Houston HVAC Company Addresses Heat Pump Maintenance & Their FAQ’s

Learn More About How Houston Heat Pump Maintenance Can Benefit You

We’ve been discussing in our blog all month that heat pump technology is rapidly evolving, and heat pumps are picking up in popularity in colder climates. In fact, you may be considering a heat pump yourself, if you’re interested in:

• Supplementing your existing heat system
• Replacing your existing combined systems with one combined solution
• Reduce your carbon footprint and boost your energy efficiency
• Reduce your regular energy costs and enjoy the heat pump tax credit

However, if combining heating and cooling into one system concerns you, especially when it comes to maintenance, you don’t need to worry.

This week, we’d like to go through the questions that we get asked most often, as well as offer some standard heat pump maintenance tips to help you feel more at ease.

Do heat pumps require service?

Like any other heating or cooling system, your heat pump will benefit from regular preventative maintenance. The difference between a system that is well-maintained and a system that is neglected can range from 10% to 25%, according to energy.gov.

Heat pump maintenance on a routine basis will help ensure that the system performs at its best. It will also help limit damage to the components, including the compressor, making sure that your expensive investment is well protected.

Routine service limits the risk of the heat pump needing unexpected and expensive repairs, as well as helping the system to run more reliably.

What does it cost to maintain a heat pump?

The cost of maintaining a heat pump will vary quite a bit, depending on where you live, how often you have the service performed, the age of your system, and who provides the service.

To understand why the preventative maintenance is worth the ongoing investment, let’s examine the difference between the cost of this important preventative measure and replacing a heat pump after it’s gone bad.

The national average cost for residential heat pump repair ranges from around $350-$1250.

The cost of preventative maintenance on the heat pump averages $170, making this service both cost-effective and a smart option. You can also save on the price of this routine maintenance if you sign a contract for ongoing service with the same HVAC provider.

Can I troubleshoot my heat pump on my own and do my own maintenance?

You should definitely keep an eye on your heat pump for specific issues that commonly develop so that you can prevent future issues.

For example, the defrost cycle will typically run when it is quite cold outside. However, if you notice that the defrost mode keeps coming on, or stays on for more than fifteen minutes, it may be time to call in a professional to evaluate your system.

You can also keep your heat pump running at its best by taking care of routine tasks like dusting around the vents and replacing the air filters.

The reality is that preventative heat pump maintenance is not a job that you can do on your own. If you’re not experienced and trained, it’s very dangerous to work with refrigerant and high voltage electricity. You could wind up doing more harm than good. In these cases, it’s important to turn to a skilled professional for ongoing HVAC maintenance.

How often should the heat pump service be scheduled?

Professional heat pump maintenance should be scheduled at least once per year.

If you use the heat pump for the main heating and cooling system, as opposed to a supplemental system, it may mean that you need to schedule this service twice yearly – once in the spring and once in the fall.

Contact us now or call us today for more information!

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How to Eliminate Bad Locker Room Smell Before You Lose Customers Part II

Have Houston HVAC Technicians Take A Closer Look At Your Gyms’ Bad Locker Room Smells Part II

Deep Cleaning At Least Once Every Week

If regular cleaning is not helping with the situation with the locker room, then you should consider deep cleaning because it can help go to the root of the problem. Scrub and sanitize lockers and benches at least once a week so that you will be able to reach spots that you miss when cleaning daily.

Removing The Carpeting

Have you ever seen someone put a carpet in the bathroom or kitchen? People don’t do this because it ends up getting stained, damp, and gross very easily. This is the same case with a carpet at a fitness center.

Carpets absorb humidity and this can result in the room smell. A gym is a place that has a lot of traffic and this makes it hard to keep the carpet clean. You should consider replacing the carpet with less absorbent options like a tile. This will help in eliminating odors and making it easier to clean the floor.

3 Ways Of Controlling Humidity To Lose The locker room smell

Improving Ventilation

Keeping humidity low is important if you want to control odor. This is because moisture in the air will lead to the odor lingering, so ensure you have humidity levels in check, and more importantly the locker room. Locker rooms are the most humid part of gyms because of people sweating and showering. Other high humidity areas are pools and steam rooms.

According to the International Building Code, moist air needs to be vented out instead of being recirculated. This will mean having a proper ventilation system that will be able to keep the room healthy, odor-free, and up to code.

Fitness centers have a higher risk of air quality issues like increased CO2 levels. Exercising results in a number of changes in the body, and these include faster breathing and elevated heart rate. Breathing faster will lead to a higher production of CO2. Breathing too much CO2 is unhealthy, and it will leave a person feeling tired and foggy, which is not something anyone wants to feel when they are exercising. This is a common problem in dance studios, weight rooms, and an enclosed space where classes are taking place. This is why it is important to ensure ventilation is there.

