8 Ways to Use Your Exhaust Fans

8 Ways to Use Your Exhaust Fans

There are some rooms in your home where normal ventilation is not enough to guarantee fresh air. These are the kitchen and bathroom. In these rooms, you need to use your exhaust fans to get rid of hot, humid air. The purpose of exhaust fans is to maximize the air circulation in the spaces where they are used. They work by keeping the air moving for a fresher and healthier indoor environment.

Why You Need to Use Your Exhaust Fans

In a normal house, the air is likely to be polluted in various ways. Talk about smoke, pet dander, pesticides, and moist humid air. The best way to get rid of the polluted air and allow into your house fresh air is using exhaust fans.

When the air in a house is excessively humid, it may result in the unwanted growth of mildew and mold. When these fungi mix with the air, they cause all kinds of health issues. Excessive humidity can also make the furniture to rot or warp. Paint on the walls may also peel off. When the moisture in the air gets into your electronic appliances, it may cause unnecessary damage.

Where to Use Your Exhaust Fans

To reiterate, the purpose of exhaust fans is to remove impure air and circulate fresh air. They are usually connected to the ductwork in your home and may exist in the following forms:

1. Bathroom. These fans are installed next to your bathroom lights so as to expel steam and unwanted odors while allowing in the fresh air.

2. Kitchen Range. In the kitchen, the fans are usually installed in your stove’s hood. The purpose is to expel smoke, odors, and excess steam in the kitchen.

3. Dryer Room. To dry your clothes, the dryer creates moisture which needs to be removed by an exhaust fan.

4. Ceiling-Mounted. When air stays in the house for too long, it becomes stale. Exhaust fans can be used to remove this air through a roof cap or other external vents.

5. Wall-Mounted. These are the kind of exhaust fans installed on the walls outside your home. To carry out their function, these exhaust fans do not need to be connected to ductwork.

6. Inline. These kinds of exhaust ducts are installed between ducting. Compared to the other types of exhaust fans, they are quiet in nature. They work very well with an 8-inch flex duct.

7. Attic/Crawl Space. Did you know that the air in your attic can stay undisturbed for years? You can install exhaust fans in the attic to remove this air and replace it with a fresh one.

8. Exterior Remote-Mounted. Like the wall-mounted exhaust fans, these are mounted outside too. Instead of pushing stale air, they pull it out. Although noisy, the sound is rarely heard inside the house.

It is clear that exhaust fans are important when it comes to refreshing the air in your house. They complement the other ventilation measures to ensure that your home has a conducive living environment. If you haven’t started, use your exhaust fans now!

leaky ductwork

5 Reasons for Leaky Ductwork in Your HVAC System

How do you tell if there is leaky ductwork in your HVAC system? To know if the ductwork in your home is leaking air, you need to look out for certain tell-tale signs. If anything, the HVAC system will not operate as efficiently as when it is free of damage.
Here is how a forced air HVAC system works. Connecting the equipment is a system of pipes through which cold or hot air is moved to the rooms in the house. These ducts need to be completely sealed. If not, air will start leaking out of the HVAC system.
Here are some of the signs that could indicate the presence of leaky ductwork in your HVAC system:
Lack of Comfort                                                                    
If the air in your house has been feeling stuffy of late, it could be an indicator that you have leaky ductwork. You could also be finding it hard to cool certain rooms in the house. It is highly likely that the cold air that should be coming into the house is leaking into the outdoors. Don’t blame the floor plan in your room but rather check out the duct connections.
Low Air Quality
When the connections in the ductwork are compromised, they are likely to let in air from the basement. The likely outcome is that this air will begin to smell like the pesticides, fertilizers, and paint thinners stored in the basement. As you already know, the air from your HVAC system shouldn’t have any smell. If you notice any changes, check the ductwork.
High Energy Bills
How high are your utility bills? Do you think you get what you pay for? Could the HVAC system be consuming much more than you are getting? If you already have high utility bills, the problem could be made worse by leaking ductwork. It’s simply for the reason that you are paying for the air that gets into your house as well as that which leaks out. You can reduce your energy bills by fixing the leaky ductwork in your HVAC system.
Backdrafting of Hazardous Fumes
There are other appliances in your home which produce fumes and send them outside your home. After they have released these fumes, the leaky ductwork may pick it up and return it right back into your home. Apart from reducing the air quality in your home, this may prove to be costly and dangerous as well. If you don’t solve the problem early enough, you will end up being exposed to the poisonous carbon monoxide.
A Dusty Home
Dust is a fact that you will have to deal with in your home. When you have leaky ductwork, you stand the risk of having fine dust particles getting distributed throughout your home. Of course, a little bit of dust is normal. But if there seems to be a lot of dust in your home, the culprit should be leaky HVAC ductwork.
If the ductwork is not serving you as it should, talk to a qualified Daniels HVAC installation and repairs expert to give it an examination. If they find any glaring issues, they will fix them for you.

