Air cleaning devices are intended to remove pollutants from indoor air. Some air cleaning devices are designed to be installed in the ductwork of a home’s central heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to clean the air in the whole house. Portable room air cleaners can be used to clean the air in a single room or specific areas, but they are not intended for whole-house filtration. The following pages will provide information on different types of air cleaning devices and how they work.

Air Conditioners control environmental conditions including air temperature, air motion, moisture level, radiant heat energy level, dust, various pollutants, and microorganisms.

Comfort air conditioning refers to control of spaces to promote the comfort, health, or productivity of the inhabitants. Spaces in which air is conditioned for comfort include residences, offices, institutions, sports arenas, hotels, factory work areas, and motor vehicles.

The function of an air filter is to reduce the concentration of solid particles in the airstream to a level that can be tolerated by the process or space occupancy purpose.  Solid particles in the airstream range in size from 0.01 micrometer to objects that can be caught by ordinary fly screens, such as lint, feathers, and insects. The particles generally include soot, ash, soil, lint, and smoke, but may include almost any organic or inorganic material, even bacteria and mold spores. This wide variety of airborne contaminants, added to the diversity of systems in which air filters are used, makes it impossible to have one type that is best for all applications.

Dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and dust mite feces can act as allergens, triggering allergies in sensitive people. Smoke particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can pose a risk to health. Exposure to various components such as VOCs increases the likelihood of experiencing symptoms of sick building syndrome.[1]

Air purifiers are used to reduce the concentration of these airborne contaminants and are especially useful for people who suffer from allergies and asthma. They also reduce the need for frequent household cleaning. Air purifiers use a small amount of electrical energy, causing a small amount of expense and environmental effect

Baseboard heat is installed at floor level along walls. The baseboard heat consists of copper tubing with bonded aluminum fins enclosed in a protective metal cover. Hot water is pumped from a boiler through the tubing, heating the surrounding air.

Boilers produce hot water or steam which depending upon the circumstances, is circulated through piping to various types of heating mechanisms such as radiators, baseboard heating units, embedded piping, and the heating coils of hydro-air heating systems.

Furnaces are used to provide heated air for forced hot air systems. Hot combustion gases created by burning oil or gas in the furnace are circulated through a heat exchanger. A blower fan blows air across the exterior of the heat exchanger which is then distributed through ductwork to the spaces to be heated.

Electric Garage Heaters - Garage heaters can generally heat areas up to 400 sq. ft.  Our electric garage heaters range up to 19,000 BTU we offer electric garage heating and gas garage heating systems.  Electric garage heating is safe and for this reason most of our customers choose electric garage heaters over propane heating options when there is less than 500 sq. ft. of area to heat.  When choosing an electric garage heating system we also recommend that you hardwire when possible.  This can result in a considerable savings since you do not have to purchase an electric space plug or receptacle.  The following are our two most popular electric garage heat models.

There are two types of natural gas heaters to consider: a forced-air garage heater (first photo) that blows warm air like a conventional furnace, and a “low-intensity” infrared tube heater (second photo) that radiates heat. (Avoid “high-intensity” infrared heaters—which visibly glow red—because most aren’t approved for residential use.)

Both will burn natural gas (your most economical choice) or LP gas, and both are available in several sizes, so you can choose the one that best heats your space. As you can see, both require an electrical hook-up, and both require venting to the outside as well. But the similarities of the two types end there (see chart).

Forced-Air Heater:
PROS

• Less expensive initial cost (50 percent less than comparable infrared heater)

CONS

• Noisy
• Loses heat quickly if garage door is opened (longer recovery time)
• Heat rises and stratifies (the air is warmer at ceiling, cooler near floor), but you won’t notice it with a 7- or 8-ft. ceiling
• Air movement tends to blow airborne dust around (woodworkers will have to shut down unit before staining and finishing projects)

Low-Intensity Infrared Tube Heater:
PROS

• Little noise
• No air movement (dust settles)
• Lower cost to operate
• More uniform heat distribution (no stratification)
• Quicker heat recovery if door is opened/closed (floor and objects retain heat)

CONS

• Higher initial cost (50 percent more than forced-air)
• Correct location of heater is critical (minimum 7 ft. from floor, 3 ft. from objects). Adequate headroom is also critical, because you can overheat if you’re working near the unit.

