Are you wondering why you always pay a large amount of money on your monthly energy bill? Let us give you some of the most common reasons why your energy consumption increases drastically every month. Read on!

Inefficient Light Bulbs

Are you still using the traditional incandescent bulbs to light your home?  Let me introduce you to the benefits of LED lighting when it comes to efficiency and savings! LED lights are a bit costly than incandescent bulbs, but they are long-lasting and consume much lesser energy in operation. If you are in for savings and efficiency, we recommend you make a major upgrade on your lighting system and get rid of your inefficient, energy hog, incandescent bulbs.

Old, Out-dated Appliances

You should know that old and out-dated appliances are great energy hogs. As their components become worn out, their efficiency decreases and they will consume more energy in their operation. If your appliances are nearing or have already reached their estimated life span, you should think of having them replaced to prevent wasted energy and high energy bill.

Poor Insulation

Whether in hot or cold months, insulation is important to keep your energy costs low. Your heating and cooling system consumes a large amount of energy in its operation. With poor home insulation, you can double or triple the expense, giving you nothing but a skyrocketing bill and poor comfort. Always take time to repair or replace your home’s insulation to save on your heating and cooling costs.

Charging Turmoil

You know when a person is tech or gadget-oriented when they consume a tremendous amount of time and energy charging their devices. Normally, a phone only needs 2-3 hours to charge fully, but many people often leave them plugged overnight. Aside from increasing energy consumption, you are also putting yourself at risk of electrical issues and fire.

Vampire Appliances

Do you keep your appliances plugged at all times even when not in use? Honestly, plugged devices suck electricity continuously even if you turned them off. If you are not using your appliances, see to it that you unplug them for safety and energy saving purposes.

Do not let your energy bill give you a wave of budgetary panic! If you think you require a major upgrade on your electrical equipment or need some pieces of advice to cut down your energy consumption, you are always free to give us a call at Hugee Corporation. We provide expert electrical guidance and services worthy of your time and trust!

The location of your thermostat has a direct effect on the performance of your heating and cooling system. Installing the device in the wrong location can lead to an incorrect temperature reading which eventually results in too hot or too cold indoor temperature. In either case, it will be difficult to maintain the optimum comfort inside your home.

Places Where Thermostats SHOULD NOT Be Installed

To keep the efficiency of your heating and cooling unit, we recommend you prohibit the installation of your thermostats in these key areas of your home:

• In Direct Sunlight

If the thermostat is directly hit by the sun’s rays, it will think that your home is hotter than it actually is. Then it will signal for the operation of your air conditioning unit to make your home too cool, causing your system to consume energy on unneeded comfort.

• Near Air Vents

Do not install your thermostats near the vents because the cool air will blow through it, making the thermostat think that your room is cooler than it really is. As a result, wrong commands are given and you might end up having a short-cycling unit. You know this is bad for your system and comfort, right?

• Near Drafts

Drafts can also cause wrong temperature readings in your thermostat. Be sure not to mount the device near windows and doors, fans and other places that can directly influence the temperature.

• Near Heat-Producing Appliances

There are more heat producing appliances in the kitchen. Thus, it is not highly recommended to install your thermostat in this area of your home. If you want to install it in the living room, choose a place that is far from electrical appliances like computers and TV sets. These heat-emitting components may also cause wrong temperature reading.

• In A De-Centralized Location

Experts recommend installing the thermostat in the center of your home because the temperature is most likely on average. If placed on the de-centralized areas, the temperature reading may not reflect the rest of your home. As a result, you will have an either too cold or too hot indoor environment.

Need a little help in finding the right location of your thermostat? Our dependable team at Hugee Corporation can help you with that. We are also an expert in heating and cooling repair. If you need any help in keeping your comfort in Washinton, DC, just give us a call, and we’ll take it from there!

