The season has come to get serious about purchasing an air conditioning unit. This is a major decision because a good air conditioner can outlive the years you reside in your current house. A bad AC unit can drain your savings and leave you feeling more uncomfortable than before. The best thing you can do is to make an educated selection.

Determine Your Needs and Requirements

People find that the cheaper units do not always offer the best warranties. Many people are willing to pay extra money for warranties that last longer and cover more.

Energy Efficiency and Air Conditioning

You should educate yourself about the current standards on energy consumption. What additional electric bill can you afford?

The good news is that many air conditioning units are manufactured to be very energy efficient. In the next couple of years it will be the market standard for homeowners to only purchase energy efficient AC units. Stay ahead of the trend.

Completing the AC Purchase with Good Installation

Contact a service contractor that is licensed to install your AC. Installation is just as important as the purchase because if the installation is done incorrectly you may encounter problems. A good HVAC technician will set up your unit properly.

Your air conditioner has one main function. It is designed to blow cool air into your house to keep you comfortable in the warm season. What happens if you find your AC leaking water while it blows? Does this mean it is broken? The answer is usually “Yes”.

How Air Conditioners Work

Your AC unit removes moisture from the air and forces the wet air through a series of cooling coils and channels. Some of the water is lifted up by fan blades and used to cool down coils that have become hot during the unit’s operation. Most of the water is is channeled to the rear of the unit where it exits the base and seeps into the ground outside.

If you find that your air conditioning unit is loosing water along the way, then you may have a serious problem.

Most Common Reasons Water Leakage Occurs with AC Units

1. Improperly Installed
2. Icing Up
3. Air Leakage
4. Drain Hole Blocked
5. Internal Drains Blocked
6. Outside Temperature Too Cold

If the unit is installed improperly it is most likely due to an imbalance. The front may be higher than the back and thus the water drips out instead of filters through.

If you see ice then you are dealing with an issue in the cooling system. If you find that air is leaking out around the base of the unit then you are looking at a crack or hole issue, which can easily be plugged with some foam insulation.

All blockages should be fixed by a professional because AC experts own the right kind of tools to do repairs. If you find leakage happening at night you are probably alright. That happens because the night air is cooler and you are seeing condensation. You just need to switch the unit to ‘fan only’.

Call A Professional Air Conditioning Repair Company

Most of these circumstances should be taken care of by a professional air conditioner repair expert. The best thing you can do is call a reputable company that can inspect the entire units operations, identify the problem, and give you a solution on repairs. If the dripping goes left unattended then a more serious issue may arise in the future.

If you’ve ever had a heating or air conditioning emergency, your only concern is to get that furnace going again, or your air conditioner back to blowing cool air. You may end up calling the first cooling and heating tech you find, without giving second thought to the prospect of running into a rude, inexperienced technician, or worse, a scam artist. Needless to say, even in the face of emergency a little research goes a long way. Of course, the first rule of thumb is to go with your gut feeling; you need to be comfortable letting the heating or air repair person into your home.

We have put together a quick guide compiling the minimum requirements that all heating and air technicians should meet.

1. Cleanliness: any repair professional, be it for furnaces or air conditioning units, should always wear protective shoe covers to ensure your carpets and flooring stay clean. When the work is completed, you should find the repaired area as you left it, thoroughly cleaned up.
2. Clear communication: You are paying for a heating or air conditioning service to be efficiently completed with a reasonable cost. Therefore, you deserve to know what and why there is a problem and exactly what needs to be done, which parts are needed and how long it will take.
3. Professional uniform: while a technician’s attire is by no means a guarantee of expertise and integrity, a clean uniform with clearly visible company logos are an added assurance that you are dealing with a technician from a reputable company.
4. Timeliness: No one likes waiting around for a furnace or a/c repair person for hours on end, and it is therefore vital that you are given a convenient appointment window for your service, and that the heating and cooling tech shows up when promised. There are companies out there who even offer compensation if the technician is not on time for the appointment.
5. Upfront pricing: make sure you are given an upfront quote on the cost of the project and parts needed. If you are not comfortable with the price quoted, or if you are not given an accurate description of what the price is comprised of, consider contacting another heating and cooling company.

