Ensure the System Is Properly Sized

HVAC equipment must be properly sized and have the correct functional capacity to produce the amount of heating and cooling that’s needed. If it’s too small, it won’t produce enough heating and cooling, plus it will waste money and energy as it tries to keep up with increased demands. If your system is too large, it will produce too much conditioned air.

Have a load calculation performed on your commercial facility to help you determine the size of equipment you need. Use the Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s (ACCA) Manual N Commercial Load Calculations to determine the appropriate system size for your needs.

Compare Standard-Efficiency and High-Efficiency Systems

Get a quote from your HVAC contractor on both a standard-efficiency and high-efficiency HVAC system. You’ll likely save money initially on the lower  efficiency system, but over time, higher efficiency equipment will save you more on monthly costs.

Install Energy Recovery Ventilation

Install an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) to ensure plenty of ventilation while saving heating and cooling energy. This type of ventilator use heated and cooled outgoing exhaust air to pre-heat or pre-cool incoming ventilation air, which means it takes less effort from your heating or cooling equipment to get incoming air to the proper temperature.

Use Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats allow you to pre-program set points to help conserve energy. The set points can be used to turn heating and cooling down during times when your commercial facility is closed, then automatically increase it to ensure the building is comfortable by opening time the next day.

Aladdin Heating & Cooling has been a premier provider of residential, commercial, and industrial HVAC services in Detroit and the surrounding communities for more than 70 years. Contact us for more information on choosing a commercial HVAC system and the professional services you need for your new commercial equipment.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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• Begin maintenance by removing the indoor air quality parts, which may consist of a pre-filter and permanent air filter, depending on your ductless model. Gently hand wash the filters and set aside to dry. Remove the cabinet from the mounting brackets and wipe it down.
• Inspect the evaporator coil and condensate pan for dirt, mold and algae. You may use a foaming coil cleaner to disinfect and clean these parts. Read and follow the instructions carefully.
• Mix one cup of 50/50 bleach and water. Pour it into the condensate pan to inhibit mold and algae growth. When the filters are dry, put the parts back together.

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• Air filter - The air filter is the air conditioner's first and only line of defense against dirt and dust particles, bacteria and mold spores. Check the air filter at least once a month this summer to ensure it's not clogged. A clogged filter can quickly damage air conditioner components and substantially increase cooling bills.
• Registers and grilles - Wipe clean or vacuum the supply registers and return grilles. Dirt and debris like to accumulate on these parts.
• Airflow - Check airflow from each supply register to see if it's balanced. Unbalanced airflow indicates an obstruction in the air ducts or improperly sized ducts.
• Coil and fins - Inspect the evaporator coil and fins for dirt, mold and damage. A disinfecting foaming spray may be used to remove dirt and mold from the coil and fins. You can purchase a self-rinsing foam spray for less mess. Bent fins may be straightened using a stiff fin comb.
• Drainage - The drainage system drains away gallons of condensate on busy and humid air conditioning days. Check the condensate pan located under the evaporator coil for mold, algae and standing water. If you do see mold and algae, pour one to two cups of a 50/50 solution of bleach and water into the pan. If there's standing water, use a stiff wire to clear the drain tube.
• Compressor/condenser cabinet - The compressor and condenser coil are located in the outdoor cabinet sitting next to the home's foundation. This component should be sprayed each month to remove dirt and debris. A dirty compressor can fail, and a dirty condenser increases energy costs.

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• Seal air leaks with caulk and apply weatherstripping around your windows. Air leaks can allow cold air in during the winter and hot air in during the summer. Even worse, they can carry moisture into your wall spaces, encouraging mold and decay.
• Use shrink film. While it's most commonly sold in winter, adding an insulating bubble of air by shrink-filming your windows decreases the amount that the outside temperature can change your indoor temperature. But keep in mind that you won't be able to open your windows to enjoy the breeze in the spring and summer months without taking the shrink film down.
• Use curtains, shades and blinds to keep the sun out. Passive solar heating can increase indoor temperatures during the summer. Adding shade means lower indoor temperatures and less heat your air conditioner has to deal with.
• Use landscaping to your advantage. Planting arrangements that shade your home in the summer and let the sun shine in during the winter means you're harnessing your environment for heating and cooling. Green, leafy plants also lower the air temperature around them a bit and improve your air quality.
• Fix cracks in your glass. Even small cracks can damage the efficiency of your windows. If you don't want to replace the pane itself, use clear nail polish to protect the crack and temporarily seal any air leaks.