As a reputable HVAC and electrical company in DC, Maryland counties, Hugee Corporation understands that the winter season can pose great damage in your electrical wiring systems. To give you some helpful information, here are the common winter wiring issues that you should look out for:

·         Pests

Many homeowners assume that due to the cold temperature, house pests and critters are no longer an issue. The truth is, just like you, they also seek a warm, cozy place to stay and unfortunately, they find their way into your walls and near electrical wirings. Rodents, cockroaches and other creepy critters are threats to your cablings for they might get stuck in the wires or feed on them.

·         Frayed Wiring

Frayed wiring should not only be checked in the winter season. It can happen any time of the year, especially for old and worn out cables. If left unnoticed, one frayed wire can burn your house in no time. If you find it hard to check and fix frayed wires at home, you can always count on the expert techs to do the job.

·         Exposed Wires

Nobody wants to have exposed wires in the house. If your home has it, you have to make sure that it is in good condition this winter season. Exposed wires can cause injury due to electrical shock, fire or electrocution. Let a professional electrician deal with them so that a proper solution can be provided.

·         Overloaded Circuits

Winter is also a holiday season, and we expect homes to be filled with decorative lightings. These are beautiful traditions, but you should also be wary of the risks of overloaded circuits. Even at ordinary times, homeowners should learn the load that their home can handle and try not to overload their circuits with plugged in appliances. The overloaded circuit can cause the wiring to overheat, melt the insulation and eventually leads to a fire.

Winter Electrical Wiring Safety Tips

Save yourself from unwanted incidents with these helpful tips from our electrical experts:

·         If you are using electrical heaters, keep them away from flammable materials.

·         Have a professional technician inspect the outlets and sockets.

·         Replace or repair worn out wires.

·         Switch off and unplug electrical appliances before sleeping or leaving the house.

Electrical Safety Inspection in DC, Maryland Counties

Are you troubled by some issues in your wiring system? We can help, for sure! We do HVAC and electrical services worthy of your trust. Give us a call at Hugee Corporation now!

Generally speaking, furnaces are built to withstand even the harsh temperatures. However, just like all other equipment, there comes the time that its components fail and may require major repairs.

For furnace motors, overheating is the most common issue. This problem prevents the unit from doing its job. Find out what causes it and what you can do to reduce the chance of motor overheating.

What is the Role of the Blower Motor?

 The blower motor is located at the heart of the furnace. It is responsible for moving air throughout the furnace and into your home. It is an electrical motor that uses the blower access panel usually located on the side of the unit. As a reputable HVAC company in Washington, DC, we do not recommend you meddle with the operation of this component. The internal part of the furnace is composed of electrical connections and sharp objects that are dangerous to touch.

Signs of Overheating Blower Motor

Your blower motor may show these signs when it starts to overheat:

• A hot or burning smell as your units operate. It is usually followed by the complete furnace shut off.
• Loud humming noise and other odd sounds. These can be caused by anything that hinders the blower motor from operating. Eventually, this leads to too much heat production, overheating and loud sounds.
• Furnace cycles off or refuses to start. This may require you to ‘reset’ the furnace before it operates. Most likely, the unit shuts itself down for safety reasons, like when it notices overheating in the blower motor.

What Causes Overheating?

There are different causes of overheating, and the most common are the following:

• Dirt and Dust Build-up. When dust and dirt accumulate in the blower motor, it will be difficult for it to vent itself which can result in heat build-up.
• Component Failure. This is usually due to lack of maintenance or disrepair. Just like other equipment, you need to give the motor some TLC to prevent wearing out easily.
• Time is a big threat to any appliance, and when the blower motor is simply too old, it may need to be replaced. If it’s the case, we recommend you replace the entire furnace completely.

Furnace Service in Washington DC

Do not let your furnace stress you out in the long cold months. If you suspect an overheating blower motor or any other events that are unlikely in your unit, don’t hesitate to give us a call at Hugee Corporation. Our furnace services are highly satisfactory; you can never go wrong in choosing us.

It can be your nightmare when your comfort system suddenly fails in the middle of the long, sweltering day or ice-cold night. Calling the professionals sounds like good news for HVAC techs, but for some contractors like Hugee Corporation, we never want you to experience system failures even if it means a hitch of business to us.

