Author name: Ellen Dougherty

As the summer starts to heat up and temperatures being to rise, many homeowners will be turning on their air conditioners to stay cool. The beginning of the summer is when we receive calls from homeowners that their air conditioners are not working properly. There are several reasons that could be behind why your AC is not cooling your home. DIY Tips We’ve compiled a list of things for you to check on your own and also what type of problems warrant a service appointment. Check to see if the thermostat is on COOL. The temperature should be set to below the room temperature. If your central AC systems blows cool air sometimes and lukewarm air other times, the fan setting may be set to ON. This runs the fan 24/7, even if the air is not being cooled. Switch the fan to AUTO. When was the last time you checked your air filter? A dirty filter reduces airflow making your air conditioner work harder to circulate cool air through your home. Have your breakers tripped? Check both the breaker for the inside unit (furnace/air handler) or the outside condensing unit to make sure they are on. When was the last time you checked your outdoor unit? Is it dirty or blocked by weeds or debris? Your outdoor unit pulls hot air from your home. If a filter is blocked or dirty, it cannot dissipate heat. This is an easy fix. Remove any debris from around the unit. Also, make sure there is a 2 to 3 foot clearance around the unit to allow for adequate airflow. Here are a few problems that require a service visit from a professional. Do you see ice on the copper lines and the outside of unit? This is a tell-tale sign that your unit has low refrigerant or a refrigerant leak. An air conditioner with low refrigerant can cool a home on cool days or at night, but it is unable to cool your home on especially hot days. Continuing to run a unit in this state can cause the compressor to become sluggish and damage it beyond repair. Your unit has a faulty or broken condenser fan motor. If the fan motor is bad, the outdoor unit does not work properly to remove heat from your home. If your unit is not turning on, it could be that your compressor could be worn out from having your system turn off and on too frequently. A compressor circulates refrigerant between the inside and outdoor unit. If it is damaged, your AC is unable to cool the air. If you tried any of the do-it-yourself solutions or you’re experiencing a bigger issue, please contact us to schedule a service appointment. Any information or history you can provide to our service techs about your central AC system will assist in diagnosing what could be the issue.

Small steps can yield big benefits and performance over the life of your central air conditioning system. Our service team shares five do-it-yourself tips for homeowners that will help improve their home’s overall cooling efficiency. Tip 1 – Schedule Annual Maintenance. Routine maintenance carries huge benefits for every system. Thorough annual service boosts efficiency, which lowers your cooling costs. It also prevents approximately 70% of all air conditioning outages and can increase the system’s lifespan by up to 50%. Yearly cleanings will also maintain the manufacturer’s warranty. Our Cool Comfort Service Plan provides homeowners with an annual cleaning of their central AC system, a discount on future repairs and priority emergency service. Protect your system today with this valuable coverage plan! Tip 2 – Ceiling Fans and Central AC Systems Work Well Together. Fans create a wind chill effect and draw warm air up to the ceiling in a room when the fan blades turn in a counterclockwise direction. A ceiling fan also allows homeowners to raise the thermostat setting approximately four degrees with no decline in comfort. Switch the fan blade rotation in the winter for the opposite effect! Tip 3 – Clean your Filter. A dirty filter can impede airflow, which makes it more difficult for cool air to reach your living space. Blocked filters that are neglected for too long can cause coils to freeze, leading to a service call. During the cooling season, we recommend replacing your filter every month. Tip 4 – Check Your Outdoor Unit for Signs of Damage. Clear any leaves, grass clippings or debris that may have accumulate around or behind your outdoor unit. Throughout the summer months, be sure to check for any weeds and remove them to ensure the unit has proper airflow. If you are planting new shrubs or bushes to hide the unit, be sure to leave a two-to-three-foot space around the unit on all sides. This will allow adequate space for your unit to be serviced by our technicians. Tip 5 – Set a Schedule on Your Thermostat. By using a programmable thermostat, homeowners can help reduce their cooling costs and help maintain performance over the life of their HVAC system. Setting a schedule on a thermostat allows homeowners the flexibility to adjust the temperature in their home according to their schedule. Schedules can be set based on whether the home is occupied, or homeowners are awake or asleep. Once homeowners set the schedule for their system, there is no need to manually adjust the temperature every day. If during the summer you experience any issues with your central AC system, contact our service team for an appointment to diagnose and repair the system to keep your family cool and comfortable.

