American Air & Plumbing maintains an HVAC resource library with literature and videos on topics ranging from the history of HVAC to smart HVAC interface.
UP to 30% of your HVAC system’s efficiency can be reduced by improper installation
PERFORM SEASONAL MAINTENANCE to help maximize the life-cycle of your HVAC system.
Up to 15% increase in your air conditioner’s energy consumption can be due to a clogged air filter.
87% of American homeowners are unaware that pollution may be worse inside their homes than outdoors.
Change your air filters regularly.
Don’t you wish you could control the hair raising humidity that often comes with the summer season? While Mother Nature is still in charge of the outdoors, home cooling technology and innovative products give us the power to control indoor humidity! And you know what that means… a few more good hair days!
Cool it with the Humidity!
Depending on where you live, your indoor spaces may be prone to high humidity levels. While your central air conditioner or heat pump cools the air to a set temperature, the cooling process may help to lower the indoor humidity level.¹ This is often the reason why your indoor air feels refreshing when your cooling system is running. But like some hair care products, your air conditioner or heat pump may not be capable of controlling a continuous humidity problem.
Here are a few common reasons why your air conditioner or heat pump may not reduce indoor humidity level.
Tons of Tonnage: A unit that is too large for your home may cool your indoor space quickly, but cycle off before providing incidental dehumidification. These shorter blasts of cool air may lead to roller coaster levels of home comfort – cold, warm, cold, warm, and so on…
Short Run Time: The longer a central air conditioner or heat pump runs, the more time it has to reduce humidity levels. A single-stage air conditioner or heat pump runs at 100% capacity until it reaches your preset indoor temperature, and then turns off. However, a two-stage or variable speed system runs longer at a lower speed which can allow more moisture to be removed from the interior air.
When it’s time for a new AC system, consider investing in the upgraded technology of a two-stage or variable speed system. With these type systems, you may also notice lower energy bills compared to a single-stage system.
Open Ventilation: You wouldn’t want to open all your windows on a hot and humid day. You also don’t want to be in an airtight room. When your home’s ventilation system is not de-signed or installed properly, it may dramatically degrade the quality of the air in your home.
Over-ventilated homes may pull muggy air into your home, while airtight homes may trap humidity in your living spaces. If you are experiencing excessive humidity in your home, be sure to have a licensed, professional HVAC dealer inspect your home’s ventilation system.
Thermostat Fan Setting: Fans may make you feel cooler because moving air wicks away some moisture from your skin. Unfortunately, fans do not offer the same dehumidification properties associated with the refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner or heat pump.
This Old HVAC System: Even with proper maintenance and the dedicated efforts of a highly-skilled HVAC contractor, an aging air conditioner or heat pump may not be running as efficiently as it did the day it was installed, years ago.
Most people appreciate when the temperature, especially the indoor temperature, is “just right.” Humidity control of your home’s indoor air is essential to help ensure that the temperature you set on the thermostat or control system is ‘just right’ for you and your family. And… this will go a long way in keeping frizzy hair in check before you walk out your door!
1 American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Top Ten Things About Air Conditioning. n.d. www.ashrae.org/resources–publications/free-resources/top-ten-things-about-air-conditioning#10. 4 May 2017.
1. When it gets too hot to handle, 3/4s of U.S. homeowners cool their home with air conditioning. Nearly 6% of all the electricity produced in the United States is used just to keep us cool during these hot, humid months.¹ This is one more reason to consider the benefits of an energy efficient cooling system.
2. The phrase, “The Dog Days of Summer,” traditionally refers to the 40 days of summer (typically starting in July) when the “dog star” named Sirius rises in the mornings. Sirius is one of the brightest stars in the constellation Canis Major, meaning “Greater Dog”. Who would have guessed that the phrase has nothing to do with a hot, panting dog on a sweltering day!
3. Hungry? Watermelon is one of summer’s most popular foods — and it’s actually a vegetable! It belongs to the cucumber family of vegetables. According to Guinness World’s Records, the heaviest watermelon to date was grown in Sevierville, TN and weighed in at a whopping 350.5 lbs.² Now that’s a lot of vegetable servings!
4. Even though watermelon is one of the most popular summer foods, July is considered both National Blueberry Month and National Ice Cream Month! Both are cool reasons to celebrate summer!
5. If you are outside at dusk or dawn this summer, you may notice a pesky summer visitor. Mosquitos may be one of the biggest downsides of the summer season! But the good news is that only a couple of hundred out of the 3,500 species of mosquitoes like to feast on you!³ Being inside a cool, comfortable home makes it more difficult for those select mosquitos to find you.
6. Have you ever wondered why air conditioners or heat pumps are measured in tons? The “tonnage” assigned to these units has nothing to do with its weight, but the fact that people used to cool indoor spaces with blocks of ice. Imagine needing 4 tons of ice to cool your indoor space? That’s a lot of ice! Thanks to our modern marvels, today’s licensed professional HVAC dealers use specific calculations to determine the correct “tonnage” required to cool homes efficiently. Thank goodness!
7. Summer temperatures may get hot, but thank goodness you don’t live in Death Valley, California. The area known as Furnace Creek Ranch holds the all-time record high of 134°F on July 10, 1913. Whew…someone turn on the AC!
8. Hitting the pool for a swim? Don’t be shy – even elephants do it! In fact, elephants are extremely buoyant and have been recorded to swim as long as six continuous hours!
9. Summer is a magical time to view butterflies. But did you know that since butterflies are “cold-blooded,” they rely on heat absorbed from the sun to fly.
10. Bring on the sunshine! August is ‘Admit You’re Happy Month.’ Need a simple way to boost your happiness? Escape the outdoor heat and enjoy the cool indoor comfort provided by your air conditioner or heat pump. That will certainly make you smile!
1 Air Conditioning. n.d. www.energy.gov/energysaver/air-conditioning.
2 Stephenson, Kristen. Guinness World Records. 03 August 2017. www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2017/8/national-watermelon-day-five-records-to-celebrate-the-juicy-fruit-484686. 06 November 2017.
3 Zielinski, Sarah. Smithsonian Magazine. 27 July 2011. www.smithsonianmag.com/sciencenature/14-not-so-fun-facts-about-mosquitoes-36242998/. 8 November 2017.
Hear straight from our customers on why they only trust American Air & Plumbing for all their AC repair, maintenance, and installation needs.
Tammy Weeks2023-08-22Our emergency service call was handled immediately. Our service rep, Anthony was very professional, polite & very knowledgeable. Great experience!
Deborah Shipton2023-08-22Responds quickly to your issues which is wonderful considering our recent heat
William Jacobson2023-08-17Given tips to check a/c during call. Technician arrived on time, very professional and thorough
Damon Pullias2023-08-16Bill diagnosed the problem and had my a/c back up and running in no time. First class experience all the way!
jack Fitzgerald2023-08-16Professional, explain in detail on what my options are. On time and would recommend the work they do.
Lawrence Shneyder2023-08-15Peter came out and fixed our problem, and got us cooling before the heat set in!
Judie Dagostino2023-08-15Bill was courteous and professional
Mike Richards2023-08-15We had our AC go out over night. Called American Air and Plumbing first thing in the morning. They were able to get us in that very day. So very grateful for them doing this. Ryan came out and was able to fix the issue within an hour. Very nice young man, professional and responsive to our needs. This is a company that I will be giving my business to again. Thank you.
