From your Heating, Cooling, and Air Quality specialists at The Clean Air Act, In., we hope you enjoy your weekend! If you are celebrating Easter, check out these family friendly Easter Egg decorating ideas for a little inspiration. Enjoy!
Happy Easter from The Clean Air Act, Inc.
April 7th, 2012The History of Heat Pumps
April 2nd, 2012Thermal energy is the natural movement from warm temperatures to colder temperatures creating energy in the change of temperature to the mass. A heat pump typically is a device that moves the air (or other matter) in the opposite direction from its natural flow.
A heat pump often uses an intermediate fluid called a refrigerant which absorbs heat as it vaporizes and releases the heat when it is condensed, using an evaporator to absorb the heat (or energy) from inside an occupied space and forcing this heat to the outside through the condenser. The key component that makes a heat pump different from an air conditioner is the reversing valve which allows for the flow direction of the refrigerant to be changed, allowing the heat to be pumped in either direction.
Timeless Technology
While mechanical movement of this energy, what we can actually call a pump, has been a relatively recent invention, the concept of this principal of physics has been in use since ancient times. Harnessing the power of geothermal energy (produced from the heat of the earth itself), natural hot springs “pumped” warm air into cool spaces in China and Europe thousands of years ago.
By 1852, Lord Kelvin had theorized the heat pump, but it took nearly 100 years to actually build one. In the last half century, the technological advances have made heat pumps part of our lives in many ways.
First Pump
In the 1940s a man named Robert Webber was motivated to build the first known heat pump while tinkering with his refrigerator. Accidently burning his hand on the outlet pipes of the cooling system, he was quite painfully awakened to an idea about the transference of heat.
Recognizing the freezer was constantly producing heat to cool its interior, he connected the outlet pipe to the storage tank of his hot water heater, extended that into a flow through pipes which heated air nearby, and then used a fan to blow the warmth into another room.
The first heat pump was a crude, but effective method to provide comfort. Creating a full-size version soon after, Wagner could heat his entire home.
Heat and Electricity
Today Portland heat pumps are built in many ways and shapes to heat or cool buildings of many sizes. Combined with geothermal forces close to the Earth’s surface or potentially deep within its fiery core, heat pumps are able to energize the turbines that can produce huge amounts of electricity
As technological improvements are refined during this time of climate change and dwindling fossil fuels, heat pumps promise to play an important part in our futures.
If you are interested in having a heat pump installed in your home, call Porland HVAC professionals Clean Air Act Inc.!
Celebrate Spring With 50% Off an Aprilaire Filtration System!
March 30th, 2012There is no better time than right now to take care of the air quality in your home. Clean Air Act is offering 50% Off a new Aprilaire Filtration System! This offer ends April 30th, so call us today to take advantage of this outstanding deal!
Benefits of Getting a Home Energy Audit
March 28th, 2012You may have heard of home energy audits, in which you inspect your home to find ways to improve its energy efficiency. What you might not know is all the ways an audit can help you save energy and be more environmentally friendly for your next heating installation in Portland. Here are the four main benefits of getting a home energy audit:
Learn About Loss
The main idea behind getting a home energy audit is to figure out the heat loss (or gain) of your home. That is, how much heat are you losing to the outside world? Heat that doesn’t stay in your home obviously does little to benefit you in terms of keeping your house warm, and can be costly in terms of increased utility bills and repair costs over time.
Identify Weak Spots
Aside from determining how much heat your home is losing, a home audit can also point you in the direction of weak or thin spots in your home’s insulation. By identifying areas that are letting out the most heat, you can prioritize your strategy to prevent heat loss. Most often, this starts with doors and windows.
Opportunity to Upgrade
A good home energy auditor will present you with solutions for your heat loss problems, creating an opportunity for you to upgrade the equipment or materials in your home. This can solve your heat loss problems in one fell swoop. Such solutions include energy efficient glass, new sealant around doors and windows or upgraded insulation, especially in upper floors.
Save Money
Preventing heat loss increases the efficiency of your heating system, which saves you money. Your heating bills are reduced, and your furnace has to run less, which means fewer repairs and a longer life for an expensive piece of equipment. In short, spending money on a home energy audit and heat loss solutions are sound investments.
The benefits of a home energy audit are numerous, which is all the more reason to take advantage of having one done in your home. It is also a good thing to do for the environment! So call The Clean Air Act today to have yours scheduled.
Three Tiered Maintenance Plan
March 24th, 2012Maintenance is essential to keep your system in the best condition to ensure optimal performance and comfort. Call us today to find our more about our Three Tiered Maintenance Plan! 503-632-1563
How Tightly Should You Seal Your Home?
