10 Spring and Summer Cooling Tips

1. Get your system tuned-up before the heat hits to make sure it's running at peak efficiency. Maximum efficiency means maximum savings.

2. Keep the thermostat constant; constant adjustments can be inefficient. Consider keeping it set a few degrees higher during the day when no one is home.

3. Set the fan switch on the thermostat to "On" when cooling the house. This will keep the air flowing and prevent hot or cold pockets from forming.

4. Set the air vents on the second floor to receive about 75% of the conditioned air. This will help to even out the temperatures between the first and second floors of the home.

5. Replace older windows with more efficient Low Emissivity (or Low-E) glass. These windows help to reduce the effect of the suns heat in your home.

6. Install and attic fan to ventilate some of the hot air that collects in the attic. Attics can reach temperatures of 140 degrees or higher and this can make the adjacent floor warm and more difficult for your system to cool.

7. Run a dehumidifier in the basement to handle any humidity. A damp basement can add moisture to the whole house.

8. Clear or cut back bushes and shrubs away from the outdoor unit. The sides of the unite require at least a foot to a foot-and-a-half of clearance for proper performance. Keep grass, fallen leaves, dirt and other debris away from the outdoor unit. Additionally, keep the air conditioning coil clean as per the manufacturer's instructions.

9. Don't block vents or ducts inside the home to assure air flow throughout. Caulk and install weather stripping around windows and doors, especially in the attic, to close air gaps.

10. Use shades, blinds or curtains to keep sunlight out. Keep windows and doors close when the AC is running. Turn off other appliances when not in use and turn air conditioners off if you are going to be gone for more than 4 hours.

Find and Seal Air Leaks

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Allergies? Get the Right Filter!

 Spring is here, and with it comes allergy season. Looking for a fast, easy, and relatively cheap do-it-yourself tune-up that can make a huge difference when it comes to allergens? Let us refresh your mind on the types of Air Filters:


Standard
These are the ordinary air conditioning filters, made from spun fiberglass and cardboard frames. These filters are the least expensive, and probably most widely used, but they remove only the largest of dust and dirt particles. However, these filters still clean out enough of the particles to be acceptable choices for people without allergies or respiratory illnesses. These filters need to be cleaned or replaced most often, as much as once a month depending on the model.

Pleated
Pleated filters are a step up from standard filters. They are made from folded fiber material to maximize its surface area. The larger filtration surface enables these filters to remove up to 40% of all harmful particles in the air, making them an ideal choice for individuals with mild allergies or other minor respiratory issues. Pleated filters are slightly more expensive than standard, but they last about three times as long, requiring replacement only once every 3 months.

Electrostatic
These are an advanced type of filter that uses an electrical charge to magnetically pull contaminates out of the air and into the filter. Electrostatic filters can achieve up to 90% removal of particles in the air, but they are also relatively expensive. The cost is well worth it for individuals who suffer from allergies or just want top notch indoor air quality. Electrostatic filters, like pleated, also require changing every 3 months.

HEPA
High energy particle arresting (HEPA) filters are the top of the line in modern filtration technology. They use filtration media fine enough to trap particles as small as 1/300 of the width of a human hair. As can be expected, HEPA filters are expensive, but they can remove up to 99.7% of contaminates from the air. For the best possible indoor air quality, these filters are preferred. Additionally HEPA filters have to standard replacement frequency, and can 6 months, up to a year, or more depending on variables in your home. We recommend annual checkups to make sure a HEPA filter is still working as planned.

So if you want to minimize the allergens and agitating pollutants in your home, get the air filter that's best for you and your home. Not sure which is the best fit? Give us a call today!

Common AC Problems in the Spring

If your Air Conditioner is having trouble, or just not working outright, then your system may be experiencing one of these common problems:

A Tripped Breaker.
If your system isn't cooling your home, it could very well be a tripped breaker. Try resetting the breaker before calling in the professionals. If this doesn't solve the problem it's possible that the unit has a faulty breaker, loose wire, or a bad capacitor. It's a pretty easy fix for a technician; however, even a problem as simple as this can lead to expensive repairs as time goes on. Get it taken care of asap.

Clogged Drain Line.
An AC unit pulls moisture out of humid air while lowering the temperature. The moisture is typically drained out of your home through the plumbing. A drain pan should be present as a backup with a secondary condensate drain. Algae can grow in these lines and can clog them up, which can lead to serious water damage in your home. This is checked and cleaned during a spring tune-up.

Dirty Condenser Coil.
The condenser coil is located outside, and it pulls hot refrigerant gas from the evaporator and pumps it through the outdoor coil where it is then condensed into a liquid as the condensing unit fan pulls air across the coil. A dirty coil is inefficient, which increases electricity usage and reduces the system cooling capacity. Hire a technician to wash, clean, and maybe even comb the condenser coil during a spring tune-up.

Dirty Evaporator Coil.
The evaporator coil absorbs heat from air that passes over it, treats it, and eventually puts the air into your home to cool it. If your coil is dirty or faulty the cooling power of your entire system is diminished. The most obvious sign of a dirty evaporator coil is a drop in system pressure. Dirty coils increase operation costs and reduce your overall home comfort. The most difficult part of cleaning the evaporator coil is actually getting to it; unlike the condenser coil, the evaporator coil is indoors near the air handler furnace.

