Attic and basement spaces are frequently overlooked, especially if they’re not finished or furnished. But if your Portland home has an attic or basement, it may be valuable to invest in improving those spaces — even if you never plan on going into them. Consider these improvements:

• Add insulation. During the summer, the sun hits your roof and warms it well past the temperature of the outside air – and that heat radiates into attic spaces, and down into your living areas. During the winter, warm air rises into attic spaces, and the warmth escapes. Insulation can help to slow both these heat transfers, keeping you cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Basement spaces can benefit from insulation as well, as the ground beneath your home can easily sap warmth from your home.
• Seal and insulate ducts that pass through attic and basement spaces. Ducts may be designed to pass through attics and basements, even if those spaces aren’t conditioned. When that happens, they can leak into those spaces, or shed (or take on) heat as they carry air through them. That means that your cooling and heating dollars may be sapped away before the conditioned air ever makes it to your living areas.
• Add ventilation. Ventilating attic spaces can help to manage temperatures, in the summer especially. Both attic and basement areas can also benefit from ventilation to bring in fresh air and exhaust stale air which otherwise might make its way into the air supply of your home.
• Manage your humidity. Humid, moist or damp areas can provide a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and bacteria, which can eat away at fixtures and threaten your health. If your attic or basement has a humidity problem, a dehumidifier may be necessary to address it.
• Find and seal any leaks. Air escaping from attic or basement spaces reduces the efficiency of your heating and cooling overall.

If you’re curious about how to improve your attic and basement areas, give Roth Home & Cooling a call!

A skylight is a practical way to get a little extra sunshine in Portland’s rainy climate. By making sure your skylights are properly weatherized, you can enjoy the light without drafts and energy loss.

How Your Skylight Can Cost You

Windows account for around 10–15 percent of your home’s heat loss in winter and 30 percent of your heat gain in summer. Skylights are even more problematic because they’re hit with more direct sunlight in summer than windows in the wall receive. In winter, they lose around 40 percent more heat than windows because warm air rises, heading straight for the skylights.

To make matters worse, it’s easy to overlook deteriorating caulk and weatherstripping when it’s up on the ceiling. That increases the chance your skylights will develop air leaks that waste your conditioned air, cause drafts, and let in air contaminants.

Improve a Skylight’s Efficiency

In late autumn and late spring, thoroughly clean your skylights. Cleaning before winter ensures you’ll get the maximum amount of sunlight. Get up on a ladder and inspect the caulk and weatherstripping around your skylights. If you notice the weatherization material is deteriorating, remove it completely and apply new caulk or weatherstripping.

Have your skylights professionally inspected once a year. Some issues, such as damaged flashing, might be obvious, but others take an experienced eye to spot.

Install blinds. These let you control how much light you get on hot days and act as insulation in winter. In fact, blinds increase a skylight’s energy efficiency by nearly 40 percent. Blackout blinds used on a fixed skylight can boost energy efficiency by up to 45 percent.

Applying a low-emissivity film is another option for controlling excess heat coming in. On the down side, these films also reduce heat gain in winter when you might actually want it, cut the amount of light you get, and they aren’t adjustable like blinds.

If you’d like some help improving your home’s weatherization, contact us at Roth Home & Cooling in the Portland area.

Have you ever turned on your faucet and noticed milky-white water flowing out? This can be concerning, but there's good news: in most cases, cloudy tap water doesn't pose a health risk. Let's explore the causes of this phenomenon and what you can do to fix it.

What Causes Cloudy Tap Water?

More often than not, cloudy tap water is simply caused by tiny air bubbles. This is especially common in municipal water systems that use pressurized systems to deliver water to homes. However, water cloudiness can have other causes as well. The reason will depend on whether the cloudiness affects all taps or just one faucet and whether it affects the hot water, cold water, or both.

Cloudy Water from All Taps

If the water from most or all of your fixtures is cloudy, it’s likely caused by air in the municipal water supply, which is completely harmless. To test this theory, fill a glass with water and let it sit for a few minutes. If the water turns clear from the bottom up, the culprit is air bubbles. If the water is still cloudy after several minutes, call your local water bureau to check if there’s maintenance being done or a possible leak in the system.

