Category Archives: Tips & Recommendations

6 Ways to Cut Energy Costs in Your Home

Winter solstice is here! During this season, most homes experience increased energy bill costs due to keeping it warm. There are many ways to keep those prices down. Check out five ways that Hauser Air is heading into the New Year with a new peace of mind and better understanding of how to save energy in your home.
  • 1. Fix air leaks around your home by using foam inserts, weather stripping, and caulk.
  • 2. Forming quick and easy habits can go a long way. Take shorter showers and turn off all electricity when leaving a room.
  • 3. Remember to change your furnace filter every 3 months; this could save you more money than you think!
  • 4. Unplug battery chargers, TVs, and other appliances when not in use. They use energy constantly. If unplugging your TV isn’t an option, adjust the energy saver setting when not in use.
  • 5. Insulation reduces heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. Save hundreds a year by insulating attics, exterior walls, under floors, heat ducts and hot water pipes.

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Book Your Tune-up Today!

What Are the Benefits of Keeping Your Equipment Maintained?

  • We catch potential issues and breakdowns BEFORE they happen
  • Documented maintenance will validate manufacturer warranties
  • Peace of mind when verifying safe operation of your equipment
  • One year warranty on all repairs
  • 30 day operation guarantee. If your units breaks down with 30 days of your tune-up you do NOT pay any trip charges.

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Service Your Air Conditioner for Summer

HVAC Tune up in process

Summer weather always brings in the heat, and one of the most important steps you can take as a homeowner is scheduling your seasonal air conditioning equipment servicing appointment. That’s where Hauser Air comes in to assist! Preventive maintenance, like changing air filters, cleaning ducts, and inspecting for warning signs, will keep your cooling system running at peak efficiency, potentially saving energy and lowering your cooling bills.

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Cooling Season Tips

Air Conditioning season is upon us! As the Service Manager of Hauser Air, I would like to provide you with some tips to make sure your cooling system stays functional and efficient, while answering some common questions.

Here are some quick tips to help your cooling system perform at its best this season:

    • Have a set date for checking and changing your air filter. A dirty filter can cause a multitude of damages both to the system and your home. To learn more about changing your filter, please check out our short video: Why Change Your Furnace Filter?.
    • Schedule regular maintenance. This will ensure you maintain your manufacturer supplied warranty as well as keep the unit running efficiently. According to Energystar.gov, cooling your home accounts for 13% of the energy used by your household. Air Conditioning and Heat pump units have fine fins and coils that need to be cleaned yearly, preferably before the cooling season. Cleaning your cooling unit allows it to run more efficiently, in turn saving your family money this summer.

energy-bill-breakdown

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Question: Why should I get an A/C Tune-up?

service manager Jim Webster

Hauser Air service manager, Jim Webster, has the answer!

This month’s question: “Why should I get an air conditioning tune-up?” is answered by our service manager, Jim Webster.

Jim’s answer: It depends on your needs and concerns. I like to look at my options using a pros and cons list, so I will provide that as follows…

Pros

  1. A clean coil equals $$$ saved both on life span of the system and conserving energy.
  2. Allows a professional to see your system and provide answers for any questions.
  3. Continued tune-ups allows us to give you an idea of the life left in all the components of the system. Which can allow time to financially prepare for any issues that may arise and hopefully keep you from an outage situation.
  4. Helps maintain factory warranties to assure that all repairs are made to their specifications.
  5. Provides peace of mind for the customer that the system is prepared during peak usage.
  6. Evaluation of the coolant level to help maintain peak operating performance.

Cons

  1. Cost of maintenance, although the money saved is worth the money spent.
  2. Scheduling, although our scheduling staff can generally meet your needs.

Thanks for the helpful info, Jim! It’s the perfect time of year for an air conditioning tune-up. Go ahead and schedule yours. To book your A/C tune-up, call a friendly Hauser Air representative at 513-777-7979 or contact us today!

Effects of Excessive Snow on Heat Pumps

snow on heat pumpDue to recent snowfall and more expected, we wanted to pass along a few tips for our customers who own heat pump systems.

Tips for Heat Pumps in Snow and Icy Conditions

1. Heat pumps draw air from the areas surrounding them (all four sides of the outdoor unit). It is important to clear these areas of snow and ice build up in order to allow air to freely reach the heat pump. This will allow the heat pump to operate as efficiently as possible and will alleviate strain on the heat pump.

2. If possible, the space (air gap) between the heat pump and the plastic or concrete pad that the unit itself sits on should be cleared of snow to allow for drainage.

3. Generally speaking, most heat pumps discharge air in an upward direction from the top of the unit. It is important to make sure that this area is clear of snow and ice to allow air to easily discharge (this is the air that is being drawn from the sides of the unit.

4.  DO NOT attempt to forcefully remove ice build up from any part of the heat pump. If you cannot remove snow or ice easily with a broom or brush, do not try to pry or chisel ice from the unit. Doing so could cause severe or irreparable damage to the heat pump.

5. If your heat pump is located in an area that is subject to exposure to melting snow and ice (such as underneath an overhang or gutter that may be frozen), check the unit repeatedly to ensure that ice has not built up inside the heat pump.

6. If you cannot clear the heat pump of snow and ice for any reason, switch the system to “Emergency Heat” at the thermostat. This will turn the heat pump off and engage electric resistance heaters that are located inside in order to provide heat for your home.  This is a more expensive mode of operation for a heat pump system, so we do not advise continuing in this mode for more than a few days. If at that time, the snow and ice around the heat pump has not melted, feel free to schedule a service call with Hauser Air and a technician from our service team will be happy to assist you.

