One key component of your HVAC system is the ductwork it has hidden away in your home’s walls and ceilings. Ductwork is vital for your heating and cooling, but air ducts often have problems that cause inefficient heating, cooling and other issues. Here are several things to know about a poorly designed air duct system and the problems it causes.

The Purpose and Role of Air Ducts        

If you have a forced air furnace, the furnace heats and cools your home by forcing air into the rooms through air ducts. When an HVAC company installs a furnace in a new home, they place the air ducts in hidden areas of the home, such as the walls and ceilings.

The air ducts transfer conditioned air to your home, and this is what heats and cools your home in the summer and winter. Without air ducts, you could not have an air conditioning system.

When installing a system, the HVAC technicians try to design it in a way that the air ducts offer the most efficiency. This typically involves keeping the air duct spans as short as possible. In other words, they try to run the ducts straight to the rooms, instead of having twists and turns along the way.

Common Problems with Air Ducts

While your system needs air ducts for it to cool and heat your home, the air ducts in your home can experience problems that prevent them from doing their job properly and efficiently. Here are some common problems that cause inefficiency with air ducts:

• Improper design – If the HVAC company that installed the system did not design it properly, the system might not work efficiently. Improper design often refers to air ducts having to transport air too far. Technicians should design a system so the ducts travel shorter spans, if at all possible.
• Leaks or gaps in air ducts – Air ducts can develop holes over time, and two pieces joined together can separate. If this happens, leaks form and air seeps from them. This means that less conditioned air travels into the rooms of your home, and this creates higher energy bills and a lot of wasted energy.
• Lack of insulation on air ducts – HVAC technicians should also insulate air ducts. Insulation helps the ducts hold more air, which means they operate more efficiently. If your ducts do not have insulation, you are probably losing a lot of conditioned air.

These are some common problems homeowners experience with air ducts, but there are ways to fix these problems.

The Benefits Offered Through Redesigning and Fixing Air Ducts

To determine what is wrong with your air ducts, a technician will thoroughly look at the entire system. The technician will then decide what to do to improve the efficiency of your system. This may involve repairing leaks or replacing sections of your ductwork. It can also involve insulating the ducts the technician can access.

After the technician makes the necessary repairs, you will notice several key things:

1. It will be easier to heat and cool your home
2. Your energy bills will drop
3. Your home’s temperature will be more comfortable

If the technician notices that your ducts are dirty, he or she will recommend cleaning them. Air ducts often contain mold, mildew, dust and pet dander. If you want cleaner air in your home, you should consider getting the ducts cleaned if they are dirty.

If you feel that your air ducts might have problems, contact Custom Comfort. We can investigate your air duct system, locate problems and make the necessary repairs. Contact our friendly team today to schedule an appointment at a time that’s convenient for you.

If you’ve recently bought a new home, you may have had an appraisal, inspection and radon test as part of the purchasing process. These items are often required by the mortgage lender; extending a loan secured by a home that harbors a dangerous condition or is structurally unsound can cost the lender money, so ensuring your home meets or exceeds all relevant standards can render it a much safer investment.

Generally, the results of your radon test won’t be reported to you unless they indicate high radon levels inside the home.

While high radon levels can result in denial of a mortgage loan–and can sometimes give you the right to cancel a purchase agreement without penalty unless the seller agrees to pay for radon mitigation–borderline levels may be enough to pass your lender’s standards, even though this data could indicate a radon problem that needs attention.

Read on to learn more about this tasteless, odorless, colorless gas and how radon mitigation services can keep you and your family safe after you’ve purchased a new home.

What Causes Radon 

Radon, as the name implies, is a type of radioactive gas. Radon gas is generated within the earth’s crust by the natural decay of other radioactive minerals like uranium and plutonium, both generally contained within igneous, rather than sedimentary, rock. Radon can’t be seen, tasted, smelled or sensed; the only test for radon gas involves measuring the air for radioactivity.

This means that radon levels are naturally higher in parts of the country where uranium can be found in the soil. Radon levels are often higher in homes with basements or deep foundations, as the process of constructing a foundation disturbs the soil and allows radon gas to escape.

Mobile homes that aren’t on a permanent foundation and require no digging are unlikely to have high radon levels unless constructed in an area with generally high radioactivity.

What Radon Causes

Long-term exposure to radon gas is second only to cigarette smoking when it comes to common causes of lung cancer.

Radon exposure can also be exponential in severity. For example, a homeowner whose home has 4 picoCuries of radon per liter of air (4 pCi/L), considered the maximum upper limit of radon presence, is exposed to 35 times as much radiation as would be present at the fence of a radioactive waste site. The lower the radon level is in your home, the safer you are.  

However, many homeowners aren’t aware of their home’s radon level, and those who are just below the 4 pCi/L limit may be told they “pass” the radon test without realizing the critical nature of this borderline-high reading.

Radon is of particular concern when there are small children in the home. Because children breathe more rapidly than adults and their cells split more frequently due to the speed with which they grow, childhood radon exposure can be far more harmful than adult radon exposure.

A sobering one in every five homes throughout the U.S.– including homes in every state from Maine to Hawaii–have higher-than-recommended radon levels, rendering this both a personal and a public health concern.

