Jeffersonville, IN | VanKleef Heating & Air Conditioning

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  • Why Your HVAC Needs Maintenance

    neglected hvac air filter, dirty and cloggedSome people think if they’re changing their filters on a regular basis, they’re properly maintaining their HVAC unit. But maintenance is much more than a filter change, and here’s why:

    • Maintenance prevents breakdowns
      Every year customers spend millions of dollars on unnecessary repairs from breakdowns that could have been prevented. AC systems are one of the major investments we make in our homes but they are also the most neglected. Like a car or truck, an AC system needs preventative maintenance to ensure good performance.
    • Maintenance keeps energy costs down
      A dirty evaporator cooling coil, outdoor condenser coil, or blower fan wheel could increase electrical usage by 50% or more.
    • Maintenance prevents system failures
      Up to 80% of all air conditioning compressor failures could be eliminated if the problem that lead to the failure were corrected in a timely manner.

    VanKleef Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. offers different maintenance plans to customers that can help ensure your system is running as it should year round. Call our office to learn more and schedule a maintenance call today. 812-280-0510

  • Trouble-shoot Your Own Furnace

    Louisville FurnaceYou may think that large electrical box with lots of pipes and wires seems amazingly complicated without a degree or professional skill to operate it. But, believe it or not, some of the most common furnace issues can be resolved by the homeowner without a service call to the HVAC company. Here are a few of the most common furnace issues and how you can attempt to resolve them on your own.
    What if I Smell Gas?
    If you smell something that smells like rotten eggs coming from the area surrounding your furnace, there is only one step. Get out. Do not turn on/off any light switches or operate any of the switches on the furnace. After you have safely evacuated, call your HVAC company to check out the problem.
    Furnace is Not Producing Much Heat
    The major cause of a slower heating house is a dirty filter. The easiest way to maintain your furnace and save money is to change your filter every few months. A dirty filter can double or triple your home heating costs, causing your furnace to have to work harder.
    Furnace Doesn’t Ignite
    Today’s furnaces use hot surface ignitors, but if you have a really old furnace that still has a pilot light, then here’s what you can do. If the light inside the furnance has gone out completely, shut off the gas switch near the pilot light while pushing the reset button. Hold a lighter or match up to the gas where the flame should be and light the pilot again.
    Changing your furnace filter is something everybody can do. It is one of the easiest home maintenance projects you can do. Simply pull the old filter out and replace it with a new one. The only trick here is making sure the up arrow on the filter actually faces up in the furnace slot. That’s it. Regularly reminding yourself to do this can save a lot of money on utility bills and risking damaging your unit.
    Always schedule a regular maintenance check-up with your HVAC company to catch any further issues that may be more involved. Visit our website to learn more about the heating and cooling services we provide. Or give us and call and we will be glad to help with advice or assistance 812-280-0510

  • Shocking Benefits of an Inline Humidifier

    Louisville HVAC MaintenanceYou may not think of the humidity in your home as an important thing, but you will be surprised at all the wonderful benefits of an inline humidifier for you and your home. If you have chronic colds or creaking furniture this could be a big help in relieving symptoms for you and your house. The air in your home has a humidity level and there are good levels and bad levels. You do not want too much or too little. You want it, as Goldilocks would say, “just right”.  You should try and keep the humidity level in your home between 30-50%.
    How an inline humidifier works:
    An inline humidifier attaches to your HVAC system and injects vapor into the air. As it passes through the vents, it regulates the humidity levels in your home. There are sensors that detect the humidity just like a thermostat measures temperature. When the levels get too low, the humidifier kicks in and adds much-needed moisture to the air and helps raise the overall levels of the whole home. Why is this so important? There are not only benefits for the possessions in your home, but there are benefits to your overall health.
    Here is a list of benefits of proper humidity levels:

