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4 Leading Causes of Summer Allergies in Terrell & Crandall, TX

blogSummer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors. A time for trips to your favorite lake, outdoor entertaining, and relaxing in the warmth of the sun.

But for many, it’s also a time for scratchy throats, watery eyes, and itchy skin, all caused by summer allergens.

You see, spring and fall aren’t the only seasons that wreak havoc on allergy sufferers. Here are some of the most common summertime allergy triggers that might be causing you minor to big-time discomfort.

Pollen

While trees finish pollinating by late spring, grasses and weeds can trigger allergies throughout the summer months, triggering a runny nose, itchy eyes, and other symptoms. Some of the worst offenders are ragweed, cockleweed, Russian thistle, Bermuda grass, blue grass, and red top.

Dust Mites

Because they thrive in warm, humid temperatures, dust mites peak during the summer months. They nest in mattresses, carpets, and upholstery and can cause sneezing, runny noses, and problems with your breathing.

Mold

Mold, both indoor and outdoor, can trigger allergic reactions and exacerbate asthma symptoms. Certain types of outdoor mold, like Alternaria, tend to peak in late summer and fall, while warmer temps and increased humidity provide the ideal environment for indoor mold growth.

Stings and Bites

Getting stung by a bee or bitten by a pesky mosquito is no fun for anyone. But for some, it’s downright dangerous. Bees, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, mosquitos, and fire ants are just some of the culprits to look out for this and every summer.

If the symptoms are serious enough, you’ll want to see your doctor for fast and effective treatment. Short of that , there are a number of things you can do to lessen the impact of summer allergens, including the following:

  • Wear a surgical mask while cutting your lawn.
  • If you have your lawn cut for you, make sure all windows and doors are closed while it’s being tended to.
  • Get your family in the habit of taking their shoes off as soon as they enter your house and leave them by the entrance way. That will prevent pollen, ragweed, pesticides, etc., from being dragged all through your home.
  • Invest in house plants known for their air cleaning ability, such as rubber trees, cacti, ivy, and chlorophytum.

For improved air quality throughout your home, talk to the pros at Absolute Air about such indoor air quality solutions as whole-house air filtration and whole-house humidity control systems. Both of these and other products help prevent and lessen the effects of allergy and asthma symptoms.

 

How to Protect Your Skin from UV Rays in Kaufman and Terrell, TX

blogJuly is national UV Safety Month, and we happen to think that’s a health issue well worth calling extra attention to. Especially right here in the heart of Texas.

After all, skin is your body’s largest organ, and every bit as much of an organ as your heart and kidneys. Which makes it deserving of the same level of protective care.

So, why exactly does our skin need protection from the sun’s UV rays? Because overexposure can cause all kinds of health problems, including the following:

  • Eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration
  • Premature wrinkling
  • Leathery skin
  • Age spots
  • Weakened immune system
  • Various infections
  • Skin cancer

While avoiding over-exposure to the sun (and sun lamps) and applying generous amounts of high level sunscreen are two very good protective measures, here are a few more:

  • Wear protective clothing such as pants, long-sleeve shirts and hats whether you’re working in the yard for going for a walk around the block.
  • Wear sunglasses with UV protection to protect your eyes.
  • Avoid getting sunburned, as sunburn adds to the risk of getting skin cancer.
  • Whether you’re at the beach or a pool, spend more time in the shade and less in the sun.
  • Use extra caution when near reflective surfaces, like water, snow, sand, and glass buildings.       These can increase your chances of getting sunburned, even if you’re within a shaded area.
  • Be extra careful in higher elevations. The closer you are to the sun, the greater the concentration of UV rays.
  • Re-apply sunscreen during the day, and don’t be fooled by those that are “water resistant.” They may be, but only to the point, and their protection does not last all day.
  • Change your schedule, whenever possible, so you have minimum exposure to the sun between 10 AM and 4 PM when UV rays are the strongest.

