Poor Ductwork Design and Sealing Can Send Your Conditioned Air Astray: Three Factors To Consider

A home’s poor ductwork design and inadequate sealing can account for significant energy loss on a daily basis. The problem is, you’re the one paying for that energy. With that in mind, it’s time to assess whether your conditioned air is safe within your ducts.

Here are three factors to consider:

Design.
If your ductwork wasn’t designed with certain aspects of your home’s floor plan in mind, your conditioned air may be leaking out. Common problems include ducts that are stretched too tight or kinked to be maneuvered around obstructions, as well as ducts that are installed too close to appliances that could affect the temperature or quality of the air inside.

Sealing.
Duct leaks can cause you to lose as much as 20 percent of your conditioned air. While you can inspect and seal accessible duct leaks on your own, a heating and cooling professional can do a more thorough job, reaching ducts that you cannot, such as those hidden behind walls and ceilings. Common issues include loose connections and rips and tears in flexible ductwork. These can be sealed using duct mastic or metal-backed tape.

Insulation.
In most homes, large sections of ductwork run through unconditioned areas such as the attic, basement or crawl space. Extreme temperatures in these areas can affect your conditioned air. With proper insulation, however, you can reduce energy loss in such situations.

If you suspect you’re losing energy through ill-conceived, leaky or exposed ducts, contact one of our trained technicians for a professional assessment. Using our training, experience and specialized tools of the trade, we can determine where your problems lie and help you form a plan of Action.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).For more information about Indoor Air Quality and other HVAC topics,click here to visit our website

IS IT TIME TO REPLACE AN HVAC SYSTEM? SIX TIPS TO HELP YOU DECIDE!

Much like buying a new car or upgrading a large appliance, you want to be sure you have received the most from your existing equipment before you make a major investment. However, if you wait too long, costly repairs and poor performance could end up being more expensive. The same is true when you decide to replace an HVAC system: you want to get the most from your existing equipment while avoiding breakdowns and discomfort.

Of course, nobody can predict the future, so this can sometimes be a difficult decision to make. Use these six tips to help you decide when to replace an HVAC system:

•Equipment age: If you have had your Air handler, furnace or Heat Pump for 15 years or longer, it is probably time to consider an upgrade. New models are much more efficient and replacing your equipment before it breaks can save you a lot of stress and discomfort.

•Increasing energy bills: Although fuel and electricity are getting more expensive, as your equipment ages it will become less efficient and cost more each month to operate. Your contractor can help you compare monthly usage to costs to help you determine whether your HVAC system is getting more expensive to run.

•Frequent repairs: If you have had any necessary repairs in the past two years it is a sign of equipment aging and may be time to replace an HVAC system.

•Strange noises: Any odd noises coming from your HVAC system should be examined by a professional. Another sign to watch for is excessive running of the blower fan.

•Home comfort: Do you achieve home comfort in every room in your home?

•Humidity levels: If you experience extreme humidity or dryness in your home, you may benefit from new equipment that has more advanced features.
If you are ready to replace an HVAC system in your home or business, call the trained professionals at Action Heating and Air Conditioning for expert installation and maintenance.

We’ll help you properly evaluate your cooling and heating needs so you can get the most from your new investment. Serving Northeast Florida, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).For more information about Ventilation and other HVAC topics,click here to visit our website.

Nest Issues Consumer Safety Notice

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Nest Labs Inc. has issued a consumer safety notice for its Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector after recent laboratory testing showed the Nest Wave feature, which enables the user to turn off the alarm with “a wave of the hand,” could be “unintentionally activated,” causing a delay in the alarm going off in the event of a real fire.

In a letter to the Nest community, Nest CEO Tony Fadell said the company feels “the best and safest thing to do is to immediately disable the Nest Wave feature to resolve the issue and remove any safety concerns,” even though they are “not aware of any customers who have experienced this.” In the meantime, Nest has halted sales of all new Nest Protect alarms “to ensure no one buys an alarm that needs an immediate update.”

Fadell also issued the following instructions to Nest Protect owners in order to resolve the safety issue:

• If you have a Nest Protect connected to a Nest account via Wi-Fi: Within 24 hours, Nest Wave will be automatically disabled. You don’t need to do anything, and even with this feature disabled, our smoke alarm will continue to work very effectively, monitoring for increased levels of smoke and CO in the home.

• If you have a Nest Protect that is not connected to a Nest account, or have since taken it offline: It’s very important that you immediately connect your Nest Protect to your Nest account so we can remotely disable Nest Wave. Detailed instructions on how to connect your Nest Protect to the Nest Account quickly and easily can be found at www.nest.com.

• If you have a Nest Protect that is not connected to a Nest account and do not have access to Wi-Fi: If you are unable to immediately connect to a Nest account, please discontinue use of your Nest Protect and we will give you a complete refund. To claim your refund, visit www.nest.com/
contact/refund.

• If you want to buy a Nest Protect: Nest Wave is on by default in every alarm we sell. To ensure no one buys an alarm that needs an immediate update, we’ve decided to stop all sales while we fix this issue. For updates on availability, please check nest.com.

Fadell said the Nest Wave feature will be enabled again “once we have a solution that ensures Nest Wave works as intended,” which “will only happen after extensive testing and once we have received approval from safety agencies in the U.S., Canada, and U.K.” Fadell said the process will take at least two or three months and apologized for the inconvenience while offering a complete refund to those who do not wish to keep their Nest Protect

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Indoor Air Quality and other HVAC topics, click here to visit our websit

Quality Flow Controls LLC: Brass and Copper Isolation Valve

Some interesting information for service technicians.
Installation of the 2-Port Isolation Valve (2PIV) provides quick and easy refrigerant leak detection in evaporators, condenser coils, and refrigerant line sets. According to the manufacturer, faster results are now possible when searching for leaks in hard-to-reach locations, such as ceilings, walls, attics, or crawl spaces, providing 100 percent successful results for the technician. Valves are brazed on the suction and liquid lines, just ahead of the evaporator and condenser. Service gauges are connected to the valves. The system is then pressurized with nitrogen, and each valve closed, isolating the four circuits, providing easy determination of the leak’s location through pressure loss. Easily installed in any position or direction, the 2PIV can remain in place without any loss of performance to the system, the company said. The method saves time and money by eliminating guesswork. HVAC companies now have the ability to flat rate this task, said the manufacturer.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Indoor Air Quality and other HVAC topics, click here to visit our website