 Winters in Houston, Texas are usually mild although we do occasionally see Elsa lose control and freeze everything. That is why it’s important to have a reliable source of heat for your home to keep Elsa’s fury at bay. When considering how to heat your home, it usually comes down to two choices: a gas furnace or an electric furnace. We’ve broken down the differences so you can understand which one might be best for you and your home. Gas or Electric FurnaceJust like your air conditioner, your furnace uses the air ducts throughout your home to deliver heat to each room in the house. An electric powered furnace uses heated coils, and a gas-powered furnace uses burners fueled by natural gas. Let’s break down the pros and cons of each option. Electric FurnacePros
Gas FurnacesPros
As you can see there is a lot to consider when making the decision of how you will keep your family comfortable during the winter months. Country Air is here to help answer all of your heating and cooling questions and help you find the best solutions for your home and budget. Give us a call today at 281-356-8564.   The Houston area experiences a daily average of 75% humidity year round. Which means Houstonians often walk around with glowing skin and frizzy hair; but there is something else that consistently high humidity levels bring, and that is the likelihood of homeowners dealing with mold and mildew growth in their homes. While we can't help with frizzy hair, there are fantastic products designed specifically for HVAC performance in higher humidity environments. In this blog, we'll take a look at the benefits of going blue with your HVAC ductwork in your home. What are microbes and how do they affect your health?Microbes are living microscopic organisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses. At any given time, you actually have trillions of living microbes on and in your body. Many are helpful and aid in food digestion and your immune system. But some are not helpful and may cause you to get sick.
 How does moisture create microbe problems in your HVAC system?Since the Houston area is a humid environment, your HVAC system will be constantly working to dehumidify the air flowing into your home. If your system is not regularly maintained or is older, it may experience difficulties keeping up with the dehumidification process which could lead to excess moisture build up throughout the system. When moisture is present in an HVAC system, the potential for mold, fungi and mildew exists. A mold infested HVAC system may lead to large scale remediation, related cleanup costs and possible health issues. What is blue duct work? JPL AMBlue II is a high quality flexible duct that is specifically engineered to fight mold and provides real results. It is easily recognizable by its bright blue color. Benefits of JPL AMBlue II
Millions of feet of AMBlue II have been successfully installed without a single report of mold, fungi or mildew. AMBlue II is Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified as “Highly Mold Resistant.” What else can improve my indoor air quality?
 Country Air StandardAt Country Air, we believe the products and services we provide should be appropriate for the environment they will be performing in. That's why we exclusively use JPL’s AMBlue II duct in all of our new HVAC installs. If you have questions or would like a complimentary quote on installing JPL’s AMBlue II duct in your home or office, please reach out to us at 281-356-8564 and one of our Comfort Specialist will be happy to assist you.
 Here at Country Air, we are getting into the spirit of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. What better way to celebrate than at these family fun community holiday events? Here is your 2022 Holiday Event guide featuring events in Magnolia, Tomball and The Woodlands! 57th Annual Tomball Holiday Parade "A Cowboy Christmas" – Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce Photo Credit: Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce Saturday, November 19th from 10:00am-12:00pm Line Main Street from Elm St. to Buvinghausen in Tomball, TX Enjoy this beloved parade to kick off the holiday season in Tomball with 40,000 of your closest friends! Line Main Street from Elm St. to Buvinghausen and celebrate the season! Attendance and parking is free for the event. Stay afterwards and enjoy local restaurants and shops! Magnolia High School’s Holiday Road Show Dinner Theatre  Photo Credit: Magnolia High School Choir Friday, November 18th at 6:00pm Saturday, November 19th at 6:00pm Magnolia Event Center 11659 Farm to Market Rd 1488, Magnolia, TX 77354 Magnolia High School Choir Department invites you to their annual Holiday Dinner Theatre! This year MHS Choir students will perform fun and festive Holiday favorites. Come and enjoy a wonderful dinner surrounded by songs of the season. It’s a great family event for the community and a fundraiser for MHS Choir. 