Okay, you say, but “at least I’ll be perfectly fine and safe while I’m indoors!” Well, yes, but you still need to keep away from windows and skylights that reflect the sun or intensify their heat. In fact, it’s a good idea to keep those windows and skylights covered while the sun is on them for another very good reason: your house will stay cooler and, as a result, you’ll cut your summer time energy costs.

Of course, if you just love looking out your windows even in full sun, then outfit your home with UV-protective window film which blocks more than 99% of the sun’s UV rays.

Choose a Ductless Air System for your Terrell or Forney, TX Home

abThere is a time and a place for everything.

Well, maybe not everything, but certainly ductless air systems.  Here at Absolute Air, we can’t speak to the time, as that’s pretty much to you.  But we can tell you this much:  ductless air systems are great to have all year long, so pretty much any time is a good time to install them.

What we can speak to with some authority, however, is the place for ductless air systems.  That’s because there are several:

  • Any home that doesn’t have or can’t have ductwork installed, in either all or part of the home
  • New room additions
  • Attic make-overs
  • Or any other place in your home where you would like added indoor comfort without having to overtax you’re already over-taxed home heating and/or cooling systems

Even though they took a little longer to catch on here, ductless air systems first started catching on in Japan and Europe in the 1980s.  In the U.S., they were first used to compliment an existing whole-house comfort system.  More and more, ductless air systems themselves are being installed to provide whole-house heating and cooling.

Here’s why:

  • No ductwork needed.  Instead, outside condensing units are connected to wall-mounted blowers that efficiently distribute the air in your home.
  • Highly energy efficient.  Ductless systems are often more energy efficient than traditional central AC systems, especially since there’s no ductwork that can spring a leak, for example, and cause cooled air to escape into the attic.
  • Easier to maintain.  Ductless air systems have fewer working parts, thus cutting down on system maintenance time.
  • Flexibility of use.  They can be used in both residential and commercial buildings.
  • Design flexibility, too.  Remember, you can have a ductless air system designed for one room, your whole house, or any amount of space in between.

Is ductless air right for you?  Contact Absolute Air today for air conditioning Forney TX or  Furnace Repair in Forney, and we’ll be glad to help you decide on the best way to heat and cool your home.  In the process, we’ll tell you more about how ductless air works, and how it might just work best for you.

Air Conditioner Noises, and What They Mean in Crandall & Rockwall, TX

airIn a perfect world, your central air conditioning system would behave so perfectly, you can’t see or hear them, but simply enjoy the cool air everywhere you venture inside the comforting environs of your home.

That’s in a perfect world.  In reality, air conditioning systems eventually begin showing signs of wear and tear, and some of these signs are not quite music to your ears.  In fact, they’re downright unpleasant noises.

Of course, if noise were the only problem, most people could probably learn to live with it.  But noises are symptoms, and not the problems themselves.  So let’s have a look at the more common sounds that emanate from home AC systems, and what they probably mean.

Air Handler Noises (the air handler is the indoor component of your system)

  • Buzzing – probably indicating faltering electrical components.
  • Hissing – usually caused by a leak in a refrigerant line.
  • Clicking – may be caused by a faulty thermostat which, in turn, is causing relays to switch on and off.  Clicking sounds also stem from an obstructed fan blade.

Condenser Noises (the condenser is the outdoor component of your system)

  • Hissing (or bubbling) – there goes the refrigerant leaking again.
  • Buzzing – most often the result of problem with the motor, such as a bad electrical connection.
  • A loud and abrupt bang – hmm, this could be coming from a faulty mount that’s allowing the motor to move around and go bump in the (day or) night.  Banging noises can also originate inside your ductwork.
  • Humming – is usually associated with a motor that wants to turn on, but can’t quite make it.
  • Screaming – this comes from a build-up of internal pressure and requires that you immediately shut your system off for your own safety.

What’s the cure for a noisy air conditioner?  Actually, it’s the exact same cure for just about anything else that can wrong with your system, and that’s annual preventative maintenance from Absolute Air.  If it’s been a year or more since the last time your system was cleaned and inspected, we invite you to contact us today to schedule service for air conditioner installation in crandall.  Same goes if the noises are already there.  Give us a call for air conditioning  services at crandall TX, we’ll figure out exactly what’s going on, and then give you a guaranteed upfront quote to fix it, and fix it right.

