Make the Most of the Fall Season With These Home Maintenance Tasks

If spring is the time for cleaning, fall is the time for maintenance and reviewing home preparedness for inclement weather. Read through this fall home maintenance checklist to shore up the energy efficiency of your Gainesville area home.

Fall Home Maintenance

Whether you start from the bottom up, top-down or somewhere in between, make a list of the fall home maintenance tasks you would like to accomplish and then get started!

Air filter: Topping the list is checking the air filter. The air filter is a simple, yet vital component of the HVAC system. The air filter protects HVAC components from dust buildup, which hinders cooling and heating performance, increases system wear, and drives up energy bills.
Ventilation: Clean all ventilating devices in the home, which may include a kitchen fan, bathroom fan, dryer vent, and return grille.
Sealing: If you notice drafts in your home or rooms and spots that are more difficult to keep cool in the cooling months, you can count on these areas to be too cold during the heating months. Sealing air leaks helps get rid of hot/cold spots in the home, saves energy, and boosts comfort. Common air leaks are found around windows and doors; use caulk and weatherstripping for these areas. Check the attic door for a tight seal. Foam weather strips are excellent for stopping air infiltration between the attic and conditioned spaces.
Insulation: The attic should be insulated to at least R-49, which is approximately 12 inches of insulation. If you need to add more, fiberglass rolls and loose-fill are practical solutions.
Heating system: Schedule a professional tuneup for the heating system. If you use a furnace, your HVAC technician should ensure safe and efficient operation, check flue venting and all carbon monoxide detectors.
Backup power: Our central Florida region is always at risk of severe storms. A vital part of home preparedness is a backup generator. Also, make sure you have extra bottled water, dry foods, and canned goods on hand.

If you would like more tips and information about fall home maintenance, please call Bounds Heating & Air.

5 Ways to Reduce Air Conditioner Dependence in Your Gainesville Home

Gainesville is sweltering, and most residents are running their air conditioners nonstop to beat the heat. With the rising costs of energy, this means you’re probably paying more for cooling your home than you’d like. Finding ways to reduce air conditioner dependence can help take a load off your system to reduce energy bills and help prevent common problems during the hottest time of the year. These tips will help maintain a high level of comfort while reducing your dependence on full-time A/C operation.

Schedule Annual Maintenance

If you haven’t had your air conditioner tuned up by a skilled technician this year, now’s the perfect time to do it. A comprehensive A/C tuneup is the number one way to increase system efficiency, extend its operating life and lower cooling bills through tasks like removing dust from the interior, cleaning the coils for optimum heat exchange, and tightening belts and connections.

Replace the Air Filter

A dirty air filter restricts the airflow to the air conditioner, which makes it work harder and often causes it to overheat and shut down. You end up paying more for less comfort and risk serious damage to the system. Inspect the air filter every month and, when it’s dirty, replace it with a clean one.

Combat Heat Gain

The sun strikes your home during the day and heats up each room. Solar heat gain makes the air conditioner work overtime to compensate, increasing wear on the system and sending cooling bills through the roof. Close window shades during the day. Plant bushes and vines around the house, especially on the south side, to create a cooler microclimate that will, in turn, keep your home cooler.

Use Fans

Portable and ceiling fans provide a high level of comfort at higher thermostat settings. But remember that fans don’t actually cool rooms, only people, so turn them off in unoccupied areas to save on energy costs.

For more expert advice about how you can reduce air conditioner dependence this summer, please feel free to contact us in the Gainesville area at Bounds Heating & Air.

Common A/C Problems Homeowners Should Avoid

As we move into the hottest days of summer here in the Gainesville area, you want to be confident that your air conditioning system will keep your home cool and your family comfortable. You can avoid a lot of common A/C problems by following a few simple steps:

Provide unobstructed airflow to the outdoor unit. The A/C condenser needs plenty of air to operate efficiently. Keep grass and shrubbery trimmed to avoid blocking the unit. Clean grass clippings or other debris from the unit. Plant shrubs or build a fence panel to block the unit from direct sunlight.
Keep the indoor system clean. Clean the evaporator coil on a regular basis and replace the air filter monthly. Keep supply and return registers free of dust buildup. Don’t block vents with furniture, carpets, or other obstructions.
Get a seasonal tuneup. Have an HVAC contractor come out at least once a year to tune up the system. The qualified technician will check electrical connections, make sure refrigerant levels are correct, and perform other basic maintenance tasks to keep your system running efficiently.

