Advanced Inspection Services Inc
Seattle, Olympia, Puyallup, Kent, Auburn, Tacoma Washington Home and Building Inspection Services
Temperature control is a common frustration many homeowners share. It is not
surprising that most homes have heating and cooling systems that are fundamentally
the same as they were 50 years ago. Now homes distribution systems are better
engineered and perform more efficiently in overall operation, efficientcy and
effectiveness. Homes today are larger, with more open space. Many are multi-level
and feature large walls of windows. Features like this create challenges with
existing traditional heating and cooling systems relying on one or two thermostats
for tempeture control. Rooms with direct sun exposure or on upper levels get too
warm or even hot. Rooms that are located further from the thermostat are cooler than
desired. Keeping a relative consistent temperature in every room can be an elusive
task.
Everyone would like to have different temperatures in different rooms
so you can be comfortable during the activity in that room.
An exercise room
in a home would have different temperature and humidity needs than say a home
office, where a person would be sitting, sedentary at a desk working on a computer.
A home laundry area would have different temperature and humidity needs for
example than the family room watching TV. Ideal temperature is a very comforting
thing. Being able to tailor the temperature specific to the need of activity or
occupation in that particular room can make you more comfortable and save you big
money.
Humidity is a problem in many areas around your home. The best way to control
excessive humidity during summer months is to have a system that runs longer at
lower speeds.
Variable speed air-handling equipment runs at very low speeds,
which keeps the air circulating against the cooling coil and removes much more
moisture than conventional systems. At these low speeds, the variable-speed motor
uses much less electricity than conventional motors.
You want to reduce your household energy use and cost and have your family be healthy
and comfortable at the same time. You can make your home more energy efficient while
still providing superior temperature control all though out the home. A little
engineering comes into play. Considering the areas, rooms or levels in a home along
with the structural and service currently available in these areas, system
ventilation leaks and air quality issues, you can come up with the right plan to
provide the results you want. Inspection to find the problems and remediation to
address discovered issues and fix any deficiencies or air quality issues that may
exist.
Most homes have a heating and cooling system controlled by a single
thermostat. Unfortunately the temperature at the thermostat is seldom representative
of the temperature throughout the home or the required temperature in any selected
part of the house.
In most homes there is a 20 degree difference in
temperature from the thermostat to another routinely populated part of the home,
like a kitchen or family room.
But it doesn't have to be that way and we can help.
Excessive accumulations of dust, debris and biological contaminants are removed by
our experienced technicians from your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
(HVAC) system with the assistance of our quality equipment and truck.
When
applied by our technicians, you are assured of a complete and thorough cleaning. The
air you breathe is an important component affecting your everyday life.
We
offer on-site inspections, surveys and system reviews. Our inspector will take the
time to show you how your system works, determine how dirty it is and explain how
our procedure works. A detailed checklist and proposal will be provided immediately.
Our experience has shown that most problems are a result of a homes poor
thermal integrity. The ability to keep warm air inside in the winter and cool air
inside in the summer. Issues like the following are all results of poor thermal
integrity:
If you are in the market for a new high efficiency heating and cooling system? Authorities say, be careful. Many homeowners who have invested in new high efficiency heating and cooling equipment did not get nearly the comfort or energy efficiency and cost savings that they paid for.
There are three common reasons new heating and cooling systems do not work as well as
they should or as advertized. By avoiding the common mistakes made when purchasing
or upgrading a HVAC system you will save a huge amout of time and energy both on
your improved heating costs and aggravation.
Best to do this kind of
undertaking with the right knowledge and research that a program of this scope
requires.
The combined costs of owning a system always far exceed the
initial cost of buying it.
If a new system is not properly engineered where
the requirements for handeling the total heating and cooling a house; it may not
provide the comfort you expect from it.
Save 25% to 50% on utility bills after buying a new system?
The reality is
that most people see only some savings. Why?
That is a fact more often than not, in most cases.
That's right, Sized right. Considering the load, balancing, filtering, etc..
Many
things to consider in engineering a proper system for a home.
Oversizing is
NOT the answer.
Oversizing a system will give you the perception that you
have done all you could have done, however, an oversized system will cycle on and
off more often which will cause additional wear and tear.
On the obvious
side, an oversized system will cause noticable temperature swings.
A larger
unit usually worsens existing uneven temperature problems.
The best solution
is to fix issues with installed air ducts or house insulation. Not by installing a
larger unit.
An oversized system cycles on, runs for only a few minutes and
then will shut down.
It won`t evenly cool or heat all the rooms, and will
wear out much sooner.
An oversized air conditioner will cool a space
quickly, then shut off before it has completed the real work of removing and
reducing humidity.
We will thoroughly evaluate your home to determine the right size a new system should
be.
We will carefully measure and inspect your home, its insulation levels
and which direction the windows face. Armed with this information, a properly
engineered plan can be produced that will consider all the right elements needed to
come up with the right plan of action to provide you energy savings, comfort, and a
healthy environment for you and your family.
The network of hollow ductwork that carries the air to and from your furnace
or air handler through ductwork to vents to distribute into the home.
A Department of Energy study recenty stated:
"Typical duct systems lose 25 to 40 percent of the energy put out by the central furnace, heat pump or air conditioner."
That waste appears on your monthly utility bill, every month.
Until
you decide to knuckle down and do something about it.
Installed ductwork that crosses unconditioned spaces in crawlspaces, attics,
basements or garages does not have enough insulation to keep air warm in the
winter, and thus, cool air in the summer, again, serious loss of efficiency
due to inadaquate ductwork engineering.
The biggest problem with
existing ductwork is: they leak an incredible amount of air, throwing your
money away.
Installed ductwork leaks also bring in moldy, dusty,
potentially contaminated air from places like your crawlspaces, attics,
basements or garages.
A Department of Energy lab discovered the
reason for this leakage: gray duct tape quickly dries out and is virtually
worthless for sealing ductwork. Ninety-nine percent of all installed
duckwork uses standard duct tape.
The Department Of Energy states:
"Duct repairs could be the most important energy improvement measure you can
do."
Poor and or inexperienced workmanship creates duct leakage where your HVAC
equipment is connected to your existing ductwork and throughout the ductwork
network in a home.
A recent study by a major electrical utility
found that 79% of newly installed systems had either significantly too much
or too little refrigerant gas. This causes an ineffective system operation,
which translates to higher energy costs.
Very few residential
contractors have the training and know how to do it properly.
We
precisely weigh in the proper charge, or adjust it based on careful
temperature, relative humidity and refrigerant gas pressure measurements.
For total comfort and real energy savings.