Unlike traditional mechanical filters that work by physically trapping air pollutants, electronic air cleaners work by assigning an electric charge to airborne particles, and then removing them by using oppositely charged surfaces.

When it comes to electronic air cleaners, the two most popular styles for residential use are electrostatic precipitators and ion generators.The main difference between these two types is the method by which they charge and remove airborne particles.

Electrostatic precipitators work by first drawing air through an ionization chamber where any airborne particles take on an electric charge. Next, the air is drawn past a series of special collector plates that attract and remove the newly charged particles from the air. Although electrostatic precipitators are highly effective at cleaning the air, they do require a small amount of regular maintenance to remove any particles that have built up on the collector plates.

Alternatively, ion generators work by sending charged ions out into the air where they attach themselves to airborne particles. The charged particles are then attracted to nearby surfaces, including your walls or curtains, or are drawn to other charged particles in the air. This means that the particles settle quickly from your indoor air. The only drawback to this type of air cleaner is that you may notice your home’s surfaces need to be cleaned more often than normal, because particles are settling on them.

Regardless of which style of air cleaner that you choose, electronic air cleaning is an effective way to remove unwanted airborne contaminants. As a result, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from the health risks associated with poor indoor air quality.

If you live in the Indianapolis area and would like to learn more about electronic air cleaning, contact us at Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We’ve proudly served residential and commercial customers for more than 40 years, and looking forward to helping you with all of your heating, cooling and plumbing needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today! 

Indoor Air Quality image via Shutterstock  

The first consideration is the overall cost of the installation. It is all too common to consider only the expense of the new unit, and not the cost of the labor for the actual installation. During the winter months, heating and air companies must hire more help, and often spend much of their time responding to emergency service calls. Therefore, rates may go up. By waiting until spring to install a new system, you’ll be getting the work done in the off-season when it is more reasonably priced.

This lower prices in spring also give homeowners more options and buying power. Manufacturers typically reduce their prices on heating systems during the off-season, to make room in stores for new models that are coming out. You typically can get a much more efficient and higher quality model for less if you wait until the off-season.

It is important, however, to consider your furnace’s condition. Obviously, if yours is broken and won’t function, you’ve got two options: immediately shell out for a furnace replacement or use an alternative heat source. If you live in a very cold portion of the country, alternatives such as space heaters are not recommended due to the increased cost of operation, but alternative heat sources, such as wood stoves or pellet stoves, can shoulder the burden until you no longer require heat.

For more information about furnace replacement, or about replacing any component of your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system, contact the experts at Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We’ve proudly served residential and commercial customers in Indianapolis for more than 40 years, and look forward to helping you with all of your heating and cooling needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Identify, locate and repair the problem

Ductwork banging and booms often indicate normal expansion and contraction due to temperature fluctuations of the circulating conditioned air. Either the thin duct walls suddenly bang or boom from normal position, or there is contact between expanding ducts and building structures, such as the framing and pipes.

For normal expansion and contraction noise reduction, you may install acoustic liners to muffle duct noise to an unnoticeable or acceptable level. Very loud booms and bangs often are located at the trunk and plenum. This duct joint undergoes the greatest temperature fluctuation because it’s near the furnace. Consider installing an expansion collar to absorb the stress.

Duct banging and booms due to direct contact with building structures are the result of faulty installation. There should be no less than a one-inch gap between ducts and building objects. Once you’ve identified contact points, you may place padding in between. Some situations call for a heating and cooling professional to cut away framing or reposition ducts.

A third cause of noisy ductwork is loose or disconnected joints that rattle and clatter. This type of noise problem is perhaps the easiest to locate and repair. Note, however, that substantial energy is wasted until you do repair the problem. In fact, the average home loses 20 percent of conditioned air to leaks. If your ducts are clattering and rattling, unfortunately, they may be wasting far more than 20 percent of your costly conditioned air. To quiet the noise, and to repair leaks, seal all loose duct joints with mastic and fiberglass mesh, and consider replacing any damaged ducts.

Always use caution when accessing ducts, particularly in crawl spaces and the attic. If you need assistance, or have any questions about duct noise and efficiency, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We take pride in our top-quality service and installation for residential and commercial customers in Northern Indiana.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Ductwork image via Shutterstock

Water heating consumes the third most energy in your home, behind only heating and cooling your interior air. Upgrading to an energy-efficient water heater can cut that usage in half, and all you have to do is understand the Energy Factor (EF) of water heaters.

