Helping to Find Comfort at Home-Away-From-Home with the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House The Ronald McDonald House is committed to creating a community where children and their families embrace life and healing with a sense of hope, enthusiasm, courage and joy. The House was built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on healing their ... Continue Reading
Is Now the Time to Replace Your Los Angeles Ductwork?
Your home's ductwork is the highway heated and cooled air uses to get to your rooms. Ducts are almost completely hidden from sight, meaning you may not think about it very often. Just like any other system in your home, ductwork can suffer from damage and breakdowns that make it necessary to evaluate the need for replacement. Here are signs that indicate you need to ... Continue Reading
Resetting the Programmable Thermostat in Your Los Angeles Home
Gone are the days when thermostats were clunky boxes or round dials with often questionable accuracy. Today, however, thermostats offer convenient and intuitive features, whether you're using a standard digital thermostat, a programmable thermostat or a smart thermostat capable of WiFi networking integration. Some of the convenient features of modern thermostats are HVAC ... Continue Reading
Need a New Furnace? Keep these Tips in Mind When You’re Shopping in Pasadena
Whether you're shopping for a furnace for the first time or you haven't shopped for a heating system in a while, you may be pleasantly surprised by the sophisticated features available today. For example, some furnaces automatically adjust heat and airflow output in increments as precise as one percent. Sealed combustion and venting make heating with natural gas and ... Continue Reading
Tips to Save Money and Increase Energy Efficiency this Season in LA
If you are like many people, you probably take steps such as turning off lights for energy efficiency at home. However, you might not know that you can reduce your energy bills even more by preventing wasted energy during heating and cooling. Here's how to do that this season. Use Better Window Treatments If you have ever touched a windowpane on a cool, cloudy day or ... Continue Reading
You Need to Flush Sediment from Your LA Water Heater
How long will your water heater last before it needs replacement? The average is around 10 to 12 years, assuming it receives regular professional maintenance. However, hard water can reduce expected service life and substantially increase water heating costs. The “hardness” of water refers to non-toxic, naturally-occurring minerals such as calcium carbonate and magnesium. ... Continue Reading
Maintenance Agreements — What Are They and How Can They Help Los Angeles Homeowners?
Regular maintenance is key to keep your HVAC equipment in good working condition, but it's easy to forget to book a service appointment at the start of the heating and cooling seasons. By signing a maintenance agreement with a reputable HVAC contractor, you'll get reminders about scheduling preventative care so your equipment receives the attention it ... Continue Reading
How to Fix Problems with Hot and Cold Spots in Your Greater Los Angeles Home
Have you noticed that one room in your house is perfectly comfortable while another one is uncomfortable due to a temperature difference of several degrees? If so, you are not alone. Many homeowners experience annoying and uncomfortable hot and cold spots inside their homes. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to ensure a uniform temperature throughout your ... Continue Reading
Los Angeles IAQ: What Should You Do to Improve Indoor Air Quality this Fall?
The Los Angeles smog, fall pollen and mold spores, and many other air contaminants make poor indoor air quality a common problem in our area. If you want to breathe easier this fall, there's a lot you can do to clean up your home's air. Control pollutants at their source - Improperly adjusted fuel-burning appliances can leak trace amounts of carbon monoxide. To prevent ... Continue Reading
Los Angeles HVAC: Why Should You Get Furnace Maintenance Now?
Have you given any thought to furnace maintenance? Thinking about furnace maintenance in early fall is not easy, because the temperature in the Los Angeles region is still quite warm—but this is the best time to give some attention to maintaining your furnace to avoid problems when the cooler weather hits in full force. Beat the Rush When temperatures start to drop and ... Continue Reading
LA HVAC: What You Should Do to Keep Your Air Conditioner Running Efficiently this Fall
Ironically, temperatures in the LA region can be as hot or hotter in the fall than during the summer, making it important to keep your air conditioner clean and well-maintained. It will handle whatever late-season temperature spikes and Santa Ana winds efficiently and dependably. Check the air filter - A clean air filter traps more airborne particulates and keeps your ... Continue Reading
HVAC Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers in Los Angeles Should Avoid
When you're about to buy your first home, there is a myriad of things to consider. Among them is the desire to keep your home comfortable in both winter and summer. To that end, you need to make sure the house's HVAC system is in good working order. Here are some mistakes first-time home buyers often make with their HVAC systems, and how you can avoid them: Not checking ... Continue Reading
Heat Gain 101: What Monrovia Homeowners Need to Know
When you're trying to keep your home cool during a summer in the Monrovia area, heat gain is your number one enemy. Heat gain is the amount of heat added to your home by sources such as air leaks, moisture infiltration, solar radiation, heat given off by appliances or electronics, heat and moisture contributed home occupants, and conduction through walls, windows or ... Continue Reading
Monrovia HVAC: Learn What Causes a Wet Air Filter and How to Prevent It in the Future
If you regularly check your HVAC system’s air filter, an accumulation of dust should come as no surprise. It’s just a sign telling you it’s time to change the filter. What most homeowners don’t expect is to find a wet air filter, but it can happen. Read on to learn what causes this and what can be done to prevent the issue in the future. Clogged Drain Lines As your air ... Continue Reading
Pasadena HVAC: Are There Benefits to Choosing a Heat Pump Over an Air Conditioner?