    • Helps minimize nose bleeds
    • Helps with chronic dry skin issues
    • Helps with seasonal dry skin issues
    • Helps protect wood furniture and musical instruments
    • Helps prevent painted surfaces from becoming brittle
    • Helps soothe throat and nasal cavity during flu and cold spells
    • Helps asthma symptoms if kept at the right level (consult your physician)
    • Helps reduce static electricity

    Some of the benefits may be shocking, except for the reduction of static electricity, which literally reduces shocking. Static electricity can be a small inconvenience for the person who regularly gets shocked when touching metal objects or other people, but it can be very harmful to your electronics. An article from PCWORLD said, it’s entirely possible that you’ll open up your PC, plug in an add-in card or some RAM, never have any sensation of static, and still have zapped the electronics. That’s because the integrated circuits can be damaged or destroyed by static voltages as low as 400 volts. Long story short, wear rubber gloves when you are working on your electronic equipment. Better yet, have an inline humidifier installed by VanKleef Heating and Air Conditioning and start enjoying the benefits of proper humidified air. Call us with your questions, that’s what were here for. 812-280-0510

  • Three Ways to Improve the Performance of Your HVAC System

    Louisville furnace That old saying that the chains only as strong as the weakest link holds true for the electrical equipment in your house also. If one system gets neglected or lacks routine maintenance, it will effect the way all your electrical systems work together. In order to keep your Kentuckiana HVAC system running smoothly, we have already learned that as a homeowner there are several things you can do to improve your HVAC’s efficiency, like regular service check-ups and filter changes.
    There are also three things you as a homeowner can do behind the scenes to ensure a properly suited environment for running your system.

    • Check Your Ductwork Air -is it literally delivered through your house’s ductwork. It must be properly designed to work properly in your home. Check for areas in the ductwork that might allow for leaking or obvious gaps. A contractor can seal any area that causes your air, cold or hot, to leak out. For maximum efficiency, install ductwork that is better insulated and the load requirement to get the air to you will be significantly reduced. Less effort equals less energy and less cost.
    • Upgrade Insulation – If your ductwork or your home is not properly insulated, you will lose a portion of your conditioned air. Your HVAC generates air to be distributed where it is supposed to go, but poor insulation will disburse air where you don’t need it. To keep your air where you want it, give your insulation an overhaul and transfer your air efficiently into your home.
    • Seal Your Attic – Your venting system is critical to the overall health and performance of your HVAC system. It is critical to seal leaks that occur in the attic space that might allow hot or cool air outside to infiltrate your systems. These kinds of leaks can lead to extreme temperatures placed on the unit followed by spiking energy costs. Seal the attic to protect your system from added invaders taking over your ductwork and breaking down your system.

    By monitoring these three simple areas, your HVAC system stands a much improved chance of running like a champ throughout the winter season.

  • Where should I set the humidity in the winter?

    During the winter in our area, you should already be using your whole house humidifier. Many humidifiers have automatic controls that vary the humidity setting with your indoor temperature setting and the outdoor temperature. What if you don’t have an automatic control? Where should you set the humidistat? Why does it matter?
    If the humidity is set too high, you’ll cause sweating on the windows. This is especially true in older homes with windows that aren’t thermally efficient. Sweating windows will cause the wood sills to rot. The same will happen around doors. Plus, a setting too high is an energy and water waste.
    Low humidity levels can lead to a long list of issues. Your nasal passages and throat will become irritated. And you may notice members of the household snoring increases. Low humidity levels also have negative consequences for your home. Low humidity levels causes the structure to contract. Doors don’t shut quite right. Windows will leak more. Low humidity levels also promote the spread of germs. Recent studies have found that low humidity levels increase the longevity of flu virus in the air (ABC News).
    So, where do you set it? Humans are most comfortable with humidity levels between 35% and 50% in the winter. This amount of moisture in the air will keep your nasal passages moist as well as our skin. It also keeps static discharge from occurring when you walk across the carpet and enough moisture in your furniture and structure to protect them.
    Don’t have a humidifier? Give us a call at (812) 280-0510. We’ll be more than happy to provide a proposal for a new humidifier.