Tag: Pittsburgh HVAC

We all encounter many health risks as we go about our daily routines. Driving in cars, flying in planes, participating in recreational interests, and being subjected to environmental pollutants all present varying degrees of risk.

Certain risks are inescapable; some we decide to agree to encounter because to do otherwise would limit our capacity to lead our lives the way we would like. Others are risks we could choose to sidestep if we had the occasion to make informed choices. Indoor air pollution is one of those risks that you can do something about.

In the last several years, a mounting body of evidence has demonstrated that the air within our homes and other buildings can be more highly polluted than the outdoor air, even in the largest and most built-up cities.

Whether it’s in school, the office, or simply at home, most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. While we often talk about the amount of pollution in our atmosphere, we seldom think about the quality of the air we breathe when we are inside. Consequently, for many, the health hazards may be greater due to exposure to indoor air pollution rather than outdoors.

Furthermore, people who may be subjected to indoor air pollutants for the longest periods of time are frequently those most at risk of the effects of indoor pollution. This would include the young, the elderly, and the chronically ill, particularly those experiencing respiratory or cardiovascular disease.

The experts at Schultheis Brothers want you to better understand indoor pollution in the Pittsburgh area and how to improve indoor air quality.

Okay, so what exactly do we mean by indoor air pollution?

Simply put, indoor air pollution describes any air contamination within a home or other structure. Pollutants are normally arranged into the following groups: molds, solvents, pesticides, smoke, pet dander, and gases. Most homes will experience indoor air pollution to some level. The quality of your indoor air (IAQ) is a gauge of how the air inside a home or other building impacts its occupants’ well-being and comfort.

Indoor air pollution has become more demanding lately because of the construction of more energy-efficient homes. Why so? These structures are likely to be rather airtight, indicating the air inside can rapidly become stagnant, and the number of pollutants rises quickly.

Elsewhere, burning fuels such as coal, wood, or gas for heating and cooking produce a variety of toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, as well as particulates and other dangerous compounds.

Minus good ventilation, these chemicals can be inhaled and trigger serious damage to your health in a host of ways.

How does indoor air pollution affect human health?

A cutback in fresh air exchange in today’s homes and buildings has contributed to an upsurge in a phenomenon known as “sick building syndrome.” This is normally due to a combination of reduced ventilation and/or inadequately maintained air conditioning.

The symptoms of sick building syndrome will normally improve when you leave the premises and get worse the more time you stay there. The most familiar indicators are headaches, blocked sinuses or a runny nose, skin rashes, itchy eyes, drowsiness, and difficulty breathing.

You need to consider that these symptoms are quite common and can be brought on by various issues, including traditional allergies. If you’re undergoing these symptoms intermittently or constantly, no matter where you are, it’s doubtful that sick building syndrome is the cause.

What, then, are the major sources of indoor pollution?

Note: Several indoor pollutants range from asbestos to volatile organic compounds. In this blog, we’re going to concentrate on these below.

Excess moisture is one of the least-known pollutants

Moisture is one of the most significant and least known indoor pollutants, affecting both human health and the health of your home or other structure. Where this moisture gathers, so do mold and mildew, which can trigger asthma or allergies, destroy wood products, and hasten the build-up of rust on metal building components.

Mold can be especially harmful

Mold is an indoor air pollutant that can trigger various health problems, including respiratory infections, asthma, and allergies. Mold grows in damp and humid conditions and can be unearthed in various places in the home, such as on walls, floors, ceilings, and basements.

Moreover, for those with a weakened immune system or pre-existing conditions such as asthma, mold exposure can aggravate these illnesses and bring about serious respiratory infections.

We recommend using a dehumidifier to regulate the amount of moisture in the air.

Radon is generated naturally in the soil

You can neither see nor smell radon, a radioactive gas produced naturally in the soil and passed into the house from the ground. It’s the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.

