August 23rd, 2010
It’s hard to believe when the sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom, and the birds are singing: but winter will soon be here! If investing in a new energy-efficient heating and cooling system is on your agenda for fall, now is the time to start researching your options.
Hybrid cars are all the rage now: combining fuel and electricity to cut down on harmful emissions while not sacrificing performance. But did you know that one of the hottest systems in the HVAC industry right now is “hybrid heating?” All it takes is a heat pump and air handler added to your furnace and air conditioner, and you’ll be enjoying reduced energy usage and lower energy bills while never compromising on comfort. Here’s a short overview.
How Hybrid Heating Works
The heat pump and air circulator operate on electricity, and serve to heat or cool your home during times when temperatures are not too extreme. Working in tandem with your new or existing furnace and air conditioner, a hybrid heating system takes the load off those more expensive-to-operate systems and kicks into operation automatically under optimum conditions.
The outdoor heat pump unit captures and absorbs outside heat energy when the weather is cool and transfers that heat indoors via an electric compressor. The process also works in reverse: when the air indoors is too warm during the spring and summer months, the heat pump will remove it and transfer it outdoors again. The indoor air handler serves to circulate either the warm or cool air throughout your house effectively and at a greatly reduced cost.
Why Choose Hybrid Heating?
- Heat pumps are safer to operate than a gas-powered furnace and are a much cleaner, “greener” option
- You will see a positive difference in your monthly utility bills
- Heat pumps can be used all year round
For your Utah heating and cooling needs, maybe it’s time to start thinking “out of the box” and take a fresh look at some of today’s innovative and greener alternatives. Hybrid heating saves money and protects the environment too: call the experts at Harris Air to learn more, and see how a heat pump can make your life more comfortable.
Posted in Utah Heating Tips | No Comments »
July 28th, 2010
So much public attention is focused on outdoor environmental issues such as air pollution and filth in our rivers and oceans: but what about the quality of the air we breathe INSIDE our own homes? Here are some shocking statistics from the EPA about indoor air quality:
- Indoor air quality is ranked as one of the Top 5 environmental hazards
- The air in your home is at least twice as dirty as the air outside. In some cases, levels of indoor air pollutants are 100 times higher than outdoor levels
- Poor indoor air quality accounts for more than 10 million missed school days a year for children who suffer from asthma
- Bad indoor air quality directly affects our ability to function, diminishing our capacity to: concentrate, calculate and remember
- Some toxins lingering in our indoor air are known cancer-causing agents
So should you be concerned about indoor air quality? The answer is a resounding YES!
What You Can Do About Poor Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is affected by many factors: pet dander, dust, and other airborne allergens; poor ventilation systems; volatile organic compounds from pesticides, sealers, paint, flooring, and other sources that slowly emit toxic gases. Thanks to central air systems, are homes are practically sealed tight during all seasons and these toxins get trapped.
The best solution is to contact a quality Utah heating and air contractor like Harris Air Systems whose professionals can help you determine what types of air purification products will work best for your particular needs. A whole home system will keep your family breathing more cleanly and safely all year long. It’s also a great idea to get your air ducts cleaned at least every three years, to keep dust and allergens stuck in the system from constantly recirculating throughout your home.
Just because you can’t see these pollutants doesn’t mean they’re not there! Fortunately, you don’t have to live with poor indoor air quality thanks to today’s affordable and convenient HVAC solutions.
Posted in Air Conditioning | No Comments »
June 23rd, 2010
Summertime in Utah is full of great outdoor activities: hiking in the mountains, biking, swimming, exploring one of our five National Parks, or just enjoying a picnic right in your own backyard. Being outdoors is a welcome change after this year’s blustery wet spring, but as Utahns know, it can get pretty hot out there!
We need our homes to be cool and comfortable oases from the searing heat; a place to relax and lower our body temperatures again. But how can you keep your home comfy without cranking up the AC all the time? Here are some quick tips for keeping your home cooling costs lower without sacrificing comfort.
