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August 30th, 2017 Comments Off

How to Remove Excess Humidity from Your Home

Too much humidity can ruin your day. Especially since you can’t always leave it outdoors. That’s right: excess humidity can be like that guest you were planning on having over for a weekend but ends up staying 6 months or longer.

There are lots of ways humidity can build up inside your home, and just as many ways to get rid of excess amounts. First, let’s examine some self-help steps that other home owners have found to be more than a little useful:

Take cooler showers since hotter water generates more humidity.
Properly vent your bathroom during and after a bath or shower either via opening doors or a window, an effective exhaust fan, or some combination thereof. Also, vacuum your exhaust fan occasionally to remove dust and dirt that prevent full ventilation.
Do you have a non-venting range hood? If so, you’re not accomplishing anything by running the exhaust fan while cooking. If your hood can be vented, it should be.
Keep your air conditioning drain lines and drip pans clean and unobstructed.
Be on the lookout for hidden water leaks. Telltale signs include black mold build-up on walls or ceilings, puddled water behind your refrigerator, and damp spots on the carpet over your slab basement. Not only do water leaks raise humidity levels, they also create an ideal environment for mold and mildew build-up.
If possible, store your fire wood outside or in your garage. Freshly cut wood contains large amounts of water that evaporates when brought indoors.
Keep downspouts and gutters clean. Adjust downspouts so they carry water away from the house so water can’t seep into your garage or basement.

If you have a newer central AC system, chances are you minimal if any indoor humidity issues. But as your system ages, it gradually loses its ability to de-humidify your house. That leaves you with two basic options, both of which McKinzie Heating & Air can assist you with:

Replace your AC system with a new and more dependable unit
Or, add a whole-house dehumidifier to your home

The latter is the more economical choice, and one that allow you to adjust indoor relative humidity levels at will so you can feel just as comfortable as you like, all cooling season long. Contact us today for more information or a free in-home estimate so you can compare for yourself: new AC system or whole-house dehumidifier.

August 11th, 2017 Comments Off

Air Conditioning (AC) Self-Help Tips

Here in the Twin Cities area, we ask a lot of our air conditioning systems. Long hours. No sleep. No pay.

So, the least we can do is give them every chance in the world to succeed. Hence, we present the following self-help tips designed to help you derive maximum comfort and minimal problems from your central AC system:

If your indoor temperature suddenly shoots skyward, don’t just assume there’s a problem. First, check your thermostat setting. Another family could have changed it, including a young child just having a little fun.
If you suddenly feel a complete lack of cool air and you can’t hear the indoor or outdoor AC fan running, once again, don’t immediately assume your system has failed. It could be a thermostat problem or a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. It’s worth a quick look before scheduling a service call you might not need.
Clean (or replace) your filter about every two weeks. Once this becomes a habit, you’ll know exactly how often you should check your filter by the amount of dust and other debris you see attached to it.
While you’re in your attic (where most filters are located inside the air handler), also check for any signs of water leakage around the unit or condensation on the unit. That could be a sign of a frozen coil or refrigerant leak – either way, that’s worth a call to McKinzie Heating & Air.
Keep weeds and shrubs away from your outside condensing unit.
During the day, keep sun-facing window treatments closed to lessen the demand on your AC system.
Consider installing a whole-house attic fan to use at night instead of your AC system. They become effective when the outdoor temperature is at or below the current indoor temperature. And, even though attic fans use electricity, they use far less than your AC system.
Speaking of fans, you’ll also do well to install one or more two-way ceiling fans. During the warm weather months, your fan will lift the cool air up that has naturally dropped to help you feel cooler at higher-than-normal temperature settings.

At the same time, never think for an instant that you’re in this alone. Not with McKinzie Heating & Air (formerly the AC Store) to assist with all your home heating and cooling needs. Take, for example, our AC system cleaning and inspection service. It’s your ultimate assurance of improved system performance, fewer repairs, lower repair costs, added safety, and a longer system lifespan. Has it been a year or longer since service was last performed? If so, contact McKinze Heating & Air today.