Stay safe out in the snow! We’ll be here to keep you comfortable when you return inside.

Do I Need a Furnace Tune-up?

vip with tuneup

Click image above for more info on our VIP Membership service plans!

Every year at about this time, you probably receive several direct mail pieces from every different Cincinnati area heating and cooling company telling you to schedule a furnace tune-up or a coupon for one. But what many companies fail to tell you (and the reason most of those offers are ignored) is exactly why a furnace maintenance is essential.

At Hauser Air, we won’t sell you something you don’t need. So here is a list of a few of the reasons an annual tune-up is so important to the efficiency of your furnace and the safety of your home.

  • Ensures proper airflow – During the furnace tune-up, the heating technician should check your heating system to ensure it is receiving the proper airflow- Restricted or limited airflow places an unnecessary strain on your furnace that can lead to increased repairs and a shortened lifespan.
  • Keeps you safe – Furnaces burn fuel to produce heat. This combustion process must be precise to maintain efficiency and safety. Even a small problem can lead to gas leaking into your home or dangerous carbon monoxide levels. Don’t take a chance with the health and safety of you and your family.
  • Reduces repairs – Every winter, we receive calls from customers with heating problems that could have been easily prevented with regular maintenance. A furnace tune-up not only includes cleaning that keeps your furnace running efficiently, but it also catches small problems before they turn into major repairs.
  • Saves time – Getting a VIP furnace tune-up, before the weather is cold, is much more convenient than waiting for a repairman during the winter in a cold home without heat. It is also cheaper.
  • Improves energy efficiency – A furnace tune-up should include the cleaning and inspection of the furnace burner and heat exchanger. In addition to ensuring safe operation, this will keep your furnace running efficiently all winter.
  • Maintains manufacturer’s warranty – If your furnace or heat pump is under a manufacturer’s warranty, it is especially important for you to get an annual furnace tune-up. Most manufacturers stipulate that their warranty becomes void if the heater is not regularly maintained. A furnace tune-up can satisfy that requirement and maintain your warranty.

All of these benefits of a furnace tune-up boil down to two things: keeping you safe and saving you money. For more information or to schedule your furnace tune up, please call one of our product specialists at (513) 777-7979.

14 Things You Should Know About Your Air Conditioner

know about air conditioners

1. If your A/C is not cooling enough, the easiest and most important thing you can do on your own is: check /change your filter. If this does not remedy the problem, Call for service. Note: there is a possibility that your A/C system may be doing all it can do during extreme heat conditions.

2. Air Conditioners must have a filter. The filter will be located inside your home either with the equipment or behind a grille inside your home perhaps a hallway. It is very important that the filter is changed or cleaned regularly in order to filter the air properly and prevent the indoor coil from getting dirty. 1″ filters=change every month; 2″ filters=change every 2 months; 4-5″ filters=change every 6-12 months. Filters will get dirtier faster if: there are multiple pets, there is a dusty outdoor environment such as dirt roads, fields, construction, etc; if carpets are infrequently vacuumed. We sell all types of filters and offer special savings on buying three. You can call the office to order yours at: (513) 777-7979. We recommend to keep them on hand to change.

3. Be sure to keep the outdoor condenser clean. This means ALL sides should have nothing clinging to them (the sides look like radiator fins or sometimes they are “spiny” looking). If you do see dirt, leaves, grass clippings, cottonwood, you can use a water hose with spray nozzle to rinse the sides off starting at the top and working your way down. Turn off the power first. We recommend having a tune up & cleaning on your A/C once a year.

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Is a Humidifier Important?

YES! Especially in the winter. Here are just 7 important reasons why:

home humidifiers

In the warmer seasons, it’s not always the heat that gets intolerable, it’s the humidity! In the search for a comfortable indoor temperature, though, humidity is often the component which is neglected. The fact is, the amount of moisture in the air is just as important to the temperature as it is to your health. ALL year around.

Using a humidifier when it’s cold outside is not only one of the better ways to regulate your home’s temperature, it’s a great way to promote improved health for you and your family. It can even lend benefits to your house itself, as well as the plants, animals and humans that inhabitants. Consider these seven reasons when trying to decide if adding a humidifier is important for your home.

1. Better Skin, Better Healing

Dry air is capable of wreaking havoc on your skin. Many people are familiar with the effects of biting winter cold, from chapped lips to dry, cracking knuckles, all problems which can be caused or made worse when insufficient moisture is present in the air. Before you invest in bulk quantities of lotion and lip balm to rehydrate your skin, think about rehydrating your air. Humidifiers add that crucial humidity back into the air to reduce the painful symptoms described above. While those with more sensitive skin will still need to keep the aloe handy, humid air is a great first step toward lessening dry skin issues.

2. Ease Sinus Congestion

Just as your skin can become parched if the air remains too dry, your respiratory system can suffer as well. Winter is cold and flu season for more than one reason–many people who suffer from sinus problems are victims of the dry, chilly air that circulates. When your throat and nasal passages become dried out, your body has a much tougher time fending off viruses and bacteria. If you wake up on particularly crisp mornings feeling like you’re fighting off a cold, it can very likely be from sleeping in dried-out air.

Running a humidifier not only aids in protecting your body from becoming ill, it’s also a good idea if you’re already sick. The conditions that make it easier to get sick are the same ones that make it harder for you to recover, so make it a point to get that moisture circulating again and you’ll be back on your feet in no time.

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