Do I Need a Humidifier or Dehumidifier This Winter?

Wintertime in Lake Geneva, WI arrives with plenty of cold air and frozen precipitation. Cold air doesn’t hold as much moisture as warm air, so your home could experience some issues with humidity control. If you’re debating whether or not to use a humidifier or dehumidifier during the upcoming winter season, follow these helpful tips. Determine Your Home’s Humidity Level The ideal indoor humidity level is 30% to 50%. If the humidity drops below this level, your skin will feel dry. Your eyes, nose, and throat may become irritated or itchy. Low humidity also causes static electricity buildup. Excessive humidity levels make your skin feel clammy. The moisture fuels the growth of allergens, such as mildew and dust mites. To determine your home’s humidity level, you can purchase a hygrometer, smart thermostat, or standalone indoor weather station. When to Use a Humidifier Use a humidifier if your home’s humidity drops below 30%. Many people find it easier to sleep at night in the winter if they use a cool-mist humidifier in their bedroom. If you become sick with a respiratory illness, a humidifier may offer relief from the swelling and irritation in your nasal passages, sinuses, and throat. For persistently...

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What Are Common Furnace Problems?

Furnaces are more reliable than ever, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t develop problems. There are a few common furnace problems to be aware of. You can do some troubleshooting to see if it’s a problem you can solve or if you should call an HVAC company. Keeps Turning On and Off When your furnace heats your home, it will cycle on and off. It’s when it short cycles that there’s a problem. Your furnace will only turn on for a few minutes before shutting off again when it short cycles. This problem is usually caused by a lack of airflow. Make sure the air filter isn’t clogged. If it is, replace it. If this fix doesn’t solve the problem, you’ll need a technician to look at your furnace. Seems Extra Noisy An unusually noisy furnace is a sign of a mechanical problem. If you hear a rattling noise, something has likely come loose. A clanking noise probably means the blower wheel has come loose. When you hear odd sounds coming from your furnace, call an HVAC company. in Lake Geneva, WI, can help you with odd sounds and other furnace problems. We only use high-quality parts when making...

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How to Perform AC Maintenance at the End of Summer

The end of summer will be here soon, and keeping a few maintenance tips in mind is important in helping you take care of your cooling system. These simple concepts can boost the lifespan of your air conditioner and help you avoid expensive repairs. Here are some of the things to remember while doing maintenance on your AC. Adjust Your Thermostat One of the first things to do is adjust your thermostat settings. The fall season is often much cooler than the summer months, and you won’t have to run your air conditioner as often. A programmable thermostat is an excellent way to set the temperature throughout the day and night. Doing so will help to lower your utility bill. Change the Air Filter Another important maintenance tip is to replace your air filter near the end of the summer. A new filter will allow your system to work more efficiently, which reduces wear and tear on your equipment. Replacing your filter will also improve the quality of air in your home. Do Some Yard Work Taking the time to do some yard work around your outdoor air conditioning unit is always a good idea as we near the end...

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How To Make the Best Use of Your AC

When the heat rolls in, you might be tempted to use your air conditioner indiscriminately. But that can increase your cooling bills by a lot. If you want to maximize your savings while still keeping your home at a comfortable temperature, you should check into these tips that you can use to get the most out of your air conditioner. Close the Shades One of the first things that you should consider doing is making sure that the shades to sun-facing windows are closed so that you can keep the heat outside and more of the cool inside. This is especially true for any windows facing east in the morning and west toward the later afternoon to evening hours. Leave the Thermostat Setting at Your Desired Temperature You should also be aware that setting the thermostat lower won’t help you achieve the temperature that you actually want any faster. You might feel like setting the thermostat to 65 degrees will help you get to your desired 72 degrees faster than if you simply left the thermostat there, but it’s just not the case. The air conditioner can only cool the house at the same speed regardless of how long you...

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How To Prepare Air Conditioner for the Summer

An air conditioner plays an important role in keeping you cool during the hot summer months. Taking the time to prepare your air conditioner for the summer is always a worthwhile option that can improve efficiency. Reaching out to a local HVAC company to inspect your air conditioner is also a great option for homeowners. Here are a few of the top ways that you can prepare your air conditioner for the summer months. Change Your Air Filter A clogged air filter causes your AC system to work a lot harder, which creates a higher utility bill each month. Switching out your air filter every couple of months is crucial. A new air filter will also improve the quality of indoor air for your entire household. Test Your Thermostat Another way to prepare your AC system for the summer months is to test your thermostat to ensure that everything is working correctly. If you notice any issues, it may be time to upgrade to a smart thermostat. Using a smart thermostat makes it easy for you to create a schedule for cooling your house, which can improve efficiency and save you money. Remove Excess Debris Debris can often accumulate throughout...

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Does Humidity Affect My Air Conditioner?

