When to Call In Your AC Repairman

The sizzling heat of a Texas summer can be unbearable, even more so when you’re in Houston. Under such heat, it’s important to keep the air conditioner running. The problem with that is that with constant use, your AC unit can slow down, or break down altogether. You can avoid sudden disasters like in the middle of July, by knowing the right time to call on licensed technicians to check your AC unit.

Before Problems Happen

Remember that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Regular maintenance can crowd your quarterly budget, but major repairs could be more costly. Call an AC professional for unit checkups at least once a year. An AC expert should be able to do the necessary maintenance work, such as cleaning the unit’s coils and filters, and inspecting the ductwork. Annual unit checkups should help catch potential problems that may cause you big headaches later on.

Knowing When Your Air Conditioner Needs Professional Care

With the Texas heat beating down on the city of Houston, air conditioning is a life saver. However, it can malfunction or break down just when you need your room to cool. Knowing when to call the repairman is an important part of maintaining your AC unit. Here are some AC problems that might need professional attention.

Faulty Installation

A common problem that crops up more times than it should is incorrect installation. If not properly placed, a central air conditioner can have leaky ducts and weak airflow. This is the same for a window AC unit. If faced with this problem, only a technician should be able to reinstall the unit properly. It will cost your more for the extra work of correcting an error, but it will be better in the long run.

Is Your AC’s Thermostat Working Properly?

Essentially, your AC unit’s thermostat controls the cold temperature in the room, and signals whether it will stop churning out cold air when the room reaches a certain temperature. Sometimes, though, with the wrong unit, the AC system can keep wasting energy even when the room is sufficiently cold. It’s important that to check on your thermostat to find out if it’s still doing its job properly.

What You Probably Did Not Know About Your AC

The air conditioning unit is one of the most important components of your HVAC system and here are some facts that you probably did not know.

Turning off your AC for a long period will cause it to work harder the moment you turn it on. Therefore, when you're going on a vacation for a week or two, you can leave your AC on. However, make sure that it is networked with a programmable thermostat set to a low temperature that shuts if off and turns it on when necessary.

The ducts play a huge role in maintaining the cool in your home. These are the conduits that run throughout the house within the ceiling, which convey the cold air produced by your AC. If they are made of metal, chances are the cool will be absorbed and transferred through the ducts rather than into the house. Thus, you need them wrapped with insulation.

An old filter that has accumulated dust and grime does not only block cool air from being blown into your house, but also can cause respiratory illnesses. One clue that you need to replace your AC filter is when the members of your family start coughing. Dust and other harmful particles are now mixed with the air.

Why Hire Experts to Install Your Water Heater

For those who live in the tropics, water heaters are not needed and are usually only seen in hotels, condominiums and such. However, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, who regularly deal with colder temperatures during much of the year, life without hot water is unimaginable.

If the unit you have at home needs replacement, it is not a good idea to attempt a new water heater installation yourself, unless you really know what you are doing. Here are some reasons you should entrust water heater installation to professionals.

Incorrect connections of the electrical supply for an electric model can cause a fire or problems with the thermostat. For gas water heaters, hooking up the supply lines correctly is very important because gas leaks also put your home at risk of fire and explosion of the gas fumes.

In addition, the water pipes have to be connected to the right outlet of inlet for the system to work properly. Of course, leaking pipes are something that you don’t want. A professional plumber knows how to connect the pipes correctly so that they don’t leak.

Like any other basic utilities you have at home, your water heater is designed according to codes that constantly change. The changes in the installation codes are normally based on environmental and safety concerns. Experts update themselves on these changes to make sure that their work is safe for their clients.

The Importance of Sizing up Your HVAC System

HVACs systems are designed to provide heating and cooling throughout the year in a cost efficient manner. However, they can be notoriously ravenous when it comes to power consumption, and households that overly rely on the systems can end up paying a fortune to keep them running. It’s important to optimize an HVAC system to properly work for a property in order to make the most out of the energy used.

