Understanding Air Conditioning System Efficiency Ratings

September 21st, 2020
Energy-efficient HVAC unit surrounded by green leaves, symbolizing eco-friendly HVAC services.

We aim to help our customers save money while enjoying comfort. We put it in our slogan: “Live Green, Save Green.” One of the ways to save money while helping the environment is to invest in HVAC equipment with improved energy efficiency. The more efficient a device, the less energy it consumes to provide comfortable temperatures for a household. There’s also less energy taken from power plants, which helps everyone to live greener. A well-maintained ac system and hvac system are essential for achieving both energy savings and lasting performance.

How to Pick an Energy-Efficient HVAC System Based on Efficiency Ratings?

  • SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio): Measures cooling efficiency over a typical season. A higher SEER means lower energy use and bills. Aim for SEER 15+ to qualify for Energy Star certification and significant savings.
  • EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio): Reflects cooling efficiency under peak load conditions (95 °F outdoors, 80 °F indoors). Important for consistently hot climates.
  • HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor): Used for heat pumps, measuring heating efficiency. Higher HSPF equals better winter performance and utility savings.
  • AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency): Indicates how effectively a gas or oil furnace converts fuel to heat. High-efficiency models can reach AFUE 90–98%, maximizing fuel savings.
  • Installation quality matters: Even the highest-efficiency unit won’t perform well without proper sizing, ductwork, refrigerant charge, and airflow setup.

This is why we encourage looking into high-efficiency air conditioning in Modesto, CA. We’re going to examine the efficiency ratings of modern air conditioning systems and what they mean as well as how to ensure they make a difference for you, since a high-efficiency rating isn’t a guarantee of savings, although it puts you on the right path.

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Does Your Home Need Water Softening?

September 14th, 2020

In our previous blog post, we talked about the various signs that your water quality needs help and explored the various water treatment systems that can do the job. We’d like to expand a bit more on one of these systems–the water softener–and explain how and why your water may need softening.

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Duct Cleaning: The Difference Professionals Can Make

September 7th, 2020
ductwork-in-attic

You may have heard cautions about duct cleaning, and some of these are well-founded. Unfortunately, there are many non-professionals who solicit homeowners to hire them for “duct cleaning.” What they provide hardly merits the name—they can charge a low price because they don’t do much work, and the ducts are rarely much cleaner afterward than before.

But duct cleaning is an important service that residential homes need done every few years. But the cleaning must be done by professionals who have the right tools. This isn’t just a quick vacuum job that takes less than an hour. Professional and certified duct cleaners use powerful blowers to change the pressure inside the ductwork and agitate dust and other debris from the walls. A special vacuum system then removes the particles from the ventilation system. Separate rotary brushes are used to spot-clean areas around the house.

Why This Is Helpful

Professional duct cleaning is beneficial to your house in several ways. Here are the main reasons we recommend scheduling duct cleaning in Modesto, CA every few years.

  • HVAC System Efficiency: Even a thin layer of dust collected along the interior walls of flexible ductwork creates resistance against airflow. As dust, lint, and dander continue to build up inside ducts, the airflow resistance increases and causes the blower of the HVAC system to work harder and drain more power. Running the heater and AC in a home will become more expensive after years of missing out on duct cleaning.
  • HVAC System Longevity: The extra strain placed on the HVAC system from airflow resistance will cause the parts to age faster. Worse, all that extra dust and debris inside the ventilation system can get into the HVAC cabinet and cause damage to motors, the evaporator coil, and the heat exchanger. Cleaner ducts mean a healthier and longer-lived HVAC system.
  • Better Indoor Air Quality: Think of the ducts as a reservoir of dust and lint. It’s not an easy place for you to clean, so unlike the rest of your home, the dust remains year after year. When the HVAC blower turns on, it sends out this debris into your home, where it circulates. This can make for a home that’s dustier and which also can be unhealthy for people who have asthma and allergies.

When to Call for Duct Cleaning

Not certain if you need to have the ducts in your house cleaned? We recommend this service at least every five years, so if you’ve already lived in your house longer than that and haven’t had duct cleaning yet, it’s time. You can also make a visual check: open the register for one of the vents in your house, then put your hand down into the duct shaft and take a picture with your smartphone. If the image you see looks like a clogged air filter from a car, call us to schedule duct cleaning.

