This particular threat is a power surge, or a sudden boost in an electrical charge that can damage or destroy any device with electronic controls. Lightning is the most common cause of power surges, which can unexpectedly affect your home and all of the electrical equipment inside, but it’s not the only cause. Often your equipment is subjected to daily power spikes from the power company, which may not be strong enough to destroy your equipment in a single surge, but over time, can do damage just the same.

Surge protection devices offer homeowners protection from costly damage and replacement. Many homeowners use power strips with built-in surge protection to keep their computers, televisions and other electronic equipment safe, but the heating and cooling equipment is often overlooked, even though it is often more susceptible to these power surges.

Surge protection can:

• Prevent costly repair/replacement bills
• Protect your equipment from small daily spikes
• Keep your equipment functioning during a storm
• Act as “cheap insurance” to save you money

What to know if surge protection is right for your home’s HVAC system? The experts at Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning are available to provide you with answers to all of your surge protection questions. We’ve been serving the greater Louisville area and southeast Indiana since 1947.

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

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

Like other programmable thermostats, these models will automatically set the temperature in your home according to your daily schedule, complete with override and vacation settings. But a smart programmable thermostat offers more advanced settings as well.

A smart thermostat can let you know when it’s time to change your air filter or schedule regular HVAC maintenance. You can even set an alarm to warn you of freezing, overheating, power outages or a system breakdown so you can quickly address the problem.

The large touch screens are colorful and easy to read. They display your system settings and information about your system, as well as give access to many smart options and features. You can see temperature and humidity levels, and even get weather information with a connection to a wireless router in your home.

That wireless router serves as your smart programmable thermostat’s gateway to connect to you anywhere you are when away from home, whether you’re halfway across town or halfway across the world. Remote access gives you the ability to access your thermostat via the Internet. Once logged in, you can view system information, monitor and change settings, adjust alarms and notifications and keep an eye on your system’s performance. The ability to change settings is a great way to save energy; for example, you can tell your air conditioner not to kick in for another couple of hours if you decide to go out for dinner before going home.

The new smart options and features of smart thermostats can be at your fingertips. Check with a certified HVAC service technician for advice and installation. You’ll be excited about what your new thermostat can do for your life.

For more advice about smart programmable thermostats and other home comfort topics, contact the professionals at Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving the greater Louisville area and southeast Indiana area since 1947.

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

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

Do-it-yourself air conditioner maintenance
You can do some of the A/C maintenance yourself, by cleaning or changing the filters for the blower on a routine basis, especially during the summer when you’re using it a lot. The filter keeps dust out of the blower. When too much accumulates on the filter, the passage of air slows, causing your blower and outdoor compressor to run longer. Dust can also collect on the evaporator coil, which may cause the coils to freeze, making the compressor work too hard, eventually burning it out.

Throughout the cooling season, hose the outdoor coils off, especially after a storm. Dust and landscaping debris, especially grass clippings, can clog the fins that surround the coil. The compressor has to throw off the heat from your home and dust and dirt slow the process. When hosing it, use a gentle stream to avoid bending the fins, which can be straightened with a fin comb, available at home centers.

Maintenance tasks for an HVAC professional

An HVAC technician can go deeper into your blower and compressor. Cleaning the dust from the electrical components keeps it running as it should without breakdowns. The technician can do a thorough job of cleaning the compressor coil, making your system much more efficient. He will also clean the dirt off the evaporator coil and test the refrigerant pressure in the system. Dust acts as an abrasive, which can cause leaks. If your pressure is low, the technician looks for the leaks and fixes the problem before refreshing your A/C.

If you’d like more information about the benefits of A/C maintenance, contact Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning. We’ve provided HVAC services for southeast Indiana and the Louisville 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 A/C maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

Neglecting the air filter during the A/C season drives up the electric bill because the air has a harder time getting through the filter, which slows the passage considerably. This makes the air handler run longer, as well as the compressor, which consumes a good deal of electricity while it runs. Slower air passage can also cause the refrigerant inside the evaporator coil to freeze, which can ultimately result in compressor failure.

Manufacturers of HVAC equipment use the filters to protect the working components of the systems, but a side benefit of them is the air cleaning process that the filters perform. If too much dust collects on the filter, the indoor air is not as clean, and anyone who suffers from allergies or respiratory problems can suffer.

