The Whole House Approach Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning can solve comfort problems other contractors can’t. We know the best ways to make hot and cold spots comfortable, such as bedrooms located on the far end of the house, second floor bedrooms, or hot and humid TV rooms. We know how to control humidity year round.
Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning can also solve IAQ problems other contractors cannot. We know why new filters and duct cleaning often don’t reduce visible dust, and what needs to be done to really make a difference. Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning can diagnose and solve dirt, dust and allergen problems. We have learned how to put the V (ventilation) back into residential HVAC.
In addition Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning knows how to install new high efficiency equipment so that it operates at the rated performance. How to properly size new equipment and solve pre-existing duct and thermal envelope problems. At Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning we know how to ensure new equipment actually saves money on utility bills.
In short we have evolved into Total Comfort Contractors, something over 99% of the contractors in the industry do not care about.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a blower door?
The blower door is a diagnostic tool which helps locate air leaks in buildings and measures how leaky they are. Originally developed over 30 years ago by scientists researching building energy losses, it is now used by hundreds of HVAC contractors to find a host of problems related to home comfort, dust and allergy problems and high utility bills.

Can a blower door find duct leakage?
The blower door was originally used to find over all building infiltration, it is common practice to use a blower door in conjunction with a air capture hood to measure duct leakage.

What actually is duct leakage?
This is the expensive conditioned air leaking out of supply and return air ducts, and plenums, and into the attic and garage.

I can see how disconnected ducts can be a problem, but do the small cracks and gaps really amount to much?
Until recently the extent of duct leakage was largely overlooked. But research has found that unsealed joints and loose connections in the typical air distribution system adds up to between 30 and 80 square inches of combined leakage area.

What can duct leakage do to a systems performance?
Duct leaks can dramatically reduce the capacity of an otherwise well installed HVAC system. In fact in a study done by the EPA they state that typical duct systems lose 25-40 % of the cooling energy put out by the central air conditioning system.

Can duct leakage attribute to indoor air quality problems?
Duct leakage often worsens building indoor air quality by bringing in outdoor contaminants from garages, crawl spaces, and attics. In some cases duct leakage causes combustion and fire hazards due to back-drafting of appliances.

Air infiltration in a home, is this a serious problem?
Uncontrolled air infiltration represents a sizeable portion of the cooling dehumidification and heating loads, typically between 20% and 30%. Many homes have Equivalent Leakage Areas of between three and eight square feet.

I have heard of a Thermal Bypass, but what actually is one?
Most homes have hidden or Thermal Bypasses which cause significant conductive energy loss. Typically these area are dropped ceiling (fur downs) over kitchen cabinets, bath tubs or closets. Open wall cavities around fireplace chimneys or plumbing/duct chases, and of course un-insulated attic hatches, pull down stairs and bare sheetrock. Heat gain or loss is often greater through these areas than through the rest of the attic floor.

Can a poor thermal envelope cause any other problems?
Thermal envelope problems contribute to discomfort of all kinds. They add to the cooling and dehumidification load in the summer. They bring in dust, noise and insects from outside. Fixing these problems have more benefits than simply energy savings. If you have a question that was not answered, contact us to ask Art your specific question.

Whole House Comfort Checkup
A Whole House Comfort Checkup Is A Thorough Evaluation Of All Your Home's Comfort Systems Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning offers a Whole House Comfort Checkup service as described below. Contact Art and arrange for your home checkup.

Buying A New Comfort System?
As described and recommended by DOE and EPA, before buying a new indoor comfort system, you should ask your heating and cooling contractor for diagnostic testing and computerized equipment sizing calculations.

Do You Have Hot or Cold Spots?
A Whole House Comfort Checkup will get to the bottom of why, and what you can do about it.

Do Family Members Suffer From Allergies or Asthma?
Your home may be contributing to your suffering. A Whole House Comfort Checkup will help identify ways to make your home healthier and safer.
Is Your Indoor Air Too Dry or Too Humid?
Improper humidity control can cause static shocks, dry skin and bloody noses in the winter and mold, mildew and structural damage in the summer. A Whole House Comfort Checkup will identify ways to help you control the humidity in your home.

Are Your Utility Bills Too High?
According to the Department of Energy, the typical home wastes 25% to 40% of the energy put out by the central air conditioning system.

