What is the Two Way Pipe System for High Efficiency Services?

When it comes to heating and cooling your home, there are all sorts of ways to save energy. One of the best ways is to invest in a high-efficiency HVAC system. For high-efficiency furnaces, one method worth considering is the two way pipe system. It not only heats your home using less energy, it also improves indoor air quality and saves wear and tear on the unit. Here's what you need to know.

What Is a Two Way Pipe System?

Most ordinary furnaces draw air from inside your home. They heat that air and recirculate it back into your home. Exhaust is then vented out of the chimney.

A two way pipe system has a pipe connected to the outdoors, which leads directly to the furnace. That pipe draws in fresh, outdoor air, which is heated and circulated through your home. Then another pipe takes the exhaust and vents it back to the outside.

Benefits of a Two Way Pipe System

When air is drawn from inside your home, it creates extra pressure within your system. This makes it easier for cold air to get drawn into the house through cracks, gaps, and leaks. A two-pipe system creates a better pressure balance, which helps keep cold air from getting in, thus saving energy. The pressure relief also keeps your furnace from working as hard so it can last longer and not break down as often.

Finally, a two-pipe system provides better indoor air quality. In winter, the same, stale air tends to circulate through your HVAC system over and over again, becoming more polluted over time. By drawing air in from the outside, then exhausting it out of the house again, you can break the cycle and ensure you always have clean, fresh air in your home. (Remember that outdoor air tends to be much cleaner than the air in your home.) This way, you can eliminate those contaminants and breathe easier all season.

If you're considering a two way pipe system for your heating needs, contact us at Air Assurance. We provide quality home-comfort solutions to the Broken Arrow area.

What Is the Best Kind of Basement AC Unit?

In the summer, you may consider adding an AC unit to your basement. But is it really a good idea? And even if you decide to add a basement AC unit, what are the best options available? Get the answers to your questions about a basement AC unit here.

Why Cool Your Basement?

If you've used the basement as a playroom or to entertain your guests and found it to be too warm, air conditioning will make it as habitable and as comfortable as the living spaces above. Air conditioning is essential if you use the basement to store valuable items, since climate control helps preserve such items.

Stale air encourages mold growth. By constantly moving air, a basement AC unit ensures the air doesn't get stale or stagnate. As a result, it will be harder for mold spores to grow in the basement.

What Are the Best AC Options for Your Basement?

You can expand your HVAC system or add a separate AC unit to your basement.

Extending your current system will help you regulate the conditions in your basement much more easily. Nevertheless, the existing unit will only work effectively if it's large enough to accommodate the extra square footage. Speak with an HVAC professional to learn whether your current system can cool the extra space adequately or if you'll need a larger system.

If your air conditioner can't handle the additional load, the best option is to invest in a ductless mini-split system. The system will regulate the temperature in your basement in a cost-effective way. It offers powerful performance and is extremely energy-efficient.

For maximum comfort and energy savings, make sure you contact an HVAC specialist to size and properly install the right basement AC unit. For more information on heating and cooling your basement, contact us at Air Assurance. We offer effective HVAC solutions to homeowners in the Broken Arrow area.

How You Can Maintain Good Airflow in Your Home

Taking a few steps to maintain airflow in your HVAC system supports improved heating and cooling performance, higher energy efficiency and lower costs. Conditioned air circulates through your HVAC system via two separate duct networks: supply ducts and return ducts. As the names imply, supply ducts deliver heated or cooled air to individual rooms while return ducts convey air back to the furnace or air conditioner.

Airflow may be thought of as the lifeblood of your HVAC system. Keeping all system components in good repair, including taking proper steps to maintain airflow, ensures consistent indoor comfort and affordable operation, and it reduces wear and tear on critical parts. Here are some suggestions to regularly maintain airflow and reap the benefits:

Replace the air filter.

Nothing disrupts proper HVAC airflow like a dirty, clogged air filter. During winter heating season, inspect the filter monthly and don’t go longer than two months without replacing it. In summer air-conditioning season, change the filter every month to maintain airflow.

Open all vents.

Don’t close or obstruct HVAC vents in individual rooms. The system generates the same conditioned air volume whether vents in rooms are open or not. Therefore, any savings will be insignificant. Meanwhile, wear and tear on system components as well as monthly operating costs will rise. Also, closing vents unbalances airflow volume to rooms throughout the entire house, resulting in cold spots and overly warm areas.

