Every season when the temperature drops, so do the indoor humidity levels. The dry winter season air can play havoc with everyone in the home in many ways and can cause numerous health problems. Not only does the cold winter air naturally not contain the same moisture level as summer air, but turning on the furnace can exacerbate the problem.

How Dry Winter Air Can Cause Health Issues

From small annoyances like harmless little nosebleeds to larger problems like chronic sore throats, a lot of issues can develop over the months because of a lack of moisture in the air. Some of the most common health issues include:

• Burst blood capillaries in the nose
• Chronic coughing
• Chronic sore throats, especially in the morning
• Cracked, dry skin that can bleed

In addition, due to a lack of moisture, air quality suffers, and static electricity can become a big problem. While it’s not typically harmful, you can really get or give a good zap every time you touch someone or something in the house! Another annoyance for many people is overly dry, staticky, out-of-control hair.

Finally, the overly dry air robs the moisture from the wood framing around your windows, floors, and doors. This can allow cold air to sneak into your home, making it less comfortable and inefficient.

The big problems really come into play because when your body, which is 70% water, is being dried out, it can be more susceptible to contracting illnesses like influenza and colds. In addition, people get dehydrated quicker and more easily, making anyone feel colder during these months than they already are!

Combat the Dryness with Home Humidifiers

Did you know that low humidity also affects your heating and cooling system? As you know, when humidity levels drop during the winter, the relative humidity indoors also drops. This makes your home feel colder than it actually is.

In turn, your furnace or heat pump is going to need to work much harder, costing you a lot more money on your energy bills. After all the fuss, it still may not feel cozy or warm indoors!

If humidity levels fall below 50%, even an indoor temperature of 77 degrees can feel chilly! When this happens, the apparent temperature in your home, which is how warm it actually feels, will remain too low for comfort.

Using humidifiers is the best way to deal with these issues, and you don’t have to have whole-house humidifiers installed, either. You can also improve your home’s comfort and climate with portable humidifiers.

Adding moisture to the air will help raise the relative humidity above 50%, making your home feel much warmer. The end result will be a more efficient home that is cozy and comfortable without tasking your HVAC system with running constantly trying to combat cold, dry air.

Don’t Disregard Your HVAC System

Even if you have humidifiers running in your home during the winter, and your HVAC system doesn’t have to work quite so hard to maintain the temperature in your home, that doesn’t mean that you can ignore your furnace or leave it to just “do its thing” all winter.

It’s vital that you have our experts come out at least once per year to perform preventative maintenance on your system. That way, you’ll be able to rest all winter long, knowing that it’s running at its best. You will decrease the chances of experiencing sudden breakdowns and will also catch small issues before they become giant problems.

Contact our team at A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air, Inc. today to schedule an appointment for your annual tune-up!

For most of California, especially the southern part of the state, winter doesn’t have the same meaning as it does in many other parts of the country. There are stretches of days at a time when you probably don’t even really turn on your furnace. While the northeast freezes in sub-zero temperatures, areas of the state remain fairly comfortable.

That isn’t to say that we don’t need our furnaces or that it’s never chilly in the Bay Area or anywhere else in the state! Even if a winter only gets so cold that it rains enough to keep the trees looking nice and green, that cold winter rain can still chill you to the bone. This makes having a warm comfortable home, courtesy of your furnace, very important.

Why Spend Money Now if Things are Working Great?

Since it’s winter and you occasionally use your furnace, it might not make sense to you to bother much with it. It might seem logical to wait until the spring when you turn it off for the season. However, the best idea is to use the winter time to spend a little money now to potentially save you a lot more money later.

The fact that you do go for stretches of time without using your furnace means it’s the perfect opportunity to have things professionally examined. Some issues are only noticeable when the system is running. You won’t have a chance to notice small problems once you turn the furnace off in the spring, and by the time winter comes around again, those small, hidden problems could then be large, expensive issues.

The Benefits of Routine HVAC Service

The only thing that makes more sense than having one of our HVAC professionals inspect your system once is having routine inspections done. At a minimum, your furnace should be inspected at least once each year.

If you follow a routine maintenance schedule, you’ll always have an HVAC system that is running as efficiently as possible, saving you energy and money while reducing the chance of a breakdown that requires sudden repairs. Don’t wait until your system breaks down and causes an emergency before you contact A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air for professional service. It’s more affordable and easier if issues are discovered with a routine service call than an emergency after-hours call.

Getting routine maintenance done will save you money in the long run and help your system last a lot longer. When you have your unit serviced regularly, wear and tear are reduced, and the life of your furnace will be prolonged.

Contact A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air, Inc. for Maintenance and Repairs

Whether you know something is amiss with your system or you don’t suspect any problem and want to get started with a routine maintenance call, make A-1 Guaranteed the professional HVAC company in Napa that you call.

Our award-winning service is a trademark of our renowned experts, and we’ll be here for you for all your needs. Schedule your service appointment with us today; it’s a perfect time.

