Posts Tagged ‘Cobb County’

Freon or R-22 as its known in the trade, is being phased out. What does that mean for you? It means you can no longer purchase a new HVAC system that uses Freon. But wait? Can I still get Freon? Yes, you can for now AND Casteel Heating and Cooling, you won’t pay for Freon!

In 2010, manufacturers were to stop making R-22 according to the guidelines of the EPA. Now it has to be recycled and recovered and beginning in 2020, all R-22 used will need to be those types. For now, you can still get it and Casteel has it!

So never fear, Casteel Heating and Cooling is here!

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.  ~Proverb

Thank goodness for that! With Spring comes blue skies, warmer days, longer nights and…..spring cleaning?

That’s right…spring cleaning. What do we have to do with spring cleaning? There’s never a better time to get your AC in shape for the Spring and Summer months! We have complied a list of things you can do to prep your HVAC for the change in seasons.

1. First and easiest thing to do? Change your filters! This isn’t just for Spring but now is a good time to do it!
2. Pop your head into your attic to see if your ducts are sealed properly. How would you know? If you have the air on and it’s cold in your attic, you have a leak.
3. Take a look at your condenser unit outside and see if it looks clean and free of debris that might stop the blades from running. During the winter leaves or dirt can get in there from the weather and they need to be removed.
4. Make sure your exterior pipes are still properly insulated and protected from the weather. They can take a beating over the Winter months.

Anything else we would prefer you hire a professional to do. At Casteel Heating and Cooling, we are running a Sring/ Summer tune up special. For only $79 we perfrom the following tests and inspections:

What are you waiting for? Let us do the dirty work so that you can get started enjoying Spring right away! Call us at 770-565-5884 or reach us online at http://www.casteelair.com/Contact-Us.html

A tankless water heater is basically a heater that provides hot water in demand. In other words, it doesn’t hold water until you’re ready to use it. At Casteel Heating and Cooling, we recommend Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters. Rinnai covers al the bases from smaller homes in warmer climates to medium or large homes in any climate. They are very efficient, space savers and can save you up to 40% in energy costs! You never run out of hot water if you go with a tankless and they are between 50-70% more effiient than most standard gas or electric heaters. In many cases you can get one or all of the following costs savings: an Energy Star rebate, a Federal Tax credit or even a local utility rebate. If you have additional questions, call us at 770-565-5884 or reach us online.

Do you to spend less money on your electric bills and use less energy? If you answered yes, then you should get a Home Energy Audit.  Several people think that because someone came into their home and changed out the bulbs to CFL’s, installed new shower heads and sealed their windows and doors that they’re good to go. Not so! You need a FULL energy audit to realize big savings. At Casteel Heating and Cooling we perform the following tests in your Home Energy Audit:

• Insulation R-rating for walls, attic, and foundation
• Heating and cooling equipment
• Whole house air leakage (blower door test)
• Ductwork leakage
• Electrical and lighting analysis
• Water heater and water usage
• Carbon monoxide
• Flue draft

Knowing the results to these tests allows us to make recommendations for resolving the issues you have and we’ll provide a free quote to you and stay with you every step of the way. We would rather save you money than sell you products and our focus will always be to do right by our clients.

Start saving money today and make that call to our friendly staff at 770-565-5884. We’ll get you on your way to savings ASAP!

Casteel Heating and Cooling offers direction and makes recommendation based on information that is backed up by testing and experience. One of the first tests we perform when replacing your HVAC unit is a Manual J “Residential Load Calculation.” This test ensures that your new unit is sized properly for your home.

www.energysavers.gov recommends the following:

Correct system sizing requires considering many factors other than simply reading the nameplate of the existing unit. Key factors for correctly sizing a heating and cooling system include the following:

• The local climate
• Size, shape, and orientation of the house
• Insulation levels
• Window area, location, and type
• Air infiltration rates
• The number and ages of occupants
• Occupant comfort preferences
• The types and efficiencies of lights and major home appliances (which give off heat).

