Air conditioners remove both heat and humidity from the air.  If your AC unit is too large, it will cool the room quickly, but only remove some of humidity.  Leaving the room damp and clammy feeling. A properly sized unit will remove humidity effectively as it cools.  The longer your ac unit runs the more comfortable your home will feel.

Remember in Chicago if the outdoor temperature is over 90 degrees it is not uncommon for your air conditioner to run nonstop. Since compressor start up consumes 10 times the energy of running, nonstop running is most energy effective as well.

Heating and cooling systems surpass their economic life after 15 years.  Upgrading to high-efficiency units will consume 25% less electricity to cool your house.

For more information please call Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling at 708.403.3434.  We would be happy to properly size your home.

In the summer your home’s attic reaches temperatures over 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This superheated air pays a toll on your air conditioning system as it tries its best to keep up with this incredible heat source situated right above your living space.

Comfort Zone provides a four step system to dramatically reduce attic temperatures.  Thus significantly reducing the amount of heat transferred from your attic into your living space.

Air Duct Sealing

Your Heating and Cooling System accounts for up-to 50% of your entire utility costs. Unfortunately most of the heating and cooling systems in Chicago have 40% air leakage into or from the attic.

This means you may be wasting 25% of every dollar you spend on your utility bills!

Return air leaks can be especially costly as they introduce superheated, dusty, moist, allergen filled air to your home, crippling your Air Conditioner’s ability to cool efficiently.  Duct sealing is the #1 most cost effective energy saving solution you could invest in.

Proper Attic Insulation

Improving your attic insulation relieves your home from the burden of high attic temperatures.  An adequate level of insulation and an air-tight attic tent stair seal will keep the heat in the attic from penetrating your cool, comfortable home.  At this time Comfort Zone will measure your current insulation rating.

Radiant Barrier

Reducing the amount of radiant energy that enters the attic will dramatically lower your attic temperature.

In the summer, radiant heat gain accounts for 95% of the heat gain in your home. LO/MIT Radiant Barrier from Comfort Zone blocks at least 75% of the thermal radiation trying to penetrate your attic. Radiant barrier working in conjunction with proper attic ventilation effectively reduces the standing temperature in your attic.

Improved Attic Ventilation

The last, but certainty not the least, step in lowering your attic temperature is creating adequate airflow. Attic fans exchange the air of your attic quietly and efficiently.  Drawing fresh outdoor air though the soffit and exhausting superheated air through the attic fan. Adequate air flow will also reduce the potential for mold and mildew growth.

For More Information Please Call Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling – 708.403.3434

• A dirty evaporator, condenser and blower could increase air conditioning electrical usage by 50% or more.
• A refrigerant undercharge of only 10% can increase operating costs by almost 20%.

Air Conditioner Maintenance – An air conditioner’s filters, fins, and coils require regular maintenance.  Cleaning ensures the unit will function effectively and efficiently. Neglect will cause steady decline in air conditioning performance, while steadily increasing energy consumption.  Comfort Zone recommends hiring a professional service technician to assist you with your air conditioner maintenance.

Air Conditioner Filters – Most commonly referred to as furnace filters are the most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner.  A dirty filter will block normal air flow, reducing a system’s efficiency significantly. Remember air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt directly into the evaporator coil and impair the coil’s heat-absorbing capacity. Simply protecting your evaporator by regularly changing filters can lower your energy consumption by 5%–15%.

Air Conditioner Coils – Keep dirt and debris near the condenser unit to a minimal.  This will include removing falling leaves, dryer vents, and trimming foliage back at least 2 feet.  Please allow for adequate air flow, along with enough room for a service technician.  Coil cleaner should be applied once a year, generally while rinsing you will notice it will rinse off black due to air pollution.  Fortunately removing this thin film currently insulating your coils will dramatically improve performance and efficiency.

Air Conditioner Fins – Air Conditioner fins on evaporators and condenser coils are easily bent and can block air flow through the coil. After hail storms a tool called a “fin comb” will comb these fins back into nearly original condition.

If you have further questions regarding air conditioner maintenance, or are interested in scheduling your spring clean and check please call Comfort Zone at 708.403.3434

How To: Quiet down furnace.

AC blower motors have pre-set RPMs and unfortunately they are either ON or OFF.  Often causing sleepless nights, duct work to bang, or simply raising your voice during day time conversations.  The answer is upgrading to a variable speed DC voltage blower motor.  Not only do they slowly, quietly and efficiently ramp up to speed, but they save you money.

A conventional blower motor drops sharply as the duct work resistance increases. It affects air circulation in the house and causes the furnace to overheat. By contrast a variable speed motor maintains constant air flow through a wide range of duct work conditions.

The added advantage to the Variable Speed motor is that it has the circuitry built in to vary the speed of the motor to maintain a constant volume of air.  This means that as the filter starts to get dirty and more restrictive the Variable Speed motor ramps up to maintain the proper air flow volume.

When it is time to replace your indoor equipment you really owe it to yourself to at least consider a Variable Speed Blower system. Feel free to call Comfort Zone for a free quote if you are located in the Chicagoland area.  708.403.3434

Fact is, air conditioning units are manufactured to live outdoors. Although covering your air conditioner may protect it from snow and falling debris, covering your air condenser in the winter months creates a high humidity environment as the sun beats down on the cover. Inside this moist environment is your electrical windings, wiring connections, and in some cases circuit boards.

In the rare case that you are experiencing excessive ice fall, or debris from trees, only cover the air conditioner top with a piece of plywood.  Remember full covers encourage condensation build up which is damaging to the electrical controls and components.

Furnace filters come in a variety of medias.  We will cover the difference between the two most common.

Cotton Pleated VS Fiberglass

MERV – Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioner Engineers (ASHRAE.) MERV values vary from 1 to 16. The higher the MERV value is, the more efficient the filter will be in trapping airborne particles.

Fiberglass Furnace Filters- The majority of fiberglass filters only stop 2% of the dust passing though your furnace.  Often you may notice the filter doesn’t look dirty after months of use.  Fiberglass filters can allow particles the size of grains of table salt to pass through.  Thus allowing dust to clog your expensive evaporator coils.  Dust particles will also collect on the back of the blower motor causing premature failure due to over heating.

Cotton Pleated Furnace Filters - Comfort Zone recommends using standard pleated filters. ( MERV 8 ) These filters are not too restrictive and can be found in 3-packs at Home Depot for as low as $7.00

MERV 8 furnace filters are electrostatically charged, 100% synthetic and cause little to no change in static pressure. MERV 8 filter media will not promote the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew, or fungi in normal operating environments. These filters are designed to last up to 3 months.

4″ Furnace Filters

As efficiency increases, so does the restriction to air flow. To compensate, more filter material is used in pleats.  Increasing the square footage of the filter material allows for better air flow and less restriction.

The most common sizes used in heating and air conditioning equipment are 1 inch and 2 inch but are also available in 4 inch, 5 inch and even 6 inches deep. The deeper the pleat the greater the dust holding capacity and the longer it can remain in the air handler without needing to be changed.

Comfort Zone recommends changing a 4″ cotton pleated furnace filter every 6 months.