Chlorofluorocarbons

Refrigerants are organic compound known as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. Anything that keeps air cold uses some form of this substance, including the old air conditioner that has been keeping the house cool for years. Not all refrigerants are alike, however. Manufacturers use a numbering system to help identify the chemical compound of various forms of refrigerant.

R-22 refrigerant and the ozone layer

The ozone layer is what protects us from the damaging effects of UV light coming from the sun. It took time for the scientific community to realize that we were causing damage to this natural barrier by releasing chemicals into the air. In an attempt to slow down deterioration of the ozone layer, governments around the world agreed to phase out the more dangerous refrigerant formulas like R-22.

What this means for you

Newer, energy-efficient systems are made without R-22, but older air conditioners may still rely on it. This means replacing your old A/C is something that has to be done eventually, but that is not bad news. A more efficient system will pay for itself in lower monthly bills. You can go to bed at night knowing you are doing something good for the earth and your pocketbook at the same time.

Contact us today to have one of our NATE-certified technicians examine your air conditioner to determine your best options moving forward. Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers 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.

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Air Conditioner image via Shutterstock

Smart programmable thermostats

Programmable thermostats are great tools that simultaneously help you save energy while maintaining comfort. With the latest technologies and features, smart programmable thermostats take it to the next level, giving you control via smartphone and online computer or tablet to make changes to settings, receive system alerts, and monitor indoor and outdoor conditions. These are some of the features:

• Connect to your system via smartphone app and make appropriate adjustments for plans and weather changes.
• Receive email and text alerts for system problems, like power outages, overheating, extreme temperature variance, low battery and check air filter.
• Link your other compatible systems, such as humidification, dehumidification and ventilation.
• Smart thermostats reach the target temperature setting at the scheduled time utilizing an intelligent recovery startup that “learns” the most energy-efficient way to accomplish this.
• Sleeping in? Use a smart remote from bed to change settings to your liking.
• Smart remotes read temperatures anywhere in the home and may signal the smart thermostat to adjust accordingly.
• Smart remotes have zero interference with other wireless applications, like baby monitors, cell phones, cordless phones and WiFi signal.
• Some smart programmable thermostats even go online to check utility prices and the weather, and adjust settings for the greatest efficiency and savings.
• Smart thermostats are easier to program than ever, implementing large touchscreen displays with an intuitive tabbed interface, backlit for high visibility day or night.

Choosing your smart thermostat

Match your home-comfort systems with a compatible thermostat including the smart features that fit your needs. Thermostats are available for most heating and cooling systems. Note the type and manufacturer of your home-comfort systems for your heating and cooling pro. Better yet, schedule a preventive maintenance appointment for your systems.

Contact Blanton’s Heating & A/C. We’re committed to providing the best customer service, products, equipment and installation in the Fayetteville area.

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Compact components

A ductless mini split is a compact split-system heat pump. Professional installation is fast, with little disturbance to your home’s structure. The components include an outdoor unit containing the compressor and up to four indoor air handlers per compressor. The air handlers are unobtrusive, and they are often mounted high on walls or ceilings, or located as stand-alone units on the floor. The air handlers are connected to the outdoor unit by a thin conduit which houses all the refrigerant tubing, power source and drain tube.

The conduit may extend as far as 50 feet, which gives you maximum flexibility when placing the outdoor and indoor units. The conduit just needs a small opening, about three inches, in the outside wall to hook everything together. Whereas extending ductwork requires about one foot, or more, of clearance.

Comfort and efficiency

Ductless mini splits offer quiet operation, comfortable airflow and independent temperature control for each of the air handlers. As such, they can be used as a zoning system. The significance of the zoning system is that it affords you the convenience of heating or cooling only the areas you need. This saves money, too, since you don’t always need to condition your entire home.

Ductless mini splits not only save space compared to extending bulky ductwork, but they are also more efficient. Ductwork loses about 20 percent of conditioned air in the average home, and, over time, ducts are susceptible to joints disconnecting for even more energy losses. Mini splits deliver high-velocity conditioned air in a sealed system with very little maintenance required.

Work closely with your heating and cooling pro to explore all of your options and make the best choice for your situation. Contact Blanton’s Heating & A/C. We’ve been committed to exceptional customer service and equipment installation in the Fayetteville area for more than 60 years.