Schedule a duct inspection.

All the airflow to rooms in your home passes through the system supply and return ductwork. Leakage from ductwork joints and deteriorating duct segments allow conditioned air to escape into unconditioned zones like the crawl space and attic. Maintain airflow by scheduling a duct-leakage test plus a full inspection to accurately determine the rate of leakage and identify needed sealing repairs.

For qualified service to maintain airflow and keep your HVAC system functioning at optimum performance, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.

Attic Cleaning As It Relates to Strong HVAC Performance

Unless you use your attic as a guest room, office, or playroom, it's usually one of those out of sight, out of mind parts of the house. But that shouldn't be the case. A clean attic is essential to the optimal functioning of your HVAC system. Here are some of the ways that the condition of your attic affects your HVAC system.

Insulation

The attic is one of those areas of a home where a lot of energy is lost. Attic insulation adds a buffer that limits the temperature fluctuations in your home. It allows your HVAC system to regulate the internal temperature and keep it at a comfortable level with less effort.

If you don't clean your attic regularly, you won't know when your insulation is damaged. Damaged attic insulation won't offer a useful barrier to heat transfer. As a result, your HVAC system will work harder to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Additionally, pests like rodents are likely to find a home in an attic that's hasn't been attended to. These critters eat away at your insulation. Cleaning and sanitizing your attic thoroughly will prevent pests from becoming comfortable in your attic.

Cracks and Holes

Your attic will experience wear and tear over time. It may develop cracks and holes that may not only let animals in but also leak cool air or heat, making your HVAC system work inefficiently and contributing to higher energy bills. Cleaning the attic will help you know the areas where air might be leaking, so you can take the necessary measures to seal them — by having a clean attic.

Air Quality

If you have a dirty attic, a leak in your ductwork will make your HVAC system suck the dust, insect excrement, and other allergens into the attic. The system will blow these allergens throughout your house. That will make your items dusty in addition to aggravating allergies and respiratory issues.

Having a clean attic will improve the performance of your HVAC system and your home's overall health. For high-quality heating and cooling products and services, as well as advice on how to consistently maintain a clean attic, contact Air Assurance, an HVAC leader in Broken Arrow.

Indoor Air Quality Testing - Tulsa, OK

Indoor Air Quality Testing - Tulsa, OK

We spend a great deal of time in our indoor environment, whether it’s at home or at work in our place of business. Air Assurance provides many air quality services including air duct cleaning, air duct sealing, and indoor air quality testing. The professional at Air Assurance can also help correct and improve your indoor environment with a number of options. Call on Air Assurance when you need air quality testing - We service all of Greater Tulsa, including Jenks, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Sapulpa and more.

Way to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Maintaining indoor comfort involves more than keeping your home's living spaces warm or cool. Indoor air quality is also a major factor that affects how comfortable your home will be. When particulates and contaminants such as dust, pollen, mold, and related materials get into your home's air, you can have problems such as allergy and asthma attacks, worsening of respiratory conditions, and the onset of physical discomforts such as irritated eyes and scratchy throats. Here are some suggestions for improving the indoor air quality in your home this fall and year-round.

• Change HVAC system filters: The air filters in your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump help remove particulates from your indoor air. They capture these materials as air from your home circulates through the system to be heated or cooled. Make sure these filters are kept clean and fresh. They should be checked at least once a month and changed when they get dirty.

• Maintain your HVAC equipment: Regular preventive maintenance will improve the function of your HVAC system and boost its ability to remove particulates, reduce humidity, and keep your indoor air cleaner.

• Clean, dust, and vacuum regularly: Keeping your indoor environment clean and free of dust, mold, and other contaminants can significantly improve indoor air quality. Dust and vacuum at least weekly.

• Increase ventilation: Ventilation keeps a steady flow of air moving through your home, which helps remove particulates and send them outside. When weather and outdoor conditions permit, open windows and doors to let breezes move through your indoor spaces. Install a whole-house ventilation system that provides effective airflow for your entire home. Turn your window air conditioner to fan-only to provide extra ventilation.

• Install air filtration and cleaning systems: Install high-efficiency air cleaning and filtration equipment that provides additional removal of particulates and indoor pollution. Use the highest-quality filters possible in these devices.

Air Assurance is a premier source for professional HVAC services in Tulsa and the surrounding Oklahoma communities. Contact us today for more information on indoor air quality and how to keep your home's air cleaner and fresher throughout the year.

