So how do you find ways to operate your business more efficiently? Cutting maintenance of your air conditioner is not a smart move. You will experience breakdowns when it is the hottest and the repairs will be more expensive, your employees will have to bare high heat and be very uncomfortable. When that happens you can forget about productivity. Don’t think of cutting back on service to save money and ride out the storm because you will be doing more harm than good.

This bring up an interesting point. How do you know your current service provider is delivering the proper service you requested? He walked in with tools  disappears and comes back awhile later with a work ticket for you to sign. Did he go to sleep in the back room? Did he test anything? There is a way to check  if your system is running at peak efficiency. No one is performing this testing. The reason is they don’t want you to know how lousy of a job they have been doing.

I’m not afraid. My technicians are highly trained. They have to go to school for five years to become a journeyman, and the education doesn’t end there. I know if they are doing the proper service I pay for third party verification. I will first have my technician tune-up your system then have a third party verification test done. You will get a printed report from an engineering firm outlining if your system is running at peak performance or if it has any deficiency’s .

Don’t you want to know if your getting what you paid for? Herricks Mechanical is the only company in New York that performs this service. Call Today for details 516 248-1177.

What about the tasks that you know you need to complete?  Are you aware of when you are actually doing these things, and did you know that doing certain tasks at a different time of the day could yield better results?

The best way to get a handle of how you spend your time is to keep an activity log.  My first thought when reading about activity logs was, “I don’t have enough time in the day to accomplish real work!  Why would I want to spend time writing down what I’m doing?”

The truth is, seeing is believing.  You may be shocked to see in black and white the amount of time you waste each day.  Whether you get caught up reading junk mail or chat with co-workers on your way back from the coffee machine, this time adds up!

An easy way to keep a time log, without wasting additional time, is to simply make note of the times when you change activities.  In a notebook, write down the time and the task you are starting, even if it’s just getting up to go get coffee.  This should only take a few seconds, and then you’re free to continue with what you are doing.

If you want to dig a little deeper into your work habits, you may benefit from jotting down how you feel at certain times of the day.  Are you tired and stressed out, or alert and motivated?  Some people perform better in the morning than in the afternoon.  Others may experience a slump right after lunch or after eating a sugary snack. 

Once you have an idea of how you spend your time, here are some tips that will help you be more productive throughout the day:

·         Eliminate tasks that do not directly deal with your job, such as personal e-mails.  You may also delegate some jobs that can be done by someone else in the organization, freeing up your time for more important tasks.

·         Take advantage of your peak performance times.  If you perform better in the morning, tackle your more challenging tasks during that time.  The task should actually take less time during your peak performance time than it would if you tried doing it when you feel tired or stressed.

·         Do not switch between tasks frequently.  Set aside blocks of time to work on certain tasks, including a block of time specifically for checking e-mail.  Checking e-mail throughout the day could lead to distractions and lost productivity.

Using your time wisely will allow you to complete more tasks throughout the day.  The end result is not only a more productive business, but less stress in worrying about projects getting backed up.  If you find work beginning to pile up out of control, now might be a good time to start an activity log. 

Check us out at www.centralheatingandcoolingnow.com.  A place where time management really matters!

Simply having your heating and cooling equipment cleaned and good filters installed is not enough.  Don’t forget to have your ductwork inspected and cleaned as well. 

Many kinds of contaminants can hide in your duct work.  These include dust particles, bacteria and fungal growth, rust, mold spores, manmade fibers and more.  Some particles are present even after the initial installation due to the large amount of dust and other particles present on the construction site.

Poor design or poor maintenance can add to the accumulation of contaminants in your duct work.

The growing demand for Duct Cleaning services has prompted the HVAC industry to develop standards as well as training and certification programs for HVAC system cleaning professionals.  These standards were set to define procedures for determining the cleanliness of a system and determining whether or not additional cleaning is required.

These standards ensure safety and efficiency in cleaning HVAC systems.  If you think you are in need of duct cleaning services, you can breathe easier knowing that you are getting the best possible service from trained professionals. 

Perhaps a good start is to install Energy Star kitchen appliances and replace the old refrigerator that seems to run constantly.  More eco-friendly tips would be to use recycled paper and even recycled ink cartridges.  Check out Ink Works, which makes its ink with vegetable oils rather than petroleum.

