May is electrical safety month, and Ted Fox from Fox Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electrical has three tips for homeowners!
- Choose the right tool for the job: “A window air conditioner unit is effective for cooling a small room, but if you’re trying to cool your whole house you’ll need something more powerful. When an A/C unit is too small for the space it will not keep up with cooling demand.”
- Do your part: Close windows and blinds and keep your house at a consistent temperature to reduce the strain on your air conditioner.
- Schedule an electrical safety inspection: Hire a Fox technician to inspect your home for obsolete wiring, electrical hazards and help you identify issues before they become emergency problems. “Fox technicians are like home maintenance nerds, and we love answering your questions,” Fox says.
The fresh air of the great indoors
Your home is your sanctuary, and when you need to close all the windows to shut out the world, you want to be sure your indoor air is fresh and clean. With the right filters, you can keep out pollen, dust, mould, wildfire smoke and yes, viruses like COVID-19.
“I’ve gone into homes where it’s obvious the homeowner is passionate about cleanliness — they’re dusting once a week to keep everything spotless. But what they don’t realize is if they just cleaned their ducts they’d probably only have to dust once a month,” Fox says.
Fox recommends cleaning your ducts every two to three years — some people wait a decade or more, but that means you’re breathing in a decade’s worth of dust. The simplest, cheapest thing you can do to improve indoor air quality is replace your air filter. If you want to do more, one option is installing a UV light in your ducts.
“There are many different brands, but not all are created equal. You need one that shines the full width and height of your duct, and is powerful enough to neutralize viruses, bacteria and mould as they pass by. All UV light kills germs eventually, but many don’t have the range or strength to be effective in your home’s ventilation system,” Fox says.
Fox installed a UV filter in his own home, and was impressed when the whole family stayed healthy when one of his kids brought a cold home from school.
“The UV filter won’t cure everything, but I think it helps.”
For more home maintenance tips and exclusive savings, visit foxandsons.ca, follow them on Facebook, or sign up for their newsletter. Call 1-833-793-4569 to request service for plumbing, heating, cooling or electrical issues in Vernon and surrounding communities, or schedule service online.