The EF tells you the amount of hot water produced per unit of energy that the unit consumes. Simply by looking at the EF, you can answer several key questions, including:

• Recovery efficiency: How efficiently does the water heat convert heat from its fuel source to the water?
• Standby heat loss: How much heat escapes from the water-heater tank as it holds the hot water that it is waiting for you to use?
• Cycling losses: How much heat is lost as the water makes its way from the inlet pipes to the outlet pipes?

The EF is a single rating that allows you to compare different water heaters so that you can make an informed decision about which will save you the most money. For electric units, the EF rating can be as high as .95, meaning that 95 percent of the energy that the unit consumes it uses to heat the water, wasting only 5 percent. For gas units, this number can be lower but that doesn’t always mean you should opt for an electrical model.

Here are some other factors that you should consider when purchasing a new water heater:

• Fuel costs for your home.
• Proper size: If your water consumption is high, try upgrading to efficient appliances and faucets before you select your new water heater so you can choose the correct size.
• Overall cost of the machine.
• Your household peak-hour water usage.

For help finding the best water heater for your needs, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. With more than 40 years of service in the Greater Indianapolis area, we have the experience to maximize your savings, and we can help you with all of your residential and commercial heating, cooling and plumbing needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Two main types of geothermal systems exist. Closed-loop systems use the thermal energy of the ground, while open-loop systems tap into a water source such as a lake or pond to gather and dispose of heat. If you live next to a body of water, you can use an open-loop system that has less of an impact on your yard. However, if you don’t have any hydrological resources, you’ll need to go with a closed-loop geothermal installation.

The pipes for a closed-loop system can be buried horizontally or vertically. If your yard is small or you don’t want to disturb any existing landscaping, a vertical system is probably your best option. Instead of laying the pipes over a larger surface area, heavy equipment will drill vertically up to 400 feet down, and that’s where the pipes will be placed.

Horizontal closed-loop systems – where the pipes are laid in shallow trenches in your yard – usually are less expensive to install than vertical systems. Both systems, however, may qualify for federal tax credits effective through 2016, which will offset the cost of geothermal installation by 30 percent. These credits also extend toward the purchase of a geothermal heat pump that meets U.S. Department of Energy’s specifications. Neither the installation nor equipment has a cap on the price that the tax credit can be applied to.

If you would like to learn more about geothermal heat pumps, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We have served the Indianapolis area for over 40 years and can help you learn more about geothermal systems and their installation.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Heat pumps use electricity to move heat from place to place. In the summer, the heat pump removes heat from the home and transports it outside, and in the winter, the heat pump brings it inside. A well-maintained air-source heat pump creates 300 percent more heat than the electricity they consume. This compares favorably to the highest rated fuel-burning furnaces that achieve 97 percent efficiency. Heat pumps have limitations, however, since heat is more difficult to extract from the outdoor air when the mercury reaches the freezing point. Dual fuel systems solve this problem by kicking in the fuel-burning supplementary unit during the coldest weather.

Instead of relying on combustion fuels all winter, you can use the natural heat in the air when the weather is warmer throughout the fall and spring, and even warmer days in the winter. If you have a newer furnace, it may be compatible with a heat pump, helping you lower your winter heating bills. The heat pump may also be compatible with a radiant heating system that uses any combustible fuel, including wood or coal.

When the dual fuel heat pump is installed, you or the HVAC technician can select the outdoor temperature at which you want the supplementary fuel system to operate. Switching to combustible fuel heating will make your home feel more comfortable as temperatures decline during the fall months.

Dual fuel heat pumps may also include equipment upgrades that improve your comfort and their energy efficiency, such as variable-speed motors or scroll compressors. If you’d like to learn more about these systems, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing to learn more. We’ve been providing HVAC services throughout the Indianapolis area for more than 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Heating and Cooling

• Upgrade older appliances with energy-efficient units that are the proper size for your home.
• Reduce air loss by sealing ducts to repair holes and cracks.
• Install a digital, programmable thermostat that allows you complete control of the temperature in your home.
• Insulate and weatherproof the home to prevent air loss. Place weather-stripping around doors and windows, and install door jams at the bottom of exterior doors.
• Service your heating and cooling unit at least once a year. A well-maintained HVAC system will help reduce energy bills.
• Regularly replace dirty air filters. A clogged HVAC air filter will cause the unit to work harder and use more energy.

Hot Water

• Lower the temperature on your hot water tank to 120 degrees.
• Use cold water to wash clothing in instead of hot. Most modern detergents are designed to do the job with cold water. In addition, use the appropriate capacity for the load of laundry.
• Prevent heat from escaping from the water tank by wrapping it in a blanket, though consider requesting help from an HVAC professional if you have a gas water heater.
• Insulate pipes with inexpensive foam pipe insulation to prevent heat loss.

