With most homes, the air control system usually is managed by one thermostat. There is no way to control the temperature in one room if you want it set differently in another. This is where having a zoning system can be a major advantage.

For enhanced comfort, our Birmingham NC HVAC experts at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning suggest investing in a zoning system. With a zoning system, through zone thermostats, you are able to adjust the air or heat in a specific area to your liking. This equates to decentralized control, which works well for homes with multiple levels or homes that utilize attics or basements as bonus rooms.

Zoning assists with indoor air quality by preventing a room from getting too hot or too cold. It also is economical, as it assists in energy savings. Since all zones in your home do not need heating or cooling at the time, your system sends air only to zones needed. This will help you save money on your utility bill.

Feel free to contact our Birmingham cooling specialists for more information on zoning systems.  Call us today, or visit us online for information.

Our Birmingham AL HVAC company is a part of a growing family that is receiving all kinds of positive recognition. One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, which has built a reputation for its on-time promise, will be showcased on ‘Designing Spaces,’ a television show on the Lifetime network, on Friday, May 6.

The company appearance on the show is part of a North American marketing and public relations campaign designed to build brand awareness communicate its quality customer service and unique proposition. In addition to having an on-time promise, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, uses only drug-free and alcohol-free contractors.

Lenny Siers, the brand president of One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, joined the award-winning show to provide straight-forward advice on air conditioner maintenance, repair and installation.

“From our over 200 locations across North America,” Siers said, “our technicians and Comfort Advisors provide homeowners with ways to reduce their energy bills and improve the comfort of their home. Appearing on national television enabled me to demonstrate One Hour’s professional approach to heating and air conditioning service as well as communicate our 100-percent customer satisfaction guarantee.”

Check out the show Friday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. For more information about our brand awareness or our Birmingham heating and cooling experts, call us today, or visit us online.

For years, thermal curtains have been important as an alternative as an insulator during the cold. What many people fail to realize is that as good of an option thermal curtains are in the winter, they are just as reliable as an insular during the warmer months.

Our Birmingham AL HVAC experts at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning believe that thermal curtains can be an inexpensive answer to your home keeping the high-heat temperatures that are expected in the next few weeks. Thermal curtains use thermodynamics to assist not only in keeping a home or office warm inside a during the fall and winter but also in keeping a home or office cool inside during the spring and summer months.

Also known as insulated curtains, thermal curtains are excellent reflectors of intense heat, and they are a cost-effective answer in controlling your in-home or in-office temperature. Conventional curtains may keep sunlight out, but they do not offer much insulation from triple-digit temperatures or from below-freezing temperatures. Thermal curtains will not only keep a climate at even level but also help in keeping your utility bill down, as your HVAC system will not have to work as hard heating or cooling a facility.

In addition, thermal curtains are relatively inexpensive to buy. They can be purchase starting at $10 each but can reach up to $30, depending on company brand and overall curtain size. Because these curtains are five times better insulators than conventional curtains, the money spent is worth it.

When it comes to energy efficiency, thermal curtains are an excellent option for you and those around you. Call our Birmingham heating and cooling company for additional information, or visit us online today.

One of the more important devices of a home that never gets discussed is a CO detector. This is a device that senses and discovers the presence of carbon monoxide gas and prevents carbon monoxide poisoning.

The importance of this device is beyond words, simply because carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas. Because elevated levels can be extremely hazardous (and even lethal) to your health, carbon monoxide is considered a silent killer of sorts, but a CO detector provides a protective shield for your residential or commercial property.

CO detectors are similar in appearance to smoke detectors, but CO detectors are designed to measure levels of carbon monoxide gas over an extended period of time. If the levels get to a dangerous point, the detector will sound an alarm, allowing you and yours to take necessary action – whether that involves ventilating the area or evacuate the building. It is suggested for homeowners to plug in one CO detector in each level of the home.

Our Birmingham HVAC specialists at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning are experts in carbon monoxide detection, as well as other services that will benefit your heating and cooling units. Call our Birmingham heating and cooling company today, or contact us online for more information.

