What is a SEER Rating?

September 30, 2018

One of the best ways to judge your air conditioning unit for efficiency is through its SEER rating. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It is a standard that has helped to regulate the AC industry since 2008 and is backed by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute. Why should you pay attention to the rating of your air conditioning unit? Here are just a few of the most important reasons. Energy Efficiency The higher that a SEER rating is on an air conditioning system, the more efficient it is, generally. The minimum SEER rating for most new systems is around 14. You should not purchase any new system with a SEER rating below this, because you will have energy bills that are more expensive than you should receive. Older systems may have a SEER rating of around 8 or 9. Ratings of 13 or 14 can be many times more efficient depending on other factors in the home. System Durability The durability of your heating and air conditioning system depends directly on the amount of daily pressure that you put on its infrastructure. The less efficient than a system is, the more work it has to do...

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How to Improve Indoor Air Quality With Plants

August 28, 2018

Plants are a source of great joy and beauty for a lot of people. But they can also help improve health in some cases. Eating certain plants has benefits, but so does putting them in your home. That’s because plants take carbon dioxide from the air and put out oxygen, making it easier for humans and animals to breathe. When you want to improve the indoor air quality in your home, plants are part of the way you can do that. Do Plants Really Make a Difference? If you only have a couple of small plants in your home, they probably aren’t going to make a lot of difference in the overall quality of the air you’re breathing. But if you have many larger plants, you could really improve your air quality. Plants filter out so much that we shouldn’t be breathing, and they work to put more oxygen into the air, too. It’s a great way to enjoy the beauty of nature in your home and also breathe better. People who have allergies, asthma, COPD, and other types of breathing problems may want to consider having more plants in their home, so their air can be as good as...

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Should I Turn My AC Off While On Vacation?

July 11, 2018

Turning off your AC while you are away may seem like the economic thing to do but that is not always the case. Cooling your home to the comfortable temperature is wasteful and unnecessary. If you are going on vacation, you should set the AC to a higher temperature than you usually do. You can use a programmable thermostat to set the desired temperatures at different times. Another way to increase efficiency and reduce the strain on your air conditioner is by keeping all curtains closed. Factors That Determine Whether to Switch Off Your AC While on Vacation Weather Check the forecast for the weather during the period you will be away. If the temperatures are expected to be moderate, it is wise to turn the AC completely off. If, however, temperatures are expected to be very high, then you need to leave it on. Air conditioners facilitate the circulation of air and removal of humidity in your home. If you switch off your AC and the humidity gets too high, it may lead to structural damages to your home including the growth of mold, swelling doors, peeling paint, cracking plaster, and buckling of wooden floors. If the temperatures get...

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What is Preventative Maintenance?

June 12, 2018

Preventative maintenance is a check on your AC system, once a year or twice a year, in order to ensure that it’s in top working order. Checks are usually done in the fall for heating and in the spring for air conditioning. Preventative maintenance on your HVAC system will help make sure it lasts longer, provide cost savings and will keep you comfortable year round. What Will a Technician Do? With preventative maintenance, a professional will come in and look at your system and check controls and connections. They will take a look at the area and the ductwork and help ensure proper airflow. If they notice any issue, they will go ahead and fix it or schedule a repair. Many times with preventative maintenance checks, an issue is caught early before it turns into a larger repair need. Technicians will look at the thermostat settings and help you get optimal heating and cooling, as well as improvements on your energy bills. When you have a preventative maintenance contract with a company, many times, they will offer you a discount on parts needed in order to repair your system and you will also get priority service for these repairs. What...

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How Does Air Conditioning Work?

May 22, 2018

Have you ever felt extremely uncomfortable because of the immense heat that you are feeling? Well, with the help of an air conditioner, it’s easy to go about your business at home without worrying about the heat. The Indoor Unit Here is how it works: basically, it uses chemicals that quickly convert gas to liquid and vice versa. This enables heat transfer from the air inside your house to the one that is outside. The unit also has three parts which are the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator. The evaporator allows a cooling fluid to evaporate and absorb the heat from your home leaving cold air to be sent back to your house. This is the coil box located in your basement or closet near your furnace filter which is also the indoor unit. The Outdoor Unit For the outdoor unit, there is the remaining two that is the condenser and the compressor which usually, is on the side or back of your house where heat from the house is dispersed. The compressor moves the refrigerant through the system then once condensed it moves through the condenser receiving ambient air that cools it and hence inside your house. The...