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Preventative maintenance makes sure that any small problems your system may suffer don’t develop into larger problems later on. In many cases, problems that could lead to total system failure can be caught and addressed at a fraction of the cost of repairs. For example, clogged air filters can be changed easily, whereas the strain a clog puts on the blower fan motor is the leading cause of HVAC system failure.

While it’s always good to have your system checked out by a professional, there are some elements of maintenance that can be taken care of by the homeowner. Here are some things you can do on your own:

• Change your air filter once a month.
• Make sure there’s about a yard of clearance on every side of your outdoor A/C unit. It needs the air circulation in order to function correctly.
• Keep the condensate drain in your HVAC system clean and clear of debris.
• Make sure that the vents in your home are open and unobstructed by debris or furniture.
• Test the batteries in your CO detector and smoke alarms every month and replace them every year – even if the tests come back fine.
• Keep an eye on the refrigerant lines leading into your home. If they’re damaged or dented, have them checked out or replaced.

If you’re curious about HVAC preventative maintenance tasks for your Sterling Heights area home, let Aladdin Heating & Cooling help!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about preventative maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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How to Benefit From a Whole-House Fan

You can lower your cooling-related energy bills by up to 90 percent by operating a whole-house fan whenever it’s cooler outdoors than inside your home, and when outdoor temperatures don’t exceed 85 degrees. Here’s how to use the fan as a complement to the A/C during the warmer months:

• In the late spring, early fall and on milder summer days, open your windows and run the fan all night, then close up the house during the day and you may not need the A/C at all.
• In the summer, run the fan for a half-hour early in the morning and again after dark to clear out stifling hot air and reduce the A/C’s work load during the day.

Not only can this type of ventilation save on energy costs, it also cools down the attic so it can help extend the life of your roof. Since it gives the air conditioner a break, a whole-house fan can also help prolong its service life. Best of all, it’s a greener home cooling alternative that reduces your carbon footprint.

Fan Installation Considerations

To ensure you choose the right size and type of fan, hire an experienced HVAC contractor to handle the installation. A pro can also ensure proper placement and attic ventilation so the fan operates efficiently and issues with air quality and combustion fume backdrafts are prevented. Since whole-house fans can introduce outdoor allergens like pollen and dust into the home, they’re not a good choice for allergy sufferers.

To learn whether a whole-house fan is a good choice for your Grosse Pointe or Auburn Hills home, contact the experts at Aladdin Heating & Cooling.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about whole-house fans and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Understanding the MERV Rating

Minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) indicates how well an air filter performs. A filter with a high MERV rating will improve indoor air quality efficiently, while one with a low MERV rating will capture only a small percentage of the particles in the air. A rating of 4 or below provides only minimal filtration, while ratings between 5 and 8 indicate a better residential filter. An air filter with a MERV rating between 9 and 12 offers superior residential filtration for excellent indoor air quality.

Replaceable vs. Washable Filters

If you have a replaceable filter, you will throw away the entire filter when you change it. The best replaceable filters for home use are polyester and pleated air filters. Fiberglass filters have very low MERV ratings and do little to improve air quality.

Washable filters are typically considered a poor choice. You must manually wash them to remove dust, but the process can leave the filter damp, creating an ideal breeding ground for mold, mildew, and fungus. Washable filters also have low MERV ratings.

The Deal With High-Efficiency Air Filters

High-efficiency filters are those with a MERV rating of 14 or higher. While these offer excellent air quality, they’re better suited to hospital environments. It takes more energy to push air through a filter with a high MERV rating, and many home units are not equipped to handle high-efficiency air filters.