The level of radon exposure can only be determined through testing. You can purchase a screening kit to verify the levels of this gas in your home. You should hire a qualified professional if the radon levels in your home are too high.

Faulty appliances can produce toxic gases

Many homes and offices contain space heaters, ovens, furnaces, fireplaces, and water heaters that burn fuels such as gas, kerosene, oil, coal, or wood. As combustion can be quite hazardous, most appliances are thoroughly tested to ensure safety.

Note that if the appliance is faulty, it can generate toxic gases, including carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and other compounds such as hazardous aldehydes.

Tobacco smoke is one of the most dangerous indoor air pollutants

The smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes is one of the most commonplace and hazardous indoor air pollutants.

Tobacco smoke includes more than 7,000 chemicals, containing at least 70 carcinogenic chemicals. When inhaled, these chemicals can also trigger chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other cardiovascular ailments, resulting in heart attacks and other severe outcomes.

Secondhand smoke is an additional cause of indoor air pollution. As a matter of fact, secondhand smoke exposure is believed to produce around 7,300 lung cancer deaths in nonsmoking adults in the U.S. each year. in addition, a number of reports indicate that tobacco smoke produces ten times more air pollution than diesel car exhaust, making it one of the most significant sources of indoor air pollution.

Some VOCs can result in liver or kidney damage

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) comprise a variety of evaporated substances, including formaldehyde, which can be released by building materials and household furnishings, gasoline from the garage, pesticides, and even cooking activities. Many of these are simply annoyances, but some may have short-term or long-term health effects. The concentration of these VOCs is higher indoors than outdoors. Once exposed to VOCs, you can experience nausea, eye and nose irritation, headaches, and even liver and kidney damage.

To lessen your exposure to VOCs, increase ventilation in your home, and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cleaning products release toxic fumes

The chemicals in cleaning products can also pollute indoor air. The fact is these chemical products discharge toxic fumes, which can be dangerous when inhaled. Some of these chemicals have even been associated with various health problems, including respiratory infections, asthma, and even cancer.

Moreover, many cleaning products include volatile organic compounds, gases that can clearly evaporate at room temperature. When VOCs are discharged into the air, they can trigger both short- and long-term health issues, such as headaches and nausea, and, more notably, can damage the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system.

Pet dander can cause various respiratory ailments

Pet dander is yet one more everyday indoor air pollutant. Dander can be located in animals’ fur, skin, and saliva. When pet dander is released into the air, it can be inhaled and bring on a number of respiratory issues, such as asthma attacks and hay fever, among other allergies.

CO can lead to serious complications, including death.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that can lead to severe health concerns. It’s produced by burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, propane, gasoline, and oil. CO can build up indoors when these fuels are used for cooking or heating and can accumulate to hazardous levels in confined spaces.

When excessive amounts of CO build up in the bloodstream, they block oxygen from reaching the heart, brain, and other vital organs. Persistent exposure can trigger headaches, dizziness, nausea, and even death.

CO poisoning can be averted by ensuring that fuel-burning appliances are adequately vented to the outside and by installing CO alarms in your home or other buildings.

How can you tackle indoor air pollution?

Okay, we’ve determined that most of us are experiencing indoor air pollution from one source or another. So, how do we improve the quality of the air we’re breathing in? Let’s look at a couple of solutions.

HEPA filters

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can be used as air purifiers or can be fastened to vacuum devices to remove dust, spores, mites, and other particles from the air. According to The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology, an appliance can only be considered a HEPA filter if it traps 99.97 percent of particles 0.3 microns or larger. For context, emissions from a car starting up begin at 1 micron.

HVAC filters

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning filters (HVAC) purify the air entering and exiting the assorted units throughout your property. These filters help ensure that your systems work as efficiently as possible and cut the volume of aggravating particles circulating in the air.

Proper ventilation

One of the chief ways to lower the amount of indoor air pollution is by making sure there is proper ventilation. Proper ventilation helps remove the polluted indoor air from your home and replace it with fresh, clean air from the outside.