Green building supplies might cost a bit more, but you can expect to get those costs back in energy savings over time.  Another benefit of green building costs can be improved health since these products are less likely to emit toxins into your work environment.

If you are looking to take smaller steps toward a greener building, simply replacing incandescent lightbulbs with fluorescent bulbs can save 75% of your lighting costs.  Make sure lights are on only when natural light is not bright enough and shut down computers at night before going home.  A ten-computer office can save $750 per year just by turning off the computers at night.

If you are interested in taking larger steps to reduce your impact on the environment, contact AirNow.  Someone will be glad to tell you about green heating and cooling solutions for your home or office.

Hot water is pumped by an electric motor and driven through the house in a series; that is hot water enters the first radiator in the house so that the first radiator is the hottest of any. Heat flows from the surface of that radiator therefore the water that comes out of the exit end of the radiator is a slightly cooled. The water then flows to the next radiator in the baseboard hot water heating system and more heat is reduced from the water released into the room. In a closed baseboard hot water heating system the last room in the system receives the coolest water. The water then goes back to the boiler where it is heated and recirculated again.

All the water in a closed system remains in that system. If there is a small leak somewhere in the system, there is a recompense mechanism built in. The main water supply from the house is fed into the circulation system through a pressure regulator so that any lost water is replaced.

Since the water is contained entirely within the circulation system, baseboard hot water heating systems may have a problem. Water pressure expands when it is heated. If there were no place for expanding water to go it will build up pressure in the system and eventually blow out a pipefitting. The designers of the systems understand this and created an expansion device within the system. This is normally a large tank installed in the system that contains air. Air can be compressed, while water cannot. When the water expands it moves into the expansion tank and condenses the air. There is also a pressure relief valve installed in the system in the event that the air in the tank leaks out and is replaced with water.

Normally the boiler temperature is controlled inside so that heat is available instantly when the room thermostat calls for it. When the room thermostat signals for heat, a signal is sent to the circulation pump, which turns on and the baseboard hot water heating system begins circulating hot water through the house.

Sometimes there is an imbalance of temperature from the first radiator in the system to the last. Engineers worked out a solution to this problem by putting a control valve on each of the radiators that can be adjusted so that you can make a smaller amount of water flow through the first radiator, diverting the excess flow around and on to the next radiator in the system. If the flow rates are adjusted properly then the amount of energy coming out of each radiator is equal.

Maintenance and troubleshooting tips 

• The major thing that can go wrong with a baseboard water heating system is pump failure. The pump becomes noisy when the bearings in the pump fail. Replacement of the pump is a simple task. The pumps can be removed with little loss of water from the system.

• The pump seals and the boiler can develop leaks. The good news is that since the water is enclosed in the system and is not replenished on a regular basis, there isn’t a significant build-up of calcium in the tank the way there is in your hot water tank.

·         Air trapped in the baseboard water heating system causes a gurgling sound in the system when the circulator is pumping water. Most systems have a small valve at the high points in the system, which can be bled until all the air is removed and water starts flowing from the valve.

·         When the overpressure valve blows, it is because the air is removed from the expansion tank. If there is a leak at the extension of the air tank this is not a normal failure. The leak has to be repaired and the system should be drained until the air is replaced in the tank.

·         The radiator units are usually made up of copper tubes with fine sheet metal fins attached. These fins can get dusty and clogged and need to be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.

Calling a technician

When the heat system comes on, you’re able to actually hear water running through the heat pipes—that means you know you have air in the system.  When you have air in the system it’s time to call a furnace technician inspect your heating system. Include the expansion tank and air vent when you have the heating system inspected.

If the baseboard hot water heating system appears to be in good condition but heating is inadequate, consider having a service technician pressure test the distribution piping for a period of up to 24 hours. If the pressure drops, the system is leaking. When a leak is detected, have the service technician flush the piping to check for galvanic decomposition.

If you are in the Long Island area and need a technician to inspect your system, contact AirNow.  Someone will be happy to assist you.

Cleaning components including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, drip pans, fan motor and fan housing, and the air-handling unit housing is important in maintaining efficient operation as well as good air quality.  If you decide you need to have your heating and cooling system cleaned, it is best to make sure the service provider cleans all components of the system.