Make sure that anytime you’re considering hiring an HVAC contractor you insist on having the Manual J Residential Load Calculation performed prior to signing any contract. At Casteel Heating and Cooling, we not only perform the Load Calculations but we also perform these tests as well:

• Room by Room Airflow Calculation
• Air Duct Leakage Calculation
• Air Flow Leakage Reduction Guarantee
• Infiltrometer Blower Door Test

We’ll do thorough research and testing before we recommend the right HVAC unit for you!  Call us today at 770-565-5884 Contact us online .

Casteel…world class service…unmatched quality!

Bob Casteel has always prided himself on customer service and that’s the way he continues to do business today. Bob is our President and under his leadership and direction, we have won the Top 25 Cobb County Small Business of the Year for two years in a row, winning in both 2009 and 2010. Here at Casteel Heating and Cooling, we’re known for our “world class service.” Accomplishing this is no easy feat as we call, write and survey every one of our customers. We have always had a “customer first” policy and will continue to do everything to make sure every customer knows they not just a client but our number one priority. Winning this award again this year shows that we practice what we preach.

We say thank you to the thousands of loyal customers that believe in us. We appreciate the trust you put in us and know that you can choose any service provider you’d like. Thank you for choosing Casteel Heating and Cooling; we share this award with all of you!

We have posted regarding safety and Carbon Monoxide before but we can NOT stress enough how important it is for you to be extremely careful during the cold season.

Here are some potential Carbon Monoxide dangers in your home:

• CO is a produced anytime a fuel is burned. Potential sources include gas or oil furnaces, water heaters, space heaters, clothes dryers, barbecue grills, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, gas ovens, generators, and car exhaust fumes.
• CO poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. (Centers for Disease Control)
• Every year more than 10,000 people die or seek medical attention due to CO poisoning from home-related products. (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
• More than two-thirds of Americans use gas, wood, kerosene or another fuel as their home”s major heat source.
• 65% of CO poisoning deaths from consumer products are due to heating systems.
• Only 27% of homes in America have carbon monoxide alarms, according to the Hardware/Homecenter Research Industry.
• An idling vehicle in an attached garage, even with the garage door opened, can produce concentrated amounts of CO that can enter your home through the garage door or nearby windows.
• CO poisoning deaths from portable generators have doubled for the past two years, and many of these deaths occurred in the winter months and during power outages.
• A poorly maintained gas stove can give off twice the amount of CO than one in good working order.

What you can do to prevent Carbon Monoxide from leaking into your home.

• Install at least one battery-powered CO alarm or AC-powered unit with battery backup on each level of your home and near sleeping areas.
• Do not use charcoal or gas grills inside or operate outdoors near a window where CO fumes could seep in through a window.
• Check all carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Do they use the most accurate sensing technology? Do they need new batteries?
• Replace CO alarms every five to seven years in order to benefit from the latest technology upgrades.
• Have a licensed professional inspect heating systems and other fuel-burning appliances annually.
• Install fuel-burning appliances properly and operate according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Keep chimneys clear of animal nests, leaves and residue to ensure proper venting. Have all fireplaces cleaned and inspected annually.
• Do not block or seal shut the exhaust flues or ducts used by water heaters, ranges and clothes dryers.
• Do not leave your car running in an attached garage or carport.
• Do not use ovens or stoves to heat your home.

How we can help:

• Let us perform a Home Energy Audit. It includes testing your home for Carbon Monoxide and will give you peace of mind knowing you and your family are safe.
• Here is a link to Choosing a Carbon Monoxide Alarm from Consumer Reports. This should get you started!

As always, Casteel Heating and Cooling cares about your safety and will help in any way we can to ensure that you and your loved ones are healthy, happy and safe.

Source cited: www.kidde.com

Deciding Whether or Not to Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned

Knowledge about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since conditions in every home are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your home would be beneficial.

