Sources commonly located in a garage

Homeowners generally store not only their cars in an attached garage, but also gas-fueled equipment such as lawn mowers and barbecues, along with household chemicals and pesticides. All of these sources emit harmful pollutants that can negatively impact one’s health.

How an attached garage can reduce indoor air quality

You may wonder how pollutants from a garage can seep into a home, especially since it seems like a well-sealed-off space. The problem lies in air leaks in the shared wall between the home and garage, as well as air pressure differences that can draw air from the attached garage into your house. In fact, findings of a recent Canadian study concluded that homes with attached garages were indeed subject to increased pollution.

Solutions you can use

• The best way to prevent pollutants from entering your home is to remove the source of contaminants. Find an alternative location to store chemicals and fuels.
• Seal the air leaks in the shared wall.
• Back your car into the driveway to let it warm up, then close the garage door, which will decrease the amount of exhaust pollution that enters your home.
• Install an exhaust fan in the garage, which will draw any remaining pollutants outside.

Evaluate how your attached garage may be contributing to indoor air pollution and degrading air quality. By taking a few steps to control pollution sources in your garage, you can lock in quality indoor air — and stay comfortable all winter long. For help in the Indianapolis area, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbingtoday!

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 websiteto see our special offers and get started today!      

Much of the dust in your home is created by human skin, and we can shed up to 10 grams every day. Dust mites love human skin, and they have plenty of it to feed off of. Further, most humans react negatively to the droppings left by dust mite. To top it off, dust mites procreate at an astonishing rate.

While the combination of facts about shedding skin and dust mites might leave you feeling a bit perplexed, or worse, helpless, you can get the upper hand on dust control by:

• Dusting regularly with a tool that traps dust, instead of just moving it around. A damp cloth or Swiffer will work.
• Sweeping floors moves dust around, so vacuum instead with a machine that traps the dust. One that uses a HEPA filter is especially helpful for this purpose.
• Using an air-purification system that specifically targets dust and dust mites will give you another measure of control.
• Taking care of pets is also critical. If you have pets, brush them every day, and then gather up the hair with a damp cloth. The key here, again, is not releasing the dander — which dust mites love — into the home.
• Washing materials regularly that can harbor dust, including curtains, bedding and clothes, in water above 130 degrees to kill off dust mites.
• Purchasing specialized pillow cases and bedding, which will prevent dust from penetrating the material and keep dust mites out.

Getting rid of dust requires that you consistently engage in clean-home strategies, but the above-listed tips also will ensure control over dust and dust mites. If you’d like help with improving your home comfort or indoor air quality, contact our experts at Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbingtoday. We serve the Greater Indianapolis area with pride.

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!      

Steps to take before the freeze

Your home’s plumbing pipes require insulation. Because some portion of pipes are generally located in unconditioned areas of your home, they are subject to freezing. You can use pipe insulation or heat tape to carefully wrap the material around the pipes. Another factor that contributes to a cold space, which then creates the potential for pipes to freeze, is air leaks. Leaks in your home’s exterior shell allow colder air to enter the home, which then leads to an even colder basement, for instance, where pipes can freeze. Wherever possible, seal air leaks in your home, not only to prevent pipes from freezing but to save energy as well.

Steps to take once temperatures become frigid

If weather conditions produce sub-freezing temperatures, you can take steps to avoid freezing pipes by:

• Opening faucets so that they drip a small amount of water, ensuring a flow of water that’s more difficult to freeze and relieving pressure in the plumbing system (to prevent pipes from bursting if they do freeze and thaw).
• Maintaining a consistently warm temperature 24 hours a day.
• Allowing heat to enter cabinet spaces by keeping cabinet doors open.

If you have to leave your house, don’t forget to…

• Maintain an indoor temperature above 55 degrees. If the power to your home comes back on while you’re not home, this will ensure that heat is delivered to the space.
• Ensure that the water supply valve to your home’s plumbing system is shut off.

With these tips in hand, you can prevent pipes from freezing, no matter what weather Mother Nature throws at you. If you’d like help with any of your home’s plumbing needs, don’t hesitate to call the experts at Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing.

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 websiteto see our special offers and get started today!      

Ductwork image via Shutterstock

The thermostat

The key to using your thermostat correctly lies in its connection to the furnace’s life span. Like your car, washing machine or any other electronic device, your furnace generally has a predetermined number of hours it will run over its entire lifetime. Therefore, you’ll preserve the system if you use the thermostat to set back the home’s temperature on a regular basis. Using a programmable device is really helpful to ensure regular setbacks. So, essentially, if you can decrease the amount of time you use your furnace, at night and when the home isn’t occupied, you’ll gain back precious hours of use. And, during the process, you’ll save energy by decreasing the home’s temperature, and see those savings on your monthly energy bills.

