Make Sure You Have Proper Air Circulation Throughout Your Home

Going in Circles is Great for Heating & Cooling Comfort and Energy Efficiency!

Uneven air circulation and distribution of both heated and cooled air is a common problem in many households. Industry experts say that improper air flow can actually reduce the efficiency of your heating and air conditioning equipment by as much as 60%! They also say that improper air flow is one of the most common causes of heating and air conditioning system breakdowns. That's because when air is not flowing smoothly through your home, it puts extra demand on your heating and cooling equipment to force warm or cool air throughout the home.

Proper air circulation is extremely important if you want to get the most out of your heating and air conditioning system. Think of each room in your home as a section of a wheel. When you don’t get air good circulation in one room, it’s like having a flat spot on a wheel; the wheel is not going to roll smoothly. With central air conditioning and heating, one room with bad circulation can keep air from circulating smoothly throughout the rest of your house.

If your heating and air conditioning system lacks even air circulation between rooms and floors of the home, temperature and humidity can differ greatly from room to room. If one or more parts of your home are too warm or too cool, the overall comfort level of your home will feel out of balance. It may also force you to run your heater or air conditioner more in certain rooms; this can put unnecessary demand on your heating and air conditioning system, which can lead to premature breakdowns and higher energy bills.

The key to consistent year-round comfort is consistent air circulation. So how do you get proper air circulation throughout your home? It starts with installing a heating and air conditioning system that designed for your home's heating and air conditioning requirements. Is your heating and air conditioning equipment sized properly so that it doesn't produce too much or too little heated or cooled air? Does it have the proper efficiency rating? A system analysis of your home including a load calculation (a mathematical estimate of the amount of air that needs to be generated to efficiently heat and cool each room) can provide great insight as to whether your system is putting out too much or too little air.

Good ductwork design is another key component to getting good air circulation and consistent heating and cooling comfort. Because the ducts in your home carry the air to each rooms, it is important that they are the correct size and length to deliver the proper amount of heating and cooling. It's also important where in your home they are located and whether or not they have any leaks or damage.

If you're thinking of installing a new heating and air conditioning system, make sure your HVAC contractor not only explains how your equipment is sized and that it is of the right efficiency for your home, but that he submits and reviews with you a copy of the ductwork design. This will help assure you that you’ll be getting the proper air circulation and won't be disappointed with the way your new heating and air conditioning system performs.

At Horizon Services, our comfort consultants and HVAC technicians are always happy to discuss with you how to get the right air circulation and most consistent heating and cooling throughout your home. Give us a call!



Related Information from Horizon Services...

• The System Analysis
• 5 BIG Mistakes Homeowners Make When Replacing Their Heating and A/C Systems...
• How To Choose The Right Contractor
• SEER, AFUE and HSPF Ratings Explained

Mathan Pradhaman - Pumpkin cooked in jaggery syrup and coconut milk

Before I move on with posting the other recipes in my drafts, let me finish off the dishes that I made during the festivals in the last week. Last week, for two days together, it was festive lunch on account of Onam and Avaniavittom. For Onam, I made paladapradhaman. While I was chatting with my cousin over phone, who is a great foodie himself, asked me the payasams I am planning for  the oncoming festivals. I had decided paladapradhaman to make from scratch and I was contemplating on various options for another payasam. It was then he suggested about mathan paradhaman. He reminiscenced that our grand father had prepared this for grihapravesam after my parents wedding. And then, no one could find out the ingredient in the pradhaman. Recalling those instances were enough for me to decide that I will make this for Avaniavittom, provided I get ripe pumpkin.

You need

• Cooked and pureed pumpkin - 1 cup heaped
• Powdered jaggery - 1 1/2 cups
• Coconut milk - 3 halves of coconut
• Coconut bits fried in ghee - 2 tblspn
• Dry ginger powder -1/2 tspn

Method

Chop pumpkin into cubes. Pressure cook with just enough water to cover the pieces for 2 whistles. You can cook on stove top also till it is mashable. Drain the water and mash the pumpkin pieces till smooth. Alternatively can pulse for few seconds in the mixer grinder. The drained water can be used in soups.

Extract three sets of milk from freshly grated coconuts. I have written here about extracting milk.

Melt jaggery in a cup of water and strain for any impurities. Heat the melted jaggery syrup in a thick bottomed vessel. When the syrup thickens, stir in the pumpkin puree. Continue cooking till it thickens to a flaky consistency so that the pumpkin must have absorbed the sweetness very well. Add the third, thin coconut milk and keep stirring. When it reduces to half in volume, add the second, slightly thick coconut milk and continue cooking till it reduces to almost half in volume. Switch off the heat and stir in the first, thick coconut milk. Heat ghee in a pan and fry the coconut bits till brown. I did not have any coconut left so fried cashews instead. Add dry ginger powder. 

My husband and mother-in-law and friends who tasted this payasam could not guess the ingredient as pumpkin. It was very tasty and creamy, similar to parippu pradhaman.

P.S Watch out for the review of  a cook book, which contains recipes from a leading restaurant chain in India.

Badam Burfi/Almond Squares

In my Okra-Fry post, i have mentioned about Pongiduthal tradition. Now, for that feast we made some Badam burfi. This Is my SIL's(Brother's Wife) recipe. Though she was trying this for the first time, it came out great. Very soft and Flavourful!!!!

Ingredients

1 cup Almonds

1 cup Sugar

3- 4 tbsp Clarified Butter

Roasted Almonds for Garnishing

Method

Soak almonds Overnight. Next Day Morning, peel the skin and Grind the almonds to fine paste, without adding any water.

In a Heavy Bottom pan, Put the almond mixture and Sugar together and keep stirring. The Sugar starts melting and this almond mixture gets cooked. Add the ghee and mix well. Keep Stirring. Mean-while, grease a flat plate with some ghee and keep it ready.

Once the Almond mixture, starts leaving the sides of the pan, Pour it on the grease plate and spread it flat.

Let it cool, then use a sharp knife and cut it into squares.Decorated the top with some roasted almonds.

 Store the squares in a Air-tight Container and Enjoy!!!

Sending this to Festive Food - Rakhi 2010 @ Indian Khana by Priti And to 'Only' Kids Delight @ Foodelicious by Pari and to Dish Name starts with A @ Akila's Kitchen