The Most Common Issues with Water Heaters

Water Heater Repair

Water heaters are high-capacity appliances that work silently, providing you and your family with the comfort that you are used to in an inconspicuous way. Most homeowners don’t pay too much attention to their water until the unit stops working or it no longer delivers the expected performance – here are the most common issues with water heaters that indicate a fault:

  • Less hot water – a typical sign of aging that can be temporarily solved by turning up the thermostat a little, but that requires the attention of a repair technician as soon as possible;
  • No hot water at all – if you have a gas-operated unit, the most likely cause for this issue is that the pilot light has gone out. If you re-light it, but you encounter the problem again, call a repair expert because you may have a faulty control valve;
  • Unusual noises – the strange noises coming from the tank may be caused by sediments that have accumulated inside the tank and are affecting the operation of the heating element;
  • Water that smells like rotten eggs – the smell is probably caused by bacteria that have accumulated inside the tank. Try to clean the tank with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water, but make sure the tank is properly flushed before you start using it again. For water heater and furnace repair Denver technicians are just a call away.

Things That Can Affect Your Indoor Air Quality

HVAC Services

The quality of the air inside your home affects not only your mood and your comfort, but your health as well – here are the most important factors that influence air quality:

  • Chemicals used in the house – the substances that you use for cleaning, the air freshener, the chemicals used for neutralizing the smell of your pets all affect the quality of the air. If any of the chemicals that you use in the house cause nausea, headache or irritations to your eyes or to your throat, replace them with green, non-allergic products;
  • Suspended dust particles and hair – the household dust and pet hair that floats in the air is known to be one of the most common causes of irritations and allergies;
  • Humidity – air quality is influenced by the level of humidity as well. Air that is too dry can cause irritations to the throat, to the eyes as well as to the skin, while air that is too humid causes rot and mold, it favors the appearance of mites and can cause respiratory problems as well;
  • Temperature – indoor temperatures that are too high or too low cause not only discomfort, but are dangerous for your health as well. For optimal temperatures, have an skilled air conditioning repair Denver area company to your house for annual maintenance on your HVAC systems.

What Is a Temperature Zoning System?

Zoning Thermostats

Temperature zoning systems are systems that not only provide heating and cooling for building interiors, but are also able to create customized temperature in the different zones of the building to enhance indoor comfort. In a home where there are several people, there will be at least one person who is not happy with how hot or how cold rooms are – a problem that can be solved easily with the help of a technological solution that replaces one central thermostat with a unit that permits for different temperature settings throughout the house.  You can have a Denver heating and cooling contractor come out and do the revamping.

Zoning systems allow for dividing the home into two or more temperature zones, thus eliminating the need to buy a separate furnace for each zone. This feature is beneficial not only if the people in the home have different temperature preferences, but also if the heat is not distributed evenly in the house. Multi-level homes, for example, are warmer on the higher levels than they are on the ground floor, which can cause not only thermal discomfort, but significant energy loss as well. Temperature zoning can efficiently solve the problem by allowing residents to set at least two temperature areas that can be harmonized to get more even temperature in all rooms.

Do My Air Ducts Need to Be Renovated?

New Home Air Duct System

The air ducts are just like any other component in your home: they need maintenance and sometimes renovation. The air duct controls the amount of air that needs to be delivered to the room to ensure the air in the room is of the desired temperature – if the HVAC system fails to achieve the desired temperature conditions in the room, the problem can be caused not only by a malfunctioning HVAC unit, but also by ducts that are leaking, have not been installed properly or are not the right size. Renovating your air ducts professionally by a residential HVAC Denver area contractor can solve many issues related to improper operation of the HVAC system as well as issues of abnormal energy consumption, so here what the process will involve if you turn to professionals:

  • Load calculations – the renovation technician will first of all inspect the system in your home and he will determine whether the HVAC system, including the air ducts, are properly sized for your home.
  • Testing – the technician will also perform a duct blaster test that consists in applying pressure to the ducts to discover leaks.
  • Duct enhancement – if the measurements indicate a leak, the technician will replace the faulty duct, or, if your system proves to be undersized, he will create the design that matches your requirements and he will also do the installation of the new system.

When Is It Time to Call an HVAC Pro?

HVAC Maintenance Time

HVAC units, whether used for cooling, for heating or for both, are complex, high-capacity pieces of equipment that take experienced technicians to maintain and to repair. Here are a few of the situations that require the attention of an HVAC expert:

  • The unit stops working – if your HVAC equipment stops working, even though the thermostat is set properly and the unit is switched to the desired operation mode (heating or cooling), call an expert right away.
  • The heat pump delivers cold air – if this happens, check whether the outdoor unit is not covered in ice or snow. If you don’t find any such problem outside, call a technician to check for the cause that led to the problem and to fix the unit.
  • The unit does not cool the room the way it should – if your room is too hot, even though the AC runs on full capacity, check and clean the filters. If the problem persists, make that service call because the issue might be caused by the fault of the thermostat, of the motor fans or of the compressor, otherwise call on Denver heating and cooling company technicians to inspect the unit.
  • Your energy bills are too high – increased energy consumption is usually a sign of poor efficiency that needs the attention of a professional.
  • Leaks and strange noises – two other symptoms that can be handled only by HVAC pros.

A Few Facts from the History of Air Conditioning

Successful Concept

The basic concept of air conditioning was invented and used by the ancient Egyptians who used who hung reeds kept moist with water trickling from above on windows to keep the air inside cool and kept, while the Romans used aqueducts installed in the walls of buildings to keep the walls cool with the help of circulated water.

The very first modern air conditioner that used electrical cooling was invented much later, only in 1902, by Willis Haviland Carrier, an American engineer and inventor. Initially, Carrier wanted to put together a machine that could control air quality and temperature in the printing plant where he was working to prevent changes in paper dimensions and to keep ink in place on the paper. The invention became so popular that Carrier soon opened his own air conditioning company to meet the increasing demand.

Carrier’s air conditioner was first used in production plants and, by the 1920’s, the invention became used in residential units and it spread to the Sun Belt as well, allowing for rapid population growth in the hottest region of the United States. Carrier’s design was further refined over the years and in 1945 Robert Sherman invented the first portable air conditioner that not only heated and cooled the air, but was also able to adjust the level of moisture in the air and used filters for improved air cleanliness as well.  The HVAC Denver industry has come a long way since the original invention of AC and Heating.

Benefits of Improving Indoor Air Quality

The Importance of Great Indoor Air Quality

The quality of the air inside the spaces that we spend most of our time in, such as in the house or in the office, determines not only the way we feel inside these spaces, but our overall health as well – here are a few of the most important benefits of improving indoor air quality:

  • Deep and healthy breathing – your body reacts to the particles inhaled during breathing – if the quality of the air is poor, your breathing will be shallow, but if the air around you is clean and fresh, you will take deeper breaths, which will improve the level of oxygenation in all the cells of your body.
  • Improved sleep – fresh and clean air is essential for your body while resting as well, making your sleep deeper and more refreshing.
  • Help with allergies – 10-30 percent of the world’s population suffers from some kind allergies or conditions that affect the respiratory tract. If you improve the quality of the air in your home or in your office, you can be safe from allergens or at least you can considerably reduce the presence of harmful particles, thus preventing allergic flare-ups and reducing the risk of developing respiratory illnesses. Call upon one of the best Denver HVAC companies to clean your air ducts, to improve the air quality in your home.