If no one in your household suffers from allergies or unexplained symptoms or illnesses and if, after a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you see no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold (no musty odor or visible mold growth), having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary. It is normal for the return registers to get dusty as dust-laden air is pulled through the grate. This does not indicate that your air ducts are contaminated with heavy deposits of dust or debris; the registers can be easily vacuumed or removed and cleaned.

On the other hand, if family members are experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think might be related to your home environment, you should discuss the situation with your doctor. EPA has published Indoor Air Quality: An Introduction for Health Professionals and The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality for guidance on identifying possible indoor air quality problems and ways to prevent or fix them.

You may consider having your air ducts cleaned simply because it seems logical that air ducts will get dirty over time and should occasionally be cleaned. While the debate about the value of periodic duct cleaning continues, no evidence suggests that such cleaning would be detrimental, provided that it is done properly.

On the other hand, if a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt, and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements.

You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if:

	There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. There are several important points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:   Many sections of your heating and cooling system may not be accessible for a visible inspection, so ask the service provider to show you any mold they say exists.   You should be aware that although a substance may look like mold, a positive determination of whether it is mold or not can be made only by an expert and may require laboratory analysis for final confirmation. For about $50, some microbiology laboratories can tell you whether a sample sent to them on a clear strip of sticky household tape is mold or simply a substance that resembles it.   If you have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy it cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced.   If the conditions causing the mold growth in the first place are not corrected, mold growth will recur.
	Ducts are infested with vermin, e.g. (rodents or insects); or
	Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers.

Other Important Considerations…

Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts or go down after cleaning. This is because much of the dirt that may accumulate inside air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to health.

EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except on an as-needed basis because of the continuing uncertainty about the benefits of duct cleaning under most circumstances. EPA does, however, recommend that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove, or fireplace, they be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Some research also suggests that cleaning dirty cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers can improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. However, little evidence exists to indicate that simply cleaning the duct system will increase your system’s efficiency.

If you think duct cleaning might be a good idea for your home, but you are not sure, talk to a professional. The company that services your heating and cooling system may be a good source of advice. You may also want to contact professional duct cleaning service providers and ask them about the services they provide. Remember, they are trying to sell you a service, so ask questions and insist on complete and knowledgeable answers.

Article cited: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html#what to expect of an air duct cleaning service provider

Because this seems to be more prevalent in the winter months than any other time, we strive to make sure that you have all the ammunition you need to defend yourselves. We are reposting a story from the small business site AllBusiness.com that addresses the issue.

With colder temperatures comes a silent threat from fuel-burning appliances — carbon monoxide.

“We get a lot of false alarms throughout the year, but this is our busiest time for actual elevated levels of carbon monoxide in people’s homes,” said Jacksonville Fire Department Capt. Bryan McGee, fire prevention and education officer.

Such calls typically start in mid-October when people begin using wood stoves, fireplaces, kerosene heaters or gas-powered furnaces — all of which produce carbon monoxide emissions in levels usually not harmful, McGee said.

But when appliances are used improperly or are not working right, the colorless, odorless toxic flammable gas becomes hazardous.

Such was the case Sunday, when a malfunctioning furnace caused a “dangerously high” level of carbon monoxide inside a South Jacksonville church.

No one inside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1053 E. Vandalia Road became ill and South Jacksonville Fire Chief David Hickox said firefighters vented the building, shut off the furnace and advised church officials to call someone to fix the problem.

About 95 percent of Jacksonville’s calls turn out to be false alarms caused by faulty sensors or low batteries in carbon monoxide detectors or by old or damaged heat exchangers in furnaces, McGee said.

“In some homes, we have had levels that are extremely high and a few poisonings because of it,” he added.

There have been no carbon monoxide poisoning incidents so far this year.

In addition to having equipment to check the carbon monoxide level of a building, the Jacksonville Fire Department can check those inside for possible poisoning. With its portion of a public safety grant earlier this year, the fire department bought two finger-clamp monitors to measure the level of carbon monoxide in the blood.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, dizziness and confusion.

An estimated 170 people die each year and thousands of others end up in hospital emergency rooms because of carbon monoxide poisoning.

