How to Make Sure Your Home’s IAQ Stays High Through the Winter Months

For years, the goal of home builders everywhere has been ever tighter construction so conditioned air can’t leak out and unconditioned air can get in. Only in recent years has attention been focused on the poor indoor air quality that results from airtight homes. Indoor air quality or IAQ is important all year long, but IAQ during the winter should be addressed with particular concern …

It’s On the Inside that Counts — The Innerworkings of an HVAC System

Many modern homes are equipped with a combined heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to meet the comfort needs of the household throughout the entire year. By understanding the innerworkings of an HVAC system, homeowners can gain valuable knowledge of how one system can keep their home cool in the summer and warm in the winter while using the …

How to Choose the Right Ventilation System for Your Overland Park Home

Whether you’re finally building your Kansas dream home or you’re finally renovating an older space, it’s important that you put air quality and energy efficiency at the top of your to-do list. Your comfort, health, safety, and impact on the environment all depend on how well your home is ventilated. Know your ventilation system options Heating, ventilating, and cooling your home isn’t as simple as …

9 Ways to Know When it’s Time to Replace Your Air Conditioner

If your air conditioning system has recently broken down or if it’s just not keeping you as cool as it used to even after performing routine maintenance, it might be worth replacing the whole unit instead of wasting money and time repairing it. Following is a handy guide of factors that may indicate you should replace your air conditioner (usually, …

Your Kansas City Home: Getting the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) out of Your Indoor Air

Have you ever wondered why pregnant women aren’t supposed to help paint the new baby’s nursery? It’s because, until very recently, all paints had volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in them. These VOCs can cause a variety of adverse short-term and long-term side effects. In the short term, exposure can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, dizziness, headaches, nausea and vomiting. …

Why Insulation And Ventilation Go Hand In Hand

Just as adequate insulation and ventilation are important to ensure during the summer cooling season, they also play a key role in your household comfort and efficiency during the winter heating season. Investing in proper insulation levels while ensuring that your home’s ventilation needs are being met will go a long way toward keeping you (and your household budget) comfortable this winter and …

Ventilation And Insulation: Prescription For An Attic That’s Running A Temperature

If your utility bills are high and your home seems to be running a fever, you may be surprised to learn that your attic may be “patient zero” and the source of the problem. Though many homeowners don’t give a lot of thought to their attics, these spaces can raise your energy bill up to 20 percent when they become …

Why Your Home Needs Heat-Recovery Ventilation

Adequate ventilation provides your home with a continuous supply of fresh air. Energy-efficient improvement and construction methods such as weather-stripping and insulation can save you money and enhance climate control. However, these methods tend to render your home airtight, which can keep pollutants inside, not allowing them to escape into the outdoors. They should be complemented with a ventilation system …

Why NATE Certification Matters When You’re Hiring An HVAC Contractor

There are many contractors who advertise that they are qualified to service HVAC units. Unfortunately, many homeowners have experienced service call or installation dissatisfaction as a result of shoddy work, exorbitant charges or both. As homeowners, how do we ensure that we are getting the level of service required to not only repair equipment, but that also meets the terms of the …