How To Improve The Air Quality In Your Home With A Heating And AC Repair Company | Dallas, TX
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Summer in Dallas, TX is amazing. From baseball games to outdoor grilling to festivals in the streets there are a lot of things to love about summer. Of course, there are a few things that you may not love as much such as extremely high temperatures, poor air quality, and seasonal allergies. Texas is notorious for having a tough spring and early summer for those who suffer from allergies, and this year due to the heath pandemic you will probably be at more outdoor activities than ever. One more thing you may hate is if your AC breaks down and you need an emergency heating and AC repair company.
After spending hours outside in the heat entertaining, you will be glad to retreat to your cool home, but only if the AC is working properly as it should. If it is not, then you are going to need a heating and AC repair company to come out promptly to take a look. Keep in mind, if you suffer allergies your time indoors should be your chance to relax and finally breathe in clean, unadulterated air. However, if your AC system is not working efficiently the air inside your home may not be as clean as you think it is.
If you are like most Texans, the windows stay tightly closed through the warm Dallas, TX summers. This is understandable given how hot the outside air can get, but that also means that the only fresh air circulating in your home is coming directly from your air conditioner. If the AC is not up to the task or you do not keep you with issues like your heating and AC repair company recommends, then the air you are breathing may not be as great as you think it is.
Given your home should be your place of safety and solace during any season, you may want to spend some time thinking about what your heating and AC repair company may have told you during their last visit to evaluate if that could be affecting your air quality. If you haven’t had your maintenance visit yet, then this is your reminder to call an HVAC company and book an AC maintenance visit before the summer really sets in. The last thing you want to do is try to make any changes when it is already boiling outdoors.
The good news is there are a few things that you can do to help improve the air quality within your home if you have any suspicions that it may not be as great as you would like it to be. Some of these tips you can take care of on your own, while others you may want to get help from a heating and AC repair company to complete. Like most things, working together with a trained professional is the best way to get your home into tip-top shape, and if you plan to spend a great deal of your summer indoors then it will pay to clean up your air.
After all, you don’t want to spend your summer with a tissue box with a sinus headache. All of these tips are tested and true and approved by this heating and AC repair company so if you want to know how to improve the air quality in your Dallas, TX home- listen up.
Keep Up with Air Filter Replacement
The very first thing you need to make sure you keep up with is the air filters in your HVAC system. They are easy to forget since they are out of sight, out of mind, but they are very important when it comes to air quality in your home. Not only are the air filters responsible for filtering out the air in your home, but all fresh air passes through the air filter on its way out into your home. If your air filter is disgusting and full of debris, then your clean air is passing through it constantly and likely picking up particles on the way.
Every heating and AC repair company has had a call where the air filter is almost opaque with dirt and debris. Believe it or not, a clogged air filter can actually cause your entire HVAC system to break down. If the air cannot pass through the air filter then the fan starts working harder and harder to push it out. Eventually, this leads to extreme wear and tear and the entire system dies which means an unexpected calling to an HVAC company in the dead of summer.
The good news is that the story doesn’t have to end like this. By simply changing your air filters every three to five months or as recommended by your heating and AC repair company, you will avoid any future problems and improve the air quality in your home. You might take a second to consider the type of air filter you are purchasing for your home as well. While you don’t need a golden air filter, you also shouldn’t just grab the cheapest one off the shelf. You get what you pay for, so most technicians would recommend somewhere in the middle of the road.
Keep in mind that it is recommended you change your air filters every three to five months, some households may have to change them more while some may get away with less. If you have any questions you might ask the technician the next time you have a heating and AC repair company out at your home. They can help show you how to change the filter and discuss changing recommendations based on what they see while they are out at your house. Homes with more foot traffic and young children or pets will naturally collect more dust than homes without.
Keep Your Home Clean
Keeping your air filters clean is one way to improve the air quality in your home, another great way is by taking the time to keep your home clean. People are spending a lot more time in their homes than they used to, so now is a great time to start appreciating where you live. Take a few minutes each day to vacuum or sweep your floors and you can help improve your air quality almost instantly. Weekly try to get in the habit of cleaning the dust off picture frames etc and keep your dishes under control. You will be surprised by how much these small habits can help with the overall air quality in your home.
However, if you do all of this and notice that dust seems to be rapidly appearing in your home quicker than you can remove it, this may indicate that you have an issue with your AC that you should call a heating and AC repair company about or you have an issue with your ducts. If your ducts have never been cleaned there is a good chance they are covered in dirt that is being blown back into your home every time the AC kicks on. In this case, you are fighting a never-ending battle which is why you should consider booking a duct cleaning service from a heating and AC repair company, but more on that later.
Consider Ventilation Spots in Your Home
Another great way to help improve the air quality in your home is to evaluate where ventilation spots are. Keep all air ducts clean and try to keep areas around them clean and free from dust so that the airflow does not kick extra dust into the air. It is not helpful to have your complete AC cleaned by a heating and AC repair company if every time it cycles it blows dust off the back of your couch or bookshelf into the living room. Small adjustments can make a world of difference sometimes.
If you are serious about improving the quality of air in your home or have someone in your home who suffers from asthma or allergies, you may want to consider buying an air ventilation system. A heating and AC repair company can install this onto your HVAC system to provide an extra boost and there are many different choices and options so it is best to talk over the options with an HVAC professional. You also might want to consider buying an air purifier to help your AC clean the air in your home, especially if there are pets in your home that are constantly spreading dander.
Take a Careful Look (and sniff) of Your Ductwork
As mentioned earlier, your ductwork can be a huge culprit when it comes to the air quality within your home. Dirty ductwork usually equates to dirty air since the air your AC sends out of your ducts has to pass through them. Even if you have a clean filter and an air purifying system in your HVAC system, the air still has to work its way through the ductwork and out of your home vents. If there is a lot of dust or other debris along the way it is going to pick up the particulates and add it to the air you breathe.s
This is why most heating and AC repair company technicians in Dallas, TX now offer duct cleaning services. You don’t need to have your ducts cleaned too often, but if they haven’t been cleaned in the last five years (or ever), then now is a good time to do so. It is also an excellent idea to do it if you buy a new house because you don’t know how the old owner treated the home and it is a great way to clean out every last particle they may have left behind. Cigarette smoke is one offending substance that duct working cleaning can easily remove from a home.
You should also be aware that ducts are often invaded by pests and rodents, which is one more reason to consider calling your heating and AC repair company and adding a duct cleaning to your services. If you think that you have rodents in your ductwork, then you also have their nesting and feces most likely and every time the wind blows past them they pick up particulates. If the idea of breathing rodent feces disgusts you, then it’s time to get some help to get it removed. Also, if the problem is ongoing it may be time to call a pest exterminator so that you don’t end up in the same spot. A heating and AC repair company can only remove what is there, they can’t prevent the rodents from returning.
Book an Annual HVAC Maintenance Visit from Your Local Heating and AC Repair Company
Finally, if you have not booked your annual HVAC maintenance visit with your local heating and AC repair company yet now is the time. The longer you wait the higher the chance that something is going to go wrong. Regular maintenance is the best way to reduce your energy costs because a clean HVAC system is able to work efficiently and cycle much less. In addition, an efficient HVAC system will cool your home more evenly, so it turns into a situation where everyone benefits.
More attractive however is the fact that a clean HVAC system is likely to last longer. If you want to extend the lifespan of your HVAC system, the very best thing you can do is call a heating and AC repair company and schedule an annual maintenance visit. During the maintenance visit, the tech will tune-up, clean, and inspect every component of your machine to make sure it is working at its maximum performance level. If you are ready to achieve that level, give One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas a call.