Monday, March 30, 2009
Load Calculations - They Really Make A Difference
Every week I meet people who are looking to upgrade their old cooling and heating systems. Many are getting multiple bids and I'm amazed at how some contractors are still "guessing" what size unit to offer. It is clear they are clueless to the guidelines that are used for today's homes. A full load calculation should be required by the home owner as well as any commercial client. Department of Energy, EnergyStar and consumer advocacy groups all recommend a load calculation and warn the consumer of contractors using the old "rule of thumb" of estimating the tonnage of cooling based on square feet of space. If your business, school, or church is looking to upgrade their HVAC equipment, have one of our mechanical engineers ensure you're installing the right equipment. It doesn't take a lot of time and it's well worth the investment. It will save you thousands of dollars in utility costs, unneeded repairs, and maybe in equipment costs. Give us a call. 314.664.3011.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Federal Tax Credits...Educate Yourself Before Buying
Warning: Buyer beware! Many contractors are trying to use the 2009/2010 tax credits offered to consumers to "sweetening the deal" and close the sale. As with any government program, there are a lot of rules and regulations that you must follow. Before taking advantage of these tax credits, ensure you're not being taken advantage of by a salesperson who is ignorant of the specific requirements that must be met to qualify for a tax credit.
Take our industry for instance. I was discussing the tax credits associated with air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps with several salespeople. I was amazed how many didn't realize which makes and models DO NOT qualify. Unfortunately, they were basing their assumptions on equipment advertising pamphlets. Though these pamphlets explain the benefits, warranties, and options for a specific piece of heating or cooling equipment, they usually "estimate" the efficiency; especially air conditioners and heat pumps. You'll find two little words "up to" right before the SEER rating in also all equipment brochures and that can be misleading. The actual SEER is determined by the efficiency of the outside unit (called the condensing unit) coupled with the inside evaporator coil (refered to as the A-coil because of its shape), and blower type.
Some condensing units can acheive 15 SEER, but fall short of the required 16 SEER for the tax credit; and those that can meet the 16 SEER may not be able to achieve the 13 EER that is ALSO required. We have condensing units, when matched with a standard coil and single speed blower furnace, will not meet the tax credit requirements. But when that same condensing unit is matched with a high-efficiency coil and variable speed blower furnace, it WILL qualify. Now you're on your way to collecting $1500.00 on your 2009 tax return!
Heat pumps require three minimum efficiency ratings: 15 SEER, 12.5 EER, and 8.5 HSPF.
So how do you, the consumer, know what you're getting? How can you be sure that the heating and cooling units you're investing your hard-earned dollars in will qualify for the tax credits?
First, do your homework. Good contractors ensure their sales staff know how to size heating and cooling systems for your home and provide documentation stating the energy efficiency of your particular sytem. We provide ARI and GAMA certificates--demand them from all heating and cooling contractors.
Second, if you're making several energy improvements to your home, there are caps you can receive for 2009 and 2010 for specific improvements. Some improvements are exempt from these caps, so get all the facts. EnergyStar and Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) are two good resources.
If you have questions, email me! Or give me a call at 314.256.2693. I'd be happy to help you!
Take our industry for instance. I was discussing the tax credits associated with air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps with several salespeople. I was amazed how many didn't realize which makes and models DO NOT qualify. Unfortunately, they were basing their assumptions on equipment advertising pamphlets. Though these pamphlets explain the benefits, warranties, and options for a specific piece of heating or cooling equipment, they usually "estimate" the efficiency; especially air conditioners and heat pumps. You'll find two little words "up to" right before the SEER rating in also all equipment brochures and that can be misleading. The actual SEER is determined by the efficiency of the outside unit (called the condensing unit) coupled with the inside evaporator coil (refered to as the A-coil because of its shape), and blower type.
Some condensing units can acheive 15 SEER, but fall short of the required 16 SEER for the tax credit; and those that can meet the 16 SEER may not be able to achieve the 13 EER that is ALSO required. We have condensing units, when matched with a standard coil and single speed blower furnace, will not meet the tax credit requirements. But when that same condensing unit is matched with a high-efficiency coil and variable speed blower furnace, it WILL qualify. Now you're on your way to collecting $1500.00 on your 2009 tax return!
Heat pumps require three minimum efficiency ratings: 15 SEER, 12.5 EER, and 8.5 HSPF.
So how do you, the consumer, know what you're getting? How can you be sure that the heating and cooling units you're investing your hard-earned dollars in will qualify for the tax credits?