How to Cool Your Home for Less Money in Forney & Crandall, TX

So, you were all set to install a ceiling fan or two thinking that would improve your family’s summertime indoor comfort while saving you some money on your monthly electrical bill.  But you neighbor stopped by and “spoiled the party” by telling you the added cost to run the fan would more than offset whatever you might save from the fan circulating the cool air for greater distribution.

Which begs the question:  is your neighbor an HVAC professional, or did he or she just stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?  Clearly the latter, because ceiling fans cost very little to run and will make you feel about 3 to 8 degrees cooler.

For even greater energy savings, just turn the fan off when you leave the room, because as soon as you turn it back on, it will very quickly start pushing the warm air all the way down so you’ll instantly feel cooler with no wasted electricity.

Still, let’s not be too hard on your neighbor:  after all, they were only trying to help.

Here are a few other ways to help cool your home for less from the real HVAC professionals at Absolute Air in Kaufman.

Are your doors and windows well sealed? 
You’re paying a premium for all that cool air, so the last thing you want is to let it escape through gaps around your doors and windows.  Check all your current weather stripping and caulking for gaps, leaks, and other signs of wear and tear and fix whatever might not be up to par.

Pull those shades and blinds!
You may love looking at the sun, but unblocked direct sunlight will heat up any part of your home by up to 20 degrees.  And you think your AC system takes a beating now?  Give it some extra rest and draw those shades and blinds at least until the sun has moved to another part of your home.

Cover your window with film. 
Once considered more of a decorative novelty than anything else – at least in homes – window film is becoming an increasingly popular choice with Dallas area home owners.  That’s because it reduces the amount of heat generated by direct sunlight by up to 60% and blocks more than 99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays.  Certain types of film also provide added protection against burglars as they prevent glass from breaking possibily injuring a member of your family.

Wait until dark!
On those oppressively hot and sticky summer days, why do chores during the day that can just as easily wait until after the sun sets.  You’ll generate less heat that way and need less conditioned air to keep your house cool, and you along with it.

we invite you to contact us today to schedule service for air conditioning services in Forney TX .  Same goes if the noises are already there.  Give us a call for  air conditioning  services in crandall TX, we’ll figure out exactly what’s going on, and then give you a guaranteed upfront quote to fix it, and fix it right.

Absolute Air Has a New Mobile Web Site for Your Greater Convenience.

mobileAs a consumer searching for goods and services on the internet, there are certain things you’ve grown to expect, and often without even realizing it.

In general terms, you expect a company to make it easy to do business with them.  And partly, by building and maintaining a customer-friendly web site, one that’s easy to navigate so you can find exactly what you want without delay or inconvenience.

And what happens when you’re disappointed in that regard?  Very often you exit that site and continue searching until you find a company that delivers the whole package, web browsing convenience and all.

At Absolute Air, we work hard every day to be “that company.”  One you want to do business with, and for all the right reasons.  Today, we’re pleased to announce the launch of our brand new mobile site, one that was created and formatted specifically for use on your Smart Phone.

Here’s just some of its customer-friendly features:

  • Click-to-call button on every page
  • A Request Service email form, also accessible on every page
  • Less content than our main web site, but all the essential information is there
  • A dedicated page with our current web specials
  • Easy to read and find exactly what you’re looking for

That’s the kind of convenience we WANT you to expect from us.  We’re happy to deliver, too, especially since only a small handful of area HVAC companies also have mobile web sites.

Is this reason enough to choose us for all your home heating, cooling, and indoor air quality needs?  Of course not.  Then again, it is one MORE reason to choose us:  Absolute Air.

Thank you for reading our blog.

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Absolute Air has been a leading provider of Air Conditioning & Heating Services in Kaufman County since 2009.

Absolute Air Air Conditioning and Heating, Air Conditioning Contractor, Kaufman, TX
3443 E. HWY 175, KAUFMAN, TX 75142
(972) 932-5373
INFO@ABSOLUTEAIR.NET

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