Mitigating Radon Levels 

If you’re not comfortable with your home’s radon readings, you’ll want to enlist some help to lower these levels and control the amount of radon gas in your home at any given time. This is generally accomplished by the installation of a radon mitigation system.

The right radon mitigation system for your home will depend largely upon your home’s construction and the type of foundation it has. In some cases, you’ll need to keep radon from getting into your home at all; in others, your best bet is to focus your energies on reducing radon levels once the gas has already made its way into your home. Often, you’ll be able to stop the flow of radon before its point of entry through using an exhaust system of underground pipes and fans that can pump any radioactive air safely away from your foundation.

In homes with crawlspaces that allow air to pass between the bare ground and the bottom of your home’s floor, you’ll have even more of an opportunity to intercept any radon-containing air before it manages to seep upward through your floor. Reinforcing the subfloor can provide an additional layer of protection, as can repairing any cracks, holes or other defects in your foundation that may be allowing radon gas to flow through. 

It’s also a good idea to have your home’s air regularly tested for radon for the first few years after the installation of a mitigation system. By sampling air in various parts of your home, mitigation specialists will be able to narrow down the potential points of radon entry to make your air filtration and exhaust system more effective and efficient at removing tainted air from your home.

Having a baby changes everything, even the way you use your plumbing system. If you don’t take the proper precautions, your plumbing system could harm your little one, or your little one could damage your plumbing. Get started by following these seven plumbing tips for new parents.

1. Don’t Flush Baby Wipes

After you wipe your baby’s bottom, tossing the wipe into the toilet may be convenient. However, this habit is very dangerous for your plumbing. Unlike toilet paper, which breaks down very quickly, wipes can stay intact for weeks or even months. So, if wipes get caught in your sewer pipes, you could end up with a major clog and sewage backups.

Put baby wipes into the trash can rather than the toilet. Many parents find that wrapping the used wipes up inside the diaper helps minimize odors. There are also odor-resistant cans that you can use to hold dirty diapers and wipes.

2. Put a Lock on the Toilet

Locking your toilet helps ensure the safety of your baby and your plumbing. It prevents your child from falling into the toilet and drowning while also preventing them from dropping toys or other items into the bowl.

There are numerous styles of toilet locks on the market, and it may take some time to find one that fits your toilet model. If you’re struggling to find the right one, try using a baby latch—the same type you’d put on a cabinet or fridge—to latch down the toilet seat. 

3. Install Anti-Scald Devices on Faucets

Once your little one starts washing his or her hands, you need to ensure the water does not get hot enough to scald them. The easiest way to protect their little hands is by installing an anti-scald device on each of your faucets.

An anti-scald device is a special type of valve that regulates the temperature of the water that comes out of the faucet. Some work by mixing hot and cold water in a chamber, which is fitted with a thermostat, and releasing the water through the faucet when it’s at a safe temperature. Others respond to hot and cold water pressure; they adjust to limit the flow of hot water if the cold water pressure ever drops.

A plumbing company like Custom Comfort can come fit your faucets with anti-scald devices. It’s a rather simple process that they should be able to complete within a few hours.

4. Replace Your Shower’s Mixing Valve to Prevent Hot Water Surges

Does your shower get extra hot when someone flushes the toilet or uses cold water elsewhere in the home? This could be dangerous if you wash your child in the shower or tub.

Have your plumber come address the issue by replacing your shower’s mixing valve. A thermostatic mixing valve, which is similar to anti-scald devices used in faucets, automatically reduces the amount of hot water that’s released if cold water pressure fails.

5. Install GCFIs in Bathrooms and Kitchens

A GFCI is a type of electrical outlet that constantly monitors the flow of electricity and stops the flow if there is any loss of current. Essentially, it prevents someone, such as your child, from suffering an electrical shock if they accidentally touch a wire and water at the same time. A GFCI could prevent electrocution if your child were to drop a plugged-in toaster in a sink of water, for instance.

Most building codes require CFCIs in the bathrooms and kitchens of new homes, but if you have an older home, your outlets may not have them. It’s a good idea to switch them over before your child is old enough to use the water.

6. Keep Baskets in Your Drains

If your drains don’t already have baskets in them, it’s time to make the change. You can find inexpensive plastic sink baskets at most dollar stores, and if you pay just a few dollars more, you can purchase some really nice metal ones from a hardware or home improvement store.

Sink baskets stop small items from going down the drain. So, if your child drops a small toy, a candy wrapper, or tissues into the sink, you won’t end up with a clog. 

7. Install a Water Softener If Needed

Have you noticed mineral buildup on your faucets? Maybe your soap does not lather well and your family members are all prone to dry skin. These are all signs that you have hard water, which is water with a high concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium. 

It’s a good idea to have a water softener installed now that you have a child. The water softener will remove minerals from the water as it enters your home so that all of the water coming from your faucets has a healthier mineral concentration. Soft water will keep your baby’s skin softer, leave their clothes softer after laundering, and make baby soaps and shampoos easier to lather.

If you follow the plumbing tips above, your child will be protected from most plumbing-related hazards. You’ll also reduce your chances of having to call the plumber for a clog, sewage backup, or other plumbing emergency caused by your child’s actions.