Faulty Ductwork Negatively Affects the Air Conditioning Efficiency

When you live in a city such as Utah, you know summers can be really hot. Thus, there are high chances that you will think of opting for air conditioning installation at your Salt Lake City home. Once the HVAC system is in place, you want it to work at its maximum efficiency and keep you cool during the sweltering Utah summers.

However, what most homeowners often neglect is the ventilation system of an air conditioning unit. The ventilation system connects the AC system with the outside unit and is responsible to distribute the cool air throughout the house. However, as the ventilation system remains hidden in the attic, behind walls, crawlspace, or beneath floors, it can accumulate dust, debris, and can get damaged if not cared for properly.

Moreover, if the HVAC system is installed by an amateur, the ductwork is damaged, or if it is more than a decade old, it can negatively affect the efficiency of the system. Thus, it is important to keep your ductwork in good shape. When you hire air conditioning contractors in Salt Lake City, you can be sure of receiving professional services.

Ductless Air Conditioning Salt Lake City

Faulty Ductwork Can Affect your AC

Some of the few ways in which faulty ductwork can negatively impact the working of your air conditioner include:

• Duct Leaks

According to EPA, leaky ductwork can make a home lose up to 20% of its conditioned airflow on an average. This indicates that airflow in your home is not at its maximum efficiency. Duct leaks make it easy for the cool air to escape when it shouldn’t. This further creates cold and hot spots throughout the home.

Leak in the ductworks makes the air conditioners work harder to create the temperature you desire. A leak in the duct can pull in hot air causing the air conditioner to remove extra heat and humidity. Therefore, hire experts offering air conditioning service in Salt Lake City to get the ductwork checked.

• Blocked Registers

Registers are not always present in the most appropriate spots. Sometimes, they are present in a space where you plan to put your furniture. Thus, if you choose to put heavy furniture in front of the registers and block them in the process, you must remember that it can negatively affect your air conditioner performance.

Blocked registers make the ductwork work harder to take in the air properly and return it back to the system. Thus, make sure the registers are not blocked for enhanced efficiency of the air conditioner.

• Improper Design

If you choose to install the ductwork yourself or have hired an unprofessional HVAC technician to do the job, the air conditioner may not work to its maximum efficiency. Moreover, as the system starts getting older, it is more likely to experience airflow problems. This is because changes to the living arrangement are inevitable and this can cause some problem for the outdated HVAC system.

Moreover, new air conditioner and furnace may not work with the installed ductwork and negatively impact the efficiency of the system. With the increasing air flow problems and comfort issues in the house, the efficiency and performance of the air conditioner are negatively impacted. 

• Dust and Dirt Infiltration

Ductworks generally breakdown onto closed-in parts of the house such as crawlspaces or between walls. This is when dirt, debris, dust, and sawdust can get into the ductwork. This can cause the dust to make the ductwork dirtier and if unnoticed, can cause wear and tear of the components.

• Uninsulated Ducts

Are the ducts of your air conditioners completed insulated against the extreme indoor and outdoor temperature? The ductwork must be completely insulated to avoid extreme temperatures. For instance, if cooled air run through warm ductwork, the air will become warm even before reaching the room. This will make the air conditioner work harder than necessary.

Get Your Duct Inspected

Increasing your air conditioner efficiency will help you save money in the long run. Thus, it is important to get your air conditioning repaired by professionals in Salt Lake City. A duct inspection is also imperative for a household suffering from chronic respiratory conditions as pollutants and allergens can draw into the home through leaky ducts.

Hire Qualified HVAC Technicians

Don’t worry about faulty ductwork reducing the efficiency of your air conditioner when you have expert HVAC technicians by your side. You can trust Lee’s Heating and Air experts to provide you with the highest quality air conditioning service in Salt Lake City. You can hire the experts to perform ductwork testing, find the leak, and repair it for enhanced efficiency of the HVAC system.