Cloudy Water from One Tap

If only one water faucet is delivering cloudy water, the issue is likely with that fixture’s aerator. To fix the issue:

• Remove the aerator from the faucet.
• Clean it with a 50-50 water/vinegar solution.
• Rinse it thoroughly and reinstall.

Why is My Hot Water Cloudy But Cold Water Clear?

If you have cloudy hot water but the cold water is clear, the issue might be with your water heater. To check this theory, run the hot water briefly, then fill a glass. If the water clears from the bottom up within a few minutes, it's likely just air being released due to pressure. However, if it clears from the top down with particles settling at the bottom, your water heater may need maintenance. It might require flushing to remove sediment or the dip tube may need replacing.

Is Cloudy Water Safe to Drink?

Generally, if the cloudiness is due to air bubbles, the water is safe to drink. However, if the cloudiness persists after several minutes, or you notice sediment or a strange taste, it's best to consult with a professional plumber.

How to Fix Cloudy Tap Water

Here are four ways to fix cloudy tap water:

1. Remove Air Bubbles

Allow the water to rest for several minutes to allow air bubbles to dissipate. Alternatively, you can run cold water through each of your faucets for a few minutes to eliminate any trapped air.

1. Clean the Aerator

If the cloudiness is only coming from one faucet, remove and clean the aerator with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water.

1. Schedule Water Heater Maintenance

If the cloudiness is coming from just the hot water tap, you may need to have your water heater flushed. Scheduling water heater maintenance is an easy way to remove sediment from your water and prolong the life of your water heater.

1. Request a Plumbing Inspection

If cloudiness persists, you may need to schedule an inspection with a professional plumber. They’ll be able to assess your plumbing system and determine if any piping issues are contributing to your cloudy water.

Get Help From a Professional Plumber

While cloudy water is often harmless, persistent issues should be addressed by a professional. If you need help clearing your tap water, reach out to our Portland plumbers at Roth Home. Our experienced team members are ready to help ensure your home's water is clean, clear, and safe to drink.

Choosing the right filter for your HVAC system can be a time-consuming and confusing task if you’re not well versed in industry acronyms and filter ratings. This brief primer can help clarify what they mean, so you can select the best HVAC air filter for your needs.

MERV — The Key to HVAC Filter Efficiency

HVAC air filters are rated using the minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV scale. This numerical rating goes from 1 to 20, and it measures a filter’s ability to capture particles in a certain size range. The higher the number, the better a filter performs.

HEPA — What Does it Mean?

Another frequently-heard air filter term is HEPA, which is an acronym for high-efficiency particulate arrestance. These filters top the MERV scale with ratings from 17–20. They’re capable of capturing as much as 99.97 percent of undesirable particles as small as 0.3 microns. However, they’re not used in residential HVAC systems because they also severely restrict airflow.

How to Choose the Right Filter

If you’re unsure about which filter to use, it’s best to follow your manufacturer’s guidelines on the MERV rating range for your equipment, or ask your HVAC technician. As a general guide, here’s how different types of filters rate:

• Flat fiberglass — These inexpensive filters have MERV ratings from 1–4. They’re best used to keep harmful particles out of the HVAC system. They can only trap about 80 percent of particles 10 microns and larger so they don’t really boost air quality.
• Pleated — Considered “medium-density” because of their greater surface area, these filters go from MERV 5–13. The higher-rated versions are better at improving air quality because they can trap up to 95 percent of particles down to 3.0 microns in size.
• Higher-efficiency — These fiberglass filters range from MERV 14–16, but if you want to use one, you’ll need to discuss modifying your HVAC system with a knowledgeable contractor because they can hinder vital airflow and cause significant equipment damage.

For expert advice about which HVAC air filter is ideal for the system in your Portland-area home, contact us at Roth Home & Cooling.

Your home’s HVAC system needs regular maintenance to operate well for its lifespan. Much of that needs to be performed by a qualified professional. Heating and cooling systems have sensitive components that need expert handling for both your safety and the safety of the machinery. Here are some guidelines regarding tasks you can take care of and what jobs are best left to your technician.

