Envirotech Air Quality Services Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Stuart’

Stuart FL Heating Tip: Why Schedule Heating Maintenance Now?

Monday, November 19th, 2012

You probably don’t think about the heating system in your Stuart, FL home very often. However, you use it almost every day during the winter. It only makes sense that regular maintenance on it would also reduce the potential for costly heating repairs. Below, we’ve outlined some of the reasons why you should schedule regular heating maintenance visits for the heating system in your Stuart, FL home.

Reduced Repair Costs

When you get regular heating maintenance for your furnace or heat pump, it can potentially reduce repair costs. The reason why is that during regular maintenance visits, your heating technician will be able to find small issues before they become larger, expensive repairs. Fixing problems early is a great way to keep your heating system working well.

Extended Life

Another benefit of regular heating maintenance is that it can also potentially extend the life of your heating equipment. Over time, your heating system will start to wear out. It will develop small issues that, if left unattended, may eventually cause the entire system to break down. When you have your system regularly inspected, the heating technician can catch these issues and fix them.

Increased Efficiency

As your heating system wears down, it has to work harder to heat your home. The bearings in your fan wear out, the fan belt deteriorates, etc.. All of these things slowly decrease the efficiency of your system. With regular maintenance, the process of deterioration can be slowed down. Your heating technician can replace fan belts, lubricate bearings, and keep your system working effectively. These kinds of regular maintenance projects increase the overall efficiency of your heating system.

If you’re interested in learning more about heating maintenance for your home in Stuart FL, then call the heating technicians at Envirotech Air Quality Services. We can help you develop a regular schedule for heating maintenance and make sure that your system is working as best as it can.

Tags: Heating, Heating Maintenance, Lake Worth, Palm Beach, Stuart
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Boca Raton AC Tip: Indoor Air Conditioning Components

Monday, June 4th, 2012

Air conditioning is a modern convenience that we can easily take for granted in Boca Raton as long as all the parts are working well. In every unit, no matter the size, the basic process is one of extracting heat from the conditioned space and moving it to the outside, leaving cool air in its place.

This process easily divides into indoor and outdoor components.

Air Conditioning 101

Based on the principal of thermal energy which states that heat gravitates toward cooler temperatures, compounds known as refrigerants are moved through a closed loop system, repeatedly contracting and expanding between liquid and gas forms, alternately releasing and absorbing heat along the way. The particular chemicals are selected for their abilities to transform from one state to the other at low temperatures.

While the refrigerant evaporates into a gaseous state within the looped system, it absorbs heat, removing the stale air from the space being conditioned and evacuating it to the outdoors. The warm air is pulled through ducts to meet with the cooling loop.

Ductwork

The cooled air is distributed through ducts or tubing and released into individual spaces. Additional ductwork is required to remove the stale air and pull it back to be reconditioned as it passes over the loop containing the refrigerant. The air is moved in both directions by a blower, usually electric and sized to handle the amount of air no matter the building.

Ductwork is also sized to handle appropriate volumes of air. To maintain efficiency, large trunks distribute along central lines to smaller ones reaching farther out. The return air is usually taken from common areas.

The grates are found in the walls, floors and often as part of the dropped ceiling. When combined with a forced air heating system, the total energy use is much more efficient.

Looped Coils

The refrigerant is enclosed in a loop where it can expand and contract to make its transformation from gas to liquid and back again. To change into a heat-absorbing gas, it travels through the evaporating coils, an intricate series of delicate fins that meets with the ductwork to regenerate the conditioned air.

An exchange valve allows just the right amount of liquid refrigerant into the evaporator coils. If there is too much, the tube is flooded too tightly to allow expansion of the molecules and room to attract the heat. If too little, the process is inefficient.

Cool Maintenance

When set up and maintained on a regular basis, your Boca Raton AC system functions with little attention and over sight. Call Envirotech today to schedule your annual maintenance tune-up!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Maintenance, Boynton Beach, Miami-Dade County, Pompano Beach, Port St Lucie, Stuart
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South Florida Air Conditioning Question: What is R410A?

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

If you’ve recently started researching a new air conditioner for your South Florida home, you may have run across “R410A” – a newer form of refrigerant increasingly being used in high end air conditioning equipment. What is R410A and why is it different from the existing refrigerant most air conditioners have?

Chemical Composition

R-410A is a composite of diflouromethane and pentafluoromethane. This mixture of R-32 and R-125 creates a new compound designed to be used in commercial and residential air conditioning devices. Sometimes referred to as Puron, Genetron and EcoFluor, R-410A is a more environmentally friendly approach to cooling than the existing coolant most air conditioners use – R-22.

To date, R-22 has been the refrigerant of choice for millions of devices. However, because R-22 will no longer be permitted in new devices starting in 2020, R-410A is growing in popularity rapidly and will soon become the standard refrigerant option in new devices.

Environmental Impact

Despite being very similar in chemical composition to other refrigerants like Freon and R-22, R-410A does not contribute to ozone depletion, a major step forward for air conditioning. However, it has as very similar global warming impact – producing nearly 1725% more damage than carbon dioxide. One of the factors that negates this high global warming risk is the fact that R-410A is being used in a more efficient manner than past refrigerants.

Choosing R-410A

You cannot simply replace the R-22 in your South Florida air conditioning system with R-410A. Because it requires higher pressure, the devices that run with R-410A must be built specifically for this refrigerant. As a result, many manufacturers are starting the transition to the new refrigerant now, in anticipation of the 2020 phase out date for R-22. If you are preparing to buy a new unit, keep this in mind.

If you have any questions about installing a new air conditioning system in South Florida, give Envirotech a call today!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Installation, Boca Raton, Lake Worth, Refrigerant, South Florida, Stuart
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Miami Beach Air Conditioning Tip: The Ins and Outs of Ductless Splits Air Conditioning

Monday, March 26th, 2012

So, it’s time to install a new air conditioner and you’re pretty sure there just isn’t enough room in the walls or ceilings of your Miami Beach to place the necessary ductwork. No problem. There is a rapidly evolving technology that allows you to have air conditioning without ductwork. It’s called mini-split ductless air conditioning and it relies on individual units placed in key locations around your house. Here’s how they work.

Multi-Zone Cooling

The first step is to install a central unit. This is your compressor and condenser and is usually placed outside like the core of a central AC system. These units range between 15,000 and 40,000 BTUs depending on how much cooling your home needs and will support up to 4 zones within your house.

Once the central unit is installed, smaller room-sized units are placed throughout your house. These units are designed for between 9,000 and 18,000 BTU spaces and are usually placed high on the wall of your room to distribute cooled air. The smaller units are connected to the main unit by refrigerant lines that are run up the side of your house (or inside if you want them out of the elements).

Because each indoor unit is individual and has its own thermostat, you save electricity by having direct control over each part of your home. In fact, the average ductless split system uses something like 30% less electricity than a standard air conditioning system.

Is it Right for You?

This is the most common question we hear and to be honest, it really depends on your needs. If you have a large house – we’re talking 3,000 square feet or bigger, a multi-zone ductless system may not provide enough cooling on its own. However, if you have a smaller home, or more importantly have no space for ductwork, these systems are much more efficient than installing multiple window units.

For more information about installing a ductless mini split system in your Miami Beach home, give Envirotech Air Quality Services a call today!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Ductless Splits Air Conditioning, Juno Beach, Martin County, Miami Beach, Stuart
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