February is all about love, so it’s a great time to think about how you can show your HVAC system a little love! While your HVAC system won’t appreciate flowers or chocolates (save those for your loved ones), there are a few things you can do to give it the attention it deserves. If you take good care of your heating system, it will reciprocate by keeping you cozy all winter long. Change Your Air Filter The most important thing you can do for your heating system is to change the air filter regularly. A clean filter allows air to flow freely throughout your HVAC system. As your system runs, the filter collects debris, pollutants, and other particles from the air that flows through it. When the filter becomes too full of contaminants, it can cause your system to struggle, resulting in: Higher energy billsOverworked componentsUneven heating throughout your home Make sure to change out your filter at least every 60-90 days. During months when your system is running more often, or if you have pets or family members who suffer from allergies or asthma, you will want to replace it monthly. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of checking your air filter every month. If it’s looking good, you can let it go another month. If not, it’s time to change it out. Check to Make Sure Vents Are Unobstructed Each month when you check your air filter, take a walk through your home to check your vents as well. Make sure vents aren’t blocked by furniture, clutter, or other obstructions. Blocked vents can cause uneven heating and other HVAC performance issues, resulting in higher energy bills and potentially costly repairs. Your HVAC system is made to move air, and when the vents are blocked it can’t do its job.  If you can access them, don’t forget to check vents that lead outside the home as well. As it runs, your heating system produces carbon monoxide(CO). CO is typically vented outside where it’s safe to release, but if the vents are blocked it can build up inside your home. Because CO can be toxic at high levels, it’s a good idea to both check your outside vents regularly and install CO detectors throughout your home. Schedule Regular Professional Maintenance Even with regular air filter changes, your HVAC system can get bogged down with dust, dirt, and grime. This can reduce your system’s efficiency and increase your energy bills. Having your air ducts cleaned regularly is the best way to keep that from happening. In addition, treating your HVAC system to regular tuneups will help keep it healthy and running efficiently. Routinely inspecting the various components of your system can help identify potential issues before they become big (and expensive) problems. Ideally, you should have a tuneup done on your heating and cooling systems twice a year.  Air duct cleanings and regular tuneups should both be handled by a professional. Show Your HVAC System a Little Love this Winter With a Maintenance Plan From Titan Here at Titan, we know that a well-maintained system can bring you lower energy bills, fewer serious repairs, and peace of mind. That’s why we recommend taking advantage of one of our HVAC maintenance plans. Our plans offer you priority service, meaning you’ll jump to the front of the line when your system needs service. You’ll also enjoy discounts on parts, labor, and installation. And with our Titan Plus HVAC maintenance plan, you’ll have scheduled maintenance each spring and fall on your heating and/or cooling system. Learn more about our maintenance plans here, and don’t hesitate to contact us at 651-714-8931 with any questions or to schedule...

Read More
What does an HVAC purifier do?