Besides keeping the filters clean, filters that trap smaller particulates can relieve allergies and keep homes cleaner. The MERV rating, or minimum efficiency reporting value, of a filter is rated on a scale from 1 to 16. Higher numbers indicate better particulate entrapment.

When choosing a MERV filter this A/C season, check the owner’s manual for your HVAC system. Higher ratings not only trap more particles, but also slow the passage of air through the air handler. If you’re not sure what the maximum value is for your system, check with an HVAC technician who can help you. If you do choose higher-rated filters, check them more often during the A/C season, since they trap more particles.

If you’d like to learn more about how the filters keep your air conditioner running at its best, contact Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve been providing HVAC services for the Louisville area and southeast Indiana since 1947.

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

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

1. Find the mold - If you have mold in your home, your first step is to find the mold and clean it. If the mold is on a hard surface, you can clean it with a detergent, but be sure to completely dry the area when you are finished. If the mold is on an absorbent surface, the area may need to be replaced.
2. Proper ventilation - Reduce humidity by venting problem areas including bathrooms and laundry rooms. You can also reduce humidity by using air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
3. Fix the source - If you have a leak that’s causing excessive moisture, get to the heart of the problem and fix the leak.
4. Mold-resistant products - There are mold- and moisture-resistant building materials such as sheetrock and drywall that reduce can mold. If mold is something you’re constantly battling in your home, consider looking into these products to help combat the issue.
5. Prevent condensation - If your home has poor insulation, it could be causing moisture through the condensation. A heating and cooling specialist can help determine if your home has inadequate insulation and make the appropriate repairs.
6. Carpet - If you have an area in your home with perpetual moisture problems that’s carpeted, such as a bathroom, it may be necessary to remove the carpet from these areas to reduce mold and moisture.
7. Improve air flow - If the air temperature drops, it isn’t able to hold as much moisture, so it’s important to increase the air flow in your home to keep this moisture from getting into your walls, floors or windows. You can improve air flow by opening windows and doors and allowing fresh air into your home.

The most important way to reduce mold in your home is by tackling moisture. Let the experts at Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning help you reduce mold and improve your indoor air quality. We’ve been serving the Louisville area and southeast Indiana 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 reducing mold and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

Prudential’s planned service includes two visits a year by a professional and highly qualified HVAC technician. He will examine your entire system to ensure it’s functioning properly, safely and at maximum energy efficiency. During the visits, the technician will check all areas of your unit, repair any potential problems, ensure filters, coils and heat exchanges are clean and lubricate the HVAC’s moving parts to reduce friction.

If you experience any problems or malfunctioning with your HVAC unit, you will receive prompt service during regular business hours without being charge any additional labor fees. In addition, the planned agreement provides you with 24-hour emergency service at a discount rate during weekends, nights and holidays. With the maintenance agreement, you will also receive a 10 percent discount on HVAC equipment, additional services and repair parts.

Knowing your heating and cooling system is properly maintained by a professional HVAC company provides a level of peace of mind that you won’t get when your unit is not properly maintained. In addition, preventive HVAC maintenance ensures the unit is running efficiency, which reduces your energy costs. Regular maintenance reduces the chance of future HVAC problems and prolongs the life of the unit.

For more information about the planned service and how it benefits you, contact the experts at Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning. We have been providing trustworthy and affordable services to the Louisville area and southeast Indiana 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 planned services and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

• Size: Ductwork must be the right size to carry enough conditioned air to heat or cool your home properly, without being so big that it contributes to air and energy loss. The ductwork must also accommodate the physical layout available in your home and be big enough to make best use of the capacity of your HVAC unit. Remember that ducts that are too small can increase the amount of noise generated by your HVAC system.
• Layout: There are several different configurations you can use for your ductwork system, but it’s better to use a common and proven layout such as the radial or “trunk-and-branch design. Radial design puts the furnace or air conditioner unit in the center with supply and return ducts extending outward like wheel spokes. Trunk-and-branch design relies on large ducts extending outward from the main HVAC unit, with smaller supply and return ducts connected to those larger ducts.
• Placement: Your HVAC system will be much more efficient if you can install ductwork in areas of your house that are already heated and cooled. This cuts down on energy loss as air flows through the duct system. If you put ducts in unheated or uncooled areas such as garages, unfinished rooms, or exterior walls, this energy loss will increase even for insulated ductwork.
• Type: Don’t use crawl spaces, between-stud openings, empty spaces under floors or other building cavities to carry conditioned air. This can lead to significant amounts of air and energy loss. Use a “hard-ducted” system consisting of actual ductwork segments from beginning to end.

