Learn About Effective Fan Use During Warmer Weather

A ceiling fan can be an effective part of your all-around strategy to cool your home efficiently. Ceiling fans are a great asset during the summer, for sure, but they can also be useful in winter, making a home's occupants feel warmer without turning up the thermostat. Read on to learn effective fan use that can boost your savings. 

How Ceiling Fans Can Make You Feel Cooler

Ceiling fans — or any fan for that matter — do not change the temperature. But in summer, they produce a breeze that creates a windchill effect on your skin as sweat evaporates so that you feel cooler. That means there is less urge to turn the thermostat down when people feel hot. 

When the blades of the ceiling fan turn counterclockwise, they will also help people feel cooler by lifting up the heat that penetrates through the ceiling. Furthermore, the fan blades push down the cool air from the air conditioner. 

In the winter, reverse the blades to run clockwise so they will lift cold air up to the ceiling while helping to push down warm air to occupant level, maximizing the effects of effective fan use.

Ceiling-Fan Efficiency

New ceiling fans are labeled with an efficiency rating according to their efficacy. When measuring the efficacy of a ceiling fan, the airflow is balanced against how much electrical energy must be used to run it. The airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute (or cfm) of air flow per watt of electrical power. An efficient fan should produce more than 100 cfm. An old fan might produce 30 cfm.

Fans with big blades are also preferred, as they increase cfm. The optimum speed for running a ceiling fan is low, as the fan will produce more cfm per watt on that speed. Medium speed produces less cfm, but it's still fairly efficient, whereas running fans at high speeds diminishes efficacy. 

But just remember: The ceiling fan will not save you money on your utility bill unless you keep your HVAC at a higher setting in the summer, which is just another way to put effective fan use into practice.

For more on effective fan use, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

Does the Fan Brand You Get Affect How Your Home Is Cooled?

Do Not Display

Fans can help you reduce your AC costs while keeping you cool and comfortable. While cheap brands can deliver a cool breeze to make you feel more comfortable, top fan brands offer more than just cooling to transform your indoor environment into a healthier and more restful space at the height of the summer heat.

The top brands manufacture modern fans that are sleek, silent, and adequately powerful to cool your home down quickly. With these fans, you also get additional helpful features like various energy-efficient modes, height and speed settings, smart controls, and purifying technology.

Below are some of the top fan brands available.

Lasko Ultra Air Performance

This Lasko oscillating tower fan delivers steady streams of clean and cool air quietly and quickly. It has a built-in ionizer and three speed settings. Its height lets you send cool air over chairs and beds. The fan also has an energy-efficient timer, carrying handle, and remote control.

Dyson Pure Air Purifier

The Dyson Pure Air Purifier is a combination of a cooling fan and air purifier that delivers purified, cooled air to your room with via 350-degree oscillation. Its built-in sensors monitor environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, and air pollution and provide purification automatically. A HEPA filter inside the fan captures common allergens.

Honeywell Quietset Tower Fan

The Honeywell fan brand provides power and customizability to cool an entire room. Auto shut-off timers and dimming features let you control when and how the fan delivers cool air to your room. The fan has eight speed settings.

Vornado VFAN Air Circulator

If you like a mix of retro aesthetic and modern features, the Vornado fan may suit you nicely. The retro-style fan features three-speed power, adjustable height, swift air circulation, and multidirectional airflow. It comes with a five-year warranty.

These top fan brands will cool you off effectively and efficiently. For more advice on home cooling and energy efficiency, contact us at Air Assurance. We proudly serve the heating and cooling needs of residents in the Broken Arrow area.

Learn About the Best Attic Fans You Can Get for Your Home

An attic fan helps keep your attic well ventilated and prevents excess humidity. This can help regulate the temperature for the rest of your home more efficiently and lower your energy bills. There are a number of different fans on the market, though. Which one is best for you? Here are our picks for best attic fan.

