Tag Archive for air conditioner

Kate Miller | May 17, 2013
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How to Prepare Your Frozen Air Conditioner for Repairs

As summer weather moves in, many homeowners are finding out the hard way that their air conditioner needs repairs. For many, turning on the air conditioner for the first time did not bring comfort to a hot humid home, but instead brought a block of ice preventing proper operation. Ice on the air conditioner can be cause by a few different problems but no matter the cause, the result is an uncomfortable home. Having the system repaired quickly is your only option, but before the technician arrives, there are few steps you can take to aid in the repair process.

Prepare Your Air Conditioner for Repair

Thawing the system is your number one concern at this time as well as the prevention of irreversible damage. Follow these steps to make sure your air conditioner is as repairable as possible when the technician begins his assessment:

  • Shut the A/C Down: Running the air conditioner while it is frozen wont cool the home, will encourage further freezing, and could even damage the compressor beyond repair. Shut the unit down to protect it and to facilitate thawing of the ice. Read more
Category: Cooling, Helpful Tips, Repair | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | March 29, 2013
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Top Four Reasons to Seal Your Ducts this Spring!

Spring cleaning is a no homeowner enjoys but the results are worth the effort. Clearing out the old and making way for the new is a great way to rid your home of the winter blues, but why stop there? You can also rid your home of inefficiency, discomfort, and poor air quality by including the HVAC system on your spring cleaning to-do list. Having the air conditioner cleaned is an important step, but if you have never sealed your ducts, you could be missing out! This simple task has significant benefits, so consider these four reasons to seal your duct work this spring:

  • Improve Comfort: Do you have cold and hot spots in your home? These are rooms that never become comfortable even when the HVAC system is working at its best, and leaky ducts could be to blame. When there are gaps and leaks in the duct work, the heating and cooling cannot reach the targeted room effectively and comfort suffers. Read more
Category: Air Quality, Cooling, Heating, Home Improvements, Home Services | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | March 15, 2013
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Spring A/C Test and Prep

With spring on the horizon, the air conditioner will soon be in demand. It has had a long season in hibernation, and with the heat waves we have experienced across the country over the past few summers, the air conditioner needs to be in tip top shape before the heat arrives. Getting the system ready is simply a matter of having your yearly maintenance check performed, but you may want to test your air conditioner to make sure that it is working properly before they come out to clean it.

How to Test Your Air Conditioner

Testing the unit is simply a matter of setting the thermostat to cool and lowering the temperature beneath the current temperature in the home. However, there are a couple precautions you should take before running the unit. The first step is to check the air filter. If it is dirty, change it out with a new one before running the unit. You want to make sure that you have adequate air flow through the air conditioner before the test. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Cooling, Maintenance | Tags: , , , , ,
Kate Miller | January 21, 2013
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Federal HVAC Rebates are Back!

tax credit, rebate, save money, energy efficiency, energy star

Every Penny Counts

Once again you can receive up to $500 in rebates for the purchase of high efficiency furnaces and air conditions. This discount can make the investment in a high efficiency system a little more affordable and take of some the strain off your budget. Before you know it the furnace will begin paying you back in the form of savings on your energy bills. Every penny counts when purchasing a new system, so don’t miss this final chance to save on your energy efficient HVAC upgrade! Check out which furnaces and air conditioners qualify here!

Category: Cooling, Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Heating, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | January 14, 2013
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Off Season Home Improvement Savings

The winter is typically the off season for many home improvement or repair companies. Unless your furnace experiences a breakdown or requires replacement, you likely aren’t having much if any work done on the home. However, not taking advantage of the off season is a major mistake and your wallet will regret it! Home improvement and HVAC companies offer deep discounts this time of year on their off season services, and you could have your dream project completed for much less than you imagined if you act now while the weather is still cold.

