Winter is fast approaching. Therefore ensure that your home is properly insulated for this chilly season. This is not just to keep your home warm, but also to make sure your HVAC’s performance is optimized, and its efficiency is secure throughout the season. And of course, you wouldn’t want a scary, soaring utility cost at the end of each month, would you? So, let’s gear up and start insulating!

Here are three cost-efficient and easy ways to insulate your home:

Draft-Proof Your Home

If you feel any draft entering your home, you should patch up all the places where it can possibly enter like the gap between your door and floor, the space and cracks between your windows, and your attic.

Seal Your Windows

Run your fingers across and around your window to find out whether your window has small cracks in it, or if there are any small spaces where outside air can get through. If you feel some cool air brushing your fingertips, then you just caught an open crack! Patch it with the caulk of your choice. You can choose between the latex variety and the silicone which is more flexible to weather and temperature changes than the latex.

Fill in the Gaps

The draft can also come from underneath the gap between your door and the floor. To prevent the cold wind from entering, place a draft snake beneath or if you have any foam pipe lagging, you can also use it as an alternative to draft snakes. For the spaces between the wall and your doors and windows, use an insulating tape to seal it away.

Pay Attention to Your Attic

Your attic should not be considered as just a mere storage room. As part of the insulating process, you must pay close attention to this section of your house. Warm air can easily escape from your attic and likewise, it is an easy entrance for cold, bitter winds to get through your home. You can do a simple Do-It-Yourself attic insulation or, if you are uncertain how to do it, you can always ask for a professional’s help.

There are usually two types of materials used in attic insulation: first, the loose fill which is ideal for irregular attic joist spacing and second, the batt which is best for attics without insulation but have standard joist spacing.

Use Insulated or Layered Curtains

Heat from your home can easily escape if your windows don’t have curtains at all in them or if you are using a thin curtain layer. Aside from adding beauty to our homes, curtains also aid in our home insulation. Use an insulated curtain for a longer-lasting heat suppression inside your home. If such is not available, apply several layers of curtains which you already have in hand. You can also use thick cloths like wool or fleece blanket as curtains.

Determine Your Heating Area

Not all area inside your home needs equivalent temperature. Which part of your home do you frequently stay? Once you determine the zone you usually spend time in, you can set the other temperature from the rest of your home to a lower heating degree. Remember to always keep your room’s door shut to optimize your HVAC’s heating process and maintain the warmth inside that area without exerting too much effort on your heating system.

Insulating your home helps keep your family comfortable throughout the winter season. It also helps your HVAC to work more efficiently considering that you also have your seasonal HVAC maintenance performed. In case you can’t do the insulation alone, do not hesitate to call a professional for help. For more helpful tips on how to insulate your home, call Johnny On The Spot at (725) 977-9461.

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Seasonal maintenance is important in keeping your HVAC system running and working efficiently throughout the season. It is recommended to have at least a biannual maintenance program to ensure your system’s efficiency. However, do you know that there are other reasons why seasonal maintenance is necessary?

Prevents Sudden Breakdowns

Imagine it’s the middle of a freezing winter night or the heat is at its peak in summer when suddenly, your HVAC breaks down. Incidents like these are inconvenient for every homeowner. What’s worse is when you are clueless of what went wrong and what part of the system has broken down. If you apply for a seasonal maintenance program, you’ll avoid situations like these because your system will get a thorough inspection and necessary minor repairs to ensure it is ready for the season.

Lowers Utility Bills

If your HVAC system does not get proper maintenance, it is no longer economical no matter how high its SEER rating is. Its inefficiency is noticeable when your monthly utility bills are higher than usual. To prevent this from happening, ensure that you keep the air filters, evaporator coils, and condenser coils of your HVAC clean and free from heavy dust build-up. On the other hand, your HVAC contractor will perform the in-depth evaluation of your system from the ductworks to the wiring and insulation.

Conducting HVAC maintenance will help your system boost and sustain its efficiency. It is a great way for you to save money and avoid unnecessary additional energy bill charges.

Gives Equipment A Longer Lifespan

Well-maintained HVAC equipment has an average lifespan of 15 – 20 years. Its lifespan is only attainable if maintained accordingly. Your HVAC system is a lifetime investment. Therefore, you should look after it and make sure that it works efficiently until such time.

Longer lifespan means lesser chances for you to unnecessarily purchase a new HVAC system just because of your not-so-old unit which refuses to provide you your much needed comfort. Our HVAC system is not a money investment alone. When you invest in an HVAC system, you invest in you and your family’s comfort all throughout the years.