• Broan Surface Mount Solar-Powered Attic Ventilator. Easy to install, the Broan Attic Ventilator delivers great performance while saving energy, putting it at the top of the list of the best attic fans. It's powered by a built-in solar panel, which is deliberately designed to be inconspicuous so as not to be an eyesore.

• iLiving Shutter Exhaust Fan. One of the cheapest models on this list, this is a great option if you're on a budget. It's great for circulating air and reducing moisture. The aluminum fan blades come in multiple sizes for different spaces, and the shutters can open and close at multiple speeds to maximize air circulation.

• QuietCool Smart Attic Fan. Designed for use with your smartphone, this fan's app gives you greater control over your attic ventilation. That includes adjusting it for different seasons and different climates. It's energy efficient and has a variable-speed feature to adjust for both mild and extreme temperatures. Some have complained that it runs too loudly, but as long as it's properly and securely mounted, this shouldn't be a problem.

• Remington Solar Attic Fan. This one is a little on the expensive side, but it's worth the price. Solar powered to save energy, it can switch to electricity automatically when necessary. It also adapts automatically to changes in temperature and humidity to deliver the circulation and ventilation you need while saving energy.

• Ventamatic Cool Attic Power Gable Mount Attic Vent. Another model for homeowners on a budget, this model is inexpensive but effective, making it one of the best attic fans. Its blades are designed to maximize ventilation while minimizing noise. It also improves cooling efficiency by pulling cool air in from outside and venting warm air out.

For more help finding the best attic fan for your home, contact us at Air Assurance. We provide Broken Arrow with quality heating and cooling solutions.

What to Know About Bathroom Heater, Fan & Light Combos

Bathroom-fan combos add three vital conveniences to daily living: adequate heat, light, and ventilation. Bathrooms are ground zero for high levels of moisture and odors. From the standpoint of comfort, the bathroom’s often not a cozy room, either, especially on a cold winter morning. A bathroom-fan combo integrates an exhaust fan, electric heating, and bright illumination into one overhead unit installed in the ceiling. Here are some of the factors involved in choosing the right unit and getting proper installation:

• To fully remove humidity and odors from the bathroom rapidly, the exhaust fan should provide at least one cubic foot per minute of airflow for each square foot of bathroom space. A dedicated duct must be installed to exhaust bathroom air all the way to the exterior of the house. Exhausting directly into the attic is not acceptable, as high moisture content in bathroom air will cause expensive structural damage, ruin insulation, and also promote mold growth.

• Bathroom combo units may be activated by a timer switch instead of a standard on/off switch. This ensures that the unit runs long enough — usually 15 minutes — to fully exhaust moisture in the air after activity such as a shower or bath, then turns off automatically.

• The lamp function in the combo may utilize a 100-watt incandescent bulb, a fluorescent bulb, or an LED array. LED lighting typically provides longer service before replacement is needed. Most units also include a night light that is 5 to 7 watts.

• A bathroom-fan combo sized for a typical medium bathroom — between 50 and 100 square feet—usually includes an electric heat element ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 watts. The heating unit incorporates an internal thermostat to keep the temperature consistent.

• To ensure safe operation in a moist and misty bathroom, installation of bathroom-fan combos should be performed by a qualified HVAC contractor or a licensed electrician. Units will typically require a dedicated circuit, which also includes GFCI (ground fault interrupter circuit) protection.

For more information about the selection and installation of bathroom-fan combos, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.

Have You Changed Your Ceiling Fan Direction Yet?

When you're making the transition from heating to cooling your home this year, a related task that's well worth tackling is changing your ceiling fan direction. Once the blades are going in the right direction, you can use your ceiling fans strategically to boost your comfort, help you save energy and make your HVAC equipment last longer too.

