by admin | Sep 26, 2017 | Home Temperature Control, National Air Warehouse
Over the last few weeks, millions of Americans across the South have been left without power due to the damage from hurricanes and tropical storms. At the same time, in certain areas of the West, electrical power sources have been disrupted by wildfires. And as summer fades into fall and the weather gets colder, concerns about ongoing power outages are becoming more serious. Read on to learn more about the advantages of central gas heating for buildings in areas that are prone to power outages.
The Growing Problem of Power Outages Around the County
Large-scale natural disasters can cause power outages that leave homes and businesses out of power for weeks or even months on end, as power companies struggle to repair widespread damage and meet the needs of hundreds or even thousands of customers. This is a major inconvenience for homeowners and business owners — especially if your building relies on electricity for heating. Your family may end up shivering through dinner, your employees will be less motivated to work in a frigid office environment, or your customers will want to spend as little time as possible in your chilly store.
Losing heat due to a power outage can become an even more serious problem in the depths of winter, when things really start to get cold. Power lines may be damaged by an ice storm, or heavy snow could cause a tree to fall on a power line. When the weather is wet, windy, and cold, you could be waiting hours, days, or even weeks for the power to be restored.
Central Gas Heating As a Solution to Problems from Power Outages
One of the benefits of choosing central gas heating for your home or business is that the heat will stay on — even when the electricity goes out. That way, everyone in the building will remain warm and comfortable as you wait for the lights to turn back on, no matter how long it takes.
It is important to note that your furnace might not work perfectly during a power outage. Gas furnaces that rely on electric thermostats — including Wi-Fi thermostats — cannot send the signal to the furnace to provide heat when the power goes out. But the problem can be resolved relatively easily by installing a small electric generator to provide power to the thermostat in case of an emergency. That way, when the power goes out, the temperature of your building won’t be on your list of things to worry about.
If you’re looking for a gas furnace for your home or business, National Air Warehouse offers a broad selection of options. Contact us today to learn more about our central gas heating solutions!
by admin | Sep 19, 2017 | Uncategorized
When you are purchasing an air conditioner for your home, one of the most important choices you will make is the size of the unit. On the market today, you can find air conditioners ranging from 1.5 tons to 5 tons, offered in 0.5 ton increments. But if you aren’t an expert in HVAC, the idea of measuring an air conditioner in tons can initially be confusing. After all, no air conditioner weighs a ton! So what do these numbers mean? Is a 2 ton unit better than a 1.5 ton unit? Is a 5 ton unit the best? Read on for answers to these questions and more!
Why Air Conditioner Cooling Capacity is Measured in Tonnage
Usually, when you hear about something being measured in tons, the figure refers to the object’s weight. But for air conditioners, the tonnage of the unit is actually of a measure of its ability to remove a certain amount of heat from the air in your house in a certain amount of time. Specifically, it refers to the unit’s ability to remove 12,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) of heat from the building in a single hour. Therefore, a 2 ton air conditioner can remove 24,000 BTUs of heat per hour, a 3 ton air conditioner can remove 36,000 BTUs of heat per hour, and a 4 ton air conditioner can remove 48,000 BTUs of heat per hour.
Not All Sizes Are Created Equal
Given that air conditioners with higher cooling capacities can remove more heat from the air per hour, you might automatically assume that a higher number is better — but that’s not true! Choosing the right size air conditioner for your home is essential, and problems can arise if the tonnage is too high or too low.
If the cooling capacity is too high, your air conditioner will turn on, quickly cool down the house, and then turn off. But the house will soon warm up again, initiating another short cycle. This is a highly inefficient way to keep your house cool, unnecessarily wasting energy and increasing your energy bill. Alternatively, if the cooling capacity is too low, you air conditioner will not have the power to remove all the heat from your house, so it will run constantly. Again, this is an inefficient way to keep the temperature down, and running your air conditioner all day and all night inevitably drives up your energy bill.
When the cooling capacity of your air conditioner fits with the size of your house, it will go through a few cycles each day. Sometimes it will be on, and sometimes it will be off, but your house will always be at a comfortable temperature, and your energy bill will be under control.
Fun Air Conditioner Facts
National Air Warehouse offers air conditioning units with a wide range of cooling capacities. Contact us today for more help finding the one that is right for your home!
by admin | Sep 12, 2017 | National Air Warehouse
With Labor Day over and September well underway, the next few months of fall will bring highly variable weather. Depending on where you live, you might experience short heat waves, brief cold spells, and huge temperature swings between day and night. This variability can make it hard to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, which is why you might want to consider installing a Wi-Fi thermostat. Read on to learn more about this technology and why it is ideal for seasons like fall, when the outside temperature is unpredictable.
