(SB 183- Residential Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act)

Under the new law California homeowners will be required to install carbon monoxide detectors starting in july 2011. The bill requires that alarm devices be installed in existing single-family homes that have a fossil-fuel burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage. Read More »

If you’re like me, fire safety is always a top priority. Recently I received a 2005 report from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) that I found extremely alarming; after reviewing the information I felt the need to share it with you. According to the study, there were 62,200 reported home structure fires that involved heating equipment. That’s the equivalent of every home in El Cajon, Alpine, La Mesa and Lakeside having a heating related fire in the same year. Read More »

What does MERV rating stand for? Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. MERV ratings are a method of determining the efficiency of an air filter used with heating and air conditioning equipment. The efficiency is determined by adding particles of varying sizes (1-12) into a controlled testing environment. The particles are added upstream of the test filter and a laser particle counter samples the air before it enters the filter and after it leaves the filter. The two particle counts are compared to calculate the Particle Size Efficiency of the tested filter. Once this is determined, a MERV Parameters chart is used to determine the MERV rating. Read More »

One of the easiest ways to reduce high air conditioning bills is to keep your inside window coverings closed on the sunny side of your house. Homes with a large amount of windows, especially on the west side of the house, can save you as much as 28% on cooling costs. Read More »

HIGH HUMIDITY CHANGES THE WORK LOAD ON YOUR AIR CONDITIONER - Humidity refers to the moisture that has evaporated into the air and exists as an invisible gas. When trying to determine if an air conditioner is cooling properly you need to take into consideration the amount of moisture in the air.
As the heat is removed from air passing over the evaporator coils, moisture condenses out of it. We know this moisture as condensation and provide a drain line for its disposal. When the humidity is high there is more moisture in the air and more condensation will be formed. There is a price to be paid for extracting this moisture from the air and we pay in the form of BTU’s. For every pound (1 gallon equals 8 pounds) of condensate water that we produce 970 BTU’s are consumed. (12,000 btu’s equals 1 ton of air conditioning) Read More »

Effective July 28, the California Energy Commission (CEC) will be administering an estimated $20 million for the California State Energy Efficient Appliances Rebate Program (SPEEARP), also known as cash for clunker appliances. For the first time central air conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps will be included in this program. Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible residential consumers who purchase California qualified residential Energy Star appliances. The new heating and air system must replace equipment of the same type that is properly recycled; limit one system per household. Read More »

The US Department of Energy released tips to help you save as much energy and money through heating and cooling. It is important that these tips are followed because no other systems in your home waste more energy or money (about 43% of your utility bill) than those for heating and air conditioning. Read More »

Below is an asthma and allergy checklist to help you fight airborne allergy, asthma & upper respiratory problems. Keeping indoor dirt, dust, pollen’s, and other indoor air pollutants out of your home will help you improve your indoor air quality. (IAQ) Many of these allergy solutions below cost little or no money. Read More »