Tip #1: Time To Upgrade? How old is your air conditioner? If it’s between 15 and 20 years old, you definitely need to contact a quality Utah heating and cooling professional like Harris Air and make the switch to a new energy-efficient model with a SEER rating of 15 or higher. Your home will be more comfortable, quieter, and you’ll see a huge difference in your monthly energy bills from day one.
Tip #2: Let the Fresh Air In Once a Day. Today’s homes are locked up tight as a drum most of the time thanks to the popularity of central heating and air. But first thing in the morning, why not let morning breezes do the cooling? First, make sure all interior doors of your home are open. Then simply open your downstairs windows on the side of the house that is receiving the breeze. Open the upstairs windows on the side of the house opposite the downstairs windows. This will create a natural draft that will drive warm air up and out your windows: no AC required! Added benefit: it will also improve your indoor air quality.
Tip #3: Choose “Fan” rather than “Cool:” If you have a central air system, ask your HVAC professional to install a cold air return in your basement. All that cold air that naturally falls will then be recycled into the rest of your home if you just put your A/C on “Fan.” That saves money!
And to keep your air conditioning operating in peak condition, contact the Utah heating and cooling professionals at Harris Air for the very best in new air conditioning products and services.
Posted in Air Conditioning | 2 Comments »
May 24th, 2010
If you are a Utah resident who’s been blowing off gas company recommendations to get a Green Sticker inspection done on your furnace, blow it off no longer! It takes less than an hour of your time for a technician to check your appliance and make the necessary changes to it (if needed) that will ensure a safe combustion process within your furnace or water heater and safe home heating for you and your entire family.
Why Is a Green Sticker Inspection So Necessary?
In a nutshell, a furnace or water heater that has not been adjusted to the new fuel mixtures now in use is at greater risk of producing dangerous levels of carbon monoxide than those that have received a Green Sticker adjustment. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless gas that is toxic, especially when it is released in poorly-ventilated areas. Most of us keep our windows shut during the coldest months, making ventilation virtually non-existent. Excess carbon monoxide exposure can result in:
- Severe headaches: be especially alert if several members are having them at once
- Feelings of nausea or fits of vomiting
- Flu-like symptoms that instantly feel better once you leave the house
- Death, if family is asleep at the time of exposure
How Do I Know If I Need One?
The answer to this question is simple! If your furnace or water heater has already received its inspection and any needed adjustments have been made, a green sticker will be prominently displayed on the front of the appliance along with the date when the inspection was completed. Getting a Green Sticker never involves getting a whole new appliance: the proper adjustments can be made to any existing system.
Getting your Green Sticker inspection done once and for all is the safe and smart thing to do. Late spring and early summer is a great time to have it done since Utah heating contractors such as Harris Air are not yet being slammed with air conditioning service calls. No more blowing it off: get your Green Sticker today!
Posted in Furnace | No Comments »
April 28th, 2010
If you are finally ready to leave those annoying, inefficient, noisy floor fans, window units, or swamp coolers behind: good for you! Homes in dry hot climates like ours are much better served by today’s high-efficiency, totally effective central air conditioning systems. When it comes to choosing the right one to help keep your family comfortable this summer, there are four factors to consider: HVAC contractor, capacity, efficiency level, and price. Here are some how-to tips.
HVAC Contractor
There are plenty of contractors out there to choose from, so how do you know which ones are good ones? First of all, you only want to go with a company that is well-established and has years of experience and a stellar reputation to back it up. Beware of fly-by-night salesmen who tend to creep out of the woodwork at this time of year with promises of ridiculously low prices: chances are you may never see them again once they have your money in hand! Instead, opt for a legitimate Utah central air conditioning contractor like Harris Air.
Capacity
Air conditioning systems are definitely not one-size-fits- all. Your contractor should always perform the necessary tests such as a load calculation and Manual J to determine what capacity unit you need for the size of your home. If your unit is too big, it will cycle on and off too often: resulting in compromised efficiency. If it’s too small, you still won’t be cool enough on the hottest of hot days.
Efficiency Level
The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the standard by which all of today’s air conditioners are measured. You will choose between a SEER of 14 and 22: the higher the number, the more efficient the unit. Your HVAC professional will help you determine which will give you optimum results while still staying within your budget.