Ceiling Fan Direction Simplified

Ceiling fan blades are purposefully designed to spin either forward or backward, and the direction of the spin is controlled via a small button found on the fan housing. This simple button adjustment allows you to change the blade rotation on a seasonal basis: in the summer, you want the blades spinning forward, in a counter-clockwise direction, so they create a cooling breeze. This “wind chill” helps perspiration evaporate and makes the body feel more comfortable.Making the change on all your ceiling fans isn't a difficult or time-consuming chore. Once the blades are set to spin counter-clockwise, you can:

• Save energy without sacrificing comfort by dialing up your usual thermostat temperature setting a few degrees. Doing so can help you lower your energy bills for the entire cooling season.

• Help lighten your heat pump or air conditioner's workload. By reducing strain and wear on your cooling equipment, there's less chance that it will break down at the height of the cooling season, and it will likely last longer as well.

Important Details to Know About Ceiling Fan Use

In our climate, ceiling fans can't completely replace air conditioning when the weather heats up, because they can't change the actual air temperature. What ceiling fans do is move air very effectively, and it's the cooling sensation created by air movement that lets you feel more comfortable. Understanding this makes it easy to see why it's only beneficial to run the ceiling fan in an occupied room. To avoid wasting any energy by having fans running unnecessarily, just make sure you switch the fan off whenever you exit a room.

To learn more ways to make your Broken Arrow home more comfortable this summer, contact us at Air Assurance.

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). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

HVAC Considerations for a Bathroom Renovation

Are you considering a bathroom renovation? You're likely looking at more efficient fixtures and the latest in bathtub, sink and toilet design. But there's one key area in a bathroom renovation some homeowners overlook: exhaust ventilation.If your ventilation is lacking, bathroom renovations are the perfect opportunity for installing or upgrading an exhaust system.

Why Exhaust Ventilation Is a Must

Most of the humidity generated in a home comes from the bathroom or the kitchen. In the bathroom, the source is likely showers, running water in the sink and flushing toilets. All this moisture has an impact on the home, resulting in:

• Stale air and unpleasant bathroom odors.

• Excess moisture in the home, leading to higher summertime humidity and a need to lower the thermostat when the humidity makes the home seem too warm.

• Mold, mildew and fungus on tile, shower curtains, floors, walls and ceilings, leading to a musty smell and damaged drywall.

If you have a window, the solution could be to open it and turn on a fan to blow out the moisture. However, this isn't always practical and modern homes seldom have bathroom windows.The best solution is to install exhaust ventilation, but ductwork must lead to the outdoors. A system that empties moist air into the attic or in spaces between ceiling joists will cause wood rot and mold. If existing ductwork leads to these places, it should be extended so that it goes through the roof or an exterior wall.

Choosing an Exhaust System

Homeowners have many choices of exhaust systems these days, including quieter, more efficient models than were available in the past.You will need to find exhaust fan with the right airflow capacity for your bathroom, which is measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm). Figure 1 cfm per square foot and a minimum of 50 cfm. For bigger bathrooms (more than 100 square feet), figure at least 50 cfm for each toilet, bathtub and shower.

For more on bathroom renovations and exhaust ventilation, contact Air Assurance. We've served Broken Arrow and the surrounding area for more than 30 years.

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). For more information about bathroom renovations and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “jarmoluk/Pixabay”

Areas of Your Home That Need the Most Ventilation

When it comes to home comfort and energy efficiency, ventilation – aka effective air exchange – plays a crucial role. Without adequate fresh air in a home, indoor air quality will suffer, with the environment becoming stale, stuffy and unhealthy.Learn what areas of your home will benefit from effective ventilating strategies, along with why whole-house mechanical air exchange may be necessary as well.

Nowadays, with energy efficiency increasingly stressed in building construction, working mechanical ventilation has become more important than ever. In the past, much of a home’s air-exchange needs were satisfied incidentally, with abundant air exchange through cracks and gaps in the home’s exterior envelope. That’s not the case any longer with the tight home construction of today.

The most common type of mechanical ventilation in a home is the bathroom exhaust fan. Most bathrooms are equipped with this fan, which not only de-fogs the room but also carries away unpleasant and noxious odors and contaminants.Next on the list is the kitchen, which almost always has a stovetop fan that carries away smells from cooking and food preparation, keeping them from spreading through the rest of the house.

