Climate Masters Blog: Posts Tagged ‘St. Augustine’

Fun Facts About Ductwork

Friday, October 11th, 2013

We rarely think about the ducts in our home since they’re so often out of sight, but their importance cannot be underestimated. For homes in St. Augustine, ductwork is as integral a part as the plumbing or electrical wiring, providing a hidden “passageway” for conditioned air from your HVAC unit to reach every corner of your home. Ducts require periodic cleaning, and must be repaired when fissures or leaks develop, but without them, our heating and air conditioning systems couldn’t do their job.

Here are some fun facts about ductwork that you may not have considered before.

  • Ductwork comes in different types of materials. Traditional ducts are made of galvanized steel, while newer ones are made of flexible plastic “flex duct” and/or rigid ductboard surrounded by foil.
  • Ductwork is vulnerable to extremes of heat and cold. If left uninsulated in a warm areas or in a spot with a lot of sunshine, the air inside can be warmed: reducing the effectiveness of your air conditioning system. The same principle applies to ducts in cold parts of the house when attempting to heat your home. This is why you should always place your ductwork in conditioned space within your home and/or use insulation to keep the temperature inside the ducts constant.
  • Leaks can sometimes spring up in the duct system because of external damage, wear and tear along the fittings, or pressure exerted when the HVAC system is being used. The leaks can pull dust and debris in from outside the HVAC system, as well as costing your efficiency and making it harder to condition the air in your home.
  • Cleaning dirty duct systems can improve the quality of your air, as well as giving a technician a chance to examine the ducts for leaks and schedule a time to seal them.

Beyond fun facts about ductwork, the experts at Climate Masters can handle St. Augustine ductwork services of all varieties. From repairing leaks to cleaning ducts, we help you keep them in ship shape, allowing you to make the most out of your HVAC system. Call us today and let us show you what our trained professionals can do for you.

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Why Should I Get Duct Cleaning Before Winter Is Here?

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

If you have ductwork in your home, it usually serves two purposes: channeling cool air most of the year, and channeling warm air during Florida’s brief but often unpredictable winter season. Ducts are carefully sealed along their length to prevent loss of pressure during normal operation. But as a consequence, dust and other debris that can collect inside will begin building up. Just running your air conditioner during the summer doesn’t clear out these pollutants—it will probably draw in more, especially if you’ve neglected to change the air filter once a month.

Winter is right around the corner, and you may already have a large amount of dirt and other contaminants sitting in your ducts. Before you start using those ducts to circulate heat, get them cleaned out. Call Climate Masters to get thorough duct cleaning in St Augustine.

But wait, you may be thinking, how bad can dirty ducts really be? The truth is that contamination in your ducts poses health risks, and also contributes to lowering your heater’s efficiency and causing dust to circulate throughout your home. Getting your ducts cleaned will benefit you in numerous ways.

According to the EPA, low indoor air quality is a major health concern in the US, where people spend a large amount of time inside. Breathing poor quality air can lead to respiratory problems, eye irritation, and sleeping difficulties. People with allergies are especially sensitive to poor quality air. A furnace or heat pump blowing dust, pollen, and dander around your home contributes enormously to reducing its air quality. Most worrying of all are biological pollutants that form in the dark of ducts. All of these can be fixed with thorough professional cleaning.

The other benefits of getting your ducts cleaned before winter are improving heating efficiency, reducing the strain on your heater, and keeping dust from settling around the house.

You’ve probably seen action movies or thrillers where the hero had to crawl through air ducts to escape the villains or spy on them. Fun… but you don’t want to try to crawl through ducts in real life, and you couldn’t do much good if you did. You should hire professional duct cleaners to do the job of getting the dirt out of your ductwork. They’ll use special tools and access your ducts without causing damage.

Climate Masters has performed duct cleaning in St Augustine FL for so many years that we can get your ductwork clean in no time at all. Contact us before your furnace or heat pump turns on for the winter.

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How Can Dust and Dirt Cause a Need for Air Conditioning Repairs?

Monday, September 30th, 2013

After a long, hot summer in Florida, your air conditioning system might have accumulated a bit of dust and dirt. Even if you’ve regularly changed your AC’s air filter (something you should do once a month during the peak season), some debris can slip into your ducts or into the air conditioner cabinets. Aside from decreasing the quality of air in your home, an accumulation of dust and dirt can cause the need for professional repairs. For quality air conditioning repair, St. Augustine, FL, residents can turn to the experts at Climate Masters. If dirt is giving your AC grief, we can offer a solution. Contact us today for an appointment.

The ways dust and dirt can cause the need for repairs include:

Dirty condenser or evaporator coils: The two coils in your air conditioning system—the condenser outside and the evaporator inside—are vital for the heat exchange that cools your home. If they become dirty, they will lose their ability to absorb and release heat. You may experience a rise in temperature, and your air conditioner will overwork itself to compensate. Cleaning the coils is a difficult process that requires cutting and sealing the refrigerant line, and should be left to trained technicians.

Inefficient blower motor: The blower motor that distributes air and helps with heat absorption will start to work at lower efficiency if it becomes too dirty. This reduces airflow and could increase your electrical usage by 50%. The motor must be cleaned, or perhaps replaced if the problem has persisted too long.

Clogged air filter: The air filter does the job of trapping dust and dirt and any other airborne contaminants from getting into the interior components of your AC. Without regular changing, an excessively clogged filter will require professional attention because it will impede the flow of air and heighten the risk of extreme damage to motors, fans, and the compressor.

