Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Ways a Heat Recovery Ventilator Helps Your Home

February 5th, 2015

Airflow and indoor climate go hand in hand, with the former affecting the latter in many ways. Often, the relationship between air circulation and climate control results in frustration for the homeowner. You may want to bring in some fresh air during the winter, but you don’t want to open a window and let heat out of the house. The alternative, however, is to let your heating system continue to dry out the air, which is uncomfortable and unhealthy. Luckily, there is actually a way to both get a steady supply of fresh air and keep your indoor climate intact. Read on to find out what a heat recovery ventilator is, and how it benefits your home.

What is a Heat Recovery Ventilator?

A heat recovery ventilator is a device designed to improve the home’s ventilation, while simultaneously maintaining its insulation from heat transfer. It can be used as an integrated part of an HVAC system, but can also operate as a stand-alone device. It is essentially a square or rectangular casing with 4 openings, one each for outgoing and incoming air flow on both the inside and outside parts of the ventilator. It is often installed on an exterior wall or in a window, as it needs access to both indoor and outdoor air.

Inside the unit is a heat exchanger, essentially a configuration of pipes through which the air flows in and out of the ventilator. As the air from inside travels out through the heat exchanger, outside air is traveling through a parallel section on the way inside. Heat always tries to move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. As such, when the two air flows pass each other in the heat exchanger, the warmer air will transfer much of its heat to the cooler air. This is why the part is called a heat exchanger.

How Heat Recovery Ventilators Benefit Your Home

This transfer of heat is what makes heat recovery ventilators so useful. By using a heat exchanger, the ventilator can bring in a constant flow of fresh air without adversely affecting the climate inside. Cold air that enters the ventilator will be warm by the time it actually enters the home, while warm air will be cool. This keeps the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

If you’d like to know more about how a heat recovery ventilator helps your home, call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide heat recovery ventilators throughout Security-Widefield, CO.

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Services to Improve the Commercial Indoor Air Quality

January 29th, 2015

Many of the features of your commercial property are regulated by federal and local building code, but the quality of the air in a commercial space rarely comes into question. However, it’s in your best interest to provide the most air filtration possible to protect anyone in your building including employees, customers, clients, and tenants. The filter included with your property’s HVAC system may not be enough to keep everyone healthy and comfortable. Follow along with our guide to find out which types of professional commercial indoor air quality services and installations can benefit you.

Commercial Air Purifiers

For any type of business, it’s important to have a system that filters as many harmful particles out of the air as possible. The air inside of your building may actually be more contaminated than the air outside. Although you currently have some filtration if you frequently run a forced-air heating and air conditioning system, smaller particles can still continuously circulate through the building, including mold spores, legionella, and pollen. An electronic air purifier uses ionization to attract particles, and may remove over 99% of contaminants when used in conjunction with a quality filter.

UV Germicidal Lights

UV germicidal lights are used to kill and sterilize biological contaminants which could otherwise make people sick or damage the structure of a building. This type of air purifying system is used primarily in areas such as hospitals where a bacterial infection could be deadly or laboratories that rely on sterile equipment. They’re also used in areas with a high concentration of bacteria like sewage treatment plants, and can even help to reduce odors. The UV light kills organic matter at the indoor air handler that could otherwise irritate the sinuses or lead to illness, and it may be useful for smaller businesses as well.

Humidifiers

There are some businesses in which a humidifier is absolutely necessary for the operation of the business. Greenhouses, fruit and vegetable storage facilities, laboratories, and some factories require a certain level of humidification, but other business owners prefer humidifiers because they help keep those in the building more comfortable. A humidifier can alleviate dry itchy skin and may even prevent paint from chipping or peeling due to dry air.

Call on the experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today to find out which Colorado Springs commercial indoor air quality services are best suited for your business needs.

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Which Parts of My Home Can I Control with Home Automation?

January 22nd, 2015

We all know that feeling: did you leave the toaster oven on? Is the front door locked? And when you ask yourself these questions, you are at least an hour away. But imagine being able to ask yourself those questions without the panic by being able to pick-up your smart device and actually check these things. This is what home automation for your Woodland Park, CO, home is all about: convenience, security and support, all at your fingertips.