If you need a maintenance job done, and even if your heating system suddenly went kaput, allow yourself some time shopping around for the most reliable heating and air conditioning service company. A variety of customer review sites offer insight into how a company is perceived by past customers, and even social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook are good resources for determining if a company provides quality service and employees sincere, well trained heating and cooling technicians, and for finding good deals on heating and cooling services.

Choosing the perfect sized furnace heater for your home is an important investment. Your qualified heating contractor should help you make your choice of the correct furnace size. You don’t want one that is too small because it will be constantly flowing to maintain warmth. A furnace that is too big will cycle on and off frequently, which wears down its components faster, unnecessarily wastes energy, and costs more in the end.  The following factors help determine the optimal furnace size:

• House design
• Size
• Construction
• Climate

Calculate the Right Furnace Size

Proper furnace size should be based on energy-loss calculations. The heating capacity of a furnace is measured in thousands of BTU (British Thermal Units). Your contractor will come up with the exact BTU equations by multiplying the input BTU by the efficiency percentage. For example a 100,000 BTU furnace at 80% efficiency will produce 80,000 BTU, but if that same furnace is only at 95% efficiency it will produce 95,000 BTU of heat output.

Evolution of Furnace Types

Furnaces have evolved quite a bit in the last decade. The most modern furnaces burn less fuel than the ones from the past. Some have heat pumps that wring heat from the bottom of the floor to the ceiling and vice versa in the summer when acting like an air conditioner. These types of furnaces are most common in the Southern states, while oil furnaces are typically found in older homes in the Northeast. The most common type of heater is the modern central-heating system gas furnace.

Even in sunny San Diego, we crave additional heating in our homes during the winter months, despite the common misconception that Southern California is a tropical paradise throughout the year. When slippers and scarves are not enough to keep you cozy while preparing for the hectic holiday season, it is time to turn the knob on those space heaters or crank up the thermostat of your heating system.

Whether you have a heating system installed in your home or you rely on small space heaters or a fireplace to stay warm, safety is key when heating your home. Perhaps not surprisingly, space heaters account for most injuries and deaths when it comes to heating-related fires, while fires originating in poorly cleaned or maintained chimneys are the most common, but the least deadly type of heating hazards. According to these findings, discovered and reported by the National Fire Protection Association, every year there are hundreds of deaths resulting from fires originating in heating equipment, and injuries are in the thousands. A staggering 70% of heating fire deaths are directly caused by space heaters.

Based on these statistics, the best home heating safety advice is then to invest in a heating system instead of relying on space heaters. There are many options to choose from, including central heating, wall and floor heaters and heat pumps. Unfortunately, not everyone has the means to consider a heating system installation, and space heaters remain a popular heating option. It is therefore essential to be reminded of proper home heating safety guidelines.

The following is a good check-list for how to stay to safe and avoid ending up in the home heating fire statistics. Protecting your family as well as your property is a number one priority for most, no matter what your preferred home heating option.

Home Heating Systems

• Inspection of the heating system. Before turning up the heat, make sure you contact your home heating technician for a complete safety inspection of the heating system. An annual check-up is recommended by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. A basic furnace tune-up is good place to start if you have a furnace in your home.

Fireplace Heating

• Similarly, fireplaces and chimneys need annual inspections. It is vital to check chimneys and flues for leakage and blockage by creosote or debris.
• Prior to using and when a fire is on, open fireplace damper and keep it open until ashes are cold.
• Store ashes outdoors in a fire resistant container.