First, do your homework. Good contractors ensure their sales staff know how to size heating and cooling systems for your home and provide documentation stating the energy efficiency of your particular sytem. We provide ARI and GAMA certificates--demand them from all heating and cooling contractors.
Second, if you're making several energy improvements to your home, there are caps you can receive for 2009 and 2010 for specific improvements. Some improvements are exempt from these caps, so get all the facts. EnergyStar and Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) are two good resources.
If you have questions, email me! Or give me a call at 314.256.2693. I'd be happy to help you!
Monday, March 9, 2009
TAKE A DEEP BREATH, IF YOU CAN
Have you ever been so frustrated, that you just wanted to scream? You know you want to, but instead you take a deep breath and try to relax. Ah, that’s feels better. A few more slow, deep breaths, the heart stops pounding, the veins stop popping out the side of your head, and you’re okay. But what if you couldn’t—take that deep breath, that is? What if every breath was a struggle? It may be that very thing that’s causing the frustration. We take so much for granted now-a-days and breathing is one of them. It’s an automatic response controlled by the medulla oblongata (great trivia for later). We don’t even have to think about it. But we should! Unfortunately, the old saying, “out of sight, out of mind” directs our priorities when it comes to what we breathe. Example: How many times have you forgotten to change the air filter in your furnace? Did you even know there was a filter? You’d be surprised at the number of people who don’t and those who do, forget to change it until something goes wrong with their heating or cooling system. So should indoor air quality be a priority in our lives? Let the numbers help you decide.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies show indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times and in some cases more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels.
• The Global Initiative for Asthma, a collaboration of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Health and World Health Organizations, states that, “The incidence of asthma has increased 50% in the past ten years. Contributing factors include indoor allergens and indoor pollutants.”
• The American College of Allergists has put in writing, “50% of all illnesses are either
caused by, or aggravated by, polluted indoor air.”
• The Asthma and Allergy Foundation named St. Louis as the Asthma Capital for 2009.
Now if the numbers above don’t alarm you, maybe these will.
On average, 42,000 dust mites live on one ounce of dust. The average home contains 6 -7
pounds of dust. Now add the fact that each mite produces 20 fecal pellets per day. You do the math. Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
• The average mattress has 2 million dust mites
• If your pillow is over a few years old, 10-25% of the weight is dead and living dust mites
• You spend at least 1/3 of your life in bed
• Research states that 44 million homes in the U.S. (45% of all homes) have a very serious dust mite problem
• Dust mites are a MAJOR contributor to asthma and allergic reactions
This is why Hoffmann Brothers is adamant about indoor air quality. Ask yourself these
questions:
Do you have allergies or suffer from asthma?
Do you experience frequent headaches, dizziness, and/or nausea?
Do you have mildew, musty, or unwanted odors in your home?
These may be signs of poor indoor air quality. The solution is not filtering your air, but cleaning it. We can help. Call us today and get the solutions to your indoor air quality problems. It’s your and your family’s health that may be at risk.
If you have any indoor air quality concerns, please give us a call or email me at
feedback. So, for the rest of 2009, breathe easy, if you can, and if not, give us a call. We may be able to help!
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies show indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times and in some cases more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels.
• The Global Initiative for Asthma, a collaboration of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Health and World Health Organizations, states that, “The incidence of asthma has increased 50% in the past ten years. Contributing factors include indoor allergens and indoor pollutants.”
• The American College of Allergists has put in writing, “50% of all illnesses are either
caused by, or aggravated by, polluted indoor air.”
• The Asthma and Allergy Foundation named St. Louis as the Asthma Capital for 2009.
Now if the numbers above don’t alarm you, maybe these will.
On average, 42,000 dust mites live on one ounce of dust. The average home contains 6 -7
pounds of dust. Now add the fact that each mite produces 20 fecal pellets per day. You do the math. Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
• The average mattress has 2 million dust mites
• If your pillow is over a few years old, 10-25% of the weight is dead and living dust mites
• You spend at least 1/3 of your life in bed
• Research states that 44 million homes in the U.S. (45% of all homes) have a very serious dust mite problem
• Dust mites are a MAJOR contributor to asthma and allergic reactions
This is why Hoffmann Brothers is adamant about indoor air quality. Ask yourself these
questions:
Do you have allergies or suffer from asthma?
Do you experience frequent headaches, dizziness, and/or nausea?
Do you have mildew, musty, or unwanted odors in your home?
These may be signs of poor indoor air quality. The solution is not filtering your air, but cleaning it. We can help. Call us today and get the solutions to your indoor air quality problems. It’s your and your family’s health that may be at risk.
