Thoughts of this year’s brutal winter are finally beginning to fade- the sooner the better! Once the weather is good in Ohio it’s very, very good.
With the recent spring showers and storms, we have received a lot of interest in our whole house surge protectors. When our technician is visiting your home to perform regular maintenance (don’t forget to change those filters!) he can install a surge protector to help protect your home against a lightning strike. This device will shut off power to your appliances, protecting items such as your refrigerator, TV, air conditioner etc. should your home be struck by lightning. As our home appliances have become more efficient and packed with technical gadgets, they have also become more susceptible to power surges and more expensive to repair. There’s good and bad news here-the bad news is that once lightning strikes, the protector will need to be replaced (which may be several hundred dollars), the good news is that if this happens you will have saved thousands of dollars in appliance repairs or replacements. Call our office for information about our whole house surge protectors. You may even want to explore a backup generator in case of a power failure.
Of course the rain brings increased humidity, which will make temperatures feel warmer as well as take a toll on household items and your home itself (doors, windows and flooring as well as all wood items). A properly functioning air conditioner is your best option to help combat rising humidity. The cold coil in your unit will remove gallons upon gallons of moisture per day from the air in your home. Though more expensive, the new 2-Stage air conditioners, which run at high or low speed based on need, will actually enhance your air conditioner’s ability to remove moisture.
Whole house dehumidifiers will also make your home more comfortable, ringing out even more moisture from the air in your house. If the humidity is brought under control, your thermostat can actually be turned up a degree or two (cutting your costs to cool the home). We have all experienced the difference between a relatively comfortable 85 degree day with low humidity in comparison to the discomfort of an 85 degree day with HIGH humidity.
If your basement is becoming very damp, be sure to find the source of the moisture (you don’t want to treat the symptoms without finding the source). In our experience, we have found that many wet basements are caused by clogged gutters. A clogged gutter can overflow causing the foundation to become wet, seeping into the basement. A company that installs gutters can clean your gutters and install some form of gutter guard, keeping the leaves out of the gutter and preventing a recurring wet basement. Be sure to check with the Better Business Bureau prior to selecting a gutter cleaner.
As always, thanks for allowing us to be your heating and cooling professionals,
Mike Foraker
