Red Rock Mechanical, LLC Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

How UV Germicidal Lights Can Help Your IAQ

Monday, May 8th, 2023

If you’ve ever been concerned about indoor air quality at home, a UV germicidal light can help put your mind at ease. If you’ve never considered what the indoor air quality of your home is like, it’s time to think about it now. Indoor air can have up to five times more pollution than the outdoor air we breathe. 

This is because germs and allergens get trapped inside and recirculate again and again. Plus, we continue to bring in new particles every time we return home.

If you want to install a UV germicidal light in Burlington, VT, our team is here to help. You can keep reading to learn more about the benefits of this type of air purifier for your home’s indoor air quality, and then give us a call for your in-home assessment. 

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Do I Need an Air Purifier or an Air Filter?

Monday, August 1st, 2022

pleated-air-filterDepending on your home, you may need both. Air purifiers and air filters aren’t mutually exclusive: you don’t have to choose one and stick with it. Many homes can manage with just a set of the right type of air filters, while others will need to have an air purifier in Williston, VT provide help to their air filters to remove some of the more elusive and difficult-to-trap pollutants. 

If you’re wondering if you need either, the answer is probably yes. Air quality in many homes today is often shockingly poor because there’s not enough fresh air circulation. With more people concerned about the transmission of diseases than ever before, indoor air quality is something all homeowners should look into attempting to improve. Air filters and air purifiers are some of the best ways to get started, as well as among the most effective and affordable.

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Dry Air in a Home Is Trouble in Winter

Monday, November 12th, 2018

cute-dog-under-warm-blanketThe cold is the biggest obstacle for comfort during winter—that’s why you have a powerful central heating system in your home. (If you don’t, call us right away and we’ll arrange to have one installed before the winter weather arrives.) But homeowners often ignore, or aren’t aware of, another winter comfort obstacle: dry conditions. Relative humidity during the winter often plunges below 30% because of all the moisture frozen from the air. When the air is this dry, it makes it harder to stay warm, even with a great heating system at work. And this isn’t the only problem dry air can inflict on you and your household during winter.

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Is Duct Cleaning Worth the Cost?

Monday, July 9th, 2018

duct-cleaning-before-afterYou may have heard about duct cleaning services and wondered if this is something you should invest in. If you’re hesitant, it may be because you’ve heard stories about air duct cleaning scams that don’t offer a service that’s worthwhile. Unfortunately, it’s true there are many disreputable companies who claim to provide duct cleaning services at cut-rate prices—and then deliver a “cleaning” that’s hardly better than nothing at all. Cut-rate indeed! These unreliable companies make money by scheduling numerous appointments in a day and only pretend to do any cleaning. It’s how they can charge those low rates.

However, ­real­ air duct cleaning from a reputable HVAC contractor is definitely a worthwhile investment. You don’t need to have this service done every year, but if it’s been a few years since you last had duct cleaning—or you’ve never had it done—we recommend calling us for duct cleaning in Burlington, VT. We have more than two decades of history of quality service and customer satisfaction.

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Stuffy Household Air? An Energy Recovery Ventilator Can Help!

Monday, February 19th, 2018

sun-and-snowflake-badgeAre you getting tired of the winter weather, and even looking at the calendar to see how many days until spring puts you in a deep funk? We understand. Cabin fever can be a serious problem during our cold winters.

But there’s no reason your home shouldn’t feel comfortably cozy with its heater running. If you find that your house is stuffy when the heat is on, and you long for some fresh air, what can you do about it? Opening up the windows doesn’t sound like a good solution—it will let ice-cold air gust in. This places extra strain on the heating system trying to fight back. Of course you could turn the heater off … but you don’t want to do that with the house open to the outside.

But we have a way for you to enjoy fresher air in your house without causing chills and running up your heating bill: an energy recovery ventilator.

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Duct Sealing May Be the Answer to Your Heating Problems

Monday, November 13th, 2017

ductwork-in-atticHeating systems put in a lot of work here through the winters, and we’re about to get into the most intense period of using our heating systems to make it through the winter. (You did remember to have maintenance, right? It’s easy with our one of our Preventative Maintenance Comfort Plans.)

But not all apparent heating system problems stem from inside the actual heater components, or even from the thermostats. The heating system is only one part of the entire HVAC system, which includes the ventilation ducts. Issues with those ducts may be the source of difficulties you may encounter with the heater during the winter. Some of these troubles include:

  • The compressor of a heat pump turning on and off rapidly (short-cycling)
  • Hot spots in rooms due to low airflow or insufficiently cool air from the vents
  • A steep rise in utility bills that’s out of the ordinary for when you usually run the heating system.

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What Is the Ideal Humidity for a Home?

Monday, July 10th, 2017

woman-and-fanOne of the important services we offer at Red Rock Mechanical is installing humidifiers and dehumidifiers in Plattsburgh, NY and elsewhere in Northwest Vermont and Northeast New York. Finding the right balance of relative humidity helps a home in a number of ways:

  • Better comfort in both hot and cold weather
  • A reduction in costs to run the HVAC system
  • Improved health conditions, especially for allergy and asthma-sufferers
  • Fewer troubles with damage to building material

The current technology for whole-house humidifiers and dehumidifiers makes them energy efficient and quiet, and you can control them easily through a humidistat, which can be integrated into a smart thermostat for the house. You won’t have to worry about balancing humidity levels: your home will take care of it for you!

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Warning Signs You Need Duct Repair Service

Monday, April 17th, 2017

ductwork-in-atticWhen thinking about air conditioning or heating your home, you probably don’t give much thought to one of the most vital parts of the HVAC system. The “V” in “HVAC,” which is ventilation. And for most homes—probably including yours—the ventilation system is made up of ducts constructed from sheet metal, flexible plastic and aluminum, and duct board.

In order for your home’s heating and cooling to work at peak efficiency and effectiveness, it must have a tightly sealed ventilation system. This is how air pressure is maintained for the proper deliver of cooled and heated air to the vents around the home, and it prevents the loss or gain of heat. If the ventilation system sustains damage or develops air leaks (something that’s unfortunately common), it will create major problems for comfort and energy use in your house.

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Reasons to Schedule Professional Duct Cleaning

Monday, October 31st, 2016

The ducts that make up a home’s ventilation system pick up dust, lint, dander, and various other particles over time. After a year, a thin layer of debris will already be clinging to the ductwork walls. After a few more years, this build-up can be substantial enough that it will have a negative effect on the performance of the heating and cooling system. Getting rid of this accumulation in the ducts requires professionals with special equipment.

You might think that duct cleaning isn’t that important, but there are a number of benefits to having it done every few years:

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