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How to Determine the Right Size Heating System for You

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Nothing beats returning to your warm home on a cold, winter day in Southern New Jersey. A comfortable home all begins with an efficient and effective heating system, but not all heating systems are created the same. There are many variations to your common heating system, one of the biggest differences being equipment size. The size of your heating system can determine how well it works to heat your home at a reasonable cost. At Clay’s, it is our goal to help keep residents of Ocean City, Somers Point NJ and surrounding areas comfortable. Continue reading for more information on how to select the right size heating system for you and your home.

Having the appropriate sized heating system for your home is important for a variety of reasons. When it comes to size, people are inclined to think that bigger is better, but this is not always the case. A larger heating system can lead to your home being heated too quickly, constantly using energy, as well as inappropriate humidity levels in your home which can contribute to your home feeling dry during the winter months. All of this will lead to discomfort, higher energy bills, and more repairs and fast replacement down the line.

The right sized heating system for your home will heat it at a steady rate, keeping your home comfortable without costing you a fortune in energy bills. It will adequately account for the size of your home and your lifestyle.

When choosing a system that is right for your home, it’s important to consider your home’s heating and cooling “load.” There are many things that factor into your load, including square footage of your home, construction, orientation towards the sun, number, size, and placement of doors and windows. With these calculations in mind, you still need to consider your family’s personal heating and cooling needs. For example, are occupants home throughout the day or primarily in the mornings and evenings? Are there pets that will require the home to remain at a fairly moderate temperature?

Needless to say, figuring out the right size unit for your home can be a complicated process. That is why if you’re purchasing a new system or replacing an existing one it is important to consult a professional to determine the best system for you and your home.

If you are in need a new heating system or have questions on choosing the right system for your home, please visit our website.

Why Go Tankless?

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Hot water is an essential component of comfortable living in your home, especially during the cold winter months. This is why it is so important to have a reliable and effective hot water heater at your disposal. You know you have a hot water heater in your home, but unless you’ve run into issues it’s unlikely you’ve put much thought into replacing it. Replacing your hot water heater is inevitable, however, and when the time comes it’s a good idea to consider a tankless water heater. Here are just a few of the benefits of going tankless.

 

  • Energy efficient: Tankless water heaters work by heating water on an as needed basis, which means that it isn’t constantly working to keep sitting water warm. As a result of this, tankless heaters use 30 to 50% less energy than units with tanks. These kinds of energy savings ensure that you’ll see roughly $100 off your water bill each year.

 

  • Space saving: Unlike a traditional bulky water heater that takes up space in a closet or basement, a tankless heater is compact and is usually mounted on a wall. This is key for those living in a smaller space, looking to maximize their square footage. A mounted heater frees up floor space for additional storage.

 

  • Cleaner water: Because water isn’t sitting in a tank waiting to be used, the warm water used in your home is actually cleaner and safer. With a tankless water heater, you avoid using water that has had the opportunity to accumulate rust and scale.

 

  • Longer life expectancy: Tankless water heaters, when properly maintained, can easily last up to 20 years. This is 5 to 10 years longer than you can expect to have a more traditional water heater. While it may be more expensive to install a tankless heater initially, you will see your return on investment over time.

 

  • Never run out of hot water: Nothing is worse than getting into a shower to find the water running cold within a few seconds. With a tankless water heater, you’ll never have to worry about running out of hot water. This is ideal for families with multiple bathrooms, those with hot tubs or whirlpools, and is truly one of the biggest benefits of having a tankless water heater.

 

For more information on tankless hot water heaters or to schedule your water heater replacement, please give us a call at Clay’s Climate Control. Feel free to click here to visit our website.

HVAC Prep List for Cold Weather

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Winter is quickly approaching, and while we’ve been fortunate to receive some fairly mild fall weather so far, we can expect to see temperatures in Northfield NJ, and along the shore drop soon. Before the cold weather hits, there are many important things to take care of around your home, especially as they pertain to your HVAC system and keeping your home comfortable and warm this winter season. Here is our prep list to ensure that you’ll be ready for the heating season this winter.