One area where many homeowners neglect ventilation is the attic. Yet, effective air exchange is essential in the attic. Without it, during the summer, an attic can get superheated, and that heat eventually will transfer into the living spaces below. During the heating season, an attic without proper venting may help cause ice dams on the roof that can lead to extensive structural damage in a home.

In many homes, mechanical air exchange is necessary on a whole-house basis. Increasingly popular are balanced and supply-only systems, with the most common balanced system being Energy Recovery and Heat Recovery ventilating systems (ERV and HRV, respectively). Using parallel air streams, one blowing out and one blowing in, these systems ensure fresh air while also transferring heat and moisture (in ERVs) to help with home heating and cooling and humidity control.

We can help devise an effective ventilation strategy for your Broken Arrow area home. Please contact us at Air Assurance.

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). For more information about ventilation and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “clker-free-vector-images/Pixabay”

Is There a Humidity Problem in Your Home?

A little humidity can be a good thing, but having excess moisture in your Broken Arrow home can lead to a variety of issues. Not only does it make your home feel damp and clammy, but it can also trigger a host of allergy and asthma symptoms due to increased mold and mildew growth. If left unchecked, it could even lead to structural problems in your home.

Ways to Spot Moisture Problems

If you happen to spot the following, then it’s likely you’re looking at an excess moisture problem in your home:

• Excessive condensation on glass doors, windows and walls

• Peeling paint, visible moisture spots and/or cracks on walls

• Visible mold and mildew growth on walls and other surfaces

• Frequent allergy symptoms or respiratory issues

How to Deal with Excess Humidity

Now that you’ve discovered the problem, it’s time to deal with the underlying cause. These helpful tips can go a long way towards dealing with your home moisture problem once and for all:

• Increase your home’s ventilation – Make sure your home has enough flow-through ventilation to help carry away humid air. You may need to improve your home’s attic ventilation or even invest in a specialized ventilation system.

• Curtail moisture-creating activities – Bathing and cooking can easily raise humidity levels, so steps should be taken to reduce that source of moisture. Start by cutting back your showering or bathing time. Keep your pots and pans covered while you cook and always use your range and bathroom exhaust fans while cooking and bathing.

• Invest in a dehumidifier – Unlike air conditioners, dehumidifiers are dedicated full-time towards removing excess moisture from indoor air. Portable and whole-house dehumidifiers are available for dealing with localized and house-wide moisture problems.

Contact the experts at Air Assurance and learn more ways you can spot humidity before it becomes a serious problem in your Broken Arrow home.

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: “Mario7/Shutterstock”

Don't Forget the Fans When It Comes to Low-Cost Comfort

Don't Forget the Fans When It Comes to Low-Cost Comfort

It's possible to cut the cost of cooling your home during our hot summers by raising the thermostat and using fans to provide cost-efficient cooling. Besides moving air, a fan can also reduce the cooling load in your home. These affordable devices use little electricity and make a measurable difference in your comfort during the cooling season. Ceiling fanIf your home's ceiling plate is eight feet or higher, you can use a ceiling fan in the rooms you use the most to move the air. If you choose one with a reversing switch, it can keep the room warmer in the winter, as well. These devices need to be carefully hung from a fan-rated box that's firmly attached to the ceiling for stability and safety. The blades should be between seven or eight feet from the floor for maximum comfort.Spot fanAlmost all homes have kitchen and bathroom fans that remove heat, humidity and odors. Their small size belies their capacity at removing air, so once the air's been cleared, it's a good idea to turn the fan off to save the conditioned air you've paid to cool.Attic fanInstalling an attic fan will keep your attic cooler because it pulls cooler outdoor air inside. This cuts your cooling load, since attic temperatures go well over 100 degrees F on a sunny day in the summer. An attic fan pulls cooler outdoor air in, which replaces the heated air in the attic. As the air cools, so does the insulation and the wood framing. Less heat in the attic translates to less warmth radiating into your home.These devices plug into an outlet, or you can use a solar attic fan. If your attic doesn't have an outlet, an electrician can wire it for you. Look for a fan with a thermostatic switch that turns on when temperatures reach a specific temperature.If you'd like to learn more about fans and increasing your comfort this summer, contact Air Assurance. We've provided outstanding HVAC services for the Broken Arrow region for more than 30 years.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