All in One Place

Each home automation system works a little differently, but the systems and appliances that can be automated in your home are largely up to you. The Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning automation product of choice is the Nexia Home Intelligence system, which allows you to put a maximum of 230 compatible products onto the system. However, most automation systems will help you control most, if not all, of the following:

  • Electrical system
  • Lighting
  • Temperature setting and programming
  • Certain plumbed appliances
  • Door locks/security locks
  • Security systems, including security cameras
  • HVAC system
  • Audio-visual system

Many home automation systems can also send you alerts. Alerts can be related to the systems in your home, such as in regard to a power outage, or security alerts. With some home automation systems you can see real-time video with active security cameras or turn on your dishwasher. The bottom line is that you decide what you want to control.

What Are the Benefits of Home Automation?

There are some key benefits of home automation that make it worth consideration:

  • Better energy efficiency – not only can you program the energy-using systems in your home, many home automation systems allow you to monitor and track your energy usage.
  • Security and safety – you can manage security cameras, lock and unlock doors and turn up the lights at dusk, all from your smart device.
  • Convenience – the management of your household can be put at your fingertips, making home automation incredible convenient and easy to use.

Contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today and schedule an appointment for home automation services in Woodland Park, CO.

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What Is a UV Air Purifier?

January 15th, 2015

The quality of the air in your home is important to you, which is part of the reason you mop, vacuum, and/or dust as regularly as you can. Unfortunately, there may still be several different contaminants floating around in the air you breathe, and many of these contaminants live in the ducts. Yes, your home heating and air conditioning system contains a filter which traps particles that may otherwise get sucked into the air handler. But these aren’t effective at filtering out every different type of particle, especially smaller ones. Besides that, there may already be microorganisms living in your ducts.

A UV air purifier is installed right above the indoor air handler of your air conditioning and heating system because this is an area where microorganisms tend to thrive. A furnace or air conditioning cooling coil can collect moisture as the components continuously heat up and cool down. A furnace may collect moisture when water vapor is created during combustion and a cooling coil gathers condensation as warm air blows over it.

Very small living organisms can thrive in areas with high levels of moisture. And since a fan blows over the parts to move conditioned air into a room, it’s likely that these microorganisms, which often aggravate allergies and may even cause illness, will blow into the room as well.

UV air purifiers emit enough UV radiation to kill small organisms like mold, bacteria, and viruses. Ultraviolet rays are able to kill small organic matter. When you go out into the sun for short periods of time, you won’t notice an effect, but a microscopic creature can die instantly when it’s exposed. It also sterilizes the organisms so that they no longer upset the quality of your air.

UV air purifiers are recommended for homeowners and residents with allergies, asthma, or immune conditions, or just those who notice that family members are frequently sick. A UV air purifier can even help to eliminate some odors left over from cooking and pets.

Call the indoor air quality experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to learn more about the benefits of UV air purifiers in Monument, CO.

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Reasons to Consider a Commercial Boiler

January 9th, 2015

Having your commercial space be warm and comfortable throughout the winter months is critical to your business. As such, you’ll want to choose a system that will be durable and reliable for years to come. One such system to consider is a commercial boiler. Boilers are found in all kinds of properties, from residences to churches and schools because boilers can effectively heat various-sized spaces. Here are some factors to consider about the installation of a commercial boiler in your Fountain, CO business space:

  • Easy zoning – boilers use a system of pipes to deliver the hot water or steam that heats your space. It is very easy to set up different heating zones with this piping, which will allow you to customize your comfort as you want.
  • Efficient – today’s boilers have an average efficiency rating over 80%, and condensing boilers have efficiency ratings over 90%.
  • Fuel choices – boilers can be fueled by gas, oil, propane, electricity and solid fuels, such as pellets or wood.
  • Choices for outlets – the heat from boilers can be dispersed throughout your business space by radiators, hydronic radiant floor heating or baseboard heating; you can even create a combination of outlets.
  • Quiet – boiler systems are very quiet; in fact, the only noise made is when the boiler is heating the water.
  • Good for allergy sufferers – forced air system keep air circulating constantly, kicking up dust and dirt that can agitate indoor allergies.
  • Comfortable heating – the heat from boilers comes from a surface, not from blown hot air, so the heat is gentle and to many people, more comfortable.
  • Balances indoor moisture – forced air systems can create a very dry atmosphere; because boilers heat in radiant manner, the moisture levels stay more stable, which can feel better for skin, eyes and noses.

The installation of a commercial boiler in Fountain, CO, should be handled only be a trained commercial heating expert.

Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning technicians have been serving residential and commercial customers since 1970, so if you are ready for a new commercial heater, call us today!

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Is Installing a Furnace Safe for My Home?