Space Heater Safety

• If you are purchasing a new space heater, choose a reliable model and check recall lists for safety recalls. Look for national certification by a testing laboratory.
• While using a space heater, make sure it is located on a hard surface (do not place on carpet) and a safe distance away from anything flammable, such as paper waste or bedding (three feet is a good rule of thumb.)
• Like with candles or fires, a space heater should not be left alone when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Essential Fire Prevention Tips

Regardless of the type of heating system used, never forget to:

• Install battery-operated smoke and carbon monoxide detection alarms. Smoke alarms should be located inside bedrooms and on each level of the home, while CO alarms are best placed right outside bedrooms and any other sleeping areas.
• Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: dizziness, headache, feeling of weakness, vomiting or nausea, chest pain, and confusion. CO is especially dangerous because it is odorless and colorless and 500 deaths in the U.S. each year are a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

We are often taken by surprise by how fast the temperature drops after the summer is over, and when it’s time to pay a visit to the basement and check on the old furnace, you may find that you need a heating system repair. Fortunately, for most simple problems there are easy do-it-yourself steps you can take to make sure your home heating system is running and you are nice and cozy during the pumpkin season and beyond.

1. SIMPLE FURNACE TUNE-UP FOR PROPER HEATING SYSTEM OPERATION

We don’t need to know all the intricacies behind our home HVAC systems, but we do want them operating smoothly. The following check list is a good starting point for ensuring that your furnace is safe to turn on, and will not require extensive technical home heater repair knowledge. Some of us may need more detailed directions on performing a thorough furnace tune-up for heating systems, but this is a good place to start:

• Make sure the thermostat controlling your heating system is functioning properly
• Locate the filter in your furnace and make sure it’s clean. If it appears clogged or dirty, change the filter.
• Go through electrical components in the furnace and make sure they are operational
• If needed, oil the motors inside your furnace. (play it safe! Make sure to consult an expert if you are not comfortable performing these tasks.)
• Find the heat exchanger in the furnace and search closely for cracks to ensure no carbon monoxide will leak through.
• Make sure air flow is not diminished (if it is, the evaporator coil may need to be cleaned)

2. COMMON SENSE TIPS TO KEEP THE HEAT COMING

Minimize fire hazards: The possible dangers with operating a furnace include fires and unwanted emission of carbon monoxide into your home. While it is not likely that a properly functioning heating system will be the source of a fire, we sometimes forget simple common sense steps that can be taken to minimize safety risks. Furnaces are usually located where we store things, including equipment like lawn mowers that have gas inside, even gas canisters, so remove any items that may pose an explosion or fire hazard from contact with the furnace.

Be wise about time: It is just human nature to leave things for the last minute – we all do it now and again (at least with taxes). To avoid freezing your toes when the first really cool morning comes along, complete the above steps when it’s still sunny out and the trees have leaves to avoid extensive heating system repairs. That way, if you do find out that there is a problem with your furnace that you can’t solve yourself, you will have time to research reliable, professional home heating repairs technicians in your area to fix your heating system.

3. WHEN IT’S TIME TO CALL A HEATING SYSTEMS REPAIR PROFESSIONAL

If you are experiencing problems with your furnace, or if you are too busy to perform the annual tune-up, it may be necessary to call in a home heating professional. If you don’t know a reputable heating system repairs company, you want to do some research to be sure of the following: the company is reliable, guarantees timely service of home heating repairs to work around your busy schedule, has certified trained heating repairs technicians and has positive customer reviews on online review sites concerning heating repairs services they have performed. If a company has lots of positive reviews, it is a good indication that you are dealing with an established and trusted home heating repair service company.

When you turn on the air conditioner, you can almost feel the surge as your electric meter starts to spin faster – as well as feel your body temperature rise when you imagine next month’s bill.

Across the southern USA, AC is at or near the top of the list for home electricity consumption. Rather than spending money on electric bills, most rational people would rather reduce energy consumption and apply the savings to the OTHER list that might include things like a vacation, college, retirement savings, a new car…

Adding up the bills
The electric company charge by the kilowatt (or kill-a-wallet as some might say). So the more kilowatts used, the higher the bill.

