4 Signs Something Is Wrong With Your Attic Fan

October 24th, 2022

If you have an attic fan then you probably rely on it working without a hassle and without you thinking about it pretty much at all. Just get the fan installed and voila! You have better comfort and lower bills.

We would love it if this was always the case for all of our customers. But problems will pop up over the years, even with attic fans. Unfortunately, you’ll likely notice it once your comfort drops and your energy bills spike.

We want to help you avoid this. Read on to learn about some of the other warning signs that you need an attic fan repair in Pelham, AL so you know when to schedule your service with us.

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How Do I Know If My Pipes Are Leaking Under My Floor?

October 11th, 2022

Plumbing leaks can be hidden throughout your home and you probably wouldn’t realize it until you get hit with an unusually high water bill. Spikes in your water bill without a change in your water usage are often the first indication homeowners have a hidden leak, but where could it be? The Douglas Cooling & Heating at Douglas Cooling & Heating discuss how you can tell if your pipes are leaking under your floor. If you find a leak, call Douglas Cooling & Heating right away for comprehensive plumbing repairs.

Signs of Leaking Pipes

Pipes are all over your house. Within your walls, floors, and even in your yard. Water damage can become extensive quickly and can be expensive to fix, so if you have a leak, finding it is of the utmost importance. Water leaks also waste hundreds of gallons of water. Fixing these leaks fast can help save you money and help the planet.

Since pipes aren’t in plain sight, it’s hard to tell where a leak is often coming from. Let’s go through some common places where you may find leaks in your home and how to test for them.

Watch Your Water Meter

Turn off all the water running appliances in your home and locate your water meter. It is usually located outside of your home on the side of your house, or in a pit in your yard. With all the appliances off, your water meter should show that you are not consuming any water. However, if it is moving and all your appliances and sinks are off, then you have a leaky pipe or appliance somewhere in your home.

Test Appliances and Toilets

A common culprit of a hidden water leak in your toilet. Conduct the dye test on your toilets. Put some food color in the tank of your toilet and see if the dye moves into the toilet bowl. Check also for wetness around the base of the toilet to see if the porcelain has developed invisible leaks.

Run your appliances and inspect the base of the appliances for wet floors or puddles. Listen for any dripping water when you run appliances as well to clue you into other leaks.

Look at the Pipes You Can See

Look in your kitchen and bathroom cabinets to see if the plumbing pipes to the sinks are leaking. If your cabinets are full of items, you may need to take the items out to see if they are wet.

Damage To Your Floor, Walls, or Ceilings

Warped floors, peeling wallpaper, and water spots on the ceiling are signs that you have a leaky pipe somewhere. Unexpected wet carpets or pools of water on your floor are big signs there is a leak under your floor. If parts of your floor seem unusually hot, mark the section of the floor with tape and see if the heat persists the next day as well. This could be another sign of a slow leak. Keep your eyes peeled for bowing or separating walls, doors and windows that won’t close fully as these can be signs of water damage.

Outdoor Leaks

Not only could there be leaks underneath your home’s foundation and floors, but there could also be leaks in your yard. If you have spots in your lawn that are unusually lush, your sewer line could be leaking under your grass. Sewer lines often run from your house to the street through your front yard and your sewer line may also be under concrete features like driveways and sidewalks. Douglas Cooling & Heating can inspect your sewer line and clear it of any clogs to prevent it from developing leaks.

Strange Odors

Another big sign of a leaking pipe within your home’s walls or floors is unusual odors. If you notice a musty smell in your home it is often caused by mold or mildew growth. Mold and mildew love damp conditions like those created by a leaky pipe. Mold and mildew can grow just about anywhere; within walls, under carpets, within cabinets, and within openings for doors and windows.

Call Douglas Cooling & Heating For Plumbing Repairs

Douglas Cooling & Heating offers a variety of plumbing repairs throughout your home. Whether you need small leaks taken care of, or you have a pipe burst, call the Douglas Cooling & Heating in Birmingham, AL to fix your plumbing issues quickly. Schedule an appointment with Douglas Cooling & Heating today.

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Should You Leave a Dehumidifier On All The Time?

