Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company Part I

Date: May 3, 2017 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

Why You Should Always Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company

Part I

We’ve all seen these “bandit signs” out there promoting a discounted service. We came across this one the other day for an AC company and it brings to mind some horror stories of people out there offering cheaper. As we have seen time and again, cheaper is often not cheaper or better.

As a homeowner, hiring a technician to work on your air conditioner is a reality that will have to be faced at some point. It is important to hire a licensed technician to work on your system. Below are a few of some important factors to consider when deciding who to hire.

Training and knowledge.

Licensed air conditioning technicians have the experience, advanced training, and certifications. In contrast, unlicensed individuals lack the knowledge to protect your investment. They cut corners by not going through the proper training and licensing requirements. Not having the certifications saves them money, consequently costing you money in the end.

Size Matters! Licensed technicians understand this! Bigger is not always better! Installing the wrong sized system is a common problem. An air conditioner does two important jobs: temperature control & removing moisture. Removing moisture requires the system to operate for a prescribed amount of time. An oversized air conditioner will not run for the adequate amount of time to permit moisture and temperature control. Over the course of a day, an oversized air conditioner will have more start-ups and shutdowns. Consequently, this will result in reducing the lifespan of your system. Your system will lose energy efficiency and moisture is left in the air. Moisture leads to mold and is a serious concern.A licensed air conditioning technician will possess the training, the tools and knowledge to ensure the system for your home is correct.

Refrigeration levels. When you hire an unlicensed person, often times the system will have incorrect amounts of refrigerant levels from the start. This will affect the performance of your system, result in higher utility bills, and unnecessary wear and tear on your system, thus reducing its lifespan. Refrigerants are dangerous, care must be taken when handling them. Licensed technicians are trained to determine the correct levels and have the knowledge to safely work with them.

Look for Part II soon.

Your Energy Bill in Houston During the Summer Months

Date: March 5, 2016 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

Average Energy Bill Cost in the Summer in Houston TX During periods of cold weather, portable heaters and strip heaters are among the highest sources of electricity demand. But now summer is approaching in Houston and as we all know that it is categorized as humid subtropical from June to August. When the heat comes calling, people will eventually use air conditioners or cooling units to do battle in a Summer temperature war. One of the highest reasons why an electric bill increases is the use of these cooling units.
There are factors that can affect of increasing of your electricity monthly bill. To get the cheapest electricity bill, the 3 main considering factors that could affect your monthly bill which are the contract length, rate per kWh, and the actual monthly electricity usage of usage.
In the heat of August alone, Houstonians were paying an average of $394.39.Most of that went toward keeping their homes and businesses cold 24 hours a day. And here are ways to keep your electricity bill low through summer months:

Regular and proper maintenance of your air conditioning can ensure that your system will operate at its maximum efficiency level. The more efficiently it runs the less energy and money you waste. Constant and right maintenance can also prevent many small problems from becoming big, expensive ones later. In addition, you have to replace air filters monthly. Dirty air filter can cost you money because it blocks the air flow, causing your unit to work harder to push cool air through your home. A clean air filter will save you money on energy usage and lengthen the life of your air conditioner.
Ceiling fans also is a systematic way to make a room comfortable without having to lower the temperature. The air circulation they provide evaporates moisture on your skin, causing you to feel cooler. The aggregate fan use and cautious management of your ac settings will result in overall energy savings. If you don’t have ceiling fans, they can be easily installed in any room with an overhead light. You can avail them out at your local Home Depot for less than $100.
Use a clothesline instead of a clothes dryer to save energy bill. If you have the room to spare, you could dry clothing inside on hangers.
Using programmable thermostat can also be one of your solution to lessen your energy bill. The programming temperature changes throughout the day will allow you to maximize the usage of an air conditioner to coincide with the outside conditions. It will also help you by automatically adjusting the temperature up when you are away at work or school . If you’re forgetful sometimes, no need to worry because this tool is an easy way to automate your savings. Just never forget to change the programming for each season.
By not letting the heat in is one way of cooling your house. Shades provide a huge barrier to the outside heat, and not require any electricity usage. If you currently have shades in your home than during the day, remember to keep them closed, especially when the sun is beating down in the afternoon. If you don’t have shades at home cover your windows with heavy, lined curtains to keep cool in.
Air leaks in doors or windows and through bad insulation could loss electricity in your home. You can save higher percentage of energy usage through proper insulation and air sealing. This could be a favorable savings off your bill, especially during the hot summer months.
Unplug home electronics when it is not in use to save more energy usage and achieve low electricity bill.

How Does My A/C Unit Work?

Date: November 11, 2014 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

Here in Houston we love our air conditioners for keeping us cool 70-80% of the year. We do not put much thought into how it works until it doesn’t, which can be a big problem with the Houston heat. Here is a quick breakdown to help you better understand your air conditioning system and how it works.

Step 1- Condenser: This is your outside unit that contains the compressor which pumps refrigerant to the evaporator coils inside your unit.

Step 2- Blower Motor: This is where warm air is pulled into the system inside your home through the return/register vent which is where you replace your filter and then blows it across the evaporator coils to be cooled down. Once cool the blower motor expels the cold air through the supply vents in each room to cool your home.

Step 3- Evaporator Coil: This is where air goes from warm to cold, every time you set your thermostat to cool, the blower motor pulls air to these indoor coils where it is absorbed and cooled before moving out of the system. This is also where moisture is removed from the air.

Step 4- Thermostat: This is what initiates the entire system to operate, when you adjust the temperature to be even 1 degree cooler the system begins to operate until your home reaches that desired temperature.

Keeping your filter clean and vents clean can really help improve the air quality in your home, as you can see the air flow in your home is constantly through your return and supply vents so keeping them clean will keep your air cleaner year round.

3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your A/C

Date: October 28, 2014 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

Houston, Texas is an area where having an A/C unit is more of a necessity than a luxury. Of course it will cost money to use on a daily basis, but there are things you should know that can help you keep those costs lower throughout the life of owning your system.

First, the correct size air conditioning unit for your home is important. Bigger is not always better when it comes to an A/C unit. The wrong size unit can actually waste a great deal of energy and not keep your home comfortable like you want either. A trained A/C technician like the one’s here at Cool Dude will be very helpful in addressing what size unit will be best for your home while also considering the comfort level you want.

Second, according to recent statistics only 1 in 5 consumers actually get a yearly maintenance A/C check-up. The life of an A/C system can be increased if this is done yearly and it will keep your system performing at the best level possible year round. To keep your system energy efficient get your system looked at by a professional each year.

Third, 8 out of every 10 system failures is caused by dirt and dust. Changing your filter as often as necessary is the best way to keep this from happening to you. Remember pets and other indoor pollutants such as smoking decrease the life of your filter faster than normal, so it will need to be changed more often. With the average home producing 40 pounds of dust each year it is important to keep filter changes a priority. This will keep your system cleaner, and a cleaner unit uses less energy.

October Houston Weather Facts

Date: October 14, 2014 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

October is a month where Houston certainly sees a change in temperature. This month the temperature will fall an average of 8 degrees from the 1st day of the month to the last day. The average high is 82 degrees and low is 59 degrees.

October is considered the rainiest month in Houston, on average it will rain at least 7-10 days during October. Rainfall averages 4.5″ during this month.

Humidity averages 75% and sunshine will be evident 19-20 days during the month.

Daylight decreases quite a bit this month dropping a total of 50 minutes from October 1st to October 31st.

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