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Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning - Furnace & HVAC Repair St. Louis

Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning - Furnace & HVAC Repair St. Louis

Air Quality

Should You Use a HEPA Air Filter in Your Home?

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There are many benefits to using a HEPA air filter. Here is what you should understand before purchasing an air purifier for your St. Louis home.

At some point in your life, you’ve probably considered purchasing an air purifier. Whether you’re a smoker, live near a busy street, or simply want to optimize your surroundings, buying one of these machines is likely a smart idea. Here are some of the benefits and essential information you should understand before purchasing an air purifier.

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The Benefits

The first thing you need to know before deciding is what the benefits of these filters are. The following are the three most important of them.

  • Healthy Lungs – At the top of the list is healthy lungs. The truth is that no matter where you live in St. Louis, you could be at risk of particulates and other constituents getting into your body. The result can be reduced function and a multitude of other complications that you’d never expect.
  • Reduced Allergies – People with allergies often have trouble around dust, pollen, and other irritants. If you are one of them, a filter can help you reduce your allergic episodes. This development can be crucial for those with significant issues. 
  • Healthy Skin – Lastly, filters can help clean your air of dust mites, which have been proven to irritate the skin.

One additional thing to note is that filters are especially useful for those who live with others that smoke, as these households have significantly more harmful particulates than a typical living space. 

Learn more: 4 HVAC Tips for Better Indoor Air Quality

What Does “HEPA” Mean?

“HEPA” stands for high-efficiency particulate air. What that means in practice is that these filters give your air a deeper clean than many others. This effect is crucial because many filters claim to clean your air but actually do very little for the quality of your surroundings. 

Your Two Options For Purification

The following two methods are your best options for purifying your home. 

  • Standalone – You can buy these devices at your local home improvement store or through an online retailer. What is nice about them is that they are relatively cheap, though you might have to invest in a few of them if you want full house coverage.
  • HVAC – Your second option is installing a HEPA filter into your existing HVAC system. While this option might be more expensive, it likely will lead to superior air quality in your home. If you choose to go with this option, you probably should not try to do it alone. Instead, call up a local specialist and ask for a consultation. 

Should you get a HEPA filter for your home?

The answer to this question comes down to the condition of your surroundings and your willingness to invest in the machinery. If the air in your space is clean and you’d rather not spend extra money on it, then you may decide to pass. On the other hand, those with suboptimal air quality should heavily consider making a change. No matter which way you go, you now have the information you need to make an informed decision.

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4 HVAC Tips for Better Indoor Air Quality

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Keep these tips in mind to greatly improve air quality in your St. Louis home.

Have you ever heard about “building syndrome?” It basically refers to the symptoms associated with poor indoor air quality in office buildings and is generally shown to be caused by faulty HVAC systems. An HVAC system can affect our health in numerous ways, but most of them appear when the unit is installed incorrectly or needs repairs.

If you have breathing problems that seem to coincide with the use of the air conditioning, or that start appearing when you get indoors, you might want to check the HVAC system. The most common symptoms are sneezing, coughing, stuffy nose, rashes, runny eyes, and joint pain. People with allergies, asthma or going through a cold or flu are the most affected by poor air quality.

So, what can you do to improve the quality of the indoor air and your health?

1. Replace the Air Filters Often

The manufacturer of the HVAC system will recommend a certain interval to change or clean the air filters. Never exceed that time. In fact, you may even decide to do it more often than recommended, especially if you have extra pollutants, like pets or a dusty environment. Neglecting the maintenance of the HVAC system is extremely dangerous for your health and everyone who needs to live and work in that air.

2. Maintain the Temperature at a Constant Level

Cooling the indoor air too much, compared to the air outside, or varying the temperature too much does not ensure a comfortable, healthy environment. A well-functioning HVAC system should keep a constant temperature and humidity in every room, and not force your body to constantly have to adapt to differences in temperature.

3.Control the Air Humidity

Sometimes, the symptoms you are having because of the indoor air are not caused by pollutants or temperature fluctuations, but by uncontrolled levels of air humidity. Air that is too dry will give you dry, itchy skin, and dry eyes. It will also worsen your cough or stuffy nose, give you allergy-like symptoms and affect your sleep and productivity. Mostly, the air gets too dry during the winter months, when heat is constantly being pumped into the building.

On the other hand, if the moisture levels are too high, you might get mold, which is very dangerous for your health and hard to get rid of.

Try to keep a constant level of air humidity, between 40% and 60%. Measure it at all times with a hygrometer to make sure you are keeping it within the desired parameters. Modern HVAC units can do that for you automatically, but you can also add auxiliary appliances to your HVAC system or get autonomous ones.

4. Purify the Air

All HVAC systems filter the air that gets sucked and goes through the system. However, the regular HVAC filters only keep big particles away, like some of the dust, hairs, etc. If you want to improve the air quality, you may consider getting an air purifier. It uses a HEPA filter that will stop small particles from circulating back in the indoor air. This way, you get rid of mites, viruses, micro-organisms, etc.

