HVAC systems are designed to thrive through years of wear and tear. That said, they’re far from infallible. Odds are, your HVAC system will incur damage and will, at some point, require a repair.

There are all sorts of problems that can plague an HVAC system. Curious as to the most common HVAC issues? Read on!

Here are 6 of the most common problems that HVAC systems can develop. 

1. Dirty Air Filter

Perhaps the most common of all HVAC issues is the problem of a dirty air filter. Air filters are used to catch airborne dust and debris, ensuring that it doesn’t enter the AC system in excess. Of course, because they do this, they also become exceedingly dirty exceedingly quickly. 

This is a problem. Why? Because not only does it reduce an air conditioner’s efficiency, but it also places undue wear and tear on the air conditioner, causing it to deteriorate and give up long before it would otherwise. 

As such, it’s necessary to either clean or replace your HVAC air filter every 3 months or so. If so you have pets in your home (like dogs or cats), you might even consider making a change every month. That fur adds up quickly. 

2. Inconsistent Thermostat

Does your thermostat seem to be displaying a different temperature than what is being produced by your heater or air conditioner? Does it sometimes fail to make changes in a timely manner? If so, there could be a number of different issues at hand. 

In some cases, the thermostat could simply be in need of a battery change. However, in many cases, it’s the connection that’s to blame. Whether the thermostat is wired or wireless, its connection could be compromised either through deterioration or through interference. 

Note, some thermostat inconsistencies aren’t the fault of the thermostat at all. In some cases, the sensors within the air conditioner or furnace could be to blame. If this is the case with your thermostat inconsistency, you would need to either clean these sensors or have them replaced. 

In truth, the best option is to call up your local HVAC repair company. They’ll assess the problem, then take the necessary actions to correct it. 

3. Clogged Ducts

Do you use forced heat and cooling? If so, there’s a chance that your ducts could become clogged. This occurs over years and years of use, as your duct system is subject to more and more dust and debris. 

Unfortunately, after some time, the system can become so inundated with dust that it fails to deliver air as needed. Soon enough, you’ll find that one of your rooms is getting much colder than another, for example. 

The fix? It’s as simple as clearing the ducts of any existing debris. To do this, you’ll need to disassemble the ducts and physically pull any debris from their confines. If you’re not up to the task yourself, you can also bring in a professional HVAC technician. 

4. Drafts/Dead Spots

One of the most insidious HVAC problems is the problem of drafts/dead spots. These occur for a variety of reasons, some of which involve the HVAC system itself and some of which involve the environment that surrounds the HVAC system. 

For instance, improper vent placement could cause one portion of a room to remain colder than another portion of a room. At the same time, a lack of insulation could cause one room to feel colder than another. 

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to combat such problems. One answer is to install baseboard registers. Another answer is to reconfigure the positioning of your duct system. 

In any case, you’re advised to utilize the services of a seasoned HVAC technician. He or she will go through your options with you and make sure you get the best fix possible.

5. Short Cycling

Perhaps the most notable of HVAC problems is short cycling, a problem wherein an AC or heater turns on for a few seconds, turns off for a few seconds, and then repeats the process perpetually, never truly heating or cooling the room as desired. 

This is a problem not only because it prevents the room from reaching the desired temperature but because it wastes energy and places undue wear and tear on the HVAC system. 

Oftentimes, this is caused by an improperly-sized heating or cooling unit. Note, though, that dirty temperature sensors can cause this issue as well. 

6. Mechanical Issues

The fact of the matter is that HVAC systems have shelf lives. They won’t live forever and, at some point, their mechanical components will start to break down. These components run the gamut from belts to motors and much more. 

So, if your air conditioner, furnace, boiler, or baseboards are in their second decade of existence, you need to keep an eye on them as much as possible. If they’ve survived this long, they’ve undoubtedly taken on a great deal of wear and tear, and could very well incur mechanical issues at any time. 

How do you spot mechanical issues? There are a few signs to look out for. These include strange sounds (like squeaks or bangs), poor smells, and slow-to-respond functionality, to name just a few. 

Don’t let mechanical issues linger. The sooner you can get them fixed, the more you’ll get out of your system in the long-run. 

