We ask our customers,” Is your house comfortable?” As you
can imagine, we get lots of different answers. ” I guess so, I don’t really
know, yes, no, most of the house, etc.
Of ‘Couse, what is a comfortable house? Our basic definition
is a house that meets your temperature and humidity conditions, has a good air
quality, and not drafty or dusty.
Most folks like to point the blame of being uncomfortable or
having uncomfortable areas of their house on their air conditioning and heating
systems. They think their system is to blame. This may only be a small cause of
their issue.
What we see most often is their house is sick. Your house is
a system and your heating and cooling system/s is part of that larger house
system. Poor duct work or duct design contributes to a huge part of a house not
being comfortable or having even temperatures throughout. If the ducts are not
sealed or sized correctly, there may be too much or most often, not enough
conditioned air delivered to each room make that area uncomfortable.
Another equally important consideration is how
the house was built. How was it framed? What type of foundation does it have?
How is it insulated? What type of insulation? Is the house very leaky (air
leaks)? Is the house landscaped correctly? Does water drain away or drain to
the house? Do all exhaust fans terminate outside the house or just in the attic
or crawl space? Were the windows and doors made of a good quality material and
actually sealed and flashed correctly? How old and efficient are your
appliances? The answer to these questions may open your eyes and lead you to
some real solutions to improve your situation.
Now you can ask your self is the AC or heating system really
my problem at all? Most likely, it’s only part of the issue. What can you do?
· You
can be a DIY and make small improvements that will help your comfort and dust
levels. An example would be to weather strip your doors and windows, seal any
air leaks you find with calking that has low VOC’s. Add more insulation after
you air seal to lower your heating and cooling bills.
· Use
shades or thermal-backed curtains for windows and sky light.
· Have
a professional test (Blower Door-Infiltrometer) your house to show you where
your air leaks are coming from and seal what you can – it will make a big
difference!
· You
can purchase indoor air quality products to improve the air you breathe.
· Have
a HVAC professional evaluate or tune-up your heating and cooling equipment.
· Purchase
EnergyStar rated appliances to save on energy costs.
There are many web sites you can visit to learn more about
home performance issues and how to correct them and which issue should be given
the most priority.
Your home is your castle. My castle is
comfortable, is yours? If you are in our area (Chesapeake or Virginia Beach,
VA) give us a call, we can help. 757-421-9790