While indoor air quality has always been important, up until recently it isn’t something many of us thought about on a regular basis. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the quality of the air in our homes and workplaces to the forefront of our minds as we work to make our indoor spaces as safe and healthy as possible. You may not realize this, but according to the EPA, the air inside a home or business can be 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside! Indoor air can be polluted with a variety of different things, including mold, bacteria, and viruses. But luckily there is something you can do about that: Installing an HVAC air purifier can significantly improve the quality of the air in your home or workplace. Let’s take a closer look at how an HVAC air purifier does this. HVAC Air Purifier vs Paper Filters—What’s the Difference? Ordinary paper filters found in most HVAC systems do a great job of removing dust from the air, but many of them stop there. Your indoor air can still be full of other tiny particles that can be harmful to your health. Air purification systems, on the other hand, do much more. In addition to removing dust from the air, HVAC air purifiers can also remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mold, bacteria, and viruses (including COVID) that circulate throughout your space, leaving your air significantly cleaner than with a traditional paper filter. Benefits of an HVAC Air Purifier Having cleaner air to breathe is a benefit in and of itself, but there are several specific ways that an HVAC air purifier can benefit you: Trapping allergens such as pet dander and mold.Trapping dust mites and dust.Removing VOCs from the air.Neutralizing smoke and odors from cigarette smoke, your fireplace, cooking, garbage, and more.Trapping bacteria and viruses, helping to prevent the spread of germs. These things can benefit anyone, but if you suffer from allergies, asthma, chronic respiratory problems, or other breathing-related health issues, an air purifier could prove to be an indispensable part of maintaining your health. Who Should Consider an HVAC Air Purifier? An HVAC air purifier can benefit anyone who wants to create cleaner air in their home or workplace. But in some cases installing an air purifier is imperative to maintaining a healthy indoor environment.  For example, any business that uses VOCs, cleaning chemicals, or printers—including salons, print shops, dry cleaners, auto repair shops, and furniture refinishers—should consider an air purifier to keep the air free of toxins. And for those who regularly use a fireplace, those who live with a smoker, and those suffer from allergies or other respiratory troubles despite their best efforts to maintain a clean, dust-free home, an HVAC air purifier would be a worthy investment toward better respiratory health. Types of HVAC Air Filtration & Air Purifier Systems There are several types of HVAC air purifiers on the market, and they don’t all provide the same function. A few of the more common air purifiers are: HEPA filters can trap more than 99 percent of airborne particles that are .3 microns or larger. But HEPA filters don’t work for every system, so depending on your system this type of purifier may not be an option for you.Carbon-activated filters have absorbent pores that trap contaminants as they pass through, and work well to remove VOCs, smoke, and odors.HVAC ultraviolet light air purifiers are often used alongside HEPA filters, and use rays of ultraviolet light to kill tiny microorganisms like bacteria.Electrostatic air purifiers use static electricity to clean the air. Air flows through a network of static-prone fibers to create an electrostatic charge, which traps airborne particles.Ionizing air...

Read More

Over the past month here at Titan, we have begun installing a new product that is helping schools and universities maintain the health safety of their students and staff during the pandemic. A new air-cleaning technology from Global Plasma Solutions (GPS) removes pathogens (including COVID-19) from the air using the existing HVAC system in a building. Let’s go over how it works. How it Works GPS’ patented technology is called needlepoint bipolar ionization (or NPBI™). This technology purifies indoor air by reducing airborne particulates, odors, and pathogens.  To accomplish this, NPBI™ creates and releases ions into the airstream using your existing HVAC system. These ions disperse throughout the room and form bonds with particles in the air through a process called agglomeration. This process forms large clusters of particles that are more easily filtered out of the air by your HVAC system. In addition, the ions themselves have a microbicidal effect (meaning they destroy microbes) on pathogens, rendering them inactive. NPBI™ does this without producing ozone or other harmful byproducts, so it’s safe to use in indoor spaces. You can see how this technology could change the game this winter for schools, universities, and other businesses that rely on gathering people indoors. Please note that in their disclaimers, GPS states that this technology is not intended to take the place of other precautions to prevent the transmission of disease, and that compliance with health authorities and the CDC’s guidance is still important, including but not limited to social distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and the use of face masks. Testing and Compliance This technology has undergone several rounds of testing to prove its safety and effectiveness. GPS has done in-lab sensitivity testing and simulations, as well as field testing in several of their customer locations, and has found it to be effective and non-harming both to people and the environment. As a bonus, it has also been shown to save up to 30% on energy consumption! This technology has been registered and certified by UL 867 and UL 2998 as ozone-free, and is CE compliant. Where it’s Being Used NPBI™ is already being used in thousands of offices, airports, hospitals, schools, and other community spaces worldwide. Among their list of customers, GPS lists Harvard University, Google, Boston Children’s Hospital, and even the White House. Titan has only been installing this product for the past month, but already it is in high demand among our customers, especially local school districts. The hope is that this technology will help schools stay open during the pandemic, while providing an added level of safety for students, teachers, and staff. This exciting new technology is available for installation by our HVAC technicians here at Titan. If NPBI™ sounds like a good fit for your building, or if you have questions, call us at 651-714-8931. ...