Keep an Eye Out for These Common HVAC Issues

If you want to keep your HVAC system running at its max capacity, you need to keep an eye out for these common HVAC issues. They can sneak up out of nowhere, so be sure to check your AC and heating system on a regular basis. 

Looking for other home improvement tips? You can find them on our website. Check out our other articles now! 

Did you know the latest statistics show that out of over 67,000 overdose deaths, 70% involved opioids? Opioids treat pain but they’re also habit-forming and sometimes lead to addiction and even death. 

Avoiding pain killers, especially opioids, is a good idea when possible. Are you tired of popping pills for back problems? There are other alternatives for treating back pain. 

Have you tried spinal manipulation for ridding yourself of back pain? Read on for everything you need to know about spinal manipulation. 

What Is Spinal Manipulation?

Spinal manipulation is a therapeutic technique. A chiropractor uses this therapy in his practice for moving joints into place. 

The technique involves a thrusting motion, using his hands or another device. This force exerted moves the joint. This therapy is common in chiropractic care throughout the world. 

Some of the conditions chiropractors treat with this therapy are:

• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Low-back pain
• Sciatica

The manipulation realigns the spine for pain reduction. 

One of the most common types of spinal manipulation is high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust (HVLA). Don’t let the popping noise in your neck or back alarm you! This is cavitation which is a release of gas in the joint. 

Diversified Technique

This is the most common manual spinal adjustment chiropractors use. It’s an HVLA technique that involves a short, quick thrust on the joint. This results in the restoration of the normal range of motion within the joint.

Thompson Terminal Point Technique 

This technique uses special treatment tables. Part of the table drops during the thrust, facilitating movement within the joint. This is more a mobilization technique or a gentle adjustment than traditional HVLA techniques.  

Gonstead Adjustment Technique

Like the diversified technique, this is an HVLA adjustment. The difference lies in evaluating which joint is problematic and the positioning of the body during the adjustment. 

Is Spinal Manipulation Safe?

Serious complications from spinal manipulation are rare but they sometimes occur. If you’re considering spinal manipulation, use a trained and licensed practitioner. 

Most people can have spinal manipulation. If you have a high risk of stroke, spinal cancer, or an unstable spine, avoid the therapy. Also, avoid spinal manipulation if you have osteoporosis or tingling and numbness in your arms or legs. 

With spinal manipulation, there’s no chance of dangerous opioid addiction. 

Does Spinal Manipulation Work?

Studies support the use of spinal manipulation over drugs or other mechanical forms of manipulation. The advantage is enough to be statistically significant.

Self-reported pain scores were better than other means of treatment after one-, three-, and six-months. 

A Natural Approach for Back Pain

Are you looking for a drug-free way of treating your back pain? Spinal manipulation is a more natural approach. There are several types of HVLA techniques, and a licensed chiropractor can tell which one is best for your condition. 

Spinal manipulation is a safe and effective alternative therapy for back pain that’s been used for many years. If you’re looking for healthier alternatives to your back pain, consider seeing a chiropractor. 

Was this article helpful? Find more on the blog! 

Trying to get your children to eat healthier is like pulling teeth. If something remotely looks like a vegetable they don’t want any part of it. Your spouse isn’t much better.

It sounds like it’s time to put your foot down and make a few changes around your house. Start with throwing out the junk and making room for whole foods and replacing your usual snacks with better options. 

Making your family healthier doesn’t stop at changing up their usual diet. Here are a few simple health tips that will put your family on the path toward wellness as painless as possible.

1. Stay Away from Sugary Drinks

Have you ever flipped a can of soda over to see how much sugar you’re taking in? It’s a lot. Sugary juices aren’t much better. 

If consumed in large quantities these drinks can lead to type 2 diabetes, liver damage, and anxiety. The best way to keep your family healthy is to put water in the house instead. 

If you can’t get your children to drink water, try infusing it with fruit first. It makes it much easier to drink.  

2. Choose Whole Foods Every Time 

If you have a huge family it’s easy to go out and buy a bunch of mini frozen pizzas and packs of ramen. The problem is that these foods don’t have much nutritional value. 

