How Dust Storms Impact Your Indoor Air Quality and What to Do

Dust storms in Mesa, AZ leave behind a great deal of particulate matter that can make its way inside your home. When you start to see large swirls of dust in the sky, it’s important to take steps to protect your indoor air quality (IAQ). This will help you avoid unpleasant symptoms like coughing and burning eyes, but these tips also protect your HVAC system from damage. How Dust Storms Impact Indoor Air Quality Dust storms have the potential to transport tiny particulates over many miles. Even if your area isn’t in the immediate vicinity of the dust storm, your indoor air quality may still suffer. Particulates can make their way indoors through small cracks and holes around your foundation, doors and windows. Particulates will land on various surfaces and circulate through the air you breathe each day. This can lead to a flare of allergy and asthma symptoms and cause inflammation in your airways. Chronic exposure to particulate matter from dust storms can lead to chronic health problems. This is especially true for people who already deal with chronic health conditions like COPD or emphysema. Also at risk are very young children and older adults. Even your pets can...

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Heat Pump Vs AC: Which Is Better for Arizona?

Choosing the right cooling system is critical in Arizona, where summer temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. in Mesa, AZ offers HVAC services for all systems, makes, and models. Arizona presents heating and cooling challenges with blazing summer temperatures and mild winters. Two of the most common systems in Arizona homes are heat pumps and air conditioners. Each has its strengths and drawbacks. Consider cost, efficiency, climate compatibility, and long-term performance when choosing your ideal system. It’s helpful to break down how each system works to explore which might be the smarter investment. How Does an AC Work? An air conditioner cools a home by removing heat from the inside and releasing it outdoors. It uses refrigerant to absorb heat through the evaporator coil and then transfers heat to the outside using a condenser coil. The process creates cool, drier air that circulates throughout the rooms in your home. We often pair AC units with furnaces or heaters in case you need heat in the winter. Because of mild winters, many homes in Arizona rely more on air conditioners throughout the year and do not use a heating system. How Does a Heat Pump Work? A heat pump uses the...

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How To Troubleshoot An AC Problem?

Living in Arizona means dealing with extreme heat for much of the year and constantly relying on your air conditioning to keep your home sufficiently cool. If you encounter problems with your home’s system, determining the problem, why it’s happening, and how to fix it is crucial for preventing your house from hitting sweltering temperatures. Here are tips on troubleshooting common issues and determining whether you need to call a professional for help. AC Won’t Turn On An AC that won’t start can be caused by several issues. It may be dead due to a worn compressor. However, it’s more likely that a less-serious issue is preventing it from running. For instance, the batteries in your thermostat may be dead, which is the first thing you should check. Many newer thermostats don’t use batteries and instead have a common wire (C-wire) that allows them to receive power directly from the HVAC system. In this case, a blank screen on your thermostat, even when you try to operate it, indicates that it isn’t receiving power for some reason. Another possibility is that a power surge caused your AC to trip the circuit breaker, shutting off power to the thermostat and the...

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Can You Replace a Regular Thermostat With a Smart Thermostat?

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems drive most of the residential energy consumption in Mesa and the East Valley region. The monthly electricity bills for cooling in our service area are consistently higher than the national average, thus making energy efficiency a major concern. Smart thermostats are at the heart of energy efficiency strategies. These devices allow granular control of your HVAC system to reduce electricity overconsumption and waste. If your home HVAC still features a traditional thermostat, upgrading to a smart device is a solid first step toward energy efficiency. At we often get questions from clients concerned about whether their older HVAC systems can support smart thermostats. Unless your system has not been replaced or upgraded since the 1980s, the answer is mostly yes. Generally speaking, the incompatibility risk is almost negligible for HVAC systems installed in the 21st century. Smart Thermostat Compatibility Let’s say your home has a Trane ComfortLink heat pump with a two-stage compressor installed in 2010. Smart thermostats were not common at the time, so ComfortLink systems typically shipped with a standard device instead. The wiring of the unit, however, supported advanced thermostats with programmable features in case homeowners wanted to upgrade. With...

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Can I Perform AC Maintenance Myself?

When your air conditioner is running smoothly, it’s easy to forget it’s even there. But when the heat kicks in, and something isn’t right, you may start wondering if you can handle the maintenance yourself. You might feel tempted to grab a few tools, pop open the appliance, and try fixing things on your own. But an AC tune-up is not a DIY project. Air conditioners are complicated, and trying to handle repairs or major maintenance without the right training can lead to bigger problems or even safety hazards. At in Mesa, AZ, we’ve seen plenty of well-meaning homeowners turn a small issue into an expensive repair. What You Can Do Yourself to Keep Your AC Running Smoothly There are a few simple things you can do to help your AC run better. These are easy steps you can fit into your normal routine. The first, and probably most important, is changing your air filter. That little filter stops dust, dirt, and pet hair from getting into your system and clogging things up. When it’s clean, air moves through your AC easily, and your house cools off faster. But when it’s dirty, everything has to work harder, and you might...