Price
The size and SEER level of your system are the two main determinants of equipment pricing, and the other factor is labor costs. When you choose quality products and installation from Harris Air, you can be sure that the job will be done right the first time: keeping future costs to a minimum.
Call the Utah central air conditioning experts at Harris Air today; they will take you through the process step-by-step so you can purchase your new system with confidence.
Posted in Air Conditioning | 2 Comments »
March 23rd, 2010
- Do you and your spouse give each other an electric shock every time you give each other a kiss?
- Do you often suffer from sinus headaches?
- Does a loved one in your home suffer from asthma?
- Is the skin on your hands and arms chronically dry in all kinds of weather?
- Do you have hardwood floors or expensive furniture you’d like to preserve?
If you answered “yes” to any or all of the above questions, then your Utah home may benefit from the use of a humidifier. The Beehive State is second only to Nevada in terms of overall dry climate, and this fact can take a toll on both our health and well-being and our wood furniture and other assets.
Harris Air is a quality Utah heating and air company that offers an impressive selection of humidifiers: all of which have different set-ups and purposes. If breathing better is your main goal, a humidifier will improve overall indoor air quality by adding the moisture necessary for proper lung and nasal passage function. The optimal goal is to maintain a humidity level between 30 and 50 percent.
If you prefer an install-and-forget type of system, then a whole-house unit connected to the furnace system is the way to go. It is integrated into the furnace blower system, this type of humidifier taps directly into your home water supply so it never needs to be “refilled” manually. This type of home humidifier is ideal for families that want to keep an entire home’s environment at consistent humidity levels. However, if just getting a better night’s sleep is your aim, then a simple room humidifier might be enough.
Call the Utah heating and cooling professionals at Harris Air for a consultation today. You will simply be amazed at how better you breathe, how much dewier your skin has become, and how healthy your woodwork is once your humidifier is in use: and no more shocks when you kiss!
Posted in Humidifiers | No Comments »
February 16th, 2010
In Utah, we may have the greatest snow on earth, but we also have some of the coldest winter temperatures anywhere in the Intermountain West! There’s nothing more unnerving or frightening than having a furnace go out in the middle of the night, subjecting you and your family to frigid temperatures under your own roof. When it comes to Utah heating, performing proper maintenance on your furnace is the key to making sure this all-important appliance will run as smoothly as possible all winter long: when you need it most.
Harris Air is a well-regarded Utah heating and cooling company that specializes in doing the kind of seasonal maintenance work that will ensure a warm and cozy winter for families and businesses all over the State. Here are some of the many tasks that a certified and trained technician from Harris will perform during a pre-season “tune-up:”
1. Air Filter Replacement: To make sure the quality of the air in your house remains healthy, it is essential to replace air filters all year long. But it is especially important to get a new air filter before high-usage times for your furnace. A clean air filter will help to lengthen the life span of your furnace while providing healthy and clean air circulation in every room of the house.
2. Burner Inspection: If your furnace is blowing air that is not warm, the problem might lie in the burners. A certified professional from Harris Air will perform a thorough inspection of your appliance’s burners to make sure they are working at peak efficiency. He will also make sure that the other components such as fans and pumps are also doing their jobs.
3. Cleaning Exhaust Pipe: A clean and clear exhaust pipe will better allow your furnace to get rid of unwanted debris. Your furnace will heat better, and there will not be as much undue stress on its moving parts.
4. Lubricating Furnace Systems: Like your car engine, a furnace’s parts need to be kept well-lubricated in order to maximize performance. A Utah heating technician from Harris Air will lubricate all machinery parts, preventing grinding and greatly cutting down on the amount of noise the furnace makes.
5. Carbon Monoxide Testing: You can never be too safe when it comes to detecting the presence of dangerous carbon monoxide in your home. Even if your furnace has a Green Sticker, you should have a technician test for CO on a yearly basis.
Having the professionals at Harris Air perform a little tune-up on your home heating system will be all you need to enjoy greater peace of mind all winter long.
Posted in Utah Heating Tips | 2 Comments »
February 9th, 2010
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »