Heat Pumps Provide Efficient Heating and Cooling

Efficient cooling and heating for your home can come from installing an air-source heat pump into your home; these are especially good for warm climate areas. These units deliver more heat compared to others, generating up to three times more heat energy than the electrical energy that it consumes. 

When it comes to rating the cooling efficiency, the acronym SEER is used and it stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio. It is the total heat that is removed from conditional space in the annual cooling season, divided by the whole electrical energy consumed. Ratings for the compressor efficiency are done with HSPF, which stands for heating season performance factor. 

The most efficient heat pumps have SEERs of between 14 and 18. A SEER rating of 14 to 18 means the heat pump is adequate and more efficient than ones with a 6 rating. The old heat pumps were made with a SEER rating of around 6, and the newer ones come with a rating of around 12. This means that the older ones would use twice the energy to heat or cool your home as one of the new pumps. These facts are good reasons to purchase a new heat pump, if your home uses an older, outdated one now. 

Some of the factors below will help decide where to install air-source heat pumps. When picking the heat pump, be sure that it is one with a control for demand-defrost that will minimize the amount of defrost cycles that occur. This will reduce heat pump and supplementary energy use. 

Reverse Cycle Chillers

One of the best innovations within the heat pump industry is the invention of Reverse Cycle Chillers or sometimes simply referred to as RCCs. These air-source heat pumps offer an advantage of allowing the user a variety of cooling and heating distribution systems from forced air to radiant floor heating. 

Cold Climate Heat Pump

Currently, there is only one maker of this type of heat pump, called Cold Climate. It has a two-cylinder, two-speed compressor for the utmost in efficient operation. There is a back-up compressor that lets the system operate equally well even down to very low temperatures. A heat plate exchanger is situated to extend performance to well below zero. This plate is called an economizer, according to the company that manufactures it. After testing procedures, the results showed 60% more efficiency over the usual air-source heat pumps. 

Tips for Heat Pump Placement

If adding the heat pump to an existing electric furnace, the pump coil should be always placed on the upstream side of the unit for the most efficiency. When placing the outdoor unit, remember that they are fairly noisy and would be better placed away from windows to minimize the fan sounds that enter the home. There are also noise-absorbing bases that can be purchased to reduce motor noise from the unit. 

In addition, the outdoor unit should be placed out of high wind areas to avoid defrosting issues. A bush or fence can be strategically placed upwind from the coils to block the high wind and prevent damage. The bottom line when installing heat pumps is efficiency and money-saving on electric bills. 

How Ultraviolet Air Cleaners Improve Indoor Air Quality

Many people are becoming increasingly concerned about the indoor air quality of their homes. Perhaps you suffer from allergies and you need to find something to help alleviate your symptoms or you have a compromised immune system resulting from disease. You may be able to find some relief by having an ultraviolet air cleaner installed in your home. Before you begin to reach into your pocket and spend money on a system, you need to have a clear understanding of what ultraviolet air cleaners are and what they can and cannot do so you can assess if this new technology is worth the expense. 

How Do They Work?

These ultraviolet air cleaners use ultraviolet radiation from lamps. In the ultraviolet spectrum, you will find three bands: UV-A, which is the band that, UV-B, which is the band that causes the most damage to the human body, and UV-C, which is a short wave ultraviolet (UV) rays that cannot penetrate the skin. The ultraviolet lamps use the UV-C wave to destroy biological contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, mold spores, fungi, and germs. Within this class of air cleaners are three types: Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) cleaners, photocatalytic oxidation cleaners, and ozone generators. UVGI is the most common type of ultraviolet air cleaner that uses UV lamps to kill the contaminants. Photocatalytic oxidation air cleaners have a catalyst combined with the ultraviolet lamps that reacts with the light to transform pollutants into harmless particles. Ozone generators produce ozone that is used to kill the pollutants. 

Where are They Used?

Ultraviolet air cleaners have been used widely in hospitals and operating rooms for many years because they have the ability to destroy bacteria, viruses, and other pollutants which can cause infection and complications for patients. If you wish to install one in your home, the lamps must be installed directly over the coils in your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. This will keep mold and mildew from collecting in the drip pans. You can also purchase a portable unit to be used in any room you choose. If you have a sick family member, you can put the portable unit in their room and it will help keep the germs at bay. The chance of the sick person becoming more ill is greatly reduced.

