Miscellaneous

Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company Part II

Date: May 18, 2017 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply
heating, air conditioning, certified

 

Why You Should Always Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company

Part II

 

Welcome to the Part II of our look at why you should hire a licensed air conditioning company.

More on Knowledge

Professional have their Ducts in a row! Duct work is one of the most important parts of your air conditioning system. Professional ducting is essential to you home’s efficiency and clean, healthy air quality. Improper duct work will increase the risk of air leakage, mold, and an overworked system. 

System types. HVAC systems work differently depending on where you may live. When it comes to air conditioning systems weather, climate, humidity and the size of your home are very important factors to consider. A local, licensed technician will know and understand these factors and how they affect your system and air quality.

Warranties and Guarantees

Warranties. Protect yourself, protect your warranty!  Manufacturers may void the warranty if an unlicensed technician works on your system.  A qualified technician will gladly display his or her license number and will not hesitate to provide it immediately upon request. When in doubt, ask!

Guarantee. If you are a do-it-yourself-er or are thinking of hiring an unlicensed technician, consider this – Not only will your system’s warranty potentially be void, work not done by a professional does not come with guarantees. Your air conditioning system is one of the most expensive components and vital organs in your home. Licensed air conditioning companies offer guarantees.  In addition, bonding is required by most licensing boards prior to application. We will discuss bonding and what it provides for your peace of mind further in part III.

Before calling the number that you see on the sign that just popped up at the end of your street, weigh the risks! In Part III we will discuss the importance of insurance, bonding and additional risks involved in not hiring a license air conditioning company.

 

Winter Preparation for your Home

Date: February 10, 2017 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

Winter is already upon us and this means that it may be too late to make preparations for it now. Regardless of where you live, the winter season is definitely one of the most troublesome part of the year to many households all over the country. But it is never too late to prepare for it though. Below are some tips on how to make your home ready for this winter season.

Caulk and Weather Stripping

Caulking is the best solution for drafts. You must never forget to inspect your windows, foundations, and doors for any cracks and seal them with a caulk immediately. Also, you can choose to use weather stripping to get rid of drafts that sneaks beneath your doors. By doing so, you should be able to lower your energy consumption this winter.

Install New Windows

Installing new windows would be a great way to improve your home’s energy efficiency and help lower your energy consumption this winter. However, installing new windows could become expensive and may not be the best solution for households on a budget.

Insulation

Having insulation in your attic, flooring, and walls will help you keep warm inside your house this winter season. Also, a good insulation will prevent cold air from sneaking indoors. Try contacting your contractor to add proper insulation to your home as preparation for winter.

Furnace

You must have your furnace cleaned by a professional before the cold season begins. This is to make sure that your furnace will be ready and will last till the end of the season.

Fireplace

It’s a good idea to have a professional clean your chimney before the winter season arrives. Your contractor will check for creosote buildup and ensure that no small animals are nesting in your chimney. Also, make sure that your damper closes tightly to prevent drafts from sneaking into your home through the fireplace.

Other Measures

Cool air can seep into your home through electrical outlets. You can use pre-cut foam gaskets to prevent the cold air from leaking inside your home. Also, don’t forget to reverse your ceiling fans so they circulate rising warm air downward into the living space of your home. This simple measure can go a long way toward enhancing the comfort of your home.

Leaking Air Conditioners

Date: January 3, 2017 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply
Leaking Air Conditioners

Leaking air conditioners are very messy and in most cases can be really frustrating. It can cause a significant water damage in your home. A small leak must not be left alone because it can end up getting bigger which will then add more to your problem. Small leaks are at first small inconveniences but if you continue to ignore them they can cause more damage to your home.

Why does an AC leak?

Leakage from ACs are primarily cause by the following issues.

  • Disconnected drain pipes

One of the primary causes of leakage in air conditioners, if the drain pipes or lines are not install properly they may loosen up over time. This will cause the drain pipes to disconnect from the air conditioner unit which then causes the water to drain through the ceiling.  If there’s something that’s clogging in the lines or drain pipes, it will still cause leakage but the location of the leak will depend on the location of your AC system and if whether your primary or secondary drain pipe is the one that is affected.

