Category: Fans

Greening Up Your Home Starts With the Sensible Use of Air Conditioning

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

In the Charlotte area of North Carolina, summer is hot and humid with temperatures averaging in the mid to high 90s. Air conditioning in this part of the country is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. That said, however, it’s important to try and “green up” your home and save money by minimizing use of your air conditioner. Here are some ways to do this:

  • Dress lightly if it’s hot, and set the air conditioner to a little higher temperature.
  • Use an indoor fan along with your air conditioning unit to disperse the cooled air through your home more efficiently.
  • Never set the thermostat to a colder setting when first switching the air conditioning unit on. It’s not going to cool your home any quicker. In fact, it will increase energy consumption and could cause the air conditioning unit to freeze over.
  • When it’s cool in the morning and night, open the windows and doors. Your home will stay cool for a while, depending on how well it’s sealed and insulated. When it starts getting hot, turn on the air conditioning until after the sun has gone down. Then open the doors and windows again to let the cool air in.
  • To cut down on extra heat, close the blinds on the west, east and south-facing windows. Better still, install shade screens or exterior shades to block the heat before it even gets into your house.
  • If your air conditioning unit is old, consider purchasing an Energy Star rated model. You can save between 10 and 14 percent of your energy costs.

Are Ductwork Leaks Costing You Money and Comfort? Five Signs to Look For

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Ductwork is the network of large pipes, that distribute heated or cooled air throughout your house. Ductwork leaks can cause even the best furnace, heat pump or air conditioner to function poorly and inefficiently.

Since the ductwork carries all of the air that keeps your home comfortable in each season, loose connections, unsealed gaps or other ductwork leaks can cause substantial air and energy loss. Up to 20 percent of the air in the ductwork can be wasted because of these leaks, which quickly adds up to a lot of money spent conditioning air that never gets used. In some cases, leaky ductwork can cause a danger to you and your family if harmful gases such as carbon monoxide are not properly vented to the outdoors.

Watch carefully for any of the following five signs of leaky, damaged or inefficient ductwork:

1. Abnormally high heating or cooling expenses or spikes in your bills that do not correspond to increased usage or outdoor temperatures

2. Problems heating or cooling particular rooms or areas appropriately

3. Noticeable air escaping around the side or edges of the fan section and or ductwork in attics or crawlspaces

4. Noticeable damage to sections of ductwork

5. Ducts installed in unconditioned or poorly conditioned locations, such as garages, unfinished or uninsulated basements or attics, or crawl spaces

By finding and sealing any leaks in your ductwork, you’ll see immediate savings on your monthly heating and cooling expenses. Contact your local trusted HVAC contractor for a professional duct sealing. HVAC experts can mechanically attach ductwork sections to each other for a better seal. They can also test for proper airflow and the presence of any harmful gases or fumes.

Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical has been a trusted provider of professional heating and air conditioning services to customers in Charlotte and surrounding areas for 40 years. Contact us today for more information on reducing ductwork leaks and improving indoor comfort through proper sealing.

Seven Moisture-Fighting Strategies That Will Keep Mold From Multiplying

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

If you’ve ever had a problem with mold in your home, you know just how problematic removing it can be. Mold can quickly multiply once it gets a stronghold in your home, but with moisture-fighting strategies, you can keep mold at bay in your Charlotte-area home.

Here are seven tips you can use immediately:

1. Don’t let plumbing leaks go unchecked

– Not only can these leaks lead to higher water bills, but they give mold a chance to grow. Quickly fix leaks yourself, if you have the skills, or a call in a plumber.

2. Keep your home dry

– Any time that an area in your home becomes wet, or even damp, you’re giving mold spores the opportunity to gather—and rest assured that they will reproduce quickly once they gain a foothold. When you shower, for example, use the exhaust fan to dry out the space, and wipe down shower and tub walls.

3. Watch indoor humidity levels

– You can purchase a hygrometer, which will allow you to monitor your home’s relative humidity. Ideally, humidity should remain below 60 percent, with 30-50 percent being an optimal range. If you find your home is overly humid, consider purchasing a whole-house dehumidifier.

4. Schedule regular maintenance

– Proper cleaning and inspections will help to keep your air conditioner working properly, and ensure that it can dehumidify the air.