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How to Properly Vent your Kitchen During Thanksgiving Preparation

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house fills it with the aromas of the turkey, dressing, and pies baking, along with all the heat the stove and oven generate. Taking a few minutes to assess your kitchen ventilation before the holiday arrives might help you stay more comfortable while you put this celebratory meal on the table.The combination of heat plus the steam that the cooking creates is a recipe for discomfort in the kitchen. It’s the same thing that happens in the summer when the humidity combines with warm temperatures that has you reaching for the air conditioner’s thermostat. Add it all the body heat your guests will generate, and things could get uncomfortable.Fortunately, by Thanksgiving, there’s plenty of cool air outside to use instead of the A/C. Getting inside is all a part of ventilation methods for getting rid of the humidity and the heat. To start, determine if:

• Your kitchen fan exhausts outside or just recirculates the air. Look above the fan to see if there a vent pipe that leads up through the ceiling or goes out of a wall. If you see either, your fan exhausts air outdoors.

• Does the kitchen have a window that opens? Sometimes builders put in fixed windows or windows can stick over time if they’re not opened periodically.

• Is there a door leading outdoors or into the garage? A door that leads outdoors will give you ample kitchen ventilation.

• Do you have a portable fan?

This list of ventilation options will provide the basis for your approach to Thanksgiving dinner. If your kitchen fan vents outside, increase its speed from low to high as the heat in the kitchen increases. Opening a nearby window or door will pull in cooler, fresher air. If your kitchen fan recirculates only, place your portable fan inside the doorway or window and exhaust the air outdoors.Home and kitchen ventilation matter even when it’s cold outside. If you find that it’s hard to ventilate your home, contact Air Assurance for expert advice. We provide HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

How Does Ventilation Affect Temperature?

Keeping your home comfortable takes more than just your HVAC system. The amount of air that’s able to pass through your home can also have an effect on indoor temperatures. Most modern homes are designed to be as air-tight as possible, making proper ventilation a challenge. Read on to learn how poor air flow impacts indoor temperatures, as well as ways to make your home more comfortable.

Poor Air Flow Leads to Stuffy Rooms

Stuffy air is one of the most common complaints among homeowners. High humidity levels in poorly ventilated spaces can also raise indoor temperatures, which in turn allows the air to hold more humidity until simply becomes too saturated to hold moisture in vapor form. These issues contribute to a feeling of stuffiness from most people. High concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) can also make the air feel stuffier.

A home with good ventilation is able to push out hot, humid air and draw in cooler air with less moisture content. When your home’s not able to do that, the stagnant air simply collects more moisture, causing your improperly ventilated spaces to become progressively stuffier as time goes on.

Tips for Improving Air Flow

Here are a few ways you can improve your home’s air flow issues and bring temperatures back down to normal:

Open up windows and doors to improve air flow.

Cracking open a nearby door or window can help push hot, humid air out of a room and encourage cooler breezes to flow through. Good air flow also helps eliminate severe dust and debris buildup.

Use existing exhaust fans to promote better air flow.

Bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans can draw away stuffy air and promote improved air flow.

Invest in balanced mechanical ventilation.

These systems provide both indoor exhaust and outdoor supply air flow, providing balanced ventilation that keeps indoor temperatures at comfortable levels throughout the year.

To learn more about how ventilation affects your home, turn to the experts at Air Assurance. Contact us today to explore heating and cooling options for your 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). For more information about refrigerant and 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”

How Do Your HVAC Components Coordinate?

Each part of your HVAC system has a role to play in heating or cooling your home. By learning about the process, you can develop a greater understanding of why even simple maintenance tasks, such as changing the air filter, are important. Here's how HVAC system components coordinate to create a comfortable indoor climate.

The Ventilation Cycle

Airflow is as important to the function of heating and cooling systems as breathing oxygen is for your health.Return air ducts draw old air from your home and move it to heating or cooling component of the system. Supply ducts, on the other hand, are the delivery network for the newly filtered and conditioned air into the home’s interior. Both return and supply ducts help keep your air fresher and the temperature comfortable.Ventilation problems can affect the other HVAC system components as well as your comfort. Examples include:

• Dirty ductwork — dust accumulation in ductwork results in poor air quality and dust inside other HVAC components.

• Clogged air filter — This restricts air from flowing as it should to the heart of the HVAC system. Problems caused by clogged filters can include frozen evaporator coils, an overheated blower fan, furnace shut down, and dirty ductwork.