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Will Your Ductless Mini-Split System Use a Lot of Energy?

If you’re in the market for a new heating or cooling system for your home, consider installing a ductless mini-split system. These units can function efficiently at temperatures down to -20 degrees Fahrenheit or more, making them an increasingly popular option for households across the nation. However, with the high electricity price, you may wonder if this type of system will use a lot of energy. What Is a Ductless Mini-Split System? Depending on the season, a ductless mini-split system uses heat pump technology to deliver hot or cold air throughout your home; unlike traditional HVAC systems, this system does not need ductwork. Instead, it uses multiple indoor air handler units. Each unit is equipped with its own blower components that work to pull in stale air from the room. The air gets filtered and brought up to the appropriate temperature and then returned to the room. It’s important to note that each indoor air handler unit will work independently of the others. This means you could set your living room temperature at 70 degrees and your bedroom temperature at 67 degrees. All indoor air handler units will be connected to the main outdoor condenser via copper refrigerant lines. Its...

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Does Cold Weather Affect Air Quality?

The arrival of fall and then winter leads to cold weather. With it comes a series of situations that tend to worsen indoor air quality. Some of the effects are very direct, but others are secondary effects tied to changes in our behavior during cold weather. If you’re worried about indoor air quality during cold weather, then you need to prepare your house and its HVAC to handle the situation. Here are some of the indoor air quality problems that come with cold weather, the common issues that accompany each and how to address them. Reduced Airflow in the Home The reduction in airflow in the home is the top indoor air quality problem during cold weather. People close windows and doors more often to conserve heat. While the instinct to save on your heating bills is a good one, it does come with the negative effect of reducing airflow. Several problems tend to arise from reduced airflow. Foremost, a lot of unhealthy things will accumulate more as your house exchanges less air with the outside. Allergens tend to accumulate more in the winter because there’s nothing to blow them out of the house. If you have even one pet,...

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Do I Need to Cover My AC Unit in the Winter?

When we transition from the hot summer months into the colder and shorter days of fall, many of us are spending more time at home. As your concerns shift to preparing your home for the upcoming winter season, your AC unit will likely be on your mind. Many homeowners are still unsure whether they need to cover their AC units during the winter months. Here, we’ll give you everything you need to know to decide. Why Would You Need an AC Unit Cover? Your outdoor condenser unit has a compressor pump, condenser coil, and blower components that are responsible for circulating and removing heat from the refrigerant and dispersing it outdoors. Because these units are specifically designed to withstand the outdoor elements, you may wonder why you need an AC cover. The whole point of an AC cover is to prevent unwanted items from entering your air conditioning unit. For example, it’s very common for leaves and twigs to blow around during the fall months. Some of these items can end up inside your unit if it doesn’t have a proper cover on it. This debris can interfere with the AC’s functioning when summer rolls around again. A cover over...

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12 Common Signs Your Home’s Ducts Need Sealing

Your HVAC system’s ductwork plays a key role in the health and comfort of your home in Mesa, AZ. Its effectiveness, however, depends on how well you seal it. These 12 common signs can indicate your ducts need sealing. 1. Age Age can negatively impact the sealing of your HVAC system’s ductwork. Old sealing can crack and break, allowing in air and moisture. Once these elements get into your home, they can compromise the inside temperature and the comfort of your home’s environment. Likewise, if you buy a home and have no idea of how old the sealing on the ductwork is, you may find it helpful to reseal the ducts for your own peace of mind. 2. Lower Quality Craftsmanship Your home’s ductwork can also need to be resealed if the seals on it right now show signs of less-than-ideal craftsmanship. This scenario could occur if you buy and move into a new house, only to find the ducts are not properly sealed. Before you turn on and use the home’s HVAC system, you can hire an HVAC technician in Mesa to apply new duct sealing. 3. Uneven Temperatures Uneven temperatures in your home can point to the need...

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How Often Should Your Heater Receive a Professional Tune-Up?

Like any mechanical system, residential heaters require regular tune-ups to maintain their efficiency and performance. Most homeowners opt for professional services, given the expertise and relatively low cost involved. This guide explores the importance of routine tune-ups, how often you should schedule them, and common issues that maintenance can resolve. Why Tune-Ups Are Important The common expectation of heaters is that they will keep your home comfortable; the chief concern is how much it will cost. Heater tune-ups aim to make your home more reliably comfortable while reducing the cost of doing so. Reduced Expenses Regular heater tune-ups offer significant savings on monthly heating expenses. By ensuring the system runs efficiently, tune-ups help reduce energy consumption and prevent the need for frequent, costly repairs caused by wear and tear. Additionally, routine maintenance extends the lifespan of your heater, minimizing how often you will need to invest in a new system over the years. It’s also worth noting that many manufacturer warranties require regular tune-ups to remain valid. Staying on top of maintenance ensures your warranty will cover repairs for any manufacturing defects, reducing out-of-pocket expenses. Improved Comfort Routine tune-ups play an essential role in enhancing your home’s overall comfort. Ensuring...

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