Conversely, when indoor spaces are not sufficiently ventilated, pollutants can build up to hazardous levels. This is especially an issue in today’s homes that are sealed tight to help preserve energy.

Inadequate ventilation can also lead to a build-up of carbon dioxide, resulting in headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.

Green cleaners

As mentioned, many traditional cleaning products include potentially dangerous chemicals that can result in indoor air pollution. To avoid this, it’s recommended that you purchase green cleaners formulated with natural ingredients such as white vinegar, baking soda, borax, citrus fruit, and essential oils.

These natural components are safe for use indoors and are proven effective at cleaning surfaces and removing dirt, dust, and grime.

Indoor plants

Keeping indoor plants is another meaningful way to cut indoor pollution. Indoor plants help to sanitize the air by soaking up contaminants and releasing oxygen. Additionally, indoor plants help to enhance indoor air quality by boosting humidity and cutting dust levels.

Moreover, the value of indoor plants in purifying indoor air has been supported by NASA. In 1989, the space agency managed a clean air study and discovered that specific indoor plants effectively eliminated a host of pollutants from the air. These include English ivy, bamboo palm plants, and peace lily plants.

In conclusion

Indoor air pollution is nothing to sneeze at (pun intended). Seriously, it can lead to various health issues, some of which can be especially harmful to children, older adults, and those with ailments such as asthma.

If you need help determining how to best block air pollution in your Pittsburgh area home or other space, contact the HVAC professionals at Schultheis Brothers.

The temperature of your bedroom can make a huge difference in the quality of your sleep. A National Sleep Foundation poll established that room temperature was one of the most significant considerations for getting a good night’s sleep. In fact, both body and room temperature can play a critical part in the quality of the sleep you get, and further research has shown how to find just the right balance.

Suppose you’re interested in exploring the ideal sleep temperature. In that case, this blog will help you to understand how temperature affects your sleep, the importance of the best room temperature, and some tips to sleep better every night. We’ll guide you through the perfect bedroom temperature for various age groups and discuss achieving that “ideal” temperature and enhancing your sleep health.

Before proceeding, did you know that body temperature is directly connected to sleep?
Generally, a person’s body temperature will vary during the day but barely by one or two degrees. Thermoregulation is the body’s knack for sustaining a specific internal temperature. However, the body’s temperature falls approximately two hours before bedtime. This drop is normal and helps tell the body that it’s time for sleep.

The circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock, manages these temperature variations, along with many other vital physiological patterns. Research has discovered, however, that our thermoregulation capabilities aren’t as robust as we age.
Thermoregulation is essential for sleep onset, and with numerous adults describing sleep of inferior quality as they age, there’s likely a connection. This is also why the elderly are thought to be more susceptible when it’s particularly hot or cold out.

That said, it’s crucial to be aware that while reduced thermoregulation may play a role in sleep deteriorating with age, there are various other reasons for sleep problems in older adults, such as lop-sided sleep-wake schedules, caffeine, medications, and sleep disorders.

Normal adult sleep temperature requirements

For starters, for many adults, the ideal temperature for sleep is 60 to 67 degrees F. However, this can be more difficult during those hot summer nights. If your bedroom is too warm for you to sleep comfortably, there are steps you can take to help knock down the temperature. These might be time-worn tips, but they are still very effective.

• Close your blinds during the day. Concealing your bedroom from the hot sunlight throughout the day should help it stay cooler overall. This is particularly essential for those who work overnight and must sleep during daylight hours.
• Fine-tune the bedroom windows to conform to the outside temperature. If it’s hot outside, shut the windows to keep the warm air outside the room. On the other hand, if it’s cooler outside, open your windows to allow the breeze to flow in.
• Make good use of a fan. You can employ a fan to keep the air moving but ensure it’s not aimed directly at your body, which might cause sore muscles and headaches.
• Sleep at the home’s lowest level, if possible. Heat naturally rises, so if you reside in a multi-story home and have trouble sleeping, try sleeping on the bottom floor.
• Sleep in breathable pajamas. Shop for pajamas that feature cooler fabrics such as cotton and linen.
• Make use of cooling bedding and any add-ons. Temperature-controlling sheets and pillows can help you remain comfy. You might also investigate a good cooling mattress. However, various mattress types and materials have fluctuating thermal properties. Memory foam mattresses usually sleep much hotter as this type of particular foam locks in heat (unless they include cooling gels). In contrast, hybrid or innerspring mattresses typically perform much better as a result of better airflow from the coils.

