Improve HVAC Efficiency with These Simple Tips

October 21st, 2019

HVAC-return-register-ventWhat if we told you there was a way to increase your home comfort while also lowering your heating and cooling bills? There are actually a variety of simply steps you can take to boost your HVAC system’s efficiency, and with winter coming up we’re sure you’d love to know how to save on heating costs.

After all, as hot and humid as our summers are, we still do need our heaters—while our winters are brief the contrast in temperature requires a fully functioning system—but if it’s not operating efficiently, is it really functioning to its full capacity? Keep reading for the aforementioned steps.

Continue Reading

Have You Scheduled Your Heating Maintenance Appointment?

October 7th, 2019

technician-working-on-furnaceOkay, it was still in the 90s last week… so why, exactly, are we talking about heating?

Because preparing for the heating season is the best way to ensure you get through it as comfortably as possible, without any costly surprises from your furnace or heating system.

One of the best things you can do for both your home and budget is to ensure your heater receives proper maintenance. Keep reading to see why it’s so important for the health of your system and for your comfort.

Continue Reading

“Do I Really Need to Change My Air Filter Between Maintenance Sessions?”

September 23rd, 2019

man-holding-air-filterWhether we’re talking about your forced-air cooling system, furnace, or heat pump, you need to change your air filter. This is an important part of maintaining your HVAC system and should be done every 1-3 months depending on the type of air filter and the level of contaminants in your home.

But, why? More on that below!

In the meantime, keep in mind that professional maintenance should always be done by a trained and licensed technician. We encourage and urge you to handle the air filter on your own, and even keep the area around your outdoor unit clear of debris. But a thorough inspection, comprehensive cleaning, and any component adjustments should only ever be done by trained professionals.

We digress, though—why is it so important that you change your air filter between maintenance sessions?

Continue Reading

Heed These Common End-of-Season AC Needs

September 9th, 2019

outdoor-ac-unitsThe official end of summer is near, and while you may be ready to welcome cooler temperatures outside soon as well as the chance to stop using your air conditioner as often, this is no time to forget about your air conditioner, or its repair needs.

Hopefully, you had maintenance done at the beginning of the season and didn’t experience any major cooling system catastrophes over the summer. If you didn’t schedule maintenance this year, not to worry, it’s not too late! It’s only too late if you have an aging system that’s completely broken down and has no hope for repairs.

That said, whether you had professional maintenance done or not, there are some needs that can crop up at the end of the season that require your attention. They include the following:

Continue Reading

No, Your Cooling System Shouldn’t Make THAT Noise

August 26th, 2019

woman-covering-her-earsHave you ever heard someone say that it’s okay for an air conditioner to operate louder on a muggy day, because it’s “working harder?” Unfortunately, even if it was an HVAC technician that told you this, it’s just not true. Nor does a grinding noise mean that your system is just “warming up.”

Take our word for it, these silly claims are not right.

Air conditioners are built to operate as quietly as possible. In fact, the only sounds you should hear coming from a functional air conditioner is the sound of the air “wooshing” through your vents, and the hum of the compressor outside. True, these not be “quiet” sounds to you, but in relation to the noises that we’re about to describe below, they’re pretty minor.

Continue Reading

Can Better Indoor Air Quality Help Your AC?

August 12th, 2019

hvac-vent-on-wallThe short answer to this is “yes.” But don’t worry, we’ll elaborate below.

There are many factors that contribute to good indoor air quality. Yes, the temperature of your home is one aspect, but when we talk about indoor air quality, we’re talking about the presence (or absence) of contaminants, allergens, and pollutants, as well as how stale your air may be, and the relative humidity levels in your home. Today we’re going to talk about that last point.

Humidity is the excess moisture that tags along with high summer temperatures. This moisture makes us uncomfortable, for starters. The only way to lower that humidity is to lower the temperature. So, you turn on your AC system and set it to the lowest possible temperature, making it work harder and harder as summer progresses.

Is this really the right way to handle it though? If you worked to improve your indoor air quality by getting a system that handled humidity the right way, could you help your air conditioner out? Yes! Keep reading to learn more.

Continue Reading

Is It Ever Too Late for AC Maintenance?

July 29th, 2019

tech-working-on-ac-systemThe short answer to this is “no.” It’s important that you have maintenance done for your air conditioner every year (or every 6 months, in the case of a heat pump) but frequency and consistency are more important than what time of the year you have it done.

The next most common question we get about maintenance is “Is it really worth it? What does this service actually do for my air conditioner, anyway?”

We totally understand the inquiry. So, we want to share what actually happens during a maintenance tune-up. This way you can feel informed and confident that your investment in maintenance is a good one.

Continue Reading

How to Choose the Best HVAC Company for the Job

July 15th, 2019

contractors-standing-side-by-sideIt’s that time of year again—there are two seasons where HVAC professionals are the busiest. Winter, and summertime.

With summer here now, it’s the most common time we’ll get called for urgent repair sand services—perhaps even a “quick” replacement (spoiler alert: no air conditioner replacement should ever be rushed).

As the temperatures start soaring upward, it is inevitable that homeowners will run into cooling system problems, especially if their systems are aging or have not been maintained properly. As such, we understand the urgency when something goes awry with your cooling system. You want help and you want it fast! So, you choose the most immediately available HVAC company and give them a call.

What if we told you that was the wrong approach?

Continue Reading

Poor Installation Can Lead to These Ductless Problems

July 1st, 2019

ductless-unit-with-remote-controlDuctless systems have been increasingly growing in popularity, and for good reason. Rather than operating through a network of ducts connected to an indoor air handler and evaporator unit, ductless units break up the indoor unit and blower fans to distribute air through handlers that operate independently of each other—meaning the temperature settings can be different for each air handler.

This makes ductless systems operate much more efficiently than a standard central air conditioner, which is forced to cool your entire home, even if you don’t need conditioned air in your entire home at the time. There are a number of benefits to the installation of these systems—but there can also be drawbacks if you don’t have yours professionally installed.

We’ve covered some unique ductless repair needs below. These can happen even with proper installation, but they’re a lot more likely if the install is done by an inexperienced amateur.

Continue Reading

Should Your Business Use a Rooftop Unit?

June 17th, 2019

rooftop-air-conditioning-unitsAs summer quickly approaches, there are probably many things for you to focus on with your business, such as ensuring that your customers, employees, and/or tenants are satisfied, and that your building is a comfortable space.

Wait, you haven’t been concerned about that last point? We get it—this isn’t usually something that’s at top of mind for business owners or managers, however it is important. An uncomfortable commercial space can lead to a host of problems, not the least of which is a significant business interruption.

There are a number of things you can do in your business or commercial building to ensure comfort, and one of the biggest players in this is an effective and efficient air conditioning system. Whether you were already considering replacing your soon or are curious about your options, this is the blog post for you, as rooftop units are well worth your consideration.

Continue Reading