January 2nd, 2015

Long ago, furnaces were not always considered the safest systems to install in a home. But today’s models are some of the most efficient, safe, and reliable heating systems out there, able to detect safety hazards quickly and activate features to shut down the unit or turn off the gas right away. New furnace installation should be very safe for your home, as long as you choose professionals for the job.

Furnaces used to operate using a standing pilot light, meaning that the pilot light had to remain lit at all times. Today’s manufacturer’s don’t use standing pilots, but even if your current furnace still has one, it probably has a safety feature that models built decades ago were not equipped with. Very old furnaces had no safety mechanism in place to prevent gas from continuing to leak out if the flame were to ever go out. This posed health and safety hazards that were later corrected with a piece called the thermocouple. The thermocouple senses when there is no longer a flame and shuts off the gas immediately.

But modern furnaces don’t actually need a standing gas pilot light. Instead, they use an electronic ignition system to light the burner only when heat is needed. If the burners don’t light up after a few seconds, a flame sensor shuts off the gas valve. A few other parts are also in place to protect you and your family, such as the air pressure switch that shuts off the gas when combustion gases are not venting properly and the limit switch which keeps the chamber from overheating.

When you choose professionals for the job, your new furnace installation should go smoothly. Your new furnace won’t just be as safe it can possibly be; it will also help you to save money from month to month if you work with an expert to choose a unit with a high AFUE rating and the ENERGY STAR seal of approval. And if you follow up your new installation with annual heating maintenance, you can protect your home safety for years to come.

The experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning are trained to give you the most thorough maintenance visit possible and install your new Colorado Springs heating system safely and with utmost accuracy.

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When New Year’s Day Was Not on January 1st

January 1st, 2015

Some holidays fall on shifting calendar days for every year, such as Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November) and Easter (the first Sunday after the first full moon to occur on or after March 21). Other holidays, such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween, are fixed. No holiday has a more solid calendar date attached to it than New Year’s Day. It has to fall on January 1st because it celebrates the first day of a new year. That only makes sense…

…except that, like most things that at first appear obvious, there is a bit more to the story. The beginning of the year was not always on the first of January. As with an enormous numbers of traditions in the Western World, the establishment of January 1st as the inaugural day of a new year goes back to the ancient Romans.

The modern solar calendar is derived from the Roman model, but the earliest Roman calendars did not have 365 days in a year spread over 12 months. Instead, there were 304 days spread over 10 months. The Romans believed this calendar originated with the mythical founder of the city, Romulus. If Romulus were a real person, we can credit him with a poor understanding of the seasons, as this abbreviated calendar soon got out of sync with Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Numa, one of the Kings of Rome (probably also fictional) receives credit for creating a longer year with two added months, Ianuarius and Februarius, bringing the number of days in the year to 355. The new month of Ianuarius, named after Ianus (Janus in contemporary spelling), the god of beginnings, would eventually be known in English as January. But when this new calendar was instituted, January was not the first month. March, named after the god of war, remained the first month, and March 1st was New Year’s Day.

This extended calendar still did not keep in synch with the seasons. In 45 BCE, Julius Caesar instituted reforms to align the calendar correctly according to calculations of astronomers, with an additional 10 days distributed across the year. January also became set as the first month, and offerings to the god Janus on this day started the tradition we now know as New Year’s. The date still fluctuated during the ensuing centuries, with a number of Western European holy days treated as the beginning of the year instead. It wasn’t until the next calendar reform in 1582, the Gregorian Calendar, that the date of the New Year was fixed at January 1st.

However you choose to celebrate the beginning of the current calendar, everyone here at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning hopes you have a wonderful 2015!

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Why Do We Hang Up Mistletoe?

December 25th, 2014

Of course, you probably know part of the answer to this question already. You hang up mistletoe so that the people standing underneath can share a romantic holiday kiss! But what you may not realize is that the origin of this longstanding ritual predates many of the other holiday traditions we celebrate today. Why would a plant that has many poisonous varieties (most types sold for use in the home have few negative effects, but you can wrap it in netting to prevent children from consuming any fallen berries or leaves) be used as a symbol of holiday affection?

There are a couple of ways to explain the positive associations of (potentially hazardous) mistletoe. For one, this semi-parasitic plant has long been hailed as a treatment for illnesses and pain. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it to cure cramps, epilepsy, and more. Even today, mistletoe extracts are one of the leading alternative medicines studied for their effectiveness in killing cancer cells. And because the early Celtic Druids saw it as a sign of healing and life, they may be the first to bestow upon the plant its romantic associations, deeming it worthy of treating the infertile.