  1. Check weatherstripping: In an effort to keep the warm air inside your home and the cold air out, make sure that any weatherstripping around your doors is in good shape. If you notice a draft through the door or chill around the edge, it may be time to invest in new weatherstripping. Weatherstripping can go a long way to helping your system work efficiently and effectively throughout the winter.
  1. Replace air filters: Air filters should be cleaned or replaced during each new season. A new air filter ensures proper air flow throughout your home, which will help your system to pump warm air without too much effort, which can in turn result in energy savings.
  1. Upgrade your thermostat: If you don’t already have a programmable thermostat, it is a great option to consider as we move into winter. A programmable thermostat allows you to control the temperature of your home from anywhere, and can also determine your lifestyle and heating needs once you begin to set it, reducing heating costs while keeping your home at the right temperature for when you’re home, at work, or asleep. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, make sure that you are setting it appropriately when you leave your home or go to bed.
  1. Switch your fans: Fans work well to cool down your home during the spring and summer months, but they can also help to move hot air into the living spaces of your home when their direction is reversed. Since heat rises, reversing the direction of your ceiling fans will help to push the warm air coming from your vents in your direction.
  1. Schedule maintenance and repairs: If you haven’t scheduled annual maintenance for your HVAC system or if you have repairs that need to be made, do not wait until the height of the winter season to call for help. Schedule maintenance with an HVAC professional sooner rather than later to ensure fast service and flexible scheduling.

For more tips on prepping your HVAC system for the winter season, contact Clay’s Climate Control today!

How to Best Maintain Your Heating System

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It’s officially fall! While it’s hard to believe that summer has come and gone, we are moving into the fall season and it is more important than ever to ensure that your heating system is working efficiently and will be able to carry you through the chilly autumn and winter months.

We have been lucky to have some pretty mild weather so far this month, when we’d often already been seeing strong gusts and chilly mornings and evenings, but heating season is right around the corner and we want to make sure that all of our clients will be comfortable over the next several months in their home. Here are a few of our top tips for maintaining your heating system.

Schedule maintenance: It’s important to have your system maintained at least once a year. While summer and winter tend to be our busiest seasons now is the time to schedule maintenance for your heating system.

Make necessary repairs: Following regular maintenance, there may be repairs to your system that need to be made in order to keep your system running in tiptop shape. While repairs can be a financial investment, it is far less costly to take care of small repairs than dealing with problems once they become catastrophic.

Change air filters: Air filters should be cleaned or replaced between each season, and doing so can help to keep your system running efficiently. If you have not already done so for the fall season, go ahead and change your air filter to ensure that warm air can easily flow throughout your home and to improve the indoor air quality of your house.

Replace faulty systems: When properly maintained, your heating system should last for years, but eventually it will need to be replaced. If your home still has its original heating system, or if you have noticed efficiency slowly decreasing over the past few winter seasons, it is likely time to invest in a replacement. Our team of HVAC professionals can help you to decide on a unit that is perfect for your home and lifestyle and work to have it installed before the start of the winter season.

For more information on maintaining your heating system, click here to visit our website.

How to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

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The upcoming fall weather will be a welcome change from the hot summer days we’ve been experiencing, but even though we’ll finally be turning off our air conditioning systems, we still want to ensure that everyone in our community will be comfortable and healthy in their home.

One of the biggest contributing factors towards comfort and health inside of your home is indoor air quality. Though we like to consider our homes to be a safe place for ourselves, our family members, and our pets, the fact remains that the air in the inside of our homes is often more polluted than the air outside of it! With this in mind, it’s important to take the time to evaluate the indoor air quality of your home and make the necessary changes to improve it. Here are a few of our top tips for improving the indoor air quality of your home.

 

  • Keep your home clean: One of the most important steps you can take towards improving the indoor air quality of your home is by keeping it clean. Proactively removing any dirt, dust, and debris in your home will help to prevent it from being picked up off of the floor or furniture and being transferred throughout the air. Additionally, keeping your vents and ducts clean within your HVAC system can also go a long way towards improving your indoor air quality.
  • Control humidity: Ideally, your home’s humidity should be somewhere between 30-50%. This can often be achieved with very little effort, but depending on the set up of your home may require some assistance from a humidifier or dehumidifier (or both in some cases!). There are many products on the market that can help you to achieve optimal humidity in your home, and in turn greater indoor air quality. If you have any specific questions on humidifiers and dehumidifiers, let us know!
  • Add a houseplant: A houseplant can add life to your home AND improve its air quality! There are several varieties of common houseplants that have detoxifying properties: english ivy, peace lilies, and chrysanthemums are just a few examples. Do a little research and head to your local hardware store or flower shop to pick up a plant that will both beautify and purify your home!
  • Use less chemicals: Many cleaning and paint projects, specifically those meant to be “fragrant” release toxic chemicals into your home, polluting the air and degrading indoor air quality. Instead of using these kinds of products, opt for products that are either non-scented or use only natural ingredients. When selecting paint products for the interior of your home, select an option that is either low or zero VOC (volatile organic compound).

 

For more information on how to improve your indoor air quality, click here to visit our website!

