The Charlotte, NC area is a beautiful part of the country.  The spring season is a lot of peoples favorite time and it is quickly approaching.  If they haven't started already, the Dogwoods, Hydrangeas, Crape Myrtles and more will soon be in full bloom. This is a beautiful sight to witness, but can also bring pollen and much suffering to those affected with allergies.  

Often, allergy sufferers may try to stay indoors during the spring to avoid the pollen and ragweed.  You may be shocked to find out that the air inside of your home could be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outside!  Unfortunately, the air system in your home is a perfect environment for molds, pollen, yeasts and other bacteria and viruses to grow and multiply. When you turn on your air system, you are blowing these allergens throughout your home!  

Here at MTB, we have a solution; Germicidal UV Light System.  UV light kills molds that thrive in cool, dark environments such as your AC system.  UV light also sterilizes air born bacteria, allergens and odors.  The result is simply clean, fresh air and a reduction in allergy symptoms.

Our Germicidal UV Light system is affordable and is a quick installation.  Also, if you are concerned about efficiency, the UV light tube only requires approximately the same electricity as a 40-watt light bulb.  

If you are interested in learning more about the Germicidal UV Light system, contact MTB Heating and Air today!  Your allergies will surely thank you!  

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! 

Chances are if you don't have allergy or asthma problems, someone in your family does.  Often, people think that they are safest from pollen, mold, etc. inside the home.  This isn't always the case.  If you are using traditional air filters, always check to make sure you are replacing them in time.  If not done regularly the build up of dirt, dust, pet hair etc. creates a strain on your HVAC system. 

Thankfully due to new technologies, companies are making products that make us safer and more comfortable inside our home.  There are a variety of air filtration systems and whole house humidifiers on the market.  One product that has really grabbed our attention is the Trane CleanEffects™ filtration system.

The Trane CleanEffects™ filtration system works to clean up to 99.98% of the pollutants from the filtered air throughout your home.  It is the world's most effective whole-house air filtration system!

    •    Removal of up to 99.98% of particles and allergens from your filtered indoor air. It removes particles as small as .1 microns – 1/1,000th the diameter of a human hair – a size that eludes most air cleaners.
    •    An industry-leading clean air delivery rate of 1,200.
    •    Low operating costs, with no replacement filters to buy.
    •    Cleaning indicators easily visible on the outside of the unit.
    •    Easy to clean filters—just vacuum or rinse once every 3 to 9 months (depending on usage).
    •    Easy installation.
    •    Quiet operation
    •    Trane CleanEffects was designed to fall well below the 50 parts per billion (ppb) FDA voluntary emission limit for medical devices. Trane CleanEffects contributes a negligible amount of ozone – less than .3 ppb to the living space.
    ◦    To put this into perspective further, typical ozone levels during the summer outdoors are at about 60 to 90 ppb, and indoor levels can vary greatly but are typically between 12 ppb to more than 80 ppb. Testing of Trane Clean Effects by third parties has shown there’s no more ozone in a home installed with Trane CleanEffects than naturally occurs in the environment already
    •    Trane CleanEffects is the industry benchmark supported and verified by third parties who make it their business to know about clean air. Experts from LMS Technologies, EH&E, Harvard School of Public Health and other major university research shows Trane CleanEffects to be the best air filtration system on the market.
    •    Low pressure drop.

If you are interested in learning more about whole-house filtration systems, please contact us today. 

Info from Trane

THIS BEAUTIFUL WEATHER

June in Charlotte and outside of a few exceptions the weather has really been beautiful. For most of us our A/C has been running for at least a few weeks and this is a great time to think about whether or not our A/C is running at peak efficiency or not. Preventative maintenance is always better than repairing a broken unit especially with the heat of July and August right around the corner.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR?

1. Your A/C Unit is Contantly Running - is your unit constantly running and never quite catching up to the thermostat?
2. Uneven Cooling - Are certain parts of your home constantly uncomfortable? Are you having to cool certain parts of your home more than you would like to make those rooms bearable?
3. Strange Noises or Smells - if you experience strange noises or smells from your unit you should get them checked out by a professional right away to minimize the chance of potentially costly hardware replacements.

