Summertime Indoor Air Quality Concerns

Your home is a refuge from the stresses and problems of the world. Naturally, you want your time there to be as comfortable and pleasant as possible. Indoor air quality is an important aspect of your home environment. The air inside your home can have hidden irritants and pollutants that you cannot see but that can cause allergic reactions and other health issues. Common issues that can harm your indoor air will often increase in severity during the summer. Thankfully, there are many steps you can take to remove these contaminants and improve your air significantly. However, you should first identify what’s causing your indoor air to suffer. 1. Increases in Humidity Levels During the summer, humidity levels will increase exponentially. The main reason behind this is that warmer air retains more water vapor than cold air. High levels of humidity can affect your comfort and health negatively. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that maintain a relative humidity level of under 60%. Furthermore, you should aim for a target range between 30% and 50%. Even cities like San Antonio will have elevated levels of humidity in the summer. High humidity level causes physical discomfort because it interferes with your body’s...

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What are the Types of Smart Thermostats?

If you are looking for ways to save money on your heating and cooling, you may have come across information about smart thermostats. These devices come packed full of features, and the selection may feel overwhelming. Here is a breakdown of the types of smart thermostats that you can find at for homes and businesses in the San Antonio area. 1. Basic Models of Smart Thermostats Also known as programmable thermostats, the basic models of smart thermostats that offers can be pre-set with specific temperature settings by the time of day. These are great options if you want an affordable way to reduce your utility bills. You can set temperatures for when you are home, away, or sleeping, and the thermostat will regulate the HVAC system accordingly. 2. Smart Thermostats That Learn Smart thermostats that can learn are one step above traditional programmable thermostats. Instead of pre-programming the device, you simply put it in learning mode and adjust your temperature settings as normal. The thermostat records your temperature preferences by setting and time of day. At the end of the learning mode, which is normally about two weeks, you can put the thermostat on auto, and it will use the...

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What are the Health Benefits of Humidifiers?

Humidifiers are small machines that add moisture to the air. They’re available in a range of sizes from units that humidify a small room to whole-house humidifiers. At in San Antonio, we offer installation and maintenance of whole-house humidification systems. We can help you to strike the right balance of indoor humidity levels so that you can reduce or eliminate problems caused by dryness and avoid issues created by humidity levels that are too high. Achieving the right indoor humidity level in your San Antonio home offers many benefits to your comfort and health, including the following seven advantages. 1. Prevention of Influenza A few scientific studies have determined that an indoor humidity level of at least 40% quickly inactivates the viruses that cause influenza. This makes the particles less infectious, so another person in your house is less likely to get infected by someone else’s germs. Higher humidity levels could also be helpful against other respiratory viruses, including rhinoviruses that cause the common cold and the coronavirus co-variant that’s causing the COVID-19 pandemic. 2. Help With Creating a Productive Cough A dry cough associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), emphysema, bronchitis, asthma, COVID-19, and other respiratory conditions and...

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Which Electric Heating Systems are the Best?

Electric heating systems offer a safe and efficient way to warm your home and improve indoor air quality. If you are looking for an electric heating system, you have plenty of options. In fact, you may even be confused by all the possibilities. Here are five popular types of systems on the market. 1. Heat Pumps Heat pumps are the most popular electric heating systems that our technicians install. Here’s how they work: This system uses electricity and a refrigerant to remove heat from outside. After it extracts the outdoor air, it transfers it to the electric system. This air is used to heat and cool your home. Exchanger coils, refrigerants and compressor pumps are primarily responsible for this process. There are two different types of heat pumps. These include absorption heat pumps and compression heat pumps. Absorption heat pumps are powered by natural gas or electricity. Compression heat pumps are powered solely by electricity. Heat pumps provide a quick and efficient source of hot and cool air. Furthermore, these systems can be cheaper to operate than other types of HVAC systems. Electric heat pumps are safer to operate than gas furnaces. 2. Electric Wall Heaters Electric wall heaters contain...

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Do Plants Help Indoor Air Quality

We already know the importance that trees have on the environment with how they help clean the air. Therefore, it would make sense that having plants in your home could improve its indoor air quality. In fact, there have been studies performed by NASA in the controlled environments of its space station that showed that plants do help clean the air. While their studies showed that plants had a positive effect on the air, these results do not really carry over into real-life settings. Why Plants Cannot Improve IAQ on Their Own The American Lung Association has estimated that you would need to have over 680 plants in your home to remove pollutants from the air in your home. There are other factors to consider too, like the: Species of plants How much light the plants receive Temperature in the home Size of plants Adding a few plants to your home could slightly improve indoor air quality, but not completely. Try to stick to plants like leafy ferns, snake plants or spider plants that have larger leaf surfaces. Why Plants Might Not Be Such a Great Idea There could be a downside to depending on plants to clean the air...

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What Type of Indoor Air Quality Products Will Help With Allergies Caused by Cedar Wood?

