Installing a heat recovery ventilator

In the winter, it uses the outgoing air to preheat the incoming air, saving money on energy bills

Living in Minneapolis can be a challenge. The weather is severe for the majority of they year. The winters are especially long, chilly and windy. The summers are excessively humid. We rely on either the furnace or the air conditioner just about year round. The cost of heating and cooling is a major drain on the budget. I’ve taken all sorts of precautionary measures to prevent energy waste. I’ve invested into Energy Star rated, thermal pane windows and carefully caulked around them. I’ve replaced the exterior doors and weatherstripped. The addition of ceiling fans helps to create a cooling affect in the summer and works to distribute heat during the winter. Smart thermostats automatically make adjustments to optimize energy efficiency and provide energy saving tips. I’ve enrolled into am maintenance plan with a local Minneapolis HVAC company that includes two service calls per year. A licensed, insured and NATE-certified technician takes care of the upkeep of the furnace in the fall and the air conditioner in the spring. Intensive and regular cleaning, inspection, testing and adjustment helps to preven malfunctions and promotes peak efficiency, capacity and longevity. However, all of my efforts to tighten up the thermal envelope have reduced natural ventilation. Contaminants such as dust, bacteria, dander, viruses and pollen are trapped inside the house and repeatedly circulated by the heating and cooling system. Plus, the air gets overly dry in the winter, and we have complaints with moisture in the summer. I did some research and came across heat recovery ventilators. An HRV is designed to bring in a steady supply of fresh air to replace the stale air. In the winter, it uses the outgoing air to preheat the incoming air, saving money on energy bills. In the summer, it works to get rid of excess humidity, minimizing demands on the air conditioner.

 

Minneapolis MN heating provider

Combining a heat pump with a furnace

When my husband and I purchased our home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it was already outfitted with a natural gas furnace and ductwork.

  • While the furnace was nearly brand new and effectively handle winter demands, I wasn’t happy with the lack of centralized cooling.

Although the summers in Sioux Falls are fairly short, we can expect temperatures in the mid to upper eighties. I don’t like the aesthetics of window air conditioners. I worry about the security of open windows and don’t want my family hiding out in their bedrooms for the sake of comfort. I started researching the different makes, models and SEER levels of various air conditioners. Eventually, I reached to to a local Sioux Falls HVAC company for recommendations and an estimate. The technician that came to the house suggested that i invest into a heat pump instead. Since a heat pump costs a lot more to purchase and install than a conventional air conditioner, I was a bit suspicious about his motives. However, I read up on the benefits of a heat pump compared to an air conditioner and was surprised. A heat pump combines both heating and cooling capacity. During the summer months, it operates just like a traditional AC, extracting heat from the living space and transferring it outside by way of refrigerant. The rewarding aspect of a heat pump is when it reverses the flow of refrigerant to provide heat. The heat pump costs significantly less to operate than the furnace. It is capable of handling comfort in the home until the outside temperature drops below freezing. At that point, the furnace automatically starts up and takes over.

 

heated floors in Sioux Falls SD

I want a geothermal heat pump in Texas

When my hubby plus I decided to build a house in Forth Worth, Texas, my wonderful friend and I spent a lot of time researching weird building materials, appliances plus opportunities, then my friend and I were determined to make smart choices that would contribute to the comfort, security plus energy efficiency of the property. My friend and I hoped not to have any regrets. My friend and I looked into styles of roofing, brands of windows, manufacturer’s of cupboards plus possibilities for countertops. My friend and I consulted with our company and electrical, plumbing plus HVAC specialists. Living in Forth Worth, carbon footprint plus energy bills are a large consideration. My friend and I can expect to run the cooling system for six or seven months out of the… With temperatures always soaring into the nineties, plus sometimes reaching the triple digits, powerful cooling is pressing, and plus, my wonderful friend and I deal with excessive humidity, as soon as my wonderful friend and I shutdown the cooling system, my wonderful friend and I officially need to beginning up the heater. While temperatures rarely drop below chilly, there are often lows in the mid thirties. My friend and I rely on furnace for approximately five or six months straight. My hubby plus I looked into all weird makes, models plus types of heating plus cooling options. When my wonderful friend and I came across geothermal heat pumps, I liked the idea of a single component to handle both requirements, then this new innovation provides both heating plus cooling plus is also considered the most environmentally responsible genre of temperature control on the market. Rather than using a combustion process to generate heat, the geothermal sytems takes fortune of a free plus renewable source of heat found underground. It uses an underground loop system to transfer this heat into plus out of the home. In the summer, the geothermal heat pump operates actually much like a conventional cooling system. In the winter, it reverses the flow of refrigerant to bring heat indoors.

HVAC supplier in Fort Worth Texas

Researchng a geothermal heat pump

When my fiance and I decided to build a house in Forth Worth, TX, my friend and I spent a lot of time researching weird building materials, appliances and opportunities.

