These are some of the most frequently asked questions I get from customers regarding their home. These questions are in no particular order. Feel free to Contact Us by CLICKING HERE. If you should have any additional questions or think something needs to be added.
What should I set my thermostat to or at?
This might actually be THE most asked question. The short answer? Set it to wherever you are most comfortable. This setting varies widely between ages and people. Here in CT I would not set it lower than 68 for AC mode or 58 in heating mode. Now the only real concern is if you want to save some money on your energy costs. Therefore if that’s your goal you’ll need to sacrifice some comfort to achieve this. You can save on energy by setting the thermostat back no more than 5 degrees during away or sleep times of no more than 12 hours. The longer you’re away the lower or higher you can set it. Heat pump users may want to abstain from setting back unless the temps are mild outside during the heating cycle. A temperature of around 50 degrees would be the time to start considering this. The reason being is if it’s colder, the thermostat could energize your backup heat which, if it’s electric heat, will actually cost more than you save with the setback. Click Here For Further Reading
What is this fan on auto switch? Where should it be?
The fan switch on older thermostats or option on digital thermostats has two settings. Setting it to AUTO will only allow the air circulation blower (fan) to run when the system is calling for heat or Air Conditioning. Setting the option to ON will run the blower (fan) constantly. Some thermostats even have an exercise option that will run the blower at scheduled intervals and duration. Sometimes it may be helpful to have the blower running if you want to even out the temperature between rooms and floors. Also, the constant circulation means air is always being sucked into the return to be conditioned by air filtration, UV Light sterilization, and humidity adjustments. In the winter, however, this can lead to draftiness and might make the room feel colder than it is. In the summer, when the cooling is cycling on & off, the constant airflow can cause higher levels of humidity as it evaporates the water left on the cooling coil when the A/C shuts off. Try both modes to find what works for you.
How often do I have to replace my air filter?
How often the air filter needs to be replaced depends on a few things. Firstly the amount of dust in your home. Dust is made up of many things and it could come in on your clothes when you return home as well. If the dust is settled and is disturbed while the blower is running, dust will be sucked in and caught. The more sources of dust, such as people & pets, traffic and activity in the home the more often you’ll need to replace the air filter. The best practice is to date the air filter with a pen or permanent marker, then check the filter at regular intervals to determine how long it can go before replacement. Air conditioning season will need the cleanest air so definitely replace the filter when you switch modes from heating to cooling. There are better options for filtration than the 1 inch filter. The best bet for price and performance is a media air cleaner. This is a 4-5” replaceable filter that goes in a cabinet in your furnace’s return air duct. For most homes, they last 1 year. To learn more and for further reading CLICK HERE.
Do I need a humidifier?
Do you need a humidifier? The quick answer is no, or else every home and conditioned space would have them. However, humidifiers will make you more comfortable.
Dry air can lead to dry skin, itchy eyes, and irritated nasal passages. It can cause a bloody nose or an itchy throat and can aggravate symptoms of the common cold and some respiratory ailments. It also increases static electricity, which you feel in your clothes and hair and on furniture and carpeting. Raising the humidity usually reduces or alleviates these symptoms if you can get it up to a comfortable level, while raising it a marginal amount may have no effect on your comfort.
It’s a law of nature that wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity. If you really can’t bear the sight of gaps in wood flooring or creaky floorboards in the wintertime, you may benefit from a humidifier. Also wood musical instruments present a dilemma we have had musicians ask us to keep their humidity constant to benefit guitars and violins.
The biggest reason to get a humidifier is to make you feel more comfortable in the heating season at a lower temperature. Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”? Humidity is what makes you FEEL hotter even thought the temperature may be the same or even set lower saving you energy in the long run. For further reading CLICK HERE.