Ideal Indoor Heating for Homes with Pets

Most of us set the thermostat to suit ourselves, without much thought about what's good for those furry creatures we share our homes with. But over the years you've had indoor pets, you may have noticed that some animals are more sensitive than others to temperature.Here are some things to think about this winter when it comes to indoor heating and your pets.

No Ideal Thermostat Setting

Although a range of 65-78 degrees is best for most humans, if you have a sensitive animal you may have to make some adjustments.In general, dogs are fine with cooler temperatures than those preferred by cats. Some cat breeds, such as Siamese and those with thin or no hair, are extremely sensitive to chills. Some dogs, too, such as small breeds with thin coats, may shiver at the lower end of that range. Be sure to provide such pets with blankets and/or space heaters to help them stay warm if you keep your home on the cooler side.Larger breeds of dogs and cats, as well as pets with more body fat, also tolerate cooler temperatures better than smaller animals.Very young pets, elderly pets and pets with special medical conditions, such as infections and joint issues, may do better with warmer temperatures.Also, be sensitive to the fact that air conditioning and heating can dry out the interior of the home. While drier air may be good for some pets, do monitor the condition of your pet's coat for excessive drying and flaking. You might need to adjust for a little more humidity if this happens, or else add some supplements to the pet's diet for its skin.

Home Alone

If you must leave your pets alone for extended periods, make arrangements to have someone drop in daily to ensure the HVAC system is working fine and the pets are not in any distress. It's a good idea to schedule maintenance on the system before you leave home.

For more on indoor heating and your pets, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

How Does Ventilation Affect Temperature?

Keeping your home comfortable takes more than just your HVAC system. The amount of air that’s able to pass through your home can also have an effect on indoor temperatures. Most modern homes are designed to be as air-tight as possible, making proper ventilation a challenge. Read on to learn how poor air flow impacts indoor temperatures, as well as ways to make your home more comfortable.

Poor Air Flow Leads to Stuffy Rooms

Stuffy air is one of the most common complaints among homeowners. High humidity levels in poorly ventilated spaces can also raise indoor temperatures, which in turn allows the air to hold more humidity until simply becomes too saturated to hold moisture in vapor form. These issues contribute to a feeling of stuffiness from most people. High concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) can also make the air feel stuffier.

A home with good ventilation is able to push out hot, humid air and draw in cooler air with less moisture content. When your home’s not able to do that, the stagnant air simply collects more moisture, causing your improperly ventilated spaces to become progressively stuffier as time goes on.

Tips for Improving Air Flow

Here are a few ways you can improve your home’s air flow issues and bring temperatures back down to normal:

Open up windows and doors to improve air flow.

Cracking open a nearby door or window can help push hot, humid air out of a room and encourage cooler breezes to flow through. Good air flow also helps eliminate severe dust and debris buildup.

Use existing exhaust fans to promote better air flow.

Bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans can draw away stuffy air and promote improved air flow.

Invest in balanced mechanical ventilation.

These systems provide both indoor exhaust and outdoor supply air flow, providing balanced ventilation that keeps indoor temperatures at comfortable levels throughout the year.

To learn more about how ventilation affects your home, turn to the experts at Air Assurance. Contact us today to explore heating and cooling options for your home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about refrigerant and other HVAC topics,  call us at 918-217-8273.

Factors Affecting Home Comfort

Differing factors account for your home comfort in the summer and the winter. Let's take a look at some of the things you should be paying attention to now as the long, hot summer proceeds so that you can maximize your comfort without your utility bills going through the roof.

Humidity

Humidity is one of the major factors affecting comfort in the summertime. When your home's relative humidity exceeds 50-55 percent, you will experience difficulty cooling off, as moist air inhibits the evaporation of perspiration on our skin and its subsequent "wind chill" effect. Humid conditions in the home's interior may occur for a number of reasons, such as these:

• Ceiling and plumbing leaks

• Air conditioner not dehumidifying properly (dirty air filters and condenser coils may contribute to this)

• Activities such as cooking, showering, clothes washing and drying

• Poor or no exhaust ventilation

You can lower humidity by fixing leaks, changing filters and having coils cleaned, limiting moisture-producing activities and installing exhaust ventilation.

