Summer is just around the corner
which means energy costs may be high with the
constant running of the air conditioner.
Even though it’s going to be a hot season,
Connect Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical & Refrigeration has some energy saving tips
that can save you money.

HOW CAN I SAVE ENERGY THIS SUMMER?

10 Energy Saving Tips

1. Keep the hot sun out of your home. If the sun is shining through your windows or if you’re leaving your house, pull your curtains closed and block out warm rays. Your home will feel cooler and the air conditioner won’t have to work so hard.
2. Clean our or replace filters in you central air conditioner monthly for a more efficient operation.
3. Alternate your methods of cooking. Instead of using your oven every day, use your microwave or even better, your grill. Heating your oven up daily adds more heat to your interiors, which then requires your air conditioner to work harder and longer. If you need to use the oven, try to cook in the morning when it’s cooler outside.
4. Set your air conditioner thermostat as high as comfortable. 76-degrees when you’re home and 85-degrees when you’re gone.
5. Keep the air vents clear from furniture and other objects so they don’t block the cool air coming in.
6. Give your air conditioner a break. Utilize your windows and ceiling fans as a low-cost way to keep your home a little cooler.
7. Take cooler and shorter showers. Turn down the temperature of the hot water to save energy. Decrease the duration of how long you stay in the shower to save on your hot water tank usage. Consider installing a tankless water heater to heat water only when needed as opposed to an entire tank.
8. Make sure your air conditioning pipes are sealed. Examine the pipes and connections as well as vents in your home. This will ensure proper sealing and caulking between the connections.
9. Unplug your appliances and electronics when you’re not using them. This can easily be done by plugging your electronics into a power strip then turning off the power strip when it’s not in use.
10. Spend some time outside! Summertime is the perfect excuse to get out and enjoy the sun! From swimming in community pools to having a picnic or exercising outdoors, spending less time in your house will help your energy consumption bill. You don’t have to spend your time outdoors, but you should also enjoy the summer days.

---

Summer should be about enjoying the weather with family and friends. Following these energy saving tips can protect your wallet and your home. There are many other ways to save energy, so do your part by keeping your energy usage to a minimum.

Is Your Home Making You Sick?

To understand why many of today’s health problems can be caused by the home you live in, you need to look back a few years to see what caused this to happen. You see, during the energy crisis of the early 1970s, highly insulated “tight” homes became popular because of their potential to reduce energy costs.

Within a few years, however, complaints started to arise, due to health, and excessive moisture issues caused by indoor pollution, and associated moisture problems within these homes.

In the late 1980s and early 90s, indoor air quality became a nationally recognized issue. Even today, newer and more energy-efficient homes seemed predisposed to the problem. In addition, they retain more humidity and airborne pollutants, which causes longer life-spans, and more productive cycles of microbial activity within the home, such as mold, germs, bacteria and viruses.

This greater activity and concentration of these airborne contaminants, equates to more allergic reactions, and sickness within families, for longer periods of time.

Mold: A Survivor

Why is mold so difficult to control? Mold is at the bottom of the food chain. It thrives on very little, grows rapidly, and produces spores, volatile organic com-pounds, and other toxins. One organism can multiply to trillions in less than three weeks. When given the right conditions, mold can occur anywhere; in homes, schools, workplaces, entertainment centers, vehicles, etc.

The interior of your ductwork and air conditioning equipment, provides an ideal environment for mold growth — especially in the air conditioners inside drain-pan where it is dark, damp, and filled with nutrients. The result can be like blowing air over a swamp or through a sewer and then into your home, vehicle, and workplace.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60% of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems and allergies may be mold-related. Some IAQ diagnosticians and practitioners today say the figure may be as high as 80%. The increased usage of air conditioning systems almost directly parallels the increase of allergies and IAQ problems.

As mold and bacteria grow on coils and in drain pans, they are disseminated through the ducts to occupied spaces. Some mold products (toxins) produce serious and sometimes life-threatening reactions, including allergy, asthma, hypersensitivity, pneumonitis, and in some extreme cases even bleeding lung disease.

Additionally, mold creates a troublesome maintenance problem. Its activity results in dirty coils, a loss of air-flow, loss of heat exchange efficiency, dirty and sometimes plugged drain pans, and excessive energy use.

Treating Mold With UVC Technology

Our company has found that the most successful way to handle system mold is through Ultraviolet (U.V.) germicidal lights. These U.V. systems are a recent breakthrough in protecting the health of a home.

Ultraviolet light in the “C” band (UVC) has been used for more than 65 years to kill microorganisms in hospitals, barber shops, laboratories, pharmaceutical plants, and at the nation’s Center for Disease Control. Residential ultraviolet units have been independently tested and proved to be effective in the constantly moving air environments of heating and cooling systems, killing mold and bacteria quickly and effectively. The UVC energy attacks the organism’s DNA and either destroys it immediately or prevents it from reproducing.

For most people, the original motivation for installing the lights is to abate IAQ complaints and/or allergies. However, they are also pleased to learn that many hidden odors are also eliminated with U.V. technology.