Give us a call today and schedule your spring tune-up!

10 HVAC Terms to Know While Shopping Around.

First time buyer or looking to upgrade? It's a substantial investment and you're going to want to know the terminology to better communicate with the professionals and get the right system for your home. Here's our top 10:

HVAC: This stands for "Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning". Sometimes refrigeration will be thrown in as well (HVAC/R). This is a catch-all term for all matters pertaining to the words in the acronym.

BTU: The "British Thermal Unit" measures the needed heat to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. It sounds a little convoluted, but it's a commonly used unit to measure energy needed or used for heating.

Heat Pump: A heat pump is an appliance that uses the principle of refrigeration to provide both heating and cooling for a home. It's usually installed as a central split system, similar to a standard central A/C, with one component outside and the other inside. Air-source heat pumps are the most common type of heat pump.

Load Calculation: This mathematical formula determines how much heating or cooling is needed to bring your home to a comfortable level. It takes into consideration factors like climate, square footage and room sizes, air leakage and the amount and types of doors, windows and insulation.

NATE: This stands for "North American Technician Excellence", a non-profit organization that testes and certifies HVAC technicians.

SEER: This stands for "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio". It's an efficiency rating for air conditioners and the cooling function of heat pumps.

Zoning Systems: This refers to different parts of the home being served by a single heating or cooling system with a separate thermostat for temperature control in each area or 'zone'.

Ductwork: These are the large, usually square, 'pipes' that transport air from the central heating and cooling equipment throughout the home.

Energy Star: A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency label on HVAC systems, products, and appliances that meet or exceed EPA standards of performance. Homeowners who purchase Energy Star qualified appliances and equipment may qualify for federal tax credits.

MERV: This stands for the "Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value"; it rates the efficiency of air filters based on the smallest airborne particles and pollutants that the filter can capture. For residential filters the rating goes from MERV-1 to MERV-16.

If you're looking for a new system or an upgrade, give us a call today!

Could Solar Be Right For Your Home?

Check out this short video from Lennox about Solar in your home.



And check out our offerings on Solar Ready Heating and Cooling systems here.

AC Not Working? Check the Thermostat First!

Air conditioners don't break down very often, especially the newer models. When a call comes in about a busted AC the first place we check isn't always the AC unit itself, but the thermostat! Many common AC problems can be remedied by adjusting a couple things on the thermostat, things you can probably do yourself!

The most common thermostat problems include open connections, loose wires, dust and dirt on the electronics, and bad batteries.

• First thing's first: remove the thermostat cover with a screwdriver.
• Then use a small soft paintbrush to dust off the components, including the wires and metal plates. Make it a note not to touch anything with your hands, oils can do major damage to the more sensitive electronic pieces.
• Turn the thermostat to its lowest setting and clean the coil inside with the brush.
• Now turn the thermostat to its highest setting and clean the coil again.
• Return the thermostat to its normal settings.
• Look for a small metal tab near the arcing printed scale. That's the anticipator. Move it in both directions and check for any loose or disconnected wires, and make sure to tighten them up if you find any.
• If you have a digital thermostat, check the batteries. You'll need an appropriate level of power for the thermostat to function properly, so make sure to use the lithium batteries, not the cheap ones.
• Use a level to make sure the thermostat is level on the wall. If a thermostat isn't level then the anticipator we mentioned before may be out of position. If it isn't level, then loosen the screws that fasten the thermostat to the wall, make the adjustments, and tighten it back up.
• Screw the cover back on, you're done!

If you've done all this and your AC still isn't getting to where it's supposed to be, then you may have a larger problem with your system (assuming it's not just a clogged filter). Give us a call today for any AC or thermostat questions, concerns, or repair scheduling.

Signs Your Air Conditioner is Headed Towards a Breakdown.

Things are finally heating up, and now is the time to make sure your AC unit won't fail on you when summer rolls around and you need it most. Predicting and preventing a breakdown isn't always possible, but many units show signs when they're about to break down. Here are 3 of the most common signs:

Weaker than normal airflow.
If  the airflow from your air conditioner is notably weaker than it has been in the past, the first thing to check are your air filters. If your filters are clogged they will reduce airflow and put unnecessary strain on your whole system. Weak airflow can also be caused by a damage blower or other problem that most homeowners won't be able to detect or repair on their own. If you replace your air filters and are still experiencing weakened airflow it's best to call your local professional to take a look at your system and get it repaired before it breaks down, which can prevent even more costly repairs in the long run.

Noise.
AC units are made to run relatively quiet; if your system is making more noise than usual there may be a problem with the fan belt, which can compromise the systems efficiency. This is another time where it's best to call in the experts to assess and repair the cause of the noise.

Slow to cool your home.
This is one of the easier signs to detect an impending breakdown. Your unit may be low on coolant, an easy fix, but there are many other possibilities which are not so simple. Some units can become rusted and corroded over time, for example. A qualified HVAC technician can evaluate your entire system and single out the cause(s) of your system's poor performance.

If you're noticing anything that isn't normal from your AC unit, give us a call today. Get your spring tune-up out of the way, before the heat really rolls in.