Appliances, Electronics and Lighting

• Upgrade old appliances with energy-efficient models. Older appliances tend to use more energy than newer models.
• Refrain from using unnecessary settings – such as the sanitation setting – on the dishwasher.
• Only use the dishwasher when you have a full load.
• Place electronics on sleep mode when not in use.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Never leave the lights or ceiling fans on when not in that room.
• Use power supply strips to plug in multiple electronics.

For more expert tips on lowering your energy bills, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. For 40 years, we have provided heating and cooling solutions to the greater Indianapolis area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

The benefits of these systems are considerable, ranging from easy installation to energy efficiency.

Installation

Because no ducts are required with the ductless mini-split, installation is fast. The HVAC technician drills a three-inch hole through the exterior wall for the conduit and connects the compressor and the air handler. The conduit contains the power source, the refrigerant line and the drainpipe. Smaller mini-splits run off 120-volts, making it easy to just plug the compressor into a standard home outlet.

Energy Efficiency

The lack of ducts contributes to the energy efficiency of these units. Ducts can account for 30 percent of the conditioning losses in forced-air systems, either through transference of heat or leaks in the ducts. Some mini-split compressors can support up to four air handlers for larger spaces. Since the air handlers run independent of each other, you need only heat or cool the spaces you’re using, cutting down on energy costs. Mini-splits that use variable-speed motors in the air handlers operate quietly, using significantly less electricity than single-speed motors. This type of ductless mini-split also removes more humidity during the summer because the air handler runs longer at slower speeds.

Flexibility

The air handlers sit on the floor or can be mounted from walls or ceilings. The mounted handlers usually have remotes to simplify operation. Since a compressor can support multiple units, it’s easy to expand the system if you continue to expand your home or workspace with building additions.

If you’d like to learn more about ductless mini-splits, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We’ve provided our services to the Indianapolis area for over 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

• The age of your furnace. If your furnace is over 10 years old, a newer, high-efficiency model may save you more in the long term than an expensive repair. Newer furnaces are up to 97 percent efficient, whereas older models may only have an efficiency rating of 55-75 percent. In our Midwestern climate, where the heating season last several months a year, it may make more sense to upgrade rather than spend money on repairs. The good news here is that now, at the end of the heating season, you’ll likely find some good deals on furnace replacement.
• The status of your warranty. If your furnace is still covered under warranty, with both parts and labor, it may be most cost effective to repair. With spring’s arrival in Indianapolis, you should be able to get by with an alternate heat source for a few days while repairs are underway.
• The cost of repair. If your warranty coverage has expired, but your furnace is relatively new, it may be hard to choose between furnace repair or replacement. Sit down with pen in hand and work out the cost over time. The repair job itself is very labor intensive and expensive, as the entire unit must be taken apart to get at the heat exchanger.

If you have a furnace repair or replacement decision to make, give us a call at Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing for expert advice. We have over 40 years of experience in the HVAC industry, and you can count on us to help you make the right decision.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

If you forgot to schedule HVAC maintenance, there’s no time like the present, right before the heavy cooling season. Often an HVAC service agreement ensures that your system is inspected and cleaned during the slower months, right before the heating and cooling seasons.

While cleaning or replacing air filters as often as once a month helps to ensure efficient operation, there are some things that only a professional can do. An HVAC contractor can identify potentially dangerous issues, such as incomplete combustion or a cracked heat exchanger, and has the tools and training required to properly clean and service your HVAC system components.

If you forgot to schedule HVAC maintenance, there are several important checkups that your system may not receive. These typically include:

• Tightening electrical connections and checking motors to ensure the system operates safely
• Checking your thermostat settings to make sure you’re getting the optimum efficiency from your system
• Lubrication of moving parts
• Inspection of condensate drain in air conditioner, furnace and heat pump
• Checking the system controls to ensure safe operation
• Checking the cycling of the system to make sure it turns on and shuts off as it should
• Cleaning evaporator and condenser coils in your cooling system.
• Checking the refrigerant levels
• Cleaning and adjustment of blower components
• Checking gas or oil connections, as well as gas pressure, heat exchanger and burner combustion

If you live in the Indianapolis area and forgot to schedule HVAC maintenance, call Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to schedule an appointment today. Use the opportunity to discuss your options for an HVAC service agreement, so you don’t miss another important checkup on your system.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!