Consider that a typical central AC system uses about 3.5 kilowatts of electricity per hour and a medium window unit uses about .9 kilowatts per hour.

According to the government’s Energy Star program, homeowners in Arizona pay about $212 to run a standard room air conditioner for about 1,000 hours over the summer period. Those cooling their entire home with central AC pay roughly $484. Southern California residents could expect similar bills – and some would consider such bills conservative.

The energy-focused, non-profit Alliance to Save Energy looked at the big picture across the USA and projected average annual household heating and cooling costs to rise to about $1,200.  Hotter portions of the country usually pay significantly more, particularly in AC costs.

According to Michael Bluejay, an expert on home electricity use, “air conditioning uses more electricity than anything else — 16% of total electricity used. In warmer regions AC can be 60-70% of your summer electric bill.”

So, the need to make equipment and home as efficient as possible is obvious to all who value their hard-earned cash.  Saving even a modest 10% on a conservative $1,200 annual bill means $120 in your pocket instead of the utility company’s.  If the annual bill is a not-unusual $3,000, you save $300.

Keeping your air conditioner and other electricity-consuming appliances (yes, clean that dust from your refrigerator’s coils) in peak operating condition will help keep bills as low as possible.

Cost of neglecting maintenance
Since AC can be such a major portion of your bill, you can’t afford to neglect regular tune ups. For each year of routine maintenance you skip, your air conditioner loses about 5% of its efficiency. So, even an efficient Energy Star-rated unit will soon become an energy glutton without attention.

There are other, social and environmental costs of poor maintenance that range from requiring power producers to generate more electricity (which often contributes to more green house gases and the need to build additional power stations) to creating more demand that invariably raises the cost of fuel, such as oil and natural gas, used to power many electricity generating plants.

Ideas for reducing AC costs

• Top of the list: Keep your air conditioner tuned up! A professional inspection is inexpensive and can quickly pay for itself. Regular maintenance that might include services such as balancing the refrigerant level, changing filters, straightening bent cooling fins and sealing air ducts promote efficient operation. Efficiency = savings. According to the government’s Energy Star program, returning an unmaintained AC system to peak efficiency could cut up to $20 off a monthly electricity bill.

• Keep your home naturally cooler with simple steps such as closing window shades to block direct sunlight, switching to cool-running fluorescent light bulbs and running heat-generating appliances (clothes dryer, oven, etc.) in the cooler morning and evening hours. And, seal your home against air leaks around windows and doors with weather stripping – cheap and effective.

• When no one is going to be home, turn up the thermostat. If you have a programmable thermostat, set it to kick in at cooler temps just before people return. If you don’t have one, get one, because you could save about $180 annually in cooling and heating costs.

• Use fans. They consume less juice than AC, create moving air that cools people, and enable you to set the AC a couple of degrees higher or so.

• If your air conditioner is old, consider replacing it with one of today’s efficient models.

Your bottom line is the bottom line
You have better things to spend your money on than electric bills. Making sure your air conditioner and other appliances are running at peak efficiency is simply part of a smart lifestyle.

No doubt about it, electric bills rise during air conditioning season, especially if your home has central AC… and you’re fighting back!

Knowing that AC is the most expensive part of your electric bill and a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions, you’ve set the thermostat to as high a temperature as is comfortable, right? And, you’ve maintained  your air conditioning system by changing filters, sealing air leaks in ducts and taking other efficiency-boosting measures, yes?

Good work. You’ve taken crucial steps to lowering your electric bills. Now it’s time to fight on, and look for other, commonsense and inexpensive ways to not only save your money, but also help the planet by reducing the environmental impact of electricity generation.

Fans – cheaper to run and very cooling
We’ve all heard the TV weather people talk about “wind chill.” Moving air simply makes actual air temperatures feel cooler to your body. Harness this effect indoors with fans. Fans draw less electricity than AC and can be used exactly where needed on a room-by-room basis. Ceiling and standalone fans are both great for getting the air flowing, allowing you to bump up the AC thermostat setting.

