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Believe it or not, carpeting is one of the biggest contributors to indoor air pollution. One of the commonest health problems in a house is allergies, and carpets are practically a perfect environment for dust mites, molds and mildew.

Not only that, but the modern wall-to wall carpeting in today’s houses are made of synthetic fibers dyed and treated with chemicals (fungicides, soil repellants and pesticides, anyone?) and bonded to synthetic backing with chemical glues. All of these materials release hundreds of Volatile Organic Compounds as they age, in a process called outgassing. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) can be mutagens, irritants and carcinogens. Not the ideal thing to have in your home, to say the least.

Carpet also attracts and retains all that you and your family members track in to the house from the ground outside- dirt, lead dust found in flaking house exterior paint, insects, bacteria, lawn and garden chemicals and other unhealthy debris.  Not to mention food crumbs, hair and dead skin particles.
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Heat and humidity can certainly bring down productivity in the workplace. You can make conditions more comfortable for work by installing central air conditioners if the work area is large, in which case one small air conditioner would not be enough. So, if you wish to cool the entire house or the office you need to install central air conditioners.

Normally central air conditioners works on the principle of transferring heat from one station to the other with the help of a transporting media which is a refrigerant commonly known as Freon. There are two parts in central air conditioners as it is a split system. One part is the air handler which is placed inside the home and the other part is the condensing unit which is located outdoors.

In order to cool the inside of your home, the central air conditioners remove the heat from the air inside and transfer it to the air outside. The indoor part of the system contains a refrigerant coil across which the indoor air is passed and then it is released outside. This process brings down the temperature inside to the desired level as per the thermostat setting. Read the rest of this entry »

Most new homes today have air conditioning units. It is more unusual to see homes without central air then to see ones with it nowadays. Air conditioning can be a necessity in warmer climates for the comfort of the family. Most air conditioner units will range from three to six thousand dollars, including installation. This is not a minor investment but one necessary for comfort. If you need a new air conditioner, there are several things to consider prior to purchasing.

Air conditioning units should be installed by a contractor who is experienced with this type of work. Depending on existing ducts and the type of unit purchased, the price may vary greatly. Get several estimates from qualified contractors before deciding on the unit and installer. Ensure the contractor has experience and works well with you. Get references and check them thoroughly.

Air conditioner units use electricity to run. If the unit is used often this can increase energy costs significantly. This is especially true in warmer climates where it is a necessity to cool the home. To help combat these costs, it is advisable to look at the efficiency of the unit. This may mean a larger initial investment, but should save money in the long run. Read the rest of this entry »

So I’m sitting in the kitchen in the middle of the day getting ready to watch a football game, I have the oven going with the mini hotdogs, getting ready to settle in when it happened…I’m sweating!

That’s when I decided to install a ceiling fan. A ceiling fan offers many functional benefits while adding a certain decorative touch to a room. In the summer it can help cool a room (or even a porch). In the winter it can be used at low speeds to circulate warmer air that has risen to ceiling level.

Whatever your reason for installing a ceiling fan, you will find it to be a relatively easy project especially if you will be replacing a light fixture in the middle of a room (all the wiring will already be there). Most likely your biggest obstacle will be a new workbox that is approved for the weight of an overhead fan or adding support to an existing workbox, a workbox that is not approved for ceiling fan weight can lead to disaster! Read the rest of this entry »

The fireplace has long been the favorite spot to gather in the American home. A place for warmth, the fireplace adds ambience, sparking memories that are to be treasured. With all the benefits that a fireplace can bring, there are some major downsides that if not addressed can cause a love for the fireplace to wane.

With soaring energy costs, the chief negative of having a fireplace has to be its inefficiency. When there is a fire burning, the fireplace does indeed radiate warmth in its general vicinity, but it also creates a convection current that can actually pull conditioned air out of the room and up the chimney causing your furnace to work overtime. When the fire is not burning, the fireplace has a damper which is supposed to block inside air from escaping and outside air from invading. The problem is that the damper is usually made of metal (this type of damper technology hasn’t changed in over 100 years!) and has no seal, which means that the damper is incredibly inefficient. Read the rest of this entry »