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Houses in Boulder County, measured rather than guessed at
Furnaces, air conditioning, heat pumps, duct work, filtration and ventilation — with the static pressure written down so the next decision has a number behind it.
The usual list
- No heat, no cool
Same-day where we can. Filters, flame sensors, pressure switches, capacitors and contactors account for most of them, and none of those is an expensive part.
- One room never works
Measured at the register first. Duct length, a crushed run, a missing return or an attic leak explains it far more often than system size does.
- The filter question
"Can I fit a better filter?" is a static pressure question, and it has an actual answer. We measure it and tell you what the system can carry.
- The house smells of smoke inside
Usually a combination of a leaky building and a fresh-air path nobody knew was open. Both are findable.
- A new noise
Bearings, a blower wheel loaded with dust, or a panel that has come loose. Worth a look — new noises do not settle down.
- It is old. What now?
We will say what it has left and what to budget, in writing. Replacement is a plan, not a same-afternoon decision.
Why a better filter is not always an improvement
A denser filter catches more of what passes through it, and it also resists airflow more. Fit one your system cannot carry and the air moving through the house drops — which means less air gets filtered at all, and in winter a furnace can start tripping its high limit.
The fix, where there is one, is usually more filter area rather than a denser filter: a deep cabinet instead of a one-inch slot. That is a real job with a real price, and it is worth doing once, in spring.
- What we measureStatic pressure across the system, before and after any change, so the effect is a number rather than an opinion.
- What we fitDeep media cabinets where there is room, and the best cartridge the measured pressure allows where there is not.
- What we will not doSell you a filter your system cannot carry, or claim a health outcome. We move and filter air; what that does for you is a question for your doctor or for public health guidance.
Two things that go elsewhere first
- A carbon monoxide alarm soundingEverybody out of the house, then call 911 or the gas utility from outside. Not us first, and do not go back in to open windows.
- A smell of gasThe same. Leave the appliance alone, get out, ring from outside.
Once it is safe we will come and find out what caused it. Everything else can be booked.
The tighter the house, the more deliberate the air has to be
Houses built or retrofitted to a modern standard around here do not leak enough to ventilate themselves. That is a good thing for bills and it means fresh air has to be brought in on purpose — usually by an ERV, an HRV or a controlled fresh-air duct.
Which also means there is a route for outside air to get in when you would rather it did not. Knowing where that route is, and having a way to close it, is most of the smoke plan.