But of course, dealing with HVAC systems require professional skills, and it can be a difficult task for an average Joe. Checking out these few things that an HVAC contractor wishes you knew is probably a good start.

1. Choosing An HVAC System Is Not A One-Day Decision

Do not be in a hurry when deciding to buy a new unit just because you already have the money and your neighbors recommend an awesome unit that works perfectly for their home. Selecting the best system requires thorough deliberation and may take weeks of planning. Different homes require different demands; it is better to think first of what you are looking for in a system before calling a professional for a quote.

2. Choose Your Contractor Well: You Get What You Pay For

Take time to get multiple bids before committing to an HVAC contractor. Maximize your references be it online or from word of mouth. Good contractors charge more, but they will give you a clear explanation of what the cost covers. We have worked with a lot of homeowners who preferred the cheapest technicians and ended up having to pay more because of bad installation.

3. Putting Too Much Weight On Name Value

There are a lot of brands in the HVAC industry but take it from the pro; there is no gold standard here. Each brand can be good in one feature or another, so what really makes the difference is the installation. Even if you pick the worst brand but install it properly, you will surely get the benefits it offers.

4. A Bad Installation Is Bad For Your Bank

Purchasing inappropriately-sized units for your home is a big issue when it comes to your energy cost, and it usually results from improper load calculation. Remember, bigger units are not always the best choice, and smaller ones do not guarantee lesser energy cost. Work with a reputable HVAC company for guaranteed results on load analysis.

5. Don’t Underestimate An HVAC Tech

There is more to an HVAC tech than just getting the job done. Most of them are intellectually careful and backed up by professional experiences and licenses. If you happen to work with one, pay them with the utmost respect.

Take this advice straight from our experts at Hugee Corporation, your one-stop shop for all your HVAC needs in Washington DC and Metropolitan areas. If you need a little help in fixing your HVAC unit, feel free to call our pros!

Do you know that air duct cleaning and sealing are the most neglected maintenance tasks by home and commercial owners in Washington, DC? While the thermostat, vents, registers and air filters play important roles in maintaining an efficient HVAC system, it is the duct that distributes the heated air to the different parts of your home. This makes air duct maintenance a critical task for your heating, cooling and ventilation systems.

Duct Work Repair: Aeroseal

The presence of holes and leakages in the ducts can cause a 15-30% increase in your energy bill and the same percentage is reduced to your home comfort. If you want to maximize your comfort and the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems, a properly sealed duct is just what you need.

Aeroseal duct sealing seems new to many home and business owners in Washington, DC but you can never go wrong in using this process for your duct works. More than 25,000 residential duct systems have proven its efficiency, saving billions of dollars on energy costs annually. Because of its verified results, Aeroseal duct cleaning has been widely used for homes, establishments and even clinics and hospitals to decrease the spread of biohazards.

Unlike the traditional duct sealing procedures, Aeroseal seals from inside the ducts, making it an effective duct sealing solution for different comfort issues such as:

• High Energy Bill

Duct leaks can double or triple your energy consumption. If you want to reduce your expenses without large capital expenditures, Aeroseal duct sealing is the best choice. You can easily recover the upfront costs in 3-7 years. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends this energy saving solution to many property homeowners across the country.

• Poor Exhaust from Desired Rooms

Are you having trouble pressurizing some zones in some areas of your home? It can be the result of leakages in the ducts. Since almost 30% of the air that passes through the ducts escapes, some rooms may not be getting enough air.

• Insufficient Air Flow

If you notice an insufficient airflow in the return grill and your HVAC system cannot be properly balanced, leaks may occur in some areas of the ducts. Invest in Aeroseal to make sure that even the most inaccessible areas of the duct are completely checked and sealed.

Hugee Corporation, the leading HVAC provider for residential, commercial and industrial properties in Washington, DC and Metropolitan area offers comprehensive Aeroseal duct sealing to help you solve your duct issues fast and right. Give us a call for consultation and to schedule a service.  

If you are an average Joe, you may find it hard to determine if your furnace is oversized. That’s why we recommend you ask for guidance from qualified HVAC experts in purchasing a brand new unit. For existing ones, these issues will tell you that your furnace is too big for your home.