What Makes Wi Fi Thermostats Different
In the past, homeowners typically had two choices for thermostats: programmable and non-programmable thermostats, both of which have benefits and drawbacks. With a non-programmable thermostat, you change the temperature manually, while with a programmable thermostat, you design a heating and cooling program in advance, based on your schedule. Today’s Wi-Fi thermostats offer both options, which is one significant benefit to this innovative technology.
However, the most significant advance in Wi-Fi thermostat technology is that it gives you the ability to check the temperature of your house from your smart phone or tablet. The thermostat is connected to the internet, so the information about the current climate in your house is always at your fingertips.
Advantages of Wi-Fi Thermostats in the Fall
There are several key advantages to having a Wi-Fi thermostat when the weather is unpredictable during the fall season:
- You can change the temperature in your home from afar when the weather changes. There’s no telling what the weather will do while you are away from home — whether you are at work, school, or off an a hike through the fall foliage. If it was cold when you left, you might have left the thermostat on so you would return to a warm house — but an unexpected heat wave could make your house uncomfortably hot when you return. The opposite could also happen if a sudden cold front rolls in, and you open the door to a chilly interior. A Wi-Fi thermometer prevents these problems by making it possible to adjust the temperature from wherever you are.
- You don’t have to try to predict the weather with a complex thermostat program. Temperature swings and unpredictable weather patterns — not to mention your owned pack schedule — can seriously complicate the task of designing a program for your programmable thermostat in the fall. It is far simpler to use a programmable thermostat so that you can quickly respond to unexpected weather events or scheduling changes.
- You don’t have to interrupt fun fall activities to go change the thermostat. Fall is a great time to make family memories. Whether it’s raking leaves in the backyard, helping your kids with homework, or making pumpkin-themed snacks, you want to make the most of the season. But if you have a non-programmable thermometer, you might have to interrupt these activities to adjust it so that the house doesn’t get too cold as the sun goes down or too warm as the oven heats up for a pumpkin pie. If you have a Wi-Fi thermometer, you can make the change on your phone, so you won’t miss a moment of the fun!
At National Air Warehouse, you can find multiple Wi-Fi thermometers to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more about what we offer!
by admin | Sep 5, 2017 | Heating System, HVAC, National Air Warehouse
If you are a business owner, finding an effective and affordable way to heat your business in the coming winter months is a major priority. It also poses a significant challenge for business owners who are trying to heat large spaces. If you own a store, you need to keep your patrons warm and comfortable as they shop so that they stay and browse your products, rather than retreating to the warmth of their cars as quickly as possible. Similarly, if you manage a large office space, keeping the area warm during the winter will help maintain employee morale and boost productivity throughout the workday.
A great option for business owners looking to heat large spaces is central gas heating. By installing a gas furnace in your building, you can keep a large area warm and comfortable all winter, without breaking your business’s budget. Read on to find out more about the benefits of choosing central gas heating for your business.
Why a Gas Furnace Is Ideal for Large Spaces
The process through which a gas furnace generates and distributes heat makes central gas heating an ideal choice for business owners who are trying to heat large stores and workspaces. In the first step of the process, gas is burned in the furnace’s burner. It is then combusted in the heat exchanger, which generates the heat necessary to warm indoor air as it is blown in from the building’s ductwork, passing over the heat exchanger to capture the heat of combustion. In the final step, the hot air is blown into the supply ductwork of the building, which carries it to the areas that need to be warmed.
If you are heating a large space like a store or an office, the ductwork does not have to be very complex for the warm air to get where it needs to go. Depending on the location of the furnace, warm air can be distributed into the large area shortly after being heated, making a central gas heating system extremely effective while also minimizing energy loss.
Choosing an Energy Efficient Gas Furnace
Some business owners worry that central gas heating systems are not as “green” as electric heating systems. However, recent advances in gas furnace technology have significantly improved their energy efficiency. Many of the gas furnaces on the market today have an AFUE rating of 95% or even higher.That means that they use much less energy than the legacy systems that you might be familiar with — saving your business money and limiting the effects that your central heating system has on the environment.
If your business is interested in a central heating system, National Air Warehouse has a wide range of options that you can choose from. Contact us today to find the system that is right for you!
