Ambient Comfort LLC Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

Do You Need an Air Filtration System?

Monday, August 17th, 2020

Filters are an important aspect of our lives as human beings. We filter our water, we filter some of our food, and we even filter our air. There are many components like these that contribute to a healthy lifestyle, and air filters are one of them! The biggest obstacle to having air filtered in your home is making the decision to invest in one in the first place.

Do you need an air filtration system? Yes, absolutely!

Air filtration is one of those helpful HVAC services in Burlington County that can provide demonstrable benefits to your comfort and health. By filtering out things like dust, pet dander, dirt, and other contaminants that otherwise cycle through your air, you’re improving the indoor air quality of your home.

Not convinced? Let’s talk about how an air filtration system works and why you might want one!

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Summertime Humidity: Here’s What to Do

Monday, June 8th, 2020

Humidity is the bane of comfort during the summer. Homeowners will complain until the sun goes down about scorching hot temperatures, but very few people know the uncomfortable effects of humidity and how it can contribute to the breakdown of your air conditioner. Let us explain.

Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor in the air. During the summer, when temperatures are high, humidity levels also rise which leads to some adverse effects that can make the climate feel even more uncomfortable. Air conditioners then have more trouble cooling your home and they can begin to fail if you’re not careful. Luckily, there are HVAC options in Cherry Hill, like dehumidifiers, that can address the water vapor issue and lead your home to be more comfortable.

Keep reading if you want to know the effects of humidity, the science behind it, and what you can do to address it.

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What Can an Air Purifier Do for You?

Monday, April 27th, 2020

Air purification systems are all the rage these days and for good reason! They’re a powerful way to mitigate germs of all sorts while keeping your home free of odors and any other microbial particles that could impact your health. However, while many homeowners might like the appeal of an air purifier in their home, they don’t actually know how they work and hesitate when it comes time to invest in an indoor air quality machine. So, in light of trying to spread information that’s accurate and useful, we’d like to talk about these systems and how they work.

Not just any HVAC company in Gloucester County, NJ can provide sensible indoor air quality solutions in this day and age. Thankfully, our team is full of trained specialists who are experts in the field of air purification and the elimination of germs.

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The Benefits of Humidified Air

Monday, September 16th, 2019

Humidity can be annoying, but as we end the cooling season it’s important to talk about the indoor air quality of your home during the winter. It’s easy to tell when your home is too humid in the summer, but it’s harder to tell when your home isn’t humid enough in the winter.

You’re probably saying “how can my home not be humid enough? Humidity is bad right?”

Well, not necessarily. Too much humidity is uncomfortable and awful, but low humidity is pretty detrimental to your health as well. There are many effects from having air that’s too dry during the winter, and if you’ll keep reading, you’ll see how they can range from minorly annoying to downright nasty if you’re not careful. Any Cherry Hill HVAC Company will tell you that air that’s not humid enough will make you uncomfortable as the winter progresses. Let’s talk about how!

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Is Professional Duct Testing Necessary?

Monday, February 18th, 2019

technician-working-on-ductsDuct testing is necessary when you either suspect or know for certain that your air ducts are allowing conditioned air to leak, or outside air to get in.

Your air ducts are what your central heating and air conditioning systems rely on to effectively do their jobs. They either cool or heat the air, and then blow that conditioned air through your network of ducts into the various rooms of your home. This ductwork system is most often located out of sight—behind walls, in the attic, and in other out-of-the-way locations that allow them to do their jobs without getting in your way.

However, this can certainly make it difficult to detect or spot when leaks or other duct problems happen. The good news is that our team can address the problem by performing professional duct testing to determine where your leak is coming from. But first, you’d have to know that you have leaky ductwork. We’ll get down to that below. First we want to talk to you a bit about how leaks happen and why they’re such a problem.

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Don’t Forget to Change Your Air Filter: Here’s Why

Monday, December 10th, 2018

man holding air filter, imposed on white backgroundWe want to start off with a question. When is the last time you changed your air filter? If your answer surpasses 3 months, then the time to change it is now. This is particularly true if that air filter is being used for both your central air conditioner and your central furnace. We want you to have the most efficient and effective use out of both of these HVAC system, considering how much you get from them.

One simple way to make sure this is the case is to perform a small maintenance task on your own. For full-service maintenance, give our team a call, but this one small task is—change your air filter! You might be surprised to discover just how important this small component is to both your furnace and air conditioner. It’s about a lot more than protecting your indoor air quality. In fact, it’s not even there to protect your indoor air quality. So, what does it do?

