Spring 2013

Tune–up your AC unit and get ready for the heat

When your air conditioner is fully operational, it can keep you comfortable during the hottest days of the year. It’s imperative, therefore, that you maintain your AC unit throughout its lifetime. Spring is a great time to think about how you might tune–up your AC.

To tune–up your AC means inspecting, cleaning, repairing, and, if necessary, replacing parts of your system. To be done properly, much of this work requires the expertise of an air conditioning professional. A properly installed and serviced AC unit will maximize your energy–efficiency, and will help to save you money.

The first step is to call a professional. An expert technician will be able to assess any issues in the compressor, coils, refrigerant levels, electrical supply and thermostat. Attempting to do so yourself may be dangerous and could prove costly. Here a few maintenance tune–ups even the most efficient air conditioners could benefit from:

• Clean or replace the air filter. Your air filter is one of the most important parts of your AC unit. It promotes airflow and prevents the passage of dust and other allergens from entering your ductwork or home. If you are highly–sensitive to allergens, particularly those that come about in the spring time, then this is an absolute must. Air filters also keep the parts of your AC unit working properly by preventing the accumulation of dust and other materials on the internal structure. Check your air filter monthly.

• Insulate the ductwork. Your ducts are the structural skeleton of your indoor air system. They make the measured and even distribution of cool air possible, but they depend upon a closed system. As well as repairing or sealing any duct leaks and testing that the system is efficient, insulating ductwork tends to significantly reduce heating and cooling loss, sometimes up to 30%. By sealing air leaks, your cooling professional may be able to save you serious money this spring and summer.

• Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat allows you to customize your home temperature for specific times of the day and days of the week. Not only will adjusting your temperature automatically cut costs, but it is also takes care of your home comfort for you.

Remember that only a professional AC technician can tune–up your system for this upcoming cooling season. Call one today.

How does your water taste? A water treatment system can help.

Does your water taste or smell strange? Or are you concerned about the effects of hard water on your plumbing system? Water treatment offers many solutions for filtering and chemically altering your home water supply in order to rid of contaminants and excessively high mineral content. Many different types of water treatment systems are now available for homeowners, as well as many different devices for implementing those treatment processes. Your local water treatment professional can help advise you on the most suitable option.

Hard water is the most common water issue for Americans. Over 85% of homes have large amounts of calcium and magnesium, as well as other trace minerals in their fresh water supply, which dissolves mineral content from the surrounding soil and rock. When hard water precipitates, you get what’s known as scale, which builds up on pipes, water heaters, tea kettles and coffee machines. Another indication is a lack of soap suds during washing since hard water reduces soap’s ability to lather.

To begin with, three of the most common treatment styles for home water systems are water filtering, water softening, and reverse osmosis.

• Water filtration. This physical process involves the capture of contaminants on a porous and adsorbent surface. Carbon filtration is one of the most common materials for filtration.

• Water softening. This technique is mainly used to soften the hardness of water through the use of sodium. By exchanging sodium ions for calcium and magnesium ions, water softening produces a more desirable water for drinking. Hard water passes through a tank full of plastic beads charged with positive sodium ions, and the ionic switching occurs.

• Reverse Osmosis. Best known for its ability to remove the salt from seawater, reverse osmosis cleans contaminated water by modifying a natural biophysical process: osmosis. Osmosis means the selective transfer of water from one side of a membrane to another. A reverse osmosis system creates pressure that forces contaminated water through a membrane, and because contaminants have different chemical composition than water, they are left behind. The result is clean drinking water. The complete water treatment system involves several different pre–filters, but it is a great solution for homes that have serious water contamination.

If your home water supply is contaminated, or if your hard water is becoming a nuisance, consult with a water treatment professional to find out what you can do to improve the quality of the water.