Newsletter SPRING 2010
Contents: IT HAS BEEN A LONG WINTER!!!! | DON'T FORGET THE STIMULUS PACKAGE | REPAIR VS REPLACE | BUZZ WORDS FOR THE COOLING SEASON | FOLLOW THESE SUGGESTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR HOME MORE EFFICIENT | THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR BUSINESS | MOLD IN YOUR HOME
Those beautiful icicles hanging from your roof are so picturesque BUT they can be a nightmare!!! Ice dams are a weather-caused phenomena that can cause leaking in your home or business.
When snow accumulates on a roof, a cycle of melting and refreezing occurs. In a perfect world, the snow would melt off the roof, enter the gutters, and flow harmlessly to the ground. Or the snow would evaporate from the action of the sun, and never really melt off unless the outside temperature rose above the freezing point. However, two key factors interact to cause problems: The outside temperature and the temperature of the inside of your attic.
The warmer your attic is, the more melt off that occurs at the roof surface. This melted snow would normally flow off the edge of the roof. Under certain conditions, though, when air temperature is very low, the water refreezes at the edge of the roof, where the interior roof surface is not being warmed by the attic. This refreezing gradually forms what is fondly known as an “ice dam”, a growing heap of ice that blocks the path of the melted snow. Once this dam forms to a certain height, the melted snow that pools up behind it can suddenly leak back under the roof shingles and into your home causing water damage and possibly mold.
What is the answer if it happens to you?? Get the heat and humidity out of your attic!!
PROPER INSULATION: Insulate your attic with the optimal R-value(a measure of the insulating value of a material). Install weatherstripping and or insulation on attic stairways or hatchways , and on louvers for whole house attic fans. Keep the warm air inside the living area of your home not in you attic.
PROPER VENTILATION: Even with optimal insulation, there is still heat leakage into the attic. This is where the value of ventilation becomes apparent. Without adequate ventilation, heat will build up regardless of the amount of insulation. Ventilation also will remove water vapor, which can condense in the attic and cause dry rot, rust and mold. The usual recommendation for venting is one square foot of vent for every 150 feet of attic floor area.
Some buildings have gable vents at each end of the attic; make sure they are large enough and not blocked. If the building has overhangs (soffits) add vents or make sure they are not plugged with insulation or dirt. To complete the ventilation, add a ridge vent that runs the length of the peak of the roof. Cold air entering the soffit or gable vents rises along the inside of the roof and exits through the ridge vent, cooling the roof and removing the moisture at the same time.
PROPER ROOF INSTALLATION: A quality roof installation in the snow belt should consist of four components: Proper flashing: install flashing around chimneys, valley or where roofs meet. Ice and Water Barrier: this should be applied directly on roof decking at least 3 feet up or on the entire underlayment in a potential trouble area. Trouble area could be a Northern exposure, low slope roof, valley, dormers, skylights and flashing areas. Rolled asphalt underlayment : Cover the entire roof, including the ice and water barrier with an asphalt-impregnated felt. Quality Shingles: Choose a high quality shingle and make sure they are installed with the proper overlap.
PROPER HUMIDITY LEVELS
HEATING CABLES: Heating cables mounted on the roof are designed to form a path for melted snow to travel through an ice dam. This is a temporary fix and not reliable.
DON’T FORGET THE STIMULUS PACKAGE
The stimulus package is designed to help you save money and to make your home more energy efficient and Controlled Comfort is very passionate that your heating and air conditioning system should be considered top priority for your upgrade.
There are many areas to choose, but choose wisely, there are many rules that need to be followed. You don’t want to be doing 2009 taxes and find out the product you invested in does not qualify for the tax credit.
The Tax Credit is 30% of the cost up to 1500.00 per homeowner on your primary residence (2nd homes or rental property do not qualify.) for the year 2009 & 2010 for the following:
1) HVAC-home heating & cooling system
2) WATER HEATERS (non-solar)
3) WINDOWS & DOORS
4) ROOFING
5) INSULATION
This is a wonderful savings in so many ways. Also there are some additional savings that Controlled Comfort can offer to stimulate this economy further.
FOLLOW THESE SUGGESTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR HOME MORE EFFICIENT
Make sure all ductwork vent registers are not blocked by furniture.
Leave all interior doors open at least 2 inches if the room does not have its own return air intake vents.
Insulate your attic and ductwork.