If you have any indoor air quality concerns, please give us a call or email me at
feedback. So, for the rest of 2009, breathe easy, if you can, and if not, give us a call. We may be able to help!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Those Little Floaties In Our Air
Wow! The sun was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky. You had to squint just to look out the window. I closed all the curtains in our living room and made sure just a slender sunbeam came through the west-facing window. Then I laid on the carpet right where the light touched the floor. I slapped the carpet and up popped the little floaties. The more I smacked the carpet, the more floaties would appear. Then I’d try to write something in them only to see them swirl around my finger. The little turbulences were so cool. I was seven years old then. Life was simple and floaties were fun.
Now I’m 50 and I look at floaties very differently. I’m not so inclined to slap the carpet these days. For one, my wife gives me strange looks and for another, the knowledge of what those floaties are; and not only the ones I can see but the ones I can’t, concern me. I know they can harm me if they’re the “wrong kind” of floaties.
Today, I don’t call them floaties, well, except in the above paragraphs and this sentence. Particulates is the correct term. Particulates are those little “floaties”…okay this sentence too… that we see when a beam of sunlight shines through the window. They are also the ones we don’t see, many less than a micron in diameter. How small is that? Well, a human hair is around 100 microns in diameter. So it’s really, really small. Particulates can be all sorts of stuff: dust, pollen, mold spores, bacteria, pet dander, dust mites, tobacco smoke, etc. Here’s a bit of trivia. Did you know, on average, 80% of dust is dead skin cells? I hope you’re not scratching while reading this. You’re just making more dust!
Particulates become a major concern when we have allergic reactions to them. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classifies most particulates as a Danger Level One Concern. There are a total of three danger levels.
LEVEL ONE
Allergens & Particulates
Dust & Pollen
Mildew
Dust Mites
Pet Allergens
Tobacco and wood smoke
LEVEL TWO
Infectious Agents
Bacterial Infections
Viral Infections
Influenza
RSV
Common Cold Viruses
LEVEL THREE
Toxic Compounds
Formaldehyde
Tobacco Smoke
Nitrogen Dioxide
Pesticides
Benzene
Nature handles these three levels with an array of purifiers: wind, rain, lightning, ultraviolet light, plants, and even bacteria. Technology has allowed us to duplicate these natural purifiers. Germicidal lights, which emits the C spectrum of Ultraviolet light, have been used for years in hospitals. Now we have residential applications. UVC attacks danger level one and two contaminants. Energy Recovery Ventilators remove stale air and replenish the home with fresh air. By using a special chamber, it transfers heat and humidity; thus you recover 70% of your energy from the outgoing air. This allows us to remove and/or dilute carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.
The best whole-house air cleaners tackle a myriad of particulates. Unfortunately, many people use the cheaper, box store variety of filters. The “filtering” capabilities of these filters are questionable. Beware of filters that claim “98% efficient”. 98% efficient at what? This is usually based on particulate size. Some filters can remove a percentage of particulates larger than 10 microns. The problem is 98% of all indoor air particles are less than 1 micron. Another problem with these filters is the density of the media fibers restrict air flow to your system reducing the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. Hoffmann Brothers has air cleaners/purifiers that can remove over 98% of particulates down to 0.3 microns. Toxic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and some particulates are smaller than this. Fortunately we have air purifiers that eliminate all three CDC danger levels of indoor air contaminants. Some use a catalyst that breaks down odor producing gases and toxic compounds at the molecular level. We can assist you in selecting the right application.
There are some great websites for more information. I like the EPA’s site for kids: airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqikids.index
American Lung Association link on indoor air quality:
www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67087
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: www.aafa.org
A word of warning: Many room air purifiers use ozone to “clean” the air. The EPA recognizes ozone as a respiratory irritant. One of the top selling brands received a poor rating from a consumer watchdog agency. The level of ozone was so great, the state of California, which has the toughest regulations on ozone generators, took them to court and won. Don’t be fooled by the claims given by these products. The cost of several of these units would still not do the job of one of our whole-house systems and would be four or five times the investment.
Do you have concerns? Then take a step towards a solution and call us today. Give yourself the peace of mind you deserve. Make this year, a healthy one. Call today!
Now I’m 50 and I look at floaties very differently. I’m not so inclined to slap the carpet these days. For one, my wife gives me strange looks and for another, the knowledge of what those floaties are; and not only the ones I can see but the ones I can’t, concern me. I know they can harm me if they’re the “wrong kind” of floaties.
