HVAC Maintenance

The average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills, and nearly half of that comes from heating and cooling costs. With the summer heat ready to peak, homeowners across the country are turning their air conditioning up to full blast. But you can save electricity and avoid hefty repair bills by giving your HVAC system an annual check-up.

The best time for HVAC maintenance is right before extreme temperatures hit, so try our energy-saving tune-up tips today.

DIY Maintenance:

• Clean/change the air filter. If you only make one tune-up this season, clean your air filter – doing so can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by up to 15%. In the summertime, you should wash your reusable filter or replace your disposable one once per month.
• Clear the area around the outdoor unit. Keep vegetation at least two feet away from the unit so it is free to pull in air. This  includes raking up leaves in the fall.

Calling in a Professional

Some parts of a thorough annual check-up require disassembling an AC unit, so you'll have to call a service technician for a quick, professional check-up. The technician will:

• Clear the drain. A clogged drain can waste nearly as much energy as a dirty filter because your unit has to work harder to send out even less cool air.
• Clean the outdoor and indoor units. The technician will keep the outdoor condenser fan running efficiently by cleaning the fan blades, and will maintain the unit's ability to cool the air moving through it by removing dust and other buildup from the indoor evaporator coil.

Help Your HVAC Do Its Job

​To get the most bang from your HVAC buck, use these general energy-saving tips. They'll help you support your system and save energy around the house.

• Get a programmable thermostat. It's easier to save energy with a programmable thermostat than a regular one because you don't have to think about it each time you want to change the temperature. You pre-program your settings so that the thermostat raises the temperature while you're at work and asleep, and kicks on the air conditioning when you're at home and awake. With "smart"  programmable thermostats, you can even control the temperature from your smartphone.
• Seal your heating/cooling ducts and any open spaces. Make sure doors, windows, and nooks and crannies are shut and properly sealed. The less cool air that escapes your home, the less energy you'll waste, and more comfortable you'll be.
• Set your thermostat to your ideal temperature (not any colder). Setting the air conditioner to a colder-than-desired temperature doesn't cool down your house any quicker – it just keeps the unit working longer than necessary. So, set it to where you want it. And remember: You save up to 1% on your yearly cooling bill every time you raise the temperature by one degree for a period of eight hours. So, set it to around 78° - after all, it is summer!

15 Interesting HVAC Facts

We hope you enjoy these 15 interesting facts about your heating, ventilation & air conditioning (HVAC) system.

• In 80 AD China, an artisan named Ding Huan created a 10-foot wide rotary fan. It was comprised of 7 connected wheels. A single person could power the device by simply turning a crank. The primitive air conditioner cooled an entire hall of people.
• Air conditioning does not cool a house down. Rather, it removes heat from the house.
• The Romans were the first to utilize any type of warm-air heating system.
• John Gorrie, the father of refrigeration and air conditioning, was a medical doctor. In 1842 he developed a machine to make ice to create cool air for his patients. (He was living in Florida at the time.) He thought his ice-making machine could be used to cool down homes and other buildings. In 1851 he received a patent for his idea, but died penniless three years later after losing his financial backing.
• Air conditioning’s development gave a big boost to the movie industry. Before A/C, movie theaters got rather hot in the summertime.
• Packard was the first automobile manufacturer to use air conditioners in their cars. This practice started in 1936.
• Geothermal power can drill into the Earth’s crust and extract natural heat coming from the Earth’s core. The deepest geothermal well built to this point is called the Kola Superdeep Borehole. It is used for research and goes seven miles below the Earth’s surface.
• The first steam-heating system install occurred in England. That way the Governor of the Bank of England could grow his grapes in cooler temperatures.
• Besides giving you a cooler home, an air conditioner helps clean the air in your home. Air is drawn through return air ducts and passes through an air filter that removes items such as dust, dander and lint from the home’s atmosphere. The cleaned up air then comes back through the home.
• The item that changes resistance as heat temperatures change is called a thermistor. The thermistor alerts the thermostat to adjust itself to the right temperature.
• Since 1960, more than 50 percent of America’s economic growth can be attributed to air conditioning units in the southern and western parts of the country. It is now possible to live there year-round and work year-long in comfort.
• The gold standard of the HVAC world is the Air Standard. This means that air must be 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) with a 36% relative humidity at 14.7 psia (pounds per square inch absolute.) It’s not easy getting to that state.
• Geothermal power is definitely efficient. It drills down deep enough to extract warm thermal energy that is easy to cool and also easy to heat. This saves energy that would be used to balance warm and cold temperatures.
• Before air conditioning became common, many businesses and government office took two month long summer vacations.
• Michael Faraday, in 1820, first conceived of the modern concept of air conditioning. He discovered that compressed and liquefied ammonia could chill the air when it was allowed to evaporate. 

 For more facts on HVAC or to schedule a service, call Sierra Mechanical today. 636-240-8383

Professional HVAC Services

At Sierra Mechanical Services Inc. we know that having the right people on the job is just as important as choosing the best equipment. Our York trained professionals provide you with top quality equipment, skilled installation and an expert analysis of your comfort needs. Our recommendations will fit your budget and lifestyle needs. We're particularly proud of providing heating and air-conditioning systems that have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal. It's one more assurance that, when you choose York products and our specialized technicians, you're choosing quality.

Sierra Mechanical Services Inc.

The focus at Sierra Mechanical Services Inc. for complete customer satisfaction on every job means we believe in offering products that we know will give our customers the performance and reliability we would require for our own homes.