Most apartments and houses are built in such a way that heating and cooling efficiency depends on airtight environments.  Unfortunately, because air ducts are tight, new air gets inside the house at a very slow rate. What this means is that the new air takes a long time to exchange itself with the stale air. A good duct cleaning should involve the cleaning of all return-air registers, inside the air ducts and the interior of the heating and ventilating system. Some air duct professionals will use a sanitizer to run through the air duct system to make sure all the mold, bacteria and dust mites are destroyed.

I recommend hiring a professional air duct cleaning service to reach air ducts that you won’t be able to reach. If you decide to do it yourself this duct-cleaning project is relatively easy and can be carried out in the following steps:

Get your tools together and inspect the ducts. You’ll require a screwdriver and heavy-duty gloves. You’ll also need a cleaning brush, a rag or paper towel and a vacuum cleaner. Make sure the floor around the air duct entrance is clean—you don’t want any small objects to fall inside when you remove the duct covers.

Once you remove the air duct covers or return-air register plates, check the walls inside. Even if your air duct uses furnace filters, you still need to clean the the walls as best as you can. Use a brush and a rag to wipe out all the dirt because the walls may be covered with dust. Be aware that the sucking force of your vacuum cleaner may be too strong and may damage the walls.

You should be able to reach down a few feet with your vacuum cleaner hose, which is good because, even though the air duct cleaning isn’t thorough—it helps to eliminate some of the problems.

The benefits of duct cleaning

The EPA recommends that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove, or fireplace, they should be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.  Some research does suggest that cleaning dirty cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers can improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems.

Ducts may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris and related equipment if they are not properly established, looked after, and operated. Typically, a service provider will use special tools to dislodge dirt and other debris in ducts, and then vacuum them out with a high-powered vacuum cleaner. If moisture is present, it increases the potential for mold and spores and such growth may be released into the home’s living space. Some of these contaminants may cause allergic reactions in people if they are exposed to them. If you don’t clean a component of a contaminated system you can re-contaminate the entire system, thus negating any possible benefits.

If you might think duct cleaning is a good idea for your home, but you are not sure, talk to a professional. A good source of advice may be the company that services your heating and cooling system. 

If money is your primary concern, and you’re really only dollar-driven, then a portable AC unit will provide you with both economical and heat relief in the summertime. They range in price from approximately $100-$1000 and can be purchased at major consumer stores like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Sears and Kmart. They’re the perfect choice if you just have a room or small apartment to cool. The first thing to consider is how much square footage you need to cool and then buy a unit designed for your specifications. If the product does not say on the package itself, ask the sales representative about how much square footage it will reasonably cool.

If you’re anxious to get a portable unit and don’t want to labor through all of the research, an easy general rule of thumb is to look for the ENERGY STAR® label on units. This designates them as ranking in the top 25 percent of efficient models. Depending on where you live, buying this type of AC unit may even qualify you for a cash rebate! Go to www.energystar.gov for details.

Starting on the higher end of the spectrum of portable AC units is the Kenmore 75101 10,000 btu. It will cool a room up to 500 square feet. Kenmore has a reputation for magically combining value and efficiency and this unit is no exception. It has an auto-start feature that keeps it running even in power outages and has an energy-saver mode on top of being ENERGY STAR® rated! Expect to pay approximately $300.

At approximately half that price and with half as much square footage coverage (200 sq. feet) a great option is the Frigidaire FAA065P7A 6,000 btu. It runs around $175. On top of being ENERGY STAR® rated, its digital display makes it easy to use and testers say that it is very quiet. It also knows how to keep itself running if your city should ever experience a blackout. It’s a great overall choice for value, efficiency and ease of use.

If money is no object and efficiency is your primary concern, then you may opt for another type of AC system altogether: Central air conditioning. It works on the same principle as the cheaper, portable units, except it requires a split system-one on the outside of your home and one on the inside of your home in order to run. Many experts recommend the Carrier Infinity 18 as one of the most advanced central-air units. The 18 in its name refers to an 18 SEER efficiency rating, which is fairly high. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and it runs on a 13-23 scale, with 18 rating as a highly efficient unit. The unit is so advanced it even announces when its filters need changing! Environmentalists take note-instead of freon, it uses a comparatively eco-friendly refrigerant called Puron. It is the only central AC system that puts you in control, allowing you to change the fan speed, humidity levels, air quality and ventilation. Aspects like this cause it to come with a price tag of about $5,000.

