Certified Air Systems, Inc. Blog : Archive for March, 2015

How UV Air Purifiers Improve Indoor Air Quality

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

There are a number of options available to improve your home’s indoor air quality in Longwood, FL: mechanical air filters, electronic air filters, UV air purifiers, electronic air cleaners, and more. If you aren’t sure which choice is the ideal one for your home, don’t worry: it takes an indoor air quality specialist to make the correct determination of the best system for cleaning a home’s air. Since these professionals are necessary to install air purification system, make sure you have them involved from the beginning so you know you are receiving the right purifier to match your home’s needs.

Certified Air Systems, Inc. has more than 20 years of helping homes improve their indoor air quality. We install a variety of air filters and air purifiers, and you can entrust us to see that your home has the right system cleaning its air.

Electronic air purifiers: how they work

One of the most common types of indoor air quality system is the electronic air purifier, also known as an electronic air cleaner. These devices do not eliminate pollutants by trapping them, as filters do, but instead use an ionization process that draws pollutants out of the air as they circulate through the ductwork.

The principle at work in an air purifier is called corona discharge. This is a small but powerful electronic field that creates charged molecules in the air (ions). The ions are attracted to the larger particles floating in the air, and will either add an electron onto a particle (giving it a negative charge) or remove an electron from a particle (giving it a positive charge). Two sets of plates on the air purifier, one with a negative charge and one with a positive charge, will attract the opposite charged particles to them and trap them. Some of the particles will also be drawn to each other, and as they clump together they will sink down from the air.

Using this method, an electronic air purifier can remove particles from the air that would otherwise pass through a mechanical filter, such as gas and odor molecules. The process places no harmful chemicals into the air, and will only need occasional maintenance to keep it in working shape.

Call on our Longwood, FL indoor air quality specialists at Certified Air Systems, Inc. to learn more about air purifiers and if one is the best option for cleaning the air in your home.

Why Duct Repair Requires Professionals

Friday, March 20th, 2015

You probably don’t give much thought to the ductwork in your home because it remains hidden from your sight behind walls, in ceilings, and disguised in little-used rooms. This makes it easy to forget how important the ducts are for your comfort and the efficiency of your home’s heating and air conditioning. If the ducts sustain damage leading to air leaks, the drop in pressure inside the HVAC system will lead to poor airflow, hot and cold spots through the rooms, and a drastic spike in heating and cooling costs.

When you notice signs that the integrity of the ventilation system is compromised, you must rely professional duct repair to fix the problem. Give Certified Air Systems, Inc. a call, and our specialists will get on the job of handling the duct repair in Casselberry, FL that will restore your ventilation system to ideal condition.

The reason professionals are necessary for this job

Duct repair is not a do-it-yourself job. You can’t use duct tape to seal up leaks, and that’s not just because duct tape isn’t actually useful for this job. (It’s a long story, but basically the name duct tape is a misnomer.) You also aren’t able to access your ducts easily without creating other damage, and it’s difficult to locate leaks in the first place. You may have multiple leaks in your ducts, of which only one or two are visually obvious.

Duct repair professionals bring advanced technology and specialized equipment to the job. They use special gauges to locate where air is escaping from the ducts so they can pinpoint all the places where the ductwork requires repairs. To seal up breaks, gaps, and holes, they use mastic sealant or metallic tape (the “true” duct tape) that will make sure the air leaks stay sealed and won’t create additional airflow resistance. If the ducts have sustained serious damage, duct repair specialists can take care of the more difficult task of replacing entire sections of the ductwork.

You simply do not want to take chances of creating an inefficient ductwork system through amateur repair attempts. Your entire HVAC system depends on ductwork that is in the best shape possible. Let the professionals handle the job from the start, and you should experience few issues with your home’s ducts in the future.

Certified Air Systems, Inc. has helped Central Florida with comfort since 1993. For quality and comprehensive duct repair service in Casselberry, FL, make us your first call.