October 11th, 2022

Central Alabama is no stranger to humid air for long periods of time. As Summer starts to wind down and the humidity returns to a more comfortable level, you might be wondering when is the right time to turn off your whole house dehumidifier for the season. Should you run your dehumidifier constantly? Douglas Cooling & Heating explains how your dehumidifier can help with your home’s indoor air quality and when you should run a dehumidifier to get the most out of it.

Monitoring Your Home’s Humidity Levels

Your air conditioner will help lower the humidity levels in your home, but in Alabama, where the humidity can be oppressive, sometimes your cooling system can’t keep up. This is when you might consider installing a whole house dehumidifier to make your home much more comfortable in the summer and help your air conditioner last longer. High humidity can cause damage to your home, encourage mold and mildew growth, and increase dust and allergy symptoms.

If you feel that you can’t find relief from the humidity in your home, test your home’s humidity levels with a hygrometer. For most homes, the ideal humidity level is less than 60% in the summer and 25-40% in the winter. Many programmable or smart thermostats can also give you a humidity reading of your home as well.

As temperatures begin to lower for the season, so will the relative humidity. Keep testing your home’s humidity level to see when it’s time to turn off your whole house humidifier for the season.

When To Turn Off Your Dehumidifier for the Season

Many dehumidifiers have an auto shut-off feature. You can set your dehumidifier to a desired relative humidity level and it will automatically shut off when that level is reached. This means you don’t need to have your dehumidifier running constantly throughout the year. Often, nightly temperatures at the end of summer will lower the humidity level down enough that your humidifier will shut off on its own.

When the relative humidity level in your home has reached the 30%-50% range, that’s when it’s time to turn off your dehumidifier for the season. You can set the humidistat to the “off” position, or there may be a damper that you can switch to the “winter” position.

In the winter, as the temperatures get colder, the air becomes dryer. You don’t want to have your dehumidifier constantly running and make the air too dry. To get the best performance out of your system, only run your dehumidifier in the warmer months like the spring and summer.

Maintaining Your Whole Home Dehumidifier

When you’re done using your dehumidifier for the year, it’s a good idea to wipe down all the surfaces of the dehumidifier to prevent mold and mildew growth. If you are unsure where your dehumidifier is, or how to turn it off for the season, the team at Douglas Cooling & Heating can help.

As part of your fall tune-up service, Douglas Cooling & Heating will prepare your entire HVAC system for the fall. This means cleaning your furnace, making sure it’s heating your home efficiently, and turning off your dehumidifier if you have one. It’s a good idea to schedule your tune-up service now before you turn on your furnace for the first time for the season. Talk to Douglas Cooling & Heating to schedule your appointment today.

Call Douglas Cooling & Heating to Prepare Your HVAC System For Winter

To learn more about excess moisture in your home and how to improve your indoor air quality, talk to the team at Douglas Cooling & Heating. We can assess your indoor air quality and find the perfect solutions that can help you breathe easily in your home. Schedule an appointment with Douglas Cooling & Heating today.

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Why You Should Tune-Up Your Ductless System Today

October 10th, 2022

Keeping your ductless air conditioner and heater in good working order is highly important now, and in the many months to come. If you haven’t booked this service just yet, we’d say that now is a great time to do so. And we are happy to explain why.

The shortest explanation: the better level of care that your ductless HVAC system gets, the better the comfort that it can provide. That’s why you should reach out to our team to schedule your appointment today before our calendar fills up!

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These Signs Mean You Need a Ceiling Fan Repair

September 26th, 2022

If you have a ceiling fan in your home you may use this piece of equipment more often than you use your HVAC system. Ceiling fans can help improve the effectiveness of your HVAC system when in use. They can also help improve your comfort on milder days when the AC can be left alone. But because a ceiling fan sees so much use, it may also need a bit more attention.

Much like when your AC or heater runs into trouble, the need for a ceiling fan repair in Birmingham, AL is something that should be taken care of sooner than later and always handled by an expert.

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The Benefits Of Hiring a Professional For Your Commercial HVAC Needs

September 12th, 2022

Keeping a commercial space like an office or storefront comfortable throughout the year can be tough to do. This is especially true in the summer season with high heat beating on your door every day. But you aren’t without help, thankfully.

Using a commercial HVAC in Shelby County, AL can ensure that your space remains comfortable even when the weather seems out of control. And working with a trained professional to keep this system in good condition ensures that it will be able to help you for many years to come.