Read More

Generally speaking, large open spaces take more energy to heat and cool than smaller enclosed spaces, especially if they have high or vaulted ceilings. Yet modern open floor plan design tends to result in greater energy efficiency, not less. Let’s take a look at why that is. More Natural Light Homes with an open floor plan have fewer walls and angles to block the spread of light, allowing you to take full advantage of natural lighting. Sunshine can stream throughout the space uninhibited, filling your home with natural light. More natural light equates to more natural warmth as well, decreasing your reliance on your furnace in the winter. During the summer, improved airflow helps maintain more consistently cool temperatures, and shades and ceiling fans can help keep things cool so you don’t overtax your A/C unit. If windows are optimally placed in the home so that you can get the most benefit from natural light, you will reduce the amount of energy you need to heat and light your home. Improved Air Circulation Walls impede the flow of air, making enclosed spaces stuffy. They also make it difficult to maintain consistent temperatures throughout the home — often, one room will feel just right while the rest are too warm or too cold. You can overwork your HVAC unit trying to keep all of your rooms comfortable. An open floor plan allows air to circulate freely, making it easier to keep indoor air fresh and maintain an even temperature throughout the home while reducing the energy you use. Less Square Footage Needed The same square footage can feel bigger or smaller depending on the design of the home. Homes with open floor plans feel more spacious than those with a traditional floor plan, meaning you need less square footage to create an open and spacious atmosphere in your home. In other words, a smaller home with an open floor plan can feel just as spacious as a larger home with a traditional layout. The smaller your home, the less energy it requires to heat, cool, and light, and the lower your utility bills are. Open floor plans are not without their downsides — less privacy, potentially noisier, difficult to contain kitchen odors, and so on — so they are not to everyone’s preference. But when it comes to energy efficiency, modern open floor plan design has traditional floor plans beat.Whether you have an open floor plan or a traditional home, the best way to keep your HVAC unit running as efficiently as possible is with a routine maintenance plan. Contact Titan to get on our calendar for routine maintenance, repair, or replacement by giving us a call at 651-714-8931. We look forward to serving you! ...

Read More
What should you do before turning on your furnace?

Fall is officially here, which means heating season is just around the corner. But before you turn on your furnace for the first time, there are a few things you should do to ensure it’s ready to keep your home warm all winter long.   Change the Air Filter A clogged air filter keeps your furnace from running efficiently and can potentially cause it to overheat. Check your filter monthly and change it as needed — at least every 3 months, but more often if you have allergies or pets who shed. If you have a reusable air filter, vacuum it to remove any dust, then wash it with soap and water and allow it to dry before inserting it back into the furnace.   Uncover Vents & Clear Out Debris Blocked vents will keep heat from flowing uniformly throughout your house, so make sure nothing is obstructing your heating vents — including furniture, curtains, rugs, or other objects. You can also remove the register covers and vacuum out the ducts with a hose attachment to remove some of the dust and debris that accumulates between regular professional cleanings.   Declutter the Area Around Your Furnace Items stored near your furnace can pose a fire hazard. Move anything that is stored close to your furnace unit, paying special attention to flammable items such as rags, mops, paper, and chemicals. To be on the safe side, it’s best to keep all flammable materials in a separate room from the furnace.   Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors Test your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors to ensure they are in working order, and change the batteries if you haven’t done so in a while. If your home doesn’t have CO detectors, you’ll want to add them. When a furnace burns oil or natural gas to create heat, carbon monoxide is produced as a by-product. The CO is typically vented out of your home by your heating system, but cracks in the heat exchanger, blockages in the vents, or other issues can cause your furnace to leak carbon monoxide, putting your family at risk for CO poisoning. Carbon monoxide detectors typically last 5-7 years, so if yours is on the older side, it may be time to replace it.     Test the Thermostat Test your thermostat to make sure it’s communicating with your furnace. Turn the thermostat up high enough to make the heat kick on, and if it seems like it's not communicating with the furnace, replace the batteries (if it has batteries). If that doesn’t fix the problem, you may need a new thermostat.     Seal Doors and Windows Make sure all outside doors and windows have a nice tight seal. Any gaps will allow heated air to escape and cold air to enter your home, making your furnace work even harder to keep your house at a consistent temperature (and therefore increasing your heating bill).     Schedule an Inspection Routine yearly maintenance helps keep your furnace in tip top shape as well as reduce the cost of major repairs. Fall is the time to schedule a tuneup and inspection for your furnace to make sure it’s ready for the cold weather months. During an inspection an HVAC technician will inspect your system for signs of wear and tear, clean out your system, and make any needed adjustments to keep everything running reliably throughout the winter. And if your furnace is nearing the end of its life, this is a good time to have it checked out to see if it can hang on for another year or if it’s time for a replacement. Titan Heating & Cooling is here to help you with regular HVAC maintenance, new furnace installation, or any...

Read More