My pal and I were determined to make smart choices that would contribute to the comfort, security and energy efficiency of the property. My pal and I hoped not to have any regrets. My pal and I looked into styles of roofing, brands of windows, manufacturer’s of cupboards and options for countertops. My pal and I consulted with our contractor as well as electrical, plumbing and Heating and Air Conditioning specialists, however living in Forth Worth, carbon footprint and energy bills are a big consideration. My pal and I can expect to run the air conditioning for six or seven months out of the, however with uneven temperatures officially soaring into the nineties, and sometimes reaching the triple digits, powerful cooling is pressing. Plus, my friend and I deal with excessive humidity. As soon as my friend and I shutdown the air conditioning, my friend and I properly need to start up the heater. While uneven temperatures rarely drop below chilly, there are often lows in the mid thirties. My pal and I rely on furnace for approximately five or six months straight. My fiance and I looked into all weird makes, models and types of heating and cooling options. When my friend and I came across geothermal heat pumps, I liked the idea of a single component to handle both requirements, however this modern innovation provides both heating and cooling and is also considered the most environmentally responsible style of temperature control on the market! Rather than using a combustion process to generate heat, the geothermal sytems takes fortune of a free and renewable source of heat found underground; It uses an underground loop system to transport this heat into and out of the home. In the summer, the geothermal heat pump operates unquestionably much like a conventional air conditioning. In the winter, it reverses the flow of refrigerant to bring heat indoors.

HVAC Company in Fort Worth Texas

Wanting a geothermal heat pump

When my husband in addition to I decided to build a house in Forth Worth, Texas, we spent a lot of time researching unusual building materials, appliances in addition to opportunities, however my friend and I were determined to make smart choices that would contribute to the comfort, security in addition to energy efficiency of the property. My friend and I hoped not to have any regrets. My friend and I looked into styles of roofing, brands of windows, manufacturer’s of cupboards in addition to options for countertops. My friend and I consulted with our corporation in addition to electrical, plumbing in addition to Heating, Ventilation and A/C specialists, living in Forth Worth, carbon footprint in addition to utility bills are a big consideration. My friend and I can expect to run the cooling system for six or seven months out of the. With temperatures properly soaring into the nineties, in addition to sometimes reaching the triple digits, powerful cooling is pressing… Plus, we deal with excessive humidity; As soon as we shutdown the cooling system, we typically need to start up the heater. While temperatures rarely drop below chilly, there are often lows in the mid thirties. My friend and I rely on furnace for approximately five or six months straight. My husband in addition to I looked into all unusual makes, models in addition to types of heating in addition to cooling options. When we came across geothermal heat pumps, I liked the idea of a single component to handle both requirements; This new innovation provides both heating in addition to cooling in addition to is also considered the most environmentally responsible style of temperature control on the market, rather than using a combustion process to generate heat, the geothermal sytems takes luck of a free in addition to renewable source of heat found underground! It uses an underground loop system to convey this heat into in addition to out of the home. In the summer, the geothermal heat pump operates truly much like a conventional cooling system. In the winter, it reverses the flow of refrigerant to bring heat indoors.

 

HVAC provider in Fort Worth Texas

Picking a geothermal heat pump

When my hubby as well as I decided to build a property in Forth Worth, Texas, my associate and I spent a lot of time researching different building materials, appliances as well as opportunities.

My friend and I were determined to make smart choices that would contribute to the comfort, security as well as energy efficiency of the property.

My friend and I hoped not to have any regrets. My friend and I looked into styles of roofing, brands of windows, manufacturer’s of cupboards as well as possibilities for countertops. My friend and I consulted with our company & electrical, plumbing as well as Heating & Air Conditioning specialists… Living in Forth Worth, carbon footprint as well as utility bills are a large consideration. My friend and I can expect to run the cooling system for six or seven months out of the, but with temperatures correctly soaring into the nineties, as well as sometimes reaching the triple digits, powerful cooling is crucial, plus, my associate and I deal with excessive humidity, however as soon as my associate and I shutdown the cooling system, my associate and I respectfully need to start up the heater. While temperatures rarely drop below frigid, there are often lows in the mid thirties. My friend and I rely on heating system for approximately five or six months straight. My hubby as well as I looked into all different makes, models as well as types of heating as well as cooling options. When my associate and I came across geothermal heat pumps, I liked the idea of a single machine to handle both requirements, this current innovation provides both heating as well as cooling as well as is also considered the most environmentally responsible style of temperature control on the market… Rather than using a combustion process to generate heat, the geothermal sytems takes advantage of a free as well as renewable source of heat found underground, and it uses an underground loop system to convey this heat into as well as out of the home. In the summer, the geothermal heat pump operates unquestionably much like a conventional cooling system. In the winter, it reverses the flow of refrigerant to bring heat indoors.

HVAC provider in Fort Worth Texas

Choosing a geothermal heat pump

When my husband and I decided to build a home in Forth Worth, Texas, we spent a lot of time researching different building materials, appliances and opportunities.

We were determined to make smart choices that would contribute to the comfort, security and energy efficiency of the property.