March 22nd, 2012More and more products, like high velocity heating systems, and solutions are available to Welches residents these days to help seal our homes off from the outside world. The idea is that by keeping outside air out, our homes are more energy efficient and healthier, because all pollutants and pathogens are barred from entry.
This is a good idea in theory, but it can have its drawbacks. Most notably, sealing your home up too much can be bad for your family’s health. If your home is sealed too tightly such that there is not enough air flow from within the home to the outside and vice versa, then the indoor air just…stays indoors.
That means that all the sneezes, coughs, dust, dander, smoke and carbon dioxide stay inside with it. All that stuff can make you sick, completely flying in the face of your efforts to stay healthy by sealing your home.
Now, that’s not to say that sealing your home is a bad thing. Using LEED glass in your windows does keep heat in and increase heating efficiency. Air cleaners do help eliminate pollutants and pathogens from the outside than can make you sick. Good insulation and intact ductwork do help keep your home comfortable and efficient in both the cold and hot months.
So, sealing your home is not a bad idea. The trick is to not go overboard and seal it up so tightly that you are crossing the threshold from having a healthy home to having a giant Petri dish. You want to have a home that is insulated, but not vacuum sealed. You want a home with filtered air, but still plenty of air exchange with the outside world. Thankfully, mechanical ventilation is a way to both keep your home energy efficient and keep your indoor air from getting stale.
To help you with this endeavor, there are guides available online, such as at the ENERGY STAR website. In addition, it is a good idea to call The Clean Air Act and ask plenty of questions when building a new home or making improvements to your current one. A qualified technician will know how to insulate and ventilate your home properly to protect your family’s health.
The Danger of Refrigerant Leaks
March 16th, 2012In Heath your air conditioning system is filled with a chemical compound called refrigerant. This substance is what allows your air conditioner to remove heat from and dehumidify your home. It is a necessity, but it is also a dangerous chemical that, if released, can cause damage to the environment and pose health risks to your family.
Why Refrigerant Is Dangerous
There are many types of refrigerant but most air conditioners use either R-22 or Freon coolant – depending on their age. If you have received an air conditioner installation recently you may be using R410-A refrigerant, an environmentally safer, but still dangerous alternative.
All of these refrigerant types are chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. These chemicals are controlled substances by the Environmental Protection Agency, meaning they must be properly removed and disposed of. Because your air conditioner does not consume any of coolant in operation, it should never need to be refilled unless there is a leak. Such a leak should be stopped immediately due to the immense damage CFCs can do to the environment.
If refrigerant leaks into your home it will evaporate as a gas and is harmful to inhale, causing a variety of health problems, including nausea, headache and in extreme cases asphyxiation. This is not a common occurrence but if you suspect a leak, you should call a professional immediately to inspect your air conditioner.
Damage to Your Air Conditioner
Beyond the environmental and health issues posed by a refrigerant leak, the biggest problem you will face is damage such leaks can cause to your air conditioner. Low refrigerant levels put undue stress on your compressor and can lead to damage in almost every part of the device.
Not only that but the air conditioner won’t work as efficiently. A 10% loss in refrigerant volume can result in up to a 20% increase in electricity cost to run your air conditioner.
What to Do in the Event of a Refrigerant Leak
If you suspect a refrigerant leak in your air conditioner, take action immediately. If you are in Portland, OR call Clean Air Act and they can recapture the escaped gasses and seal the leak fast. It is important not just for your safety but for the well-being of the environment.
Heat Pump Refrigeration Problems
March 7th, 2012Heat pumps in Damascus are very complicated pieces of equipment that use a number of moving parts to compress and circulate refrigerant, and extract heat from one environment and place it in another. So, if your heat pump has refrigeration problems, it will almost certainly cause problems for the heating or cooling of your home.
Common Refrigeration Problems
There are a number of potential problems your heat pump might face, especially as it begins to age and components become worn. Some common issues include:
- Compressor Issues – The compressor is a component in your heat pump that compresses the refrigerant gas into a liquid. This liquid is what circulates through the device and extracts heat from the outside air (or inside your home when in cooling mode). If the heat pump doesn’t turn on properly, isn’t producing enough heat or is using a large amount of electricity suddenly, it may be a compressor problem.
- Refrigerant Leaks – Your heat pump doesn’t consume any refrigerant during operation. So, if it starts to leak refrigerant, there is likely another problem your heat pump needs to be repaired immediately (for health and environmental reasons). Common signs of a leak include suddenly higher electrical bills, inefficient heating and possibly even a faint odor near the device.