Ensures Health and Safety

Carbon monoxide is a deadly toxic gas released by heating systems. To avoid this from happening, make sure that there is no carbon monoxide leakage from your system. You can purchase a carbon monoxide detector for your own safety. Have HVAC system tuned-up and inspected on a regular basis by your trusted HVAC maintenance provider.

HVAC maintenance also helps prevent catastrophic residential fire breakouts. Your technician will check the wire insulation of your equipment as part of their evaluation. It will help prevent any short circuits in the future which is a common origin for the fire to start.

Maintaining your HVAC system has a lot of benefits that you couldn’t have possibly thought about. And yes, there is still a lot more to it. So, what are you waiting for? Apply for your seasonal maintenance program now!

For your trusted HVAC maintenance provider in Las Vegas area, visit us now at Johnny-On-The-Spot or call us (725) 977-9461. Your HVAC system is in good hands with our accredited HVAC experts!

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Before purchasing a new HVAC system, what are the important things that you should consider? What questions should you ask your HVAC contractor so you can get the most efficient HVAC system for your home?

What Size Is Best For My Home?

The first thing that you should consider is the compatibility of your air conditioner size with the area of your house where it will be installed. Inappropriate size can cause your HVAC unit to function inefficiently or produce trouble instead of comfort. If you have a small room, a small air conditioner will suffice. Likewise, larger rooms require larger HVAC unit.

When a small air conditioner is installed in a large room, the system will work hard to meet your desired room temperature. The double effort causes the system to consume more energy which can result in higher monthly utility bills. And if you install a large HVAC in a small room, it won’t run as often as it should, resulting in high humidity levels. High humidity in the air produces mold and mildew which are hazardous to our health and a threat to our home’s interior.

What Type Of Air Conditioning Unit Do You Recommend?

This question is something you should ask your HVAC contractor. The type of unit will vary depending on the design or style and size of your home. Discuss with your contractor whether a split type or packaged HVAC unit is advisable. Tackle your options with them and ask for their recommendations.

Aside from the unit, considering the efficiency rating of the HVAC is also important. Make sure that the efficiency rating is enough and not too much or less for your home’s size. The cooling system’s efficiency rating is referred to as Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The heating system’s efficiency is expressed in Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF). Lastly, the furnace efficiency rating is called Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE).

How Long Is The Installation Process?

Your HVAC contractor will provide you a contract. Within that contract, there should be a specified date for the beginning of the installation project and when it is supposed to be finished. Make sure you are knowledgeable about the length of days it will take for the installation’s completion. It will help you avoid any unnecessary extra charges for the service.

For every specific unit, there is a relevant timetable for the project completion of each phase. Your selected model will influence the costs and time period for the installation.

Does The Model Have Incentives?

A lot of energy-efficient models come with manufacturer rebates. These rebates will help you save money. You can ask your HVAC contractor about mail-in rebates. You can also do some research if you are qualified for any tax credits.

Do They Offer A Maintenance Program?

Investing in a preventive maintenance program not only helps you save money but also keeps your HVAC system efficiently working throughout its lifespan. It only makes practical and financial sense to apply for an HVAC maintenance plan with the HVAC contractor who will perform the installation process. It will help you build a positive working relationship with the company and its technicians since they will be familiar with your home’s structure and history better than anyone else.

When you apply for a maintenance program, an HVAC technician will come into your house at least twice a year to evaluate your system’s efficiency and conduct any minor repairs when necessary.

Your HVAC system is a lifetime investment. Therefore, you should make careful decisions, rough estimates and conduct some researchers before you engage in purchases. Knowledge from HVAC contractors can also help you make the right decisions in buying an HVAC unit since they will provide you with helpful tips and suggestions.

For your Las Vegas HVAC concerns, visit us at Johnny On The Spot or call us at (725) 977-9461. Our experts will guide you all the way for your pre-purchasing concerns to after installation.

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The HVAC system should be on your list of priorities to check when buying a home. Depending on its condition, it’s one of the biggest financial costs on its own and affects your monthly bills. It also plays a major factor in the home’s livability, determining the resident’s comfort. Knowing what to ask helps you get the necessary information to spot current problems and foresee potential ones.

What type of HVAC system is installed?

The kind of HVAC system would gives you a good idea on the several important things to note. Older models run on Freon and are less energy efficient than the newer ones. Freon is currently being phased out so it might be more difficult to find and costly to replace. Newer refrigerants are cleaner and safer for the environment. Being less energy efficient is not only harmful to nature, but it also costs more to operate. Older systems could also be an indication of the system’s age. Bear in mind the average lifespan of an HVAC system is 10-15 years. If you do find a home close to this range, don’t immediately back out of the deal as quality regular maintenance would have a great impact on the machine’s condition.

Has the system seen regular servicing?

