The humidity level in your home is just as important as temperature when it comes to staying comfortable throughout the year. While we typically have abundant humidity in Birmingham, AL over the summer months, however, achieving ideal indoor humidity winter levels can be difficult for homeowners. Douglas Cooling & Heating shares how to tell if your air is too dry and explains the right indoor humidity levels for winter temperatures as well as how to achieve them.

Ideal Indoor Humidity Winter Levels

Keeping indoor relative humidity levels balanced between 30 to 50 percent is the usual recommendation for most of the year, but the winter months can require some adjustments. When outdoor temperatures are colder, maintaining 50 percent relative humidity inside your home could cause excess moisture which can lead to problems such as condensation on surfaces, like your windows and walls. This time of year, lower ideal indoor humidity winter levels are recommended to prevent damage and mold growth.

The American Society of Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) provides the ideal indoor humidity winter levels according to outdoor temperatures:

• When outdoor temperatures are at or below -10 degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal relative indoor humidity level is 20 percent.
• For outdoor temperatures around 0 degrees Fahrenheit, keep indoor relative humidity levels at 25 percent.
• At outdoor temperatures of 10 degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal indoor humidity winter level is 30 percent.
• If outdoor temperatures are at 20 degrees, maintain indoor relative humidity levels at 35 percent.
• When the outdoor temperature is 30 degrees or higher, the ideal indoor humidity winter level is 40 percent.

 Is Your Home Too Dry?

It’s normal in the winter months to experience dry indoor air more so than it is at other times of the year. Cold, dry air holds less moisture, which creates low humidity in your home. However, when the air contains too little moisture, this can lead to symptoms affecting you, your loved ones, and your home.

If you experience any of the following signs or symptoms, it’s a sign that you have dry air in your home and that your humidity levels need to be adjusted:

• Nosebleeds
• Dry skin
• Itchy skin
• Cracked lips
• Sore throat
• Respiratory and sinus problems
• Increased allergy or asthma symptoms
• Increased static electricity
• Creaky wood flooring
• Wood doors that are difficult to open and close
• Gaps between walls and the ceiling

How to Maintain Ideal Indoor Humidity Winter Levels

Your home may need some assistance maintaining ideal indoor humidity winter levels due to the cold air outside. Add moisture to your home’s air and keep relative humidity levels balanced this season using appropriate tools and tips.

One great way to provide the added moisture your indoor air needs is to utilize a whole-home humidifier. A whole-home humidifier is installed alongside your HVAC equipment and adds moisture to air circulating through the system. There are a few different types of whole-home humidifiers: bypass and fan-powered units move circulating air through a water panel to add moisture. Steam humidifiers boil water to generate steam which is added inside the home’s ductwork. Whole-home humidifiers provide much greater coverage than portable units and require little maintenance to use, helping you gain the moisture you need for ideal indoor humidity winter levels throughout the house!

Help your home retain airborne moisture by eliminating air leaks. Install weather-stripping for a tight barrier around windows and doors. Seal cracks and gaps in exterior walls, the crawlspace, and in other areas where warm, indoor air can be lost. 

Increase circulation to spread heat and humidity throughout the house. Keep doors open so air can circulate between rooms. Rearrange furniture so that items are not up against walls and air can circulate all around these pieces. Use fans to keep air moving throughout your living spaces.

Get Help with Winter Humidity Problems in Birmingham, AL

If you have trouble maintaining ideal indoor humidity winter levels inside your Birmingham, AL area home, Douglas Cooling & Heating can help. Contact us today to learn more about ways to increase moisture inside your house, such as installing a whole-home humidifier.

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Regular filter changes are an important component of maintenance for any forced air heating and cooling system, including furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioners. What happens if you don’t change your furnace air filter when you should? Douglas Cooling & Heating explains what will happen to your HVAC system if it is left to run with a dirty filter in place.

What Happens If Your HVAC System Runs with a Dirty Filter?

Did you know that furnace air filters need to be changed on a regular basis? Changing your air filter is a must. This should happen as frequently as every month to every 12 months or so, depending on the air filter model in use. What happens if you don’t change your furnace filter and your system keeps operating with a dirty, old filter in place?

The furnace air filter’s role is to trap airborne contaminants so that they don’t make their way into the inner chambers of your furnace or air handler unit. Many homeowners believe their purpose is to trap air pollutants for the benefit of better indoor air quality, but this is actually just a bonus perk filters provide in addition to keeping the insides of your equipment clean. When the filter is full, it can no longer trap new particles from the air circulating through it, and these contaminants will be free to cycle into the HVAC equipment.