5. Watch A/C drainage

– Because lots of moisture is produced during the cooling process, your A/C system must drain this moisture properly. Homeowners should keep an eye on the A/C’s drip pan and condensate drain, cleaning and unclogging as necessary.

6. Check equipment ventilation

– Equipment that emits moisture, like a clothes dryer, should be vented outside.

7. Keep the foundation dry

– This is one of the best moisture-fighting strategies. Be sure that the area around your home slopes away from your home, and keep drainage systems clear.

Don’t let mold get the upper hand in your home. Use moisture-fighting strategies to prevent it from ever getting a foot in the door. For expert advice contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical, serving the Greater Charlotte area as a local, family-owned company since 1972.

Use Ceiling Fans During Winter to Drive Energy Savings

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

You’re probably well aware of how useful ceiling fans are in summertime, but many homeowners are surprised to learn that they can be just as effective in winter. Ceiling fans can help you feel warmer, and may actually reduce your heating costs.

Summer vs. winter

  • In summertime, ceiling fans should rotate counterclockwise. This creates a wind chill effect that doesn’t actually change the temperature in your house, but does help you feel considerably cooler without using your air conditioner.
  • In winter, you can reverse the spin of your ceiling fan to have the opposite effect. Running a ceiling fan in a clockwise direction (be sure to use the slowest speed setting) creating a gentle updraft, which helps move warm air near your ceiling down into your living space. As in summer, the fan doesn’t actually change the temperature, but does make you feel warmer.

Energy savings

Using your fan in winter helps reduce your energy bills because it allows you to set your thermostat a few degrees lower without sacrificing comfort. The fan itself uses a fairly negligible amount of electricity (the average ceiling fan uses no more energy than a light bulb) so the savings can really add up over the course of the winter.

Usage tips and considerations

  • A ceiling fan is only effective in the room it’s located in; it doesn’t effect your whole house. Since it doesn’t actually raise the temperature, but only allows you to feel warmer, there’s no reason to leave ceiling fans running in an unoccupied room.
  • Generally, ceiling fans work best in winter at a low setting. The exception to this is in a room with a very high ceiling, in which case you might have to set your fan to medium.

Fans with longer blades are better suited to larger rooms, and they work more effectively at a slower speed than smaller fans.If you’d like to learn more about how you can benefit from a ceiling fan year round, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical. We’ve been providing expert service in the Charlotte area since 1972.

Ventilating Fans: You Need Them in Your Living Space, and Could Use One in Your Garage

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Proper ventilation in your home is critical for two reasons: It provides a way for fresh air to enter your home and a way for old, stale air to exit. Using ventilating fans is part of a good indoor air quality plan to ensure healthy air.

If your home is sealed and well insulated, you’re likely saving energy and money, but it’s also likely that the air in your home needs a way to cycle out, and ventilating fans can help to ensure that your home has a means to do that. Without ventilation fans, dust, dirt, and other pollutants remain locked in your home’s circulation pattern, continually moving around your home, day in and day out.

Ventilating fans, generally installed in bathrooms and kitchens, are basically exhaust fans and used as part of a ventilation strategy to remove factors that contribute to poor indoor air quality, such as moisture and pollutants. In order to be effective, the fans should:

  • Exhaust outside: If the fan exhausts into your attic, it can cause moisture issues and damage.
  • Emit low noise levels: If the fan is loud, you’ll be less likely to use it. Fan noise is rated by “sones,” and you should look for a fan with noise emissions below 1.5 sones.

It’s also helpful to install ventilating fans in your garage, as studies have shown that carbon monoxide released by your vehicle, and other chemical components or gas-powered equipment stored in your garage, will enter your living spaces. A ventilating fan will help to exhaust pollutants out of the garage space, before they have a chance to seep into your home.

Ventilating fans are an effective means to ensure fresh air in your home, and along with a whole-house ventilation system and natural ventilation, combine to produce a comprehensive, effective ventilation strategy for your home.

Ventilating fans can help to advance your home’s indoor air quality. To devise a ventilation strategy for your home, or to have ventilating fans installed, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical today! We’ve been serving the Greater Charlotte Area as a local family-owned company since 1972.