If you notice that your home isn’t cooling properly this summer, you may be able to troubleshoot and fix some common A/C problems yourself. Here are some things to check before you call your HVAC contractor for professional assistance:

Does your system have power? Be sure your equipment is plugged in or turned on, and that your thermostat is switched to “cool” and set at a temperature low enough for the system to come on. Replace any blown fuses or reset tripped circuit breakers.
Is your system just not keeping up? Keep in mind that the air conditioner is designed for optimum performance in typical Gainesville summer weather. On unusually hot days, the A/C system may not be able to keep your house cooled down as much as you like. Be sure to use window shades to block incoming solar heat, and use ceiling fans to keep air moving in occupied rooms so residents feel cooler than the temperature may indicate.

Call us at Bounds Heating & Air for professional air conditioning service in your Gainesville home.

Myths About Summer Energy Savings

Controlling your energy usage during the summer months isn’t just about knowing what to do; it’s also about knowing what not to do. Here are a few myths about summer energy savings that you should not fall for:

Myth #1: Lower thermostat setting cools you off faster.

When you turn down your thermostat, the unit will cool at the same speed regardless of its setting. In fact, if you turn down your A/C too much, you could waste energy by leaving it on too long.

Myth #2: Ceiling fans will keep rooms cool when you’re not around.

Fans cool us off quickly because they evaporate sweat. However, these fans do nothing to actually cool off the room, so leaving them on when they’re unoccupied does nothing but waste energy.

Myth #3: If you’re gone all day, you should turn off your AC.

Although during milder temperatures, you can turn off the AC during the day, when a heatwave hits, it’s better to set the programmable thermostat so that it gradually lowers the temperature before you get home.

Myth #4: Shutting vents when using central air improves efficiency.

If you know how a central AC system operates, you can see why this technique won’t work. Even if the air isn’t being delivered into a room due to a closed vent, your A/C system is still using energy trying to do so.

Myth #5: Air conditioning is the only way to cool off.

If you don’t like the idea of running your AC too much, find alternate ways to stay cool. For example, use a ceiling or floor fan, both of which use considerably less energy. Or move to a room with less direct sunlight or one at a lower level in your home.

And while it’s not among myths about summer energy savings, avoid producing humidity during the heat of the day, by showering or washing clothes.

For more information on the myths about summer energy savings, contact the professionals at Bounds Heating & Air. We’ve been serving the HVAC needs of Newberry, Gainesville, and surrounding communities for over 20 years.

Attic Ventilation, Insulation Combine to Improve Home Comfort

Your family will be healthier and more comfortable, and your home will be less expensive to cool and heat if you have adequate attic ventilation and insulation. Proper attic insulation will keep your home cooler on hot summer days and warmer on cold winter nights by inhibiting heat transfer between your attic and the living spaces below it. Effective ventilation, meanwhile, accomplishes two main things: it keeps your attic from overheating on hot days and it reduces the humidity in your attic that could lead to mold growth and structural damage. Although it is not an issue here in Central Florida, a well-ventilated attic also inhibits ice dam buildups on roofs in cold climates.

Steps for Proper Attic Insulation and Ventilation

Here are a few things to consider as you plan for providing adequate attic ventilation and insulation for your home:

First, seal air leaks. Be sure that leaks between your living spaces and attic are sealed to prevent airflow between them. Seal openings where ducts, electrical wiring, plumbing stacks or chimneys penetrate the ceiling. Add weatherstripping to seal the hatch into your attic.
Install or upgrade insulation. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends attic insulation values up to R-60 for homes in our climate. You can install fiberglass batts or blown-in cellulose insulation to bring your attic up to the level of insulation you want. Be sure to use unfaced batts if you are adding fiberglass rolls over existing insulation. While you’re working in the attic, consider stapling or spraying on a radiant barrier beneath your roof decking to reflect the summer heat.
Keep ventilation in mind. Do not block soffit vents with insulation. Staple insulation baffles to your roof decking between rafters to keep an airway open between the soffit vents and the ridge or gable vents. Do not cover recessed lighting fixtures with insulation in order to avoid fire danger. If you are blowing in insulation, install barriers along the wall top plate to keep insulation out of the soffits.

Call us at Bounds Heating & Air for tips on keeping your Gainesville area home comfortable and inexpensive to cool and heat all year long.

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