Read on to learn more about why working with a professional who is trained to handle your commercial HVAC system is so important.

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Are Dehumidifiers a Good Idea?

August 29th, 2022

Central Alabama is often hot and humid. Humidity can often make a hot day feel even hotter when the relative humidity is higher than 50%, which can be frequently in the summer months. You may have heard about whole-house dehumidifiers and are curious if they would be a good fit for your home. Are dehumidifiers a good idea? The HVAC specialists at Douglas Cooling & Heating explain the factors that you should consider if you’re thinking about adding a dehumidification system to your home.

How Does a Dehumidifier Work?

Humidity is the measurement of water in the air, often displayed as a percentage. The higher the temperature of the air, the more moisture it can hold. That’s why you mostly experience humid 90-degree days and less humid 70-degree days.

A whole-house dehumidifier is attached to your home’s HVAC system. As air flows through the system, it passes through a cool coil that removed the moisture from the air. The air is then sent through your home with much less moisture in it, making it feel much more comfortable. Your dehumidifier should be able to bring down the moisture in the air to a relatively low humidity level of 30-50 percent.

Air conditioners and heat pumps are good at dehumidifying the air on their own, however, really humid days can cause a lot of strain on your systems, which makes them vulnerable to breaking down. Adding a dehumidifier to your home can help take some of the stress off your cooling system.

You can buy individual room dehumidifiers, but they often require regular maintenance such as emptying the collection tank and replacing the air filters. These little appliances only can provide relief for one room. A whole house dehumidifier can service the entire home, requires very little maintenance, and uses very little energy. Only about 3-16 cents an hour on average.

Why You Should Consider Adding a Dehumidifier to Your Home’s HVAC System

Would adding a whole-house dehumidifier benefit your home? Here are some specific instances that a dehumidifier would help with.

Severe Allergies & Asthma Symptoms

Humidity can make allergies worse. Common allergens like mold, dust mites and pollen thrive and spread easily in moist environments. If you’re allergic to any of these things, it can make your allergies worse. Humidity can also make it harder to breathe, especially for asthmatics. A dehumidifier can help lighten the air so you can breathe easily in your home.

Hot Climates

Homes in hot climates with high humidity, like Central Alabama, can find additional relief in their home’s comfort with a whole-house dehumidifier.

Mold & Mildew Growth

Mold and mildew tend to grow and spread easily in humid climates. If you find that your home has a musty smell to it, you may have mold growing inside your walls. A dehumidifier will dry out your home, preventing mold from spreading any further.

Cooling System Performance

There’s nothing worse than going into your home on a hot and humid day only to discover that it’s just as humid inside as it is outside. Your cooling system is most likely stressed from trying to both dehumidify and cool the air in your home. You may even notice your summer cooling bills spike from the added usage. A dehumidifier will relieve the strain your system is experiencing and it won’t have to work as hard. You might even notice a decrease in your cooling bills after you have a whole-house dehumidifier installed.

Pest Control

Not only do airborne contaminants like moist climates, but so do bugs. Spiders, silverfish, cockroaches, and other creepy crawlies might flock to your home if it is constantly hot and humid. Drying out the air will make your home less appealing to them and drive them away. If you’ve had insect infestations in the past, a dehumidifier could help.

Home Comfort Issues

If your home is humid, not only will you feel it, but you’ll notice moisture on the inside of windows, wallpaper peeling, worsening allergies, musty odors, and rotting wood. Excessive indoor humidity isn’t just uncomfortable it can also be damaging to the wooden floors and furniture around your home. Improve your home’s comfort and protect it for years to come with a dehumidifier.

Talk to Douglas Cooling & Heating to Install a Dehumidifier in Your Birmingham, AL Home

If you’re looking for relief from the hot and humid weather, then talk to Douglas Cooling & Heating about whole house dehumidifier installation in your Birmingham area home. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

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What Maintenance Needs to be Done On a Heat Pump?

August 29th, 2022

If you’re in the market for a new heating and cooling system for your Birmingham, AL home, you might have considered a heat pump. Heat pumps can both heat and cool your home with one unit and are better at dehumidifying that an air conditioner. But before you invest in a heat pump, you want to have all your facts straight including what to expect for maintenance, installation, and energy bills for your heat pump.