Are you throwing away 25¢ to 40¢ out of every utility dollar?
Find out if you are and how to stop it!

Here's How A Whole House Comfort Checkup Works

A specially-trained Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning, Comfort and Indoor Air Quality Consultant will visit your home and - using advanced diagnostic instruments and testing procedures - will identify problems that affect your indoor living environment. Your consultant will then provide you with a personalized plan to solve these problems, permanently.

Initial Consultation
Your checkup starts with an initial interview with our Comfort and Indoor Air Quality Consultant. Your input provides valuable information, such as whether any rooms feel clammy when the air conditioner is running, or if any parts of the house need to be dusted more often than others. We encourage all the adults in your home to participate in this initial consultation since everyone's perception of comfort and indoor air quality is unique.

Equipment Inspection
The inspection begins with your cooling and heating equipment. Is it efficient, dependable and safe? Your consultant will visually inspect your equipment for any signs of deterioration, improper installation, or insufficient maintenance. He or she will let you know the average life span of your type of equipment. Your consultant will also evaluate your system's air filtration and purification efficiency, to determine if improvements would better clean your indoor air.

Insulation Inspection
Even the best heating and cooling system will have trouble keeping you comfortable or will cost more to run if you don’t have enough insulation. Your consultant will visually inspect insulation levels throughout your home and determine if they meet currently recommended levels. More importantly, he or she will look for hidden defects, such as hollow wall cavities, that allow air and heat to bypass your insulation. Attic ventilation levels will also be checked.

Infiltrometer™ Blower Door Test
All houses should have some air leakage but most leak too much. Symptoms of excessive leakage include uneven temperatures throughout the house, wasted energy, excessive dust, cold drafts, dry air in winter, and clammy air in summer. On the other hand, some homes are too airtight and may have unhealthy indoor air. To measure a home’s air tightness, Department of Energy scientists at Princeton University invented the blower door instrument. It is often featured in magazines and on television, including National Geographic, Better Homes and Gardens, Popular Science, and This Old House. Using an Infiltrometer™ (a computerized blower door system) your Comfort & Indoor Air Quality Consultant will evaluate how leaky or airtight your entire home is, and where improvements can be made.

Air Leakage Evaluation
Not all air leaks are created equal. From an air quality standpoint, those around your windows and doors are good leaks, since they let in fresh outdoor air. Bad leaks let in dusty, moldy or polluted air from your attic, garage, or crawl space. Leaky air ducts often bring in dirty air, and cause your heating and cooling equipment to perform well below peak efficiency. As part of the Infiltrometer™ blower door test, your consultant will pinpoint where your home’s worst air leaks are, and where improvements can be made.

Air Flow Diagnosis
If your air duct system has hidden design flaws or blockages, your air flow will be restricted or unevenly distributed. This wastes your money and can make your home uncomfortable. Studies conducted for electric utilities nationwide show that over 66% of heat pumps and air conditioners suffer from this problem. Your consultant will conduct 'static pressure' tests - like a blood pressure check for your ducts - to reveal any hidden blockages or design problems.

Electronic Air Flow Capture Hood Test
Do you have rooms that are hard to heat or cool? There are economical solutions. Your consultant will use an air flow capture hood to measure precisely how much conditioned air is getting to those rooms (provided the supply vents are accessible). If air flow is low, the causes will be determined, and appropriate solutions will be prescribed.

Personalized Improvement Plan
Once the inspection and testing are complete, your consultant will explain the results, and give you a prioritized plan of recommended improvements. Many - such as caulking and sealing or weather-stripping - can be performed by homeowners as weekend projects. Other improvements may require professionals. Upon request, your consultant will prepare a proposal for repairs to be performed.

During your Whole House Comfort Checkup, you will learn how to:
 • Achieve even, comfortable temperatures throughout your home
• Maintain healthy, comfortable humidity levels year-round
• Reduce dust, system noise and repair bills • Save money on your utility bills (typically between 10% and 50%)

Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on the Whole House Comfort Checkup. You do not have to pay if upon completion of your Checkup you did not find the service worthwhile. Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning, Inc offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and all Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning, Inc Technicians are extensively trained, drug tested and security screened for your peace of mind. Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning, Inc employees are dedicated to excellence and focus their standards of quality on exceeding your expectations, everyday.