2022 Holiday Market - Junior League of the Woodlands  Photo Credit: Junior League of the Woodlands Holiday Market: Friday & Saturday, November 18th & 19th from 9:00am to 6:00pm Sunday, November 20th from 10:00am to 4:00pm Preview Party: Thursday, November 17th from 7:30pm to 10:30pm The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center 1601 Lake Robbins Drive The Woodlands, TX 77380 Get ready for a holiday shopping extravaganza with your friends and family. Come explore and shop dozens of vendors while benefiting the Junior League of the Woodlands. Families Feeding Families Tomball  Photo Credit: Families Feeding Families Tomball Wednesday, November 23rd from 11:00am-2:00pm Salem Community Center 22601 Lutheran Church Rd, Tomball, TX Enjoy a complimentary HOT Thanksgiving meal with all of the trimmings. There will also be FREE: haircuts, kids activities, flu shots, vision screenings for children under 6, and goodie bags for the first 500 people! Bring the whole family! Magic of Christmas Parade of Lights – Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce  Country Air's "Sugar Plum Fairy" Parade Entry in 2018 Saturday, December 3rd at 5:30pm Unity Park & Nichol Sawmill in Magnolia, TX Enjoy community area businesses and organizations as they come together to dazzle you with a nighttime Christmas light show on board each of their parade entries. This exciting event is family friendly and sure to get you into the holiday spirit! Fun fact: Country Air won “Most Creativity” in the 2019 parade and 1st place for “Best Theme” in the 2018 parade. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store for this year’s parade! Tomball German Festival Christmas Market  Photo Credit: Tomball German Festivals Friday, December 9th: 6:00pm - 10:00pm Saturday, December 10th: 10:00am - 10:00pm Sunday, December 11th: 10:00am - 6:00pm The Depot in Tomball 201 S Elm, Tomball, TX Bring your friends and family to enjoy a Christmas market filled with fun including over 150 street vendors, ethnic and festival food, and drinks, four stages of live music and performances, carnival rides, German dancing, plus more! Admission and parking are free! Gullo House of Holiday Lights in Magnolia  Photo Credit: Savana Leigh Holtry via Facebook Open Throughout the Holiday Season 30723 Old Hockley Road in Magnolia, TX Mr. Tony Gullo, Owner of the Gullo auto dealerships, transforms his five-acre home into a HUGE holiday lights wonderland every winter. Visitors are welcome all season to come enjoy the show for free. Visitors can drive by or park and walk through the lights at starting at dark throughout the season. Thanks for reading! Remember to contact Country Air for all of your seasonal HVAC needs. Schedule 24/7 with us by calling 281-356-8564. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!   After the intense heat waves and drought that we suffered this summer, fall gives us cozy feelings of hope that cooler days are ahead. Now that we can finally escape our beloved AC filled homes and enjoy the outdoors a bit, we figured you would want to know about these 8 fall family fun festivities (say that 5 times fast) going on around the area! P-6 Farms Fall Festival | Weekends October 1 – November 6, 2022 |
| High Humidity
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How to read the humidity level in your home.
The easiest ways to determine your home’s humidity level is to look at your thermostat. If you have a smart thermostat, it will read your humidity levels for you. If you don’t have a smart thermostat, consider upgrading to one with dehumidification capabilities.
How to fix the humidity level in your home.
- Use a room-sized dehumidifier. If you have a specific room in your home that is more humid than others, a room-sized dehumidifier can do the trick.
- Use a whole-home humidifier. This can be incorporated into your existing HVAC system, and will automatically adjust the moisture in your house based on preset controls so you don’t have to play any guessing games.
- Make sure your home is properly sealed and insulated. Broken seals on windows and doors can lead to outside air leaking in which causes an imbalance in indoor humidity. Having a properly insulated attic can also help reduce wacky humidity levels and improve your home’s energy efficiency.
- Improve your home’s ventilation. Ventilation fans installed in your home’s kitchen and bathrooms where typically higher moister levels reside can help control humidity levels.
- Call the experts. If you are having trouble balancing the humidity in your home or identifying the source of your humidity problems, give your local HVAC professional a call. Country Air is here to help solve your home comfort needs. Let us know how we can help at 281-356-8564.
Are you sweating yet? The Climate Prediction Center projects a warmer than normal summer for Texas, yikes! Luckily, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 places you can go with your family to get cooled off.