Douglas Cooling & Heating can answer these questions along with what maintenance needs to be done on a heat pump to keep your home comfortable in every season.

Why Should I Install A Heat Pump?

Heat pumps are incredibly energy-efficient heating and cooling systems that can replace your current HVAC system, or be installed in your newly constructed home. Many homes in Birmingham have heat pumps installed already. Heat pumps are capable of cooling your home in the summer and heating it in the winter. However, since these systems work year-round, they don’t tend to last as long as a traditional HVAC system composed of an air conditioner and a furnace. The average life expectancy of a heat pump is 10-15 years.

Heat pumps are also more expensive than a traditional HVAC system, but they are much more energy efficient. Heat pumps do not rely on natural gas and only need electricity to make your home comfortable. Because of their efficiency, many homeowners notice a drastic increase in savings on energy bills when they make the switch from a furnace and air conditioner to a heat pump

I’ve Heard Heat Pumps Need More Maintenance, Is That True?

Heat pumps need to be serviced twice a year, once in the spring before the cooling season starts and again in the winter before the heating season starts. Your technician will clean your system and make sure your reversing valve is working properly to ensure that your system will be able to make your home comfortable as the season changes.

Now you might think that a heat pump might not be worth investing in since it requires more service, however when you compare a heat pump to a traditional HVAC system that’s composed of an air conditioner and a furnace, the maintenance works out to be the same. A furnace and an air conditioner also need to be serviced once a year. When you do the math, you can have two systems, each serviced once a year or one system that needs service twice a year. In the end, you’ll require the same amount of maintenance.

What Services Are Done During Heat Pump Maintenance?

When you call Douglas Cooling & Heating for heat pump maintenance, your technician will:

  • Change the air filter as needed. Check the filter manufacturer’s recommendation for frequency while considering special factors about your home that may increase the frequency of changes, such as pets or smoking in the home.
  • Keep exterior coils clean year-round. Cut off power to the unit and use a hose to clear away dirt.
  • Keep vegetation at least 24 inches back from your heat pump to allow for proper airflow.
  • Never store items around your exterior heat pump. This includes patio furniture, lawn tools, and outdoor toys.
  • Remove snow and ice from your unit’s exterior in the winter. This prevents damage and allows air to flow freely to the unit.
  • Flush the unit’s condensate pan and drain to eliminate clogs that could cause mold growth and water damage to the surrounding areas.

Make Heat Pump Maintenance Easy By Joining Our 24/7 Club

Remembering to schedule HVAC Maintenance can be a difficult task. Douglas Cooling & Heating helps by providing a service plan that can help make sure you never miss an appointment again. When you sign up for the 24/7 Club Membership, we’ll call you to make a heat pump service appointment around your schedule. Membership also includes benefits like a plumbing maintenance appointment, discounts on repairs and new units, and priority service. Contact us today to sign up.

Talk to Douglas Cooling & Heating To Learn More About Heat Pumps

Whether you’re looking to have a heat pump installed, or need someone who can repair your unit, you can trust the experienced technicians at Douglas Cooling & Heating. We have years of experience serving homes and businesses in the Birmingham area with all their HVAC needs. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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Do You Fix Your Ducts Or Go Ductless?

August 15th, 2022

Do you have ductwork in your home? If you do, then you should know how vital this part of your HVAC system is going to be. After all, this serves as the delivery system for the temperature-controlled air that your AC and heater create.

So what happens when something goes wrong with your ductwork? You have options of course but it may be hard to figure out which is right for you. The answer may depend on your budget, the age of your ducts, and other factors.

Let’s look at how you can differentiate between getting AC duct repair in Jefferson County, AL or whether you should switch to a ductless system.

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Signs You Have Leaky Ductwork

August 1st, 2022

wall-ventYour air conditioner works hard to create cool air for your home. Or rather, it works hard to pull heat out of your home and distribute the cooled air throughout the house. But your air conditioner isn’t the only part that requires care to get your home comfortable on a hot summer day.

If you have ductwork that isn’t in the best condition, then you should schedule AC duct sealing Birmingham, AL. This service is going to be helpful in stopping up the leaks that would allow your cooled air to escape into areas that aren’t in need of cooling. Here’s what you need to know about the problems created by leaky ductwork so you know why duct sealing is so important.

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