Top 4 Features of a Good Plumber

 

Top 4 Features of a Good Plumber
plumbing service philadelphiaAre looking for someone to do plumbing installation in your home? Are leaky pipes giving you problems to the extent that you need to hire a plumbing repair expert? Whatever the reasons you need a plumber for, make sure you hire someone who is trained and experienced. At the end of the day, what you want are quality services.
A quality plumber should essentially have a number of great features, some of which may look obvious but are still essential. Here are some tips to guide you when hiring a plumbing company:
They Have a Local License
Local plumbers who offer a variety of services are usually the best to engage for your project. They should essentially be able to provide plumbing installation and plumbing repair services. But that is not enough. They should have a license to offer all the services they claim to provide. Once they come to your home, you may want them to perform extra services such as HVAC repair. Don’t allow them to touch your HVAC system if they are not licensed to do the work.
Offering Emergency Services
        
You should work with a plumber who is available whenever you need them. You never can tell when your plumbing system will go haywire. Work with plumbers who are on call around the clock and are ready to handle emergencies with your plumbing system. The plumbing system may run into problems unexpectedly thus necessitating the need of for a plumber. No matter the time of day, a plumber should be able to quickly respond to your call for help.
Established In the Community
How well is the plumber you intend to work with known in the local community? A good plumber should, of necessity, have references who can vouch for him. From the word of the references, you should be able to know how consistent the work of the plumber is.
Find out from your friends, family, and neighbors if they have worked with that particular plumber in the past. The aim is to understand if the plumbing services they offer are the best. If you can find a plumber who has been practicing for a number of years that is the one you ought to hire. You need to be confident that the contractor can carry out the plumbing repair work you are hiring them for.
A Working Website
It is not enough to have a good looking website since that is something that almost anyone can pull off. A plumber’s website should essentially have numerous pages that describe the services on offer. It is also important that the plumber maintains an active blog featuring current promotions. That’s an indicator that the company is not just professional but it is also busy service people in the community.
You don’t need to look too hard to find a plumbing company that fits much of what is described here. A little homework should set you off in the right direction. Talk to us today for the best plumbing services. You will have no reason to work with someone else when are through with you.

Common Air Conditioner Issues Homeowners Face

 

