DeHart Plumbing, Heating, and Air Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Modesto’

“Help! My Furnace Is Blowing Out Cold Air”

Monday, November 23rd, 2020

woman-hugging-pillow-looking-cold-on-couch

This is obviously a very concerning problem—getting cold air from your vents when you turn on your furnace. After all, that’s the absolute last thing you need when you turn on your furnace, whether it’s the first time this season or you’ve already been utilizing it on a regular basis. If your furnace has indeed started blowing cold air, the best thing you can do is give our pros a call!

We cannot definitively tell you in a blog post what’s wrong with your specific system, but we can speculate. There are a number of reasons that it may experience this issue. Please don’t try to fix it on your own, as you can do more harm than good, without ever resolving the actual issue. Read on as we uncover what might be going on with your heater while you wait for a pro to come for repairs.

Tags: Furnace Repair, Heating Services, Modesto
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A Few Sources of Poor Indoor Air Quality in Homes

Monday, November 16th, 2020

The quality of air in many homes is much worse than it should be. This isn’t because polluted air from outside is moving inside. It’s because too many pollutants indoors are trapped there, with scant circulation of fresh air to remove them. This is an unfortunate side-effect of the improvement in home construction to make houses more energy efficient. The tight construction limits the ventilation that removes the concentration of pollutants.

The Pollutant Sources

“But where are these pollutants coming from?” That’s the big question. There’s no single answer because there are a range of sources for indoor pollutants that lower the quality of the air in a house. Below we’re going to look at some of the most common.

Appliances the combust fuel

If you live in a house that uses natural gas for cooking, heating, and other tasks, that is one of the main sources for harmful chemicals. True, you aren’t dealing with a toxic level of carbon monoxide (you have CO detectors to warn you if this is the case) or other gases, but they still have long-term health effects.

Building materials

Many modern materials used for the construction of homes have potentially harmful chemicals in them that will enter the house. An older home may have asbestos in it. Pressed-wood, which is much more common in homes today than even ten years before, often has chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in it, which contains arsenic, chromium, and copper, all of which can create health problems.

But the most common harmful chemical found in building material is formaldehyde—which also can result from combustion and cleaning products. Formaldehyde is often found in particleboard, hardwood paneling, and fiberboard.

Cleaning/Hobby/Personal Care Products

A large number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) arise from these materials that can be found in almost every household. VOCs include numerous chemicals that can affect people’s health in both the short and long-term.

Mold

Yes, you may have mold hidden somewhere in your house, possibly in the ductwork or located under floorboards where excess moisture has allowed it to grow. Toxic mold spores are a significant danger in homes where mold is growing.

The Horror! What Can I Do About This?

You’re probably not likely to tear out all the walls and throw away every cleaning supply you have and then stop using your gas stove. But although you don’t have many options for reducing these sources of air pollutants in your house (aside from mold and asbestos remediation), you do have options for better indoor air quality in Modesto, CA when you work with us. We offer numerous IAQ solutions, including:

Air filters and air purifiers to remove contaminants.
UV air purifiers to target organic pollutants, including mold spores.
Heat and energy recovery ventilators, which allow for fresh air circulation without a loss of energy efficiency in the house.
Dehumidifiers to remove the source of mold growth.
Duct sealing and repair to improve ventilation.

Get in touch with our professionals, and they’ll get started finding out exactly what your house needs for better, healthier indoor air quality.

Your home should be a breath of fresh air. With Greenhart, you can Live Green, Save Green!

Tags: Air Filtration, Air Purification, Energy Recovery Ventilator, Modesto, UV Light Air Cleaning
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Do Tankless Water Heaters Need Maintenance?

Monday, November 9th, 2020

The short answer to this question is “yes,” but we understand if you’d like more of an explanation than that!

Look, we get it. Tank water heaters are huge, have a number of components, and are really noticeable. So it’s easy to understand and remember, that these systems need maintenance from time to time. After all, scaling—the buildup of hard water minerals—can really wreak havoc on the system.

But did you know that tankless water heaters can suffer from scaling as well? And this is the reason that tankless water heaters need maintenance as well. Actually, much of the service that a conventional tank water heater needs is also necessary for tankless systems. Read on as we uncover the problem with scaling in your tankless system, and be sure to give us a call when you’re ready to schedule your tankless water heater maintenance session.

Tags: Modesto, Tankless Water Heaters, Water Heater Services
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How Our Professionals Do Duct Cleaning

Monday, November 2nd, 2020

Cleaning air ducts in the HVAC system of a home is an important service to help with energy savings and protecting indoor air quality. Ductwork naturally collects dust, dander, lint, and other debris; after about a year a thin layer will already build up inside the ductwork. Given enough time, this build-up creates resistance against airflow that lowers HVAC efficiency. It also turns into a reservoir of pollutants that circulate through the house, affecting air quality and making the home generally dirtier.

Thorough professional duct cleaning removes almost all of this debris and cleans other parts of the ventilation system. We recommend scheduling duct cleaning in Modesto, CA every three to five years with our team.

Tags: Duct Cleaning, Modesto
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Have You Taken This Important Step Toward Winter Comfort?

Monday, October 26th, 2020

The weather has started cooling down, finally! True, we aren’t going to have as chilly temperatures as states in the North or Midwest, but we still need fully functional and efficient heaters when winter does come. And the good news is, now is the perfect time to take one important step toward winter comfort—scheduling your heating maintenance.