• Inadequate ductwork— ductwork that is damaged, too large or too small will perform its role poorly and reduce the HVAC system’s efficiency.

Heating and Cooling

Your furnace performs its function by heating air flowing through its heat exchanger. If all goes well, there is sufficient airflow, and all burners, heating elements and blower fan are working well, this heated air will be pushed into supply ducts. If your ductwork is in good shape, most of the heat will remain in the air during its journey between the furnace and your registers.A similar process occurs when you use your air conditioning. Air is pushed through components in the air conditioner where it is cooled. If all goes as it should, this cooled air then flows into your home through ductwork.

To learn more about HVAC system components, please contact us at Air Assurance.

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Keep Cool and Reduce Humidity in Your Home With These Tips

The first goal of any air conditioning system is to cool the home, but that's not the only thing. Effective residential cooling also requires the ability to reduce humidity. If your home is cool but still damp and clammy, your A/C isn't doing its job. The good news is that every homeowner has available strategies to dehumidify the home. 

Dehumidification Steps for Your Home

The following are a few ways to dehumidify your home:

• Effective ventilation: This is especially important in rooms or areas where activities add moisture to the air, such as bathrooms and the kitchen. Make sure these areas have exhaust fans that are vented to the outside. The last thing you want is for moist air to be redirected back into the house.

• Attic ventilation: A hot, muggy attic can have a negative effect throughout the house. Make sure the attic has the right amount and type of vents, and consider an attic fan. The attic floor should be properly sealed and insulated to separate attic heat and air from the downstairs living spaces.

• Shorter, cooler showers: Those 15-minute, steamy showers may feel good, but they add a lot of moisture to the air that can remain in the bathroom and general area for hours afterward. Along with using the bathroom exhaust fan, take shorter showers that aren't so hot. Install low-flow shower heads to reduce humidity and save water.

• Use the A/C: Most of the time, you can better dehumidify household air with the air conditioner running than by opening windows. A well-maintained, properly sized cooling system is designed to remove moisture from indoor air.

• Get a dehumidifier: For persistent whole-house humidity, you'll need an effective whole-house solution such as a dehumidifier that connects directly to the home's HVAC system.

For more advice on how to remove humidity from your greater Tulsa area home, please contact us at Air Assurance.

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HRV or ERV? Choose the Right Ventilation System for Your Home's Needs

The choice between an HRV or ERV depends heavily on your climate. Because Broken Arrow sees both high summer temperatures and cold winters, the right choice isn't so obvious around here. Getting a better understanding of how these ventilation systems work will help you decide.

How HRVs and ERVs Differ

A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) uses exhaust fans to draw out stale, humid indoor air and supply fans to bring in fresh, outdoor air. Equal amounts of air are removed and replaced to provide continuous, balanced airflow.

Because just blowing out indoor air and letting in outdoor air would waste energy, an HRV contains a heat exchanger to minimize this waste. In winter, the heat exchanger collects heat energy from the outgoing warm air and transfers it into the incoming outdoor air, effectively pre-warming the air. In summer, it does the opposite to pre-cool the incoming air.

Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) work the same way as HRVs with one difference. Their heat exchanger also transfers moisture. This means ERVs let in less humidity than HRVs in summer.

Making Your Choice

In a cold winter or mixed climate, an HRV is usually the best option. That said, there are other factors to consider when choosing between an HRV or ERV. These include the age and energy efficiency of your home, its size and the number of occupants. A large, drafty house with only two or three people is more likely to suffer from uncomfortably low humidity in winter, particularly in the drier parts of town. In this situation, an ERV may be a better choice.

Modern homes are built to be airtight, increasing their tendency toward high humidity. These homes, especially the smaller ones, are best suited to HRVs. Older homes were often intentionally built with cracks to provide airflow, meaning they're more likely to become dry during our cold winters. This makes some older homes better candidates for ERVs, although air sealing should also be considered.

For help deciding whether an HRV or ERV is right for your home, contact the pros at Air Assurance in the Broken Arrow area.

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Ways to Save Energy in the 3 Most Important Rooms in Your Home

The ways you can save energy at home vary from room to room, but look carefully and you'll discover many opportunities for reducing your carbon footprint and realizing energy savings. Let the tips below guide you, and use them in your home whenever you can.