Our team has the top industry-approved tools for this job, and our technicians are experts at thorough duct cleaning.

Call Greenhart to schedule duct cleaning services for your home. We help you “Live Green, Save Green!”

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3 Signs That You Need Better Water Quality

August 31st, 2020
water

A lot of us really take our tap water for granted. While a weekend retreat to a campsite with jugs of water in tow certainly has its charms, fact is that no one would want to live without running water in this day and age. Just because you have running water, even if it’s from a municipal supply, doesn’t guarantee great water quality, though. In fact, your water quality may be a lot lower than you realize.

Don’t worry. As usual, the professional plumbers on our team have your back. We install and service a number of great water treatment systems, and we’ll make sure that you have the right one for your needs. There are a lot of water treatment systems in Modesto, CA, to choose from. Before you can choose the right system for your home, though, you need to recognize the need!

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The Air Filter on Your AC/Furnace? It’s NOT to Make Your Air Healthier

August 24th, 2020
man-with-furnace-filter

Air filtration systems are one of the standard ways we can help a home enjoy healthier air free from the majority of large contaminants circulating through the HVAC system. But often when we bring up air filters, homeowners are confused. “But I already have an air filter. It’s in the HVAC cabinet, and I change it every few months with a fresh one. Isn’t that helping with air quality?”

We understand why people are confused about this. The truth is that the air filter on your AC and furnace is not designed to improve indoor air quality. It may have a minor effect on it, but to enjoy tangible benefits to air quality requires having professionals install dedicated air filtration systems in Modesto, CA.

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Heed These Signs You Need Repiping

August 17th, 2020
old-rusty-pipe-with-small-leak

How old is your home? Did you know if it’s more than a few decades old, it might have corroding pipes? This is because the material used to create these pipes doesn’t necessarily last forever–over time they can sustain damage that leads to corrosion and subsequent leaks. As a result, you may find yourself in need of partial or even whole-home repiping.

But how do you know if this is the case? After all, it can be hard for the average homeowner to spot problems in their mostly hidden plumbing system. Read on as we uncover what you should look for in determining your repiping needs!

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The Dilemma of Modern Homes and Indoor Air Quality

August 10th, 2020
spinning-fan

Our company exists to help homeowners overcome the dilemmas they face with houses that are uncomfortable and energy inefficient at the same time. It’s an unfortunate fact for many people that they live in homes that are stuffy and uncomfortable with air quality far worse than it should be, and yet they’re paying high energy bills for the “privilege” of inferior living.

Today we want to specifically address the trouble with indoor air quality Modesto, CA. IAQ is a big trouble spot for homes, and we’re going to explain why this situation exists. Part of it is because attempts to make homes more energy-efficient end up creating a new problem (often without solving the original energy waste problem).

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How Not to Treat Your Drains

August 3rd, 2020
animated-drain-pipe

How not to treat your drains: By using store-bought chemical drain cleaners!

Trust us, we get it. One of the most frustrating, and unfortunately one of the most common, problems to deal with in households today is a clogged drain. And reaching for a bottle of that store-bought stuff is easy, right? But there’s a problem–these “solutions” can actually be doing more harm than good.

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Understanding the MERV Rating and Air Filters

July 27th, 2020
air-fliter-cu

Air filtration systems are one of the basic building blocks of indoor air quality for a home. We offer many types of IAQ services for our clients, but air filtration in Modesto, CA solutions are one of the most common. Among the top systems we install are PureAir S, the Carbon Clean 16, and the Clean Air 11.

However, finding the right air filtration for a home isn’t something we do by selecting the most powerful filters available. That can lead to serious problems with the HVAC system in the house. We take into account many factors when it comes to choosing air filters. One of the key factors is MERV, the rating system measuring air filter strength. To help understand the importance of finding the right air filters, we’re going to go into more depth about MERV.

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Unique Ductless Repairs You Can Avoid

July 20th, 2020
ductless-air-handler-blowing-cold-air

Are you considering the installation of a new ductless system this summer? When it comes to choosing a new air conditioner of any kind, there are a number of considerations to keep in mind. You want your cooling system to work as efficiently and effectively as possible for the years to come, after all.

This is why you should definitely work with an experienced contractor to find the best option for your specific needs and budget, while keeping in mind that only a professional can guarantee reliable work. Particularly when it comes to ductless heating and cooling.

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