This is all good information, but we live in Pittsburgh, so there are also those winter nights to consider.

During winter evenings, particularly in areas where most of us reside, it’s suggested to keep the room a bit warmer to adapt to the occasional sizable drops in temperature overnight. Some people might find it more difficult to fall asleep during the winter, especially if they’re not hot sleepers, so here are a few tips. Again, they might be considered time-worn but still beneficial.

• Layer up. Wearing several layers is a simple yet efficient way to keep your body warm during colder winter evenings. You also need to consider the fabric of your pajamas, given that certain materials are naturally cooling and may not be the best choice for the winter. In this instance, look to wear fleece or wool pajamas for that bit of added warmth.
• Drink hot tea. Consuming hot tea prior to bedtime can warm you up and help you unwind at night.
• Use additional blankets. Throwing an extra blanket or two over you at night will help you warm up more quickly. You might think about investing in an electric blanket. Obviously, it’s crucial to be as safe as possible when utilizing an electric blanket since they’re certainly not an ideal solution for particular groups, such as pets, children, older adults, and pregnant women.
• Wear socks. We lose plenty of heat through our feet, which means keeping them insulated can help confine the warmth. Thicker wool socks can be a huge extra for cold winter nights.

Normal sleep temperatures for the elderly

The metabolism of the senior citizen will be significantly different than a mid-aged adult, especially when compared to younger people who are continually growing. As a person grows older, their metabolism will simply slow down, so they frequently want to be in warmer spaces. (Hint: Florida)

The chief reason that controlling the temperature in the room where an elderly person is sleeping is due to their own body losing its ability to preserve a constant temperature. Obviously, this could result from their age or even a health concern, making it tough for them to remain warm at all times.

True, you could simply provide more blankets, but it’s healthier to have a room adjusted to the correct temperature.

So, what is the optimal temperature for an elderly person to sleep?

The ideal temperature range is 66 to 70 degrees F.

The best approach to maintaining a constant temperature within any household for the elderly is to install an HVAC system. An updated HVAC system will feature a thermostat that they can clearly control easily or a user-friendly digital display. It can display various readings for the room, including temperature, humidity, and other indoor circumstances. They can also be linked to a smartphone if your elderly person prefers using smart devices.

It’s essential to place sensors in spaces where the senior will spend most of his/her time. On balance, the thermostat can’t obtain a precise temperature reading if they aren’t located in spaces where the senior person will be most active. The same is true for locating sensors in the room where they will sleep.

What is the ideal sleeping temperature for babies?

The best sleeping temperature for babies and toddlers is a bit higher, between 65 and 70 degrees F.

“Sleeping on the warmer end of the ideal sleep temperature scale is more conducive for those with smaller bodies that are still developing,” says sleep psychologist Dr. Michelle Drerup. “They are not yet able to regulate their body temperature like adults can.”

Keep your baby’s bedroom temperature too warm, however, and you risk overheating. Have your child wear something breathable and comfortable to sleep in, and try to limit the number of blankets in the crib. Choosing a quiet, dark room for babies to sleep in is also prudent.

If you’re worried about your child being too hot while asleep, touch the back of their neck or stomach to test your concern. If their skin is sweaty, remove a layer or slightly lessen the room temperature.

However, a bedroom that’s too warm may boost the threat of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Using the correct sleepwear, ensuring a beneficial temperature by setting the thermostat, and avoiding heavy blankets or multiple layers are advised.