10. Big Rivers Waterpark & Adventures
Located in New Caney, TX, Big Rivers Waterpark features a lazy river, waterslides, a wave pool and even an inflatable water obstacle park plus much more!
Kids play on an inflatable obstacle course at Big Rivers Waterpark. Photo Credit: Big Rivers Waterpark & Adventures
9. Sk8town
If you are a Millennial or older, Sk8town located in Spring, TX is sure to bring back fun memories! Cool off indoors and skate old school style with the family. They have skating games and activities as well as a full arcade packed with prizes!
A snapshot of the inside of Sk8town. Photo Credit: Sk8town
8. Bouncin Bears Texas
This indoor inflatable bounce park located in Spring, TX is fun for all ages. They have everything from the blob, to giant slides, to obstacle courses designed to burn off that extra summer energy.
A look inside of Bouncin Bears Texas. Photo Credit: Bouncin Bears Texas
7. Cypress Academy - Woodlands
Let’s get ready to tumble! Cypress Academy located in Magnolia, TX offers camps, classes, open gym, parents’ night out, parties and more all focused around gymnastics fun!
Kids having fun on the gymnastics equipment at Cypress Academy - Woodlands. Photo credit: Cypress Academy - The Woodlands
6. The Craft Chicks
Stroll on down to the heart of downtown Tomball, TX and spend the day with the family at The Craft Chicks. They offer anything custom on wood! Not sure what to make? Ask about their seasonal door hangers and to-go kits!
Crafters hold up their completed projects at The Craft Chicks. Photo Credit: The Craft Chicks Tomball.
5. Little Beakers - The Woodlands
Get your inner mad scientist ready for fun and exciting hands-on experiments in a science lab designed exclusively for kids. Little Beakers in The Woodlands, TX offers camps, classes, open labs and more.
Little scientists get ready for a class at Little Beakers. Photo Credit: Little Beakers - The Woodlands.
4. Main Event – Tomball
New to Tomball, TX, Main Event has cool family fun including a state-of-the-art arcade with prizes, bowling, laser tag and even a restaurant. Be sure to check out the laser lights that follow your bowling ball as it rolls down the lane!
Two friends playing in the arcade at Main Event. Photo Credit: Main Event - Tomball.
3. K1 Speed
If you have the need for speed, consider hitting the track at K1 Speed in Houston, TX. They offer indoor electric kart racing for the whole family!
Racers zip around the course at k1 Speed. Photo Credit: K1 Speed
2. Terrarium
If you want to test your green thumb, reserve a time to make your own terrarium at Terrarium in downtown Tomball, TX. You can pick your glass container as well as the plants and accessories that go inside of it. During your session you will learn how to put it together and care for it at home.
The Terrarium Bar at Terrarium. Photo Credit: Terrarium
1. Your Home!
If you’re like us, you’ll be hanging out in your home more often this summer, which means a working AC is imperative to keeping everyone in a good mood! If you need AC help this summer, keep our number handy for fast and reliable AC repair and replacement. 281-356-8564
A woman relaxes on her couch in her cool, comfortable home.
Have you been to any of these places on our list? What other places did we miss? Let us know in the comments! Stay cool!
We would say summer is right around the corner, but this year in Houston, we are already seeing highs in the upper 90’s. Summer is HERE and we have been busy fixing broken ACs around the area.
One of the most common reasons we get called out in the summer months comes down to a small piece of faulty equipment: the AC capacitor.
What is an AC capacitor and how do you tell if that’s what’s causing Aunt Myrtle to sweat bullets during the baby shower you are hosting on the day your AC goes out?
One of the most common reasons we get called out in the summer months comes down to a small piece of faulty equipment: the AC capacitor.
What is an AC capacitor and how do you tell if that’s what’s causing Aunt Myrtle to sweat bullets during the baby shower you are hosting on the day your AC goes out?
What is an AC Capacitor?
Before we jump into it, as always, never attempt to work on your HVAC unit unless you have turned it off and shut down the breakers. Don’t be that person that gets electrocuted by their HVAC unit. Not cool, dude.
An AC capacitor can be found on anything that is a motor. It is the equipment that starts and charges the motor. It basically looks like a large, cylindrical battery. Your AC's capacitor is located outside in your condenser unit. It can be accessed by using a screwdriver to remove the side panel.
