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Air Conditioners and Health: Balancing Comfort and Wellness

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Air conditioners have become an indispensable part of our lives, providing not only relief from scorching heat but also contributing to our overall well-being. Understanding the impact of air conditioners on our health is crucial in optimizing their benefits. This article delves into the key aspects of temperature regulation, humidity control, air filtration, and maintenance, shedding light on how they influence our physical well-being.

Temperature Regulation and Comfort

The primary function of air conditioners is to regulate indoor temperatures, creating a comfortable living environment. By effectively cooling the air, they help prevent heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Additionally, maintaining a cool temperature can enhance the quality of our sleep, enabling us to rest and recharge more effectively.

Humidity Control for Health

Air conditioners play a vital role in controlling humidity levels within indoor spaces. High humidity fosters the growth of allergens like mold, dust mites, and mildew, which can trigger respiratory issues and allergic reactions. Through dehumidification, air conditioners mitigate these risks, creating a healthier atmosphere that promotes respiratory well-being. However, it’s important to strike a balance, as excessively low humidity levels can cause dryness and discomfort, particularly for those with sensitive respiratory systems.

Air Conditioners

Air Filtration and Improved Indoor Air Quality

Air conditioners equipped with air filters significantly improve indoor air quality. These filters capture airborne particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander, and pollutants, preventing them from circulating within the living spaces. For individuals with allergies, asthma, or respiratory conditions, this feature is invaluable in reducing the presence of triggers and promoting easier breathing. It is crucial to adhere to regular filter cleaning or replacement schedules to ensure the filters’ effectiveness in maintaining optimal air quality.

Maintenance and Health

Regular maintenance of air conditioners is essential not only for their efficient operation but also for preserving a healthy indoor environment. Over time, air conditioners can accumulate dust, mold, and bacteria, which can lead to respiratory problems and allergic reactions. Routine cleaning, filter replacements, and comprehensive system inspections help prevent the buildup of harmful substances and ensure that the air conditioner functions optimally, minimizing potential health risks.

Are you looking to improve the well-being of both yourself and your family?
Call your friends at BNG Heating & Cooling to schedule an inspection or maintenance checkup. We’ll be able to spot any signs of trouble before they become expensive mistakes

Do I need a dehumidifier? Black mold on wall closeup

Do I need a Dehumidifier?

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Humid summers are typical in the midwest. “It’s not the heat but the humidity!” is something you’ll hear often enough. When humidity levels reach 90% or even 100%, it can turn a pleasant picnic into a sweaty mess. We know what high humidity can do outdoors, but how does high humidity affect your home on the inside? Do I need a dehumidifier?

 

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Mold and Mildew

High humidity makes for an ideal atmosphere for mold and mildew formation. Mold can not only cause mild to serious health issues like asthma and allergic reactions but left unchecked, mold can cause structural weakening of walls and ceilings. 

Paint and Wallpaper

 If you see peeling wallpaper and chipping paint, humidity may be the culprit. Exterior walls are especially susceptible to changing humidity levels. 

Furniture and Floors

 Wood floors and furniture can be affected by changing humidity levels. Stained furniture and buckled flooring can point to prolonged high moisture content. Expensive damage to tight-fitting wood frames around windows and doors can also occur in humid conditions. 

Walls & Brickwork

 Humidity can wreak havoc anywhere in your home that contains a moisture or vapor barrier. Drastic changes in moisture levels can cause cracking along drywall and brickwork inside the home, sometimes causing costly repairs. 

What Can I Do?

Preventing high humidity levels inside your home can be as simple as utilizing fans in moisture-prone areas like bathrooms, laundry rooms, and the kitchen. Maintaining a relatively consistent air temperature inside your home can also contribute to lower humidity levels. Also checking your crawl space and/or attic for any moisture buildup or leaks is important for humidity control.

Lastly, tools like in-home air quality monitors and smart thermostats are great ways to understand the indoor humidity levels in your home throughout the year. The Mayo Clinic recommends humidity levels between 30% and 50%. Whole-home dehumidifiers and humidifiers can keep your home at optimum humidity levels all year long.