The energy efficiency of an HVAC system begins with choosing the right equipment for the job. Selecting an HVAC system that’s too small or too large can severely affect its efficiency and the amount of energy it expends. Thus, homeowners should be very careful and precise when selecting an HVAC system for their residences.

A simple method of determining the right HVAC system would be to measure the square footage of a property, then divide the result by 400. This should produce a figure equal to the rough amount of cooling and heating tons the property requires. Homeowners have the option of choosing an HVAC system that outputs roughly the same amount of cooling tons, or they can simply call upon an expert contractor and leave the selection process to the experts.

Detecting Problems in Gas Furnaces

Winter has set in Houston, and this means locals have to rely on their gas furnaces for warmth and comfort for the rest of the season. However, fully functioning furnaces are of course essential to produce the desired heat levels at home, but sometimes problems get in the way. A common problem that gas furnace owners experience is that the heating systems don't produce enough heat.

The usual culprit for furnaces that don't generate enough heat is an improperly set thermostat. However, if the thermostat is correctly set at the right mode and temperature and homeowners still can't feel the heat, a component that can be blamed is the propane or gas valve. 

 

In this case, homeowners will have to check if the valve is indeed open and doesn't have any blockage to obstruct propane or gas flow. If both components are found to be defective, it is recommended that homeowners call reliable HVAC contractors in Houston right away to fix it.

Another common problem with gas furnaces is noisy operations. While a noisy gas furnace doesn't automatically indicate a defect, it is incredibly bothersome, especially when someone has had a busy day at work and wants a good night's sleep. Homeowners can get their gas furnaces to quiet down by having the gas burner cleaned as needed.

Why Use an Efficient Trane Heater This Winter

Houston typically experiences a mild winter season, something that is hardly a bother to long-time residents. However, the first few days of December 2013 were a contrast to this usual winter scenario, taking locals by surprise. The Houston Chronicle reports that on December 7, Houston was colder than Deadhorse, Alaska (which is located in the Arctic Circle).

Some locals will naturally take refuge from the cold temperatures and seek warmth and comfort right in their own homes, making efficient heating systems in great demand. However, heating systems are not all the same, and homeowners have to determine which heating equipment is more ideal for their homes. For instance, homeowners who favor low-maintenance heating systems can opt for Trane gas furnaces instead of Trane oil furnaces.

Oil furnaces, while efficient in producing the desired heat in homes, tend to have more dirt and soot build-up, requiring frequent cleaning and maintenance or frequent filter changes. If homeowners prefer a heating system that comes with a more economical price tag, Trane oil furnaces can be a better fit for them than Trane gas furnaces. Whatever the homeowners prefer, they should turn to reliable HVAC contractors for advice when it comes to the installation of the system that is best for their home.

Common Problems Your AC Might be Facing

When you take your air conditioning for granted and just stash it away after fervent use in the summer, not once bothering to check it for damage, you might have a feeble source of cold air when the summer rolls around again next year. You need to check the condition of your AC often, especially before storage. Here are some common AC problems you might need to look into:

Leaking Refrigerant

The AC’s refrigerant is the liquid that is used to cool the air that comes into contact with it (through the coil where the coolant is stored). Check to see if there seems to be a low refrigerant level inside the coils; this is either a sign of undercharging at installation, or there’s a leak somewhere.

Sensor Issues

Behind the control panel of your room AC is a thermostat sensor, and it detects air temperature that comes into contact with the cooling coils. Should this sensor fail to do its job, your thermostat will endlessly think that the air isn’t cold enough, hence it will cycle constantly, bloating up your power bill and possibly wearing down your system.

Electronic Problems

At times, the electrical system within your trusty air conditioner can even get corroded from overuse or in some cases, inefficient copper wiring installation (a risk in buying low-quality AC units). The electrical currents that power the compressor and fan could also wear these components down and cause them to break.