Geothermal heating is an exciting alternative to traditional forms of heating. It uses a physical constant to provide warmth for your home: once you get more than a few feet below the ground, the temperature of the Earth never changes. A geothermal system simply runs a series of tubes below the ground on your property, then pumps a mixture of water and anti-freeze through it. The mixture facilitates a heat exchange with the ground, allowing you to warm or cool your home by drawing on an infinitely renewable natural resource. Geothermal heating can save you a great deal of money over the life of the unit, and a lot of Portland, OR residents will appreciate its environmentally friendly format. That being said, there are some factors involved which you should consider carefully before pulling the trigger. “Is geothermal heating right for me?” you ask. Here are some things to think about.
The Clean Air Act Blog: Archive for September, 2015
How to Prepare Your Heater for Fall
Monday, September 21st, 2015The summer is coming to an end here in Portland, OR, and while we may have a few more hot days to come, you’re going to start using your air conditioner less and less and your heater more and more. Now is the best time to get your heater prepped for fall, when temperatures are still warm. A little care and forethought can make a big difference this winter, both in terms of monthly heating costs and in terms of reducing the risk of breakdown. Here’s a few tips on how to prepare your heater for fall.
Alternative Types of Air Conditioning
Monday, September 14th, 2015With summer finally coming to an end here in Portland, OR, you might be looking at replacing an old, malfunctioning air conditioner with a new unit. Now is the perfect time to do it, when you have months of cool weather on the way to set a schedule at your leisure. But just because you’re replacing your old air conditioner, that doesn’t mean you need to install a new one just like it. There are several alternatives to the traditional central model available, and while they don’t match the needs of every home they can be quite a boon when they do. Here are several alternate types of air conditioning to think about when preparing to replace your existing unit.
How Does Relative Humidity Affect My Home Comfort Levels?
Monday, September 7th, 2015If you’ve watched the weather on the TV news, you may have seen the term “relative humidity” used, and wondered what it is. It’s a term used to describe the amount of ambient moisture in the air, measured as a percentage. If the relative humidity stands at 0%, there’s no moisture in the air at all. If it stands at 100%, you’ve basically got rain. Most of the time, it falls somewhere between those extremes, though in Portland, OR, we trend on the humid side. But that number can have a huge effect on your home comfort levels, and if you allow it to remain unaffected, you could end up paying a steep price. Here’s a quick breakdown on how it works, and what you can do to solve it.