To power on your AC, the capacitor will send a surge of power to your AC’s motor, which kicks it on and sends cool air rushing to dear Aunt Myrtle who at this point has sweat so much she regrets wearing a white blouse.
An AC capacitor can be found on anything that is a motor. It is the equipment that starts and charges the motor. It basically looks like a large, cylindrical battery. Your AC's capacitor is located outside in your condenser unit. It can be accessed by using a screwdriver to remove the side panel.
To power on your AC, the capacitor will send a surge of power to your AC’s motor, which kicks it on and sends cool air rushing to dear Aunt Myrtle who at this point has sweat so much she regrets wearing a white blouse.
A typical AC capacitor.
The 4 Signs of a Bad AC Capacitor
1. No cold air coming out of the AC. Aunt Myrtle is starting to get uncomfortable at the party and she asks you to turn the AC down, you do, but no cold air comes out. This is a telltale sign that something is wrong. You can try turning your unit off and back on. If the problem persists, it is probably time to call a professional to come help.
2. You hear a humming noise. Turn your AC system on and have a good listen, is it humming or hesitant to start? This could be a sign of your capacitor failing.
3. Problems turning on. Any of the following can be signs of a capacitor issue:
4. Aging HVAC system. Unfortunately, capacitors in general are not made with high quality, so they are often one of the first things to go if your AC unit is several years old. Here in Houston, we see capacitors fail even on relatively new units due to how much we use our AC.
2. You hear a humming noise. Turn your AC system on and have a good listen, is it humming or hesitant to start? This could be a sign of your capacitor failing.
3. Problems turning on. Any of the following can be signs of a capacitor issue:
- Your ac turns off on its own.
- Your ac won’t turn on immediately.
- Your AC won’t turn on at all.
4. Aging HVAC system. Unfortunately, capacitors in general are not made with high quality, so they are often one of the first things to go if your AC unit is several years old. Here in Houston, we see capacitors fail even on relatively new units due to how much we use our AC.
An AC capacitor being tested by a common multimeter.
How to Test Your AC Capacitor
You know how grumpy Aunt Myrtle gets when she is hot and sweaty, so you need to diagnose your AC problem quickly. Here is what you can look for to tell if your capacitor is to blame:
Thankfully, there is a way to test the power charge coming from your capacitor, but it does require a tool called a multimeter that can be purchased at your local hardware store. We highly recommend having an HVAC professional come run the test unless you know how to properly remove the capacitor from the circuit and discharge the capacitor before testing. Not doing this properly could result in electrocution. Once you run your test and determine that the capacitor is not producing any charge, you’ll need to replace it with a new one which can be purchased at your local hardware store or an HVAC accessory retailer.
Thankfully, there is a way to test the power charge coming from your capacitor, but it does require a tool called a multimeter that can be purchased at your local hardware store. We highly recommend having an HVAC professional come run the test unless you know how to properly remove the capacitor from the circuit and discharge the capacitor before testing. Not doing this properly could result in electrocution. Once you run your test and determine that the capacitor is not producing any charge, you’ll need to replace it with a new one which can be purchased at your local hardware store or an HVAC accessory retailer.
One of Country Air's Certified Technicians checking the power flow to a capacitor.
Call Country Air for Air Conditioning Repair
If you aren't sure the AC failure is due to a bad capacitor or maybe you tested it but aren’t sure how to replace it on your own, give Country Air a call for 24/7 HVAC help. We’ll have Aunt Myrtle smiling and happy again before the baby shower games break out. Call us to schedule your appointment today at 281-356-8564.
Did you know that the average household has 1.6 dogs, 1.8 cats, and/or 2.1 birds? Pets provide us with many benefits, take petting your dog for instance. Studies show that cortisol (the stress hormone) levels lower when you pet your dog or cat.
While having lower stress levels is great – endless sneezing fits from pet dander flying around is not. One out of every 10 people are actually allergic to their pets! And even if you don’t have a specific allergy towards your pet, breathing in high amounts of pet dander every day is not good for your overall health.
In this article we will share tips on how homeowners can improve their indoor air quality and fight allergies, bacteria particles, and smelly pet odors while living with their pets.