But it is Norse mythology that is likely responsible for a majority of the modern traditions associated with this small hanging bunch. One of the powerful Norse god Odin’s sons, named Baldur, was said to be invincible due to an oath his mother took to protect him from harm. But Loki, a god who often set out to make trouble for the gods, set out to find the one thing that could do some damage, and eventually discovered that Baldur’s mother Frigg had never included mistletoe in her invincibility oath. When mistletoe was finally responsible for her son’s demise, the grieving Frigg vowed that the plant would never again be used to hurt another living thing, and that she would plant a peaceful kiss upon anyone who walked underneath it.

And that is one of the reasons that, today, kissing under the mistletoe is viewed as a source of good luck. From our family to yours, we wish you a safe holiday season, and we hope that you and your family are full of joy and good fortune—mistletoe or not! Happy holidays from Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning!

 

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3 Common Signs that It’s Time to Schedule Furnace Repair

December 18th, 2014

Have you noticed anything unusual with your furnace lately? Oftentimes, homeowners sense something strange with the furnace, but they still don’t suspect their system is in trouble. This means they’ll end up waiting to schedule repairs until later on assuming that there is no risk for their unit at the present time. But many of these same people end up discovering this is not true in the most jarring way—when a sudden heating breakdown occurs.

When you notice any type of problem with your unit, small or large, it’s time to call for heating repair. A furnace problem is indicative of a single part or many parts that are wearing down, and when this happens all of the other parts have to work a little bit harder to keep up. This means that the other parts could become worn down as well until a component failure causes your entire unit to stop working. Look for the following warning signs and call a technician at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning for heating repair in Woodland Park.

  • Low Heating Capability: If you feel some heat, but the unit never quite seems to reach the temperature you desire, you may think that heating repair can wait. But this means that something in the unit is not quite right, and an eventual failure is unfortunately inevitable.
  • Unusual Noises: Strange noises are indicative of a number of problems, from a faulty electrical control (often a buzzing noise) to a gas buildup in the furnace (a banging noise which can be very dangerous).
  • Short Cycling: “Short cycling” is a term used to describe a heating system that starts up only to shut down shortly afterwards. If your system is short cycling, it could be for number of reasons. You may simply have a faulty blower motor or a malfunctioning thermostat. Or your flue gases are not venting properly, causing the safety control to shut off the unit after running for only a short time.

Don’t delay! Contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule service with quality technicians heating repair in Woodland Park today!

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When Is an Energy Recovery Ventilator Necessary?

December 11th, 2014

You know that your heater or air conditioner will have to work much harder if you open up the windows for a bit of fresh air. Unfortunately, we keep our homes sealed up tight to prevent our air conditioners and heaters from consuming too much energy. If your HVAC system runs for too long, your bills will skyrocket and the parts may wear down far too quickly. While this may help us to save quite a bit of money, it can have consequences to our health and comfort.

Most home comfort systems circulate the air from inside the house in order to consume as little energy as possible. While this is useful in preventing your air conditioner from becoming overworked, poor ventilation is responsible for many indoor air quality problems. Improper ventilation results in stale air and a general feeling of discomfort, but can also allow for a lot of pollutants to remain in the home.

An energy recovery ventilator is necessary whenever improper ventilation allows for less-than-satisfactory conditions in your household. An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) brings in fresh air from the outside and pre-heats or pre-cools it so that it is conditioned for your home. The stale indoor air is simultaneously vented to the outside. And don’t worry; the outside air will go through the same filtration process as the indoor air that circulates through the home, and will ultimately be cleaner to breathe in than the air that recycles through the house. Besides, the sealed heat exchanger allows for very little heat to escape, meaning you won’t notice an impact on your bills.

An ERV is also useful when you have a problem with humidity in the home. High humidity levels can allow moisture to buildup in the home, ruining furniture, walls, and structural components, and allowing for a dangerous buildup of mold and mildew. Although it is not technically a dehumidifier, an ERV will transfer moisture from the indoor air to the outdoors to keep the home feeling more comfortable and preventing the possibility of structural damage.

You might choose an energy recovery ventilator when you notice conditions in the home have become uncomfortable. But ultimately, you should ask a trained technician whether this type of unit is right for you.

Contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to learn more about installing energy recovery ventilators and to gain some control over your indoor air quality today.

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