 

 

Warning Signs You Need a New HVAC Unit

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A properly maintained heating and air conditioning system will keep your home comfortable for years, but it is inevitable that even with the best care and maintenance eventually, your HVAC unit will need to be replaced. This is especially true for homes in beach towns such as Somers Point, Northfield NJ, and along the Jersey Shore. It can be tough to tell when you are in need of repair work or a brand new system. When in doubt, ask the professionals! We can determine the best next steps for you and, if need be, provide heating & air conditioning installation service.

Here are a few of the warning signs you need a new HVAC system:

Old system: Most homeowners choose to replace their HVAC unit after about 10 to 15 years for a newer, more efficient model. Even if your HVAC unit has been well taken care of during its lifespan, it’s considered good practice and safety to replace your unit every 15-20 years at the most. If your current unit has been running for over 20 years, it is definitely time to replace it.

Difficulty controlling temperature: If you’re finding that it’s harder than ever to keep your home cool this summer, it could mean that your system is in need of repairs, but it could also mean its time to replace your unit if its getting older. One of the first signs of a wearing unit is its inability to run efficiently and effectively keep your home at a comfortable temperature.

Rising energy costs: With efficiency in mind, if you’re finding that your energy costs are ever-rising with each passing month, it’s possible it’s due to an inefficient HVAC unit. Cooling costs increase when your system is forced to work harder, but if your system is running at capacity and still not keeping your home cool, it’s likely time to replace your HVAC unit.

Loud noises: Any loud clunking noises are a major indicator that your HVAC unit is on the fritz. Your unit contains many moving parts, so loud noises can mean that these parts aren’t working together properly or are even grinding against each other. This may warrant new parts, but it’s probable the same thing will continue to happen over time if your unit is not replaced.

Safety concerns: Aside from keeping your home comfortable, the most important responsibility of your HVAC unit is to keep you and your family safe in your home. If you have any safety concerns in regards to your HVAC unit, do not hesitate to call a professional to assess for a new unit to be installed. It’s not worth risking your health and well-being by putting a replacement off.

If you believe it’s time to replace your HVAC unit or have questions about HVAC installation, give us a call at (609) 653-2295 or click here to visit our website. We’re here to help!

The Importance of HVAC Maintenance

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It’s officially summer, which means that the majority of homes in our area will be using their air conditioning on full blast for the next few months ahead. In a hot and humid climate like ours, not to mention beaches filled with vacation homes and rental properties, it is more important than ever to ensure that your air conditioning system will be able to carry you through the hottest months of the year.

One of the best ways you can make sure that your AC is prepared is through annual HVAC maintenance. If you haven’t had your system cleaned, inspected, and had necessary repairs made this year, now is the time! Here are just a few of the reasons why HVAC maintenance is so important.

System Efficacy and efficiency: One of the most important reasons to have your HVAC system properly maintained is to ensure that your air conditioning will run at maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Simple things like cleaning or changing air filters, cleaning air ducts, and performing basic repairs can go a long way to keep your system running at peak performance and increase its lifespan.

Save Money: By keeping your system running at maximum efficiency, you’ll be saving a lot of money in the long run. Not only is an efficient system able to keep your home cool using less power and strength, lowering energy bills, but performing annual maintenance will also help to ensure that you won’t need to replace your HVAC system as quickly, and you’ll save money in major repairs over time by catching small issues as they arise and addressing them accordingly.

Avoid Emergencies: No one wants to deal with their air conditioning suddenly giving out on one of the hottest days of summer! It may seem unlikely, but we see it all of the time, and with summer being one of our busiest seasons of the year, it can be tough to deal with these kinds of emergencies immediately, which means that you and your family may be left to sweat it out for hours. The best way to avoid this type of debacle is through regular maintenance of your air conditioning system, where a professional can ensure that your system will be able to make it through the summer.

Happy Vacationers: If you do rent your property out during the summer, it’s vitally important that your vacationers have a pleasant experience in your home to ensure they return summer after summer. A huge component of their stay will be their comfort in your house, which means that keeping your air conditioning in good working order is key. Even if it will just be you and your family during the summer months in your home, there’s no excuse to be uncomfortable as the temperatures continue to rise!

Warranty: If you have a new HVAC system, it’s important to be aware of the system’s warranty. HVAC manufacturers’ require annual maintenance by a licensed professional to keep the warranty of the system valid. If you miss an annual check-up for your system and it breaks, there’s a chance it will no longer be covered under warranty, so be sure to keep up to date on your HVAC check-ups!

Regular HVAC maintenance is an important part of caring for your air conditioning system and keeping it in tiptop shape. If you have any concerns about your air conditioning or have yet to schedule your system’s annual maintenance, give us a call at (609) 653-2295 or click here to visit our website. We look forward to hearing from you!

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