Since 1947, Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning has been a trusted source of HVAC sales, supplies, and service for customers in the Louisville and southern Indiana areas. Contact us today for more information on how duct design affects residential heating and cooling and for assistance with installing home HVAC system ductwork designed for maximum efficiency.

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

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

A whole-house dehumidifier works with your heating and cooling system to continuously maintain the appropriate level of moisture throughout your home and works on its own when you don’t need the heater or air conditioner.

Portable dehumidifiers also remove excess moisture from the air, but they work best in small, confined spaces. They are noisy and bulky, and in order to dehumidify your whole home, you would need one in every room, or you would need to move a single portable unit from room to room throughout the day. Once set up, a whole-house system requires no effort from you to keep your whole home at the right humidity level, and does so quietly and in an energy efficient way. It simply draws the wet air from every room in your home, removes the excess moisture and returns the drier air.

High humidity by itself can cause real problems for your home and your family’s health. Too much moisture in the air can cause peeling wallpaper, wet stains on your walls and ceilings, rotted wood and other home structural damage. It can also attract dust mites, bacteria, mildew and mold growth that can lead to asthma and allergies.

The Environmental Protection Agency suggests keeping your humidity level between 30 and 50 percent year-round. By maintaining this range with a whole-house dehumidifier, you will avoid creating the conditions that lead to health problems and home structural damage.

For more advice on dehumidification or other home comfort topics, contact the experts at Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve proudly served the greater Louisville area and southeast Indiana since 1947.

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.

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

Humidifier image via Shutterstock

Before the heavy cooling load for summer arrives, consider taking these steps to lower the conditioning loads that will even help you reduce your remaining heating costs this spring.

• Clean or change your air filter. When dirt accumulates inside your blower, system efficiency drops. When too much gathers, not only does it cost more to run the equipment, it also hastens wear and tear on the evaporator coil and heat exchanger. Both result in expensive repairs or equipment replacement.
• Remove any debris that collected around the outdoor compressor over the winter. In order to release the heat that the refrigerant collects indoors, the compressor needs to have adequate ventilation on all sides, including the top.

An HVAC technician can help you fight rising energy costs by performing the following steps during routine maintenance:

• Check the ducts for insulation and tight seals. Ducts can account for energy losses of 30 percent or more. Leaks in ducts can be dangerous, especially when heating your home if you use a combustion fuel, since the leaks change the air pressure inside the system, drawing carbon monoxide back into your home.
• Clean the compressor coils and fins. When as little as a 0.001 inch of dust builds on these, they take 5 percent more to operate.
• Install and set up a programmable thermostat, one of the best ways to fight rising energy costs. You set the temperatures back when you’re typically not at home, saving energy dollars, and the thermostat does the remembering for you.

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you lower your utility bills, contact Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve been providing HVAC services for Louisville and southern Indiana 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 energy costs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

By combining UV light with a traditional air filtration system, you can dramatically improve indoor air quality. This in turn can result in better health, reduced allergy symptoms and a cleaner home.

These lights work by emitting a small amount of UV radiation. As biological contaminants pass through the light, their DNA is permanently altered, destroying their ability to reproduce. As a result, airborne bacteria, viruses and fungi that pass through the light are rendered harmless.

If you are considering installing a UV air-purification system in your home, there are a few key points you should keep in mind. As with any air cleaner, UV lights are not 100 percent effective. Some biological contaminants do survive. However, the overall concentration of these pollutants in the air is significantly reduced.

Additionally, it is important to remember that UV lights are designed to disinfect the air, not to remove airborne particles. Because of this, they should always be used in conjunction with a standard air filtration system. The combination of UV light technology and air filtration can vastly improve indoor air quality by reducing harmful biological contaminants and removing other airborne pollutants such as pet dander, dust and pollen.

If you are located in the greater Louisville or southern Indiana area and are interested in learning more about using UV technology to improve indoor air quality in your home, contact us at Prudential Heating and Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers 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.

Prudential Heating & Air Conditioning services the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Indoor Air Quality image via Shutterstock