Use a Maintenance Plan for Your Heater Tune-Up

Although our region is known for relatively mild winters, you need to keep in mind that the record low in Gainesville, FL was six degrees Fahrenheit. The sub-freezing reading was reached in 1899 and might seem unlikely to be repeated, but snow has been recorded in the area as recently as December 26, 2010. In fact, we tend to register approximately 16 days with freezing temperatures on average each year, making a reliable heater an important part of your home comfort system. Fall is the ideal time to have a heater tune-up completed to ensure that you are ready for these colder days, and a maintenance plan can provide great value as your service is performed.

What Is a Maintenance Plan?

You can schedule your heater tune-up at your leisure, but a maintenance agreement enables you to be sure that your appointment will be reserved at an affordable price. With an agreement, you can schedule both heating and cooling optimization to be sure that seasonal maintenance is completed before the change of weather. It’s easy to forget about the need for a tune-up, but with a comprehensive service plan, you can count on your HVAC contractor calling to let you know that it’s time for the next visit.

Some homeowners don’t realize that regular maintenance can provide many important benefits. Having your heater inspected before the weather cools allows you to be notified of any frailties in the system. Moving parts can wear out over time, and failure during cold weather can have uncomfortable consequences. Your technician will identify parts that need to be adjusted or replaced so that your system can be brought back up to manufacturer standards for operation. You can benefit from improvements in both comfort and energy usage when your system’s internal parts are properly adjusted. In fact, regular maintenance can extend the life of your heating equipment by limiting stress on key components.

Safety Benefits from a Tune-Up

During a furnace tune-up, your technician will evaluate the safety, pilot equipment, gas valves, and connections, flue drafts and piping, heat exchangers, and burners. Problems with the gas supply and the piping for emissions can lead to serious issues in your home. Additionally, leaks in your ductwork can facilitate back-drafting, allowing emissions to infiltrate your airstream. The annual inspection of your gas-fueled heater can lead to the diagnosis and repair of these problems before you need to heat your home for the winter. Your technician can also recommend carbon monoxide alarms to ensure that your family can be alerted if dangerous gases get into your air supply.

Additional Issues

Special pricing on annual maintenance agreements is helpful, but you will also appreciate the fact that Bounds Heating & Air provides discounts to our Gainesville, FL customers who enroll in these plans. In addition to priority service in the event of a system malfunction, you can take advantage of a 15 percent discount on parts and reduced rates for service calls that occur outside of your planned maintenance. Contact our office to learn more or to schedule your tune-up.

Breathe Cleaner Air – Bring These Plants Indoors

Many homeowners do not understand why they often feel sick or suffer regularly from allergies and asthma. When you think of air pollution, smog and haze outdoors probably come to mind, but did you know that your indoor air in Gainesville, FL can actually be more polluted than the outdoor air? At any given time, your home can be filled with various toxins such as toluene, methylene, chloroform, xylene, ethyl acetate, and acetone; none of which are healthy for you or your family.

Recently, research conducted by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America and NASA scientists has determined that certain plants can not only balance indoor humidity, but they can also keep your household air clean and pure. These common outdoor plants help fight indoor air pollution by absorbing pollutants and scrubbing harmful gases out of the air. The bottom line: if you want to breathe cleaner air, bring these outdoor plants inside.

While plants are no replacement for a whole-house air purifier and HEPA filtration, investing in indoor plants for cleaner air is a smart – and decorative – move. Here are the top healthy air plant choices:

Boston Fern

(Nephrolepsis exaltata bostoniensis)

A classic, shade-loving landscape plant, and perennial porch enhancement, the Boston fern is a natural humidifier. They release moisture in the air, which removes pollutants such as xylene, formaldehyde, and benzene. Boston ferns prefer filtered sunlight and humid conditions.

English Ivy

(Hedera helix)

English ivy is a popular cottage garden ground-cover favorite. Indoors, it is beneficial to people who suffer from asthma and allergies. English ivy can remove formaldehyde and benzene, as well as various volatile chemicals released by synthetic materials. It grows best in bright sunlight. Keep away from pets and children.

Golden Pothos

(Epipremnum aureum)

In landscapes, golden pothos is a highly invasive plant. Indoors, its mottled evergreen leaves make it a favorite in gift baskets and arrangements, but it also works efficiently to remove pollutants such as xylene, benzene, and formaldehyde. Like English ivy, pothos can be dangerous to children and pets if ingested.

Aloe Vera

(Aloe barbadensis)

An old standby in xeriscapes and cactus gardens, this attractive, fleshy succulent is often grown as an ornamental plant. Renowned as a magical cure-all for a plethora of digestive and skin disorders, and a common product in a variety of skincare products, Aloe Vera also works wonders in your home. Not only does it soothe skin irritation and burns, it also is very efficient at filtering out a variety of volatile gas emissions from toxic materials.