Is a Heat Pump Right for My Home?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

To understand whether a heat pump is a good choice for your home comfort, you need to first understand how a heat pump operates. Our professional team at Certified Air Systems, Inc. has many years of experience with installing, repairing, and maintaining heat pumps in Apopka, FL, and can answer any further questions you might have regarding how these appliances work, as well as give you a definite answer about whether your home will benefit from one. Do not hesitate to give us a call.

How a heat pump works

A heat pump is essentially the same as a standard split system air conditioner: it moves refrigerant in a cycle through a set of indoor and outdoor coils. The refrigerant absorbs heat through one set of coils, then releases that heat through a second set of coils. A compressor is responsible for applying the energy to the refrigerant that allows it to circulate and carry out the process of heat exchange.

The difference between a heat pump and an AC is that an air conditioning system can only carry out heat exchange one direction: the indoor coils absorb heat, cooling down the air in a home, and the outdoor coils release the heat. A heat pump can make the two coils swap jobs, so that in addition to cooling down a house, it can also absorb outdoor heat and release it indoors. It only takes one change on the thermostat to turn an cooling system into a heating system.

How a heat pump can benefit you

In Florida, heat pumps are very effective home comfort systems because they work as well as any air conditioning system of the same size, and have little difficulty coping with the mild cold weather. Since heat pumps must draw their heat from the outdoor when in heating mode, they work more efficiently in moderate chilly conditions, as opposed to temperatures below freezing. A heat pump in Florida will usually work far more energy efficiently as a heater than a standard furnace would. Going with a heat pump for your home can take care of all your heating and cooling needs, and save you money as well.

Are there any drawbacks?

No heating or cooling system is ideal for all homes, and this applies to heat pumps as well. However, since heat pumps are most at a disadvantage in extreme cold weather, they are almost always well-suited for homes in Florida. To make sure about your choice, call Certified Air Systems, Inc. and talk to our experienced installers. They will help you with heat pumps in Apopka, FL and see that you end up with the perfect comfort system for your home.

How Insulation Helps Your Household Around the Year

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

The purpose of home insulation is often misunderstood as only helping during cold weather. People think of insulation as much like a heavy coat: you put it on when the temperature drops, but you don’t want to keep wearing it when the thermometer rises.

But insulation is a year-round benefit to a home, and in Longwood, FL the insulation in the walls and ceilings of your house is an important part of seeing that you stay comfortable and the HVAC system energy efficient all 12 months of the year. If you are paying an immense amount every summer to keep your home cool, and yet you still experience warm spots in your house, the issue may be that you have insufficient insulation. If this is the case, you should call up the insulation experts at Certified Air Systems, Inc. to help you increase the heat sealing on your home.

How insulation works in both cold and warm weather

To understand why you need effective insulation during hot temperatures as well as cooler ones, it’s necessary to understand what insulation actually is: a thermal barrier that prevents the movement of heat by either convection or conduction. Heat will attempt to move from a warmer area to a cooler one, and insulation helps stop this from happening. The barrier works both directions, preventing heat from escaping a home and stopping it from entering a home. During a hot Florida summer, the insulation in the walls and ceilings will keep out large amounts of heat that would otherwise get through, and this will not only help to keep the interior cool, it will take a huge burden off the air conditioning system.

Insulation comes in many types. Most people are familiar with the pink-colored fiberglass batts laid in attics (a key place for insulation, since large amounts of heat gathers there in summer), but there is also blown-in insulation designed to fit into tight spots and difficult corners. Insulation also has an R-value that determines how effective it is at stopping the movement of heat. Higher R-value isn’t necessarily better in all cases, so make certain that when you need new or replacement insulation that you work with a professional who will know the right kind and R-value of insulation to put in.

Call us for insulation services

If you need insulation in Longwood, FL to prepared for the summer (and any cool days afterwards), you only need to give us a call at Certified Air Systems, Inc. We have a long history of helping Central Florida homes stay energy-efficient and comfortable.