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Are you on the fence about upgrading your thermostat? Do smart thermostats intimidate you? Trust us, we get it. With all of the new technology in the world, it can be hard to trust it and to understand it. Upgrading your thermostat might seem like a costly hassle that isn’t worth it but in reality, it can be an extremely beneficial thing to do. The team at Total Comfort Services in Wilmington, NC makes the upgrade process as easy as can be. A new smart thermostat can save you a lot of money and help to improve your heating and air conditioning system efficiency! Keep reading below to learn more about why a thermostat upgrade in your Wilmington, North Carolina home will help improve your comfort and decrease your energy bills. Convenience One of the biggest benefits of upgrading your thermostat to a smart thermostat is the convenience factor. Smart thermostats connect to your home Wi-Fi system which enables you to access your thermostat from anywhere in the world, as long as you also have a Wi-Fi connection. If you forgot to change the thermostat before your big two week trip, no worries, you can hop on your phone and change it with the click of a button! Smart thermostats are extremely convenient in the sense that you can access them from anywhere and at any time. Programming & Learning Capabilities Smart thermostats are in fact “smart”. They can actually learn your heating and cooling patterns and adjust your home temperature all on its own! In addition to its learning capabilities in order to help save you money, smart thermostats can also be programmed to a set schedule that you create. For instance, if you want your home cooler at night, you can program your thermostat to crank up the AC at a specific hour and ease back up at another point in time. Saving Money & Energy Another big benefit to switching to a smart thermostat is the energy efficiency you gain. As your thermostat learns your household heating and cooling patterns, it will predict ways that you can save energy. Some smart thermostats even send you a report including ways to reduce your energy consumption and save you money. If you’re interested in learning more about smart thermostats and how upgrading your Wilmington, North Carolina home can benefit you, give Total Comfort Services a call today!

If you’ve ever spent a summer here in the greater Wilmington, NC area, you know that having a properly functioning and highly efficient air conditioner is essential. Between the heat and humidity and the strong southern sun, our air conditioners can take a beating from all of the hard work it’s doing in order to keep us cool and comfortable. With that being said, air conditioning problems are a given when operating here in Wilmington, NC. At Total Comfort Services, we want our customers to have the proper knowledge needed in order to keep them comfortable all summer long. Below we’ve listed some of the top air conditioning problems we encounter and what to look out for this summer before your AC unit breaks down on you. 1) Low Refrigerant Your AC unit needs refrigerant to remove the heat and humidity from your home. When your system develops leaks in the refrigerant lines, your AC unit struggles to effectively cool the air. When this happens, a HVAC technician must repair the holes in the refrigerant line as well as replace the refrigerant which can be a time-consuming process. 2) Fan Problems Your AC unit has two fans, one to blow on your evaporator coil and one to blow over the condenser. It either of these fans malfunction, you can end up with poor airflow and larger air conditioning problems. Neglecting this problem can lead to expensive repairs so it’s important to call your HVAC technician whenever you notice something isn’t right with your unit and its fans. 3) Leaking Air Ducts Your ductwork that runs through your walls and ceilings carries the actual cool air that your AC unit produces throughout your home. If there are any holes or breaks in your ductwork, that cool air is wasted and isn’t actually cooling off your home. This forces your AC unit to work harder which drives up your energy bills. 4) Dirty Coils The AC unit condenser coil removes heat from the air by expelling it outside. When this coil gets covered with a layer of dirt or grime, it won’t work well. This effects the transfer of heat which makes it harder for your air conditioner to do its job. Now that you know some of the top air conditioning problems, how are you going to prevent them? Make sure you are staying on top of changing your air filters and scheduling regular air conditioning maintenance with your local Wilmington, NC HVAC contractor. If you suspect that anything is wrong or off with your cooling unit, give the team at Total Comfort Services a call today! We are always ready to serve and provide the greater Wilmington, NC area with the best in class heating & cooling services.