What are the Benefits and Limitations?

While the ultraviolet air cleaners have the ability to kill biological pollutants, there limits to what this device can accomplish. The unit does not rely on a filtration system to clean the air. Instead, it uses the ultraviolet rays to burn the contaminants as they pass through the rays. In other words, this means that the pollutants must travel to the lamps in order to be destroyed. The unit does not circulate the air or use any type of air handlers to pass air through the unit. The germs must travel to the lamps and stay there until they are burned up. Because of this limitation, this system would work best when installed in the HVAC system to keep it free of mold and mildew. Another limitation is that these air cleaners cannot remove larger particles from the air, such as pet dander, dust mite and cockroach allergens, dust, or pollen. It also cannot remove gaseous pollutants, such as paint or gas fumes. In order to get the full benefit of ultraviolet air cleaners, it is best to use them in tandem with a complete indoor air quality improvement system. You can combine the ultraviolet air cleaner with a HEPA filter air cleaner. The bulbs in the ultraviolet air cleaners must be replaced yearly because they burn out. These bulbs can be quite expensive and running the air cleaner will cause your electric bill to rise. When you make the decision to invest in an ultraviolet air cleaner system to improve your indoor air quality, be sure that you receive thorough advice from qualified HVAC professionals to determine which system or combination of systems would be best for you.  

Humidifiers: Why are They Important to Your Home?

If you have been suffering from headaches more frequently or feeling fatigued, you can probably blame it on the humidity, or lack of it. Home comfort is dependent upon not only the temperature of the indoor air, but also on the humidity of the air. Having too little moisture is just as damaging as having too much moisture. If you notice that the air in your home is overly dry or that your skin feels dry, you may consider investing in a humidifier to incorporate into your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. 

How Do They Work?

Humidifiers work by passing air through a damp filter or sponge. This moistened air travels through your home’s ductwork to distribute throughout your home. The filter is kept damp constantly as air is passed through it. There are several types of humidifiers available. Steam humidifiers uses steam instead of a damp filter. The steam is blown through the ductwork every time the sensor detects a drop in the moisture level in your home. Spray mist humidifiers will spray a fine mist of water directly into the ductwork that carries it through the home. This type of humidifier does not use a damp filter. A flow-through model uses a pad to absorb water that is blown through the ducts with the help of a blower fan. Wicking humidifiers operate in the same manner as an oil lamp. Water is placed in a reservoir and the water is wicked from the reservoir by a filter and blown through the ductwork by a blower fan. 

Basic Maintenance Required

Because humidifiers use water, they should be cleaned regularly. The filter or sponge should be changed as often as the manufacturer recommends. This information can be found in the product manual. Your dealer or contractor can show you how to do this. You should also regularly inspect the unit visually. Look for leakages from the water supply line, the shutoff valve, drain line, and enclosure. Make sure that there is no leakage underneath the unit. Maintain a regular cleaning schedule to prevent mold and milder from growing in the unit. You should also inspect your furnace and make any furnace repairs needed. Since you are pumping humid air through your ductwork, you should also implement a regular duct cleaning schedule. This will keep the mold and mildew at bay and help your humidifier perform optimally. 

The Importance of Humidification

Maintaining proper humidity in your home is important to your health and your finances. If you home is too dry, you will tend to experience increased headaches, nosebleeds, dry skin, and sore throats. Air that is too dry can also compromise your immune system and make you more vulnerable to germs, bacteria, and viruses. Dry air also causes static electricity which can result in unpleasant shocks. You will also save money by installing a humidifier. Most homeowner’s insurance policies will automatically cover humidifiers, and you may qualify for tax credits, deductions, and exemptions. Be sure to check with your tax professional for details and to determine your eligibility. If the air is too humid, it can cause the wood doors, trim, floors, and furniture to warp and stretch. If the air is too dry, it can cause the wood to dry and crack. You will also lower energy costs with humidification. Too-humid air in the summer will not allow you to cool off, causing you to crank up the air conditioning. Too-dry air in the winter will not allow you to warm up easily, causing you to crank up the heat.  Your contractor will be able to help you find the right level of humidification for your and program the settings for you so that you can experience optimum home comfort.