While having lower stress levels is great – endless sneezing fits from pet dander flying around is not. One out of every 10 people are actually allergic to their pets! And even if you don’t have a specific allergy towards your pet, breathing in high amounts of pet dander every day is not good for your overall health.
In this article we will share tips on how homeowners can improve their indoor air quality and fight allergies, bacteria particles, and smelly pet odors while living with their pets.
What is pet dander and how can it affect me?
Ever wonder what all is in those thousands of specks flying around in the air that become visible when the light shines through the window just the right way? We typically refer to these particles as dust. Indoor dust is comprised of tiny particles of animal hair, pet dander, textile fibers, paper fibers, human skin cells, human hair, and food particles, to name a few. Pet dander is the microscopic protein that your pet sheds from its skin. This dander floats around and makes its home in your carpet, clothing, furniture, and even your body’s airways when you breathe in.
Pet dander can cause a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and shortness of breath. Coming into physical contact with pet dander can cause contact dermatitis, hives or triggers a person’s asthma.
Pet dander can cause a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and shortness of breath. Coming into physical contact with pet dander can cause contact dermatitis, hives or triggers a person’s asthma.
How can I reduce the amount of dust and dander in my home?
Air Filters: The largest circulator of dust and dander in your home is your HVAC system. Which is why it is important to make sure you are using the right filters for your HVAC system and that you are changing them out often enough.
Air filters come with a MERV rating system which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This rates the filter’s ability to collect and remove larger particles before they get circulated back into your home. 1 is the lowest MERV rating an 14-16 is the highest. Look for a filter that has a MERV rating of 13-16 for the best allergen particle removal.
The thickness of a filter is also something to pay attention to. A media filter is 4 inches thick and will perform better than a standard one-inch filter. If you aren’t sure what air filter is best for your HVAC system, call us at 281-356-8564 for help.
Around every 90 days you should replace your air filter to help maintain good air flow and keep particles and allergens out of the air you breathe. If you have multiple pets in the home or your air conditioning unit is working harder, like in the summer, you may want to replace your filter sooner than 90 days.
Air filters come with a MERV rating system which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This rates the filter’s ability to collect and remove larger particles before they get circulated back into your home. 1 is the lowest MERV rating an 14-16 is the highest. Look for a filter that has a MERV rating of 13-16 for the best allergen particle removal.
The thickness of a filter is also something to pay attention to. A media filter is 4 inches thick and will perform better than a standard one-inch filter. If you aren’t sure what air filter is best for your HVAC system, call us at 281-356-8564 for help.
Around every 90 days you should replace your air filter to help maintain good air flow and keep particles and allergens out of the air you breathe. If you have multiple pets in the home or your air conditioning unit is working harder, like in the summer, you may want to replace your filter sooner than 90 days.
Media Filters: These filters take the reduction of dust and dander to the next level. They are installed directly into your return-air ductwork. Different brands have different benefits. We’ve outlined two of our favorite below:
 Trane CleanEffects™ Filter
|  Honeywell Whole-House Media Air Cleaner
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Air Scrubbers: These are the ultimate defense in improving your overall air quality. Check out the benefits below and dive into a detailed article here.
- ActivePure® Technology uses light waves and a catalytic process to produce scrubber ions that remove dust particles from the air.
- Certified Space Technology continuously protects and purifies the air, and attacks contaminants on all surfaces.
- Proven effective in University studies on various contaminants in the air and on surfaces.
- Installed by a professional directly to the existing HVAC system ductwork.
- ActivePure® Technology destroys up to 99% of surface and airborne contaminants.
- Significantly reduces dust, pet dander and odors in the home
- Purifies the air and reduces particles that can irritate allergies and asthma.
- Protects people from dangerous contaminants and pollutants, and protects heating and cooling system from dust buildup
- Creates healthy, pure indoor spaces.
- Available in ozone and ozone-free models.
- Coverage up to 3,000 sq. ft.
What's the next step?
Our goal at Country Air is to keep you comfortable and healthy in your home. Call us today and we can help go over the best indoor air quality solutions for your home or office that also fits within your budget. Estimates are always free. 281-356-8564.
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