Let’s take a look at what happens if you don’t change your dirty air filter for a new one:

1. Dirt & Dust Accumulate Inside the Unit

Dirt and dust settling inside your furnace or air handler are what happens if you don’t change your furnace filter. These deposits build up on components inside the unit, restricting their performance. If you have a clogged air filter, the unit will draw more energy to power through this restriction and do its job, raising your energy costs. Your HVAC unit operates less efficiently and these parts encounter added stress that leads to more wear and tear, and eventually breakdowns.

2. Airflow Is Restricted

What happens if you don’t change your furnace filter is that the dirty filter will become a barrier inside the HVAC system, restricting air movement through the equipment and your home. In order to force air through the system and circulate conditioned air to your living areas, the HVAC system will consume more energy to do its job. As a result, your energy costs will increase because the system isn’t operating as efficiently as it should. The system will also experience added stress which takes its toll in the form of wear and tear and future breakdowns.

3. Equipment Overheats

With good airflow blocked by the dirty filter, the interior of your heating equipment can increase in temperature. When the inside of the unit becomes too hot, the limit switch will shut down the heating cycle in an attempt to protect the components from damage. Once the equipment cools down, it will be able to run again – but this issue will continue to repeat. Overheating can damage furnace components and prevent your home from reaching comfortable temperatures due to shortened heating cycles.

4. System Short Cycles

When your dirty furnace filters cause your HVAC unit to overheat and shut down, and then restart again repeatedly, is called short cycling.  Short cycling occurs when the HVAC system doesn’t run for the correct cycle length and the cycle ends prematurely.  Short cycling causes increased energy consumption as your HVAC unit experiences more starts and stops than it should. More frequent starts and stops also stress the system, increasing wear and tear, causing breakdowns and component failures, and ultimately forcing the unit to experience a premature total failure. Constant overheating with each cycle also damages components, leading to more repairs.  Replacing your air filter with a new air filter can help prevent short cycling.

Keep Up with Filter Change Needs

Ultimately what happens if you don’t change your furnace filter is that the system will run less efficiently, costing you more on your energy bills. Components will experience more stress along with wear and tear, causing them to break and require repairs or replacement. Ongoing operation with a dirty filter causes short-cycling, which will end up causing your HVAC system to break down for good and require total system replacement.

Avoid what happens if you don’t change your furnace filter and make HVAC maintenance a priority in your Birmingham, AL area home. Douglas Cooling & Heating offers heating and cooling maintenance tune-ups to care for your HVAC equipment in addition to the filter changes you perform throughout the year. Contact us today to schedule service.

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Birmingham, AL homeowners have many options when it comes to heating systems for their residences. Furnaces and heat pumps are common choices that have been around for ages, but ductless heating is growing in popularity! Many don’t know about this type of heating system and ask what is ductless heating? Douglas Cooling & Heating explains ductless heating systems and why they should be considered for your Alabama home.

What Is Ductless Heating?

Ductless heating differs from the conventional heating system types most homeowners are familiar with. Most people know about furnaces and heat pumps that use a duct system to send warm air into living areas from the unit. As the name suggests, ductless heating is a type of heating system that does not use a duct distribution system to send heated air throughout the home.

Furnace systems operate using a single piece of indoor equipment, while heat pumps are a split system with an outdoor heat pump and indoor air handler. In both of these systems, the indoor unit is connected to ductwork which carries conditioned air to living areas. Ductless heating is much different in that a single outdoor heat pump connects directly to multiple individual air handler units, which are installed directly in the living spaces they are designated to heat.

The outdoor heat pump and indoor air handlers are connected via a line set, which is a small pipe that transports refrigerant between the units for heat exchange. Outdoors, the heat pump extracts heat from the air, just as a conventional heat pump does. Instead of transporting refrigerant back to a centralized air handler for heat exchange, refrigerant travels to the individual air handlers throughout the home. These air handlers transfer heat to the air as needed and send heated air directly into the room or area in which they are installed. 

Is Ductless Heating Good for Alabama Homes?

Now that we’ve answered what ductless heating is, let’s explore why Alabama homeowners may want to take advantage of this heating system technology.

• Ductless systems provide individualized, zoned heating for improved comfort and better energy efficiency. Each indoor air handler is controlled separately from the other connected units, allowing users to adjust heating needs in their space without impacting the heating in other areas. Heating is only used when needed in each area, which saves energy versus heating the entire home to the same specifications, regardless of individual comfort preferences.
• Ductless mini splits can be installed in a variety of applications, used as a whole home solution or a means to heat only one area. Add a ductless system to heat new areas of the home, such as a newly finished attic space or home addition. Install ductless heating in targeted areas for supplemental heat when your existing central furnace or heat pump just doesn’t meet the needs of these particular spaces. Expand a ductless mini split system to include multiple air handlers and provide heat across the entire home. The possibilities are abundant!
• Without the ductwork requirement, ductless heating can go places traditional furnaces and heat pumps can’t. They’re great for older homes that don’t have ducts or central heating, nor the space to install ducts without taking up significant space. If you have older ducts that need replacement, that expense while upgrading your heating system can be prohibitive – installing ductless heating is a more affordable solution in this situation. In any situation, the absence of ducts makes these systems 20 to 30 percent more energy efficient than ducted heating options, as most duct systems are riddled with hidden and unknown air leaks.
• While ductless heating equipment is installed directly in living areas versus out of the way in a utility closet, basement, or garage as most furnaces and central air handlers are, the indoor equipment isn’t large and intrusive. Plus, several options exist for wall or in-ceiling installation, so you can blend the HVAC equipment with your home décor.