Annual maintenance

The primary way to ensure efficient results from your furnace, day in and day out, is to have it serviced regularly. Furnaces require annual maintenance to keep them clean and safe. And a clean, well-operating system will work as efficiently as possible, saving you money on energy bills. It also will last longer, giving you a bigger return on your investment.

The ductwork

The ductwork system distributes heated air, so if it’s performing under par — usually due to air leaks in the duct pipes — you’ll lose valuable conditioned air that your furnace works so hard to create. Take the time to evaluate your ductwork, and seal any leaks that occur with mastic sealant.

Take your home’s furnace efficiency to the next level by operating your thermostat correctly, scheduling annual maintenance and keeping ductwork well sealed. If you’d like a professional assessment of the efficiency of your home systems, or if you’d like to ask our experts a question, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We proudly serve homeowners in 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!      

In order for the furnace system to cycle on, it must receive a signal from the home’s thermostat that heat is needed. Therefore, your thermostat should be set in the “heating” mode, which will indicate to the furnace to get ready to work (whereas the “cooling” mode signals the A/C to cycle on).

Next, the thermostat’s setting must be high enough so the furnace knows it’s time to produce heat. Look on your thermostat for your home’s current temperature. Then, raise the thermostat’s gauge higher than that indoor temperature. For troubleshooting purposes, set it at least 3 degrees higher to get a response from the furnace.

Power

The furnace system itself needs power to work, and there are two locations to check for power: The first is at the main circuit box. Make sure the circuit is in the “on” mode. If it’s been tripped, reset it. It’s also possible that you’ve blown a fuse, which will need replaced. Next, check that the power to the furnace system itself is on. Most furnaces will have a switch on the appliance itself.

Airflow

To ensure enough airflow to the system, check the air filter and change it if it’s dirty. Assess your home’s registers and grilles; they should be clear to allow airflow to move through them, so remove furniture or any other blockages. Finally, supply registers should be open, so check each one’s position to ensure that a register isn’t closed.

When furnace troubleshooting doesn’t result in a strong flow of even heat, give your local HVAC technician a call. Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbingis available to help with all of your home’s heating and cooling needs. Just contact us today.

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!      

Furnace repair man image via Shutterstock

Efficiency rules

If you want optimal results, you’ll need to explore higher-efficiency systems. Look for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings above 90 percent. AFUE measures how well furnaces can produce heated air in relation to the fuel they consume. This type of system uses advanced technologies to minimize wasted energy.

Sizing factors lock in efficiency

No matter how high-tech the furnace you select, if it’s not sized correctly, you could end up with seriously compromised home comfort. Your installer should size your home for its design influences, heat gain, local climate and insulation to determine how much heating capacity your home requires, and then size the system accordingly.

Consider related components

Depending on the age of your home, your ductwork system was likely designed with the previous heating system in mind, or perhaps for the original heating system. At the very least, an expert should evaluate ducts during the sizing process to ensure that they can accommodate the new system — and to ensure a comfortable home.

Quality installation counts

Installation is one component where you don’t want to skimp on quality. Instead of randomly hiring an HVAC contractor from the phone book, take your time to review reputation and qualifications — and don’t forget customer satisfaction.

Brand matters

Just like the quality of installer, the quality of the system you select is also critical. Choose from dependable, long-lasting manufacturers, who will provide strong warranties and an avenue of recourse should something go wrong.

Upgrading your furnace can reap big rewards. For homeowners, that means lower energy bills and improved comfort. And you can get it all, with our tips for upgrading. For HVAC help in the Indianapolis area, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing today!

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!      

Use one of the following ideas, or several in tandem, to magnify results and significantly decrease your energy costs:

• Lower the overall temperature of your home by installing a whole-house humidifier, because moist air feels warmer than air that it more dry. And winter air can be uncomfortably dry, so a whole-house system will make your home more comfortable by increasing humidity levels.
• Ensure that you don’t lose valuable heat through your windows, which can contribute to big energy losses. To be sure that you don’t lose valuable heat through them, make sure that they are shut tight. If you have storm windows, install them or be sure to close them.
• Seal air leaks around windows and door frames. Air leaks enable heated air to escape out of your home, which increases the amount of energy that your furnace must consume to continue maintaining your desired temperature. You can use caulk around frames, and apply weather stripping to the bottom of doors.
• Replace your furnace filters regularly during the winter season, and you’ll help your furnace operate as efficiently as possible. Dirty filters cause your heating system to work harder to push air through the clogged filters, which costs you more money on your utility bill.
• Schedule a professional service for your furnace. Ideally, this step should be performed prior to the beginning of the heating system, but if you haven’t had it done yet, it’s not too late. Maintenance will ensure that your furnace is clean, void of buildup, and operates efficiently.
• Adjust your home’s ceiling fans, if you have them. You can adjust them to enhance heating by switching to the reverse cycle, and placing them on a low speed. The fans then will push hot air at the top of a room down toward the living space.