How To Use Your Ceiling Fans And Your Air Conditioner To Keep Cool

We tend to think of a wind chill factor as being a winter event. However, using ceiling fans creates a wind chill factor as well. Ceiling fans allow you to keep your A/C thermostat set about four degrees cooler than normal, with an an identical cooling effect.Ceiling fans can do more than just help your family keep cool in the summertime; they can also help conserve energy and reduce your utility bill. You can count on saving about one percent of your total energy costs for every degree you alter your thermostat setting, assuming you also use an eight-hour set-back period during working/sleeping hours each day.To maximize the cooling effect of ceiling fans and air conditioners, there are a few things to keep in mind.

• Install fans properly. Ceiling fans are only beneficial when installed on a ceiling that is at least eight feet high. Make sure the fan is mounted at least 12 inches from the ceiling for adequate airflow. If you are not able to accomplish this in your home, you are better off buying a table or floor fan for proper air circulation.

• Turn the fans off when you aren't in the room. Fans do not reduce the air temperature in a room. They create a draft, which moves the air along your skin, providing a cooling effect. For that reason, fans should always be turned off if people have left the room.

• Make sure the fan size is adequate for the room/space. Larger fan blades move more air; 36-44-inch blades accommodate rooms that are four to six feet in diameter. Fan blades measuring 52 inches can be effective up to about 18 feet. Depending on the size of your space, you might consider two fans for optimal cooling.

• Don't forget to look for the Energy Star label. Fans bearing the Energy Star label are up to 20 percent more energy efficient than their standard counterparts.

For more tips to stay cool on a hot Oklahoma summer day, Contact Air Assurance. We've been keeping homeowner's cool since 1985.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!     

Get The Efficiency Of HVAC Systems To Increase With Ceiling Fans

Are you interested in improving the efficiency of your HVAC system? Have you tried running your ceiling fans? While ceiling fans don’t actually cool your home, their wind chill effect does enhance the comfort of household occupants. In fact, running a ceiling fan often allows Oklahoma homeowners to set their thermostats an average of four degrees higher without any noticeable difference in comfort.How does this improve HVAC efficiency? By running ceiling fans when you’re in the room and turning them off when you’re not, you can raise thermostat settings, conserving energy without sacrificing comfort. On cooler days, you may not have to run the air conditioner at all. For every degree you raise the temperature during the cooling season, you experience a significant reduction in cooling costs.If your home doesn’t currently have ceiling fans but you wish to enjoy the added comfort and energy savings they provide, you must first determine whether you have the amount of space necessary for proper installation. Ceiling fans should be installed in rooms with a minimum ceiling height of eight feet, hanging a minimum of:

• Seven feet above the floor

• Eight inches below the ceiling

• 18 inches away from surrounding walls

Other factors to consider when purchasing a new ceiling fan include:

• Noise – Some fans are louder than others. To ensure that the fan you choose will provide the comfort you desire without becoming an auditory distraction, ask to listen to the fan during operation before making a purchase.

• Size – While larger fans are often necessary for larger rooms, they can be an eyesore in smaller areas. If you feel you need additional comfort at lesser velocities, instead try installing a fan with larger blades.

While ceiling fans can certainly complement the efficiency of your cooling system, nothing ensures system efficiency like annual system maintenance. If you've been neglecting your system, a routine professional maintenance checkup can often provide the comfort and efficiency boost that your household needs. For an expert consultation regarding all of your heating and cooling needs, speak to one of our trained technicians. ContactAir Assurance today.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 website to see our current promotions and get started today!      