If you want to save about $2,000 from the Carrier Infinity 18 but still have a highly efficient unit you may want to consider the Bryant 2-speed Puron Plus 598B. It runs around $3,000 and is only slightly less efficient at 16-SEER. Reviewers mark it as consistently reliable, running on two speeds that will automatically accelerate into high gear if the weather gets very hot outside.

At about half the cost, but not half the efficiency of the Carrier Infinity 18 is the Rheem Classic 14 (also known as the Ruud Achiever 14). Lawn-care fanatics will love this-it has a specially designed protective cabinet to keep the coil from being damaged by lawnmowers or yard debris. It takes a beating and keeps on working for you. It is a basic, high-efficiency central AC unit and it’s rated at 14 SEER.

As an alternative, if you want to save money (and the environment) you can simply upgrade any existing system that you have to a more energy-efficient system. That will save you money on electricity bills in the long run and keep you cool all summer long. Call the professionals at Air Now to determine the best type of AC unit to get for your home.

Whether it is efficiency, affordability or style, our professionals can guide you through the process.

Simply put-a humidifier is a machine that adds water vapor to the air in your home.  A central humidifier that your HVAC technician can install will humidify your entire house. 

How do they work and what do they do?

The most common type of humidifier is called an evaporative humidifier.  The beauty of it is that it is self-regulating so there’s very little work involved from a homeowner’s perspective.  As the humidity level increases, the humidifier’s water-vapor output naturally decreases. This type of humidifier also captures virtually all minerals and pollutants, making them an ideal choice for an allergy-sufferer.  If you are a highly allergic person, in some models you can even add a special filter treated with a compound that retards bacterial growth.

An HVAC tech can connect an evaporative humidifier to your home’s heating and cooling system.  A metal mesh or screen is located in the duct coming from your air conditioning or furnace unit, and water from your home’s pipes flows downward over the screen.  At the same time, air comes from the ducts, blowing across the screen, and gaining moisture.   

If you have a forced-air system, central humidifiers can be hooked up to your heating equipment and then water is pumped directly to them.  They are a highly efficient way to humidify your house, because their coverage is vast.  Central humidifiers can deliver moisture across all rooms of your home.  Just bear in mind that unlike the self-regulating evaporative humidifier, central humidifiers only work while your forced-air system is on.  They’re controlled by a humidistat that turns the unit off and on when humidity levels fluctuate outside of a set range.

To put moisture into the air, humidifiers can use different methods.  A steam humidifier disperses water vapor into the air by boiling the water. You can buy a wall-attached steam humidifier that will spray steam into a living space or into forced-air heating ductwork through a tube.  Water is piped directly into a steam unit, so you don’t have to fill it yourself.   The evaporated steam is pure and clean and does not contain bacteria or mineral deposits. 

Ductwork systems are another option for the homeowner, though generally on the pricey side.  They use your electricity to heat the water, so if you use it a lot your bills can run high.                                                                                                                

How humidifiers are installed

Whole-house humidifiers are installed in the ductwork, next to your furnace.  They add humidity to your entire home. Unless you are using an evaporative humidifier, it will often have a humidistat.  This allows you to adjust your humidity level to one that is comfortable for you. 

If your home has forced air, an HVAC tech will first screw the humidifier to a wall near the furnace.  Then he’ll cut away insulation from the duct and line up a hole-cutting template off to the side of the duct.  He’ll drill out a hole in the duct and secure the humidifier’s steam wand to the duct with screws.

Next, he’ll attach a steam hose to the steam wand and then to the wall-mounted humidifier, securing the hose with cable ties.  Then a flexible drain hose will be connected to the steam wand and then on to your humidifier.  A copper drainpipe is usually run from the underside of humidifier to a sump pump or floor drain.  Then a copper tee fitting is cut and soldered into a neighboring cold-water pipe.  This new cold-water copper is run along the piping down to bottom the humidifier. An electrician can run the electrical cable to the humidifier and to room humidistat.  Don’t try this at home-let a trained professional handle it for the safety factor!  A tech will then turn on the water to humidifier and install an air-proving switch in the duct.  He’ll set the humidity range on the high-limit switch, and then finally set the humidistat to a comfortable level for you so humidity reaches the whole house. 