Ductless Heating Systems in Birmingham, AL

Ductless heating is an excellent choice for warm comfort in Birmingham, AL area homes. If you have more questions about what ductless heating is or would like a quote for installation, please call Douglas Cooling & Heating today.

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Running the air conditioner in your Birmingham area home shouldn’t produce an odor. Every now and then, local homeowners turn on the cooling and are hit with a foul smell wafting from their vents – this is what we call dirty sock syndrome. What is dirty sock syndrome and what can be done to stop it? Douglas Cooling & Heating explains what you need to know about this bothersome cooling system symptom.

What Is Dirty Sock Syndrome?

In the HVAC world, dirty sock syndrome refers to the presence of an odor from the air conditioner that, well, smells much like dirty socks. No dirty socks are present, fortunately, but what is present and causing that odor is bacteria and mold.

Homeowners typically notice the dirty sock smell after turning on their air conditioners for the first time in the spring as this is usually when the syndrome strikes. As the HVAC equipment sits dormant in between heating and cooling season, the interior of the system can contain the right ingredients for bacteria and mold to grow and thrive.

Inside the air conditioning system and often within the location of the home where the unit is installed, conditions are cool, dark, and damp. In addition to these three elements, there’s typically plenty of food in the form of organic materials sitting around to help mold and bacteria growth, thanks to pollutant deposits inside the system. Mold and bacteria grow to excess along the system’s evaporator, producing that dirty sock odor that finally becomes noticeable once you start running the system again.

Fixing and Preventing Dirty Sock Syndrome

Let’s go over how to stop dirty sock syndrome and prevent it from recurring. You don’t want to let this problem persist. Not only is the odor bothersome, dirty sock syndrome poses real health risks and can drastically damage your HVAC equipment.

Step 1: Change the filter

First, you want to remove the old air filter and replace it with a brand-new one. A new filter will ensure your system is able to capture contaminants travelling through so they won’t settle in the unit and feed the mold or bacteria. Plus, air filters can easily become damp when in this environment, creating another location for this growth and a second source for unpleasant odors. It is often helpful to upgrade to a higher-efficiency filter for increased contaminant removal.

Step 2: Clean the drip pan

The drain pan is situated below the unit’s evaporator coils. With mold and bacteria growing and reproducing on the indoor evaporator coil, the drip pan is a likely location for its spread. Pull out the pan from the unit, dump any water inside it, and thoroughly clean it with a mild soap or bleach before reinstalling.

Step 3: Schedule duct cleaning

As air circulates, it picks up bacteria and mold from the evaporator coil, and these pollutants can easily spread into the home’s ducts. The duct environment is also ideal for their growth, and you may end up with a bigger contamination problem than before. Professional duct cleaning will remove existing growth and help prevent any future growth of mold and bacteria throughout the duct system.

Step 4: Schedule evaporator coil cleaning

Next up, it’s time to remove that colony of mold and bacteria growing on the air conditioner’s dirty evaporator coil. Schedule this service with your cooling company, and an HVAC technician will treat the coil to remove the pollutants while protecting the coil from damage that will impact your air conditioner’s function.

Step 5: Consider indoor air quality equipment installation

There are two types of indoor air quality solutions that are helpful in preventing dirty sock syndrome: dehumidifiers and UV lights. Both of these systems are installed with your cooling system, and they work together so air is treated while the HVAC unit circulates it through the home.

• Dehumidifiers reduce airborne moisture levels, preventing conditions in your air conditioner from becoming so moist they lead to dirty sock syndrome.
• UV lights are installed within the air conditioner and sometimes inside ducts to neutralize pathogens circulating in the air. Ultraviolet energy kills bacteria and mold as it passes the light so it is no longer able to spread nor cause symptoms.

Eliminate Dirty Sock Syndrome with Help from Douglas Cooling & Heating

Douglas Cooling & Heating is ready to help you implement solutions that stop you from experiencing the unpleasant odors associated with bacteria and mold growth in your air conditioner or heat pump. To learn more and discover solutions to protect your HVAC system and your health, give us a call today.

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