Ask for documentation. These would tell you what company they trusted to maintain and fix their HVAC units. Begin from the time of installation and have repairs and replacements included. You’ll find out both the company name and when it was installed so you get the exact age of the HVAC system. Take note whether they previous owners consistently stuck with a certain HVAC maintenance company or switched often. The latter would give cause for concern as a new technician would be unfamiliar with the machine’s history. This often results in a different level of care. Research on the companies who’ve previously serviced the HVAC units and ductwork, including repairs and replacements. Find out whether these were trusted names in their respective areas. Lack of regular maintenance would be cause for concern but provides leverage in negotiating the price of the home.

How effective and efficient is the system?

You can easily judge its effectiveness by the temperature levels of the different rooms. Inconsistency would tell you otherwise but be clear if there are rooms that require a different temperature than the rest. As a rule of thumb, older models are less efficient than newer ones. Take into account the brand name, too. Also, check for the Energy Efficiency Rating and the Energy Star rating. The former rates the performance of the machine at its best while the latter indicates the overall energy efficiency of the machine. The monthly utility costs would also indicate how much you’d be spending regularly to keep ideal temperatures in your home.

Is the warranty still effective and transferable?

Newer units are given lifetime warranties but are limited to only the original purchasers. Once the house is sold, the warranty ends as well. Others continue for just a short time after the transfer of ownership. If warranty does continue beyond the sale, request to have the documentation verifying this. Study the terms and conditions of the warranty carefully to prevent voiding it.

While these are questions you could ask and research on yourself, always have an inspector to help you properly evaluate the HVAC system’s condition and effectiveness. They’d be able to point out certain details only a trained eye would identify. With their years of experience, an inspector would also know what else to look for. For advice and service of reliable HVAC technicians, reach out to Johnny On The Spot at (725) 977-9461.

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Ever walked into the store to purchase an air filter only to find shelves upon shelves of them and not know which one to choose? It’s a common dilemma most homeowners face. In cases like these, it’s easy to go for the cheapest but you might not be getting the best one for you. It’s a simple task that, when done with lack of information and thought, could easily have long-term impacts on health, equipment lifespan and total expenses.

MERV Rating

The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value ranks air filters according to how well they do their job at preventing air particles from entering your home and spreading around. It’s a scale of 1 to 20 with 1 as the lowest and 20 as the highest. While it sounds like getting the filter with the highest rating would be the smartest thing to do, not all HVAC systems were designed to carry powerful filters. Check if your HVAC fan can handle at least a MERV 16 filter. You can easily find this information in the manual but if you no longer have it, or the manual doesn’t state it, you can do a simple experiment.

Begin with lower rated air filters and move up a rank with every filter. Observe your HVAC and how it handles the new filter and check for signs of strain. You can also ask your trusted HVAC maintenance company for recommendations.

Other Rating Scales

Since the MERV isn’t mandatory, you might notice other brands using a different ranking system for their own filters. If you decide to opt for a filter from one of these, get to know their rating scale by doing a little research. Simply ask the manufacturers or go online. The information should be readily available. Do this before you decide to make your purchase.

Kinds of Mechanical Filters

Fiberglass: It’s the thinnest and simplest in design among the four and do the poorest job when it comes to improving air quality because it wasn’t made to do that. It’s purpose is only to protect your equipment and cost roughly around a dollar each.

MERV Rating: 1-4

Pleated: The higher the number of pleats per foot, the better the airflow which means it passes through the filter more frequently, giving you cleaner air each time. It shields your home from up to 45% of air pollutants at around $10 a piece.

MERV Rating: 10-13

High-efficiency: These filters offer the best value for residential owners. They can pick up extremely small particles and some come coated with bacteria-killing chemicals so your air isn’t only clean but safer and healthier. Other filters are created similar to your car’s air filter. Because of their highly efficient nature, hence the name, expect your operating costs to drop. They can filter up to 85% of pollutants from your indoor air.

MERV Rating: 14-16

True HEPA (or High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters: It’s the most effective in improving air quality but they’re normally not used for homes. Because of the gaps for airflow are so small, in order to filter 98% of air pollutants, they need stronger air pressure which most home HVAC systems don’t have.

MERV Rating: 17-20

Still trying to determine what air filter will work for your unit? Call Johnny’s today at (725) 977-9461 and we will help you determine what is right for your home!

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During summer an air conditioning system is sort of a necessity to some residents for a cooler environment. It does help in so many ways from the struggles of the burning heat, which affects the state of persona in the household. However, there are a lot of considerations in owning an air conditioning system and most especially in the maintenance of it. Although their function is pretty simple, air conditioners are fairly complex machines that rely on several components to work properly. As such, even a small mistake can have huge ramifications for the whole AC unit and thus your home comfort. Here are 4 of the most common AC mistakes in the A/C maintenance.

