A/C Designs of St. Augustine, LLC Blog: Archive for August, 2022

How Does an In-Duct Air Purifier Work?

Tuesday, August 9th, 2022

We all want to breathe clean air at home to keep our families comfortable and healthy. An in-duct air purifier can be just the solution you need, but how do you know if it’s right for you? 

At AC Designs, we’re committed to helping your family stay comfortable with high quality, cool air. As a top AC company in St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida, we install in-duct air purifiers in homes every day. Here are the top tips we give homeowners to help you decide when you might need an air purifier. Ensure your family stays healthy and protect your home from allergens, dust, mold and more.

What Are Air Purifiers?

According to the EPA, without proper precautions and filtration, the air indoors can actually be up to five times more polluted than the air outside. In sealed environments, pollutants can be multiplied due to improper ventilation in contained areas. If you’re concerned about your in-home air quality, installing an air purifier is an easy way to remove airborne pollutants. 

Many in-home HVAC units contain paper filters to eliminate things like dust, smoke, and pollen before they begin circulating. However, these filters operate on a basic level and cannot filter smaller particles that may be unsafe to breathe. 

Air purifiers can filter smaller particles of mold, bacteria, and viruses. Purifiers with heavy-duty HEPA filters remove 99% of indoor pollutants. At AC Designs, we value the importance of healthy breathing and clean air inside the home, which is why we offer a variety of purifier options

One of our top-of-the-line options is the REME Halo Whole-Home Air Purifier. It ensures that your home circulates clean, allergen-free air by using next-generation indoor air quality technology. Through a dual-ionization process, the purifier releases Hydro-Peroxide plasma that binds to particles in the air, making them large enough to be filtered. 

This process allows the purifier to destroy bacteria, mold, viruses and more on the surfaces and in the air of your home. It has been successfully tested on the removal of viruses and bacteria including MRSA, E-coli, and Norovirus. 

How Air Purifiers Work

An in-duct air purifier, like the REME Halo Unit, is installed in your unit’s ductwork to remove dust, mold, bacteria, and viruses before they begin circulating throughout your home. Installing an in-duct air purifier is a simple step to restore your home’s air quality and ensure your family stays healthy and safe. 

Air purifiers contain fans that suck dirty, contaminated air into the unit. Before the air exits the purifier, it is pushed through filters that are interlaced with fibers. When the air is pushed through these mesh filters, harmful particles like smoke and bacteria are trapped. 

Clean air then exits the unit to be circulated throughout your home. This constant filtration process significantly improves your home’s indoor air quality and can help prevent allergies and illness for your family. That’s why it is important to invest in an air purifier proactively. 

Signs You May Need An Air Purifier

Dangerous particles aren’t always easy to see, smell, or feel. You may not be aware of the airborne particles in your home until physical symptoms occur. If you begin experiencing these symptoms or notice these signs, it may be time to call AC Designs to install an air purifier. 

Dust Mites

If you begin to observe a significant amount of dust mites throughout your home, especially in hidden places like behind the sofa or under your bed, an air purifier may be your best solution. When the air circulating throughout your home is cleaner, you’ll be able to cut down cleaning time and eliminate dust, which will send those pesky dust mites packing. 

Stuffy Air/Bad Odors

If the air inside your home begins to smell stale or feel stuffy, this could be a sign of poor indoor air quality. Installing an air purifier will remove the contaminants within your home and eliminate the stuffiness so that your family can breathe fresh, clean air. 

Loud Snoring 

When particles like pollen and pet dander are circulating throughout your home’s airflow, your airways will remain congested while you sleep. This leads to an increase in snoring and can cause you to get lower quality sleep each night. Investing in an air purifier can lead to less snoring and more restful, quiet nights in bed. 

Allergy Symptoms

If you begin experiencing worsened allergy symptoms, asthma flare-ups, or excessive sneezing, the air inside your home may not be safe. Symptoms like excessive sneezing, runny nose, or itchy, red eyes can all be caused by high amounts of dust, pollen, and other particles in the air. 

