Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating

Germantown HVAC Tip: Benefits of Getting a Home Energy Audit

February 22nd, 2012

You may have heard of home energy audits, in which you inspect your Germantown home to find ways to improve its energy efficiency. What you might not know is all the ways an audit can help you save energy and be more environmentally friendly. Here are the four main benefits of getting a home energy audit:

Learn About Loss

The main idea behind getting a home energy audit is to figure out the heat loss (or gain) of your home. That is, how much heat are you losing to the outside world? Heat that doesn’t stay in your home obviously does little to benefit you in terms of keeping your house warm, and can be costly in terms of increased utility bills and repair costs over time.

Identify Weak Spots

Aside from determining how much heat your home is losing, a home audit can also point you in the direction of weak or thin spots in your home’s insulation. By identifying areas that are letting out the most heat, you can prioritize your strategy to prevent heat loss. Most often, this starts with doors and windows.

Opportunity to Upgrade

A good home energy auditor will present you with solutions for your heat loss problems, creating an opportunity for you to upgrade the equipment or materials in your home. This can solve your heat loss problems in one fell swoop. Such solutions include energy efficient glass, new sealant around doors and windows or upgraded insulation, especially in upper floors.

Save Money

Preventing heat loss increases the efficiency of your heating system, which saves you money. Your heating bills are reduced, and your furnace has to run less, which means fewer repairs and a longer life for an expensive piece of equipment. In short, spending money on a home energy audit and heat loss solutions are sound investments.

The benefits of a home energy audit are numerous, which is all the more reason to take advantage of having one done in your Germantown home. It is also a good thing to do for the environment! For more information about home energy audits, give Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating a call!

Tags: Energy Audits, Energy Savings, Germantown, Montgomery Village, Olney
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Happy President’s Day from Your Montgomery County Area HVAC Contractors!

February 20th, 2012

Happy President’s Day from everyone at Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating! Today we celebrate all of the great leaders that helped make our county what it is today. It is also a great time to think about ways you can help improve your community. Whatever town you live in, there are always ways you can help make it even better. If everyone takes a little time to volunteer or help a neighbor, it can make a big difference! Remember that upgrading your HVAC system will make it more energy efficient, and making your house more green is good for everyone!

It’s an old tradition to celebrate Washington’s Birthday with cherries, in honor of the cherry tree story, so here is a recipe for some delicious cherry pie!

“You ‘ll be able to tell that this is a prize-winning recipe. The crust is flaky and buttery, the cherry filling is thick and perfectly sweetened, and there’s a lovely hint of almond extract.”

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup cold water

1 pinch salt

2 cups pitted sour cherries

1 1/4 cups white sugar

10 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the shortening into the flour and salt with the whisking blades of a stand mixer until the crumbs are pea sized. Mix in cold water. Refrigerate until chilled through. Roll out dough for a two crust pie. Line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry.

Place the cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium size non-aluminum saucepan. Allow the mixture to stand for 10 minutes, or until the cherries are moistened with the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat; simmer for 1 minute, or until the juices thicken and become translucent. Remove pan from heat, and stir in butter and almond extract. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Cover with top crust.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com, visit their site for more details!

Tags: Holiday, Montgomery County
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Happy Valentine’s Day from Your Montgomery County Area Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor!

February 14th, 2012

Everyone at Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating wishes you a very happy Valentine’s Day! We hope you have a day filled with lots of candy, flowers, and Valentines! Today is all about showing your appreciation for those you love, including your friends, your family, or your significant other. Take a moment today to think about everyone who makes a difference in your life and how you can let them know how special they are to you.

While traditional gifts like candy and flowers are wonderful idea, why not think a little out of the box this year? Upgrading your HVAC system can make your whole house more comfortable, which is something that your entire family will appreciate! A new air filtration system can help you breathe easier, and a new heating and cooling system can significantly lower your energy bills. While not the most romantic of gifts, it certainly will let your family know that you care.

For more information about how a few HVAC upgrades can make your house more comfortable, give Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating a call. In addition to making your home cozier, you can also make your friends and family happy by making this delicious recipe for Fudge Truffle Cheesecake:

“When the chocolate addict in you begs for a sweet fix, bake this fluffy chocolate cheesecake over a chocolate cookie crust. Decorate it with even more cocoa delights, such as chocolate-dipped fruit or chocolate whipped cream.”

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed

milk

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

In a large mixing bowl, mix together crushed vanilla wafers, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and butter or margarine by hand. Press ingredients into a 9 inch springform pan.

In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, making sure that they are very smooth.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Mix in melted chocolate, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 55 minutes. The cake will seem underbaked in the center, but will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.

For more details, visit allrecipes.com.

Tags: Holiday, HVAC Upgrades, Montgomery County, Valentine's Day
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Bethesda HVAC Advice: Seasonal Air Quality Control

February 13th, 2012

For people who suffer from seasonal allergies in Bethesda, air quality is a key concern. Allergens in the air cause brutal bouts of sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and even sinus headaches. Even taking refuge indoors will often not assuage these symptoms, as indoor air is often comparable to outdoor air in terms of allergens and overall quality.