Making healthy meals can be just as easy if you take advantage of meal prep. Swap out the frozen meals with fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. 

3. Add Nuts and Seeds to Your Diet 

As long as you’re not allergic, nuts are a great alternative to other snack foods. They’re full of good fats and vitamins. The same can be said of seeds. 

Flaxseeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds all contain high levels of antioxidants, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Something else that’s neat about seeds is that you can sneak them into your child’s diet if need be.

Try adding them in their morning cereal or putting them in yogurt. Chia seeds go great in smoothies as well. 

4. Keep Health Foods in Your Home at All Times

If your children get hungry enough, they’ll eat the healthy snack whether they like it or not. Keep junk food out of the house and replace it with better options. 

Put fruit, packs of nuts, and seeds out on the counter. If they are out in plain sight, your children and spouse will grab them and start munching without thinking about it too much. 

5. Get a Full Night’s Rest 

You and your family should be getting your full 8 hours each night. Without it, you won’t be able to focus on your daily duties. It also ruins your appetite and affects your mood. 

The more tired you are, the more vulnerable you are to stress. Poor sleep schedules are also linked to obesity.

If you still feel like you don’t have any energy even after getting a good night’s rest, try to toss and wash kratom. It can increase your energy levels and improve your mood. 

6. Use Smaller Plates 

If all else fails, you can use psychology to get your family to eat better. Part of keeping a healthy diet is portion control. If you serve their meals on a large plate, they will clear it all before getting full.

It’s strange but they will be equally as full if you give them a small plate. To the human brain, a plate of food is a plate of food. 

7. Drink More Water 

Other than keeping you hydrated, water has a ton of health benefits. One of them is weight loss and diet management. Drinking water throughout your day can increase your metabolism.  

The best time to drink water is right before mealtime. It takes up room in your stomach and makes you feel fuller so you eat less. 

8. Plant a Garden 

A healthy diet has to be coupled with exercise in order to be effective. Gardening is a great outdoor activity for the entire family. 

It gets you all outside, it involves heavy amounts of movement, and it promotes healthy eating. Your children will want to eat the veggies that they help grow after all.  

9. Schedule Family Playtime

Even if you only go on a family walk for ten minutes, that’s better than not getting any outdoor time at all. Take your children to a park to play after school or set up a play area in the driveway. 

With the daily hustle and bustle of life, it is hard to make room in everyone’s schedules for play but it’s important that you try to get the entire family involved. 

10. Be a Role Model 

Your children won’t catch on to the idea of healthy eating and fitness if you and your spouse aren’t serious about it. You’ve got to be the positive role models. 

Create a screen time limit for yourself, get active, eat healthier, and go to bed on time. When your children can see you doing these things and see that you’re having fun with it, they’ll be encouraged to follow your example. 

Simple Health Tips for You and Your Family to Live By 

Are you trying to get your family to be healthier? It can be a struggle if they tend to cringe at the sight of a veggie. The first step is making healthy foods the only option. 

From there you can use the rest of these simple health tips to get them to change their diet and work towards fitness. 

Are you looking for more ways to promote health and wellness for your family? Check out our blog daily for more articles like this one. 

When you grow up, your parents take you to the doctor when you get sick. As a result, many people utilize western medicine exclusively to keep their health in good shape. Western medicine, however, is quick to prescribe pharmaceuticals to treat medical conditions when there are other options available.

Alternative medicine is a great way to stay healthy and treat ailments without invasive surgeries or expensive prescriptions. In fact, there are a ton of benefits! Read on to learn about the benefits of alternative medicine.

1. It’s an Effective Compliment to Western Medicine

Many people consider alternative medicine to be ineffective, but even traditional doctors will admit that’s simply not true. Therapies like acupuncture have been around for thousands of years and are actually quite effective. Probiotics are actually great for gut health, and yoga has been proven to help ADHD and soothe irritable bowel syndrome.

Places like this advanced alternative medicine center can help heal or ease the symptoms of common diseases like cancer, Lyme disease, and arthritis. These treatments are non-invasive and help you feel better faster in many cases.

It’s important to consult with your regular doctor or go to the ER if you feel like you are experiencing a medical emergency. Always remember that alternative medicine is complementary. 