Even though the temperature has been steadily increasing here in Wilmington, North Carolina, it’s still not too late for your annual air conditioning maintenance appointment. The heat and humidity is only beginning and your AC unit is just now getting warmed up and ready to tackle the southern heat. In order to fully prepare for this weather and temperature shift, there are a few tips that you should take to ensure that your home is in tip-top condition so you can stay cool and comfortable all summer long. Even though the ideal time to schedule your AC maintenance appointment is early spring before the heat ever arrives, it’s still not too late. Why Do I Need Spring HVAC Maintenance? Just like a car, your heating and air conditioning needs regular maintenance in order to perform efficiently and operate safely. You can’t expect your AC unit to work effectively without yearly maintenance, especially in the Wilmington, North Carolina climate. Spring is the ultimate time for maintenance because of the lower volume of service calls since summer and winter are the busiest times of the year for HVAC contractors. When you schedule a professional tune-up before the peak temperatures hit, you are almost guaranteed a convenient appointment and peace of mind that your home will keep cool heading into the summer heat. Benefits of Springtime Air Conditioning Maintenance Less Repairs – One of the biggest reasons AC maintenance is performed is to reduce the amount of repairs that will be needed in your unit’s lifespan. With regular routine maintenance, professionals can spot any small issues before they become larger ones that need costly and time consuming repairs. With less repairs and regular maintenance, you will be saving money in the long run by not having to deal with costly repairs. On top of saving money, you will also be decreasing your chance of having a breakdown or an issue when you need your air conditioner the most. Reduced Energy Bills – When you have efficient HVA C equipment, you will have lower utility bills. The same thing goes for other machinery – the more efficient it is, the less energy it needs to do its job. With regular maintenance, your AC unit will perform more efficiently because it’s getting the TLC it needs. Prolonged AC Lifespan – With less repairs and less breakdowns, your system is bound to live a longer life. With less unnecessary wear and tear, your system can last around 2 – 5 more years compared to a unit without proper maintenance. Improved Comfort – Finally, you will experience improved comfort throughout your home. Regular routine maintenance means you have a properly functioning AC unit that can keep your Wilmington, NC home cool and comfortable in the heat and humidity. If you are interested in learning more about spring air conditioning maintenance, give the Total Comfort Services team a call today! We look forward to hearing from you and helping you out with your heating and air conditioning needs.

It is no secret that the air we breathe in everyday is critical for living and our daily functioning. Our bodies need fresh oxygen to keep our hearts pumping healthily throughout the day. Because the majority of us take such a simple thing like breathing for granted, it’s easy to forget about the importance of the quality of the air we are actually breathing in. Just like not all cities and towns have the same outside air quality, not all homes and office buildings have the same indoor air quality. Understanding the short and long term effects of poor indoor air quality might encourage you to prioritize making your home or office environment a little healthier and safer today. Common Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality Before understanding how poor indoor air quality can decrease your overall health and well-being, let’s dive into why your indoor air quality can be compromised. Some of the most common air pollutants seem like they are harmless but they can really impact your home and your health. Below are some of the most common causes of poor indoor air quality just to name a few: Strong Paints Hairspray & Perfume Smoke from Appliances (furnace, stove, etc.) Household Cleaners Chemicals in some Furniture Clothing & Shoes Dogs, Cats, Bunnies, etc. Excess in Moisture Levels Symptoms of Poor Indoor Air Quality Just like every home environment is unique and has a different indoor air quality (IAQ for short) than the next home, the same goes for how everyone is different and unique in how they react to certain indoor environments. People with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems are typically the first to develop any unwanted symptoms associated with poor air quality. Below are some of the most common symptoms caused by poor IAQ: Nose, throat and eye irritation Skin rashes Coughing Nausea and dizziness Fatigue, sleepiness and headaches Dry skin Difficulty breathing Oher hypersensitivity reactions Respiratory disease How You Can Improve Your IAQ Improving your indoor air quality doesn’t have to be a difficult or time-consuming task. A combination of small and minor changes throughout your home can encourage a healthier living environment. One of the easiest and simplest ways to begin changing the quality of your indoor air is to replace your filters. When you air filters become too dirty and clogged, they can no longer trap the contaminants and pollutants that are floating through your HVAC system. Another simple switch to improve your IAQ is to limit the number of pollutants in the air by choosing your household products wisely. Look into hairspray with low VOC’s and household cleaners that aren’t as strong. If you live in a humid environment like Wilmington, North Carolina, it’s wise to invest in a dehumidifier to help you regulate the humidity levels in your home to avoid excess moisture and mold. It is also important to clean and maintain your air vents and floor registers as well as your ductwork. This ensures that the air being circulated throughout your home is as clean as possible. Finally, look into purchasing an air purifier for your home. This is easily the best way and the least amount of labor to clean the air you breathe inside of your home. There are plenty of ways you can improve your indoor air quality to supplement living a healthy lifestyle. If you’re interested in learning more about our indoor air quality solutions for your Wilmington, North Carolina home, give Total Comfort Services a call today!