That is, unless you take care to control the seasonal air quality in your home, which can not only help ease the suffering of allergies, but also soothe asthmatics, keep out pollutants and generally promote better overall health.

How do you go about controlling the air quality in your home? To start, try these simple tips:

Vacuum carpets regularly. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and invest in some allergen suppressing bags.
Keep your vents clean. This is also a good maintenance practice to lengthen the life of your ventilation equipment.
Dust hard surfaces and wash bed linens weekly.
Install HEPA filters in your ventilation system, such as in air conditioners or other air handler units. Use a higher rated filter to keep out more allergens and pollutants.
Invest in and use an air purifier. Again, make sure to get one with a HEPA filter.
Have your home tested for radon and carbon monoxide. Have smoke, carbon monoxide and radon detectors working properly at all times.
Use a humidifier to keep overly dry air from irritating sinus passages.
Keep doors and windows closed tight, especially during allergy season(s).

By taking charge of the air quality in your Bethesda home, you also take control of a measure of your family’s health. Some of these measures require at least a bit of an investment – for example, higher rated HEPA air filters are often more expensive and need to be changed more frequently – but the benefits to your well being and that of your family are clearly well worth it. If you have any question about what type of indoor air quality system will work in your home, give Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating a call today!

Tags: Air Filtration, Bethesda, Frederick, Frederick County, Gaithersburg, Indoor Air Quality, Silver Spring
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Chevy Chase Indoor Air Quality FAQ: Things Your Air Filter Can’t Filter

February 10th, 2012

Air filters are great to have in your Chevy Chase home. Many people who own air filters, especially those who suffer from allergies or asthma, swear by them as being very beneficial to their health and general well-being. They help you feel comfortable knowing that your air is clean and fresh.

But how confident should you be in your air filter? Is there anything your air filter is missing? Can you be sure that your air is as clean as can be?

Well, all air filters have limitations, and many do particularly well at trapping and removing certain types of air pollutants, but at the expense of letting others pass. What your air filter can and cannot do depends on what kind of equipment you have.

A conventional air filter, like the pleated kind you may have in your air conditioner, is designed to trap particles in the air. Pollen, dust, dander and other small but solid pollutants and irritants get trapped in their close-knit fibers. The thing to pay attention here is the filter’s HEPA rating—the higher it is, the smaller the particles it can trap. So, if you are using a lower rated filter, you may be trapping pollen but still breathing in smoke particles. Also, sometimes large, heavy particles settle before reaching the filter and can’t be trapped.

A less common option is the gas-phase air filter. As you may guess from the name, these filters are meant to filter out harmful gases in the air. They do not trap particles and usually have a short life, so they need to be replaced frequently.

In addition to filters, there are other air cleaning options like ultraviolet germicidal (UVG) lights and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) cleaners. PCOs are meant to filter out harmful gases, but have limited use in homes. UVG lights use radiation that is harmless to people but deadly to microorganisms to pure air of bacteria and other pathogens.

In sum, if you are concerned about the quality of the air in your home, the best strategy is probably to use multiple solutions, such as a combination of an air filter and UVG lights, in order to get rid of as many pollutants as possible. Keep in mind, though, that no system is perfect in keeping everything out of your air. If you need help choosing the right system for your Chevy Chase home, call Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating today!

Tags: Air Filtration, Chevy Chase, Frederick County, Indoor Air Quality, Rockville, Silver Spring
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Olney Heating Installation Question: What Is a Load Calculation and Why Is It Important?

February 8th, 2012

An integral part of designing and installing a heating, ventilation and cooling system in our Olney home is the load calculation. Calculating the load of a room, home, or building essentially consists of determining how much heat is lost and gained within that area. A proper load calculation is critical to installing an appropriate HVAC system, as well as ensuring maximum efficiency or diagnosing problem areas of an existing system.

The Load Calculation Process

When conducting a load calculation for your home or office, a professional will consider several factors that can affect heat loss and gain. First among these is the construction of the building. This includes not only cubic footage, but also the type of material making up the walls, ceiling and floor, as well as any duct work. A professional performing a load calculation will examine the entire building envelope, including whether the walls are wood or masonry, if there are cathedral ceilings, what type of insulation is installed, and so on.

Secondly, load calculation takes into account doors and windows, as these can affect heat gain and loss. The number of doors and windows, as well as the size, shape and material of each one is included in the load calculation. This includes skylights and sliding glass doors, as well as the type of material shading any windows. A professional will look at pane thickness, number of panes in each window, if there are storm windows installed, any drafts in door installations, and even what kind of drapes are on the windows in order to accurately calculate load.

Additional Factors

There are other factors an Olney professional must take into account, including appliances and occupants. Heavy appliances tend to give off heat, as does having a lot of people in a space, so these must be considered in order for an HVAC system to properly regulate temperature and airflow. Last but not least, of course, is the matter of desired temperature change. By how much do you want to raise and lower the temperature of your home or office?

Calculating load prior to installing a new HVAC system is a vital part of the process. It is also a good idea to perform a calculation with current systems, as it may reveal already existing inefficiencies or deficiencies. An inefficient HVAC system not only results in unsatisfactory heating and cooling, but also unnecessary cost due to wasted energy. As you can see load calculation is an elaborate and complex process, but it is necessary for a properly functioning HVAC system.