To learn more about improving indoor air quality in your southeast Michigan home, contact us at Aladdin Heating & Cooling. We have proudly serviced the area since 1945.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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1. Thermostat. Your thermostat monitors your indoor temperature and turns your system on or off as necessary. Most systems don’t have a variable cooling output, so temperature is regulated by cooling the house to a certain point and then turning off the system entirely until it warms enough for the A/C to be needed again.
2. Evaporator. Inside the evaporator coils, liquid refrigerant evaporates into a gas. In order for it to do that, it has to absorb heat from the air around the coils, meaning that the air cools precipitously.
3. Blower. Now that the air has been cooled, the blower fan moves it through the ducts and replaces it with more warm air from various parts of your house. The cool air in the ducts is pushed through the ductwork and emerges from vents in your living areas.
4. Filter. The air coming into your A/C that surrenders heat to the evaporator coil is drawn in through the system’s air filter. Without the air filter, the air might carry dust that would gather on the evaporator, forming an insulating layer – one which would prevent your indoor air from giving up its heat.
5. Compressor. As the cooled air is distributed by the blower, the heated refrigerant is pumped through the refrigerant lines by the compressor.
6. Condenser. Outside, the condenser turns the evaporated refrigerant back into a liquid. This expels the heat that it was carrying so it can go back and pick up more.
7. Fan. The warmed air is blown away from the condenser to disperse in the outdoors.

If you want to learn about the air conditioner parts keeping your Michigan home cool, call Aladdin Heating & Cooling today!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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What Do Evaporator Coils Do?

Air conditioning relies on the unique heat-exchange capabilities of chemical refrigerant, which can evaporate into a gas relatively easily and then condense back into a liquid. In the evaporator coil, usually attached to the furnace plenum, the refrigerant extracts heat energy from the indoor air as the chemical transitions into a gas. This creates indoor cooling.

Dirty A/C Evaporator Coils

Over time, the cool, damp evaporator coils will attract a coating of dust and gunk, which may include mildew, mold and bacteria. These materials will impede the vital heat exchange that occurs when the refrigerant is extracting heat from the inside air. Anything that restricts that process will erode cooling efficiency and performance, and eventually lead to breakdowns in the compressor and other parts.

How to Clean A/C Evaporator Coils

• First turn off the A/C’s power at the breaker box.
• Open the cover of the evaporator coil.
• Take a shop vacuum and/or stiff wire brush to clean out the condensate drain pipe to make sure the A/C can expel the water that accumulates during air conditioning.
• Use a brush with stiff bristles (not wire) to remove gunk from the coil; use a clean cloth to wipe away whatever the brush isn’t removing. Spray the coil with a dedicated foaming agent made specifically for this chore.

Your best bet with any air conditioner maintenance (other than simple filter changes) is to have it done by a trained processional during an annual A/C maintenance tune-up. Call us at Aladdin’s Heating & Cooling to schedule your appointment today. We serve communities in Southeast Michigan, including Birmingham, Oak Park and Grosse Pointe.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about evaporator coils and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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1. Use your ceiling fan. When the weather warms, a fan in its forward direction will cool you directly by creating a wind chill effect. Just remember that ceiling fans only cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave the room.
2. Install a programmable thermostat. When you’re out of the house for school or work, and when you’re tucked in bed, you don’t need the house at a temperature comfortable for activity. A programmable thermostat can remember to set the temperature for you when you come and go.
3. Change out your air filters. Spring is pollen season, and that can clog up your HVAC system’s air filters faster than usual. Keep the filters clean in order to keep air circulating without impediment.
4. Know your passive solar heating. If you’ve got west- and north-facing windows, you may want to use curtains to keep out the evening sun. Or you could plant trees to shade your windows, reducing your need for cooling when the weather gets hot.
5. Check your home sealing and insulation. Temperature changes can cause materials to degrade, so if you’ve caulked and weatherstripped your doors and windows or added insulation to ductwork and pipes, you should check it again when the seasons change.

If you want to learn more about how you can create an energy efficient home in Oak Park, Warren and surrounding communities, visit us at Aladdin Heating & Cooling.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy efficiency and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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