Heating and air conditioning can be a confusing world but don’t worry, Total Comfort Services is here to help you navigate it. A lot of homeowners do more harm than good when it comes to taking care of their HVAC system. Not because they are trying to, but because they don’t know any better. Our goal at Total Comfort Services located in Wilmington, North Carolina is to provide our customers with the HVAC knowledge they need to maintain comfort as well as all of the HVAC services that they need. Below, the Wilmington, NC heating & cooling experts have listed a few of the most common bad heating and air conditioning habits you should stop doing now. Neglecting Preventative Maintenance Perhaps the most common oversight homeowners make when it comes to their HVAC system that can lead to major damage is neglecting preventative maintenance. As your system gets more use, especially your AC unit in the summer, wear and tear can affect many different components. To protect your entire system, you should schedule professional AC and heating maintenance every year. Installing an Incorrectly Sized HVAC System An incorrectly sized heating and air conditioning system is not so much the homeowners fault as it is the installation company’s fault. When you have an AC unit that is too large for your home, it causes your unit to cycle on and off frequently. This wastes a lot of energy and you will likely see larger energy bills. This can also cause some damage to the unit. A system that is too small will have to work in overtime to maintain comfort in your home. Make sure you are doing your due diligence when hiring your Wilmington, North Carolina heating and cooling contractor. They will make or break your HVAC system and its efficiency. The team here at Total Comfort Services has tons of experience with HVAC installations, give us a call today if you are looking for a quality HVAC contractor to work with. Incorrect Thermostat Use A typical mistake that homeowners make is using their thermostat incorrectly. What we mean by this is that a lot of homeowners have the tendency to overwork their HVAC system by increasing or decreasing their thermostat temperature frequently. It is best practice to set the thermostat as close to the outside temperature as possible without sacrificing you and your family’s comfort. Investing in a smart or programmable thermostat is the best way to save energy and money while keeping your home comfortable. Call Total Comfort Services today to learn more about our smart and programmable thermostat options for your Wilmington, North Carolina home!

As most homeowners know, a heating and air conditioning system is no small investment. Especially when you work with a reliable and dependable HVAC contractor who carries energy efficient equipment. Your heating and cooling installation isn’t just a big investment because of the amount of money you spend, it’s also a large investment because of how important it is! You depend on your HVAC system to bring you comfort in every season. If you can’t depend on your HVAC system, you can expect to run into some stressful times here in the middle of the Wilmington, North Carolina summers and winters. An HVAC system installation requires professional work. This means you need to be able to trust in the contractor you are committing to before the installation process begins. Without proper installation, it can end up failing or malfunctioning. If you don’t get the right ventilation out of your HVAC equipment, it will not perform efficiently. It’ll be easily prone to damage and could breakdown without notice. You will want to stay away from contractors that offer you the best service around for the lowest rates. More often times than not, you get what you pay for. If your heating and air conditioning system is poorly installed, repaired, or even maintained, you could be dealing with major long-term problems and expenses down the line. So when you are looking for the cheapest price in HVAC companies, just remember that the poor quality and service you could receive could cost you even more in the long run. It’s important to be working with a contractor that has experience in the field. Things like sizing, ductwork, warranties, energy audits, etc. are all important in the installation process. Your HVAC system is much more than just installing the right unit in the right spot. You have to think about where to place and install the ductwork, is the unit big enough, is it efficient, is it under warranty, etc. Taking the time to find the right HVAC contractor and ensuring that they do a professional installation job is important - your comfort depends on it. If you’re in the greater Wilmington, North Carolina area and are looking for a reputable HVAC contractor for your next heating and cooling installation service, give Total Comfort Services a call today!

When faced with the decision on how to heat and cool your home, it is never an easy or light matter - your heating unit especially. Your heating unit helps to provide comfort and warmth in your home throughout the fall and winter months. Everyone knows that these are the busiest times of the year between having your friends and family over for the holidays and traveling to see family. When you have people over during such an important season, don’t you want to have the absolute best environment in your home as possible? With so many choices of heating units out there, it’s hard to find the solution that is right for you. If you are unsure about whether or not you should choose between a heat pump and a furnace to heat your home, keep on reading to see what the experts here at Total Comfort Services in Wilmington, North Carolina have to say. Cost One of the most important things to think about is the cost. Initially, a furnace is going to be much cheaper than a heat pump mainly because a heat pump can also be used as an air conditioner and a furnace is strictly for heating. However, a furnace will cost you more in energy bills because it is less efficient than a heat pump. In short: a furnace is cheaper to buy but more expensive to use and a heat pump is more expensive to buy but cheaper to use. Efficiency Secondly, you need to think about the efficiency of the unit you are debating purchasing. Even though you might not think it, furnaces are extremely efficient. They haven’t always been efficient, but with recent technology and HVAC advancements, they have become almost as efficient as heat pumps. Heat pumps of course are efficient due to the fact that it is a heater and cooler in one. Emissions In a world that continues to go greener and greener, it is important to consider the emissions your heating system is giving off. Heat pumps run on electricity which usually centers on coal which give off the same amount of CO2 emissions as your electric furnace would. If you are using a gas furnace, even then you are giving off roughly the same amount of emissions as electric furnaces and heat pumps. Versatility Lastly, versatility. A heat pump is obviously more versatile than a furnace. Heat pumps work in reverse to act as an air conditioner in the warmer months, meaning you get two units in one. However, there is a con to a heat pump. Because they are not focused solely on heating like a furnace, they will not give you as much warmth in the freezing temperatures as a furnace can. When you look at the bigger picture, furnaces and heat pumps are very similar in their abilities and their efficiency. The option to choose one or the other is completely personal and it depends on your specific wants and needs. The team here at Total Comfort Services is here to help assist you with any of your heating and cooling questions, including which heating unit is right for you. Call us today to learn more about our professional HVAC services!