Again, parents can monitor their baby’s temperature during the night by touching the stomach or the back of the neck.

Here are some other suggestions for a good night’s sleep not mentioned above.

• The bedroom ought to be well-ventilated. A natural, well-ventilated room is meaningful in providing great sleep quality, particularly in between the changing seasons. In addition, many discover that sleeping in a room with fresh air is quite comfortable.
• Give some thought to showering before bed in the evening. A shower can cool your body before going to sleep, helping you go to sleep faster and for a longer period of time. Experts suggest showering at least one or two hours before going to bed.

How, then, does temperature impact sleep?

Let’s face it; we’ve all gone through a miserable night’s sleep at one time or another. We awaken the next morning feeling dazed and irritable, moving at a snail’s pace and looking forward to the minute we can once again climb into bed, shut our eyes, and get some much-needed rest.

As you might expect, several factors influence our sleeping habits, one being temperature.

Sleeping too hot

When we are asleep, our core body temperature declines as part of the sleep initiation process, so you may crave the heat to get warm and comfy under the covers. But, if your bedroom temperature is too high or too humid, you’ll likely be subjected to more restlessness and have even more difficulty falling or staying asleep.

“Heat is a huge disruptor of sleep,” says Dr. Drerup. With the room’s heat, your body temperature will also increase, interrupting sleep initiative.

To summarize, if your bedroom temperature is above 70 degrees, it’s simply too hot.

Sleeping too cold

On the flip side, sleeping in a cold environment also has its disadvantages. It probably won’t affect your sleep cycles as dramatically as sleeping too hot, but it could lead to added health concerns.

“When we’re cold, our body kicks into high gear to try and get us warm again,” says Dr, Drerup.

She adds that blood vessels are constricted, and breathing becomes shallower, putting added pressure on our cardiovascular system to get our body temperatures synchronized again.

Again, to sum it up, if your bedroom temperature is below 60 degrees, it’s too cold.

Does ideal sleep temperature change with age?

As noted, as we age, our bodies go through numerous changes – one being, as we’ve described, a drop in body temperature and another, a decrease in melatonin (a hormone released at night associated with sleep control) and cortisol (stress hormone) levels. You may need to alter your sleeping temperature depending on your body, but you should keep away from changing it too severely one way or another. Talk with your doctor to see if your sleep temperature should be modified.

We hope this blog has provided you with some good information about the proper sleep temperature. If you should need any help in employing a smart thermostat or other such devices to better regulate your home’s temperature, please contact the HVAC professionals at Schultheis Brothers.

When winter rages and the outside temperature drops, your home’s HVAC system is more critical than ever. There’s nothing more troublesome than noticing that your furnace is blowing cold air, whether continuously or erratically, in the middle of a brutal stretch of cold weather.

Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to get your home toasty again. We’ve rounded up some common grounds for furnaces to blow cold air, and how to best take care of the issue.

But, first, let’s take a brief look at how your furnace functions.

The moment the indoor temperature drops below the thermostat’s set temperature, the thermostat communicates to the control board inside the furnace to begin the heating process. The combustion procedure begins by turning on the draft fan. Next, the combustion warms up the furnace’s heat exchanger and, as a result of the combustion, flue gases are discharged outside by the heat exchanger and exhaust pipe.

A blower fan then drives room-temperature air past the heat exchanger. The cool air absorbs the heat and from there is forced through your home’s ductwork.

Now that you know how the heating process works, let’s further investigate what makes it blow cold air.

Are there improper fan settings?

Ever heard of Occam’s Razor? When troubleshooting, always begin with the easiest possible solution. In this instance, it’s the thermostat fan setting.