There are some maintenance steps you should do on your own, like changing the air filter. The standard air filter in an HVAC system should be swapped out or cleaned every 1-3 months. But for thorough, comprehensive maintenance, you want to call on the pros.

So, don’t delay! Give us a call to schedule your next tune-up. Read on to learn why!

Tags: Heating Maintenance, Modesto
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Ways We Can Improve Your Home’s Ventilation System

Monday, October 19th, 2020

The ventilation system in the walls and ceilings of your house is often neglected as part of the overall comfort system. People focus on the heating and air conditioning, but ventilation misses out on the upgrades, tests, and repairs it needs. A poor ventilation system can ruin the best AC or heater, create massive energy waste, and harm indoor air quality.

What can you do about it? In fact, is there anything wrong with your ventilation system?

We can answer the second question easily with duct testing services. This will give us the data about the state of your ventilation system we need to know so we can decide what else needs to be done. Below are three major services we offer to improve your ventilation system.

Tags: Duct Cleaning, Duct Sealing, Modesto
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3 Reasons to Consider a Heat Pump

Monday, October 12th, 2020

Are you considering a new heater before winter comes? Granted, it doesn’t get that cold around our area in comparison to other parts of the country, but still, you want an effective and efficient heating system when you do need it, right?

And if your air conditioner is also on its last leg after all these heatwaves, you’re probably left prioritizing which is more worth your money… replacing your air conditioner or your heater. What if we told you that you could do both, with one system?

We’re talking about the heat pump! These are great systems that keep your indoor climate right where you want it, all year long. Read on as we uncover 3 of the biggest benefits of having a heat pump installed in your home.

Tags: Heat Pump, Heating Services, Modesto
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How Can I Tell If I Have Leaking Air Ducts?

Monday, October 5th, 2020

Leaks in the ductwork of a home are a major problem, and they are unfortunately one of those problems that often goes unnoticed or unrepaired for far too long. The consequences of leaking air ducts can be extremely high, so it’s important to know if your house has duct leakage. You can then arrange for a professional to seal the ducts and restore the integrity of the ventilation system.

Of course, that leads to the question of how to detect if you have duct leakage in the first place. The ducts are well-hidden within a home, so you can’t visually inspect them. But there are other signs you can watch for:

A drop in airflow from the vents

One of the immediate effects of leaks in the ductwork is that it lowers the air pressure in the ventilation system. Ducts must be kept airtight to maintain air pressure, and the consequence of a drop in air pressure is that the airflow from the vents will also drop. If you put your hand to the room vents and notice the airflow is weaker than normal, it may be duct leaks.

Uneven comfort around the house

Lower airflow will also mean rooms cool down/heat up slower, which will lower comfort around the house. This will happen unevenly: certain rooms will still feel normal, while hot and cold spots will appear in others. Duct leaks aren’t the only cause of uneven comfort, but it’s a serious problem no matter what the source.

Odd odors from the vents

Leaks in the ducts will allow air from closed-in spots of the home to infiltrate the ventilation system, such as between walls and from the attic. This will carry a musty and sometimes moldy odor to the rooms.

A rise in energy costs

The biggest chronic effect that duct leaks have on an HVAC system is that they place more stress on the blower, heater, and air conditioner. Around 30% of the air moving through the ductwork can disappear through leaks, and this is air you’ve already paid to heat/cool and push into the ventilation system. The HVAC system will need to put in extra work to overcome this deficit—and that means energy bills will rise. If you see steeper bills to heat and cool your house and you can’t account for the change, you probably have duct leaks.

Solving the Problem

If you suspect duct leaks, the next step is to contact our professionals. We will test the ventilation system to find out if it has leaks and how extensive they are. If you do have leaky ducts, the next step for us is to seal the leaks. We use a range of methods to ensure your ducts will be restored to airtight condition once more. (By the way, store-bought duct tape isn’t a method we use. This “duct tape” is not actually useful for ducts.)

To schedule duct testing and duct sealing in Modesto, CA, call our professionals. We’ll help you live green and save green.

Greenhart serves Modesto, CA and offers duct repair services for leaking air ducts. Live Green, Save Green!

Tags: Duct Sealing, Duct Testing, Modesto
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Do You Need Professional Drain Cleaning?

Monday, September 28th, 2020

If you’re like most homeowners, you probably don’t think about the drains in your home very often. If we had to guess, we’d say you never think about them, until something goes wrong. You know, something like a clogged drain leaving you standing ankle deep in water in your shower.

Sometimes, you can take care of a clogged or slow drain on your own with nothing more than a plunger and a little bit of “elbow grease”? Sometimes it takes a little something more… like professional drain cleaning.

“Can’t I just clean my drains myself?”

Before you reach for that bottle of store-bought drain cleaner consider this: These solutions are caustic, and actually do more harm than good to your plumbing system! Instead, you should call on a pro. But how do you know when it’s time?

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Modesto, Plumbing
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Understanding Air Conditioning System Efficiency Ratings

Monday, September 21st, 2020

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.

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.

Tags: Air Conditioning System Installation, Modesto
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DeHart Plumbing, Heating, and Air Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Modesto’

“Help! My Furnace Is Blowing Out Cold Air”

A Few Sources of Poor Indoor Air Quality in Homes