Boehmer Heating & Cooling Blog : Archive for August, 2013

Would I Benefit from a Humidifier in Pittsburgh?

Thursday, August 29th, 2013

Humidifiers can augment and enhance your air conditioning unit by maintaining comfortable levels of moisture in the air. Most people are comfortable with humidity levels between 30% and 65%. In towns like Pittsburgh, that’s not usually a problem in the summertime when humidity levels are high. In the winter, however, humidity levels can drop severely as heating systems and furnaces dry out the air inside your house. In those situations, would you benefit from the addition of a humidifier in your house? Chances are, you will.

First and most importantly, a humidifier will help you maintain your personal health and comfort levels. Dry air can irritate the mucus membranes in your nose and throat, making you more vulnerable to colds and infections. Nosebleeds are not uncommon with low humidity, and people with asthma or allergies may notice their symptoms becoming worse. Low humidity can also damage furniture, wallpaper and other home furnishings: wood can contract when it becomes dry, leading to cracks in hardwood floors and wooden furniture.

A humidifier counters that by introducing water vapor into the air, mitigating the dryness brought about by your furnace or heater. In addition, it helps your body feel warmer and more comfortable, aiding the heater with its job and helping your system function more efficiently. Humidifiers list their capacity in gallons; a home between 1000 and 2000 square feet, for example, should use a humidifier with 8 to 9 gallon capacity.  A trained professional can find the right size humidifier for you, as well as explaining options such as hydrometers, which measure the moisture in the air.

If you’ve decided that you need a humidifier, call the experts at Boehmer Heating & Cooling to talk about installation options. We have served the greater Pittsburgh area since 1933, and we have considerable experience in installing humidifiers into people’s homes. We can size your home for the right humidifier to meet your needs, then discuss your options for brands and models. We pride ourselves on efficiency and professionalism, and won’t rest until you are completely satisfied with our installation. Call us today to set up a consultation.

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Will a Heat Pump in Pittsburgh Work Year ‘Round?

Wednesday, August 21st, 2013

Heat pumps are designed to both heat and cool your home. They essentially pull the heat from the air and transfer it to another location, moving heat out of your home when you need it to be cool, and absorbing it from the outside when you need it to be warm. That makes it a good fit in cities like Pittsburgh, which have warm, humid summers and cold winters. Will a heat pump work year ‘round in a city like that? Generally speaking, heat pumps work best in milder climates, when the temperatures rarely drop below 40 degrees. A geothermal heat pump, hybrid system or a cold-weather system could be more beneficial than a typical air source heat pump.

Most heat pumps have two different sections, an outdoor section and an indoor section. The first one contains a compressor that places pressure on refrigerant gas, and a coil that cools the pressurized gas into a liquid state, releasing heat into the outside air. The liquid refrigerant then moves into the indoor unit, which contains a coil of its own. The liquid expands in that coil, which pulls heat from the nearby air. A fan then blows the cool air into your home.

That process takes place in the summer, and isn’t dissimilar to the process used by a tradition air conditioning system. In the winter, however, the process is reversed. The indoor coil condenses the gas into a liquid, releasing heat into your home. The liquid is then sent to the outdoor unit, where it evaporates and absorbs heat from the outside air. That allows the heat pump to act as both a heater and an air conditioner in one single unit. However, it only works efficiently if the outside temperature is over 40 degrees. When it gets colder, you’ll need a supplementary heating system in place. Geothermal heat pumps, however, use the temperature of the earth which stays constant all year round, so they are able to heat your home throughout the winter.

If you want to install a heat pump in your home, or you already own one and need a maintenance or repair call, then contact Boehmer Heating & Cooling. We’ll discuss your options with you and then work hard to implement the correct solution.

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Try Something New with Your Air Conditioning Replacement in Pittsburgh

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

As much as the AC experts here at Boehmer Heating & Cooling would like to tell you that you will never have to worry about problems with your air conditioner, it simply is not true. All air conditioners will need to be replaced at some point. Mechanical systems just cannot run forever. When you decide to invest in a replacement air conditioning system, give us a call. We have a great selection of home cooling systems for you to choose from, and we’ll make sure that you find the right one for your home and personal cooling preferences. Here are a few to consider.

While split central air conditioners are the most common air conditioning systems, many homeowners find that the energy efficiency problems they have with their ductwork, or the indoor air quality issues that may arise with such systems, leave them wanting something new and different. If you are interested in eliminating the use of ductwork in your home altogether, contact us today. With a ductless mini split system, individual blowers are connected to an outdoor unit via a simple conduit. No ductwork is used, and there is no way for energy to go to waste or for pollutants to make their way into that ductwork.

You may find that your air conditioning costs are too high. For a truly efficient air conditioning system, consider the installation of a heat pump in your home, which can provide both heating and cooling. These systems do no rely on the consumption of fuel in order to heat your home. Instead, they utilize the heat transfer process in order to move heat from one area to another. Only a small amount of electricity is required to do so. This allows you to heat and cool your home more affordably and in a very environmentally friendly manner.

There is no reason that you have to stick with what you know when scheduling your air conditioning replacement in Pittsburgh. Let us help you get the most from your AC. When you work with the professional air conditioning technicians at Boehmer Heating & Cooling, you can be confident in the quality of the services you’ll receive.

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A Guide to Your Pittsburgh, PA Air Conditioning Installation Options

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

Choosing the right air conditioning system for installation in your home can be a more challenging endeavor than you may suspect. Many homeowners in the market for a new AC are taken aback at just how many options are available to them. It can be tough to sort through them all with confidence. When you schedule your air conditioning installation in Pittsburgh, PA with a qualified professional at Boehmer Heating & Cooling, you can be sure that you’ll get all the information you need in order to ensure that you are 100% satisfied with the decision you make. The same can be said regarding your satisfaction with the quality of the service you’ll receive.

Split central systems remain the standard for whole house cooling systems. Using an outdoor condenser unit along with a system of ductwork which distributes cooled air throughout your home, split central air conditioners have proven time and time again that they are an excellent home cooling option. Of course, not all homes can accommodate the bulky ductwork that they require, nor do all homeowners want to deal with the project of a ductwork installation.

For homes with too little space for ductwork installation, ductless mini splits are a great option. As you can probably guess by their name, ductwork is completed eliminated from the equation with a ductless mini split air conditioning system. Individual, wall mounted blowers are connected to an outdoor condenser unit by a simple conduit. Within this conduit are the refrigerant and power lines of the system, as well as drain lines where necessary. By distributing air directly, ductless mini splits are a great option for zone controlled cooling enthusiasts.

Heat pumps are another cooling system to consider. With a heat pump installation, you can keep your home comfortable throughout the year while using less energy than ever before. This is because heat pumps transfer ambient energy into or out of your home to keep it comfortable, rather than depending on the consumption of fuel for conditioning air. Only a small amount of electricity is used in the process. This makes for very efficient heating and cooling.

To learn more about the air conditioning installation options in Pittsburgh, PA, give Boehmer Heating & Cooling a call. We are happy to discuss all the different air conditioning systems we offer for installation in your home. Contact us today to schedule service.

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