WHY NOW IS THE TIME

1. Many times the symptoms above are indicative of a future failure or breakdown. Depending on the severity of the problem you could be without air conditioning for a few days. If that happens in the heat of summer you might find yourself bunking with friends or family!
2. Problems with your A/C unit could be having an adverse affect on your indoor air quality.
3. When  your air conditioning unit isn't running correctly you are literally throwing money out the window. Performing regular maintenance on your HVAC systems can easily pay for itself.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU OUT!

There are a few things you can check yourself such as cleaning the unit, looking for loose or detached duct work, and replacing air filters. If those things do not help the problem, you are in the Charlotte area and would like a professional to perform an inspection or maintenance on your air conditioning unit we would love to help you! You can contact MTB Mechanical here or call (704) 321-9250.

You know you are in Charlotte when your car is covered in pollen just hours after you wash it! It is so bad in fact that many people actually develop allergy problems after moving here from other parts of the country. Charlotte is fairly well known for this and The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked Charlotte third on its list of most challenging US cities to live in with allergies.

In an earlier post we discussed the medical importance of indoor air quality but we didn't really touch on the comfort factor. With the average person spending nearly 90% of their time indoors that is of utmost importance. If you are suffering from allergy symptoms you may want to research a filtration system for your home or office.

The following filtration systems are great solutions for allergy sufferers:

High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA): Although initial costs can be higher than other filters, the HEPA filter effectively removes a larger percentage of pollen and many asthma and allergy-causing pollutants.

Media Air Cleaners: These cleaners are ideal for allergy sufferers and for people who simply wish to breathe clean air. A professionally installed media air cleaner can help rid your home of dust, dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, pollen, bacteria, viruses, smoke and more!

Air Purification Systems: An air purification system cleans the air in your home better than any other single system you can buy. It is the only single indoor air quality system to attack all three classes of indoor air contaminants:

• Small, breathable particles such as dust, dirt, pollen and allergens
• Airborne mold spores, bacteria and viruses
• Odors and chemical vapors

For more information on these filtration systems and other air quality products check out the indoor air quality page on our website.

If you live in the Charlotte area and would like to consult with a professional about your indoor air quality call us at (704) 321-9250. We would love to be of service to you!

As we start to experience some beautifully warm days all of us in Charlotte are starting to think air conditioner repair and maintenance. Few people stop to consider their indoor air quality and don't realize just how important it is.

Studies show that the air we breathe indoors can be 20 times more polluted than the air outside! We are potentially exposed to a wide variety of pollutants including: dust, dirt, mold, pollen, bacteria, viruses and chemical vapors. If you think you might have an indoor air quality problem be sure to contact an indoor air quality specialist.

THE HEALTH RISKS ARE REAL - According to the Environmental Protection Agency the short term effects of poor indoor air quality include irritation of eyes, nose and throat, headaches, dizziness and fatigue. Some cases of asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and humidifier fever may also show up after being exposed to indoor air pollutants. Long-term effects can include respiratory disease, heart disease and cancer. You can learn more on the EPA Introduction to Indoor Air Quality webpage.

There are a number of solutions to battle indoor air quality and the exact solution will depend on your exact situation. Possible solutions include:

• Air Purification - When you are dealing with chemical vapors it is crucial that you remove them from the air you are breathing. A good air purification system is the best option and will also remove odors associated with chemical vapors.
• Ventilation - There are ventilation systems specifically designed to remove stale indoor air with fresh air from outdoors. These systems are great for removing pollutants from building materials, furnishings, air fresheners and cleaning supplies.
• Air Filtration - A good filtration system will keep airborne particles such as dust, dirt, bacteria and viruses to a minimum.
• Humidity Control - If you are experiencing problems with mold and mildew you will benefit from a dehumidification system.

Learn more about air quality systems and equipment.

Wishing you a comfortable and healthy season!