Get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about heating and cooling equipment, energy efficiency, air quality and maintenance below.
-
How do I test my GFCI's? +
All GFCIs should be tested once a month to make sure they are working properly and are protecting you from fatal shock. GFCIs should be tested after installation to make sure they are working properly and protecting the circuit.
To test the receptacle GFCI, first plug a nightlight or lamp into the outlet. The light should be on Then, press the "TEST" button on the GFCI. The GFCI's "RESET" button should pop out, and the light should go out.
If the "RESET" button pops out but the light does not go out, the GFCI has been improperly wired. Contact an electrician to correct the wiring errors.
If the "RESET" button does not pop out, the GFC1 is defective and should be replaced.
If the GFCI is functioning properly, and the lamp goes out, press the "RESET" button to restore power to the outlet.The Facts:
- People have been killed by 100 volts AC. Any electrical device used on a house wiring circuit can be fatal under certain conditions.
- It only take less than 1% of the available current on a standard outlet to be potentially dangerous.
- GFCI detects when as little as 8 thousandths of an amp of current is flowing anywhere but thru the outlet (to ground somehow). When it detects potentially hazardous ground faults and quickly disconnecting power from the circuit.
- Condee Cooling & Electric recommends the people of Marco Island that any electrical device in damp locations have a GFCI outlet or breaker installed on that circuit.
GFCI protection is required for most outdoor receptacles (since 1973), bathroom receptacle circuits (since 1975), garage wall outlets (since 1978), kitchen receptacles (since 1987), and all receptacles in crawl spaces and unfinished basements (since 1990).
Owners of homes that do not have GFCls installed in all those critical areas specified in the latest version of the Code should consider having them installed. For broad protection, GFCI circuit breakers may be added in many panels of older homes to replace ordinary circuit breaker.
Circuit breaker and receptacle-type GFCIs may be installed in your home by a qualified electrician. Receptacle-type GFCIs may be installed by knowledgeable consumers familiar with electrical wiring practices who also follow the instructions accompanying the device. When in doubt about the proper procedure, contact a qualified electrician. Do not attempt to install it yourself.
-
What should my humidistate be set at? +
Most important, the humidistat main function in southwest Florida is save electricity when one is not occupying their home. Our humidistats overrides the function of the air conditioner if the humidity is not too high, actually called a dehumidistat.We would like to share the views of a well known building scientist, Walt Black, on dehumidistats and their usage.
In his book on “A Practical Guide to Mold and the Indoor Environment in South Florida” he states that when the relative humidity increases above dehumidistat set point, it commands the air conditioning compressor to come on. This does result in a small amount of water being removed from the air (while consuming large quantities of electricity), but only to the extent of the design parameters of the HVAC system. It also causes the temperature to fall, actually raising relative humidity and increasing the potential for mold. If this happens during the summer when part time residents are absent, the compressor runs, temperature falls, humidity raises, mold forms and serious mold damage occurs.
The use of storm shutters present its own set of problems, with the use of shutters the indoor environment resembles that of a cave, dark and possibly a very high humidity content. When the relative humidity is greater than 60% the potential for mildew and mold growth increases dramatically.
The use of dehumidifiers is a must under these set of circumstances. The dehumidifier can be a portable type or a whole house dehumidifier which would operate in conjuction with the HVAC system. Although the whole house dehumidifier represents a larger investment it out performs the portable version in that it is connected to the HVAC duct system, thus, having the capability to dehumidify the entire environment.
We no longer recommend the use of dehumidistats for part time owners with the air conditioning system when the owners are absent.
In Southwest Florida the use of whole house dehumidifiers is the most effective device to minimize mildew and mold occurrence.
When the unit is vacant we recommend a thermostat setting of 79 to 82 degrees in the cool mode and the fan in the auto position.
-
Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency +
Updated article needed - please provide
-
How to program my Trane touch thermostat? +
To operate a typical electronic thermostat, start by simply programming the time you wake up in the morning and the temperature you want your home to be at that time.
Next, program the time you leave the house, the time you return home, the time you go to sleep and the temperature you want at each of those times. This handles your daily weekday requirements.
Weekend schedules usually differ from weekday schedules. Some electronic thermostats take this into consideration and allow you to program special needs for Saturday and Sunday.
- 1
