Staying cool through a long, hot Houston summer is no easy task, but with a reliable and effective air conditioner, it shouldn’t be too difficult to keep your home comfortable. And did you know there’s even more you can do to ensure this is the case? You can have a functional air conditioner, and take steps to see that it works even more efficiently.
Read on as we uncover some tips on just how to boost energy efficiency for your air conditioner.
Before you know it, the dog days of summer will be here. You will need to run your HVAC unit more to ensure a comfortable indoor temperature is maintained during this time of year. If you are currently using a traditional HVAC system and feel like a change is needed, then a ductless unit might be a good option. Learn more about common air conditioning services to help you prepare for the summer season.
In 1959, the team at Mitsubishi developed the first ductless mini-split heating and cooling system. Ductless mini-split units allow homeowners to cool and heat their residences without the need for ductwork. Here are some reasons why going ductless this summer is a wise move.
Being a homeowner is one of the most demanding jobs on the planet. As a homeowner, you need to make sure every part of your home is in pristine shape. Indoor air quality is something that the average homeowner tends to overlook.
Considering the fact that you will spend over 90% of your time indoors, removing pollutants and allergens from the air supply in your home should be a top priority. One of the best ways to boost the quality of your indoor air supply is by investing in a whole-house air purifier. Read on to find out more about the benefits associated with buying a whole-house air purifier.
Few things are more inconvenient than having your furnace give out on an especially cold winter day. Fortunately, if you know the signs to watch out for, you can catch and fix small problems with your furnace before they turn into major problems requiring a costly repair, or worse, a full replacement. When it comes to your furnace, maintenance is the best prevention.
Here are 6 signs your furnace is in need of repair:
You know what everyone says–everything’s bigger in Texas! However, this doesn’t necessarily mean, that if you’re in the market for a new heater, you should rush out and buy the biggest one in your budget.
Although it seems logical that a bigger furnace would be more powerful, and therefore betting, the size of your furnace relative to your unique heating needs can actually be a detriment to the performance of your heating system, negatively impacting its overall performance.
A furnace installation is no small job, which is why it’s particularly important that you work with a professional before you make any final decisions. A trained and experienced heating professional will assess the size of your home so they can determine exactly which furnace will be the right choice for you. Trust us, you don’t want to have an oversized or undersized furnace in your home–read on as we explain why.
Winter is progressing right along. Although it doesn’t usually get as cold as it does for our family and friends up north, if you didn’t schedule maintenance for your gas furnace yet, this is still an important service!
It’s never too late to care for your gas furnace. In fact, it’s essential to not only the operation but also the efficiency of your gas furnace that you have professional maintenance done each year. Consistency matters more than timing here–so even though it may be more convenient to schedule a maintenance appointment quickly in the fall, this service will be beneficial no matter what!
Read on to learn why we tout heating maintenance so much.
While we hope this will never happen to you, your heater could break down with little to no warning at all. It can go from seemingly functioning just fine all day long to coming to a halt or it could just not cycle on when you need it.
Of course, this is rare. It’s even rarer if you’re staying on top of your heating maintenance appointments. Maintenance helps your heater work as efficiently and effectively as possible, for as long as possible.
Even with routine maintenance though, it’s still a good idea to be aware of the signs of a heater in disrepair, and one of those signs is strange or unusual noises coming from the system. So, you’re right to be alarmed and to be searching for a solution online. Of course, the solution is always going to be to call a professional. But in the meantime, we can let you know what certain sounds might mean for your furnace or heat pump system.
While other parts of the country get ready to turn on their heaters for the season (some probably already have), we’re still using our air conditioners for a bit.
Your central air conditioner gets a lot of use throughout the years. Hopefully, you keep up on your maintenance appointments! Annual maintenance allows our professionals to comprehensively inspect, clean, and adjust components that need it. We’ll also check for small repair needs during this service before they have a chance to grow into big repair needs.
Even with maintenance though, every central air conditioner has its limits. 10-15 years of useful service life is the average limit for a central air conditioner that’s well-maintained. After this point, or even nearing this age, it’s going to experience problems. Here are some of the most common we get called for:
It is easy for homeowners to underestimate the importance of air ducts in their HVAC system. It’s also easy to take it for granted that this ductwork will stay in great shape no matter what happens, since most of the time they’re out of sight, out of mind.
However, ductwork does sustain damage at times, sometimes from corrosion and sometimes from old age. It could even be that your air ducts were poorly installed to begin with, which will have a big impact on how well your HVAC system actually performs. This can result in a drop in comfort, and an increase in the contamination that’s allowed into your home. If you’re unsure about your HVAC setup, it may be worth exploring the importance of proper AC installation to ensure system efficiency.
If ductwork has gaps, leaks, or loose connections, it must be managed with a professional duct repair service from trained and experienced professionals. Otherwise, your home can suffer from expensive efficiency issues and other problems, such as the following:
So… you have either been told, or you suspect, that your air conditioner’s compressor is failing, and it could or already has caused your air conditioner to have a breakdown. The next question is, should you pay to have your AC fixed, or should you replace the system?
Before we provide an answer, we need to explain the role of your compressor to your air conditioner.
You may have seen us say that your thermostat is the brain of your air conditioner. Well, the compressor is the heart. It’s what allows the refrigerant process, so that your air conditioner actually does the job it was designed to do. When the compressor fails, the whole AC system fails with it. Sure, the fans may still run, but you won’t feel any chilled air coming through the vents.
The short answer to this is “it depends.” Replacing your entire air conditioner is usually the best, most financially sound decision, but not in all cases. Read on to learn more!
When a compressor breaks down, the only way to “fix” your air conditioner is to replace that particular component. And this may seem like your best option. After all, it’s more affordable than buying a whole new air conditioner, right? In some cases, yes, it’s the best option.
Consider your system’s manufacturer’s warranty. If it’s still good, then replacing the compressor makes sense–because you’ll only need to pay for labor, not the actual compressor. The reason this is important to note is because the compressor is actually the most expensive component of your air conditioner, and replacing the compressor in an aging system that’s about to fail anyway may not make much sense, if you have to pay for the component yourself.
In most cases, a compressor doesn’t fail until the air conditioner is quite old. A well-maintained and properly cared for air conditioner can last approximately 10-15 years, but if your system has already reached this age and the compressor has failed, it might be a good idea to upgrade instead of replacing just the compressor. Putting a new compressor in an old air conditioner means that even though you’ll have this one new component, other parts of your air conditioner will soon start breaking down and you’ll need to replace the system anyway.
As we mentioned above, a failed compressor is most likely to happen in an older air conditioner that’s falling apart anyway. Today’s air conditioners are much more efficient, plus they use the more modern and eco-friendly refrigerant.
But upgrading your air conditioner, you’ll save money on monthly costs and help the environment out too! Plus, if you decide to upgrade your air conditioner, you can find out what your various options are. For instance, could a variable speed central air conditioner benefit you? The only way to find out is to talk to a pro today!
For professional service on your central air conditioning in Houston, TX, contact Cool Care Heating and Air Conditioning.