2. They Help You Feel in Control

It’s no secret that western medicine is complex. This can make a visit to the doctor feel overwhelming, and like you have no control over your care. Alternative medicine helps patients regain control of their treatments.

When you receive a diagnosis from your doctor, you can visit an alternative medicine practitioner to learn about your options for care. They might prescribe therapeutic massage or even meditation, but the choice is yours about the path you take.

3. They Can Help Prevent Common Diseases

This is where the real strength of alternative medicine comes in. Many common diseases are the result of things like the standard American diet or even stress. Alternative therapies are then used to help counteract those factors and reduce your likelihood of suffering from things like heart disease or diabetes.

In fact, practices like yoga and meditation are great for preventing diseases like high blood pressure. High blood pressure is often brought on by things like stress and sedentary lifestyles. Yoga gets you moving, and when practiced along with meditation, you have the prescription for relaxation and better health.

There Are Many Benefits of Alternative Medicine!

It’s true, there are countless benefits of alternative medicine, especially when used along with western medicine. When used in a preventative manner, it can even help you save on expensive medical bills by keeping you healthy! Now’s the time to consult with an alternative medicine doctor to learn how they can help you!

Want to learn more about saving money and caring for your family, too? Look no further! Check out the rest of the blog for everything you need to know!

Does your coffee taste a little bland? 

It might be your beans. If you bought them pre-roasted and ready for brewing, they may have already gone through oxidation. Even with the best packaging, coffee beans can still go stale if they stay on the shelf for weeks. 

The solution is to start roasting your own coffee. 

How does this help? Is it worth the effort and investment? Discover the answers in our guide below:

1. Freshness

Did you know that roasted coffee beans don’t stay fresh long? Once roasted, the oxidation process begins. Even with an air-tight container, coffee beans can become stale after two weeks.

Roasting your own coffee works around this issue. Now you can roast a small amount of coffee, seal it, and consume it before it gets stale. You’ll always be able to brew flavorful coffee from now on. 

2. Affordable

Go ahead and take a moment to check the prices of packaged roasted coffee. They can cost a lot per pound but if you start roasting coffee at home, you’ll be able to cut the cost down by a significant margin.

You could buy affordable green coffee beans wholesale from a supplier like Intercontinental Coffee Trading and it’ll cost less than what you’d spend for a few pounds of roasted coffee.

Most shops sell fresh, unroasted coffee at a fraction of the price they’d sell roasted beans. This is because they won’t have to shoulder the resources to roast, package, and maintain the beans. Those responsibilities now fall on your shoulder and while that can seem intimidating, it offers you full flavor control.

3. Full Flavor Control

Home roasting coffee gives you the opportunity to make coffee exactly the way you prefer. 

Do you want a light cinnamon roast that doesn’t offer strong flavors but packs in a lot of caffeine? Do you want a medium American roast or a dark, flavorful French roast? 

You can achieve these by learning how to roast coffee beans. Roasting relies heavily on proper temperature control and listening for the iconic “cracking” sounds. 

4. Freedom to Experiment

If you want to add different oils to mix in external flavors, say vanilla extract, for example, you can do it when you roast at home. Now you can perfect how you want your coffee to taste, smell, and feel in your mouth.

Don’t feel afraid to experiment! It’s one of the most fun advantages of roasting coffee yourself. Try different flavors, different roast levels, and combinations to get the flavor you want. 

5. Profitability

As mentioned, roasting your own coffee is affordable and it gives you full control over the flavor and texture. If you want to go one step further and make it a business, you can!

With enough marketing, you could quit your job and focus entirely on roasting and selling coffee. If you own a coffee shop, roasting your own coffee is a good way of cutting down business expenses and increases your revenue.

Start Roasting Your Own Coffee Now!

Why settle for pre-roasted coffee beans that might not be fresh or tailor-suited to your preferences? Start roasting your own coffee today! Take advantage of the benefits we’ve listed above.

Of course, roasting coffee isn’t as simple as it sounds. There’s a lot to learn to get it right. The good news is we’ve got all the guides you need so don’t hesitate to check out more of our posts right here!