- Freezing Up – If your heat pump freezes, you should check for any blocked air vents or registers, check the condensate line and check your filter for blockage. Most often, a freezing problem is directly related to something being clogged and is a relatively easy fix. The only way to know for sure is to call a professional to investigate, however.
A heat pump is a very complex piece of machinery with a number of moving parts that can all cause issues if not properly maintained. If your heat pump stops heating or cooling effectively and it is not a simple fix such as a filter or belt, you should call Clean Air Act to inspect for more significant problems such as the compressor or refrigerant.
Should I Use Propane, Oil, or Natural Gas to Heat My Home?
February 22nd, 2012In most cases, you’ll have a choice concerning what type of fuel you’d like your furnace to burn in a Portland home. For most people, this choice comes down to propane, oil or natural gas. The one you choose could significantly impact the cost of heating your home for many years to come, but it’s usually a pretty clear cut decision.
One thing to remember is that most furnaces installations that burn natural gas can also burn propane. If you don’t yet have a propane tank but are considering getting one, you might not have to make a final decision just yet. Although it’s generally better to set up your furnace for one type of fuel and then leave it that way, you will likely still have the option of converting later on if you should choose to.
If you do have access to natural gas, though, that’s probably going to be your best option. Furnaces that burn natural gas or propane are generally much more efficient than any other type of furnace on the market. You can get them with annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) ratings as low as 80% and as high as 97+%, so that ensures that you’ll be able to find the one to fit your specific situation.
If you’re facing particularly harsh and frigid winters, you’ll want to choose the most energy efficient option available to you and that’s pretty much always going to be a natural gas furnace. Of course, when you’re looking to decide between natural gas and propane as a fuel source, you’ll just want to compare the relative cost for each in your area. For some people natural gas is cheaper, while it’s propane for others. And since your furnace will operate at the same efficiency no matter which of these fuels you choose, you just need to choose the cheapest.
Oil is certainly an option as well, but if you’re looking for a very high efficiency furnace, you’re not going to find one that burns oil. That doesn’t mean that an oil burning furnace might not be a good investment for you. If you don’t have access to natural gas in your area and your heating load isn’t that high, oil might be a perfectly economical choice for you.
If you do opt for a super high efficiency furnace, but don’t have access to natural gas lines, propane is probably the way to go as opposed to oil. If you have any questions about different heating options please call The Clean Air Act.
Things to Look for When Buying a Heating System
February 17th, 2012If you are in the market for a new or replacement heating system in Gladstone and don’t know much about heating systems, you are not alone. Many homeowners are in the same boat as you. And many of that number put their trust in their local, professional, and qualified heating and cooling contractor to find the right furnace for their homes.
Before calling for an estimate, there are some things you can do to “prepare” yourself for one of the most important purchase you can make. Here is a checklist of things you should look for when buying a heating system.
- Know your energy alternatives. There are lots of options today when it comes to heating your home. Gone are the days when the choices were so cut and dried. Check with your heating and cooling contractor for suggestions.
- Know what size your furnace should be. Furnaces are not “one size fits all.” The size of the furnace is determined by its Btu (British thermal unit) rating. For example, a one-story ranch home on a crawl space requires less heating capacity than a two-story colonial with a basement, thus it would require a furnace with a smaller numbered Btu rating. A home with a great deal of heat loss through windows and doors may require various furnace sizes. And don’t forget about insulation. Insulation can affect the furnace size, too. Again, check with your heating and cooling contractor for recommendations.
- How much room do you need for your furnace? Some homes have mechanical rooms for furnaces and water heaters while others utilize attics, basements, or crawlspaces for furnaces. If you think you need a big furnace to heat a big home, think again. Furnace manufacturers have been downsizing their heating equipment for years, while maintaining the same heating capacities. One example are wall hung boilers, which utilize water and electric as heating sources and are installed on a wall, making the unit easy to locate and easy to service – while at the same time being off the floor and out of the way.
- Will your heating system be “plug and play?” New furnaces can take the place of the ones they are replacing by using the same space. But sometimes a replacement unit may need some altering to fit into an existing duct system. It is almost a given that a new plenum (the part attaching the furnace to the ductwork) will have to be fabricated. But the new furnace may also require some other modifications to an existing duct system. You should understand this ahead of time and be prepared to pay additional costs.
- A box is a box is a box. As a rule, most heating systems are made the same. In some cases, one furnace manufacturer may produce several different brand names. The best “brand” is the heating and cooling contractor who installs and services your heating equipment. Do your homework ahead of time and find a qualified and professional contractor. Ask friends and family for recommendations. This is may be the most important thing to look for when buying a heating system
If you have any questions about this article please give Clean Air Act a call.