Contact BNG and ask how a dehumidifier could improve your air quality today.

 

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5 Tips to Save Money on Your Utility Bills

5 Tips to Save Money on Your Utility Bills

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Your heating and air conditioning system keeps you comfortable all year and, if used strategically, may also help you conserve energy to lower your monthly bill. Here are 5 tips to save money on your utility bills without sacrificing comfort.

Tips to Save Money

 

The Importance of Routine Maintenance

It is critical to maintain your air conditioner and furnace on a regular basis to guarantee they function properly. This efficiency will help you save energy and money on your utility costs. Replace your filter at least once every three months, and get your HVAC system serviced twice a year by a trained professional.

 

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It’s Time to Take it Down a Notch

Changing the temperature of your home by just one or two degrees can save you money on your utility bills. You might not notice the difference between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but it will show up on your bill.

Find Out What Temperature Range Is Ideal for You

Many modern HVAC systems are programmed to operate within a specified temperature range. Consult your owner’s manual and your BNG service professional for more information. Maintaining optimal system performance means your system won’t have to work as hard, consuming less energy and saving you money.

Make Use of a Programmable Thermostat

Replace your existing thermostat with a programmable one. A programmable thermostat allows you to divide your home into zones, heating or cooling rooms only while you’re home, and setting certain temperatures for specific times. This implies that your furnace or air conditioner only turns on when you need it.

Many modern thermostats include smartphone apps that you may use to regulate them. You can control your home’s temperature from anywhere with these thermostats.

Enhance Your Entire System

Of course, upgrading your entire HVAC system is the greatest way to keep it efficient and save money on power bills. A new system will always be more energy efficient than one that is more than ten years old.

Call BNG to improve your HVAC system or schedule maintenance.

(812) 858-4000

Top 5 Techniques to Get the Most Out of Your ecobee Thermostat

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Andrew Gaichuk, ecobee, senior director, technical operations and Cheryl Dias, a veteran of the ecobee customer support team share the Top 5 Techniques to Get the Most Out of Your ecobee Thermostat.

 

Don’t have a smart home thermostat yet? Take control of your cooling bills with an ecobee smart wi-fi thermostat from BNG.

Advantages of a Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat by ecobee

See our current monthly special.

The following are the top 5 techniques to get the most out of your ecobee thermostat.

1. Virtual assistants allow for hands-free temperature control.

Do you already own a smart home system? Connect your ecobee3, ecobee3 lite, ecobee4, or SmartThermostat with voice control to enjoy hands-free temperature control from anywhere.

“Our thermostats are designed to play nice with leading smart home systems, giving you the flexibility to control your thermostat handsfree, for one seamless experience,” said Andrew Gaichuk, ecobee, senior director, technical operations.

2. A more straightforward method of creating a schedule.

Creating a temperature schedule, especially if you have a routine, can be quite useful.

The most convenient way to program your thermostat settings is through the web portal, which you can access by logging in to your ecobee account at ecobee.com.

“The ecobee app is great for a quick glance at your schedule for the day. However, because it gives you a full-screen view of the entire week and puts your schedule and comfort settings on the same screen, we recommend using the web portal to create and edit your schedule,” said Cheryl Dias, a veteran of the ecobee customer support team.

3. Check for accurate temperature readings by troubleshooting.

External influences, the most prevalent of which is referred to as wall draft, can affect your thermostat reading.

Remove the faceplate of your thermostat from the wall to check for wall drafts. Do you notice a huge hole where the wires are emerging? As the cold or warm air reaches the thermostat and alters its reading, your furnace or air conditioner may run longer than necessary.

“To properly insulate the hole, ensuring your thermostat can operate efficiently and effectively, we recommend plugging it up with some plumber’s putty which you can get at a hardware store,” said Gaichuk.

4. Maintain a comfortable temperature in your home.

You might be shocked to learn that the temperature reading on your thermostat differs from the real room temperature after you’ve coupled your SmartSensor to the thermostat and it’s participating in your Comfort Settings. This is very normal. The temperature shown on your thermostat is now the average of the readings from your thermostat’s sensor and the SmartSensor’s sensor.

