About Me

Preparing for My Dream Home

My husband and I have spent a lot of time consulting with an architect. After living in our cramped, starter home for the past 11 years, we were finally ready to make some needed changes to it. We have added an extra 600 square feet of space onto our house. Before the construction began, we finalized the plans for our new heating and air conditioning unit with our HVAC contractor. Because our home was going to be substantially bigger than it is now, we purchased a larger HVAC system. We also installed a new, digital thermostat inside my home. On this blog, I hope you will discover the best types of HVAC units to buy for mid-size homes. Enjoy!

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Preparing for My Dream Home

    Troubleshooting Furnace Noises
    Pops and banging noises from your furnace can be very alarming, especially if your furnace previously made few loud noises. Sometimes these noises can indicate that there is an issue that needs attending to. The following guide can help you get to the bottom of the alarming noises. Squeals and whines Squealing and whining noises are typically indicative of either a blower or motor issue. These noises may only occur briefly when the furnace first pops on, or they may continue until the furnace turns off.

    Need a Heater for Your New Home? 3 Common Types You Can Choose From
    If you're in the process of building a new home, you'll need to choose a heating system for it. If you're not familiar with the different types of heating systems, you might not be able to make an informed decision. To help you choose a heating system that will work best for you, here's a brief description of the three most common types. Forced Air Forced-air systems are among the most popular types of home heating systems.

    4 Signs Your Central Air Conditioning Needs Recharging
    It doesn't matter how much you spent or the brand you bought, air conditioners can't run without flaws for the rest of your life. There will be times that the systems need recharging. Here are the signs to look out for, so you can recharge and get the cool air back as soon as possible. 1. The Unit Is Blowing Warm Air When the unit starts blowing warm/room temperature air, it is a sign the system needs recharging.

    Three Ways Under Five Dollars To Save On Heating Costs
    Nobody wants a high heating bill, but many of the tips you commonly see for saving on heating cost a lot to implement. If you don't have a lot of cash to dedicate to your heat-saving endeavors, here are some ways to save on heating for less than five dollars. Make a door snake.  A door snake is a long, snake-like pillow that you place in front of your exterior door to prevent cold air from seeping in beneath it.

    AC Coil Troubleshooting
    An AC unit depends on its coils to extract heat from the air in your house and then expel heat into the outside air. Each set of coils has its own challenges. Because they are located outside, condenser coils are prone to get dirty, and if evaporator coils do not get enough air flow, they can freeze the water vapor in the air, which coats the coils with ice. As a homeowner, you should know how to troubleshoot both of these problems.

    Three Things You Should Do Before Opening Up An Air Duct Grille In A Room
    Whether you want to push an automatic air brush through the duct or just want to change out the filter, it's necessary every once in awhile to remove (and hopefully clean) the air duct grilles in your home's various rooms. But with all the dust that will fall off a dirty air duct grille when you move it, it's not a good idea to start until you've taken some precautions. Specifically, consider these three things you should do before opening up an air duct grille in a room.

    Improve AC Efficiency By Cleaning Your Condenser Coils
    Condenser coils can get quite dirty, and dirty coils can drastically decrease your AC efficiency. In fact, dirty coils can decrease your overall system efficiency by up to 37%. To protect your budget, you should inspect your coils regularly and clean them whenever you see the need.  What to Look for? Dust and yard debris can accumulate inside coils. A condenser unit is designed to pull air up from near ground level and through the individual fins that make up the coils before venting the hot air out the top of the unit.

    Heating And Air Conditioning In One Unit
    When you buy two separate pieces of equipment to both heat and cool your home, you increase your installation costs. In some cases, you can save money by buying a heat pump, which will both heat and cool your home. An air-source heat pump will do the job if you live in a moderate climate, but for areas where you have to deal with extreme cold, a ground-source heat pump is a better choice.