When the temperature rises, many times, it feels like the humidity does too. It can be difficult to keep your home consistently cool when the humidity is high, and you might wonder if the high humidity is even affecting your air conditioner’s ability to function properly. So if you’re wondering if humidity affects an air conditioner, let us tell you that it does, and we can tell you exactly why you’re not getting the results from your air conditioner that you want. The Air Conditioner Will Work Overtime When there’s high humidity, the air conditioning unit has to strain to keep up, which means that the cooling throughout the home isn’t always even. The air conditioner has to push so hard because it has to pull more water out of the air, which is hard on the unit. Mold Can Grow When there’s extra moisture in the air, mold can grow in a wide variety of places, including the air conditioner and the duct system. As air passes through the air conditioning system, dust, pollen, pet dander, and dead skin cells collect. And when moisture is trapped in the ductwork and air conditioner, there are the perfect conditions for mold...

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How Do UV Light Indoor Air Quality Products Work?

It’s becoming increasingly common to find UV light systems included in commercial and residential HVAC systems. UV light has been used as a disinfectant since 1908 and is still used in laboratories and hospitals to help disinfect equipment and surfaces. When included in an HVAC system, UV light can help those systems purify the air. What Is UV Light? Light is electromagnetic radiation with a vast range of wavelengths, only a tiny amount of which is visible to the human eye. Infrared light waves are too big for our eyes to detect, while UV light waves are much too small for our eyes to see. Most UV light is trapped in the upper atmosphere, in the ozone layer, and never reaches the planet’s surface. How Does UV Light Disinfect? The UV light that does reach us we notice as sunburns. UV light waves are small enough to damage cells. Specifically, the DNA strands inside of cells, killing them or making them inert. Single-cell organisms such as bacteria have no defense against UV light, and once the bacteria’s DNA is damaged, the organism will become inert. UV-Light and HVAC Systems While a UV light system won’t kill 100% of the microorganisms...

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How Do I Conserve Heat During the Winter?

No one wants to waste money, but squandering it on unnecessary heating is especially painful. This winter, keep costs under control with these simple energy-saving tips. Our DIY- and budget-friendly suggestions will help you stay comfortable while cutting utility costs. Seal Your Home Don’t let warm air escape through gaps around windows and doors. Replace worn weather strips in doorways, and caulk gaps around window frames. Kits simplify applying plastic film to insulate windows inexpensively. Home improvement stores even offer decorative film products for a look that’s pleasing to the eye. Draft stoppers block cold air from entering below doors and windows. Buy them at home goods stores or online, or save even more money by making your own. Maintain Your Heating System Scheduled maintenance keeps your heating and cooling system in excellent working order. Not only will your house be more comfortable, but you’ll save money on repairs. HVAC technicians perform tune-ups, which involves cleaning your system, changing filters, checking settings, looking for damaged or worn parts, and ensuring that everything is running safely. Spotting potential issues early helps prevent bigger problems and costlier emergency repairs. Opting in to maintenance plans keeps your HVAC system humming along. Make Small...

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How To Improve Indoor Air Quality Naturally

Indoor air quality can be more than three times more contaminated than outdoor air. Since most people spend more time indoors than outside, their daily environment can be uncomfortable and unhealthy. It’s advisable to keep air pollutants out of your home and ventilate your house to maintain good indoor air quality. Here are some natural ways you can improve indoor air quality throughout the year. Groom Your Pets There will be pet dander in your house if you have pets. Pet dander also triggers pet allergies. Therefore, ensure that you wash your furry friend regularly by brushing her outside to encourage clean indoor air. Remember to use a HEPA filter vacuum for cleaning your furniture and floors to get rid of pet fur and dander. You will undoubtedly breathe cleaner air indoors. Avoid Smoking Indoors Cigarettes are harmful, even to secondhand smokers. Therefore, never allow anyone to smoke inside your house since the effects will remain after your guest leaves. You can request the smoker to go outside to avoid indoor air contamination. Use Low-VOC Paints Paints emit traces of gases that can last several months after application even when the smell is gone. The gases are also known as...

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How Often Should You Get a Furnace Tune-up?

Winter weather has arrived in Lake Geneva, WI. Although you’ve probably already used your furnace, it’s not too late to have our skilled technicians at perform a tune-up of your heating system. Use these tips to schedule your furnace tune-up in a way that maximizes the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your home’s heating system. Schedule an Annual Tune-Up We recommend an annual tune-up for your home’s furnace. Because furnaces are only used for heating functions a few months of the year, they just need one annual maintenance visit. Our reliable technicians offer convenient appointment times for your furnace tune-up. When to Schedule a Furnace Tune-Up The best time of the year to schedule your annual furnace tune-up is in the middle of autumn. If our technicians find a problem, this allows plenty of time to complete the repair. However, it’s never too late for a furnace tune-up. If you haven’t scheduled one yet for this heating season, now is a good time to do so. Scheduling the tune-up now will improve your furnace’s efficiency and performance for the rest of the winter. What a Furnace Tune-Up Entails During your annual autumn furnace tune-up, our dependable technicians clean the flue, heat...

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