Multiple sensors in your Comfort Settings help to balance out any hot or cold regions in your home, making it more comfortable for everyone.

If your thermostat is in direct sunlight, you can turn off the temperature sensor and have it read from your SmartSensor, which you can keep in a secure location.

5. To improve comfort, override the set temperature.

The greatest approach to keep your house pleasant while minimizing your energy expenditures is to set a thermostat schedule. However, you can always take command and change the preset schedule to get the exact temperature you desire at any time.

For example, you might want to turn up the heat to keep toasty warm while reading your favorite book or temporarily lower the temperature for a workout.

We recommend having your HVAC system serviced twice a year to prevent any issues down the line.”

– Andrew Gaichuk, senior director, technical operations, ecobee

 

Visit ecobee for 5 more techniques to get the most out of your ecobee thermostat.

Why Is My Air Conditioner So Loud?

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It’s summer time, so that means your home’s air conditioner is working overtime. So what happens when your ac unit starts making more noise than usual? There are several reasons that can cause your ac unit to make a lot of noise.

We always recommend that you reach out to a trained HVAC professional when you experience any funny business with your system. The team at BNG Heating and Cooling is always ready to help figure out what’s affecting your home’s air conditioning and fix whatever it is keeping you from enjoying a comfortable home!

Here are some common causes of a noisy air conditioning unit:

Lack of Proper Lubrication

The motor of your ac unit needs lubrication just like the motor in your car. As with anything that incorporates moving parts, oil is essential to quiet and efficient operation.

Ensuring your air conditioner has a properly lubricated motor will eliminate any grinding sounds or excessive humming.

Loosened Hardware

If you are noticing a rattling sound, it could very well be due to loose hardware, such as screws that hold the panels in place.

This is bound to happen over time as the moving parts inside your ac unit produces quite a bit of vibration. Tightening up loose screws is another way you can keep your air conditioner operating smoothly and quietly.

Fan Debris

Various debris such as leaves and sticks can find their way into your ac unit, resulting in all kinds of unwanted noise. This pesky invaders can not only cause harsh noises, but they can also bend the blades of the fan or otherwise cause it to loosen over time.

Keeping your ac unit’s fan clean is essential to quiet and efficient operation. Unless you have experience working with air conditioners, we recommend you contact a local professional when it comes to maintaining the inner workers of an ac unit.

Trust BNG Heating and Cooling to Maintain Your System

Preventing breakdowns is all about maintenance. Contact the team at BNG today if you are in need of expert maintenance services to keep your air conditioner quiet and comfortable all year long.

Adjust Your Thermostat from Anywhere in the World

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Making plans for a fun vacation?

We at BNG Heating & Cooling aren’t travel agents, but we do know a thing or two about how you can save money on your home heating and cooling while you’re away from home! Since spring and summer vacations are quickly approaching, we thought we’d share our best tip: invest in a smart thermostat.

Here’s why:

They help you save money.

We’ve said this time and time again, but there’s nothing better than knowing that your home heating and cooling is running as efficiently as possible. When you have a smart thermostat, it is trained to recognize your daily habits—saving energy when you usually leave for work but getting the house back to how you like it by the time you usually get home. The same principle goes for vacation! Take the opportunity to give your HVAC system a break while you’re away, but trust that your home will be comfortable for you when you return!

They can work in tandem with other “smart home” features.

Do you have a smart home device? If so, then there’s a chance that you haven’t been using it to its fullest potential! Not only do devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Home connect to your television, lighting, and music system but they also connect to your smart thermostat!

This means that, when you’re at home, you can simply say “Alexa, please raise the temperature to 72 degrees,” or, even better, simply adjust the temperature through an app on your phone without ever having to get out of bed. Sure, this is convenient all the time, but when you’re on vacation and can view your home’s entire control panel—including home security, home heating and cooling, and even the lights that are on in your house—in one app and from thousands of miles away, you’ll find a peace of mind like never before.  

They allow you to check in from anywhere in the world.

One of our longtime clients recently told us a story about how their smart thermostat did them a huge favor while on vacation. They got an alert in the middle of the night that their home temperature had seen an abnormal dip. Upon further investigation by a neighbor, they discovered that a door in their home had opened! Without the notification, these clients would have left their home susceptible to invasion, rodents, potential moisture, and an expensive energy bill.