• Short Cycling

The most common sign of an oversized unit is short cycling. It is when a furnace runs only for a short period (approximately 10-15 minutes) since it quickly meets the heating demand of your home. It sounds like a great advantage, but it is not. It can greatly affect the efficiency of your unit and increase the chances of wear and tear.

• Hot and Cold Spots

An oversized furnace can bring great discomfort in your home. Since the heat output is far greater than the demand, you can experience a heat hurricane in your room. You may also feel hot and cold spots in some areas of the house due to short cycling.

• Noisy Furnace

Some oversized furnaces produce loud sounds during the operation. This happens when the unit is not compatible with the existing duct system. Aside from being so disruptive and irritating; these noises might also signal other issues inside the unit.

• Humidity Problems

Humidity is mostly affected by short cycling. When you have a large furnace unit that keeps turning on and off, you will also have a fluctuating level of humidity inside. This scenario increases the chances of sneezing, allergies and other respiratory health concerns.

What Should You Do If You Have An Oversized Furnace?

There’s no such thing as “one-size-fits-all” for HVAC systems. So, if you find out that your furnace is too large for your home, the best option is to replace the unit with the right size. Some contractors would recommend setting the fan to ON but doing so might double your energy consumption. If you are given an option to replace your unit with the same size (which most of the time offered by fake HVAC techs), do not settle for it or else, you will be faced with the same issues in your home.

Working with a qualified HVAC contractor is the best way to ensure that you get the right size of heating and cooling systems for your home. If you are in Washington, DC, there is only one company to call for all your HVAC concerns- Hugee Corporation. Talk to our experts today!

Ever wonder why there are hot and cold spots in your home? You may be experiencing uneven heating! Uneven heating is definitely no fun, especially when the coldest time of the year is about to step in. But what is really causing this issue to happen? Read on and find out!

Common Causes of Uneven Heating

• Clogged Filters

Are you replacing your air filters regularly? It is a manufacturer’s recommendation to change or clean HVAC filters at least every three months or as necessary as possible. A clogged air filter can be among the reasons why you are experiencing uneven heating in your home. The accumulated dust, dirt and other particles can restrict the airflow, which can prevent the right amount of heated air to reach the different parts of your home. While the weather is still manageable, be sure to check if your filter needs cleaning or replacement.

• Blocked or Closed Vents and Registers

Walk inside the room of your home that won’t seem to stay warm and check the vents and registers. Are they closed or are there appliances that block the opening? If there are, immediately remove the obstructions to let a continuous flow of air. The vents and registers should always be kept open and unobstructed to prevent uneven heating in your home.

• Poor Insulation

Insulation does not last forever just like all other things inside your house. If it has been a long time since you upgraded or fixed your home’s insulation, you might want to do it today. A poorly insulated home allows heated air to leak out, thus causing uneven heating indoors. Aside from checking the insulation in the roof, attic and walls, see to it that you also inspect leaky air ducts and fix them.

• Improperly Sized Heater

The uneven heating issue can also be caused by a poorly-sized heating unit. If your heater is too small, it will not be able to give the right amount of heating for the entire space of your home. Similarly, too big of units shut off even before the cycle ends which also leads to insufficient heat supply. The size of your unit matters during the installation process and this is something that a highly-trained professional can handle.

Are you dealing with uneven heating in your Washington, DC home?  Leave the job to our licensed HVAC technicians at Hugee Corporation. We offer unparalleled services to keep you comfortable all-year-round. Schedule an appointment with us today!

Nothing lasts forever. Even the most expensive heating and cooling system will soon reach its lifespan. So, if your heating unit is on its last leg, do not hesitate to look for a replacement even if it means another set of expenses.

Purchasing a new heating unit for your home in Washington DC is not a piece of cake. Since it comes with a great investment, you would want to make sure that everything falls into place. That is why thorough planning is important in choosing your heating unit. To help you with that, here are some helpful guides from our professionals at Hugee Corporation.