Our Birmingham AL HVAC specialists at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning offer to all of our customers membership in the Comfort Club, one of the best maintenance plans on the heating and cooling market performed by our highly trained technicians.

Membership with the Comfort Club consists of bi-annual checkups and professional cleaning for your HVAC system. The service, which helps to keep your system running at peak efficiency, not only performs maintenance that meets or exceeds all manufacturer or extended warranty requirements but also surpasses recommendations set by the Department of Energy.

While there are many benefits to having this plan, our Birmingham HVAC maintenance professionals have specified five in particular:

• Lifespan: Proper maintenance means a longer life expectancy for your system. It can last twice as long, which will be a great benefit if you stay in your home for decades.
• Save money, save the earth: The maintenance plan will be a global, environmental and financial positive. You can save on your utility bills, and you will use less energy with proper maintenance.
• Breakdown-free guarantee: The maintenance service will reduce your system from breaking down. Our service representatives offer a 20-percent discount if your system breaks down.
• Premier client rewards: As a member of the Comfort Club, you will enjoy special privileges, such as preferential, high-priority treatment for all projects.
• Inflation protection: If you choose to pay in advance, you will save significantly on your service. A one-year membership can save you $40. A three-year membership can save you $139.

As a Comfort Club member, you will receive a precision tune-up and professional cleaning of your heating and cooling units, as well as one safety check during the spring/summer months and the fall/winter months. You also will receive discount coupons good for several restaurants, hotels, movie theaters and shops in the area.

Feel free to contact our Birmingham AL heating and cooling company for more information, or visit us online for details on the Comfort Club.

Have you ever heard of Sick Building Syndrome? Most people have not, but as made-up of an illness as it sounds, understand that this is something that should not be taken lightly.

Sick Building Syndrome, or SBS, is a combination of different ailments that can be affiliated with where a person lives or works. SBS is related to poor indoor air quality and can be caused by problems with your heating and cooling systems, imperfections with attic ventilation or issues with mold or other potentially hazardous gases or toxins. According to a report by the World Health Organization, as many as 30 percent of all new and remodeled buildings may be linked to SBS.

Some symptoms of SBS may include eye, nose, skin and/or throat irritation or other hypersensitivity reactions. Long-term health effects can linger if left untreated. Assuring that your indoor air quality is in great shape will help in preventing SBS. Our Birmingham HVAC professionals at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning take pride in providing a pollutant-free environment for your residential or commercial property, which will keep you and those around you healthy.

Let our experts assure that your home or office has the cleanest air possible. Feel free to call our Birmingham indoor air quality experts for information about how to prevent SBS. Contact us today, or visit us online for details.

In cold weather, Alabama residents love to relax in their warm, cozy homes. Some won’t be happy when they receive a hefty utility bill and realize how much air leaks to the outside on a daily basis. Birmingham AL heating and air conditioning technicians can inspect your home, detect leaks and show you how to how to stop them.

The U.S. Department of Energy suggests that homeowners begin searching for leaks by sketching a floorplan of the building. Note any dropped soffits over kitchen cabinets or bath vanities, slanted ceilings over stairwells, and wall-to-ceiling joints (inside and outside). Any dropped-ceiling areas may contain open stud cavities leading directly to the attic.

In general, the most costly energy leaks occur in the attic. Openings may be hidden under insulation. In cold weather, warm air rises to the attic and draws cold air into the home through openings around windows, doors and through holes in the basement. Simple do-it-yourself projects allow homeowners to reduce leaks by sealing cracks and adding insulation in the attic. Leaks often occur around kneewalls, attic hatches, wiring, plumbing vents, open soffits, recessed lights, furnace flue or duct chaseway, basement rim joists, windows and doors.

Sealing air leaks saves energy, but adequate ventilation also improves air quality and reduces humidity indoors. Without attic ventilation, the temperature in your attic during the summer can exceed 150 degrees. If it cannot escape, hot air finds its way back into your home, costing you more to cool your house and overtaxing the air conditioning system. An overworked system tends to have a shorter working lifespan than one working exactly as designed, so this problem eventually adds up to more than just a higher energy bill.