Even when things don’t go wrong while you’re away, smart thermostats afford you the comfort of checking in on your energy consumption whenever you want! If you’re into getting low energy bills like we are, that’s a pretty sweet deal.

So, what do you say? Ready to install a smart thermostat in your home? Contact us today so that we can schedule an expert consultation before your next big trip!

Why Families Love Working with BNG Heating & Cooling

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The Tri-State area is BOOMING, and that means that new families are moving here, buying houses, and looking for a good heating and cooling company to keep their home comfortable and efficient.

If you’re one of those families, we’re here to tell you that we should be on the top of your list! Here’s why:

We’re Affordable

While we know that HVAC expenses are never fun, we do our best to make sure that we’re saving our customers as much money as we can. Because we’re an authorized Bryant Home Comfort dealer, we’re able to get you discounts and rebates as they become available to us.

And on top of that perk, we also offer super flexible “buy now, pay later” finance options! Learn all about those options in this blog post we wrote about it.

We’re Trustworthy

We know what it’s like to have technicians come into your home. That’s why we make sure that each and every person we hire to work with us is the kind of person that we’d invite into our own home.

They’re also the kind of people that we’d want to go to for advice on our own HVAC units! Our team is so knowledgeable and professional that we’ve even made a Facebook series of videos making fun of how unprofessional other providers can be :).

Check them out here!

We’re also so committed to saving you money that we offer our customers maintenance plans! These are plans that offer discounts on regular maintenance visits, with the goal of these visits being to catch problems with your unit before  they happen. We describe exactly what happens on one of these maintenance visits here.

While our technicians are at your home, they can also offer you personalized advice on air purification and back-up power!

 

We’re a Family-Focused Company

We’ve been serving this area for more than 70 years. We’re proud to say that four generations of our family have owned or worked for BNG Heating & Cooling, each of which keeping the tradition of maintaining the high standard of excellence that our customers have come to expect from us.

Because family is at the center of what we do, we treat each and every customer like a part of our BNG Heating & Cooling family. When you work with us, we strive to let you know that we appreciate your business!
So, what do you say?

Want to work with us? Go ahead and put us on speed dial! We can’t wait to get to know you and your family.

How to Keep Your Home’s Air Pure

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Fall is the BEST, right? We’re so excited for sweaters and bonfires that we don’t even mind spending less time outside.

Before you start spending all your time inside, remember that indoor air can be filled with just as much—and sometimes even more—dust, dirt, allergens, and pollution than the great outdoors.

Here’s how to make sure you’re keeping the air in your house as fresh as possible.

Change your air filters.

Here we go again, telling you to change your air filters! It really does make a huge difference.

Keeping your filters fresh helps you save on energy bills and is the first step to making sure you’re filtering air pollution from blowing through your house.  

Keep your pets clean.

We become so accustomed to our furry friends that we forget how unclean they can be! Think about it—they’re running around outside, romping with other dogs, and rolling around in ragweed-covered grass, then they’re coming right inside and jumping on your couch!

Not only is your pet probably spreading germs, but they’re also creating hotspots for the distribution of air pollution.

The best way to mitigate this is to keep them groomed, brushed, and clean! We wrote a whole blog on this topic. Check it out here.

Do seasonal deep cleans.

Don’t just spring clean…Fall clean! Winter clean! Summer clean!

Why?

Because tackling those out-of-sight dust and dirt traps more often keeps them from building up and creates a fresh environment for your family. Even beyond regular house cleaning, you should also be sure that you’re taking care of the bigger problem areas around your home—like the water sources around your house, the leaves building up in your gutters, and even your large appliances.

Invest in some plants!

Have you heard of air purifying plants?

They’re great because not only do they naturally clean the air in your house, but they’re usually some of the easiest plants to take care of. And even better? They’re super stylish!

Want to make sure your home ventilation system is working properly?

Call our team at BNG Heating & Cooling to schedule an in-home assessment today, so that we can make the best recommendation for your home!