Temperature Control

If your air conditioner isn't in good working order, it may not increase your comfort to keep turning the thermostat down, down, down. Many factors can be at play when an A/C doesn't cool, among them:

• A/C is wrong size.

• Air filter is dirty.

• Ductwork is poorly designed, or may be leaking air.

• A/C refrigerant is leaking.

While you can change the filter regularly, fixing the other situations may be more challenging -- particularly getting the right size A/C. Whenever it's time to replace your A/C, make sure it's neither too large nor too small.

Air Quality

You may not be that aware of your home's indoor air quality, but a summertime accumulation of airborne pollutants, such as pollen, pet dander, chemical particulates, dust mites, dust and mold can actually make you sick. Switch to a good quality, pleated air filter (rated MERV -- minimum efficiency reporting value -- 8-12) in your HVAC system and vacuum often with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter.

For more on home comfort, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow. We've provided quality products and service in the Tulsa area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Feeling Uncomfortable? Check Out These Factors That Affect Home Comfort

While controlling the temperature in your home is extremely important to comfort and energy efficiency, there are other aspects that are also essential. Factors that affect home comfort include temperature, humidity, indoor air quality and the capability to control these things. If you understand how these four factors work together, you can enhance home comfort while saving energy.

Temperature

This probably seems like a no-brainer; you control the temperature by turning the thermostat up or down. But there's more to it than that. While you can set the temperature of the thermostat, it won't necessarily control temperatures elsewhere in the house, such as in a finished basement or upstairs bedrooms. A zoning system can help you better control temperature throughout your house.

Humidity

Even if the thermostat is set right where you want it, you'll still feel uncomfortable if humidity is too high during the summer. And during the heating season, excessively dry air won't feel that great either. A well-maintained central A/C should control humidity, but if it doesn't, your comfort will suffer. In this case, you'll probably want to consider a whole-house dehumidifier.

Indoor Air Quality

Home comfort also takes a hit when indoor air is stale or dirty. Contaminants in the air can irritate your eyes, nose and lungs, and create a foul smell. Poor indoor air quality can trigger or exacerbate allergies and respiratory issues.Several strategies are available to clean indoor air, including removing or mitigating the sources of indoor pollution like using a fresh, high-efficiency air filter in your HVAC system, investing in a whole-house air cleaner, or employing affective mechanical ventilation.

Control

A modern programmable thermostat, equipped with humidity control will allow you to influence and control the other factors.

For more information on factors that affect home comfort, please contact the pros at Air Assurance. We're proud to provide reliable and quality HVAC and plumbing services to the greater Tulsa area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “kurhan/Shutterstock”

When You Leave Home, Don't Lose Energy -- Set the Temperature Correctly

Is your thermostat set to the same temperature when you are away as when the family is home? A more energy-efficient setting during away times can significantly reduce monthly utility expenses. During the cold months, you can also set the temperature lower when everyone is asleep.If you have a programmable thermostat, the times can be set according to your programming instructions. The temperature can be set to automatically reduce at a certain hour and then increase to provide a higher comfort level when necessary.Advantages of a Programmable Thermostat

• Programming in advance – You are able to program your desired settings either in the beginning of the week, month, or even the start of the season. Most programmable thermostats have an override function in the event you need to make last minute changes

• Accurate readouts – The digital backlit display gives a much more accurate reading than the older dial-type thermostats. Newer thermostats have indicators for low battery and the latest models can even warn you if there is a malfunction in your heating and cooling system.

• Wireless control – You can access the thermostat by a smartphone from anywhere. If you are called away on a minute's notice and forget to adjust your settings, just use your phone to make the necessary changes from your location.

• Smart recovery features – Several programmable thermostats have the capability to bring the temperature to the desired level automatically. You just set the time and temperature. The thermostat will calculate the amount of time necessary to ensure the temperature is reached by the desired set-point time.

The main purpose of programmable thermostats is to help you save on energy expenses, while keeping an acceptable comfort level in your home. There are several types available with varying programming options. Savings in energy costs is possible without sacrificing the comfort of your home with the capabilities of today's thermostats.Please contact Air Assurance with any concerns about the correct way to set the temperature of a programmable thermostats for the maximum benefit. We have been proudly serving the Broken Arrow/Tulsa area since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Oakozhan/Shutterstock”