Check to see if the fan is set to “On.” If it is, then it will blow air constantly, whether or not the furnace generates heat. If your furnace is blowing only cold air, or hot sometimes and cold other times, then it’s probably a fan-setting issue. This is more usual on older thermostats with a fan control switch. These old-school switches can clearly be bumped into by an unaware adult or a child playing. (We’ve seen this occur when moving furniture past a hallway thermostat.)

In this case, the fix is easy: Move the setting from “On” to “Auto” and see if that takes care of the problem. The “auto” mode will stop your fan from blowing cold air when the preferred temperature is reached. It’ll also save money on your heating bills. Often, we likewise see homeowners set their thermostats to “fan” rather than “auto.”

Is the thermostat working properly?

Thermostats make our lives so much easier. They’re also one of the first places you should check if your furnace isn’t working properly. Since your thermostat links your home’s temperature setting to the furnace if it isn’t working as designed, your furnace could blow cold air simply because it isn’t obtaining the correct instructions from your thermostat.

Replacing the thermostat guarantees correct communication with your furnace to prevent cold air issues. Have your thermostat replaced by a certified HVAC technician and think about upgrading to a programmable or smart thermostat for improved command of indoor comfort and energy usage.

Note: When a thermostat battery runs low, it can cause the thermostat to just stop working. This is not a signal of an issue with your heating system or your home’s wiring. It’s just a dead or weakening battery. As the battery starts to weaken, so will the thermostat tasks.
Be sure you switch out thermostat batteries at least once every year.

Is there a faulty circuit control board?

In some instances, the perpetrator could be the circuit control board. This unit serves as the brain of the furnace, relaying instructions to its many components.

When the circuit control board accepts the heating cycled directive from the thermostat, it delivers signals to turn on the furnace blower and furnace burner. If the board is nonfunctional, it could turn the furnace blower on but not the burners. So if your furnace is not blowing hot air, it may be a result of the circuit control board not turning on the burners to heat the air.

There are a number of reasons why a circuit control board can crash, with the most common being a lack of regular maintenance.

Do you have cold air blowing because of a dirty air filter?

Concealed in the filter of your heating system are dirt and debris. If you aren’t cleaning it routinely, this will gather over time, leading to issues with your heating system’s efficiency. As a consequence, your furnace blowing cold air could simply be a result of a clogged filter. If this is the case, the cold air from inside your house will fight to pass through it and into the furnace. This indicates you have an inadequate amount of air to heat and redistribute and the outcome is your furnace blowing cold air.

As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, your furnace air filter is a critical factor that impacts the efficiency of your heating system. We recommend changing furnace filters at least once every three months, but sometimes, if someone in your household suffers from allergies, or the home has at least one pet, you just might want to be sure they’re replaced more often.

If you’ve forgotten about it, now is the time to get rid of that dirty air filter! And always remember to replace the filter with a properly sized replacement.

Is the pilot light extinguished?

A pilot light is a small gas light that burns nonstop to ignite a larger burner, such as a furnace. However, this light can be doused if there is a draft, a dirty valve, or a defective thermocouple (a safety device that shuts off the gas when no pilot light is detected.)

Look for a pilot light on models that are 20 or more years old as later HVAC systems don’t normally have this feature.

For many homeowners, relighting a pilot light is an uncomplicated process. Most appliances will come with the directions affixed. If the light persists in going out after following the instructions and you’re certain there’s no draft blowing it out, a damaged thermocouple could be to blame. Most homeowners choose to call in a furnace technician to appraise and replace this part.

Do you have a faulty flame detector?

Today’s home heating units are forward-thinking, beyond using pilot lighting to initiate ignition. Instead, they employ a flame detector to instigate the heating. But what if your heater’s flame detector is dusty or filled with dirt and grime? Then, the heating process will not be started, meaning unheated air will blow from the unit.

This shortcoming may be remedied by simply dusting off the ignition sensor. Or you might want to depend on our team of HVAC experts to sanitize the flame detector and reestablish the heating process.

Is there a problem with the gas supply?