Keep these tips in mind to greatly improve air quality in your St. Louis home.

St. Louis Indoor Air Quality

At Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC we have over 30 years of experience in the HVAC industry. Thomas Hoffmann, formerly of Hoffmann Brothers, has 30+ years engineering St. Louis HVAC systems. This experience gives us an advantage over our competition.


Call us today at (314) 471-7625. We will help you improve the air quality in your home. We will give you options that best meet your needs and budget.

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5 Reasons to Switch to Energy Efficient HVAC Technology

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Save money and utilize a variety of other advantages by choosing energy efficient HVAC!

If you’re in need of a need HVAC system, you’ve probably considered going with a green option. The trade-off in doing so is that the upfront cost is a bit more expensive than conventional counterparts. However, you can actually save money with a green system and also utilize a variety of other advantages. Here’s how.

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Lower Bills

Perhaps the top benefit of switching is the fact that your energy bill will be lower. The reason is that green technology uses less electricity to do the same job as your old system. This increase in efficiency leads to you saving a bit of money.

Possible Tax Breaks

One thing the government does to subsidize green technology is offer tax breaks for its adoption. While it is not a guarantee, you might end up with a lower tax bill when choosing an environmentally friendly system.

Bans on Old Equipment

Unlike most of the other points on our list, this one might require you to make a change. The reason is that the government sometimes bans old equipment, the most common reason being the refrigerant that they use. If you have a system that is in danger of being made illegal, it is time to update.

Cleaner Air

Excess energy use might pollute your surroundings. You might think that your contribution is only a drop in the bucket, but so is everyone else’s. Rather than expecting someone else to keep your air pure, you can do your part with greener machinery.

Making the Switch is Not as Hard as You Think

What many do not realize is that going green often doesn’t take too much time, energy, or cost. Instead, there are a variety of green enhancements you can add to your existing system. The following are a few you can look into.

  • Smart Thermostat – This piece of machinery will let you adjust your thermostat from your smartphone. Having the ability to control it from anywhere and at any time allows you to avoid costly mistakes.
  • Zoned System – This type of system allows you to heat and cool specific areas, rather than the entire house at once. The result is you saving energy on a portion of your home that you aren’t occupying at that moment.
  • Economizer – Wouldn’t it be great if you could pull cold night air from outside and use it to cool your home? That is precisely what an economizer does for your home, and it helps your system expend less energy in the process.

As you can see, there are quite a few reasons why you might want to go green with your HVAC system. Even better, you can do so in a variety of ways. Not only are there low-cost enhancements you can add to your current system, but you can also explore larger switches like solar power, geothermal heat, ice-powered AC, and more. No matter what, the best way to go green is by talking to your local HVAC provider about what services they can carry out for you. Give Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning and Heating a call 24/7 at (314) 471-7625!

6 Low-Cost Ways to Increase Air Quality in Your Home

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Applying these six low-cost methods can increase the quality of your air.

Do you ever get the feeling that your air quality at home isn’t up to standard? While this suspicion is difficult to confirm, there is a good chance that you’re correct. The reason is that humans have an excellent sense of when conditions aren’t quite right. If you feel that way about your surroundings, then it may be time to make some changes that will benefit your air quality. We detail some of the best of them in the sections below.

st. louis woman cleaning her home

Keep it Clean

One of the primary pollutants that compromises in-home air quality is dust. As you might imagine, the best way to avoid it is by cleaning it up. You can do so by purchasing a vacuum with a HEPA filter for the floors, then using cleaning products for the rest of your surfaces. One thing to watch out for is that many of these products contain potentially harmful chemicals, so be careful with which ones you choose.

Control Humidity

The interesting thing about humidity is that is isn’t all bad or all good. Instead, having too much or too little of it are both bad for your air quality. The result is that your best bet is reaching a healthy equilibrium. Fortunately, humidifiers and dehumidifiers are both reliable products, so you can purchase the one that your home needs.

Don’t Smoke Inside

One of the worst things you can do for air quality in your home is smoke. Doing so adds particulates and many other harmful compounds into the air, and they will cause your health to suffer. If you or a guest in your home decide to smoke, your best bet is doing so outside.

Use an Exhaust Fan or Crack the Windows

Cooking is another everyday activity that decreases the quality of your air. The reason is that many stoves and ovens use burning gas to heat your food. The result of doing so can release harmful chemicals into your home. Using an exhaust fan or opening a nearby window decreasing your exposure significantly.

Clean Your HVAC Filter

As we mentioned above, dust is a crucial factor in your home’s air quality. While cleaning will do a lot to neutralize it, there are other sources of dust in your home. The most important of them is your HVAC filter, which can clog up quickly. You can protect yourself by cleaning it regularly.

Get More Plants

Not only are plants beautiful pieces of home decor, but they are also little air cleaning machines. The result is a house that looks better and protects your health.

Applying these six low-cost methods can increase the quality of your air. Unfortunately, there are sometimes other problems that require professional help, and they almost always come from your HVAC system. If you suspect this is the case in your home, give Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning and Heating a call at (314) 471-7625.