Changing the Filter

You should change filters whenever they are dirty because grimy filters lead to problems such as stressed fan motors, dirty evaporator coils, dirty air ducts, and dust in the air you breathe. This is an easy task requiring little time and effort and most homeowners prefer to handle it without help.

If dirty filters have caused problems for the system, that is another story. Make sure you call your HVAC technician if your coils have frozen, if you suspect your ductwork is dirty, or if the fan motor keeps shutting off.

Cleaning

Seasonal HVAC maintenance visits usually include some cleaning tasks specific to the machinery. Your contractor can take care of cleaning the coils and cleaning interior parts that have gathered dust.

Some cleaning projects are DIY and will make your system run better as well as make any maintenance task easier. This includes keeping the area around the furnace and other interior HVAC components neatly swept and free of clutter. Outdoors, keep trees and bushes trimmed back from the compressor and don’t let brush or grass clippings build up nearby. The technician will appreciate clear access to the units. It also reduces the amount of debris being trapped inside.

Repairs

It can be tempting to explore your HVAC equipment when something is malfunctioning. Clearing a clog in the drainage pan or tightening a bolt is fine, but avoid doing anything more than that. Call your technician to make repairs such as loose wiring, broken belts, or stalled fans. This is the safest and smartest way to handle these issues.

For more about HVAC maintenance and your Portland home, please contact us at Roth Home & Cooling.

When you are trying to communicate with a service professional, whether your auto mechanic or HVAC technician, it can be confusing if you get lost in trade jargon. If you’re in need of HVAC service, repair or possible installation of a new cooling system, keep these HVAC terms in mind to help you make decisions that best serve your needs.

Air Handler

The indoor part of a split-system air conditioner or heat pump is the air handler. The air handler pulls airflow through return ducts, cools the airflow and then pushes the cooled air back to your home via supply ducts.

Compressor

The compressor is the component that prepares refrigerant to release the heat that was collected from your home. Older compressors are generally piston types that tend to be noisier and less efficient than modern scroll compressors.

Energy Star

The federal Energy Star program was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). HVAC systems must meet stringent guidelines for energy efficiency and offer advanced features compared to conventional systems to brandish the Energy Star logo.

Evaporator and Condenser Coils

Your central air system contains two coils. The coil that absorbs heat energy from your home is the evaporator. The condenser coil releases the heat energy to the air outside your home.

HVAC

HVAC is an acronym for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. So, when you or your HVAC professional speak of your Portland home’s HVAC system, you may be discussing a central A/C system, a heat pump, a furnace, ductwork, a heat-recovery ventilator or add-on systems, such as a zoning system or a whole-home dehumidifier.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is an energy-efficiency rating for A/Cs and heat pumps. SEER numbers of cooling systems are determined by factoring cooling output to energy input during the course of the cooling months. The higher the SEER number, the greater cooling efficiency a system provides.

Don’t be confused by HVAC terms and jargon. Work with a Portland HVAC contractor that truly cares about customer service. Contact the experts at Roth Home & Cooling today to learn more.

If you have a central air conditioner, then your home comfort relies on well-designed ducts — and well-managed air vents. While these unobtrusive fixtures may not seem like much, they actually play a big part in managing your indoor airflow. Here’s what you need to know about opening, closing, and redirecting vents in your Portland, Oregon, home:

• Your A/C and furnace probably share the same vents. This can be tricky: remember, cool air sinks, while warm air rises. Vents near your baseboards will be more efficient at warming your home during the winter, while vents higher on the wall or ceiling will be more effective at cooling your home through the summer. You can use a ceiling fan to gently draw air upwards or push it downwards to manage your indoor temperature better.
• You can close or block off vents to rooms you don’t want to cool or heat — but use this sparingly. Vents often come with their own shutters which can be closed, or you can purchase a set of magnetic covers to form a more airtight seal. This prevents conditioned air from entering rooms you don’t want cooled. But watch out: those unless you seal the return air vents, those rooms will still deliver warm air to your A/C, which can raise your cooling costs. And sealing off too many rooms changes the air pressure through your entire duct system, meaning more wear and tear on your fan motor and duct seams.
• You’re not stuck with the vents you have. The small grates have some angled fluting which looks like it’s used to direct airflow, but the impact from those small angled pieces is actually minimal. Replacing the vent covers with decorative vent covers can be an inexpensive way to beautify your home environment.