Take advantage of cool night temperatures
Open the windows at night or late afternoon to allow cooler air temperatures in, then close them in the early morning to retain the cool air. By adopting this natural cooling technique, your AC will have to run less.

Deflect the greenhouse effect
Sunlight entering through windows creates heat! The California Energy Commission says that this solar gain is responsible for up to 30% of a home’s cooling needs. There are simple ways to block sunlight and reduce heat build up.

• Use window drapes. They block sun and insulate to retain cool air. Darker living space is the only downside. However, light-colored drapes help brighten things up. Note that drapes are more effective than blinds.

• Use reflective film. Available at hardware and home improvement stores, this tinting film adheres to window glass and reflects about 40 to 60% of sun-generated heat while allowing light in. A tinted window will also stop about 99% of UV rays that can fade furniture. The cost? About $2 per square foot for do-it-yourselfers  – which could prove a wise investment if electricity costs continue to rise..

• If your windows have ordinary screens, you can replace them with solar screens. They are made of a special mesh that reflect up to 70% of heat-producing rays and are available at hardware/home improvement stores.

• It’s a major expense, but if it’s time to replace your windows, make sure they’re today’s “low-E” models. You can specify glass with just the amount of solar blocking (or gain) that works for your climate.

• Plant trees, especially on the south-facing side your home. Deciduous trees (their leaves drop in the fall) provide cooling shade in the summer while allowing in sunlight in the winter – when solar gain can be a good thing!

Properly managing windows, drapes and shades throughout the day can make as much difference as more expensive things such as additional insulation.

Insulate and cool your attic
Did you know that un-insulated attics allow the hot air that builds up there (easily reaching over 100 degrees in summer months!) to transfer into your home through ceilings? This makes the AC work harder. Add insulation (loose-fill cellulose and fiberglass are popular choices) to stop the heat transfer.

If you don’t have an attic fan, you should consider one. With gable vents, retrofitting a fan at the vent is easy. By blowing hot air out the vent, you reduce heat transfer into your home and create less work for your AC. You could even power the fan with a solar panel mounted on the roof or exterior wall with minimal installation and… no charge for electricity!

Stop air leaks
Don’t cool the great outdoors. By sealing doors and windows with weather stripping you ensure that you’re only cooling indoor air. Holding a lit match next to window and door edges is a good way to test for air infiltration.

Paint — a simple solution
Are you going to paint your house? Use a light color to reflect rather than absorb heat. You could cut cooling costs by about 20%.

Techniques for cooking and lighting
When cooking with the stove or oven, turn on the vent hood to remove hot air. Whenever possible, use the microwave! Microwave ovens don’t generate much heat.  Bonus — they’re cheaper to operate than gas or electric ovens.

Outfit your entire home with cool-running compact fluorescent bulbs. Not only are they just as bright and use considerably less electricity than conventional incandescent bulbs, they generate about 90% less heat. Because the less heat that is generated, the less need there is to cool the air.

Saving here and there adds up
By applying as many of the measures in this article as possible you help optimize your home’s ability to stay cooler and reduce the load on your air conditioner – a commonsense solution for lowering electric bills and environmental impacts.

Heat Pumps & Roof Top Units - As the term “pump” implies, a heat pump moves heat from one place to another. In the winter, it moves heat from outside to inside to heat your home. In the summer, it moves heat in the other direction to cool your home. The Roof Top Install is basically the same but it is stationed on the roof instead of inside the home or office.

A/C and Cooling Compressors/Motors Services and Repairs - The compressor is the motor (or engine) of the cooling system. It’s normally at the bottom of the freezer in the back. It’s almost always black and about the size of a football. If the freezer is self-defrosting, the compressor may be behind a thin panel. If your compressor needs repairing or servicing you have got the right company - Call us now!