Sierra Air Home Air Conditioning Cooling Heating Repair Installation

Austin Texas Air Conditioning Heating Cooling HVAC residential

Air-Balancing is the process of testing and adjusting your air conditioning system so that your system delivers the correct amount of air to each room in your home. In reality the Air Balancing process includes a number of tests that determine the performance of your air cooling and heating unit. A air balancing hood is used to measure the amount of air that each grille or vent outputs. The hood tests for manometers, measures system pressure, and Hygrometers measures system temperature and humidity. The result of all theses tests are compiled into a report to determine how well your system is functioning.

Air passes through the equipment and carries the heating and cooling inside. The effectiveness of the equipment is entirely dependent on the amount of airflow. When our certified technician measures the airflow that your system is outputting he can see system performance. With this information he can diagnose, repair and balance the duct system for maximum system performance. The end result is rooms that are the same temperature, cleaner air, better humidity control and real energy savings.

Air balancing is an old trade then many people think, air balancing dates back to 1732 when a French Engineer named Henri Pitot created a method for measuring fluid pressure. Even though air balancing is critical to the performance of your air conditioning and heating system, less then 5000 individuals in the world are trained and certified in air balancing today. At Sierra Air our technicians are a part of this elite group.

Have any questions? Visit our FAQ page.

What You Can't See Can Hurt You!

In today's air tight homes, Indoor Air Quality is a growing concern. Most household dust contains dust mites, mold, mildew, pollen and animal dander. Many of these contaminants are circulated through the central air systems in modern homes and can aggravate asthma and allergies.

Air Duct Cleaning can:

Reduce the levels of dirt and debris
Reduce the levels of mold
Reduce the levels of pollen
Reduce the levels of dust mites
Improve the efficiency of your HVAC system

Indoor air pollutants such as dust mites, mold, mildew, animal dander and smoke are just some of the irritants that are circulated through today's air tight homes. These pollutants can aggravate asthma and allergies.

If your air condition and heating unit is not properly installed maintained, and operated, these components may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris. If moisture is present, the potential for microbiological growth (e.g., mold) is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the home's living space. Failure to clean a component of a contaminated system can result in re-contamination of the entire system, thus negating any potential benefits.

Our Trained Technicians can come out and inspect your system, diagnose any problems, then take the appropriate action to clean your air ducts.

How Do I Prevent Duct Contamination?

Use the highest efficiency air filter recommended by the manufacturer of your heating and cooling system.
Change filters regularly.
If your filters become clogged, change them more frequently.
Be sure you do not have any missing filters and that air cannot bypass filters through gaps around the filter holder.
When having your heating and cooling system maintained or checked for other reasons, be sure to ask the service provider to clean cooling coils and drain pans.
During construction or renovation work that produces dust in your home, seal off supply and return registers and do not operate the heating and cooling system until after cleaning up the dust.
Remove dust and vacuum your home regularly. (Use a high efficiency vacuum (HEPA) cleaner or the highest efficiency filter bags your vacuum cleaner can take. Vacuuming can increase the amount of dust in the air during and after vacuuming as well as in your ducts).
If your heating system includes in-duct humidification equipment, be sure to operate and maintain the humidifier strictly as recommended by the manufacturer.

Sierra Air will guarantee satisfaction for all of the service we provide to our customers.

Have any questions? Visit our FAQ page.

Total System Efficiency

Your system efficiency is based on a new standard named SER™, System Efficiency Ratio. It's an efficiency rating of your installed system, including the effects of the ducting and the construction of your home. When an contractor measures the SER™ of your system, the test reveals the ratio of actual heating or cooling delivery compared to the rated amount the equipment produced when the manufacturer tested the equipment. For example if an air conditioner worked perfectly, it would be rated at a CSER™ of 100%. But if it only delivered half the cooling, the CSER™ would be 50%. In simple terms, 14 SEER air conditioning equipment could only operate like 7 SEER equipment.

What is a HSER™ or a CSER™?

HSER stands for Heating System Efficiency Ratio - it rates your heating system’s efficiency. CSER™ represents Cooling System Efficiency Ratio and rates the efficiency of your air conditioning system. This rating provides specific information about the performance of your system that has never been available to consumers before. More important, the testing that establishes the rating identifies exactly what needs to be done to your system to improve your comfort and efficiency.

What should I do to get a better System Efficiency Ratio?

While new high efficiency heating and cooling equipment may help, the number one factor in determining system efficiency is your duct system. Heating and cooling travels through ducts that are often too restrictive, damaged, poorly maintained, or improperly designed and installed from the beginning. Your certified contractor can fix many of these problems and increase your SER. An NCI certified Combustion Analyst can also measure and adjust your furnace’s combustion efficiency for maximum fuel savings.

Have any questions? Visit our FAQ page.

What Happens If I Have Mold?

The Facts About Mold and Your Home

Mold spores are literally as old as dirt. Check out Leviticus Chapter 14 (written over 3000 years ago) for mold remediation instructions. In recent years more people have become sensitive to mold. To some mold can be toxic. Yet people aren’t sensitive to mold at all. Today’s homes are better insulated and tighter. There’s more potential to trap the moisture that can promote biological growth.

At What Point is Mold a Threat?

Mold has been called ‘Mother Nature’s reclaiming process.” Mold spores are literally everywhere. A typical healthy house is host to tens of thousands of mold spores. The problem begins when mold spores find an environment where they can reproduce exponentially. Mold needs moisture to grow. Control the moisture and you can control mold growth. If good housekeeping keeps it in check, the problem is often easily cleaned up.

What if there appears to be mold in my air conditioning system?

It’s your air conditioning system’s job to ventilate your home. The ducts are designed to supply and return airflow to each room. If there is a mold infestation on your home, an increased amount of mold spores become present. As the air conditioning system constantly recycles air throughout your home, it becomes infected by the active mold culture and often is first noticed on the registers. In rare cases mold can be caused by the air conditioning system due to lack of maintenance, clogged or leaking drain pans, etc. These HVAC-related causes can usually be corrected by a qualified heating and air conditioning contractor.

Can my air conditioning system cause mold?

A properly designed, installed, and maintained air conditioning system should not cause mold. However, while an oversized or improperly designed system may somewhat cool your home, it may not remove enough moisture. Too much moisture in your home’s air can increase the potential for mold growth. Improper installation, lack of maintenance, and water drainage issues can also lead to biological growth.

Have any questions? Visit our FAQ page.

Information provided by NCI™