Today, I don’t call them floaties, well, except in the above paragraphs and this sentence. Particulates is the correct term. Particulates are those little “floaties”…okay this sentence too… that we see when a beam of sunlight shines through the window. They are also the ones we don’t see, many less than a micron in diameter. How small is that? Well, a human hair is around 100 microns in diameter. So it’s really, really small. Particulates can be all sorts of stuff: dust, pollen, mold spores, bacteria, pet dander, dust mites, tobacco smoke, etc. Here’s a bit of trivia. Did you know, on average, 80% of dust is dead skin cells? I hope you’re not scratching while reading this. You’re just making more dust!
Particulates become a major concern when we have allergic reactions to them. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classifies most particulates as a Danger Level One Concern. There are a total of three danger levels.
LEVEL ONE
Allergens & Particulates
Dust & Pollen
Mildew
Dust Mites
Pet Allergens
Tobacco and wood smoke
LEVEL TWO
Infectious Agents
Bacterial Infections
Viral Infections
Influenza
RSV
Common Cold Viruses
LEVEL THREE
Toxic Compounds
Formaldehyde
Tobacco Smoke
Nitrogen Dioxide
Pesticides
Benzene
Nature handles these three levels with an array of purifiers: wind, rain, lightning, ultraviolet light, plants, and even bacteria. Technology has allowed us to duplicate these natural purifiers. Germicidal lights, which emits the C spectrum of Ultraviolet light, have been used for years in hospitals. Now we have residential applications. UVC attacks danger level one and two contaminants. Energy Recovery Ventilators remove stale air and replenish the home with fresh air. By using a special chamber, it transfers heat and humidity; thus you recover 70% of your energy from the outgoing air. This allows us to remove and/or dilute carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.
The best whole-house air cleaners tackle a myriad of particulates. Unfortunately, many people use the cheaper, box store variety of filters. The “filtering” capabilities of these filters are questionable. Beware of filters that claim “98% efficient”. 98% efficient at what? This is usually based on particulate size. Some filters can remove a percentage of particulates larger than 10 microns. The problem is 98% of all indoor air particles are less than 1 micron. Another problem with these filters is the density of the media fibers restrict air flow to your system reducing the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. Hoffmann Brothers has air cleaners/purifiers that can remove over 98% of particulates down to 0.3 microns. Toxic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and some particulates are smaller than this. Fortunately we have air purifiers that eliminate all three CDC danger levels of indoor air contaminants. Some use a catalyst that breaks down odor producing gases and toxic compounds at the molecular level. We can assist you in selecting the right application.
There are some great websites for more information. I like the EPA’s site for kids: airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqikids.index
American Lung Association link on indoor air quality:
www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67087
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: www.aafa.org
A word of warning: Many room air purifiers use ozone to “clean” the air. The EPA recognizes ozone as a respiratory irritant. One of the top selling brands received a poor rating from a consumer watchdog agency. The level of ozone was so great, the state of California, which has the toughest regulations on ozone generators, took them to court and won. Don’t be fooled by the claims given by these products. The cost of several of these units would still not do the job of one of our whole-house systems and would be four or five times the investment.
Do you have concerns? Then take a step towards a solution and call us today. Give yourself the peace of mind you deserve. Make this year, a healthy one. Call today!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Air Purifiers
One of my favorite things is to educate people about my industry--especially when it comes to indoor air quality. With people spending more time in their homes, coupled with a rise in allergies and asthma, indoor air quality is a big concern for many people. So, they turn to TV or search the internet for the "solution" to their problems. Probably the hottest selling product on the market is the Ionic Breeze. Why? It's not because of the quality of the product. It's the marketing. Sharper Image's marketing is second-to-none but the product fails in many areas. Lennox conducted a test comparing the IB to the Lennox Healthy Climate 16 media filter. Conclusion: It would take over 80 IBs to equal the same filtration of the HC 16. The IB has received terrible reviews from a leading consumer product watchdog. On their website, they even tell you take it back to where you purchased it and ask for a refund. The state of California sued Sharper Image for the amount of ozone the IB produces. Most people are unaware that ozone is a respiratory irritant. Those suffering from asthma or other respiratory illnesses are particularly at risk. Check out http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html#what%20is%20ozone. I recommend investing in a subscription to a respectable product reporting agency. They have some excellent articles on air cleaners. The best advice: Buyer Beware! Just because it's on TV, doesn't make it true. If you'd like to find out what you're breathing. Give Hoffmann Brothers a call and set up an indoor air diagnostic. That way, you'll know what potential problems you have and receive a solution specific to your concerns. Take care and have a wonderful day.
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