How to Identify & Eliminate Poor Air Quality in Your Home

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Air pollution might seem like a problem of big cities and outdoor spaces, but the reality is that it is something that every homeowner needs to be aware of.

st. louis woman sneezing from allergies

When people talk about pollution, it usually is discussed as a public health concern on a global scale. However, air pollution isn’t just about smog and greenhouse gases. Most residential homes have a considerable amount of air pollution that homeowners are completely unaware of.

The quality of the air in your home might not be something that you think about often, but it should be. Having good air quality is obviously important for your overall health and if you have someone in the house who has allergies, it is important to take the air quality inside your home seriously for their sake, too.

The problem with air pollution is that, in most cases, you can’t see or smell it. The good news is that you can still control it and take small and unobtrusive steps to improve the quality of air that you and your family breathe.

Types

The phrase “air pollution” describes the number of particles that are in the air that you breathe. In the air, there are small particles that can be toxic when inhaled. It is important that your air be free of as of many of these harmful particles as possible. The three main types are listed below.

Mold

Mold is typically something you think about resting on the surfaces of moist areas of your house. Mold spores are only harmful if they are ingested or inhaled. Often, homes can have mold problems without the owners even seeing it.

The true hazard of mold is that it can become airborne. If mold spores are spread to the air you breathe, then they can cause harm to your lungs and lead to some serious health issues. The best way to ensure that you don’t have mold in your home is to have your air ducts cleaned and to change your air filters frequently.

That way you can ensure that mold spores aren’t being trapped in your ductwork or recirculated throughout your home and harming the people who live there.

Pollen

Although not toxic, pollen can be extremely detrimental to someone who has sensitivities and can cause a severe allergic reaction. During the springtime when you can open up your windows and air things out, you are also inviting in things that will wreck havoc on seasonal allergy sufferers. To ensure that you aren’t inadvertently recirculating misery, make sure to keep your filters new, especially as the winter blues turn to summer sunshine.

Household Cleaners

When you clean your windows or use cleaners in your bathroom, you probably don’t give much thought to how all those chemicals get trapped in your HVAC system and continue to be kicked up when the furnace or air conditioner turns on.

Accumulation of all those things that keep your house clean can really end up becoming super toxic if left unchecked. If you want to limit your exposure, keep the windows ventilated and think about getting your ducts cleaned seasonally.

Air pollution might seem like a problem of big cities and outdoor spaces, but the reality is that it is something that every homeowner needs to be aware of. After all, pollution affects your air quality and your HVAC system. It’s always best to breathe clean air!

How to Reduce Allergens That Get Trapped in Your HVAC System

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Allergies can quickly turn a beautiful spring into a miserable time of year for many St. Louis residents. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 471-7625!

St. Louis man sneezing

With springtime on the way, all the allergens that have been stuck in your ductwork will be able to air out when you open up your windows. The problem is that although opening the windows clears out the old air, if you are prone to seasonal allergens in the springtime, then not only are you airing things out – but you are inviting in new allergens to get trapped and wreak havoc on your sinuses. Allergies can make sufferers miserable, so minimizing the potential that allergens can get trapped in your ductwork and recycled through your home is always a good idea.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, it is estimated that as many as one out of every four Americans (25% of US citizens) suffer from allergies ranging from mild to severe asthma, which can be highly dangerous and in some instances deadly. That is why keeping your HVAC system clear isn’t just a good idea for the winter, but also to prevent any potential problems that the spring can bring. These are some easy tips that could save you and your family a whole lot of misery and reduce your exposure to allergens in your HVAC system.

Identify What You Are Allergic To

Sometimes the hardest part of keeping your ductwork clean of those things that make you miserable is to identify what they are in the first place. Understanding what they are will help you to better target how to keep them at bay. The best place to start is to get an evaluation from a dermatologist (if you have skin conditions), an ophthalmologist (if you are experiencing eye irritation), or an otolaryngologist (if you have pervasive sinus issues).

Keep Things Closed Up

Although it may be tempting to air out your house from the long winter, timing is everything. If your allergens are ramped up at the beginning of the spring, wait for the pollen to clear before you air things out. It is a good idea to have your ductwork cleaned instead of opening up windows to air things out. You might be unwittingly letting in more harmful allergens than letting them out if you don’t time it right.

Control the Humidity in Your Home

If you are allergic to mold or mildew, then you will want to ensure that you plan ahead for humid conditions. Humidity allows mold and mildew to flourish, so keeping a constant temperature and low humidity can help prevent any growth. If you have houseplants, you might want to consider letting them grow outdoors instead of increasing the humidity inside your home.

Timing is everything when it comes to letting the winter air out of your home this spring. If you know what your allergen triggers are, then you can time things properly to get your ductwork cleaned out the right way – instead of just introducing more allergens to get trapped and make you or your family miserable.

Call Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC today to schedule spring HVAC maintenance. We’ll be happy to answer your questions or concerns about allergens in your home. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 471-7625!