Humidifiers Bring Low Humidity Into Your Home

Written by

Benefits of Humidifiers

A humidifier is one of the easiest ways to improve the air quality in your Magnolia home during the fall and winter months. When your HVAC system is heating your home, it is reducing the amount of humidity that is in the air. This can cause many issues with you and your home.

Magnolia, TX Humidifier-Services 4.54.50 PMLow Humidity and Your Health

When there is low humidity in your Magnolia home, the first thing you may notice is that your skin gets drier.

You may also notice that your throat is always dry, as well as your nasal passages. This can lead to an irritating cough that just won’t go away. Many people also complain of dry eyes.

Low Humidity and Your Furnishings

When your home has dry air, it will have an effect on your furnishings. Wood will become dry and look dull.

This includes any trim you have around your windows and doorways. If you have hardwood floors, you may suddenly notice creaks when you walk on them or crevices between the planks may suddenly appear.

Low Humidity and Static Electricity

If you notice that your hair is filled with static and everything you touch ends up zapping you, the humidity levels in your home are too low. While this generally will not harm you, it is irritating and may have an effect on any sensitive electrical components you may have in your home.

Low Humidity and Heating Costs

When the air is too dry in your home, your home may actually feel colder than what it is, leading you to turn up the thermostat even higher.

Most homes with low humidity often have higher energy costs as the homeowner is keeping the HVAC heating system going at all times so they can feel warm.

Benefits of Humidifiers

By installing a humidifier in your home, you are going to improve the air quality and breathe easier. You will also increase the life span of your furnishings, including your wood floors.

Furthermore, you will reduce the static electricity and no longer have to worry about getting an electric zap every time you touch something. Even better, you will reduce the costs associated with operating your HVAC system.

Having the professionals install a humidifier in your home is going to result in better quality air and it will save you money.

Are you looking to put a Humidifier in your Magnolia, TX home? Pick up the phone and Call Affordable American Air Conditioning & Heating at (281) 704-3696 today, and get the options from the professionals.

Prevent the Disaster from Happening in Your Home

Written by

3 Fall Home Maintenance Disasters

A lot of Magnolia homeowners this time of year decide to do all of the most important pre-winter home maintenance tasks on their own.

Magnolia, TX fall home maintenanceAlthough some tasks easily fit into the “do-it-yourself” category, many maintenance procedures, especially many of the ones that involve separate heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or a whole house HVAC system, require the knowledge and experience of a trained professional.

DIY errors can result in high energy bills, or they can leave you without heat when you need it the most and force you to pay for expensive mid-winter repairs.

Before you try to do everything without professional help, consider these top three fall home maintenance disasters:

Cleanup is Key

Fall clean-up involves more than removing leaves, twigs and other debris from your home’s roof, gutters and/or HVAC unit. These areas also require thorough inspections by experienced professionals to detect anything that can negatively impact the quality of the indoor air and temperature in winter.

For example,Magnolia homeowners that fail to detect missing hardware and different types of damage often face water leaks in winter inside of their homes and/or mold growth.

Some don’t realize that a non-level HVAC unit can allow water and ice buildup and increase wear and tear on parts.

Gaps Need to be Filled

Any unintentional openings obviously result in costly heating bills and high indoor moisture levels. Warm air that leaks out of the house also forces your heating system to work harder and it then wears down faster. Many homeowners fail to find all of these openings because they try to do so by sight alone.

A professional can perform a blower door test to find all of the gaps. The use of incorrect weatherstripping based on the size of gaps around doors and windows and outdoor winter temperature requirements and incorrect installation also cause problems.

For example, weatherstripping errors can make a door difficult to close and even damage the wood frame and loosen hinges.

Your HVAC System Mistake

One of the biggest mistakes we see is homeowners performing little to no inspection or maintenance of their heating and ventilation systems before winter.

Even when some take the time to clean and inspect their systems, they often miss critical issues that eventually lead to system breakdown, such as faulty wires and parts, because they don’t know all of the early warning signs or have detection equipment.

A professional performs the right level of maintenance every time.