Explore the services offered by Lee’s Heating and Air at https://www.leesheatac.com/ or call us 801-467-1561 today to schedule an appointment.

4 Household Cleaning Problems Caused by Hard Water

Hard water is one of the most common water problems in the United States. The problem affects more than 85% of the water supply throughout America. So, when you get hard water at your home, you know it comes with added problems. You are expected to clean more, the water-consuming appliances life expectancy reduces, and the plumbing may suffer.

Is Hard Water Safe To Use?

Using hard water is generally safe to use and drink; however, it comes with some household cleaning problems that are hard to overlook. Therefore, it is better if you get water softener installation at your Utah home, to avoid the problems often associated with hard water.

Here are four ways hard water increases your workload and makes it difficult to keep the house clean.

• Iron Stains

Hard water is loaded with a number of minerals apart from a high concentration of calcium and magnesium. Depending on the region you live in, the groundwater may also contain a high amount of iron. Homeowners who use well water are more likely to have a high concentration of iron in their water.

Iron-rich water can leave unpleasant reddish-brown rust stains in and around the shower, sink, or the toilet bowl. Thus, in certain parts of the country, iron stains can be a cause of serious housecleaning headache. Getting rid of the stains can become difficult if you receive iron-rich water supply. Even if you clean the stains, they will keep coming back until you choose to address the hard water problem.

• Soap Scums

When you live in a region where hard water is a problem, it becomes a daily struggle to keep the fixtures, and tiles clean. Hard water reacts with the soap to form scums which are left behind on the shower curtains, faucets, tiles, and other hard to reach places. Thus, your dream of owning a spotless bathroom remains a far-fetched dream only.

Soap combines with calcium and magnesium particles in hard water and converts into the soap scum you see on shower curtains, shower doors, tiles, fixtures, and bathtubs. It creates a layer of scaliness over the surface which is hard to clean. If left for too long, the soap scums continue to build up and can combine with mold and get as hard as concrete.

• Increase Detergent Usage

Have you noticed an increase in the amount of detergent or cleaning products lately? Do you think the recommended amount of detergent is never enough to clean the clothes, dishes, or home? Many people use a higher amount of detergents and soaps when using hard water to clean a surface or clothes. However, over the years, it can add up to a lot of additional expense.

According to some tests performed by professionals, it was found that soft water only needs half as much detergent as required by hard water. The same study also proved that dishwasher required 30% less detergent when hard water was switched with soft water. Thus, when your house receives soft water, you can save a considerable amount on cleaning supplies.

• Spotty Dishes

Do you often find yourself cleaning the dishes after they are rinsed in the dishwasher? Do you always find spots on clean dishes? Hard water may be the culprit here. If dishes come out of the dishwasher and still look dirty, it may be because of mineral deposit on the dishes. You can never impress your guests with filthy looking glassware or spotty dishes, can you?

Even if you rinse your glassware after taking them out from the dishwasher, they will remain spotted because the problem is with the hard water, not the dishwasher. Also, exposing the glassware and dishes to hard water for a long period of time can leave them permanently cloudy. Therefore, make sure to find a solution at the earliest.

Why You Need Soft Water?

Hard water form soap scums instead of frothy lather which is required to effectively clean the clothes, dishes, or home in general. Soap scums can leave a whitish layer across the bathtub, clothes, glassware, and showers. Moreover, bathing in hard water can leave the skin dry, itchy, and prone to acne.

So if you want to avoid spending hours at stretch cleaning the dishes or scrubbing the soap scrum away, make sure to get water softener installation at your Utah home. An effective water softener installation by a water expert will save you money in the long run.

Finding a Solution Through Water Treatment Experts

Now that you understand the nuisance of hard water, it’s time to decide whether you want to live with the problem or find a solution for it. A whole house water softener installation in Utah will help you correct the negative effects of hard water.