With allergy suffering at an all-time high, it’s nice to know that there is a natural way to improve your health and the air quality in your home.  Call the professionals at Air Now to speak with a qualified technician about adding a humidifier to your home.

A heat exchanger is a device built for effective heat transfer from one medium to another, whether a solid wall separates the media so that they never mix, or the media are in direct contact. Antifreeze is one common example of a heat exchanger in a car. It transfers heat to air flowing through the radiator. Heat exchangers are widely used in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, power plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, petroleum refineries, and natural gas processing.

How is it done? 

A heat transfer appliance takes the role of a heat exchanger to save energy by recovering wasted heat and making it useful again. When there is a waste of energy or a heat stream that is not recovered, a heat exchanger can convert that heat stream into something that can be used.

Advertisers will tell you that heat exchangers will vastly improve the quality of your indoor air, but is it truly worth the time, trouble and expense? Here I’ll address both the rights and wrongs associated with heat exchangers.

Most furnace manufacturers recommend you have your furnace serviced and cleaned annually, to maintain peak efficiency and to ensure that your furnace operates safely. The reality is, that forgetting to clean and or service furnace until a problem occurs is very widespread.

By now you may be aware of the concerns regarding indoor air pollution. In an attempt to improve indoor air quality many companies are marketing products and services for cleaning heat exchangers.

Air duct cleaning services often cost from $100 to $1,000 per heat exchanger system depending on the type and size of the system to be cleaned, the climactic region, the level of contamination and the level of a heat exchanger service is offered.

Heat exchangers generally refer to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the hot and cold air supply and return air ducts and registers, heating and cooling coils, drip pans, fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.

Dust particles, pollen or other allergens may still contaminate the workings of an HVAC system, even though it has been properly installed, maintained, and operated. According to the EPA, if moisture is present, the potential for mold and spores is increased from such growth and may be released into the home’s living space. The EPA goes on to say that some of these contaminants, when people are exposed to them, may cause allergic reactions or other symptoms.

When choosing a company to clean your heat exchangers, it is important to understand what components will actually be cleaned and at what price. While one house might not have an air conditioning system, the next home might not have an air exchanger.

Start from the side of the system that is outside of your home.  After turning off the power at your fuse breaker, you are safe to clean the outside compressor with a garden hose.  Be mindful to keep any plantings at least one foot away from your AC unit so that air can flow properly. 

From inside your house, your best option is to keep the filters cleaned regularly-like every 3-6 months depending on how soiled it gets.  Why is this step so important?  A dirty filter will decrease the efficiency of the AC unit and increase your costs by as much as 20% or more.  For the same efficiency reasons, inspect the surface of the evaporator coil located inside the air handler once a year to make sure there is no dust build-up. 

Turn the fan setting on your Central AC unit from “auto” to “on.”  This will help dehumidify your house and balance out your room temperature (along with your electricity bill) by continuously circulating the air.

Though you may want to get help from a trusted technician, you can still perform the following tasks on your own if you are so inclined:

l       Check the belt in the air handler and replace as necessary.  Typically, you will only need to do it once a year.

l       Scrutinize the contactors, many of which are located inside the condensing unit. The contactors operate the compressor and as they get worn down they need to be replaced occasionally. The lifespan of contactors varies based on manufacturer. 

l       Ensure that all of your electrical connections are tight and make sure no wires are brushing against any metal surfaces.

Your technician can troubleshoot the problem for you and take the guesswork out of the equation.

They can also fix any leak, test the repair, and then charge the system with the correct amount of refrigerant. Ideally, your air conditioner is working efficiently and at its best when the refrigerant charge exactly matches the manufacturer’s specification.  In other words, when it is neither undercharged nor overcharged.  However there are times when it will need to be recharged in order to run properly.  A technician will be able to inspect the situation and recommend the proper course of action. 

It is important to know that only certified technicians can purchase refrigerants.   Since Nov. 14, 1994 the EPA has required technicians who work on any appliance that uses refrigerant to be certified.