Furnaces need a constant supply of gas to the burners to generate heat. If the gas supply is deficient, the furnace will simply stop running as a safety measure, hence blowing out cold air. To consider this possibility, double-check that the gas valve is turned on by making sure the valve lever is parallel with the gas supply line. If there is still no gas going to the furnace, it’s a sign of an issue somewhere in the system.

While it’s certainly possible to troubleshoot gas lines, this kind of repair is best left to the experts. The risks are high and too many things could go awry.

Is your furnace overheating?

When your furnace overheats, there’s a safety device that will shut your furnace down. So, not only will your furnace be blowing cold air for the time being, it’ll actually shut off.

There are several reasons your furnace might be overheating (besides a clogged filter).

• Dirt buildup: If your air filter was clogged, odds are dirt and debris worked their way into other segments of your furnace. If that dirt is affecting components, such as the blower, it can cause your unit to overheat.
• Mechanical failure: Since a furnace undergoes wear and tear, it’s conceivable for it to overheat because one of the moving parts isn’t functioning correctly, if at all. This may be the basis of your furnace problem, especially if your unit is somewhat older.
• Age: As the furnace ages, it won’t perform as well, as is the case with most such equipment. Furnaces normally last around 15 years. Even with the best preventative maintenance program, it can’t last forever and might begin overheating if specific parts are no longer performing as intended. Typically, the furnace burner, the flame sensor, or the gas supply pipe are at fault.

Is the condensate line clogged?

The latest state-of-the-art furnaces are engineered with condensate lines that transport water away from the furnace.

A clog in the condensate line will stop your furnace from igniting. And no ignition means nothing but cold air coming through the vents. There might also be a problem with your condensate drain lines, but, if this is the case, an HVAC technician will be better able to tell you precisely what the problem is.

Are the cracks in the ductwork?

Cracks or holes in the ductwork might well be the cause of cold air emissions. Any of these tiny or large openings in the ducts let hot air escape while allowing cold air in.

Even with a well-functioning furnace, such leaks restrict hot air flow. Moreover, cold air seeping into the furnace ducts cools down the lingering hot air. If this takes place, your furnace will be blowing cold or somewhat warm air in place of hot air.

The issue can be fixed by finding the cracks and sealing them to stop hot air loss or cold air from going into the ductwork. It’s worth considering a professional HVAC provider to make sure you catch and seal every last crack in the ductwork.

Is there a crack in the heat exchanger?

Your furnace blowing cold air could be a result of a cracked heat exchanger. If this is the issue, your household is at immediate risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Contact your HVAC professionals a.s.a.p.!!!

Routine maintenance can prevent future problems

As is often the situation with home appliances, regular maintenance is the secret to preventing future problems. Preventative care can help lower the prospect of a problem arising, in addition to flagging an issue before it results in a shutdown. It’s advised to follow the maintenance steps in the owner’s manual, as well as these other preventative tips.

• Consistently replace air filters. We cannot overstate the significance of replacing your filters every 90 days or when they appear dirty.
• Check venting systems and accessory units. Make sure that pipes, humidifiers, electronic air cleaners, and other such equipment are secure. Watch for signs of water leaks.
• Clean the unit’s interior and exterior areas. Be sure the blower wheel or fan motor and blade, plus the burner, are clean and free of rust or corrosion. Double-check the electrical connections and controls. If you’re not comfortable with HVAC systems, this is best left to the professionals at Schultheis Brothers.

Have Schultheis Brothers come to take a look

If you’ve read the various tips mentioned, and you still can’t discover the source of the problem, call the professionals at Schultheis Brothers to inspect your furnace or HVAC system. Don’t attempt to repair a furnace yourself!

The friendly professionals at Schultheis Brothers can detect and repair the problem on any make or model of furnace. We can also perform preventative maintenance after the repair is completed to prevent this from occurring again. They can also offer other insights and help decide whether it’s time to install a new heating system. An HVAC professional can also provide information about various heating solutions, such as employing a heat pump rather than a traditional furnace.