Bring in a technician into your Magnolia, TX home to look over your HVAC system and make the necessary corrections. Call Affordable American Air Conditioning & Heating at (281) 704-3696 today!

See What a Smart Thermostat Can Do for Your Home

Written by

Features of a Smart Thermostat

The average HVAC system consumes over half of all the energy coming into a home, and this is why many Magnolia homeowners have turned to smart thermostats to cut down on utility bills without sacrificing their family’s comfort.

If you have not yet upgraded to a smart thermostat, then take a look at these three amazing features that could change your life.

Magnolia, TX Energy-Efficient-Services1. Energy Monitoring

A family is not going to be able to cut back on their energy consumption unless they know exactly how much they are using and which devices are the worst offenders.

With a smart thermostat, you will be able to closely monitor when your HVAC system is on and how much power it is drawing.

The energy monitoring feature will allow you and your family to make small changes throughout the year to cut back on unnecessary energy use.

2. Wireless Controls

For many Magnolia homeowners, the single most important feature of a smart thermostat is being able to control it from anywhere in the world. Smart thermostats connect directly with the home’s WiFi signal and can be controlled with a smartphone app or through one’s browser.

Those that run out of the house without turning the air off will be able to do it from the office with just a few taps on their smartphone.

This feature will also allow families to turn on the heater or cooler just before getting home instead of leaving it on a timer or stepping into a stuffy or freezing house.

3. Automatic Adjustments Based on Environmental Factors

There are quite a few variables that affect the comfort of one’s home such as the indoor air quality and humidity. Over time, a smart thermostat will become acclimatized to these variables and then start making adjustments accordingly.

If the thermostat registers that the humidity has gone up, it can run the fan for a short bit to lower the humidity. This will mean fewer respiratory problems for your family and less mold throughout the house.

A smart thermostat can be a serious investment for homeowners, but these devices often pay for themselves within the first year. If you have come to dread your energy bills at the end of every month, then this simple upgrade could be a great option for you and your family.

With the help of Affordable American Air Conditioning & Heating, we can take care of your Magnolia, TX HVAC unit. Just call (281) 704-3696 today, so you can feel at ease in your home.

The Causes of a Broken HVAC Unit

Written by

5 Causes of a Broken HVAC Unit

While HVAC units in your Magnolia home are extremely reliable, even the best systems break down. Because these systems are very complex, it is always best to have a trained HVAC service technician examine them to find the cause of the problem.

Even though there are many things that could potentially go wrong with a unit, some are more common than others.

Magnolia, TX HVAC maintenance servicesWorn Contactor

Within an HVAC unit, there are three contactors. One is for the blower motor, one is for the condenser fan motor, and the other for the compressor.

Since these require an electrical connection to work properly, they can experience problems when arcing and pitting starts to form on them.

When this happens, it becomes difficult for the electrical current to pass through, eventually leading to motors that won’t start.

Gas Valves and Drain Lines

Responsible for metering the gas flow from the gas line to the HVAC unit, the gas valve can at some point become corroded and need to be replaced by a service technician.

Because the gas valve is used only during the heating season, it’s a good idea to make sure this part is in good working order prior to the arrival of winter weather.

Along with these valves, drain lines can also get clogged with either dirt or algae. A rather common problem with units, it can eventually cause the drain pan to fill up. This leads to water leaking out from the pan, and can cause significant water damage over time.

Condenser Coil and Evaporator Coil

Many people don’t realize just how important coils are to an HVAC unit. Yet without these parts, the system cannot begin to work properly. The condenser coil, located outside with the compressor, is constantly exposed to outside elements. As a result, it can get extremely dirty if left alone.

Most people fail to clean these at all, resulting in a system breakdown. In these cases, a service technician will have to use a special chemical cleaner on them to get them and the system working properly once again.

Evaporator coils, which are commonly located either outside with the condenser coils or in an attic, are prone to cracking.

This is a particular problem with ones located outside of their Magnolia home, where weather takes its toll. If this is the cause of a system breakdown, a service technician will need to replace the coil to get the unit up and running once again.

Looking for an HVAC technician in Magnolia, TX? Call Affordable American Air Conditioning & Heating at (281) 704-3696 for quality service you can trust!