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Solution image via Shutterstock

Stand-by generators can keep virtually any household appliance running, so you won’t have to go without:

• Lights
• Your refrigerator
• A stove or microwave
• A working garage door
• Your air conditioner (or furnace)
• Electronics and other mechanical devices.

There are stand-by generators designed to work with many different fuel sources, like gas, propane or even diesel. However, most are “bi-fuel,” meaning they can actually run on two different kinds of fuel. After all, the whole point of a generator is to be prepared. Choose a model that runs on a fuel source already feeding into your home.

Before you select a generator, decide which home systems you’d like it to power. Some stand-by generators are strong enough to run an entire household and all its appliances, while others are smaller and only dedicated to the most important circuits. The “essential circuit” versions are most affordable, but can only feed 8-16 circuits in your electric panel. Small or medium sized generators are often strong enough to run a whole house, but you’ll have to limit your energy use. Whole-house generators allow you to live as though the power never went out in the first place.

Most stand-by generators sold today have sensors that can tell when power stops flowing and automatically turn the unit on. You don’t have to flip a manual switch, and your home will be protected if the power goes out when you’re not there. They also shut themselves off once the power is flowing again.

No one wants to go through a power outage, but a stand-by generator can make you “better safe than sorry.” If you have questions about selecting a generator for your home, call Blanton’s Heating & A/C. We’re proud to keep Fayetteville area homeowners safe and comfortable.

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Chimney fires happen because of a buildup of creosote in the stack. Creosote buildup occurs naturally after burning fires during the fall and winter seasons. If you don’t clean your fireplace and chimney before a hot fire, the highly-flammable creosote material will catch fire. A chimney fire can easily spread to the roof and other areas of the house.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends cleaning of the fireplace, vents and chimney whenever one-eighth of an inch of deposit buildup is present or when a glaze appears on the inside of the fireplace and chimney. In fact, the CSIA recommends an annual inspection and cleaning (if needed) as part of a home’s standard safety practices.

Safety-conscious homeowners develop annual schedules to check their smoke detector batteries, fire extinguishers, heating and cooling equipment and more. Add fireplace and chimney cleaning to your annual maintenance and safety list.

For more tips on household maintenance programs, or for information on your HVAC system, contact Blanton’s Heating & A/C today!  We’ve been serving Fayetteville-area residents now for over 60 years.

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Fireplace image via Shutterstock

If you’re off-grid, you’re on your own. Electrical demands must be met by drawing electricity stored in batteries from earlier power generation by photovoltaic panels, or electricity may be produced by sources such as backup generators.

In a grid-tie system, you remain connected to your electric power utility. At night or in times of insufficient solar energy, you draw electricity from the utility’s power grid. During daylight hours when your photovoltaic panels are producing electricity, excess power not consumed by your residence flows back into the grid. Your electric meter turns more slowly or even runs backwards, significantly reducing your utility bill and offsetting the expense of power drawn off the grid. This is known as net metering.

While it is theoretically possible to eliminate electrical utility costs with a grid-tie system, most homeowners utilize grid-tie to receive electricity from both sources. For example, a blend consisting of 60 percent solar and 40 percent utility. Because most power drawn from the grid is utilized at night, it’s often supplied at a lower, off-peak cost. Meanwhile, any excess electricity your system feeds back into the grid during daylight hours is credited to your account at higher daytime rates.

Grid-tie systems are the simplest of residential solar options. Because there’s no need for storing electricity in a grid-tie system, banks of batteries and the ancillary wiring and components are not required. All the troublesome regular maintenance associated with batteries is thus eliminated. Grid-tie has also rapidly become the most popular and widely utilized residential solar power alternative. Professional installers are well-versed in the technology and procedures and equipment for most homes are standardized.

Family-owned since 1951, Blanton’s Heating & A/C serves Fayetteville, NC, and surrounding areas. Contact us for the latest technology to reduce utility costs and increase living comfort.

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

A zoning system allows your single HVAC system to serve different areas of your home with different comfort needs. Thermostats are located in the area they actually serve. Energy is not wasted on unoccupied areas of the home, while occupied areas are not over-heated or over-cooled. The most common residential configuration is a two-zone system—one for bedrooms and one for living areas.