Living Room

The living room offers ways to save energy from ceiling to floor. Start with the air conditioning/heating registers. Make sure ductwork is securely attached to the vents so that no air is leaking around them. Check for air leaks around windows, exterior doors, light switches and wiring on exterior walls. Seal the openings with caulk or insulation.

Close blinds and curtains in summer to prevent heat gain. In winter, open the blinds during the day, and close them at night to prevent heat loss.When you choose an entertainment center or appliance, make sure it's rated by Energy Star, the Environmental Protection Agency's energy efficiency program. Plug all electronic appliances and lamps into a power strip, which you should turn off when you leave the room. Also, use fluorescent light bulbs for light fixtures, and turn lights off when the occupants leave the room.

Bathroom

Save water by fixing toilet, sink and shower leaks. Take shorter showers and install low-flow shower heads, faucets and toilets. To help get rid of moisture that contributes to higher humidity and a clammy feeling that inspires turning down the thermostat, install exhaust ventilation. Replace vanity lights with Energy Star-certified fixtures and bulbs, and always turn off lights when you leave the room.

Attic

Keep heat from the attic out of the home by insulating and weatherstripping the attic hatch. Likewise, seal air leaks around an attic or furnace flue, and cover gaps with metal flashing or high-temperature caulk. Repair holes in ducts with mastic and metal tape. Make sure there's proper ventilation in the attic to let out heat and moisture.

For more on how to save energy at home, contact Air Assurance. We've been serving the Tulsa metropolitan area since 1985.

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Learn About All the Systems That Explain What HVAC Stands For

Do you know what HVAC stands for? It's an acronym for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Let's have a look at each of these individual systems and see how they work together to provide your home with a comfortable environment.

Heating

The most common method of heating in the American home is forced air, with a furnace burner warming air, then dispersing it through ductwork and vents. Less common are radiant heating systems, using a boiler to send hot water through a home by way of tubes in the floor or through radiators in each room, and geothermal heating, which absorbs heat from the ground to disperse through the home.

Ventilation

Ventilation systems use an air handler and a home's ductwork to draw in return air, removing pollutants as the air passes through the filter and then dispersing conditioned air through supply ducts into the home.

Auxiliary ventilation equipment such as exhaust, supply, balanced or heat recovery or energy recovery ventilation systems may be installed to move moisture, odors and pollutants out of the home and let fresh air in. Air purifiers help by trapping pollutants and keeping them from circulating in your home's air, while dehumidifiers remove excess moisture in the home that might promote mold.

Air Conditioner

The air conditioner controls the temperature in your home in the summer months, providing cooling and eliminating moisture. If you have a split system central air conditioner or a heat pump, the air conditioner will consist of two units: an indoor evaporator and air handler and an outdoor compressor. Refrigerant is pumped between the two, with the refrigerant absorbing heat indoors and exhausting it outside. Air inside the home is cooled when it passes through an evaporator coil and is dispersed by an air handler through a system of ducts.

Another type of air conditioner is a ductless mini split, also a heat pump, but without ducts. It distributes conditioned air through air handlers mounted on the wall, ceiling or floor.

To learn more about what HVAC stands for, contact Air Assurance. We've served the metropolitan Tulsa area since 1985.

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5 Facts About Air Conditioning All Homeowners Need to Know

If you're like a lot of folks, you take for granted the hard work your central air conditioner does in your home. The fact is, the more you know about its workings, the better equipped you'll be to properly maintain your A/C and troubleshoot problems that may arise. Here are five facts about air conditioning that should pay long-term dividends in comfort and energy savings.

How It Works

In a split-system central A/C, the condenser/compressor component located outside your home works in tandem with the indoor evaporator/air handler unit to cool and dehumidify the home. A chemical solution called refrigerant boils at a very low temperature and allows heat exchange to occur inside and out. As refrigerant flows through the evaporator coil, it's allowed to expand and boil, a physical process that extracts heat and moisture from the indoor air. That results in cool air, which is circulated in the home via a powerful fan, ductwork and registers. Outside, the hot refrigerant is compressed into a liquid, which releases heat energy into the outside air. Then the process starts over.

The Importance of the Air Filter

An air filter located in the return ductwork removes dust and other particulates from the air before it's drawn into the A/C. This protects sensitive components, enhances the efficiency of the cooling process and improves indoor air quality.

Maintenance Is Essential

Schedule annual professional maintenance on your central cooling system for optimum efficiency and comfort. Basic homeowner maintenance is also important, such as regular air filter replacement.