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No, You Should Not Attempt Duct Sealing on Your Own

Monday, October 29th, 2018

Male hands setting up ventilation system indoorsWith temperatures making a significant drop in the coming weeks, there’s no denying that winter is well on its way. That being said, it’s vital that you make sure your forced air heating system is ready for what’s to come, which includes scheduling routine maintenance for the system. Getting a professional heater tune-up is the best way to ensure that the system will function without any issues over the winter, and that it won’t cost more to run than it should.

There’s much more to keeping this heating system functioning as efficiently as possible, though. Maintenance is essential, of course, but it’s not the end all to be all. One of the biggest threats to energy loss you might face over the course of your homeownership is that of leaks from your ductwork. It’s something that too little people think about, but proper, professional, Camden County, NJ duct sealing can keep your HVAC systems from losing about 20-30% of the air moving through it.

Consider what this means—it’s conditioned air you’re paying for all winter long (and summer long, in the case of your air conditioner) that simply goes to waste. With your ducts properly sealed, however, you’ll see savings on your monthly energy bills.

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Managing Your Indoor Air Quality: Dry Air Isn’t Your Only Threat This Winter

Monday, October 1st, 2018

Rear view of a young woman opening the curtains in the morningHow often do you think about the IAQ of your home? That is—the indoor air quality.

The thing is, according to sources such as WebMD, the quality of your indoor air can be worse than that of outdoors. The reason for this is because homes today have been constructed to be highly energy efficient. They are built with “tight” construction to prevent air loss from your HVAC systems and to prevent drafts inside the home. This is fantastic for homeowners as it helps you save money on your utility bills each month. However, it’s not great for that indoor air quality.

So what can you do about it?

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Managing your Indoor Humidity for Ultimate Comfort

Friday, June 23rd, 2017

Managing your Indoor Humidity for Ultimate Comfort

Maintaining ideal humidity levels indoors is important for a number of reasons ranging from health concerns to utility costs. Both your home and your body have ideal humidity levels at which they work optimally and most efficiently.

In dry or arid areas, like New Mexico and Arizona, humidifiers release moisture into the air to keep humidity levels at optimum levels. In the more humid climates of southern New Jersey, however, residents need dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the air to keep homes and businesses at optimal levels. Here are three reasons to install a dehumidifier.

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Have Allergies? Air Filters Make the Difference

Monday, April 3rd, 2017

Have Allergies? Air Filters Are They Difference

In any home with central air conditioning and/or a forced hot air heating system, the air is recycled several times an hour. Air is pulled into the HVAC unit through an air filter before it is cooled or heated, then pushed back into the home through the ducts.

The filter plays in important role, removing dust, allergens and other pollutants from the air before it goes back into the home’s living spaces. If filtration isn’t effective, allergies, asthma and other health problems may be aggravated. A filter that is dirty and clogged with dust also reduces airflow, forcing the system to work harder and increasing energy consumption.

Quality air filtration starts with a quality air filter. Air filters are manufactured for different levels of efficiency, and are rated according to their minimum efficiency reporting value, a standard established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and known more widely by its initials, the MERV rating. The higher the MERV value, the better the air filter is at catching dust, pet hair and dander, allergens, mold spores, smoke and odors.

MERV Rating System

The MERV scale ranges from 1 to 20, with 20 representing the most thorough level of filtration. Hospitals and some industrial users that require ultra-clean air use filters with MERV values between 14 and 20. Filters for homes usually range from 1 to 14. Let’s look at the ratings for home systems in more detail, using information from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

MERV Rating 1-4

These are fiberglass filters or washable filters made from aluminum mesh. They are inexpensive but are only effective at trapping pet hair and larger particles of dust. Prices are as low as $3 each.

MERV Rating 5-8

These filter out finer particles of dust, most allergens, and mold spores. Prices range (roughly) from $4 to $10.

MERV Rating 9-12

These are the best filters you can get for your home. They trap all of the above mentioned contaminants plus the smallest dust and allergen particles, bacteria, viruses, and even most odors. Prices range from about $6 to $20 per filter.

Changing Your Filter

The best filter can’t do its job if it’s clogged. Most professionals say to change your filter once a month, but that’s a rough rule of thumb. You may need to change it more often if:

  • you use your HVAC system constantly
  • you live in a dusty environment
  • you have numerous shedding pets
  • a member of the household is particularly sensitive to certain allergens or airborne pollutants.

In such situations, it may be advisable to check or replace the filter as often as once a week.

Choose the Best

Ambient Comfort serves all of Gloucester County, New Jersey, with heating, ventilating and air conditioning sales and service. We will be glad to examine your A/C system and its filter and offer advice about improving the air quality in your home. Contact us.

Contact Ambient Comfort in Vineland, New Jersey, for service: 856-213-6586. We provide emergency services in South Jersey.

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