Category Archives: Blog

Reducing My Energy Costs

Each month when that utility bill unapologetically and unrelentingly shows up in your mailbox, it can trigger some reflection on your energy consumption. Perhaps, you ponder about your energy conservation efforts. “How can I reduce my energy costs?” This question may surprise you with how simply the answers can be. There are many ways to simply and easily conserve energy and drastically reduce your monthly bill.

Here are several ways to increase your energy conservation specifically when it comes to your heating and air conditioning. Most of the energy used in your home is dedicated to your HVAC.

Energy Conservation

Keep your vents open and clean

By using and replacing filters when necessary, you keep the air clean inside your home and eliminate any obstructions in your vents. Make sure all of your vents are open so the air can more freely throughout your home without added effort and strain on your system. Good air flow will increase your energy conservation.

Using your ceiling fans!

Your fans can also aid in creating good air flow. In the summertime, use fans to push hot air up and out by spinning counter-clockwise. In the wintertime, push hot air back down and trapping the heat by running the fan clockwise. Correctly using your ceiling fans means reducing the amount of effort your heating and air conditioning system needs to keep your home comfortable. This will save you money and wear on the unit.

Take advantage of your thermostat

By lowering the temperature at night when no one is home or when people are sleeping, you can save an impressive amount of energy. Try changing your thermostat from 75 degrees to 70, which can save you up to 10 percent in heating costs. If you really want to take advantage of your thermostat, install one that is programmable. By programming temperatures to automatically adjust during slower hours, you can save a bunch of money each year while increasing your energy conservation.

Keep your HVAC system running smoothly

with regular maintenance and speedy repairs. Nothing will throw a wrench in your energy conservation plans like a heating or air conditioning system that isn’t running smoothly. Contact the professionals at Complete Heating and Air for regular maintenance and any repair issues you may have. With a one year parts and labor warranty, you can rest easy knowing your system is in reliable and qualified

Draw your curtains at night

This is so simple and takes seconds to do. Closing your curtains will insulate your windows from cool nighttime temperatures.

Seal and insulate your home

Doing this will make a big impact financially and is often simple enough to do yourself. When your home is well insulated and sealed, the comfort and air quality in your home will improve. With a more stable temperature you will conserve energy.

Keep lights off in unoccupied rooms

I remember growing up my dad was constantly reminding us to shut off the lights in the house. Now as an adult I’m constantly reminding my children the same thing. I can usually gauge how well we’re doing with the lights because it directly reflects on my energy bill.

By following these simple tips, not only will you increase your energy conservation and save money, but you may also be eligible for tax breaks. You will increase the comfort of your home, reduce pollution, and relive the demand on your wallet.

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How Often Should I Clean My Air Ducts?

Recently we have been focusing on quality of your indoor air where AC maintenance and cleanliness takes a leading role. One area in particular that should be getting cleaned are your air ducts.

Air ducts can quickly become a host for dirt and dust, fungi and bacteria. With dirt and dust as food, and the comfortable temperature in your air ducts, mold spores can happily move in. Ducts clogged with excessive dirt or debris can in turn be released into the home.

As you can guess, finding one or several of these things in your air ducts will have a negative impact on your indoor air quality. But, it can also eat away at the efficiency of your system too. Having particles in your air ducts will cause your AC system to work harder, ultimately leading a shortened lifespan of your system.

AC Maintenance

Some of those particles are going to be trapped in your furnace filter, but not all of them. With time and neglect, those particles will build up in your AC system. AC maintenance is important, especially as the weather continues to warm. Part of that maintenance is to have your air ducts cleaned by professionals you trust, like those at Sandy Heating & Air Conditioning.

With indoor air quality, efficiency and the overall well-being of our system in jeopardy, we know it’s important to clean the air ducts. But how often do they need to be cleaned? This answer will depend on where you live, and how often you use your AC system. If someone in your home is more sensitive to the indoor air quality, for example they have allergies or asthma, it may mean you need to clean them more often.

According to The National Air Duct Cleaners Association, the short answer for an air duct cleaning schedule is three to five years. That being said, there are many factors that can determine if you should have them cleaned closer to the three-year mark, or the five-year mark.

Your personal preference will play a big role, as well as the following:

Whether or not you have smokers in the home
You have pets with a lot of hair and dander
There has been damage to your AC system
Those in the home have allergies or asthma
You’ve recently done renovations or remodels
You moved into a new home

If there is visible mold growing on the sheet metal of the air ducts or other parts of your AC system, it is a good indication to have your air ducts cleaned. You’ll also want to clean them if there are any rodents or insects in the ducts.

Cleaning your air ducts is an important part of your AC maintenance. Remember, if you clean your air ducts you should also consider cleaning your entire system. This will in turn keep your air ducts cleaner longer, without pollutants from any other parts of the system spreading. Regular AC maintenance will keep your system happy and the people in your home healthy. Call Sandy Heating & Air Conditioning for any maintenance questions or concerns!

Why Should I Care About Indoor Air Quality?

Last week on the Complete Heating and air’s blog we talked about a few ways to improve your indoor air quality. This week we wanted to share a few more reasons why you should care about the quality of the air inside your home.

The quality of our indoor air affects the quality of our health. Most people spend the majority of their time indoors, and indoor air pollution is typically higher than the air outside. Spending more time outside and breathing fresh air is a great way to improve the kind of air your breath. However, during the winter months most people don’t get outside as often as they may like to. And if you live in Utah, you know the air quality outside with the inversion is not a superior option.

The Environmental Protection Agency says the average person breathes more than 3,000 gallons of air each day. Exposure to poor air quality can leave your eyes nose and throat irritated, headaches, dizziness and fatigue. There are many things you can do to improve your indoor air quality. You can find our list of suggestions here, and a much more in depth guide from the EPA here.

But one thing you can do that will make a big difference in the quality of your indoor air is to have your HVAC system inspected annually for regular maintenance and for any damage. Instructions for the service and maintenance of your system is important for you to follow, especially instructions on when you should change your filter.

Besides the suggestions from last week, an AC tune up can make a huge difference when it comes to improving your indoor air quality. The heating and cooling system in your home plays a major role in your comfort. If you take a minute to stop and think just how much you depend on your HVAC system, an AC tune up each season is a no-brainer and a necessity. Typically, you want to check your system before each heating and cooling season, to make sure everything is working properly before you are stuck in weather that is too hot, or too cold.

The inspection and preventative maintenance that accompany your AC tune-up will leave you with the peace of mind that your heating and cooling isn’t going anywhere, as well as improve your indoor air quality. Ideally, your AC unit should be inspected each spring before the “cooling season” begins.

Schedule a professional AC tune up

When you have an AC tune-up performed, you can avoid unexpected breakdowns, improve efficiently and system performance, operate more safely, prolongs your system’s life, improve the overall level of comfort and reduce your utility bills. By enlisting the help of the professionals at Sandy Heating and Air Conditioning you know you’ll be getting the attention you and your AC need.

Typically, an AC tune up will include:

Measurement of important system components
Inspection of wear or damage of components
Measuring refrigerant levels for the best performance
Tightening, adjusting, lubricating and or flushing components
Checking overall system air flow and operation

If you’re still not convinced that you need an AC tune up, keep in mind that to keep a warranty in effect, many manufacturers require an AC tune-up. And an uncleaned or unmaintained system can lose up to five percent efficiently! So take a simple step by calling Sandy Heating & Air Conditioning to improve your air quality, prolong your system and save you money in the long run.