Common Air Conditioner Issues Homeowners Face
 
Without proper care, air conditioners may not give the proper performance all year long. To properly take care of your air conditioner, you need to know the common issues that may make it malfunction. While some of these issues are simple to spot, others may require the help of an expert to identify.
The following are the 5 common air conditioner issues that homeowners face:
man over heating from the heatwave
Clogged Filters
After being used for a prolonged period of time, air conditioner filters may become clogged leading to increased energy consumption. There are suggestions that replacing a clogged filter with a new one can save you up to 15 percent in energy costs. If anything, clogged filters block the free flow of air, allow in the dirt, and prevent the coils from effectively absorbing dirt. For the system to continue working efficiently, the clogged filters must be replaced.
Faulty Thermostat Sensor
Have you noticed any erratic behavior from your air conditioner? Is it going through one cycle for longer than you expect? The thermostat sensor could be the problem. The thermostat measures the temperature of the surrounding air and adjusts the air conditioner according to your settings. When it is not functioning properly, the problem could be that it is dislodged from its position. When that happens, it will not be able to correctly measure the temperature of the surrounding air.
Leaking or Low Refrigerant
In the air conditioning system, the air is cooled with the help of a chemical known as the refrigerant. Faulty cooling may mean that the refrigerant level is either running low or it is leaking from the system. The first thing you ought to check is if it was recharged in accordance with the specifications of the manufacturer. Also, check for signs of leaking and if you find any, you should take care of the problem immediately. Bear in mind that leaking refrigerant is a harmful pollutant.
Frozen or Dirty Coils
It has already been established that you need to regularly replace air filters to improve the efficiency of the air conditioning system. But that is not enough. The coils also tend to accumulate lots of dirt over time. This may prevent them from working as efficiently as before. When your air conditioner has a reduced level of refrigerant, the coils may also freeze. Instead of the air conditioner giving you the services you need, the dirt and frozen coils will find it hard to cope.
Dysfunctional Outside Fan
A properly working air conditioner must of necessity have a functioning outside fan. When this fan becomes dysfunctional, the entire system may break down. The work of the fan is to remove hot air from the system. When it becomes dysfunctional, it prevents the heat transfer process from working properly. This results in the overheating of the air conditioner compressor causing the tripping of the safety overload.
It is important to check if any of these issues is causing the malfunctioning of your air conditioning system. You should ask a qualified HVAC technician to make an assessment of the entire house setup to see if it could be to blame. Make sure you rule out all possible air conditioning issues.

Facility Maintenance Company

How to Hire A Facility Maintenance Company?

 Do you have an office or industrial building that requires regular facility maintenance? Make sure that you only work with an experienced facility maintenance company. That will ensure the proper running of your HVAC, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems.

daniels hvac philadelphia/ facility maintenance serviceThere are a number of ways through which you can hire a facility maintenance company including the following:

  • Ask a friend Maintenance or just CLICK

If you are not ready to subscribe for the services of the security maintenance company, you can enter into an a la carte arrangement. That’s especially if you are running a start-up business. Instead of being tied down to an HVAC maintenance contract, you can simply call the facility maintenance company whenever you have a problem. Before hiring the company, make sure it has the right number of staff to be able to deal with customer maintenance needs whenever they arise.

  • Long-Term Maintenance Contracts

A facility maintenance company is meant to ensure that your interests and those of your employees are safeguarded on a daily basis. With a long-term contract, you can call them at any time you have a problem with your plumbing or electrical systems. Out of necessity, the company has standby staff to send to your premises whenever you have an emergency. It is not just any staff but those with the highest levels of training and experience.

Long-term contracts are not just about handling emergencies. The facility maintenance company is able to draw annual schedules for maintaining air conditioning and hvac systems. That is to ensure that systems such as heating continue to give you the best services all year round. It doesn’t matter if you have a massive office or you operate from a tiny one. Make sure you have an ongoing contract with a facility maintenance company. When you have a long-term contract, you will pay for it on a subscription basis.

Signs That You Need To Change Your Facility Maintenance Company

Have you been in a contract with a facility maintenance company for some time now? How do you know when you need to get an alternative? The following are the tell-tale signs that you need to hire different professionals:

  • High technician turnover. The alarm bells should go off when the technicians sent to your home are different all the time. It is highly likely that all is not well at the electrical, plumbing, air conditioning or heating company.
  • Supply issues. When the facility maintenance company doesn’t seem to have parts and equipment they need for their work, then you need to hire a different firm. It could be that they are having issues with their suppliers, which will eventually affect you.
  • Frequently missed appointments. The way a company responds to situations of crises in your business should indicate whether you ought to keep working with them or not. Find a new service provider if the current one doesn’t seem to be working for you.