Geothermal Heat Pump Systems use the grounds natural constant temperatures to heat and cool your home. Liquid carrying tubes are inserted in the ground to depth. The system circulates this liquid through the Earth to heat or cool it depending on the season.

In the Winter, the ground temperature is about 55 Degrees at depth which is typically above the outside temperature. This along with a compressor system generate heat for the home and water heater system.

In the summer, the system draws liquid cooled by the Earth into the home to provide coolant to be used by the Air Conditioning system.

Geothermal Systems can help you save on your utility bills while paying for itself in the process.

A device that warms or cools a building by transferring heat from a relatively low-temperature reservoir to one at a higher temperature.

The principles of heat pumps are actually the reverse of the technological and thermodynamic principles of an air conditioner unit. The majority of heat pumps give the added benefit of providing both heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. This can be accomplished simply by reversing the flow of the working fluid circulating through the coils. The heat pump is an entire thermodynamic system whereby a liquid and/or gas medium is pumped through an assembly where it changes phases as a result of altering pressure. Although relatively costly to setup, the heat pump system provides a more economical and efficient way to control temperatures and reuse existing heat energy.

A residential heat-recovery ventilator uses separate blowers to move incoming fresh and outgoing stale air. The heat-exchange core transfers heat to fresh air without mixing the airstreams. The damper automatically stops cold air for defrosting.

Why Ventilate?

Life inside today's tight home generates both moisture and pollutants. The moisture comes from cooking, washing, showers and breathing. At excessive levels, moisture condenses on windows and can cause structural deterioration. Areas of excessive moisture are also breeding grounds for mold, mildew, fungi, dust mites and bacteria. You know you have a problem if you find moisture collecting on your windows, or if you notice black spots on walls. These unsightly spots indicate mildew growth. Mold spores and dust easily become airborne and circulate freely throughout the house, possibly causing a range of symptoms and allergic reactions.

In addition to excessive moisture and biological contaminants, appliances that utilize combustion have the potential for allowing gases, including carbon monoxide, and other pollutants to escape into the air. Some common sources may include gas ranges and water heaters, unvented space heaters, leaky chimneys and wood-burning appliances. Even breathing can add to the problem when carbon dioxide reaches excessive levels, creating stale air.

And that's not all that gets into the air. If your home is new, the very products it's made of can give off gases that are less than agreeable to your comfort and good health, and in many areas of the country there's a concern about radon seeping from the ground.

Many owners of older homes without forced-air HVAC systems, would like to add central air conditioning and/or heating ducts, but are daunted by the cost and difficulty of the installation process. Installation of ductwork may require removing large sections of walls, floors or ceilings, or adding unsightly box chases. However, high velocity heating and cooling systems minimize these alterations by using small diameter ducts that can be more easily threaded through floor, ceiling, and wall cavities. According to the manufacturers, these high velocity systems operate quietly and improve dehumidification, room air mixing, and energy efficiency over standard air-delivery duct systems

High velocity heating and cooling systems use a special fan coil and air handling unit that generates high pressure air forced through small diameter ducts. The main supply trunk is either a rectangular or round duct that supplies air to flexible, insulated, 2" diameter plastic feeder ducts. Air passes through sound-suppressing tubing at the end of a duct run before entering the room through a plastic collar fitting. According to manufacturers, air is supplied at 440 to 1200 cubic feet per minute (CFM).

High velocity systems use standard outdoor condensing units for air conditioning and heat pump systems. As an option, a water coil can be mounted in the air handling unit for boiler heating or chilled water cooling. Alternatively, adding a bank of electric heating elements to the air handler can provide heating capability to a high velocity air-conditioning system.
 