To avoid the risk, McGee suggests people have fuel-burning appliances and water heaters checked before winter by a qualified technician. Fireplaces should be checked regularly to ensure they are in proper working order and properly ventilated. Chimneys should be cleaned annually.

State law requires an approved carbon monoxide alarm be installed within 15 feet of a bedroom in most residences. An exception is those that have all-electric power — no gas heat or a gas water heater — and do not have fireplaces or attached garages.

McGee said it’s important to replace the batteries in the detectors regularly. Carbon monoxide detectors more than three years old probably need to have the sensor inside replaced, McGee said.

Intermittent beeping every 30 seconds to a minute can indicate a low battery or a bad sensor.

If the detector’s alarm sound is constant, “then it’s an obvious incident of carbon monoxide,” he said.

If that happens, get out of the house immediately and call for help from a safe location outdoors or from a neighbor’s house.

Please heed these warnings. If you want to be sure that you’re safe, let Casteel Heating and Cooling come take a look. We care.

Article cited: http://www.allbusiness.com/environment-natural-resources/pollution/13500641-1.html

During this time of the year alot of us are using dehumidifiers to keep us from drying out. While this is a good thing to do, you have to stay on top of them to make sure they are running properly and efficiently AND most of all, doing what they were meant to do.

We found a great resource for troubleshooting your dehumidifier issues and are more than happy to share it here with you!

Dehumidifiers will work only down to the temperature for which they are designed. If there is no operating temperature stated, then it is a 65 degree model, and it will freeze up below 65 degrees. In some models this will cause the compressor to shut off, allow the ice to melt (could be an hour or so), restart, refreeze, and the cycle continues with no water being removed and the electrical costs mounting. And, unfortunately, in some units, the compressor does not shut off and stays on and the frost on the coils becomes ice that becomes a block of ice that blocks the airflow and eventually burns out the motor. This is why we recommend a low temp dehumidifier for areas of the country where the temperature can fluctuate down to 40 degrees at night.

DEHUMIDIFIER PROBLEMS

There is little or no water in the bucket
If your dehumidifier doesn’t seem to run frequently and the humidity in the room remains high, adjust the humidistat control to a drier setting. If the dehumidifier seems to run constantly, but there’s little or no water in the container, there is possibly a problem with the refrigeration system. Try cleaning the air filter and the unit itself, but if that doesn’t work, you will need a qualified appliance repair person or facility.

The indicator light is on, but the unit won’t run
The water tank may be completely filled. Most dehumidifiers have a safety switch to turn the dehumidifier off when the water tank is full. It is usually a float inside the tank to trigger this switch and prevent the tank from overflowing. If the tank is empty and the unit doesn’t run, look at the inside wall against which the tank pushes to see if there’s a switch or mechanism present. Sometimes just pushing in the bucket a little differently will press the switch. Also, you may be able to activate or bend the switch slightly with your finger to solve the problem.

The dehumidifier runs, but no air is coming out of the machine
Your dehumidifier has a fan that draws the room air over the coils. If there is no air movement from the unit, it is possible that the fan motor may have burned out. If so, the fan motor needs to be replaced.

There is frost on the coils
The coils you see on the back of your dehumidifier are called the evaporator. When the unit is running, these coils turn ice cold. As the fan draws the moist air over the coils, the humidity in the air condenses on these coils. And if the temperature of the air blowing over the coils is too cool, this condensation will freeze on the coils.

Possible solutions might be:

• Add heat to the room in which the dehumidifier is located.
• Turn the unit off to allow the temperature in the room to rise.
• Place the dehumidifier on a shelf or table (the air is coolest near the ground).

The container seems to fill up too quickly
When the container seems to fill too often, it means your dehumidifier is working properly. However, if the container fills quickly day after day, there may be additional moisture in the air due to a pipe or water leak or an open crawl space. If so, it would be best to correct this problem by stopping the leak or closing off the crawl space.

Artcile cited: http://www.allergyconsumerreview.com/dehumidifier-advice-troubleshooting.html