Make sure that the systems in your workplace are maintained on a regular basis as a way of motivating your staff and keeping them productive. Your production lines will also keep working to make your business more profitable.

mini split air conditioning system installation

mini split air conditioning system installationThe Mini Split Air conditioning system works well when considering old basement heating or window air conditioning unit in an additional room on a house. It works very well in place of the window unit. The difference between the two is that the mini split unit requires the drilling of only a small hole in the wall. It is, therefore, less likely to have problems with security and air leakage.

The mini split air conditioning system can be used in the following instances:

  • Hot and cold spots. Do you have a room in your home that always has an extreme temperature, whether hot or cold? You can solve the problem using the mini air conditioning system. You can better set the desired temperature for each of the rooms when you have one controller.
  • Remodels and additions. Are planning to add a room to your house or to convert the attic into an office? You don’t need to add extensive pipes or ductwork to your current AC system. Use a mini split air conditioning system for efficient cooling and heating.
  • New construction. If you are designing a new home, there is no reason why you shouldn’t use a mini split air conditioning system. You can install at least one systems in all the rooms and different zones of the home.

        Benefits of a Ductless / Mini split Air conditioning system

   

Are considering installing a mini split air conditioning system in your home? The following are some of the benefits you are likely to enjoy:

  • Instant comfort. Have you just added an office or sun room to your house? A mini split air conditioning system will help you whenever you want to heat or cool the room. You can use the system to get rid of the heat generated from electronics such as computers and printers.
  • Less noise. Unlike the conventional AC systems, the mini-split quietly cools or warms your room. That is why you are likely to find one in a recording studio. They are so quiet they cannot interfere with the music.
  • Fresh air. The mini split air conditioning system has a filter, which produces an ionizer field to remove unwanted particles and give you fresh air. It has an oscillating fan which pumps the fresh air to the rest of the room.
  • Customizable. The mini split air conditioning system can be suspended on a wall or hang from the ceiling. One of these can even be mounted on a drop ceiling. You can paint your mini-split so that it matches your room’s accent.
  • Saving energy. Unlike the conventional AC systems which deliver only 70 percent of the heat, the mini-split gives you 100 percent output. You also get to save energy by heating only the targeted space.

Clearly, the mini split air conditioning system is better than the conventional AC in many aspects. Try it today.

Electrical Repair and Maintenance for Homes – Hire a Professional

Electrical Repair and Maintenance for Homes – Reasons to Hire a Professional

2 electrician working on electrical panelDon’t allow the year to pass before hiring a professional electrical repair and maintenance professional to work on your home. Like many other households, the electrical system in your home is key to your well-being. If you have a television set and home entertainment system, you know how a small interruption in the electric supply can dampen spirits. But the electric wiring in your home needs to be kept as safe as possible.

Increased efficiency

Regular electrical repair and maintenance is a great way of pre-empting problems with your electric system. That will not just save you money, it will also prevent time wastage and the resultant frustrations. One way to save money is having your electric lighting system upgraded. Call a professional to do some preventive maintenance and help single out faulty equipment which could be eating in your appliances’ efficiency. For example a damaged HVAC system.

Enhanced safety

To be sure about the safety of the electrical repairs and maintenance works being done in your home, it is important that you only hire a professional. It should, of necessity, be the holder of the necessary licenses. Electrical wiring is not a DIY kind of work. Attempting to do the work yourself is likely to expose you and your family to the likelihood of electrocution and fire due to an electric fault. On the other hand, a professional knows how to maintain the highest levels of electric safety. Annual electrical repairs and maintenance in your home will ensure the accident due to overloaded transformers, faulty wiring, and falling electrical parts are avoided.

Fast solutions

Are you a DIY kind of guy? It is highly likely that you can do electrical repairs and maintenance with utmost safety. However, that is not all that matters. Factor in the time it takes to finish a single job and you have a reason to hire a professional. With a DIY job, you certainly can’t match the speed of a professional. The right contractor should find it easy to finish the work in record time. So the next time you have an electrical emergency, don’t waste time trying to fix it yourself. Save time by calling a professional electrical repair and maintenance contractor for homes.