A humidifier is simply a device that puts water vapor into a home's air. Depending upon its water-output capacity, it may serve a single room or the entire house. Room-size humidifiers are referred to as "tabletop" units. To humidify a whole house, you need either a freestanding cabinet "console" unit or a "central" humidifier that ties into the home's forced-air heating system.

Humidifiers are commonly used in homes to relieve the physical discomforts of dry nose, throat, lips, and skin. The moisture they add to dry air also helps alleviate common nuisances brought on by winter heating, such as static electricity, peeling wallpaper, and cracks in paint and furniture. However, excess moisture can encourage the growth of biological organisms in the home. These organisms include dust mites, which are microscopic animals that produce materials causing allergic reactions to household dust, and molds.

Almost everyone has heard of the hybrid vehicles that use two energy sources, usually gasoline and electricity, to increase fuel efficiency in their cars, but with the cost of natural gas reaching an all-time high, many homeowners are turning to the same technology to heat and cool their homes.

Like hybrid vehicles, hybrid heating systems use a combination of fossil fuels and electricity to increase the efficiency of the system and save fuel. Until recently, few people were interested in paying a little more up front for a hybrid vehicle. After all, gas was cheap and abundant. But record gas prices have consumers snapping up hybrid vehicles off dealer lots as fast as they can be built. The sudden rise in the cost of natural gas has homeowners clamoring for ways to save more on their heating bills.
While the concept of hybrid heating isn’t new, electronic technology, increased efficiency and the cost of fuel is now making hybrid heating systems affordable for the average homeowner.

Hybrid heating systems use electric heat pump technology when the weather is chilly and gas furnace technology when it gets really cold. This makes the home far more comfortable than any single system alone. When it is chilly, people prefer heat pumps over furnaces. The heat pump delivers a consistent “mellow” heat, while a gas furnace delivers intermittent blasts of hot air during mild weather.

Of course, when it gets really cold, people prefer furnaces. They enjoy the “toasty” feeling of the higher temperature air a furnace provides. Because heat pumps deliver lower temperature air than furnaces, heat pumps can feel drafty during colder weather. If it gets too cold, heat pumps cannot keep up with the loss of heat through windows, poorly insulated walls and doors. Usually a supplemental heat strip is required to maintain a comfortable temperature and that can be very expensive to operate for extended periods.

Hybrid systems take advantage of both heating technologies and automatically switch to the one most efficient for the temperature. When it is chilly, the system operates off electricity, providing the heat pump’s steady, mellow heat. But when it turns cold, the hybrid system automatically switches to the gas furnace and its warmer, toasty air. The result is the ultimate in comfort. Even better, hybrid systems cost less to operate.

When it is really cold outside, believe it or not, there is still heat in the air. Everyone can agree that 20 degrees above zero feels warmer than 20 degrees below zero. The difference is the free heat that is still in the air. All you have to do is collect it and transfer it inside. That’s exactly what an electric heat pump does. It literally pumps free heat from outdoors into your home. The heat may be free, but you still have the cost of the mechanical energy needed to pump it inside. That’s a relatively small price during moderate weather and that’s why heat pumps are more economical to operate than furnaces.

But, as the temperature drops, a point is reached where the heat pump can no longer keep up with the heating demand. At this “balance point,” it becomes more economical to use a gas furnace for heating. This eliminates the need for the expensive supplemental heat strip. A hybrid system usually switches from heat pump to furnace at a comfort balance point, which is a few degrees above the economic balance point.

Actual savings can vary based on the efficiencies of hybrid units, the utility rate at any given month, how you use your system, and, of course, the weather. With today’s skyrocketing energy prices, a hybrid system, could save you as much as 40% over last year’s bill and that is nothing to sneeze at.

The advantages are clear. Not only do you get the energy savings and environmental benefits, but those are really only bonuses compared to the comfort. Hybrid systems are way-way more comfortable. Simply spend a cold January with a hybrid system, and you will never return to a conventional heating system.