Neglect of Maintenance

Maintenance is extremely important for appliances, especially for air conditioners. Failure to maintain your unit will cause it break down more often or wear out easily. It is advisable that you have a seasonal maintenance program and routinely check your air conditioner. When you’re switching from heating to cooling or the other way around, it is best to have it checked by a professional technician to ensure that all is well.

Operating the Thermostat Incorrectly

If you still use the traditional thermostat, do not set it to a very low temperature at once. If your unit will skip temperatures, you will be wasting more energy and you’ll only make yourself uncomfortable due to rapid shifts in the temperature.

Not Changing Your AC’s Air Filters

Your HVAC system has an air filter that needs to be cleaned or replaced every so often. Depending on the type of unit and its amount of usage, you might need to change the filter as often as every three months or as little as once a year. Failing to change the filter will not only allow dirt and debris to build up, but will also reduce the efficiency of your overall system.

Closing Off Rooms Or Air Vents

You’ve probably heard people say that you can save money on heating and cooling costs by closing off rooms you don’t use. That may have worked in the days of wall-mounted air conditioners and fireplace heating, but with modern central air and heat systems, it actually has the opposite effect. Closing off rooms makes your system work harder, which makes your heating and cooling costs rise.

If you need a new air conditioner, make sure your contractor does a complete load calculation to determine exactly how much cooling capacity your home needs. By taking square footage, layout, insulation, and load-generating appliances into account, your HVAC professional can find your home’s cooling load and recommend an air conditioner that is perfectly sized to meet that cooling need. If you require professional help but don’t know where to start looking, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals over at Johnny On The Spot at (725) 977-9461.

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Do you wonder why your home isn’t cooling down despite the fact that you have switched on your air conditioner to its maximum cooling level? When a problem like this arises, you should not ignore it. There could be a problem with your HVAC system, and you must pay close attention to it. Otherwise the problem could worsen if you disregard it.

Your Ductwork Could be Leaking

Ductwork is an important component of your HVAC system. It delivers the heated or cooled air throughout your home. If your ductwork has leaks, the distribution of air won’t be efficient. The heated or cooled air will escape from the system before it even reaches your home. Have a professional check your ductwork for any suspicious leaks. They will repair or seal it right away.

Something’s Wrong with Your Thermostat

You should also check your thermostat if your AC is running but not cooling your house down. Sometimes the issue is that your thermostat is outdated or needs new batteries. Check your thermostat settings first to confirm that nothing is wrong with it. Set it to the cooling position and confirm that the setpoint temperature is cooler than the outside temperature. However, if the mentioned solutions fail to work, it can be an indication that you should get yourself a brand new thermostat.

Your Condenser Coils are Dirty

Condenser coils are part of the AC unit which is responsible for cool air production. If they are obstructed by grime, oil, or dust, then they won’t be able to produce cool air efficiently. You can get rid of these obstructions by cleaning your condenser coils. Once you are done cleaning and it still won’t function properly, have it checked by a professional HVAC technician.

You Need to Change Your Filters

If you are using disposable filters, you should change it frequently, definitely as often as the manufacturer recommends. If it is not indicated, changing it monthly can be good. It will help your AC unit work efficiently. However, if you are using permanent filters, cleaning it once every three months is also necessary. Clean filters allow the air to circulate freely from the AC unit into the house.

There’s a Problem with Your Refrigerant

The refrigerant in an AC unit is responsible for converting liquids into vapors as air passes through it. If there is a lack of refrigerant due to an existing leak, it won’t be able to cool down the AC unit. Instead of refilling your refrigerant reservoir, let an HVAC expert replace it. In order to avoid future problems, an annual HVAC service will help prevent unexpected damages from occurring.

Outdoor Debris is Obstructing the Airflow

If you live in a house where there are plants, leaves or trees, there is a high chance that leaves coming from the trees or even dry sand will obstruct the airflow of your AC unit from the outside. Make sure to check your AC unit for outdoor obstructions and get rid of it. If you have a garden or vegetation, keep it at least 2 feet away from your AC unit. If your condenser coils or evaporator are dirty, clean them periodically.

Once you are done evaluating every aspect of your AC unit and still can’t figure out why your house is still not cooling down, check your insulations or add curtains or drapes to prevent heat from coming in or stopping cold air from escaping. If this won’t still work, it’s time for you to call a professional HVAC technician to run a thorough evaluation of your system.

If you need more helpful tips in checking your AC unit, Call Johnny On The Spot at(725) 977-9461 and discuss your HVAC problems with our experts. Cooling problems? No worries, we’ve got your back!

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