Reduced costs

To most individuals, DIY electrical repair jobs cost less than hiring a professional. If you are replacing certain parts that should take you a very short time if you know exactly what you are doing. Only that you should be careful to pay full attention to detail. Things that could go wrong need to be pre-empted and dealt with before their result into a huge repair bill in future. Faulty wiring is one of the causes of fires in the home, resulting in damage and loss of property. That is why you need to hire a professional, no matter how small the task is.

Days are gone when men were expected to be fixers of almost everything in the home including the electrical system. Hire a professional today. Daniels HVAC Philadelphia

Plumbing Maintenance and Repair for Homes or Businesses

Plumbing Maintenance and Repair for Homes or BusinessesPlumbing Maintenance and Repair for Homes or Businesses

broken water pipesAre you in need of carrying out maintenance and repairs on the plumbing system in your home or business? You cannot entrust the work to just anyone. As such an amateur plumber is a no-no. It is always best to work with a professional with the right training and experience. Otherwise, you will be forced to spend money on further repairs and end up in constant worry on the quality of the work.

Don’t be so confident about marking out an untrained and inexperienced plumber. You need to know the subtle signs to look for in a professional plumbing maintenance and repair professional like DANIELS HVAC The following are the characteristics of a good plumber:

Membership of a professional body

Did you know that plumbers are of necessity registered as members of a professional body that also includes HVAC specialists? Check if they have certification from any such body. Anyone with such certification is definitely dedicated to giving you quality service.

Different services

In essence, a plumber should be able to do more than just fixing leaky pipes. You need to work with someone who is creative enough to know what repairs they should do in a given situation. A good contractor should be able to handle kitchen remodeling, sump pumps, whole-house piping, and other plumbing works. Having the experience of working in homes is not enough. A great plumber also has the ability to work on commercial properties.

Years of experience

Did you know that the best plumbers are those with at least 10 years of experience? You might be asking how and where you can find such. Check out their portfolio to have a clear picture of how the quality of their work has evolved over the years. The more experienced they are, the more you can trust them to handle your work.

A website that works

It is not enough to have a beautiful website, it has to be active as well. After all, anyone with money can have a decent website created for them. So check if the plumber has a website. Does it have a number of pages dedicated to the different plumbing services they offer? How often is the blog updated? Does the website feature any ongoing promotions? If you can have positive answers to all of these questions, the company in question is made of professionals. Go ahead and hire them.

Numerous positive customer reviews

To know what people think about a plumbing contractor, all you need is go to the internet treasure troves. Open the plumber’s website and search for links to reviews from past customers. Do they have any satisfied customers? What do they say about them? If the positive reviews are more than the negative ones, don’t hesitate to hire the plumber.

What are you looking for in a plumbing maintenance and repair professional? You should be able to tick all the boxes when it comes to the qualities listed above. Talk to us today and you will be glad you did  Daniels hvac Philadelphia.

5 Star Building Facility Maintenance Contractor Philadelphia

5 Star Building Maintenance Contractor

WOMEN CALLING FOR HELP FOR HVAC SYSTEMAre you looking for a 5-star building maintenance contractor? You should. Hiring just about anyone to handle your building maintenance works will not give you the result you desire, after all. The right contractor is able to work on a residential, industrial or commercial property and give you the best results. You want the building to remain in great shape when the contractor is through with the work.

The following are some of the things to look for in a 5-star maintenance contractor:

A thorough knowledge of building maintenance

To maintain your building, the contractor will have to carry out tasks related to carpentry and metal work. Apart from that, they should have the ability to detect and fix any issues with the structure of the building, mechanical equipment, and HVAC systems.

State-of-the-art equipment

If you are working with a 5-star building maintenance contractor like Daniels HVAC company in Philadelphia expect them to come to your premises with the latest equipment. Such contractors cannot be compared to independent contractors who don’t have the proper equipment.

