Happy Earth Day RVA! Earth day started in 1970 as a way to get a few more trees in the world, now it represents so much more, recycling, renewable energy and more! At Gilman, we are all about energy conservation and awareness. Did you know we have technology that can heat and cool your home using energy from the earth's core? It's called Geothermal Technology! The geothermal heat pump unit is connected to the earth through a series of durable polyethylene pipes. The most common configurations are either open-loop or closed-loop design.
While most of our services benefit the interior of your home, we still think the exterior landscape is very important! In honor of Lawn and Garden Month, we have pulled together five tips on how to have an easy, but nice looking yard this spring:
"What did one toilet say to the other?" "You look flushed!" Happy April Fool's Day! All joking aside, a clogged toilet, leaky faucet and other plumbing issues are no joke. This week we want to help you with a few simple plumbing tips:
Spring is finally here in Richmond! Make sure you are ready with a few simple spring cleaning tips:
Wondering how to make your air conditioner run colder? Let’s make one important distinction first. An air conditioner cools your home by taking the heat out, not by adding coldness. Once the heat energy has been extracted from interior air and conveyed outdoors, cool comfort is simply the state that’s left behind. The effectiveness of an air conditioner is assessed by its capacity to handle your home’s cooling load: the amount of BTUs of heat energy the unit must transfer outdoors every hour to keep temperatures at a comfortable level. While it’s not possible to make an A/C perform beyond its manufactured specifications, making sure it doesn’t fall below its rated capacity is very possible. The answer to how to make your air conditioner run colder comes down to a few simple DIY steps.
Frozen pipes can cause all sorts of problems. Be sure to pay attention to when the temperature drops into the teens or lower. Frozen water lines often result in broken pipes and water leaks that damage walls, flooring, and personal property. Plumbing repairs and cleanup work can cost thousands of dollars. Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent frozen pipes from causing you headaches this winter.
Storage tank hot water heaters are generally not problematic until the day the tank springs a leak or the heating element fails. Deciding to repair or replace the unit comes down to a few factors: age, type of damage, and cost. You'll want to make a quick decision since no one wants to be stuck showering without hot water, even in temperate eastern Virginia.
For ideal comfort, the humidity inside your house should range between 30 and 50 percent. If it gets any higher, not only will homeowners feel hot and sweaty, dangerous mold and mildew also has a chance to grow. Thankfully, there are some easy steps Ashland, VA homeowners can take to lower humidity in their homes.
If you're working with a competent professional who follows HVAC industry best practices for system sizing and selection, you're off to a great start! Installing the ductless mini-split A/C in the best location is the crucial next step. Use these tips to make sure the job is well done so you can maximize home cooling and energy efficiency.
Thermostats come under a number of different categories, but whether you've got a switch-controlled or digital unit, chances are you'll have to replace thermostat batteries at some point. It's actually recommended you do this once a year. If you're unsure how to replace thermostat batteries, keep reading.
You may have one in your home, but you may still be wondering what is a forced-air furnace. By learning exactly what it is and how it works, you can better see that it's maintained and maximize its efficiency.
A forced-air furnace heats air and disperses it throughout your home via ductwork and vents. Forced-air furnaces heat air in various ways, including by burning natural gas, propane or heating oil, or less often with electricity. Most of today's forced-air furnaces are energy efficient and their blowers can be used to distribute cool air from the A/C in the summer.
Where central heating ducts aren’t installed, ductless heating or a portable heater are two viable solutions. In many cases, extending ducts to a new add-on or remodel in an existing home is financially prohibitive or just not worth the disruption of opening up walls and ceilings. Choosing between ductless heating or a portable heater involves drawing clear distinctions between the pros and cons of each.
What are ductless mini splits? They're climate control units that don't use ductwork. They work well in home additions where no ducts are connected, as well as in historic homes whose original construction makes them hard to alter without changing the structural integrity of a building. Ductless mini splits can be used in almost any dwelling since they're so small and compact.
Wondering how to make your air conditioner run colder? Let’s make one important distinction first. An air conditioner cools your home by taking the heat out, not by adding coldness. Once the heat energy has been extracted from interior air and conveyed outdoors, cool comfort is simply the state that’s left behind. The effectiveness of an air conditioner is assessed by its capacity to handle your home's cooling load: the amount of BTUs of heat energy the unit must transfer outdoors every hour to keep temperatures at a comfortable level. While it's not possible to make an A/C perform beyond its manufactured specifications, making sure it doesn’t fall below its rated capacity is very possible. The answer to how to make your air conditioner run colder comes down to a few simple DIY steps.