One of the most telling signs of poor indoor air quality is intense allergies. Unfortunately, the mountain cedar tree, which is quite common in Central Texas, produces a lot of allergens. provides a variety of services and products that can help to alleviate some of your symptoms. 1. Indoor Air Purifiers or Humidifiers/Dehumidifiers Indoor air purifiers work by pulling air through a number of filters that are designed to prevent allergenic particles from entering your home. Air purifiers ensure the air you’re breathing is clean and free of irritants. Purifiers can also remove odors, trap dust, neutralize smoke and remove a high percentage of other airborne bacteria. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers can assist in improving indoor air quality as well. As their names suggest, a humidifier increases humidity while a dehumidifier decreases moisture levels. Each of these products can ease respiratory discomfort. offers an IAQ assessment that can measure the number of airborne allergens within your San Antonio home. 2. UV Lights UV lights improve indoor air quality by killing mold, mildew, spores, and bacteria that cause allergy symptoms. It’s also helpful in killing some of the allergens released by cedarwood. UV lights are used for sterilization and can be found...

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Benefits of a Heating Maintenance Plan

When the cold weather rolls around, your heating unit is of vital importance to the well-being of you and your family. It’s one of those truly necessary appliances that you don’t think about as long as it’s operational. However, if it should stop working properly, you’d miss it immediately. You depend on it, and you probably paid a great deal for it. Consequently, you ought to consider arranging a maintenance plan for it. This will protect both your comfort and your investment. Prevention The reason you go to the doctor on a regular basis is to safeguard your health. Think of your heating maintenance plan from in San Antonio, TX, as a health checkup for your heating equipment. We’ll inspect all the mechanical parts for wear and proper function, examine the electrical wiring, clean the system, change the filters and calibrate the thermostat. If we do find something amiss, we can catch it early before it becomes a major problem. Proper maintenance is how you prevent your heating unit from completely failing to operate, especially at the worst moment. Discounts and Savings When you purchase a maintenance plan from us, you’ll receive discounts on labor, parts and equipment replacement. Here’s...

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Tips for Choosing the Right Commercial HVAC Contractor

If you have a big project coming up, whether it’s ground up or a refurb, you need a reputable commercial HVAC contractor that is certified to fill your needs. It can be difficult to choose the best contractor when the pool of choices is huge. There are several ways to get a list of prospective contractors going. 1. Word of Mouth Turn to your network. Ask your friends, family members and business associates if they have a reliable contractor who does quality work that they would feel comfortable referring to. When you get a recommendation from people who have first-hand experience with a contractor, it means they are confident in the contractor’s skills. 2. Checking Credentials Ask prospective contractors for proof of licensing and insurance coverage. Once you have documentation, verify the contractor’s credentials with federal and state agencies and confirm that their insurance is still valid. Additionally, you can ask the contractor to see certifications for servicing commercial HVAC systems. 3. Inquire about Experience When you have face-to-face consultations with prospective contractors, you are interviewing them. It is only proper that you would ask about their experience with commercial projects. This is the time when you should be offered...

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What Causes Heating Repairs?

There many signs that will alert you to the need for heating repairs. The following are just a few of the most obvious and common. In some cases, you may not know why the problem has arisen, but this makes it all the more important to call a heating technician for an inspection. Inefficient Heating You may notice that the heater takes longer than usual to achieve the set temperature. You may notice that some rooms or floors are warmer than others. At the same time, your heating bills may be rising to unusual heights. These signify that the heating system is being compromised. For instance, dust may build up on the coils and other internal components of the heater, or the heat exchanger of a furnace may be cracked. Poor Indoor Air Quality When uneven heating (or cold spots) goes hand in hand with an increased presence of dust and other pollutants in the air, then you know that the issue lies in the air ducts and filters. While replacing air filters can be a DIY project, cleaning the ductwork is something that would require a heating repair professional. can send out just such a professional to your home...

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Home Comfort Resolutions for 2020

Your HVAC system plays a major role in home comfort. A house that’s sufficiently warm in the winter and cool in the summer will go a long way toward making you feel comfortable. Here are a few resolutions to make in 2020 that will ensure your comfort. Furnace Resolutions Starting in January, you should resolve to check your furnace’s filter every month, cleaning it whenever it’s dirty. This will keep the furnace from blowing dirty, uncomfortable air throughout your house. A gas furnace should be professionally inspected and serviced at least once a year. Even better, you should resolve to have this service performed in the spring and fall. A well-maintained furnace will operate efficiently and keep your energy costs down. Another resolution is to keep your home’s temperature at 68 degrees rather than 72 degrees during the colder months. You will be just as comfortable while saving 4% on your energy bills. Air Conditioning Resolutions Just like your furnace, a well-maintained air conditioner can help to keep your residence comfortable. It should also be serviced by a professional at least once a year — preferably in the spring and fall. The professional will inspect it and clean the outdoor...

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