The Right Home Temperature for Elderly Adults

Taking care of yourself as you get older becomes more difficult every year. There are a thousand different things you have to think about when it comes to your health and general well-being. The last thing on your mind is your home temperature. However, it's a more important issue than you think. Here's what you need to know:

Aging and Hypothermia

As you get older, you're more prone to a variety of different health issues, including some you might not realize, such as hypothermia. If you're over 65 and your internal body temperature drops below 95 degrees, it can cause problems with your heart, liver, kidneys, and more.

It's important to understand the signs of hypothermia. If you see someone is constantly shivering, their breathing is shallow, they have a weak pulse, their coordination is poor, they're slurring their speech, or they seem confused, disoriented, or low on energy, there could very well be a problem with their internal body temperature.

Avoiding Hypothermia

The best way to prevent hypothermia when you get older is to make sure your environment stays warm enough. Keep your home temperature at around 68 to 70 degrees. Then, seal all air leaks to make sure that heat isn't escaping. Consider a home energy audit to find out where in your home air is leaking out and then hire an HVAC contractor to seal them up. Common places for leaks include around windows, under doors, along your baseboards, and behind outlets and light switches.

You could use a space heater to warm up your bedroom, but be careful. Heaters can be a fire hazard if they're not used properly. If you're going to use one, be sure you do it safely. If you're not comfortable using a heater in your home, a better option is to add another blanket or two to the bed when it gets cold and dress in a couple more layers. Not only is it safer, it uses less energy.

For more help achieving your ideal home temperature, contact us at Air Assurance. We provide top-quality heating and cooling solutions to Broken Arrow.

Thermostat Reading the Wrong Temperature?

Does your home feel blazingly hot but your thermostat reads only 74 degrees? Sometimes, your thermostat can say one thing yet the temperature in your house is entirely different. However, before you call an HVAC technician to complain about a broken air conditioning unit, check if the cause of the problem is something you can easily solve.

Here are some of the common causes of a thermostat reading wrong temperature.

Dirty Air Filter

Your air filter can clog up fast if you have shedding pets or a cold air return in a high-traffic room. A clogged filter will hamper your A/C unit's cooling ability. It can also affect whether or not the unit turns on without involving your thermostat. Replace your air filters regularly.

Dirty Thermostat

Dirt is also problematic for thermostats. A dirty thermostat will have a difficult time reading the correct temperature inside your home. To clean it, remove the cover and gently dust the inside parts using a soft brush.

Wrong Settings

Have you set the temperature without checking whether your thermostat is set to cool or heat? With incorrect settings in place, your A/C system won't turn on and function as expected. Verify that your thermostat settings are suitable for the season.

Dying Batteries

A thermostat does its job quietly, so it's easy for you to set it and forget that its batteries may be dead or dying. Change the batteries and check if normal operation is restored.

Bad Location

Your thermostat will read the wrong temperature if it isn't located in your home's most optimal place. If it's located near drafts or heat sources, or it's in an area that isn't centrally located, you may need to have it moved.

If you can't fix your thermostat problems, contact an HVAC professional soonest possible. A malfunctioning thermostat can lead to inefficient A/C operation and high energy bills.

If you're in the Broken Arrow area and need help with a thermostat reading wrong temperature, contact us at Air Assurance. With over 30 years of experience, you can be sure that we'll solve all your HVAC issues.

Throw a Birthday Bash with These Party Considerations in Mind

When you think about hosting a birthday party, what do you consider? Providing food, music, decorations, etc. for your guests. But there are other party considerations that people tend to overlook, particularly when it comes to your HVAC system.If your guests are too cold, or too hot, it can ruin an otherwise joyous occasion. So if you're hosting a party, here are a few preparations you should make first, to make sure your house is comfortable and inviting, and that the birthday is a happy one.

Get an Inspection

It would be a a disaster if your HVAC system suddenly stopped working in the middle of your party. That's why important to have an HVAC technician inspect your system annually, to make sure your home is being heated and cooled as it should be.If you haven't done it yet this season, schedule an inspection for a few days before the party. Your HVAC technician will fix or replace any parts that are causing problems, oil your motor, check your thermostat settings, and make sure everything is in good working order when your guests arrive.