One of the best ways to keep your air conditioner free from dust and dirt is to schedule regular maintenance with an experienced HVAC company. Climate Masters offers an excellent maintenance program that gives you two annual check-ups, one for your AC and one for your heater. We aim to give you complete customer satisfaction, so if you want maintenance or air conditioning repair in St. Augustine, FL, make us your first choice.

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When Is The Best Time to Hire a Duct Cleaning Expert?

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

Ducts are one of those hidden components of your household that quietly make life better for everyone in it. They branch out from your air conditioning or HVAC system, moving cool air in the summer time and warm air in the winter to every corner of your house. In most cases, they’re composed of sturdy materials and perform their jobs without a fuss. But over time, dust and debris can build up inside of them, necessitating a duct cleaning. In St. Augustine, FL, duct cleaning services are also necessary to deal with bacterial growth, created when moisture gets into the ducts and made worse by our sultry Florida weather.

So when is the best time to hire a duct cleaning expert? Usually when signs of dirty ducts become apparent.

Because ducts are usually located in out-of-the-way spots like the attic or inside your walls, you rarely notice when things start to go wrong. Look for subtle yet telltale signs of dust entering your household. If family members suffer from allergies, they may have attacks more often than normal. If your house seems to have a hard time staying clean, no matter how many times you dust it, there may be trouble. If you detect a strange odor coming from the ducts, there may be bacterial growth that needs to be dealt with. In the most extreme cases, you may detect a reduced air flow coming from your vents: signs that build-up has gotten so bad in the ducts that it’s interfering with their ability to circulate air.

Whenever you detect those signs, it’s best to hire a duct cleaning expert as quickly as possible. A trained service operative will undertake a duct cleaning with courtesy and professionalism: treating your home with the utmost care while providing solid, reliable cleaning for the ducts themselves. The results should not only improve your air quality, but may illuminate larger issues such as leaks or breaches in your ducts that could cost you money in higher electric bills. In St. Augustine, FL, duct cleaning services are provided by the trained experts at Climate Masters. If you’ve decided that now is the best time to hire a duct cleaning expert, give us a call. You’ll be glad you did.

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What Type of Ductwork is Right for My Home?

Tuesday, September 10th, 2013

In St. Augustine, ductwork needs to withstand the heat and humidity that comes with life in Florida. A good air conditioning system is the best line of defense against our sweltering summers and proper ductwork is ideal to getting the cool air through your home. St. Augustine is an older city, which means that a lot of houses have older ductwork (or even no ductwork at all). Ductwork can be made of multiple different types of material, depending both on the age of your home and the amount spent during its original construction.

What type of ductwork is right for your home? That depends on certain specifics.

Here’s a rundown of the most common types of ducts currently in use.

  • Metal. Metal ducts are usually made of galvanized steel, or in some cases aluminum. Metal ducts are sometimes wrapped in insulation to help maintain the temperature of the air inside of them. They can be coated with zinc to avoid mold – a significant consideration in our sultry Florida weather – and help with the cleaning process. Metal ducts are common in older homes and tend to be more expensive than flex ducting. The upside is that they are less prone to energy loss, especially if they are properly insulated and/or located in a conditioned part of the home.
  • Flex duct. Flex duct is a round, flexible plastic material, covered by insulation and usually a thin layer or reflective material. They’re easy to install and usually quite inexpensive, though homeowners ten to pay the price in a loss of efficiency. They should also be installed by a professional, since incorrect installation leaves them prone to leaks and a loss of efficiency.
  • Duct board. Duct board is quite rigid and usually lined with fiberglass. That makes them tougher to set up in houses that require a lot of twists and turns from their ductwork. On the other hand, they’re often resistant to contaminants such as dust and micro-bacterial growth. They also tend to hold energy fairly well, making your system reasonably efficient.

As always, the right type of ductwork for your home varies depending on your house and individual circumstances. The experts at Climate Masters possess the knowledge and the experience to help you make an informed choice. We serve all of St. Augustine; ductwork and HVAC services are our specialty.

Do you need to hire a St. Augustine ductwork specialist? Call us today to set up an appointment.

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Are There Different Types of Ductwork?

Friday, August 30th, 2013

Whether you’re in the market for a new forced-air distribution system, or feel as though you need to upgrade your ductwork, you need to know what duct options you have at your disposal. Depending on what your existing duct layout is, you have a wide range of options to select from. But the most important aspect to keep in mind is finding the right contractor. Ductwork installation or replacement is not something that can be done by anyone else other than a professional. When you’re ready to get started on selecting what type of ductwork you need for your furnace, heat pump, or central air, contact Climate Masters. We can ensure that all of your ductwork services in St. Augustine are taken care of. Call us today.

There are various types of ductwork available on the residential market so that finding one that works for your home and budget is not hard. There are two basic options to consider: rigid sheet metal ducts and flexible ducts.

  • Sheet metal. If you find that you have the room for it and want a long-lasting solution installed in your home, then sheet metal ductwork is the way to go. It is highly effective, efficient and durable. It is important to find a quality contractor who can ensure that your ducts are adequately sized to match your AC or heater. If this is not completely correctly, then you may find that you have all sorts of static pressure problems as well as airflow issues that can lead to high energy costs and poor performance.
  • Flexible ducts. Another option that has become more popular in recent years is flexible ductwork. When insulated, corrugated plastic can be highly effective at distributing air. There may be parts of your home that do not easily accommodate rigid sheet metal ductwork, and which may be better served by flexible ducts.

Make sure that your ductwork installation or replacement is taken care of by a professional for excellent performance and energy efficiency from your heating and cooling system.

Call Climate Masters today for excellent ductwork services throughout the St. Augustine area.

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