Let us start with the different types of heating system that you can choose from:

• Furnaces. These are forced air systems commonly used in heating a residential home in the US. Powered by natural gas or electricity, furnaces blow heated air through the duct system and into your home. These units are widely available and highly efficient but need proper and regular maintenance.
• Boilers. Using natural gas, propane or electricity, boilers heat water (but not boil it) and the heated water will move through the radiators and baseboard heaters and into your home. Although known as non-allergenic and energy-efficient heating system, boilers are more expensive when it comes to installation.
• Radiant Heating Systems. These heating systems are usually installed in the flooring, but there are also those that are placed on the walls and ceiling. The units produce heat by distributing hot water through a network of tubes. They are also known as non-allergenic heating systems but cannot be installed without doing major work.
• Heat Pumps. These can work as an A/C unit in the summer and as a heater in the winter. Heat pumps work by using refrigerants that absorb heat from an outside source and transfer it indoors through the heat exchanger.

Guidelines in Choosing an Energy-Efficient Unit

1. Purchase the Right Size. Do not be tempted to choose a bigger unit thinking it will give you greater savings by cooling your home fast. Similarly, do not choose smaller units for a lesser expense. By seeking professional help, you can be sure to identify the right size of the system that complies with the heating demands of your home.
2. Check the AFUE Rating. The higher the AFUE rating, the more efficient your unit is in utilizing energy, which also means greater savings on your part. AFUE numbers can be found on water heaters, furnaces, and boilers.
3. Choose a Reliable HVAC Company. Choose an HVAC partner that will give you vast choices of heating units and help you find the best heating product for your home. Aside from ensuring that you get the right units, it is also important to make sure that these units are properly installed and well-taken care of.

Do you need help with finding the right heating unit for your home? Get reliable estimates and trustworthy recommendations from our experts at Hugee Corporation. Schedule an appointment today!

Your air conditioner has kept you cool and comfortable during the hottest days of the year. As we kiss summer goodbye, it’s time to return the favor to your cooling unit by doing some maintenance tasks.

Whether you’re using a central air conditioning unit or a window type A/C, these expert maintenance tips will keep your cooling system in good shape.

1.  Examine Your Unit for Anything Unusual

Carve out some of your time observing your air conditioner. Give it a visual checkup by looking for frayed wires, leaks, and damaged internal parts. Listen and be attentive to any strange sounds like tickling, hissing or rattling. Also, trace for odd smells. Report to your HVAC contractor immediately once you notice some abnormalities on your unit.

2.  Get a New Air Filter

You probably had your filter cleaned at the start of the season, but after a couple of months, it has to be replaced for better performance. Changing your air filters is the simplest and easiest A/C maintenance job. Not only that it ensures breathing cleaner and healthier air at home, but it also saves a fraction on your energy bill.

3.  Clean the Condenser Coils

The condensate drain is the breeding ground for mildew and moisture on your outdoor unit that can cause your A/C to work harder. If you haven’t cleaned it the entire season, now is the right time! Make sure to clean the drain to prevent signs of clogging before it impairs your cooling system.

4.  Clear Your Outdoor Unit From Any Obstructions

Before the fall sets in, your outdoor unit should be ready to take up the challenge. Clear the area around the condenser from shrubs, weeds or fallen branches. Eliminate any visible dirt and debris with a vacuum or brush. Keep it free from obstructions to allow sufficient air circulation.

5.  Schedule an A/C Preventive Checkup

A preventive tune-up will keep your air conditioning unit running efficiently throughout this year, even for the next summer. With a complete A/C inspection, you are sure that your unit is all set for the seasons ahead, giving you peace of mind before the summer ends.

6.  Call Professionals for Help

A/C maintenance is not your typical do-it-yourself and know-it-all task. The best way to upkeep your cooling unit is with the help of the experts. Don’t think twice to call your trusted HVAC company to inspect, clean, repair and maintain your system.

All-Season HVAC Maintenance Services in Washington, DC

Are you having troubles with your air conditioning unit? Come to us at Hugee Corporation for the best HVAC services. Let us know your A/C issues and concerns by calling or sending us a message.