Innovative Tips That Make Home Comfort And Savings A Priority

Home comfort and energy savings should be a priority in every Tulsa area household. To help you get optimal performance from your cooling system this summer, we’ve compiled this list of innovative energy-saving tips.

• Raising temperature settings at the thermostat is a surefire way to reduce monthly cooling bills. To maximize savings without sacrificing home comfort, try keeping your thermostat at 78 degrees when you’re in the home and raising thermostat settings as high as 85 degrees while you’re away. But don't do this when it's over 95 degrees outside. That can actually cause energy bills to rise while the unit tries to catch up.

• One way to take advantage of higher temperature settings without sacrificing home comfort is to utilize household ceiling fans. While ceiling fans don’t actually cool your home, running them while you're in the room can create a wind chill effect that will help you remain comfortable, even when thermostat settings are increased by as little as four degrees. Just remember to turn ceiling fans off when you’re not in the room.

• Clogged air filters are notorious for restricting airflow and putting unnecessary strain on your air conditioner. Inspect filters monthly, cleaning and replacing as necessary.

• Another cost-effective means of improving household energy efficiency is to address air leaks using caulking, seal and weather stripping. Common leakage points include areas around doors and windows, and gaps around lights, wiring, ductwork and plumbing.

• Inadequate attic insulation can be a major drain on monthly energy costs. For an additional 10 percent savings, try boosting attic insulation to a minimum R-value of 30. If you can see your attic rafters, you are wasting lots of money on energy.

• It also pays to properly seal ductwork. If your ducts leak, you could be losing as much as 20 percent of the air you pay to condition. While accessible ductwork can be addressed using metal tape or duct mastic, a professional can ensure that your entire duct system is sealed properly.

• If your air conditioner is over ten years old, upgrading to a high-efficiency Energy Star-qualified model could save you as much as 10 percent.

• In fact, Energy Star-qualified products are an ideal means of long-term energy savings. Look for products ranging from water heaters to light bulbs.

For a more customized assessment of your household energy efficiency, consult our NATE-certified technicians. Contact Air Assurance today!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here.Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

6 Energy Saving Tips That Will Help Lower Energy Costs

Today, everyone is looking for energy saving tips; the state of the economy has left many people without work and money is tight.  Part of your effort to save money should include making sure that your HVAC system is operating efficiently.If your system is in good working order, there are other steps you can take to make sure that your home is comfortable while still saving a bundle on monthly energy costs.No other system or appliance in your home consumes as much energy as your HVAC system.  At Air Assurance, we want to help homeowners in the Tulsa Metropolitan area put more money in their bank account and spend less on utility costs.  A good place to start is with these 6 energy saving tips:1.  Use your ceiling fans, or have some installed.  During warmer months the circulated air helps cool you; during the colder months, warm air is pushed down and circulated keeping you warmer.2.  Consider the windows.  In warmer months, close curtains or blinds to help block out the hot sun.  In winter months, open up the drapes on the south side of your home to warm the room.  Also, make sure areas around the windows are sealed or caulked to ensure cold/hot air remains outside, not inside.3.  Exhaust fans pull air out of your home.  Turn your exhaust fans off within a few minutes after cooking or showering.4.  Check the thermostat.  Lower it a degree or two in winter, raise it by the same amount in the summer.  Your energy bills will lower dramatically, and you will remain comfortable.5.  Check your air filters and replace on a consistent basis.  Dirty filters create air flow restrictions and make your unit work harder.  This can also make your system pull air from leaky ductwork which can allow cold/hot air into the home, as well as other unwanted pollutants.6.  Have an HVAC certified contractor check out your system on a regular basis. Just like an automobile, a finely tuned piece of machinery works better and more efficiently!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy saving tips and other HVAC topics, click here. Air Assurance services the Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas.  To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.