Around-the-clock service

You don’t want to get stuck with a faulty HVAC system in the middle of a heat wave.  Daniels HVAC A 5-star contractor will remain on call around the clock so that they can handle any unforeseen emergencies.

License, bonded, and insurance

If you can find a contractor with the proper licenses and insurance policy, that is definitely a 5-star company. Add in surety bonds and you can be sure that your property is protected in case the job isn’t completed as per your agreement.

References

It doesn’t hurt to check out online reviews on the past work of the company. But that is not enough. A 5-star contractor should of necessity provide you with professional references, which you can cross-check. If their work is reliable, then you can go ahead and hire them.

Employees with the right skills

That is a must-do if you hope to get the best building maintenance services. A 5-star building maintenance contractor is one with employees with the right skills. Anything other than the right skill-set is a no-no.

Cheaper prices

It is important that you choose a company you can afford for maintaining your building. However, extremely low prices can be a red flag. Before you fall for the lower prices, make sure you check the reasons why the company is charging such a lower price.

A variety of services

Does the company offer any other services apart from the maintenance work? If they have landscaping and floor cleaning, do you need it? It is always better to work with a single contractor offering a wide variety of services compared to a number of different service providers.

Ability to maintain more than one properties

Are you the owner of a multiple number of properties? A 5-star building maintenance contractor should be able to create a plan that works on different types of properties.

Offering commercial solutions

Do you own a high-traffic property? If you are working with a 5-star contractor, they should be able to provide workable commercial solutions tailored for your type of business.

Are you looking for a 5-star building maintenance contractor in Philadelphia PA.? Talk to one today.

For more information click —    DANIELS HVAC PHILADELPHIA LLC

Air Conditioning Service Tune-Up Before the Heat Wave

Air Conditioning Service Tune-Up Before the Heat Wave

man repairing air condition unitWhat will you do when your air conditioning unit breaks down in the middle of the summer heat wave? Not much to stop you from having to stay in an overheated house, albeit for a short while. To avoid such inconveniences, it is important that you carry out a service tune-up on your air conditioner before the heat wave.

The following are some of the things you can do to ensure you beat the heat wave when summertime finally comes:

Repairing the AC

With a broken AC, you are likely to end up seated in your house all sweaty and drenched. The first thing you must consider is to repair your AC as soon as you can or before the heat of the spring arrive. There are some key signs that you must look out for. Is your air conditioner producing strange than usual noises? Do you think it is not operating as well as it should? If any of that is true, it is time to call a trusted HVAC expert and ask for some repairs.

HVAC systems are complex by their nature. That is why there are likely to be a cacophony of repair issues including a total failure of the AC. To prevent that, you need to ensure you carry out repairs whenever you notice any minor issues. Before the summer sets in, you need to repair your AC to prevent it from stalling in the middle of the heat wave.

Routine maintenance

To properly maintain your AC, ensure the ducts are regularly checked and cleaned. Any gaps through which your AC loses air should be properly plugged in. that is because any lost air can lead to an escalation of energy costs when summertime finally comes.

Make sure you contact an expert to be carrying out routine maintenance works on the HVAC system. With that, you increase both the longevity and efficiency of the air conditioning system. Check for clogs or holes in the filters and ductwork and have an expert come and repair them to improve the AC’s performance. With clean filters and ducts, you will be able to improve the air quality in your home thus preventing unwanted allergies.

Replacing an obsolete air conditioner

For how long have you been using your air conditioner? If it is 10 years and more, you should consider replacing it. The reason for that is simple. Newer air conditioners are more efficient than their older counterparts. With a newer AC, you are likely to save as much as $5,000 in a decade in terms of heating costs. If anything a new AC has the ability to use energy more efficiently than an old one.

It is possible that you will discover the need to replace your AC unit during routine repairs and maintenance. It might cost you a lot of money today, but you should be able to save a lot in the end.

Do you want your AC system to be in good condition when the heat wave finally comes? Talk to an HVAC expert today.

For more information click– Daniels HVAC Philadelphia llc