Other Party Considerations

Check and see what the humidity is scheduled to be like around the time of the event. If it's high, try running the HVAC system for a day or two beforehand, to dehumidify your home. On the other hand, if humidity is already low, running your system could make things too dry, giving your guests cracked skin and fostering viruses and bacteria - which, in a house full of people, could lead to a whole lot of illness spreading quickly. In fact, you might even consider getting a small humidifier, to counteract your HVAC's dehumidifying effects.On the day of the party, be sure to turn on your HVAC system a few hours before everyone arrives. Set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature and give the system time to condition the whole house, so it's pleasant and comfortable when the first guests arrive.

For more HVAC party considerations, contact us at Air Assurance today. We provide quality HVAC solutions to Broken Arrow.

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.

Ideal Indoor Heating for Homes with Pets

Most of us set the thermostat to suit ourselves, without much thought about what's good for those furry creatures we share our homes with. But over the years you've had indoor pets, you may have noticed that some animals are more sensitive than others to temperature.Here are some things to think about this winter when it comes to indoor heating and your pets.

No Ideal Thermostat Setting

Although a range of 65-78 degrees is best for most humans, if you have a sensitive animal you may have to make some adjustments.In general, dogs are fine with cooler temperatures than those preferred by cats. Some cat breeds, such as Siamese and those with thin or no hair, are extremely sensitive to chills. Some dogs, too, such as small breeds with thin coats, may shiver at the lower end of that range. Be sure to provide such pets with blankets and/or space heaters to help them stay warm if you keep your home on the cooler side.Larger breeds of dogs and cats, as well as pets with more body fat, also tolerate cooler temperatures better than smaller animals.Very young pets, elderly pets and pets with special medical conditions, such as infections and joint issues, may do better with warmer temperatures.Also, be sensitive to the fact that air conditioning and heating can dry out the interior of the home. While drier air may be good for some pets, do monitor the condition of your pet's coat for excessive drying and flaking. You might need to adjust for a little more humidity if this happens, or else add some supplements to the pet's diet for its skin.

Home Alone

If you must leave your pets alone for extended periods, make arrangements to have someone drop in daily to ensure the HVAC system is working fine and the pets are not in any distress. It's a good idea to schedule maintenance on the system before you leave home.

For more on indoor heating and your pets, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

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.

How To Use Programmable Thermostats For Greater Energy Savings

Programmable thermostats are one of the primary solutions experts, like those at the Department of Energy, encourage homeowners to use to advance energy savings, while promoting optimal home comfort. However, achieving the goal of savings requires that homeowners follow some key tips when selecting a device, and then setting it. Here’s what you need to know.

Selection

In order to follow through on best practices for setting programmable thermostats listed below, homeowners must first select the right device. Most programmable thermostats allow you to schedule four different temperature settings over the course of the day, which jibe with how most people live their lives. Most homeowners are home for a short time in the morning, gone for the majority of the day, return home around 6 p.m., and then go to sleep. Some thermostats now have wi-fi connectivity, which allows you to access your themostat from anywhere via computer, smart phone, or tablet.  This allows you to always have control just in case you forget, or when plans change that are different from your regular schedule.

Programmable thermostats differ in terms of how often you can change these settings from day to day. This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to selecting a device. If you purchase a thermostat that only allows for one daily program from Sunday to Saturday, but your schedule changes with every day, you probably won't achieve optimal savings, because you'll likely change the settings frequently to accommodate changes in your schedule. Below, you'll see why changing the settings is not desirable.

Settings

With the right device in hand, you can begin setting it for energy savings. Here’s how:

• Program at least one setback in winter (or set forward in summer) for an eight-hour period. Many homeowners do this at night, or also during the day. This is the guiding principle for savings.

• Estimate 1 percent savings for every 1 degree that you dial back/forward the temperature.

• Frequent use of the hold button, which lets you bypass the next scheduled setting, tends to negate energy savings that consistent setbacks/forwards deliver.

Homeowners who’d like expert help using programmable thermostats for greater energy savings should contact Air Assurance Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We've served homeowners in greater Broken Arrow nearly 30 years. We’re happy to get your household on the road to savings, comfort and a lower carbon footprint.

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