We hoped not to have any regrets. We looked into styles of roofing, brands of windows, manufacturer’s of cupboards and options for countertops. We consulted with our contractor as well as electrical, plumbing and HVAC specialists. Living in Forth Worth, carbon footprint and utility bills are a big consideration. We can expect to run the air conditioner for six or seven months out of the. With temperatures regularly soaring into the nineties, and sometimes reaching the triple digits, powerful cooling is crucial. Plus, we deal with excessive humidity. As soon as we shutdown the air conditioner, we typically need to start up the heater. While temperatures rarely drop below freezing, there are often lows in the mid thirties. We rely on heating system for approximately five or six months straight. My husband and I looked into all different makes, models and types of heating and cooling options. When we came across geothermal heat pumps, I liked the idea of a single unit to handle both requirements. This modern innovation provides both heating and cooling and is also considered the most environmentally responsible style of temperature control on the market. Rather than using a combustion process to generate heat, the geothermal sytems takes advantage of a free and renewable source of heat found underground. It uses an underground loop system to convey this heat into and out of the home. In the summer, the geothermal heat pump operates very much like a conventional air conditioner. In the winter, it reverses the flow of refrigerant to bring heat indoors.

 

HVAC technician in Fort Worth Texas

Enjoying the opportunities of the Cahaba River

Living in Birmingham, Alabama, there are an endless amount of outdoor activities available at all times of year.

My favorite natural aspect of the area is the Cahaba River.

It is the longest free-flowing river in Alabama and offers a wide variety of habitats, fishes and plant life. It is one of eight Hotspots of Biodiversity in the world. From fishing, kayaking and rafting to bird watching, it appeals to all different preferences. Although I’m not much of a fishermen, I know that the river is home to over a hundred different fish species. There are some rare fish species as well as popular sportfish such as bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass. When my son did a school project, I learned that the Cahaba River supports thirty-five snail species. Ten of them are found nowhere else in the world. We spent some time searching the riverbanks for snails. When weather permits, I like to take advantage of the Cahaba River for kayaking, canoeing or paddle boarding. These activities are great workouts, burning a lot of calories while also strengthening muscles. When I’m out on the water, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, it seems more like a fun hobby than exercise. It’s a great way to de-stress and clear my head. When the weather cools down in the fall, I enjoy hiking along the edge of the river. The foliage is absolutely stunning. Unfortunately the winter months in Alabama are quite chilly. Although we rarely get more than a trace of now, temperature in the forties keep my indoors for several months out of the year.
HVAC professional in Birmingham Alabama

Moving to Tampa

When I graduated from college, I was determined to move to Florida.

I was eager to leave behind the snow and cold.

I looked for an area that would eliminate the need to own a snow shovel, ice scraper or wool coat. Tampa was the ideal choice. Even in the winter, the temperature rarely falls below fifty degrees. With an average of 361 days of sunshine per year, there is always blue skies and warm weather. Unfortunately, achieving my degree left me in a great deal of debt. I had lots of student loans to pay back. I sold most of my possessions, scraped together what little money I had and made the eighteen hour drive to Tampa. I had found a very cheap apartment to rent online. I moved in at the end of June, when the outside temperature was in the mid nineties with high humidity. By the time I hauled my stuff up the stairs, I was drenched in sweat. I discovered one window air conditioner for the entire apartment. Although there wasn’t very limited square footage, that small and extremely old cooling unit couldn’t keep up. Plus, none of the windows or door were air tight. Hot air and bugs easily got inside. I dealt with a non stop parade of cockroaches and issues with mold and mildew growth. My freezer wasn’t cold enough to keep ice cubes frozen. There was only enough hot water for an eight-minute shower, and if I tried to run any appliance at the same time as the microwave, I blew a fuse. While living in that awful apartment was not a pleasant experience, I fell in love with the local area right away. I have since moved into much nicer accommodations, and I have remained in Tampa.

 

HVAC supplier in Tampa Florida

Baseboard heating rather than three heaters

When I moved into my home that was in Lowell, Massachusetts, I knew I needed to upgrade the heating situation.

The previous owner had three separate heating systems.

There was a ventless heater in the kitchen, a gas fireplace in the living room and upstairs had a gas furnace. Three heating systems for one winter season in Lowell seemed ridiculous to me. The first thing I did was call a Massachusetts heating business for some suggestions. I Wanted to eliminate dealing with repairs and service on three systems. I wanted to not have to set three thermostats. I also figured it wasn’t too efficient having three heaters. I asked around, got some suggestions and I changed to baseboard heating via a boiler. I removed all three of my heaters and now I have a boiler in my basement. The boiler has pipes hooked up to it that connect to all the baseboards in the house. It was expensive, invasive, and time consuming. At the end of the day though, it was totally worth it. I love that I have so much extra space. Figure I had three units taking up a lot of square footage. Now I have a single system that is hidden in the basement. My living room, kitchen, and upstairs hallway seem so big to me. I also like that the whole house is evenly heated. I no longer have to worry about kitchen piping or bathroom plumbing freezing due to not getting enough heat. I am really glad that my local Lowell heating business had some suggestions for me.

Lowell Massachusetts furnace/heater