Some home owners may wonder if pulling a permit is necessary on every job.  The answer is yes!  Unlicensed contractors can't obtain permits, so this makes hiring a contractor with a license essential.  It will ensure whatever work you are having done runs smoothly and there are no setbacks. 

Below are just a few things that could happen to homeowners when permits aren't pulled on time or even at all. 

With the cooler tempertures as of late your home's heat is most likely working over-time.  This abundance of heat can dry out the air in your home and lead to various problems.  Besides dry skin, the dry air can also affect your respiratory system.  This is especially true if you or others in your home are prone to allergies or are asthmatic. 

One thing we can suggest is to implement a whole-house humidifier.  If you don't mind tackling a pretty involved DIY project, you can install one yourself.  Of course, it's always best to let a MTB professional do the installation to ensure the job is done properly. You may see whole house humidifiers sold at the big box stores, but these generally don't perform very well. The humidifiers that we recommend and install range from $500-$1600.  This is a big range, mainly because there are many different types of humidifiers.  We will discuss a few in this post.

Steam humidifiers – The steam humidifiers are generally the most expensive, but they are usually the best for a few reasons.  These actually watch the humidity in your home and will activate the blower every time it senses a drop in the humidity level.

Spray mist humidifiers – These humidifiers actually spray a mist into your ducts, which is carried throughout your home via the forced air of your HVAC system.  This is one of the most common and easiest humidifiers to install.  Most home owners will find these to work well in moderate climates.

Flow-through humidifiers - Flow-through humidifiers use a foam or aluminum pad to absorb water, which is then blown through the ducts by your blower fan. The bypass humidifier pad should be replaced every fall to prevent mold growth and allow proper operation. If your home has hard water, you may need to clean or replace your bypass humidifier pad more frequently.

Wicking humidifiers – the simplest type of humidifier, wicking humidifiers consist of little more than a small reservoir and a filter. The filter absorbs water from the reservoir (wicking) and the water is blown through your ducts via the blower fan.

Wicking humidifiers are fairly cheap, but they can be a bit of a pain. In order to clean a wicking humidifier, you need to remove the whole unit from your ducts and then put it back in.

Drum humidifiers – drum humidifiers use a drum shaped rotating frame that is partly submerged in water and continually picks up water to be blown through the ducts by your furnace blower. Drum humidifiers require more maintenance than any other type of humidifier, as mold spores can easily develop on the drum and motor and can be flung into your ductwork (and home) relatively easily.

Of course, introducting a new component to your HVAC system, means more maintainence.  Ask about our maintainence packages, because humidifiers can be included in certain packages.

For more on whole house filtration and humidifier systems contact your specialist at MTB Mechanical today! 

A lot of our posts are about saving you money! Of course we are in the business of helping you with your home's heating, cooling and plumbing needs but there are many simple things you can do yourself to cut down expenses. 

Clean or replace your filters frequently - This seems like a simple item, but it's one area many homeowners neglect to do in a timely manner.  As far as frequency it depends on the type of filters you buy and how dusty your home may be, (if you have pets, etc.)  You should visually inspect each filter every month or two.  If the filter is full of dust and dander, it's best to replace.  This dirty filter will impede your unit's performance.

Try to cut down on your home's leaks - Keeping your doors and windows closed seems pretty obvious, but there can be other areas where you can prevent drafts.  Use weather-stripping on door seals and windows, as well as additional insulation to the attic. 

Don't let plants and other obstructions block your condenser.  It's always best to have lots of air-flow around you HVAC unit.  Keep all plants and vegetation a minimum of 18 inches away.  Your unit works by pulling air out of the environment so any obstruction is going to lower performance.  Also, don't cover your unit with a shed or anything else.  This will also limit the air flow and could overheat the unit.

Set your thermostat properly.  We all want to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but you have to make sure not to overwork your system.  It's best to keep your temperature set around 70 degrees in the winter and 75 or higher in the summer.  You would be very surprised to know how much your costs can spike for each degree your thermostat is raised or lowered.  We've seen reports that for each degree warmed or cooled your costs could raise 4-8%! 

The moral of this story; you can do some simple things to increase your HVAC unit's efficiency and save yourself some money. 

As always, please contact MTB Mechanical for help with your heating, cooling and plumbing needs! 

Often this question come to mind when your unit starts not operating properly.  Completely replacing your unit can be a costly project that no homeowner looks forward to purchasing.  Even though it's not pleasant to think about, there can be some positive factors to buying a new unit. 

A new unit will generally perform much more efficiently than your outdated unit.  There are also the rebates that we have previously mentioned to keep in mind.  This way you can at least make up some of that cash back on your taxes!  Also, you will be saving on your monthly utility bill because newer units are more energy efficient.

In the heating and air industry, there is the '50%' rule. This means if the repairs to your current system is approaching 50% of the value of your heating or cooling system, it's probably best to replace.  Another factor of course is age.  If your unit is 12-15 years old and not functioning properly, also probably best to invest in a new system. 

I thought Lenox had some additional information worth sharing below.

• Convenience – When you purchase a new system, you can avoid the hassle of unexpected repairs down the line, and you don’t have to sit around uncomfortable while waiting for parts.
• Lower utility bills – A high-efficiency home comfort system from Lennox can save you hundreds of dollars each year in energy costs, compared to an older system.
• Energy tax credits – You can recover up to 30% of the cost of select high-efficiency systems in the form of tax credits.
• Friendlier refrigerant – Due to growing environmental concerns, the U.S. federal government has mandated that all HVAC manufacturers phase R-22 refrigerant-based equipment out of production. In response, Lennox now mainly manufactures cooling systems with R-410A, a U.S. EPA-approved, chlorine-free refrigerant.
• Enhanced comfort – Advanced technologies that improve energy efficiency also enhance your comfort, so you can enjoy more even temperatures, better humidity control and a constant flow of conditioned air.
• Improved air quality – Better humidity control means a reduced potential for mold and mildew growth. Lennox home comfort systems are also available with Healthy Climate^® filtration, which minimizes the impact of indoor pollutants.

Please contact your heating and air pros at MTB today.  We will help you with your decision to repair or replace.