Your HVAC system is an important part of the comfort and climate of everyone (and everything) in your home. It’s also one of the biggest investments for your home that you can make, so it goes without saying that properly caring for that system is paramount.

Winter in California means cooler temperatures and a hefty uptick in furnace usage. It’s critical to check over your HVAC system after you’ve just made a California home all your own. If not done before the sale, the best time to check things on it is as soon as possible.

Checking Your HVAC System when Purchasing a Home

Following are five things you should do for your HVAC system as soon as you can after you’re handed the keys to your new home:

1.   Take Note of the Furnace Efficiency Room by Room

Spend some time in each room in the house and pay attention to whether any of them feel a lot warmer or cooler than the others. If you make this type of discovery, you may have an issue with unbalanced ductwork in the home, in which case, you should contact A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air, Inc. to remedy it.

2.   Visually Inspect the Physical Components

Everyone should visually inspect the furnace; a lot can be learned this way! Is it generally in good shape, or does it show signs of major wear and tear, like duct tape being strewn all over the place? Check the filter, too; it likely needs to be changed if you just purchased the house.

3.   Try to Discover the Furnace’s History

Knowing the age of your furnace is a good start, but it’s also crucial to know its history, including any past repairs or problems. Often, repair technicians will leave service stickers on the furnaces they service. These stickers can include information like who serviced the unit, their contact information, the date it was serviced, and what services were performed.

4.   Pay Attention to the Age of the Furnace

On average, a furnace lasts about 15 years, but this can vary depending on various factors. If your furnace is a decade old or older, it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and replace it if you can. If you’re not sure of its age or if it needs to be replaced, reach out to us at A-1 Guaranteed. We’ll be happy to come and take a look for you.

5.   Get Your HVAC System Professionally Checked Out

If you forego all of the other tips mentioned above, do not pass this one up. The value of having a Bay Area HVAC expert come and perform an inspection and preventive maintenance can be immeasurable.

We can ensure the system is in the best working order possible, ensuring that it’s working as well as it should and that no hidden problems are waiting to turn into a big (and expensive) nightmare.

Contact A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air, Inc. for all your Bay Area HVAC needs! We’re the area’s #1 HVAC company; see for yourself why more homes trust us than anyone else.

The holidays are a time during which many homes will see more traffic than during the rest of the year. Believe it or not, the increased number of visitors to your home likely will mean changes in your energy usage and your energy bills. After all, more people means more hot water used, more heating needed, and more times the front door is opened, letting that cold air in and warm air out.

Save Money with These Top Holiday Tips

Combat the increase in energy usage and potential energy bills by following seven helpful tips for your HVAC system this season:

1.   Test Your Carbon Monoxide Detector

The importance of this one cannot be overstated. Although detectors have lifespans of about a decade, malfunctions do happen. A carbon monoxide detector could be completely dead and you’d never realize it until it was checked. Batteries should be tested every three to six months, and you should replace those batteries every year or two. Even if your detectors are hard-wired to your home, they use batteries, so check them.

2.   Change the Furnace Air Filter

You’re going to want to change your air filter more often during the holiday season if you are planning on having many people in and out of the house. While normally, a filter should be changed about every 60-90 days, you may want to change yours once per month during the season.

3.   Clean Vent Covers

Use your vacuum brush attachment or wipe them with a wet microfiber cleaning cloth to clean those vent covers. Use your vacuum to clean debris from around your vent openings, too. Check to make sure that vents are not blocked by anything.

4.   Check Your Thermostat

It’s always recommended that you verify that your furnace and everything is working properly before the cold weather arrives. That way, if there is anything that needs expert HVAC attention, you can have A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air, Inc. take care of it without you having to freeze.

5.   Make it a Habit to Adjust the Temp

If you’re going to use the oven for several hours to bake pies or cook your holiday ham or turkey, make sure that you turn down your thermostat ahead of time to compensate for the additional heat that will be in your home.

6.   Use Ceiling Fans

Hot air rises, but you can use ceiling fans to your advantage. By turning them on low speed during the winter while they rotate clockwise, you can force warm air back down lower to people’s level instead of having it stuck hovering above everyone up near the ceiling. Not only will this keep people more consistently comfortable but can also save you money on your heating bills.

7.   Check for Air Leaks

Using a candle, you can check your home for air leaks, which can waste heated air, making your home uncomfortable, unpredictable, and more expensive to heat than it should be! Your heating system will use more energy and run more often, potentially shortening its lifespan. Walk through your house and (carefully) use the candle flame to see where drafts may be sneaking in through doors and windows.

Now’s the Time to Schedule an HVAC Checkup

Don’t wait until your furnace breaks down during the holidays to reach out to our team here at A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air, Inc.! The best time to call us is right now to schedule a preventative maintenance check-up for your furnace. We’ll make sure that there are no little problems hiding that can turn into a disaster later. We’ll also confirm that it’s in premium working order, too.

Contact us here at A-1 Guaranteed for all of your HVAC needs, solar needs, and more. We proudly serve Vacaville, Napa, Fairfield, Solano, Napa, Contra Costa, and the entire Bay Area.