April 2019 - One Source Home Service

Cold Spots In Your Home? Here’s What You Can Do.

Woman warmly clothed in a cold home | colorado springs hvac service

Do you find yourself wearing a sweater in some rooms of your house but just a t-shirt in other rooms of your house? Or maybe you walk from one room, through a central room, to another part of the house and find that one spot is just a bit chillier. These “cold spots” in your home are especially noticeable when the temperatures are cool — during fall, winter, and spring — but it’s possible in some areas that they may exist all year ’round.

So, what are “cold spots” in your home, anyway?

Your home’s HVAC system works on a simple premise. Air is drawn through vents (internal vents and/or external vents) and pushed into your furnace. From there, the air is warmed and then forced out through the ductwork in your walls, through vents, and into the rooms of your house.

But here’s the thing: air is invisible but it acts a lot like water. It flows in easy, meandering ways around a room, invisibly bouncing off of walls and furniture. In fact, if you could see the air flow from a vent, you’d notice that it moved and flowed from vents outward throughout the room but it stops and redirects when it hits an obstruction.

Therefore, some areas of your home may not get air flow. The air just sits there. And, depending on the air flow and air pressure in the house, the ambient temperature (and temperature fluctuations) inside your home and outside, as well as other factors, cold spots can be created. Simply put, warm air isn’t flowing there; it flows around or is stopped.

You may especially notice cold spots by windows or exterior doors (no surprise there) but you may also notice cold spots near exterior walls, which could indicate that the insulation has degraded slightly. Or, you may notice cold spots in unusually shaped rooms, or rooms where the HVAC ducts aren’t venting into the center of the room.

These are just a few of the reasons, and it really depends on a number of factors.

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do about it. If you want a simple, temporary solution, add a small fan nearby to circulate the air more effectively in the room. Another option, in rooms that are larger but not too unusually shaped, consider a ceiling-mounted fan.

However, some homeowners want more effective fixes for challenging cold spots, especially in hard-to-reach places. For these scenarios, consider getting a duct work leakage test to find exactly where the cold air is sweeping out of your air ducts. From there you may want to think about installing extra vents to get the air flowing into that area.

There are other options of course, but this is a great starting point. Your home should be comfortable — you shouldn’t have to avoid one area of your home just because it’s colder than other areas!

If you notice cold spots in your home, there’s lots you can do about it so take a walk around your home and make note of all the cold spots… and see if you can’t transform them into comfortable warm areas! For more info on your home’s HVAC system, call your Colorado Springs electrician at One Source Home Service today!

Are You Aware Of What Lurks Within Your Walls?

a technician fixes wires in a wall | colorado springs electrician

You upgrade your TV from time to time. You upgrade your phone from time to time. You upgrade your car from time to time. But when was the last time you even looked at the wires inside your walls and considered whether they needed to be upgraded? Technology changes and yes, it has even changed with the wires in your home!

If your home was built in the 1970s or earlier in Colorado Springs, you should have the electrical wiring in your house examined. Even if there have been extensive upgrades to your home, it is not uncommon for people to overlook the electrical system for something that is much more visible like hardwood floors or that really nice bathroom. Good modern wiring is a great benefit in our technological age. Also, it’s much safer. How do you know if your wiring needs replacing? Let’s look at different types of wiring…

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Knob and Tube Wiring

In the oldest homes, knob and tube wiring are present. Identify this type of wiring by the large knobs that large black insulation tubes connect to. There is no ground wire in this system which is a standard safety feature in modern wiring. If no damage has occurred to the insulting tubes, this wiring can still function but is not ideal.

AluminumWiring

An older house may also have aluminum wiring in it. If this is in your home and if there have been any renovations, specifically wall outlets and light switches, that have been replaced or worked on, there may be damage to the wires that can lead to a build-up of heat

Old or Cloth Romex Wiring

There may be old or cloth Romex wiring in your home. Newer Romex wire, or NM cable, uses plastic coating to protect the outside whereas the older stuff uses a cloth or cotton substance on the outside and rubber on the inside.

BX Wiring

Its spiral patterned metal casing can identify BX wiring. While this is more durable than others and it can be resistant to some types of weather, this wiring can have rubber on the inside of the metal which wears out and can cause shorts and sparks.

The Big Question: Should it be Rewired?

With any of these older wiring systems, the recommended power limit will not always be able to handle some of the newer, larger, and more powerful appliances in our modern homes. It may only be a matter of time before your old wiring must be replaced. If you are finding problems with surges and shorts or if you want someone experienced to take a closer look at your wiring, contact the Colorado Springs electrical team here at One Source Home Service. We will be happy to use our expertise to work with you on what will be best for your house and home.

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Springtime Plumbing Tips For Colorado Springs Homeowners

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Spring is here in most parts of the country… and with spring comes a mix of weather for many people! This could include rain… maybe snow… warm days but cold nights. And the result? Wear and tear on your plumbing system! Those warm days may make you want to open up the windows and turn on the garden hose and start taking care of your lawn. But then the cold nights still come and in some areas that can actually lead to frozen pipes and cause them to burst, spilling water everywhere; it’s a costly mess.

So, what should you do this spring? Here are several tips to help you navigate the ups and downs of spring to keep your plumbing working the way it should!

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Your 5 Colorado Springs Plumbing Tips for Spring

Make sure you close your windows at night. The warm spring air during the day is nice but it can really cool off and freeze those pipes. You don’t want that! Make sure the windows are closed at night to keep pipes from freezing. (And you probably won’t mind being warm too, right?)
Maybe wait on the garden hose. You may want to wait a week or two before pulling out the garden hose. At least make sure the temperatures don’t drop below freezing at night. If they do (and depending on how fast it freezes and for how long), the hose faucet and even your garden hose could be damaged. Likely you’ll be able to run your hose soon but just be cautious of those night-time temperatures.
Clean your gutters. This might seem like an odd plumbing suggestion but you’ll see why in a moment: over winter, debris like leaves and sticks can collect in your gutters. Then when springtime rains come, the water runs into your gutters and spills out over the sides and pools at your foundation instead of running down the downspout and away from your house. Once pooling at your foundation, the water then runs down and may collect in weeping tiles… but it could also enter your home and cause flooding. So, make sure you have a sump pump all set up to collect and move water that could be rising underneath your house, and send it away from your home.
Remove snow and standing water from around your foundation. If your area got snow over the winter and it’s melting now and pooling by your foundation, you’ll want to remove it. Sure, this may not affect everyone in the same way right now but a flood is something you won’t want to risk. Again, make sure you have a sump pump ready
Spring cleaning: don’t forget about your pipes. Lastly, when you’re doing spring cleaning, don’t forget about your pipes; especially the wastewater pipes that move water out of your home. They should be cleaned too! Have a plumber come in and inspect your pipes and clean them out each year so you never have to worry about backed up lines that won’t drain.

Keep Your Plumbing Safe With One Source

April is here! Spring is here! That means we can all enjoy the beautiful weather and the great outdoors. But as a homeowner, be aware that the fluctuating temperatures of spring could be hard on your Colorado Springs plumbing. These simple tips will help keep things flowing for you! For more info on what you can do to prepare for spring, or to schedule a spring plumbing maintenance or HVAC service in Colorado Springs, please give One Source Home Service a call today!