Winter is only 11 short days away, can you believe it? Everyone here at Total Comfort Services sure can’t but we want to make certain that you are prepared for the winter weather ahead. Wilmington, North Carolina is not known for freezing winters but we are known for having random snow and ice storms along with freezing and below freezing nights. That means it is so important to not only be prepared for the cold weather to hit but to also keep your heating and cooling system running as efficiently as possible. Below are our top three tips to help improve your HVAC efficiency this winter & stay warm. Set Your Thermostat Think about it, would you heat a home with no one in it? We know that we wouldn’t, it just doesn’t make any sense. So while you are away at work, make sure that you turn your heat down (AKA turn your thermostat down to a lower temperature). This will give your heating unit a break while you are away and will not only reduce your energy usage and help preserve the life of your heating unit, it will save you money! If you have a programmable thermostat, you can set your thermostat to change temperatures while you are away at work and to have your temperature change again upon your arrival back home. Seal & Insulate You could have the most effective heating unit and the world and it still wouldn’t keep you and your home comfortable without proper insulation and sealing. You have to get your home to its desired temperature – after that you have to keep it at that temperature. How does your home do that? With insulation. It is so important that your home doesn’t let any unwanted cold air inside but more importantly, that is doesn’t let the warm air your heating unit is producing outside. Make sure your home is properly insulated before the freezing temperatures arrive here in Wilmington, North Carolina. Dress Warm This one sounds kind of silly but it is so important! Make sure you are dressing warm inside of your home. Most people like to stick to their regular outfit choices of shorts and a tank top but do yourself a favor and dress heavier. We don’t mean you need to wear layers of clothing to lounge around in but be smart about it. Wear those long pants or sweatshirt while you’re watching TV instead of turning the thermostat up a few degrees. You will be saving money and you will be keeping your HVAC system running more efficiently.

We know that the cold weather is finally here in Wilmington, North Carolina and that cold weather is here to stay. We have some cold months ahead of us and we want to make sure that you, your HVAC system AND your wallet are all prepared and ready to tackle the cold. We have already talked about how to keep your energy bill low during the summertime with the heat, but today we are going to talk about how to keep your energy bill low during the fall and winter seasons. Below are a few of our favorite tips and tricks to get the most out of your heating unit and to keep your energy bill as low as possible in the upcoming months: • Maintain your Heating Unit (Furnace, Heat Pump, etc.) • Get cozy with warm blankets, sweaters, space heaters, etc. • Adjust your thermostat according to the weather • Let sunlight inside of your home for natural heat Program Your Thermostat Hopefully you’ve already changed your thermostat programming and settings to be adjusted for the fall season. If you’re still using your settings for the summertime, there is no better time than now to adjust accordingly. Make sure you turn your AC unit off as you will no longer need it (unless there is a North Carolina day that gets randomly hot as NC tends to do). This will save you money because you are not mindlessly running your AC without needing it or even feeling the benefit of it. Get Cozy This may sound silly but if you are really looking to save a few bucks and lower your energy bill, bring out your heaviest and warmest blankets. Heated blankets are a great option and don’t use as much energy as your heating unit would. Additionally, you can bring out your warmest sweats and sweatshirts to stay warm in while watching TV or just lounging around. If you can, try to use your heavy blankets for bedtime instead of turning up your heat. Open Your Curtains & Blinds In the summertime, we tell you to avoid opening your blinds and curtains. In the fall and winter, we are telling you to do the opposite. Let the natural sunlight inside of your home to create a natural heating effect. When your curtains and blinds are closed, your home only has its heating unit to rely on. With the help of the sun, you will hopefully be able to keep your energy bill down because you are not having to crank up the heat even more so. Maintain Your Heating Unit Last but not least, maintain your heating unit. Make sure that your heating unit is in good shape before tackling the winter cold. After all, you are going to be relying on it all fall and winter, you need to make sure that everything is working properly and all your vents and filters are open and clean. If you need help with the maintenance of your heating unit and are in the greater Wilmington, North Carolina area, give Total Comfort Services a call today!