Individuals with asthma are also at higher risk of worsened symptoms without proper filtration of mold and bacteria. An air purifier can eliminate these allergens and prevent unnecessary health risks caused by polluted indoor air. 

Schedule an Appointment With AC Designs

Investing in an air purifier is a great way to ensure that the air inside your home is safe and clean to breathe. AC Designs is an AC company in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida that is dedicated to providing quality and efficient AC maintenance. Make an appointment with our skilled HVAC technicians today to determine which air purifier is right for you.

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Should I Turn My AC Off When I’m Not Home?

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022

Keeping your home cool through the Florida summer heat and your electricity bill low is a tricky balance to strike. One key question many homeowners struggle with is what to do with your AC when you’re away from home. It’s true that if you don’t know how to properly regulate your thermostat, you may be wasting both money and energy. 

At AC Designs, our experienced HVAC technicians are here to help you keep your home cool this summer without breaking the bank. Our AC company in St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida is dedicated to extending the lifespan of your unit. Below, we’ll teach you our recommended air conditioning habits and key tips to use year-round. Follow our advice to stay cool while protecting your wallet.  

Pros and Cons of Shutting Your AC Off

Many homeowners think that shutting their AC off completely while away will save the most money, but this isn’t always the case. In fact, this practice can actually lower your AC efficiency and cost more in the long run! Common sense tells you that you’ll save money when your AC unit isn’t running. Unfortunately, this practice often puts unnecessary strain on your unit when you return, canceling out any positive effects. 

Think of it this way. If your air conditioner is off during the hottest periods of the day, the inside of your home could become as hot as 90 degrees or more. Your unit may need to run for hours consistently to cool your home back down. Plus, it will work harder than normal to cool your home more quickly.

Not only does this wind up costing you more money on your energy bill. This extra work for your unit may also have damaging, long-term impacts that require maintenance or unnecessary costly repairs.

Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home

Keeping your thermostat set to 78 degrees or higher can save you money and lower energy usage in your home while you’re away. When you return home, your AC unit will not have to work as hard to cool your house down to a lower temperature. 

If you spend a majority of the day away from your home, it is recommended that you set your thermostat between 78 and 83 degrees to avoid unnecessary electricity costs. This also prevents your unit from overworking throughout the day.

When your air conditioning is set to 78 while you’re away, there isn’t as much strain on the unit to return to normal temperatures at night. This can help you avoid premature AC maintenance and extend the life expectancy of your unit. 

If you like to keep your home comfort settings extra-cool, we also recommend turning down your thermostat incrementally by a few degrees at a time, rather than all at once. This will help avoid extra strain from your unit trying to cool your home quickly.

Benefits of Programmable Thermostats and Zone Control Systems

Zone control systems and programmable thermostats give homeowners greater control over their heating and air conditioning to improve energy efficiency. They make it easy for homeowners to save money on their energy bills while keeping their homes cool. 

If you find yourself forgetting to set your thermostat to a higher temperature when leaving the house or heading to work, investing in these systems may be right for you. A programmable thermostat can do the work for you based on your schedule. This way, your AC can operate on a consistent schedule, and you’ll never have to worry about regulating your home’s temperature yourself. 

Zone control systems allow homeowners to control the temperature of their homes remotely by zones. When paired with a programmable thermostat, these systems can lower the temperature of certain zones within your home based on their conditioning requirements. Monitoring your home’s temperature by zones allows you to cut electricity costs at an even higher rate. 

Schedule Your AC Maintenance With AC Designs

Dealing with the summer heat doesn’t have to take a toll on your electricity bill. When you incorporate these best practices into your AC routine, you can save hundreds of dollars each year without sacrificing a cool, comfortable home. Make an appointment with an AC company in Jacksonville, Florida that you can trust to keep your unit operating efficiently with your wallet in mind. Schedule an appointment with AC Designs today for all your AC maintenance needs.

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