Costs can vary, but as with the automobile, so can the quality and efficiency of the equipment. On average, hybrid automobiles add about $2000 to $3000 to the sticker price. On the other hand, hybrid heating systems average only about $1000 more than their equivalent conventional counterparts. That seems a small price when weighing the energy savings and comfort factor.

If your heating system is over seven years old, it could be wasting as much as 30% of your heating dollar directly up the chimney. That’s a pretty big incentive to upgrade your working system to one that squeezes as much as 96 cents of heat out of every heating dollar.

It seems ironic that at a time when natural gas bills are slated to rise to as much as 70% over last year’s bills, that Congress has finally given a financial incentive to switch from your old inefficient heating systems to the newer high-efficient ones available. Plus as of January 26, 2006, all heat pumps and air conditioners rated at 12 SEER and below will be considered obsolete and can no longer be made.

In short, a hybrid heating system offers homeowners a new, more efficient way of heating and cooling their homes. When taking into consideration rising energy costs, the increases in efficiency, the comfort factor, the environmental benefits, and the tax incentive savings, it is a wonder that everyone isn’t wanting a hybrid heating system for their family.

Indirect water heaters are heaters with no internal means built into them to independently produce hot water. Instead they rely on heated water piped to them by a boiler. The heated boiler water is circulated either through a coil in the tank or in a jacket surrounding the exterior surface of the tank unit containing cold water. The hot water produced by this process is then pumped through piping to wherever it is needed to be used as hot water or to provide heat in the spaces requiring it.

An internet-controllable thermostat can be connected via Ethernet to your home network and is even able to serve up its own web pages to provide you with the ultimate climate control capabilities. You can control and monitor your thermostat using a standard web browser from any desktop or laptop. Perfect for the frequent traveler, atop overpaying the utility company and begin saving money today!

Radiant heating systems involve supplying heat directly to the floor or to panels in the wall or ceiling of a house. The systems depend largely on radiant heat transfer: the delivery of heat directly from the hot surface to the people and objects in the room via the radiation of heat, which is also called infrared radiation. Radiant heating is the effect you feel when you can feel the warmth of a hot stove top element from across the room. When radiant heating is located in the floor, it is often called radiant floor heating or simply floor heating.

Radiant heating has a number of advantages: it is more efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than forced-air heating because no energy is lost through ducts. The lack of moving air can also be advantageous to people with severe allergies. Hydronic (liquid-based) systems use little electricity, a benefit for homes off the power grid or in areas with high electricity prices. The hydronic systems can also be heated with a wide variety of energy sources, including standard gas- or oil-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, solar water heaters, or some combination of these heat sources.

Despite their name, radiant floor heating systems also depend heavily on convection, the natural circulation of heat within a room, caused by heat rising from the floor. Radiant floor heating systems are significantly different than the radiant panels used in walls and ceilings. For this reason, the following sections discuss radiant floor heat and radiant panels separately.

Types of Radiant Floor Heat

Air-Heated Radiant Floors

Because air cannot hold large amounts of heat, radiant air floors are not cost-effective in residential applications, and are seldom installed. Although they can be combined with solar air heating systems, those systems suffer from the obvious drawback of only being available in the daytime, when heating loads are generally lower. Because of the inefficiency of trying to heat a home with a conventional furnace by pumping air through the floors, the benefits of using solar heat during the day are outweighed by the disadvantages of using the conventional system at night. Although some early solar air heating systems used rocks as a heat-storage medium, this approach is not recommended. For further information, see the section on solar air heating systems.

Electric Radiant Floors

Electric radiant floors typically consist of electric cables built into the floor. Systems that feature mats of electrically conductive plastic are also available, and are mounted onto the sub floor below a floor covering such as tile.

