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Other Home Projects
How and When to Hire a Chimney Sweep
Did you know that fireplace chimneys need to be cleaned and maintained just like any other piece of equipment in the home? Chimneys that aren’t properly maintained can malfunction in a variety of ways. After enough fire burning, creosote can build up on the inside of your chimney, and if it’s not cleaned, it can…
HVAC
Want to take control of your HVAC system’s performance and energy use? A smart thermostat is a good start — but it doesn’t tell you everything. It can adjust temperatures and track usage, but it won’t alert you when a component is close to failing or when your system is losing efficiency. That’s where smart…
HVAC
Heater Covers: What You Need to Know
As much as we love heating equipment here at Modernize, we also understand that it isn’t usually the most attractive thing in a home. Baseboard heaters, radiators, and central heating registers tend to detract from your home’s overall appeal, rather than add to it. But there is one way to cope with these common household…
Other Home Projects
How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of a Fireplace
How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Your Fireplace Fireplaces generate a lot of heat — when you’re standing right in front of them. Unfortunately, when the fire is out, they can suck warm air from the room and send it up the chimney, which wastes energy and leaves the room feeling cold. But with…
HVAC
Schematic Diagrams for HVAC Systems: What You Need to Know
Heating and cooling systems are packed with moving parts and electrical components — motors, capacitors, relays, compressors, switches, sensors, and refrigerant lines. HVAC system diagrams (also called schematics) help make sense of how all those pieces connect and work together. HVAC units are a lot like cars: many systems share similar components, but layouts and…
HVAC
Sometimes insulation and air sealing just aren’t enough to prevent temperature fluctuations in your home. Maybe you have an older house, or an addition that just isn’t as well ventilated. Whatever the reason, cold spots in your home can make things mighty uncomfortable when the weather turns wintry. You may be looking for ways to…
Other Home Projects
Warning: Learn These Home Heating Fire Hazards
Heating your home with poorly maintained equipment is like playing with fire—sometimes quite literally! Even if you don’t have a fireplace with an open flame, you could be putting the safety of your home and family at risk. Especially if you slack off on monitoring the condition and performance of your heating systems. While heating…
HVAC
Pros and Cons of Reusable, Washable Air Filters
“Change your air filters.” It’s the number one piece of advice we hear from HVAC professionals. Clean filters extend the life of your system and improve its overall efficiency, since your unit doesn’t have to work as hard to regulate temperatures throughout your home. But what about the environmental impact of all those thrown-away filters?…