In a typical system, the default damper position is always open. But with a zoning system, each zone has an independent thermostat. Based on how these thermostats are set, motorized dampers in the ducts of each zone allow or restrict the flow of conditioned air into that zone. Thus, you can adjust the temperature of an uncomfortable room in one zone without affecting the comfort of another.

Energy savings with zoning systems can be as much as 30 percent over a single-zone configuration. Use of programmable thermostats to preset the preferred temperature at specified hours of the day increases zoning efficiency. Because zoning systems also reduce the on/off cycling of HVAC equipment, zoning often results in longer lasting HVAC systems.

Through all seasons since 1951, Blanton’s Heating & A/C has served greater Fayetteville’s home comfort needs. We’re always ready with quality products and service, or just advice for sound decision-making. Contact us today!

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Zoning System image via Shutterstock

Choosing air filters

With so many filters to choose from, it can become confusing trying to discern which filter is best for your heating and cooling equipment. However, there is a system called MERV, Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, to help you decide which filter is best. MERV ratings range from 1 (lowest efficiency) to 20 (highest efficiency). Filters rated 1-16 are for residential use, and filters rated 17-20 are for sensitive industrial use.

MERV ratings

Filters rated MERV 1-4 provide minimum protection for your heating and cooling equipment, but they do not filter your indoor air efficiently. Filters rated MERV 5-7 are reasonable options, catching mold spores, dust mite droppings and body parts, pet dander, and some chemicals such as hair spray. MERV 8-13 are much better choices, and these are recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); air filters in this range are effective against auto emissions, lead dust and humidifier dust.

By necessity and design, all air filters impede airflow to the heating and cooling equipment, but if airflow is impeded too much it can cause damage. That’s why you shouldn’t simply install the best air filters (MERV 14-16) without first consulting an HVAC professional.

For more information on choosing the right filter for your home, contact Blanton’s Heating & A/C. We’ve been committed to exceptional customer service in Fayetteville and surrounding areas for more than 60 years.

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

The simplest tool you can use to combat humidity is a dehumidifier. Just using fans or opening the windows won’t bring the humidity level down to where it should be. Fans will just move the humidity around and opening the windows doesn’t work if it’s humid outside.

A whole-house dehumidifier integrated into your HVAC system is the best type of dehumidifier, as it allows you to choose your humidity level and maintain that level consistently throughout your whole home.

As long as you set the humidity level to between 30 and 50 percent, a dehumidifier will help your home avoid problems often associated with high levels of humidity, such as rotted wood, wet spots on walls, condensation on windows and peeling wallpaper. And in the summer, you won’t be tempted to keep your home overly cool just to deal with the humidity. More importantly, your family will avoid any allergic reactions stemming from mold growth and dust mites caused by high humidity.

Since they remove the moisture from the air, rather than just move it around, dehumidifiers are your most basic solution to high humidity problems and will help your family and your home avoid a host of potential problems.

For more professional advice on dehumidifiers, contact Blanton’s Heating & A/C.

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Humidifier image via Shutterstock

Because natural gas is colorless, odorless and difficult to detect, many utility companies add a chemical to the gas that makes it smell like rotten eggs. This makes it easier to detect a leak. The potential dangers of carbon monoxide make it clear that natural gas safety is an important topic. Here are some natural gas safety tips for eliminating potential safety hazards.

• Install a carbon monoxide detector on every floor of your home. For adequate natural gas safety while sleeping, be sure to install CO detectors close to bedrooms.
• Follow manufacturer instructions for adequate clearance around combustion appliances.
• Store paints, aerosols, loose papers and other flammable objects away from gas-burning appliances.
• Have a technician inspect the pipes, flues and vent hood for cracks or corrosion. Repair any issues as soon as possible.
• Keep children and pets away from meters, pipes, transformers and other utility equipment.
• Prevent ice and snow from accumulating on your meter in the winter.
• Avoid stacking boxes, clothes or other objects at the base of a gas appliance for adequate natural gas safety.
• When cooking on a gas stove, roll up long sleeves and keep towels or potholders far from the open flame.
• Never attempt to heat a room with the flame from a gas oven or stove top.
• Keep transformers and meters clear and accessible so a technician can find them and work quickly in case of an emergency.
• Leave your electric and gas meters alone. It’s dangerous and illegal to tamper with them.

To learn more about natural gas safety, please contact Blanton’s Heating & A/C in Fayetteville today.

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

Blanton’s Heating & Air Conditioning services Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!