Help Your Air Conditioner Out

If you lower your home's cooling load, you'll give your air conditioner an easier workload. This will improve its performance and extend its service life. Seal air leaks in your home's outer perimeter and make sure insulation meets standards. Seal duct leaks, too.

Don't Forget Ventilation

You should have an effective exchange of inside and outside air several times a day, using both passive and mechanical ventilation.

For more information on the central air conditioning that's cooling your Broken Arrow area home, please contact the HVAC experts at Air Assurance.

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Get the Facts About Indoor Air Pollution and How to Improve It

Most people are aware that poor air quality is detrimental to health. However, a recent survey showed that many Americans are unaware that indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air and that many common products and behaviors contribute to indoor air pollution. The following tips will help you improve your home’s air and safeguard your family against many pollutants.

Change Your Air Filter

At minimum, you should change your HVAC air filter every three months, whether it appears soiled or not. More than half of the people surveyed did not follow this recommendation. Consider your air filter as one of the most important lines of defense against dust, pollen and other common pollutants. In dusty environments or during times of increased system operation, such as winter and summer, it is often best to check air filters every month and replace if needed, especially if someone in the home suffers from allergies.

Maintain Good Ventilation

Proper ventilation in the home helps remove harmful gasses and other pollutants. Keep features such as gas stoves and fireplaces properly maintained and have all ventilation professionally assessed. Many homes benefit from whole house ventilation systems. Also, remember the importance of having carbon monoxide (CO) detectors installed in your home. CO is odorless and any fuel-burning device or appliance can emit it.

Avoid Adding Pollutants

You might be adding to indoor pollution in ways you do not expect. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed said they burned scented candles in the home. While this seems harmless, burning scented candles puts particles of soot into the air. Other ways you could be contributing to indoor pollution include using a lot of household cleaners and deodorizers or storing paint and other chemicals indoors.

Keep Things Clean

Clean the home often to keep dust levels down. Use high quality vacuum cleaners with great suction and HEPA filtration, damp mop floors and use dusting cloths that trap dust.

For more advice about indoor air pollution and keeping a healthy home environment, please contact us at Air Assurance.

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Home Ventilation Options to Keep Your Home Cool

While separating your home environment from the great outdoors means that you can control your indoor temperature year-round, it also means that you're not getting the benefits of natural breezes and fresh air. Maintaining indoor air quality is one reason you should pay attention to your home's ventilation, but it's not the only one – you can also use the following home ventilation options to keep your living spaces cool.

Natural Airflow From Windows and Doors

While it might be more appealing during the temperate months, you can easily ventilate your home by opening more than one window. Ideally, you should have windows on upper and lower floors open at the same time, and a clear path for air to flow between them. Warm air will rise and push its way out of the upper windows, drawing in cooler air from down below.

Fans

Moving air cools you down the same way that the wind chills you in winter, so a standing fan can help to keep you cool. However, it's even better if you use a ceiling fan. The downward draft will displace the cool air that's sunk to ground level, making it more available to cool you. That can increase the efficiency of your air conditioner, or remove the need for it altogether on cooler days.

Whole-House Ventilation Solutions

A whole-house fan can bring in fresh outdoor air and circulate it through your home. When air is exhausted through your attic spaces, you're also preventing the heat of the sun from warming your attic and radiating downward into your living areas.

If you're curious about how home ventilation can keep you cool through the Broken Arrow summers, visit us at Air Assurance to learn more!

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: “Thinglass/Shutterstock”

5 Popular Myths About Attic Ventilation

Despite being located in one of the most beautiful parts of Oklahoma, Broken Arrow still faces some challenges when it comes to protecting homes from harsh elements. Attic ventilation helps, but only if you make sure your ventilation is optimally designed by avoiding a few common misconceptions.

Myth: Only homes in warm climates truly need attic ventilation.

Fact: Ventilation is important in all climates, but contrary to popular belief, it's even more important in climates with frequent periods of cold weather. Cool, damp weather increases the risk of moisture buildup in your attic, which can lead to mold growth. Ventilation removes this moisture, protecting your attic from damage.

Myth: One or two attic vents is enough.

Fact: Don't assume your attic was built with adequate ventilation because many attics aren't. Passive ventilation systems, including gable vents, soffit vents and turbine vents don't always provide sufficient air exchange. This is especially true if your roof cavity isn't properly insulated. Attic baffles don't always help and are often unnecessary.