Want more information on waterfiltration installation in Salt Lake City? Get in touch with the experts. Call Lee’s Heating and Air water experts at 801-467-1561 or visit us at https://www.leesheatac.com to know more about our services.

Hard Water Negatively Affects Healthy Skin Barriers

Hard water and eczema don’t go well together. Being a parent of a child suffering from eczema can leave you feeling helpless. Also known as atopic dermatitis, eczema is a condition where skin patches become red, inflamed, cracked, itchy, and rough. It is most commonly found in children, although, some people can continue to have it in their adulthood.

Here are some key facts about eczema

• It is not a contagious condition
• Certain food can trigger symptoms such as dairy or nuts
• It can also be triggered by allergens such as pollen
• Hard water is known to make the condition worse
• The symptoms get worse during winters
• Symptoms vary depending on the age of the person
• Treatment focus on healing the damaged skin

Types of Eczema

There are several types of eczema.

Atopic Dermatitis – Caused by a problem with the skin barrier and a malfunctioning immune system.

Contact Dermatitis – Caused when the skin touches a known allergen or irritant.

Stasis dermatitis – Occurs mostly in the older population. Poor circulation to legs cause swelling, skin redness, and itchiness.

Nummular eczema – Occurs in the older population and is often caused by allergens. Appear as round lesions.

Dyshidrotic Eczema – Often caused by exposure to allergens on feet and hands.

Hard water and Eczema

Hard water contains a high amount of minerals, particularly magnesium and calcium, as bicarbonates, sulfates, or chlorides. Hard water is formed when groundwater percolates through mineral deposits of chalk and limestone.

University of Sheffield and King’s College London researchers have discovered that exposing the skin to hard water regularly damages the skin barrier and increases the sensitivity of the skin to potential irritants. Scientific evidence claims that children living in hard water areas are 54% more likely to suffer from eczema as compared to children living in areas which receive soft water.

Causes of eczema are complex and vary from person to person. But hard water is found to damage the skin barrier thus contribute to the development of eczema. Minerals in hard water bind to compounds in detergents and soaps, making them insoluble. Therefore, they deposit on the skin as scums. Moreover, hard water is highly alkaline and thus increases the surface pH of the skin which is usually acidic. This shift in the skin pH affects the protective skin surface barrier and exposes it to pathogens.

Patients suffering from eczema are much more sensitive to hard water than people with healthy skin. The increase in sensitivity is also associated with a genetic predisposition to a skin defective barrier caused by a mutation in the filaggrin gene. Approximately half of the people suffering from eczema carry filaggrin gene.

When it comes to babies and toddlers, parents often get perplexed trying to identify the cause behind eczema breakout. They try to eliminate food, switch detergents and soaps, and even go to the extent of avoiding certain clothes. Parents even choose to try different nutrient supplements, lotions, or vitamin supplements, but they sometimes fail to understand that hard water can be the culprit.

When bathing in hard water, the minerals clog pores and cause dry skin. Hard water when combined with soap leaves a film on your skin which is difficult to wash away. Thus, soap left on the skin also cause irritation and dryness.

According to statistics, approximately 20% of children suffer from eczema worldwide. According to the National Eczema Foundation, 31.6 million Americans are affected by this condition and approximately 90% of households in American receive hard water.

Can Soft Water Treat the Condition?

While soft water is not considered a treatment for eczema, there are few evidences which prove that using soft water can be one of the best preventive measures to soothe the skin. As a water softener removes magnesium and calcium from the water, it is ideal for cleaning, bathing, and doing other chores as it won’t irritate the skin. So whether you are going to have a baby soon, have children who suffer from eczema or want to protect your family’s skin and health, get in touch with water softener installation experts in Utah.

How Does Water Softener Works?

Hard water is caused by an excess amount of minerals in the water supply. The water softeners work on the ion-exchange mechanism, where the calcium and magnesium ions are replaced with sodium. The softener consists of tiny beads of ion-exchange resins preloaded with sodium. As the hard water passes through the beads, the ions are exchanged, and the sodium softens the water.