Install solar screens, awnings or plants to shade windows and walls during the summer months.
Keep heating and cooling filters clean and inspect them monthly.
Have your heating and cooling system thoroughly cleaned and tuned up at least twice a year.
Seal ductwork air tight.
Turn off all lights, fans, computer monitors, etc. when a room is unoccupied.
Consider replacing low efficiency incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
Replace old inefficient heating and cooling systems with new super high efficiency models.
Always buy products with the Energy Star Label.
Buzz Words for the Cooling Season
CHARGING A SYSTEM - Adding coolant, or refrigerant to an HVAC system.
COMPRESSOR - A pump that increases the pressure of gas.
CONDENSATE - Vapor that is turned into a liquid as its temperature is lowered.
CONDENSOR COIL - Also an outdoor coil. A device that removes the heat from the refrigerant, allowing the refrigerant to be converted from vapor to liquid.
CONDENSOR FAN - Fan that passes air over the condenser coil to facilitate the removal of heat from the refrigerant.
DAMPER - Found at the exit point of ductwork, this plate usually contains grates that can be opened or closed to control the flow of air into a zone.
DRAIN PAN - Also a condensate pan. As the refrigerant vapor is liquified, the drain pan collects the condensate and funnels it to the drain line.
EXPANSION VALVE - A valve that meters the levels of refrigerant through a temperature or pressure control.
EVAPORATOR COIL - Also an indoor coil. A device that is designed to absorb heat in the air in order to change the liquid refrigerant that flows through it into a vapor.
REFRIGERANT - A chemical that condenses from a vapor to liquid and, in the process, decreases in temperature.
SEER - Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. A rating system developed by the U.S. Government to indicate the efficiency level of cooling equipment.
ZONING - A system that divides a home, office or space into different regions in order to better control the temperature & effectiveness of a heating & cooling system.
When faced with this decision, what key points should you consider?? I would suggest Operating Costs, repair costs, and estimated life expectancy.
1)OPERATING COSTS: Old versus New! Example: a new furnace at 95% efficient indicates that for every $1.00 of energy used to operate the furnace only five cents is not fully utilized. If you spend $100.00 to cool your home with a 10 SEER unit upgrading to a 16.0 SEER unit should cost approximately $68.00.
2)REPAIR COSTS: Example: replacing a condenser fan motor would cost $300.00-$450.00 depending on the brand of unit. A new unit purchased from Controlled Comfort would include a 10 year parts and labor warranty.
3)LIFE EXPECTANCY: The main component of a furnace is the heat exchanger-life expectancy is 20 years. The main component of an air conditioner is the compressor-life expectancy is 10 years. If you buy a new system from Controlled Comfort it would include a lifetime warranty on both components to the original owner.
To sum this all up, if your system has seen better days, upgrading may be the answer. The end result is to save dollars out of your pocket and save energy.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR BUSINESS
In 1964 the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan show and Beatle Mania began. That same year Controlled Comfort gathered a dream, four employees and an Angel in a Cloud, and as far as we are concerned, that was the beginning of the Controlled Comfort Era.
Every employee at Controlled Comfort realizes without you we would not exist!!!. Our promise to you is to continue to offer the highest quality products available today, as well as the most prompt and courteous service possible.
It has been 46 years and unlike the Beatles we are still together going strong!! Thanks again and a special thanks to those customers that have been with us since 1964.
Oh by the way, we are taking appointments for the SPRING 2064 check ups See you then!!!!
We have all heard how mold in your home can be a serious health issue and severely damage your property. Common problem areas are: the bathroom shower, damp basement, excessive moisture on the windows, and an area not many people think about –the attic.
Yes the attic. The warm moist air that escapes into your attic, condensates, then freezes forming icicles inside your attic. Then when we actually get a good sunny day the roof warms up and the icicles melt. The result is a wet attic that causes wood rot, rust and a breeding ground for mold. Believe it or not it has been known to send water dripping out of your light fixtures if your humidity levels are too high.
No matter where the problem area is the answer is moisture control, ventilation and insulation.
1) Insulate and seal you attic in the same manner as an ice dam.
2) Keep your humidifier set properly. (30%-35%)
3) Make sure all appliances and bathrooms are vented properly.
4) Make sure downspouts are draining away from the building.
5) Any condensation or water-wipe up immediately.
Basically common sense and quick action will keep you home mold free.
