Articles for December 2016

The Dangers of a Faulty Air Conditioner

The Dangers of a Faulty Air Conditioner

Air conditioners are installed to keep an establishment cool, in this case, a home. But they can also have an opposite effect once it becomes faulty or malfunctions. Faulty air conditioner can be very dangerous for you and your family. According to a study between 2005 and 2009, air conditioners have been the cause of an average of 2,346 home fires per year. These fire accidents have caused casualties, deaths, injuries, and property damage in millions of dollars per year during that span.

The study didn’t indicate clearly as to which kind of air conditioner has been the cause of these fires. But the data strongly suggests that it is between room ACs and central air conditioning units. The study does show that more than 27 perfect of these fire accidents started from bedrooms. While only 11 percent started from the air ducts. This goes to show that room ACs are the bigger culprit behind these fires.  This was further confirmed with an earlier report made by the US Fire Administration which shows that room ACs account for more than 55 perfect of all home fires even though they are just 35 percent of installations.

Prevention:

The main reason behind these AC related fires are electrical and mechanical failures. Short circuits are often the cause of AC catching fires. You should always do a routine inspection to prevent electrical mishaps from happening. You should also consider installing smoke alarms throughout the home and make sure that they are always in good condition to detect fire immediately and prevent it from getting big.

And the most important is to give your AC a proper maintenance so you can minimize the risk of electrical mishaps and also improving its performance and efficiency. For room ACs, you need to clean its filters or replaced them if needed be at least once a month. It would also be better if you hire a professional to do maintenance for your room AC or central air conditioning unit. This way you should be able to prevent any dangers from faulty air conditioners or prevent your AC unit from getting faulty or malfunctions.

What Happens If you Neglect AC Repair and Maintenance

What Happens If you Neglect AC Repair and Maintenance

Not everyone knows a thing or two about ACs or central air conditioning units. Most homeowners just have a professional to do the installation for them and that’s just it. They tend to forget about their ACs later on. This also tends to happen to not just on ACs but to other cooling and heating systems in the house. So what happens when you neglect AC repair or maintenance?

Neglecting the repair and maintenance of your AC or any other cooling and heating system at home can lead to bigger problems. Small problems from your AC will only cause you a couple of bucks so there’s really no reason to ignore them. But if you do ignore them not only that it totally damages your AC unit but you’ll also have to suffer the inconveniences that it may bring to you and your family.

What you should do?

You see small repairs and simple maintenance procedures are not that hard to do. It’s all about having the time to regularly check your AC and the other important systems in your home. Once you see that there is something wrong with your AC, you better fix it right away or call a professional to fix it for you. Doing this will only cost you a few amount of bucks and it wouldn’t really hurt your budget. It’s the major problems like leakages are something that you need to worry about because they tend to cost a lot.

Getting a professional AC repair service will also help you keep in check the condition of your AC. You can ask the repair service to do a regular checkup on your AC unit at least once in a month. This will help you make sure that your air conditioning unit is always in good-working condition.

Also, it is wise to ask some questions about your AC. The repair service should be able to give you some tips, advice and maybe teach you to simple repairs on your AC once a problem or issue arises.

Minimizing Heat Loss in Your Home

Minimizing Heat Loss in Your HomeMinimizing heat loss in your home is one of the best ways to lower your energy consumption. It’s a task that you must never forget especially if you are struggling with your energy bills. There are a lot of things you can do to minimize the heat loss in your home. Your windows and doors, for example, can contribute to huge amounts of heat loss if they installed inefficiently especially during winter. You don’t want to keep the heat inside your home just in winter, but all year round, follow the steps below to help minimize heat loss in your home by checking your windows and doors.

Look for any leaks.

It’s easy to figure out if there’s a heat loss in your windows and doors. If you feel a draft near your windows or doors, it could only mean that the cold air can get out while hot air will get in, which is really not good. The solution is to replace the door’s weather stripping to minimize the energy loss near your doors. And for the windows, consider using a caulk or a filler to fill in the gaps, holes, or small cracks in the windows so that no air can get out or get in.

Try double-glazing or insulating your windows and doors.

Your single-glazed windows are sure to let air get it and get out of your house through the glass. This will make it hard for you to control the temperature around your house especially in areas near the windows or doors. As a result, you end up using a lot of energy just to give your house the right temperature all year round which will then increase your energy bills.

Replace your windows with double-glazed ones and insulate all the doors in your house. If you don’t want to struggle regulating the temperature in your house during winters and summers.

Consider replacing your patio doors.

Patio doors are also responsible for letting air get out of your house especially if the ones you have are older models. If you replace your old patio doors with a new model, you can minimize heat loss in your home. They also serves as a good investment too, since the cost of getting a new patio door is a lot lower than your energy cost in the long run.

If you can minimize the heat loss in your home, you’ll be able to make it more comfortable for you and your family to live in. You can also reduce your energy consumption, which will in turn help you save money in the long run.

The Benefits of Owning a Fireplace

The Benefits of Owning a FireplacePerhaps the first thing that comes into most people minds when you talk about fireplaces is that it gives heat. Well, you definitely can’t argue with that since they always excel in providing extra heat, especially during winter seasons. They are also not usable only for the winter seasons. Because all year round, they have been the center of seasonal decorations and serves as an importance piece of attraction for family photos. They are known to provide vitality to your home from the inside and out. But, there’s more to them than you usually know.

Here are some of the most important benefits of having a fireplace in your house.

Convenient to use.

Having a gas fireplace in your house is so convenient. You don’t need to get wood and try hard to make a fire because with just one simple flip of a switch you can easily light a fire. You can then enjoy the warmth the gas fireplace gives to your house without having to worry about smoke or smell.

Improves the ambiance in your house.

Having a fireplace inside your house can help you relax and enjoy the comfort of the warmth of the heat that it provides. Having a fireplace in the center of your living room is like having a candlelight for a romantic dinner. It sets up a relaxing mood to everyone as it improves the ambiance in your living room which is why most people often flock in front of them.

Improved interior design.

Your home will definitely look better once a fireplace is installed especially in the living room. It will grab the attention of anyone who visits your house.

Improved home value.

Adding a fireplace to your home will also increase its value. In fact, most people who are looking to buy a new house always look for a house with a fireplace already installed. You can easily get a buyer for your house if you already have at least one fireplace installed.

With that being said, fireplaces are an important part of a house. They provide many benefits that you and your family can definitely enjoy. There are actually a lot of different types of fireplaces available right now. But gas fireplaces are so far the most appropriate and most convenient of them all. With a gas fireplace in your house, you won’t have to worry about gathering, stacking, and cutting down wood just to light a fire.

Even though they are a wonderful addition to your house they are still considered to be fire hazards. You have to check your fireplace especially its chimney as often as you can as a safety measure. You can also hire a professional at least once a year to check the chimney for you.