Get water softener installation done by expert professionals in Utah. Lee’s Heating and Air can help you make the right choice on an industry leading cost-effective water softener. Call the experts at today at 801-467-1561 or visit us online at www.leesheatac.com.

7 Major Signs Your Home Receives Hard Water

Did your friend just talk about the nuisance created by hard water? Thinking how can you tell soft water apart from hard water? Nearly 85% of American household receive hard water and telling soft water apart from hard water can be a daunting task. In fact, people realize they are receiving hard water only after something odd happens.

Hard water is a problem, but it can be solved by getting a water softener installation done in your Utah home. There are chances that you may be receiving hard water, but how can you be confident about the water hardness?

Here are seven major signs that your taps are running hard water.

What is Hard Water?

Hard water contains high mineral content, particularly calcium and magnesium, which accumulates during the water cycle. While it is safe to use hard water for your everyday requirements, it can pose many household inconveniences.

• Scales On Your Sink

A clear sign of hard water is the presence of scales on your bathtub, shower door, or sink. Scales is a composite of calcium and magnesium which build up in an area where hard water is used frequently. If you are constantly experiencing a flaky off-white residue which requires chlorine or vinegar to clean it off, you are receiving hard water supply.

• Clogged Water Pipes

Shower head and water pipes can get clogged if you receive hard water. But that’s not the only problem. Hard water also leads to a problem with the plumbing system. If you have steel plumbing system, hard water makes it difficult to have an efficient system.

Presence of corrosive material in hard water often leads to clogged pipes. As the water pipe gets corroded from the inside, the scales become a perfect trap for grease, food, and other small particles. So if you are experiencing clogged pipes frequently, hard water may be the culprit.

• Crusty Water Spots on Glassware

Are you often confused why your glassware does not look clean? Normally when you clean dishes, you expect sparkling clean glassware and dishes out of the dishwasher. But what you get is spotted dishes. This is because dishwashing soap has a hard time cleaning and counteracting the crusty layer on your glassware. So if you see spots on your dishes, you know you get hard water.

• Dull Laundry

Another indication that you get hard water is dull and stiff clothes after washing. This problem arises because minerals such as calcium and magnesium do not let detergents soap up. Soaps and detergents are designed to clean grease, dirt, and grime off the clothes. But when detergents are not rinsed out of the clothes, the dirt builds up making the clothes look dull. So if your clothes don’t seem to get clean even after washing them repeatedly, you need to do something about your water.

• Dry Itchy Skin

You don’t just use hard water to clean the dishes or wash clothes; you are bathing, cooking, cleaning, and doing a lot of other chores with hard water. If you experience a persistent breakout no matter how hard you try to keep your skin clean, you are dealing with hard water. This is because hard water does not remove soap from the skin and soap build-up clogs the pores causing uncomfortable blemishes.

• Lifeless Hair

Does your hair feel lifeless, dry, and brittle? Did they look better when you were staying over at your friend’s place? If so, you may be dealing with hard water at your home. Hard water reduces the effectiveness of shampoos because they need to deal with the minerals. So if you are finding it hard to manage your hairs and are having bad hair days, the real reason may be hard water.

• Shortened Appliances Lifespan

Of all the problems caused by hard water, this is the only problem that will cause you a lot of money. Scale deposit on appliances often play havoc on water consuming appliances and shorten their lifespan. Sediment build up in a dishwasher, water heater, and other appliances mean they won’t be running efficiently and thus increasing your utility bills.

The Solution

You can choose to use different solutions for different problems, but if you want to fix all the problems with a single solution, invest in a water softener.

A water softener removes excessive minerals and converts hard water into soft water. Investing in a water softener will save you money, time, and the hassle of dealing with the consequences of hard water.

Get water softener installation in Utah performed by expert technicians. Lee’s Heating and Air have trained water treatment professionals who specialize in water softener installation