Its Getting Hot in Here!

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It is four o’clock in the afternoon and its 96 degrees outside.  Its Hot!  Let me ask you a question What do you do if your air conditioner stops working?  Well first and foremost call Adam’s Air, We will get out to your home as soon as we can and hopefully be able to fix your system in a quick and easy way.  But just in case we are loaded up with calls and you have to wait, here are 9 steps to keep cool in your home when your AC goes out, courtesy of

www.directenergy.com

1: Plan. Find out the weather report for the next few days to help you plan how to keep cool. Plan to avoid using the oven and use the microwave, instead. Always run the hood fan when cooking on the stove.

2: Keep you and your family well hydrated. Drink plenty of water or fruit juice. Avoid coffee, tea, and alcohol as these beverages are diuretics that remove moisture from your body. Wear lightweight, light colored, loose-fitting clothing.

3: Keep your house closed up and draw the curtains during the day. Don’t open windows because you’ll let in the outside humidity. If your air conditioner was running before it broke, the humidity level is still low, the air is dry, and your home is still cool. Don’t waste the cool.

4: Open windows and use window fans only after sunset. During the day, your home absorbs infrared heat from the sun. At night, it releases this heat through radiational cooling. Opening your windows and running fans at night to blow a cross breeze in your home will cool it faster.

5: Open your attic door and set up a fan to air up into your attic at night. This will pull cool air into your home and blow heated air out of the attic.

6: Get up early and close up your home before the temperature climbs. Your home will have cooled off during the night, so you’ll want to keep that cool air inside your home for as long as possible. Be sure to close all the curtains because outside heat will radiate through the window glass into your home.

7: Turn on your fans. Turning on ceiling fans and your ventilation system’s blower fan can help keep air circulating throughout your home. Moving air also feels cooler against your skin because it aids evaporation —your body’s natural cooling process. Close off the vents and air returns in the rooms you are not using. Heat will build in the upper storeys first so keep infants and the elderly on the ground floor (or basement) to keep cool.

8: Consider buying a dehumidifier. Drying the air inside your home will add to your comfort. Get one large enough to handle the largest room where your family spends most of its time. Turn it off at night or close up your bedroom and use it only in there.

9: Use fewer covers on your bed and take a cool shower before bedtime. This will help keep you cool and relax you as you fall asleep.

 

If you can’t take the heat…
If your home becomes too hot, go cool off at a swimming pool or take your family to the mall, go see a movie, or go eat out. Basically, get into some air conditioning until both your family and your home can cool down.

Winterizing Your Home

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1) Furnace Inspection

  • Call Adams Air, the professional’s.  We offer a 25 point check list free, with our Winterization.
  • Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.
  • Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
  • If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them.
  • Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.

2) Get the Fireplace Ready

  • Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds.
  • If the chimney hasn’t been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
  • Buy firewood or chop wood. Store it in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.
  • Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.
  • Check the mortar between bricks and tuckpoint, if necessary.

3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

  • Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
  • Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
  • Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.
  • If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields.
  • Switch out summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.

4) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

  • If your weather temperature will fall below 32 degrees in the winter, adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams.
  • Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home.
  • Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.
  • Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
  • Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.

5) Service Weather-Specific Equipment

  • Drain gas from lawnmowers.
  • Service or tune-up snow blowers.
  • Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.
  • Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
  • Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.

6) Check Foundations

  • Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation.
  • Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.
  • Tuckpoint or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.
  • Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.
  • Secure crawlspace entrances.

7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

  • Some cities require a smoke detector in every room.
  • Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight saving ends.
  • Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.
  • Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
  • Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.

8) Prevent Plumbing Freezes

  • Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
  • Drain all garden hoses.
  • Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.
  • Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
  • If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.

9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces

  • Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
  • Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.
  • Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter over such as dahlias in areas where the ground freezes.
  • Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.
  • Don’t automatically remove dead vegetation from gardens as some provide attractive scenery in an otherwise dreary, snow-drenched yard.
  • Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.

10) Prepare an Emergency Kit

  • Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.
  • Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and put them in your cellphone’s contacts.
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  • Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.
  • Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.
  • Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.

 

 

 

Winterization, (that most wonderful time of the year)!

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You and your family’s comfort is our top priority.  Heating repairs and installations in the Amarillo area are easy with Adam’s Air.  Winter is upon us and as you know its going to get cold.  Then do not forget the winds of the High Plains of Texas. You know those winds when they come down from Canada and they go right through you.  Keep all that weather out with an Adam’s Air Winterization, its more than just a heater tune up.  Let Adams Air get your HVAC unit in the best condition to take on the winter.  We have a 25 point inspection that we follow and we make sure every part of your heater is in great working order.   Now the best thing is about to happen to you.  Adams Air is giving back to the Amarillo metro, and if you own your home, then your Winterization is free of charge, except if you need a repair.  Also this is for residential homes only, so please take advantage of this free service.   Call us today to schedule your appointment at 806-316-1103.  Call soon the schedule is filling up fast. Were a service company, not a sales company!

Why Indoor Air Quality is Vital!

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  I wrote a lot of this about a year ago but I think it is important enough to have another read.

  Air Quality in the high plains of Texas is not perfect as you all know.  And inside your house right now the quality of air could be worse than it is outside.  I know what you’re saying, I keep a clean house, I use cleaners and products that help take pollutants out of the air.  Well, maybe, do you know that cleaning products and detergents with fragrances can release chemicals in the air of your home to cause your house to be worse than you think it is.  Look for products that have a green seal on it, this means these are safe to use in your home.

What about everyday items in your home?  Bedding on your bed, pillows, sheets and comforters should be washed weekly .  This will reduce allergens, including dust mites in your home.  Consider removing your shoes at the entrance you come in from.  Think where you walk, do you want to track all that over your floors and carpet?  Leave floor mats at all entrances to your home.  Use high efficiency particulate air vacuum cleaners, (HEPA), with disposable bags, and use microfiber cloths for surface dust removal.

Moisture inside the home in the home is not good thing to have as you know,  if there are any leaks in your home promptly fix them.  If you see mold on any porous materials, such as drywall, ceiling tiles or wood, discard them and replace.  Run the exhaust fans while showering.  House plants can improve indoor air quality by filtering carbon dioxide, however over watering can encourage mold growth.  The picture below are Indoor Air Quality test kits, or IAQ.

   These samples were taken out of two very clean homes.  But where the problem might be lurking about is in your HVAC, the coil, or maybe the drain pan.  The duct work could be compromised as well.  If you have aquariums inside your home, we have found out these can be a source.  The best thing you can do for your family and home is to call us and have us perform a test, then show you options to clean up the air.

And finally call Adam’s Air and book time for us to come out and check out your furnace so it will be ready to work in the best way when it gets cold, and believe me it will get cold.

 

 

Call us today, 806-316-1106

indoor-air-pollution

Restricted Air Flow-AKA(-It’s hot in this house!!!!)

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   The condenser coil, (the one outside your home), is one of the most important parts of your air conditioning system.  The big job at hand for the coil is that it takes out the heat that’s been taken out of your home and moves it outside.  But when your coil is dirty with built […]

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