Because of the relatively high cost of electricity, electric radiant floors are usually only cost-effective if they include a significant thermal mass, such as a thick concrete floor, and your electric utility company offers time-of-use rates. Time-of-use rates allow you to "charge" the concrete floor with heat during off-peak hours (approximately 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.). If the floor's thermal mass is large enough, the heat stored in it will keep the house comfortable for eight to ten hours, without any further electrical input (particularly when daytime temperatures are significantly warmer than nighttime temperatures). This saves a considerable number of energy dollars compared to heating at peak electric rates during the day.

Electric radiant floors may also make sense for additions onto homes for which it would be impractical to extend the heating system into the addition. However, homeowners should examine other options, such as mini-split heat pumps, which operate more efficiently and have the advantage of also providing cooling.

Hydronic Radiant Floors

Hydronic (liquid) systems are the most popular and cost-effective radiant heating systems for heating-dominated climates. Hydronic radiant floor systems pump heated water from a boiler through tubing laid in a pattern underneath the floor. In some systems, the temperature in each room is controlled by regulating the flow of hot water through each tubing loop. This is done by a system of zoning valves or pumps and thermostats. The cost of installing a hydronic radiant floor varies by location and also depends on the size of the home, the type of installation, the floor covering, remoteness of the site, and the cost of labor.

A heating device consisting of a series of connected pipes, typically inside an upright metal structure, through which steam or hot water is circulated so as to radiate heat into the surrounding space.

Just a few years ago, the thought of owning an emergency standby generator seemed preposterous. Now, living without electricity is all too common.

Many homeowners simply cannot afford to ride out another power outage. Instead, they are installing home standby generators in record numbers to protect their families and investments.

The concept is really simple. Standby generators are permanently installed outside and operate just like a central air conditioner with two major differences.

Engine Instead of Motor

Air conditioners run off electric motors, which obviously won't work during an outage. Standby generators have engines instead.

The systems can be connected to your natural gas line or liquid propane tank and generate electricity as long as fuel is supplied.

Automatic Transfer Switches

Instead of using a thermostat, standby generators use an automatic transfer switch to monitor your utility power.

When it goes out, the automatic transfer switch turns on the generator - whether you're home or not - and automatically shuts it off when power is restored.

Unlike portable generators, standby generators operate automatically with no human intervention. No generators to move. No power cords to connect. No gas tanks to fill.

Demand (tankless or instantaneous) water heaters provide hot water only as it is needed. They don't produce the standby energy losses associated with storage water heaters, which can save you money. Water is heated as it is used and a large water tank is not needed.

Did you know that properly using a programmable thermostat in your home is one of the easiest ways you can save energy, money, and help fight global warming? An ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat helps make it easy for you to save by offering four pre-programmed settings to regulate your home’s temperature in both summer and winter — when you are asleep or away.

The average household spends more than $2,000 a year on energy bills — nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings. The pre-programmed settings that come with ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats are intended to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort. Depending on your family’s schedule, you can see significant savings by sticking with those settings or adjust them as appropriate for your family. The key is to establish a program that automatically reduces heating and cooling in your home when you don’t need as much.

Ultraviolet light possesses just the right amount of energy to break organic molecular bonds. As micro-organisms pass by the UV rays radiated from the ultraviolet lamp, this bond breakage translates into cellular or genetic damage for micro-organisms, such as germs, viruses, bacteria, fungi (like molds), etc. This results in the destruction of the micro-organisms.

Water heaters are large tanks that hold water in order to heat it and supply the hot water to the home. Water heaters come in various sizes to fit the application and can be either gas or electric powered. The energy efficiency of water heaters has increased in the last 20 years though the overall technology remains as it has for many years.

Zoning controls can be added to any forced heating or cooling system as an accessory. A zone controlled system allows you to adjust the temperature in various parts of your home independently, a luxury you might enjoy. Each area of the home will have its own thermostat, and you can set the temperature for what you like for heating and cooling for just that area. For example, you might want your living room and dining room to be set at 71 degrees, but maybe you like it warmer in your bedroom at 75 degrees.
 
 You get to pick how many zones you want to have, from two zones on up, with most homes using two to six zones.