Even during the holiday season, your air conditioning is as important as ever. Even though the temperature outside will be freezing in some parts of the United States, and all you might want to do is curl up on the sofa with the heating system on overdrive, the air conditioner is still absolutely necessary to keep your home free of any unwanted moisture and humidity. If you’ve recently had a technician over to install a new air conditioning system, or are considering replacing your HVAC system in advance of the holidays, it might be the best gift ever. Here are some reasons to hire an AC technician and what a homeowner can expect from their new ductwork.
HVAC and Energy
All parts of a home’s HVAC system (the collective name for your heating, venting, and air conditioner appliances), work together in an almost symbiotic relationship. If one part of the HVAC system goes down, then the other parts areas affected. Although they might not go off completely, the over-compensation from the other will use an increased amount of energy, and so your energy savings will quickly disappear. For example, if the air conditioning system is not taking in the humid air and filtering out the moisture, then the heating system will be working twice as hard to heat up not only the air but the water particles in it too.
If you have ever looked at a thermostat and wondered why the air quality is still so cold that you can see steam emit from your mouth as you breathe, then there is a problem with the HVAC system within the home. Most likely this is going to be an issue with the air conditioning unit, or one of its cooling system components which, at this time of year, is going to be a critical fault.
Health Concerns
Aside from the money aspect of your frustrations (energy usage will send your utility bills skyrocketing), there is another concern that you should consider should you notice a problem with a component of your HVAC system. With extra moisture in the air, either by a lack of ventilation, or a defective AC unit, there is a higher chance of damp (as the cool air doesn’t dry) or mold (as the humidity is a breeding ground for bacteria). This can have potentially negative effects on the respiratory health of yourself or your family members and must be taken seriously, as well as handled quickly.
If you have a particularly vulnerable family member staying with you, either during the holiday season or because you are isolating together as a result of Covid-19 measures, then it might just be worth replacing the faulty air conditioning unit altogether. Asthma sufferers and young children with allergies will have serious problems with the effects of humidity in the home environment. Alternatively, if you have a senior living with you at the moment, or maybe you are seniors yourselves, then there are extra considerations still–especially if your family member or live-in seniors have Alzheimer’s disease.
Before continuing, a quick note about Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease (often shortened to Alzheimer’s or AD), is a form of dementia that is, despite much research, still very misunderstood. Alzheimer’s sufferers generally show signs of imbalance and memory loss, then cascading multi-stage dementia that requires more and more care until ultimately, a caregiver must be on hand day and night. Caregivers can be anyone, but given the recent global pandemic, many Alzheimer’s sufferers have sought solace with family members. If you are a caregiver, then you will have the first-hand experience of how the slightest disruption to routines can have significant consequences, and so however you approach adapting your home environment has to be a delicate and quiet operation.
The same must be said for any subsequent celebration or renovation within the household. Birthdays and holidays should be marked as they always are but in a more subtle fashion. The Alzheimer’s Association has a great deal of information on how to help family members with dementia, including how to celebrate special occasions with them properly. There is also help on what gifts for Alzheimer’s patients are available, via the Argonaut Newspaper, to help provide for someone living with dementia.
Quiet Operation and Warmth Without a Furnace
If you have vulnerable members of your family, especially those who are suffering from dementia or acute allergies, then living with a broken heating system will require far more than blankets or open windows. At this time, modern air conditioner units can be installed that will not only provide cooler air quality in the summertime, as AC units should but also warm the air if they have a heat pump attached.
Obviously, with an AC unit, you should expect your cooling system to deliver only cold air, but a heat pump warms the air whilst also keeping it dry. This will remove pressure on your furnace and ventilation systems, and as it is more energy-efficient, it will keep your energy costs down again too. With their exclusive components allowing them to install units that have a quiet operation and a SEER-approved energy efficiency rating, it might be worth your while checking out Waller’s Heating and Air Conditioning Repair and Installation services.
An AC Unit with exclusive components will be far cheaper than ridiculous energy costs in the long run and may be the best way to keep your home at the right temperature all year round.