If you have questions about the airflow in your home, about redirecting vents, or about managing your home comfort, don’t hesitate to call us up at Roth Home & Cooling!

Depending on the age of your home, you could be due for an electrical upgrade. In recent years the number of appliances and devices that people use has steadily increased, and the existing wiring may not be adequate for either safety or convenience.

Signs you may need an upgrade include:

• Frequent circuit breaker tripping. If one or more circuit breakers trips when the electrical loads are higher, you may be overloading that particular circuit. Acircuit breaker that trips when you use a hair dryer or other device that pulls a lot of power might be inadequate. Breaker failure is less common, but it does happen. Your electrician can assess the condition of the breaker.
• Insufficient outlets. The excessive use of power strips or extension cords indicates you may not have enough electrical outlets in any particular room. Current electrical codes require one outlet for every 12 feet of wall space. Most cords are six feet long, and this outlet requirement eliminates many safety hazards.
• Adding a major appliance. If you’re adding an appliance that has uses a lot of electricity, like a dryer, extra dishwasher, stovetop, or refrigerator, chances are you’ll need an electrical upgrade. Converting from a gas to an electric dryer or stove will require a dedicated and specialized outlet.
• Aluminum wiring. Homes built between the 1960s and mid 1970s may have aluminum wiring. A copper shortage drove builders to use aluminum in place of copper to cut construction costs. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that homes with some or all aluminum wiring were 55 times more likely to experience an electrical fire.If you can access the place where wires enter your home, look for printing on the insulation that says aluminum, CL-clad, or Romex. If you see either, consider upgrading your wiring. Electricians can have developed safe ways to eliminate the safety hazard without replacing all the wiring with copper.

An electrical upgrade keeps your home up-to-date as you add appliances and devices to your home. To learn more, contact Roth Home & Electrical, providing trusted HVAC and electrical services for Portland-area homeowners.

When you’re trying to sleep, the last thing you want is to be kept up by noisy air vents. While all HVAC systems make some noise, you should be hearing the sound of the fan or motor. If you’re hearing an aggravating whine instead, you may have an issue with your air vents.

Many noisy air vent problems can be solved by the homeowner. First, think about whether the noise you’re hearing is new. If it’s been ongoing since you got the HVAC system, you may have too small ducts. If that’s the case, you’ll need an HVAC professional to assess the situation and give you solutions.

On the other hand, if your noisy air ducts are a new development, you may have a simple problem you can solve. Even if it’s a continuing problem, it’s worth your time to try to troubleshoot the problem yourself before you call in the experts.

Noisy Air Duct Troubleshooting List:

1. Check your filter in your return vent. If your filter is dirty, it can block airflow and create noise. If it’s not properly seated in the opening, it can leave gaps that air whistles through.
2. Make sure all your supply vents are open. Closing off the supply vents that release air into your living spaces doesn’t really save energy. While it does put out less air into your home, disturbs the balance between air going into the system and air coming out. As a result, you have a less efficient system and sometimes a noisier one as well.
3. Inspect your vents for little objects that may have fallen in and caused an obstruction. This is less likely if all your vents are overhead, but floor and baseboard vents are notorious for getting small objects trapped in them.
4. Remove any furniture or other objects that might be blocking airflow to your vents.

If you’re still hearing noisy vents after trying these solutions, it’s time to call in a professional.

For more tips on how to deal with noisy air vents or other HVAC issues in the Portland area, contact Roth Home & Cooling. Keeping your home air quality at a comfortable level is an important part of being a homeowner, but it can be difficult to know exactly where the problem is coming from. Our Portland heating and air conditioning technicians have decades of experience working on all manner of HVAC systems and will work with you to make sure that your home's climate control systems are running at peak capacity. Call us at (503) 673-6394 today to schedule a service.