Diamond Certified Resource Heating and Cooling Your Home Guide
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Read MoreDUBLIN — Did you know the air inside residential homes can be up to 90% more polluted than the air outside? Due to a comparative lack of ventilation, it’s easy for airborne contaminants like dust, dander, mold, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to build up inside the home and create poor indoor air quality (IAQ) levels. Fortunately, there are things you can do to improve your home’s IAQ. The most effective way to improve IAQ is to incorporate one or more air purification technologies within your existing HVAC system. For example, a high-efficiency air filtration product arrests airborne contaminants, while a UV light system eliminates viruses and other particles that are too small to be captured by a filter. Read more
EL CERRITO — Some people think air filters are all the same, but this is far from the case. While the heating and cooling systems in many homes have standard, one-inch fiberglass filters, the reality is that these do little to improve indoor air quality—they’re only good for filtering out very large airborne particles. To get better filtration for your HVAC system, consider upgrading to a MERV 13 air filter. This four-inch pleated filter removes particles down to the level of viruses and bacterium, which makes it at least 60 times more effective than a standard filter. In addition to the quality of the filter you choose, another consideration is how often you replace it. Read more
REDWOOD CITY — When your HVAC system is running, it’s not only heating or cooling your home, it’s also circulating the air. That’s why in mild seasons like spring (when your system is seldom in use), your indoor air can become stagnant due to a lack of circulation. To address this, run your system on the “fan only” setting at regular intervals—ideally 10 to 15 minutes every hour. If you don’t want to do this manually, consider investing in a thermostat with the capability to program “fan only” operation. This will allow you to enjoy fresh, well-circulated air without having to continually adjust your thermostat. Read more
FREMONT — When purchasing an air filter for your HVAC system, you have a lot of options to choose from. One important thing to know about is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating scale, which is used to assess filter effectiveness. With MERV, filters are rated on a scale of 1 to 20, with 1 being the least effective and 20 being the most effective. For example, a MERV 3 filter can capture 70 to 75 percent of basic airborne particles like pollen, dust mites and pet dander, whereas a MERV 8 filter can capture more than 90 percent. Filters rated MERV 9 to 11 are also able to capture mold spores, Read more
CONCORD — While routine furnace filter replacement remains a commonly neglected aspect of home maintenance, for some, the problem starts with locating the filter in the first place. Here are a few common places to look: Internally: In many cases, the filter is located within the furnace’s blower compartment. Externally: A furnace system’s casing is sometimes designed with an external compartment that houses the filter. Return air grill: If the filter isn’t integrated within the furnace casing itself, it may be situated within a return air grill, which typically can be found in the ceiling or a nearby wall. Since furnace filters come in various sizes, it’s important to determine which size your furnace accepts before purchasing a replacement. Read more