Myth: Attics need as much airflow as possible.

Fact: In most attics, 1 sq. ft. of ventilation for every 300 sq. ft. of ceiling space is enough ventilation. Much more than this and you risk creating uncontrolled air leaks. The open spaces in your attic walls may also leave your roof vulnerable to wind damage.

Myth: Powered fans are ideal for providing continuous airflow.

Fact: While these fans can help in some cases, they're not a one-size-fits-all solution. When used, it's essential to seal any air leaks around the attic hatch, dropped soffits and recessed lights. Otherwise, the fan can suck air from rooms into your attic, wasting energy.

Myth: Attic vents make it harder to heat your home during the winter.

Fact: Air sealing and insulation can minimize the amount of heat that enters your rooms, so a cold attic won't make your home cold. It can also prevent ice dams that may damage your roof.

For professional guidance on assessing and optimizing your attic ventilation, contact Air Assurance in the Broken Arrow 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). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Enrique Ramos/Shutterstock”

Airflow 101: What's the Best Way to Ventilate My Attic?

While you should seal up your home to prevent wasteful air leaks, there’s one area in your home that should remain open to airflow -- your attic. During the winter, attic ventilation can help prevent condensation and reduce the formation of ice dams. During the summer, airflow through your attic can remove excess heat, protect roofing shingles and reduce cooling costs.

With these benefits awaiting you, you might be wondering, “What’s the best way to ventilate my attic?” You have two primary options -- natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation.

Natural Ventilation

A combination of soffit vents under the eaves and ridge vents at the peak of your roof lets air naturally flow in at the attic floor and exit through the top of your roof. This is the most common form of natural ventilation found today, although older homes may have louvered vents on gable end walls instead of ridge vents. Cupolas, a vented spire on top of the roof or wind-driven turbines that resemble spiraled mushrooms, are two additional options.

Building codes require your attic to have one square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of floor space. Half of your vents should be located at the soffits and the other half on the roof. It’s important to ensure soffit vents remain uncovered by insulation. You can install metal baffles between the rafters to provide an unobstructed path from soffit to ridge vent.

Mechanical Ventilation

If your attic isn't receiving the ventilation it requires, consider installing powered attic fans. Modern attic fans have sophisticated sensors that automatically open louvered vents and power up the ventilator when heat and humidity inside your attic reach a certain level.While this is effective for removing humidity and keeping your attic cooler, you're unlikely to notice significant, if any, energy savings. This is because the cost to run your fan will outweigh the decreased home cooling costs.

Now that you know the answer to the question, “How should I ventilate my attic,” it’s time to put your knowledge to good use. Contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow for the help you need.

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: “Enrique Ramos/Shutterstock”

A Whole-Home Approach: How HVAC Systems Affect One Another

Just like organs in the body, the HVAC systems in your home work together to do their jobs. To keep you comfortable year round in the Broken Arrow area's challenging continental climate, all your systems need to be in top form at all times.Know Your Systems' RolesHVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning While each of your HVAC systems has its own distinct role, those roles are interconnected.Heating -- A fuel-burning furnace heats air over a flame while a heat pump in heating mode uses refrigerant to absorb warmth from the outdoor air and move that warmth indoors. Both then move warm air into your duct system.Air conditioner -- Your air conditioner or heat pump in cooling mode use refrigerant to absorb heat from inside your home and move that heat outdoors. The resulting cooled air is moved into your ducts.Ventilation -- Your ventilation system consists primarily of your fan, air ducts, and the ducts' supply air registers and return air vents. The same fan and duct system is responsible for distributing both hot air from your furnace and cool air from your air conditioner throughout your home.Why the Connections MatterAny issue with your motor or duct system affects both your heating and cooling systems. For instance, skipping your springtime A/C tuneup could allow problems to develop with your ventilation system. Come winter, those problems will either cost you during your fall furnace tuneup or prevent your furnace from working efficiently.An improperly installed air conditioner can cause cold air to leak into your furnace in winter, increasing your heating load and raising your energy bills.If either your furnace or air conditioner is oversized for your home, you'll end up with uncomfortable temperature swings, excess component wear, poor dehumidification in summer, and needlessly high energy bills.If you expect all your HVAC systems to run reliably, you can't afford to favor one system and skimp on another.For help with the maintenance, repair or upgrade of your heating, cooling or ventilation system, contact us at Air Assurance anywhere in the Broken Arrow 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).

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