  • Clogged drain pipes.

If a drain pipe is clogged it causes your AC’s drain pan to overflow. This is one of the most probable cause of leaking air conditioners. As such it is only important that you call a professional to fix the issue for you. Clog in the drain pipes can be caused by rust, algae, dirt and other debris.

  • Pump issues

Another common cause of leakage in AC units is a malfunctioning pump. In some cases, a dirty pump can also cause water leakage in your AC. If a leak is cause by a malfunctioning or dirty pump can lead to flooding in your attic or basement.

Leakage in air conditioning units can also be cause by the following issues:

  • Dirty air filters
  • Low amount of refrigerant
  • Cracked condensate drain pan
  • Lack of p-trap
  • No air vent
  • Un-insulated ductwork

As with other air conditioning problems and issues, hiring a professional to fix your AC for you would be the best thing to do. Fixing a leakage in your AC unit is not a simple task.

The Dangers of a Faulty Air Conditioner

Date: December 27, 2016 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply
The Dangers of a Faulty Air Conditioner

Air conditioners are installed to keep an establishment cool, in this case, a home. But they can also have an opposite effect once it becomes faulty or malfunctions. Faulty air conditioner can be very dangerous for you and your family. According to a study between 2005 and 2009, air conditioners have been the cause of an average of 2,346 home fires per year. These fire accidents have caused casualties, deaths, injuries, and property damage in millions of dollars per year during that span.

The study didn’t indicate clearly as to which kind of air conditioner has been the cause of these fires. But the data strongly suggests that it is between room ACs and central air conditioning units. The study does show that more than 27 perfect of these fire accidents started from bedrooms. While only 11 percent started from the air ducts. This goes to show that room ACs are the bigger culprit behind these fires.  This was further confirmed with an earlier report made by the US Fire Administration which shows that room ACs account for more than 55 perfect of all home fires even though they are just 35 percent of installations.

Prevention:

The main reason behind these AC related fires are electrical and mechanical failures. Short circuits are often the cause of AC catching fires. You should always do a routine inspection to prevent electrical mishaps from happening. You should also consider installing smoke alarms throughout the home and make sure that they are always in good condition to detect fire immediately and prevent it from getting big.

And the most important is to give your AC a proper maintenance so you can minimize the risk of electrical mishaps and also improving its performance and efficiency. For room ACs, you need to clean its filters or replaced them if needed be at least once a month. It would also be better if you hire a professional to do maintenance for your room AC or central air conditioning unit. This way you should be able to prevent any dangers from faulty air conditioners or prevent your AC unit from getting faulty or malfunctions.

What Happens If you Neglect AC Repair and Maintenance

Date: December 20, 2016 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply
What Happens If you Neglect AC Repair and Maintenance

Not everyone knows a thing or two about ACs or central air conditioning units. Most homeowners just have a professional to do the installation for them and that’s just it. They tend to forget about their ACs later on. This also tends to happen to not just on ACs but to other cooling and heating systems in the house. So what happens when you neglect AC repair or maintenance?

Neglecting the repair and maintenance of your AC or any other cooling and heating system at home can lead to bigger problems. Small problems from your AC will only cause you a couple of bucks so there’s really no reason to ignore them. But if you do ignore them not only that it totally damages your AC unit but you’ll also have to suffer the inconveniences that it may bring to you and your family.

What you should do?

You see small repairs and simple maintenance procedures are not that hard to do. It’s all about having the time to regularly check your AC and the other important systems in your home. Once you see that there is something wrong with your AC, you better fix it right away or call a professional to fix it for you. Doing this will only cost you a few amount of bucks and it wouldn’t really hurt your budget. It’s the major problems like leakages are something that you need to worry about because they tend to cost a lot.

Getting a professional AC repair service will also help you keep in check the condition of your AC. You can ask the repair service to do a regular checkup on your AC unit at least once in a month. This will help you make sure that your air conditioning unit is always in good-working condition.

Also, it is wise to ask some questions about your AC. The repair service should be able to give you some tips, advice and maybe teach you to simple repairs on your AC once a problem or issue arises.