Tags: Air Conditioning Installation, Heating Installation, HVAC Installation
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Kensington Heating Repair Question: Why is my Air Handler Squealing?

February 6th, 2012

Unusual noises coming from your Kensington home’s HVAC system never a good thing; they make you worry that something is wrong.

It’s true that an unusual noise does often mean that something needs to be fixed; however, a noise emanating from your HVAC system does not necessarily mean a major repair. You should always have a technician check out if you suspect a problem with your system, but not all problems are going to be expensive to fix.

One common noise that homeowners notice and complain about is a squealing noise originating in the air handler. Usually, this noise is coming from the fan belt that connects the blower fan and the motor. Over time, the belt can stretch out and become worn or misaligned, which makes it slip and generate that aggravating squealing noise.

So, while the squealing can be annoying and unpleasant, a slipping belt is by no means major. A belt is an inexpensive part and a technician can install it in just a matter of minutes.

As long as the noise is a squealing and not a grinding, this simple fix wil often take care of the problem. If you hear a grinding noise, however, immediately shut the unit down and call a technician. This may mean that your motor bearings are worn out and need to be replaced ASAP before further damage is inflicted on the motor itself.

Tags: Air Handler Repair, Brookeville, Frederick County, Furnace Repair, Heating Repair, Kensington, Olney
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Takoma Park Heating Repair Tip: Reasons Your Furnace Isn’t Producing Enough Heat

February 3rd, 2012

The last occasion on which you want to worry about your furnace not producing any heat is the dead of winter, when the outside is chilly you just want to seek refuge in your own Takoma Park home…only to discover that it’s not much warmer than the outdoors.

This may seem like a total emergency, and the combination of chill and frustration may cause panic to set in. Don’t start fretting too much just yet, though. There are some potentially simple causes and solutions for this problem, such as:

The thermostat may be set too low or on the wrong setting. Yes, it seems obvious, but sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face. Check that your thermostat is set high enough to call for heat and that it is on HEAT mode.
A circuit breaker may be tripped or a fuse may be blown. It could be the one dedicated to the thermostat, glow coil igniter or furnace itself. Check the breaker or fuse box in your home and either flip the breaker or replace the fuse. If it continues to trip or blow, get it looked at professionally—there may be a bigger problem going on.
The thermostat may not be working, so it is either improperly detecting the temperature or improperly reporting it to the furnace, so the heat does not kick on. Either way, it probably needs to be replaced.
The furnace is not igniting properly. This could mean the pilot light is out on furnaces without electric ignition, the gas valve is closed and can’t ignite or some other ignition malfunction. Check the pilot and gas valves to make sure they are on and working.

If you have checked all these things and the thermostat still is not working, or if you don’t feel comfortable looking into these causes on your own, you are best served by calling a professional repairman to diagnose and fix the furnace.

Often, these big failures are just the symptom of a smaller problem, so in all likelihood you won’t have to replace the furnace or do any major repairs, especially if it has been well-maintained throughout its life.

Tags: Furnace Repair, Garrett Park, Heating Repair, Laytonsville, Montgomery County, Takoma Park
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Garrett Park Heating Installation Question: What Makes a Furnace High Efficiency?

February 1st, 2012

You’ve probably heard about the new lines of high efficiency furnaces being released by popular home heating companies in Garrett Park, but what exactly is different about these high efficiency devices from your current furnace? Let’s take a closer look at what a high efficiency furnace offers and why it can save you money.

Added Features

A high efficiency furnace uses familiar technology in a new way to reduce the amount of energy lost when combustion takes place. This means:

Sealed Combustion – Instead of open combustion which allows heat to escape during and after the combustion process, a high efficiency furnace uses a sealed chamber with carefully measured and fed airflow to burn fuel and produce heat. Exhaust heat can then be recaptured and used to heat air transferred to your air vents.
Two Stage Gas Valves – With a two stage gas valve, your furnace can respond to the temperature outside. There isn’t just one “on” switch. The furnace will regulate gas flow based on how much energy is needed to produce heat for your home. So, if there is a sudden burst of cold outside, the furnace will respond accordingly, but for most days when heating needs are low, it will use only the minimum amount of needed gas.
Programmable – High efficiency furnaces are now programmable, meaning you can set specific time limits for operation, change thermostat settings digitally and inspect the device through an electronic read out. The level of control given to you by a programmable high efficiency furnace can greatly reduce gas or electricity consumption.

Cost Benefit

The real reason many people are interested in high efficiency furnaces is that they are so much less expensive to operate. Instead of costing hundreds of dollars to run through the winter, they operate the bare minimum needed to heat your Garrett Park home. Using up to 95% of the fuel they consume to produce heat and regulating gas to cut how much is consumed during milder days, these furnaces are built to save you money.

If you have an old furnace that chews through energy like nobody’s business, now might be the time to consider the benefits of a brand new, high efficiency model.

Tags: Chevy Chase, Frederick County, Furnace Installation, Garrett Park, Heating Installation, Urbana
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