Our attic ventilation specialists in Birmingham AL will assess your needs and recommend just the right solution. We offer installation and maintenance on both electric and solar powered attic ventilators. The proper attic vent can lower your attic temperature as much as 60 degrees, keeping you comfortable indoors and reducing energy costs. In addition, an attic ventilation system draws fresh, dry air across surfaces. The result is lower humidity for less chance of moisture damage or mold.

To find out how attic ventilation, air sealing and insulation can save you money, call One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning today.

The rise and popularity of solar-powered attic ventilators has grown rapidly in recent years. While this specific type of ventilator is thought to be quite beneficial during the summer (it works in cooperation with the sun), it can be just as effective during the winter.

With the help of modern technology, these solar units can be highly advantageous to any home. Solar-power attic ventilators mount to your roof and work by using the sun’s energy to run its internal motor, which results in a negative pressure that pulls cold air from inside the attic. From there, the solar unit replaces the cold air with the warmer air from your vents.

There are several advantages to owning a solar-powered attic ventilator. For example, the unit can keep mold and mildew to a minimum, as it removes moisture and other build-up that can get in the way of peak insulation performance. A solar-powered attic ventilator, in addition, can be used to keep the temperature of an attic stable enough to prevent potential ice dams.

Other advantages involve durability and easy installation. Most units are built to survive hurricane-like winds and torrential rain. As for installation, this unit is easier to install than a standard attic ventilator, as there are no electrical wires to connect.

One of the best advantages a solar-powered attic ventilator can offer is its energy efficiency. These units can help reduce energy costs for ventilation as well as heating. Because of it being solar-powered instead of powered by electricity, you will save additional money.

Our Birmingham attic ventilation are knowledgeable when it comes to solar-powered attic ventilators. Let them assist you in choosing a unit that will benefit your home. Contact our Birmingham AL heating company today, or visit us online for details.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning of Birmingham AL is a factory-authorized installation and repair service for all commercial refrigeration systems. In other words, the reason why your lettuce is so crisp or your drinks are so cold may depend on the service we offer.

Commercial refrigeration is extremely important to every restaurant owner, and we want to make sure the refrigeration in your walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer is perfect. We know that having proper refrigeration can be the difference in your restaurant being a five-star location or just another run-of-the-mill establishment.

Our Birmingham AL refrigeration experts install all equipment so it performs to high capacity. If your appliances need servicing, we have licensed professionals who can get your coolers or freezers working better than new. In addition, we offer periodic preventative maintenance to make sure your unit doesn’t have to go through unnecessary high-priced repair services.

Let our Birmingham commercial HVAC experts assist you with all refrigeration issues. Call us today, or contact us online.

For the next few weeks, a higher heating bill should be expected. With the decrease in temperatures, homeowners are using their heaters frequently to stay warm.

As the heater runs, there may be solutions to combating a major hike in your next bill. It may be as simple as an insulation upgrade. Experts from the U.S. Department of Energy suggest that a large amount of homes built 30 years ago do not have the proper attic installation according to the most-recent building codes.

Our expert Birmingham AL HVAC technicians specialize in heating maintenance and are willing to offer advice on how to save money during the winter.  Here are three insulation tips that may help with keeping your winter bill as low as possible.

• Upgrade on insulation: Since the U.S. Department of Energy suggests attic insulation is insufficient in many older homes, it may be a good idea to upgrade your insulation and get it to code. Attics are expected to have at least 12 inches of insulation.
• Curtain switch: Thermal curtains are a wonderful invention that can not only warm up your home but also keep the heating bill down. These curtains provide added insulation to where they block the cold in the winter and shade the heat in the summer.
• Go with weatherstripping: The winter chill can enter homes through the small cracks and spaces in doors and windows. Sealing cracks with weatherstripping not only helps in preventing cold air from coming through but also blocks rain and some of the unwanted bugs from entering. Weatherstripping also keeps interior air in, which saves energy.

These tips, in addition to being somewhat inexpensive, should be highly beneficial in protecting you and your family from the winter frost. Feel free to call our Birmingham heating experts for information, or contact us online today.