  Spring is upon us … flowers are starting to bloom, the grass is getting green and soon everything will be covered in pollen. For the estimated 50 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies, spring can be a miserable time of the year. Spring HVAC maintenance can drastically reduce the amount of allergens in your home and keep new allergens from entering your home. If you or a family member suffers from hay fever, sneezing, itchy eyes and other symptoms of seasonal allergies, below are several tips that can help you breathe easier. As you start your spring cleaning list, be sure to dust the registers and return vents of your HVAC system first. Use a damp cloth to prevent adding more dust particles into the air that eventually get circulated through your ductwork. Install a high quality air filter and change it regularly. Filters are your main line of defense for indoor air quality. The level of filter particle filtration is measured by MERVs (minimum efficiency reporting value), with a rating of 20 being the highest. We recommend a filter with a MERV rating of 8 or higher to ensure it is trapping small dust and allergen particles. Check your outdoor unit and clear away any dust and debris from your unit. This unit pulls air from the outside into your home. If there is any debris it will be circulated throughout your home. For added cleanliness, vacuum or sweep the area around your indoor unit. Schedule an appointment for the annual cleaning of your air conditioning system. This will ensure your system is operating properly and at peak efficiency. Consider installing a whole-home product to improve the air quality throughout your home. Our team can recommend air cleaners, humidifiers and UV lights that are designed to work with your new or existing HVAC system to efficiently ventilate and minimize sources of indoor pollutants in your home. Air cleaners filter out 98% of pollutants and also ensure your system works at peak efficiency all year long.  Humidifiers replenish moisture throughout the home to make it more comfortable by reducing static electricity and reduce problems caused by dry air including dry nose, itchy eyes and sore throats. They also provide energy savings due to lower indoor temperatures. To kill and reduce airborne germs, bacteria, viruses, mold and fungi, consider having UV lights installed. If you have any questions related to your air conditioning system, contact our service department or ask a question on our Facebook page.

SEER, Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is the maximum efficiency rating of an air conditioning system. This measurement is calculated by the cooling output for a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input during the same time frame. Over the last decade, minimum SEER ratings have been raised which has led to more energy-efficient systems. In 2006, the minimum SEER rating was increased from 10 to 13. ENERGY STAR qualified central air conditioners had to have SEER rating of at least 14.5. In 2011, the US Department of Energy updated energy conversation rules that increased minimum standards and regional standards for HVAC systems. This approach allows for differences where cost-optimization due to climate variations across the country. The majority of today’s central AC units have a SEER rating between 13 and 25. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the unit is – and the more you’ll save on cooling costs, approximately 5% less per SEER. For example, if your home has an older 12 SEER unit and you upgrade it to a higher efficiency unit with a rating of 16 SEER, it will be about 20% more efficient and be less costly to use. If you think it’s time to upgrade your cooling system, schedule a complimentary estimate.  Our team will review your current system and other factors to provide you with several options to provide you with the best option for your family’s cooling needs.

There are several reasons a central air conditioning system may not be cooling properly. Here are other common cooling issues homeowners in our area may encounter: Thermostat difficulties: Is your thermostat set or programmed properly? Check that first, and you may prevent an unnecessary service call. Dirty filter: A badly clogged filter can severely restrict the flow of air through your home, putting undue strain on the system and creating the potential for costly repairs. Keep fresh filters on hand, and replace them monthly. Drainage problems: Your system has a drain that carries away the condensation that results from cooling warm air. On a humid day, a clogged or otherwise malfunctioning drain can lead to cooling problems – or a very wet floor around your unit. Frozen coils:  This issue may result from filthy filters, low refrigerant, or another cause. Turn your system off and contact us immediately, so our cooling pro can find — and fix — the problem. Limited airflow: If it seems like not much air is moving through your vents, you may have leaks or clogs somewhere in your duct work. In this instance, you’ll need an experienced technician to identify the location of the problem and offer solutions. Low refrigerant: Your system may be leaking refrigerant or running low. If so, you’ll need a qualified HVAC technician to find and repair the leak and recharge your system. Remember this:  your air conditioning system is only designed to lower the temperature in your home by a certain amount — 25 degrees or so below the outside temperature. On some very hot, humid days, Mother Nature may simply be too much — even for a properly functioning cooling system. If you’re having problems with your A/C system, don’t wait until it becomes a catastrophe or system failure. Contact us today so we can have our cooling technicians take a look.