For all your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) needs in the Indianapolis area, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We can help you with energy-saving ideas throughout your home to decrease energy costs, or just call us with your HVAC questions. We are happy to be of service.

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!      

Energy saving photo via Shutterstock

The benefits of annual maintenance include:

• Locking in top efficiency: The primary goal of maintenance is to ensure that your system operates as designed, keeping its efficiency at peak capacity, and without using extra energy. Maintenance for your systems will include a comprehensive inspection and cleaning, which helps your HVAC system work optimally to use energy wisely, operate safely, and ward off wear and tear issues that lead to significant repairs.
• Securing energy savings: When you provide regular maintenance for your HVAC system, it will operate more efficiently. Therefore, you can expect bigger energy savings on your utility bills because your HVAC system is consuming less energy.
• Increasing home comfort: Efficiency also extends to improved home comfort, because if your heating and cooling equipment is operating at peak capacity, it’ll provide you and your loved ones with a comfortable, even temperature all year long.
• Reducing repairs: With annual maintenance, you can stay a step ahead of components that are wearing down. During your annual inspections, your technician will inspect all of your systems’ components, and replace individual parts as necessary. This decreases the likelihood of small issues escalating into expensive, extensive repairs.
• Extending the systems’ life spans: A long-term benefit of annual maintenance is that your HVAC systems generally will last longer. Parts that aren’t laden with dirt, grime and other buildup will continue to heat and cool your home efficiently for years and years, extending the life of your systems, and giving you a better return on your initial investment in your home heating and cooling systems.

Providing annual maintenance for your home’s heating and cooling systems will help you endure Indianapolis’ long, harsh winters and hot, sticky summers, without suffering interruption to the heating and cooling of your home and the expense of repairing, or potentially replacing, your HVAC system. To schedule maintenance, or to ask about our maintenance program, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbingtoday.

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!      

There are countless different models of programmable thermostats on the market, and knowing which one to choose can get a little confusing. Ask yourself the following questions to help narrow down the selection:

• Does it offer enough flexibility to handle your schedule? Consider how many days per week your schedule changes, as well as how many times per day you need to be able to adjust the temperature.
• Do you need any special features? Before purchasing a thermostat, determine what, if any, special requirements you have, and then look for features that can fill those needs.

Setting the Thermostat for Savings

No matter which programmable thermostat you choose, you need to set it correctly in order to save energy. Use the following tips to maximize your savings:

• Follow the Energy Star guidelines. Energy Star is a program created by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency to help consumers save energy. In the winter, Energy Star recommends setting your temperature back by eight degrees while your house is empty or while you are sleeping. In the summer, set your thermostat seven degrees higher while your house is empty and four degrees higher while you are sleeping.
• Avoid too many temperature changes. Although you may be tempted to micromanage your thermostat settings to match your schedule perfectly, you will save more money by leaving the temperature set at an energy-saving level as long as possible. Ideally, you should leave the temperature set higher or lower for no less than eight hours at a time. By doing so, you can save as much as 15 percent on your energy costs annually.

Programmable thermostats provide an excellent way to save energy without having to sacrifice your comfort. If you live in the Indianapolis area and would like to learn more about these thermostats, contact us at Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about programmable thermostat and other HVAC topics, visit our website.

Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas.

Programmable thermostat via Shutterstock

When you pair a heat pump with a secondary heating source that kicks in when it’s really cold, you can take advantage of the cost savings that a heat pump provides. And all the while, you’ll be warm and cozy, not even really aware that one system has shut down, while another has kicked on.

How does a heat pump work?  In summer, it transfers heat inside your home to the outside air.  In winter, it moves heat from the outside to the inside. That may sound a little strange, but there is heat in the outside air even when it is cold.  In areas like central Indiana, however, when the temperature is below 35 degrees, the process doesn’t work as well, and the air coming from your ducts feels too cool.

To make up for that, a dual fuel system has a secondary heating system with traditional fuel. During spring and fall, when some heat is needed inside your home, the heat pump produces heat at a lower cost.  In the deeper cold weather, the second fuel keeps you warm and toasty.

Not only is the heat pump portion of the system more efficient and cheaper to operate, it also releases less carbon into the air. Anyone concerned about the environment will appreciate the fact that heat pumps are environmentally friendly.

Through the end of 2016, you may be eligible for 30 percent of the costs of buying and installing a geothermal heat pump for your new home or secondary residence.

To find whether a dual fuel system is right for you, contact the experts at Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing.For more than 40 years, we have helped our clients with their heating and air-conditioning needs, and we can do the same for you, whether you need maintenance or a completely new system.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about dual fuel systems and other HVAC topics, visit our website.

 Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas.