer. Smog is actually a greater concern in our bigger cities during winter.

Rainfall can also have an effect on pollution. When it rains, the pollution is washed away; after a summer storm, the air is nice and clean. In the winter, the same thing can happen, but it tends to rain less in the wintertime. 

In the wintertime, we also leave our vehicles running for longer periods so they can warm up. This adds to pollution, as does the greater use of HVAC equipment, both residential and commercial.

What's more, in the home, we tend to keep doors and windows closed in the winter. This allows airborne pollutants to build up until the home's air quality is very poor. The only way to improve it if you can't open windows or doors is to install some type of ventilation. 

Want to know more about how temperature affects air quality? Contact Air Assurance, serving Broken Arrow and the surrounding area. 

How to Properly Clean All the Air Vents in Your Home

Having dusty air vents can affect the air quality in your home and your HVAC system’s efficiency. Cleaning these vents helps improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy efficiency. Keep reading to find out how to effectively clean these vents throughout your Broken Arrow home.

What You’ll Need for Cleaning

To get your air vents clean, you’ll need soap and water, clean rags or cloths, a cleaning brush, a vacuum cleaner, a broom, and a screwdriver.

Turn Off the HVAC System

You don’t want your HVAC system running while you’re trying to clean the vents. Turn it off until you’re done cleaning and the vents are back in place.

Remove Vent Covers

Use a screwdriver to take off the vent covers. You can clean them room by room or put them in a pile and go through them one by one. Just make sure you know where each vent cover goes.

Wash, Brush, or Wipe Vent Covers

For light dust or debris, you can use a dry, clean cloth to wipe them clean. You can also use a cleaning brush to remove more stubborn debris. If your vent covers have a lot of debris, clean them with soap and water and then wipe them dry with a clean cloth.

Vacuum Air Vents and Grills

Vacuum inside each air vent to remove dust and debris. You can also use your vacuum cleaner to clean any grills that are on ceilings. Watch for dust falling down onto you if you do this.

Replace Vent Covers

When all vent covers are dry, put them back in place using your screwdriver.

Turn Your HVAC System On

You can now run your HVAC system again. You should notice better efficiency and have healthier air.

How Often to Clean Air Vents

You should clean your vents every few months to prevent dust and debris from building up. Remember to also change your air filters for even cleaner air.

If you need air duct cleaning done by a professional, please contact  Air Assurance. Our HVAC team can eliminate dust and debris from the ductwork in your Broken Arrow home so you have cleaner air.