Peace Lily

(Spathiphyllum)

The number one outdoor plant you should bring indoors is the peace lily. It is known to be a powerful indoor pollution fighter – it reduces harmful indoor toxins such as benzene and formaldehyde. Often given as gifts at Easter, this is an easy-to-care-for houseplant.

For more information about how to keep the air in your home clean and free of toxins and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), contact Bounds Heating & Air to schedule an inspection by one of our expert HVAC technicians. Our staff of professionals is proud to serve our friends and neighbors in Gainesville and the surrounding communities.

What Is Energy Recovery Ventilation?

Indoor air quality can be a huge concern in your home, especially if you don’t have a proper ventilation system. Modern construction often provides excellent energy efficiency because of careful design and high-quality products. However, the tight sealing can keep pollutants concentrated in the home. Older homes are more prone to leaks, leading homeowners to do their own air sealing to improve efficiency levels. It’s important to recognize that fresh air is critical for maintaining safe air quality in the home.

Mechanical Ventilation Can Help

If the air in your home seems stuffy and stale, you may need to supplement the existing ventilation with a mechanical ventilator. You may think that opening a window is good enough. However, a window can create efficiency problems with your air conditioner on a hot day in Newberry, FL. Mechanical solutions like energy recovery ventilation allow you to benefit from fresh air without creating an extra cooling load for your air conditioner.

Pre-Conditioning and ERV

An HVAC professional can install an energy recovery ventilator to coordinate with your existing equipment. The unit is designed to pull fresh air into your home while expelling indoor air from the structure. This exchange of air would normally affect indoor temperatures. However, an ERV conditions the incoming air before it joins your airstream. The air is heated or cooled to provide minimal comfort impact in the home. Additionally, dehumidification features ensure that incoming air doesn’t bring excessive moisture into your indoor environment.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Your Air Supply

Before you install an ERV, it is helpful to work with an HVAC technician to evaluate air quality issues in your home. Mold is a common problem in Florida, but there are also some potential issues in homes with gas-burning appliances or attached garages. Samples can be taken to pinpoint serious issues with gases like carbon monoxide. A lab analysis can provide information about how your home’s air is affected by construction materials, industrial products, and home management. There are high-tech products for cleaning your air and limiting the development of mold in your home. A combination of mechanical and management strategies can lead to better maintenance of your home’s air quality.

Identification of Leak Issues

If you live in an older home, you may also want to consider the importance of a home performance evaluation. Leaks can be a problem, especially those that can cause back drafting of emissions from gas appliances or automobiles. A carbon monoxide alarm is an important safety feature if your home has an attached garage or gas-burning system. It’s also important to check for natural ventilation issues that could affect the movement of emissions in your home. Air sealing can help in addressing the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling equipment, and a professional evaluation can ensure that you maintain a safe environment as you deal with leaks. Supplementing with energy recovery ventilation can enhance the safety of your airstream.

Bounds Heating & Air is available to help you in monitoring your indoor air quality or to assess your home’s energy performance. We can install an ERV that will help in providing your home with a fresh air supply as well. Contact our representatives in Newberry, FL for an appointment.

Building a New Home? Consider Ductless HVAC

When building a new home in, a central air conditioning system is a must. However, many homeowners do not want to deal with the expansive requirements that ductwork needs for the delivery of conditioned air throughout the home. One way to get around this while still enjoying all the comforts of an air-conditioned home is to install a ductless air conditioning system. These systems can both cool and heat a home efficiently and at an affordable price.

About Ductless Heating & Cooling Systems

A ductless heating and cooling system consist of three main components. The outdoor condenser unit is approximately the same size and appearance as the condenser of a traditional central air conditioning system. The indoor components are where the two types of systems differ. With ductless heating and cooling, the indoor components include a small evaporator within each zone of the home. Inside each evaporator unit is a cooling coil and a small fan. The evaporator and condenser are connected with a set of tubing that allows the flow of the chemical coolant and power between the two main parts.

Benefits of Going Ductless in a New Home

Going ductless in your new home brings many benefits to your comfort, budget, and even the architecture of the house. Some of the most popular reasons for going ductless in a newly constructed home include:

Faster home completion, as ductless systems do not include complicated ductwork and air vents throughout the home.
More usable space. Instead of having to dedicate precious square footage to air ducts and vents, space can be used for living instead.
Everyone in the home can be comfortable at the same time with the use of zoned ductless heating and cooling.
More energy efficient, due to no air ducts to waste heated or conditioned air.
Lower monthly utility costs, since each zone can be cooled or warmed separately as desired.
Operates quietly.
Improved indoor air quality, since there are no air ducts to collect dust, dirt, and other debris.

Installation of a ductless HVAC system is a cost-effective solution to achieving and maintaining comfort in a newly built home. Today’s ductless systems utilize environmentally friendly refrigerants and take advantage of the latest technological advancements for system durability, longevity, and performance.

Call Bounds Heating & Air, Inc at (352) 472-2761 or contact us online to learn more about the benefits of ductless heating & air conditioning systems for your new home!

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