In this mild climate, the benefits of choosing a heat pump instead of a central air conditioner are many. Both heat pumps and air conditioners cool the air, but the heat pump can do double duty as a heating system in the winter. Cooling systems work by absorbing the heat inside homes using chilled refrigerant that flows through the evaporator coil inside the air handler. ... Continue Reading
Los Angeles Air Conditioning: What Should I Do if My Evaporator Coil Is Frozen?
If your air conditioner is having problems keeping up with the heat in the Los Angeles area, it's possible that the evaporator coil has frozen, which can reduce cooling efficiency and lead to system damage. When the evaporator coil is frozen, you'll have to first thaw it, then correct the cause of the problem before running the system again. Causes of a Frozen Evaporator ... Continue Reading
Los Angeles HVAC: Auto or Fan On? Learn Which Thermostat Setting Is Best for Your Home
Many of us take our home thermostats for granted. We set the temperature we want and then forget about it. But you can save money on utility bills while improving your comfort if you pay closer attention to thermostat settings. For example, your choice with the fan setting – "on" or "auto" – can make a meaningful difference in energy use and home comfort. What's the ... Continue Reading
Insulation Myths Monrovia Homeowners Need to Avoid
Myths are great for reading material or movies, but home efficiency myths, on the other hand, should be stamped out before they spread to your pocketbook. Following are common insulation myths to be aware of when assessing your insulation. Paper-Based Cellulose Insulation Can Cause Fires Cellulose is produced from paper pulp, but the insulation is chemically treated to ... Continue Reading
Los Angeles HVAC: Learn What Factors Affect Home Comfort Most
Your home should be a place where you feel at ease and comfortable. But have you ever stopped to think about the factors that affect home comfort? Keep reading to learn about three that have a big impact, as well as how you can improve your home’s environment. Humidity High humidity on a hot summer day makes you feel uncomfortably warm. Why is this? Too much moisture in ... Continue Reading
Could Your Los Angeles Home Benefit From an HVAC Zoning System?
A standard HVAC system has only one temperature setting for your entire home. Because buildings tend to vary in temperature from room to room, it may be difficult to keep all the rooms in your home comfortable, especially if you have multiple family members with differing preferences. In that case, an HVAC zoning system may be a perfect addition to your Los Angeles ... Continue Reading
Pasadena Air Conditioning: 5 Common Causes for an A/C That's Blowing Hot Air
If your A/C is blowing hot air, your comfort depends on getting the issue resolved as quickly as possible. Here are five of the most likely causes, along with some easy solutions and advice on when to call for professional help. Incorrect Thermostat Setting Check the thermostat first to make sure it's in cooling mode with the fan set on "auto" so it doesn't run ... Continue Reading
Pasadena A/C: 5 Air Conditioner Sounds Your System Should Never Make
When it's operating normally, your air conditioner makes certain sounds that you'll become accustomed to hearing. If it starts making alarming or unusual noises, though, it's often a warning that potentially serious problems are developing. If you can identify any of these air conditioner sounds, it's time to call for professional help. Rattling, Thumping or Clanking If ... Continue Reading
Los Angeles IAQ: Get the Facts About Indoor Air Pollution and How to Improve It
Are you interested in getting true data about air quality Los Angeles? As if the periodic problems with outdoor air pollution in the LA basin weren’t serious enough, the U.S. EPA has found that some indoor environments pose a major health risk due to high levels of airborne contaminants. Between tight homes with little ventilation and the many man-made products used ... Continue Reading
Los Angeles EER vs. SEER Ratings: How to Know the Difference
EER and SEER ratings both indicate how efficient air conditioners are, and they're determined by testing both central air conditioners and heat pumps under laboratory conditions. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires that the ratings be prominently displayed on all types of cooling units to provide consumers with a guide for determining energy efficiency. The ... Continue Reading
Pasadena HVAC: 7 Things to Consider Before Replacing Your HVAC System
New heating and cooling equipment is not only an expensive investment, it's also a purchase you'll have to live with for the next 15 years or more. When you're weighing different options for replacing your HVAC system, seek the advice of an experienced heating and cooling specialist and keep these crucial factors in mind. Lifetime Costs In addition to the initial ... Continue Reading