If you are still using an old system (you have not updated your HVAC), you should get it checked by an HVAC professional so it can work how it is supposed to. There are a number of things that can be done to increase the effectiveness of the ventilation system. Some features that can help with these include HEPA filters, which traps mold, bacteria, and small particles.

Duct Cleaning

The HVAC ducts are responsible for moving air around the gym and through the HVAC system. With time, they can start clogging with dust and accumulate moisture. When the air is traveling through these ducts, it will end up picking the smell then carry it throughout the building. If you have to deal with nasty odors inside the gym, then it is a good idea to have the ducts checked and cleaned by a professional.

When the ducts are cleaned, the HVAC will circulate fresh air.

Regular HVAC Maintenance

When the ventilation is working well and the ducts are cleaned, it is still important to maintain the HVAC equipment. This is because things such as blocked condensation drains, clogged air filters, and water leaks can all lead to smelly gyms.

You should consider getting maintenance services twice a year. This ensures everything is working well and prevent the gym from smelling. Regular maintenance will prevent breakdowns that can sometimes affect your business because of the lack of AC or heat. The cost you are to spend on maintenance is less than what you could have spent or repairs.

Clean air is important for any clean gym. There is no need to lose your customers because of issues like odor. You can schedule regular HVAC maintenance so you don’t have to worry about it again.

Visit the first part of this article by visiting here. Call or contact AC Man of Houston today with any questions that you might have!

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How to Eliminate Bad Locker Room Smell Before You Lose Customers Part I

Have Houston HVAC Technicians Take A Closer Look At Your Gyms’ Bad Locker Room Smells Part I

The New Year has started and what this means is more people coming to use the gym. It is normal to see a high number of people showing up in the gym at the beginning of the year. There are many new and returning customers looking to accomplish their resolutions. You should ensure your gym is a place where people will want to come back to. Having a bad locker room smell is the fastest way of ruining your first impression.

The good thing is that it is not hard to fix this problem. Below are some tips you can use to deal with locker room odor and keeping the air clean and fresh.

Let’s start by looking at why the odor is more than just a nuisance; it is also bad for health. This is not something you want in a place where people are coming to improve their health.

The Smell Could Be A Sign That There Is Poor Air Quality Indoors

Poor indoor air quality could cause the gym locker to smell bad. When there is odor around, then there could be pollutants and bacteria too. Odors are usually carried around by humidity, and when there is moisture in the air, it provides the perfect condition for bacteria or mold to grow. Spreading of germs in the gym is easy because there are many people entering and coming in contact with equipment. When you improve the air quality in the room, you will make the place a little healthier.

There are other causes of odors in the room. There was a study done and it showed that the gym has a high level of indoor pollutants like carbon dioxide, dust, VOCs, formaldehyde, and dust. If you notice a chemical smell, then that could be VOCs from the paint, carpet, and other building materials. This is more common in old buildings that have an outdated HVAC system. When you breathe in these substances over time, they will start causing health problems such as breathing difficulties, infections, rashes, nose, eye, and throat irritations.

When people are searching for a gym, they will look for a place that has a pleasant environment. You can easily lose a lot of customers because of the smell in the locker room of the gym and poor quality of air. This is why it is important to ensure there ventilation and quality air inside the room, or else you end up losing a lot of money. People going to the gym want to improve their health, and the last thing they need is the poor quality of air as they exercise.

There is a good chance you have tried different products to get rid of the odor but they don’t work. They will succeed in covering up the odors, and some will even absorb them. But they are not able to deal with the source of the problem. How can you get rid of this problem once and for all?

The Basics For Odor Control

Removing Used Towels Regularly

One of the biggest contributors to the nasty smell in the locker room is used towels. In order to contain the odors and humidity, consider using laundry baskets that have lids. The laundry baskets should also be emptied on a regular basis. You should also look out for any towels left on the stalls, hooks, and benches too.

Stepping Up Dialing Cleaning

You already have a system you follow when it comes to cleaning, but if you have not gone through the routine for some time, then the routine might not be working the way it should be. There are some areas that you will need to clean more regularly. Some of these areas include bathrooms, drains, showerheads, and saunas.

Emptying The Lockers On A Daily Basis

You should not wait for your customers to properly clean the lockers. If you don’t know what has been left inside, it could be contributing to the smell in the locker room. It is a good idea to empty them every day. You should tell the customers that anything they leave behind will be put in the lost and found or thrown out.

Find out more. Give us a call or contact AC Man of Houston today with any inquiries!

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