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Mitsubishi Mini-Split Project Case Study

April 2, 2018

The residents of Dayton, OH and surrounding areas can now enjoy comfort in their homes all season round by using Mitsubishi mini-split systems. The system is eco-friendly, easy to install, and saves on energy bills. Gem City Catfé recently decided to convert a historic home into a cat café to include a cat lounge, an espresso bar, and an event area. Historic properties have many design challenges. The engineer designed a traditional HVAC system which uses sheet metal ductwork to move conditioned air to the required space. This was a problem for Gem City Catfé. The cost of installation was so high, so Butler offered an alternative solution of installing a ductless system made by the Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating. This reduced the install costs by half while still maintaining the historic property that Gem City Catfé fell in love with. The design also allowed for each space in the property to have a dedicated air handler. Since three spaces were meant for cats, it was necessary for those areas not to mix airstreams with the client areas. This design also made it possible for temperatures to be controlled differently in each area. A Hyperheat solution was also incorporated...

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Does Your AC Company Care About The Environment?

March 20, 2018

Not all heating and air conditioning companies have a focus on the environment. If you care about our environment and it matters to you about the products and services an AC Company provides, you need to ask questions related to “Going Green.” When going green with your heating and air conditioning unit you not only enhance your environment but you save tons of money in the future. Dayton, Ohio is the home for seasoned and experienced Butler Heating & Air Conditioning Company is servicing Miami Valley, Greater Dayton, Ohio, and over 30 surrounding counties. Area residents and business owners are fortunate to have Butler Heating & Air Conditioning Company working for you in Dayton and helping to enhance and protect your environment. The services offered by Butler Heating & Air Conditioning provide residents and business owners a full range of services. This company is an HVAC contractor who consistently searches for up-to-date innovative and affordable solutions for your heating and cooling needs. Butler Heating & Cooling hire the most skilled and trained furnace and air conditioning technicians available. These technicians can tear out existing heating and air conditioning systems, install new environmentally friendly methods that decrease your energy costs, repair...

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Heating & Cooling Solutions for Commercial Buildings

February 28, 2018

Air quality is a priority for the comfort of anyone working in a commercial building. A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system can improve the quality of the air in a commercial building. If the heating or air conditioning system in your building needs maintenance or repair, or if you need a heating or AC system installation, then you need to find an experienced AC repair and installation company. If you’re located in the Greater Dayton, OH area, consider , who can help you improve the quality of the air in your building. They’re experts in heating and air conditioning solutions, and can help you with some of these issues: 1. Your Heating or AC System is Old Older heating or AC systems are more inclined to break down, meaning you should consider having a new heating or AC system installed for more reliability. Problems are even more likely if an older system is used consistently on a daily basis, including system failure. Get ahead of potential issues by having a new heating or AC system installed. Older heating or AC systems are also more likely to waste energy. 2. You Don’t Have a Maintenance Program Heating or AC systems that...

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How to Choose the Right Heating System

January 4, 2018

Space heating is one of the largest single components of home energy consumption in the US today. Choosing the right heating system enables you to save on energy costs and maximize your comfort. Here are some of the factors to consider while choosing the right heating system; Energy Source It is vital to consider the readily available fuel sources in your locality and their relative cost.  Choosing the right energy or fuel source is not only reliable but also cuts down your heating costs. For the residents of the greater Dayton area, our team of experts can help you determine the right energy source for your heating system. Efficiency The heating system’s efficiency should be a key consideration for any homeowner. The level of efficiency is judged by the systems ability to perform at an optimal level for longer.  The most common system efficiency ratings based on its Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) and Heating Season Performance Factor for electric heat pumps. The higher the rating of a system the higher its efficiency and will save you more money on heating costs. System’s cost The initial systems cost is essential, but it’s even more vital to consider the long-term costs...

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Whats the Difference Between a Boiler & a Furnace?

December 29, 2017

A lot of people use the word furnace when they are talking about a boiler, but a boiler and furnace are two different things. Both are used to heat a place, but the similarity ends there. What’s the Difference? The main difference between a furnace and a boiler is that a boiler uses hot water or steam to heat your building while a furnace uses warm air to produce heat. Boilers and furnaces also have different ways of sending heat through a house. How does a furnace work? A furnace heats up air, and then uses a blower to force the hot air through ducts. The warm air enters the home through vents or registers. It’s very common for older homes to be heated with a furnace. Older furnaces were often heated with coal and wood. Modern furnaces can run on electricity, gas, or propane. It’s also quite common for furnaces to share their ducts with air conditioners to avoid having to take up extra space. How does a boiler work? A traditional boiler heats up water that circulates around its combustion chamber. This hot water is then sent through small hot water pipes that heat baseboards, cast iron radiators, or radiant floor heating systems. The water returns back to...

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