Affordable Off Season Air Conditioning

A great example of a service you may want to consider is air conditioner replacement. Air conditioners are obviously not used during the winter months, but heating and air conditioning companies still have them in stock for those that choose to replace their furnace and their air conditioner. Even if you do not need a new furnace, waiting until summer to have that old air conditioner replaced could cost you hundreds more once the heat arrives. You could also save on the upgrade of both systems by purchasing them together. The HVAC company is more likely to cut you a deal on the purchase of multiple systems and the savings could be quite substantial. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Cooling, Home Improvements, Home Services | Tags: , , , , ,
Kate Miller | December 14, 2012
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How Energy Star Rated Roofs Save Money

According to Energy Star, Americans spend about $40 billion annually on air conditioning for buildings and homes. This massive amount of cash accounts for a sixth of all electricity use in this country as well, and anything we can do to cut back on its use will add up to savings for our planet and for our wallets. Replacing an old inefficient air conditioner with a high efficiency system is one option to consider, but if the home is lacking in other areas, you may want to make improvements to the home’s envelope before you will ever receive the full benefits of an air conditioner replacement.

Non-Reflective Vs Reflective Roofing

The roof is a good place to start. A dark colored, non-reflective roof will absorb large amounts of heat during the summer months. This heat is then transferred into the home, and the air conditioner is forced to make up for the extra heat in the home by cycling more frequently. The more heat you can keep out, the more cold you will be able to keep in. An Energy Star rated roof can help you do just that. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Cooling, Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | October 22, 2012
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To Cover of Not to Cover Your Air Conditioner

Don’t be fooled by the little blast of warm weather, winter is still just around the corner! Dropping temperatures and snow blowing will be here before you know it! Are you ready? Have you protected your air conditioner with a proper fitting cover? If not be prepared for the potential damage ice and snow can cause your unit. Today’s manufacturers’ do not require a cover for your unit, but they do recommend one, especially when you live in an area that frequently experiences large snowfalls.

Warped Air Conditioner Blades

The fan blades on modern air conditioners are larger than older models. These larger blades hold more ice and snow causing your blades to warp creating a louder unit that will use higher amount of electricity. These blades will put excess wear and tear on the motor shortening its life span. You can prevent this all from happening by simply covering your unit with a proper fitting cover. 

Getting a Proper Fit

You can’t install just any cover on your air conditioner. The cover you purchase should be specifically made for your air conditioner make and model. This will prevent moisture from getting trapped inside the unit which can cause rust and decay. It will also allow for adequate amount of air flow during the long months the air conditioner is under wraps. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Contractors, Cooling, Helpful Tips, Maintenance | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | October 15, 2012
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Energy Storage System Uses Ice to Cool Your Home

It may be cooling down in Chicago and many other parts of the world, but millions of people live in climates that demand a cooling system all year round. When you live in one of these areas, energy efficiency is especially important. Old, inefficient air conditioners cause serious damage to our environment and our budgets. However, there are alternatives to traditional cooling systems, and there is an air conditioner manufacturer out there today putting ice to work cooling thousands of homes.

No, we aren’t suggesting that you set up a fan behind a block of ice and hope for the best. The technology behind Ice Energy’s Ice Bear Energy Storage System is much more sophisticated and it has the potential to conserve vast amounts of energy over the typical air conditioning systems millions of people have in use today. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Cooling, Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | September 21, 2012
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Zoning the Home to Improve Comfort and Efficiency

Do you ever feel like you’re constantly adjusting the thermostat in your stock photo courtesy of digitalart at freedigitalphotos.nethouse because when one room is a comfortable temperature, another will be too warm or too cool? If you have this problem in your home, it can probably be traced to your house’s design and construction. If your home has more than one story, warm air will naturally rise into upstairs areas, making it perpetually cooler downstairs. If you have rooms with lots of large windows, they’re likely to receive more heat from the sun than rooms with smaller windows, just as rooms with windows that face sun ward will be hotter than rooms whose windows don’t have direct sun exposure. Your thermostat is only able to measure the temperature in the room in which it’s installed, but is tasked with controlling the HVAC system for the entire house, it’s inevitable that some rooms are going to get more cooling or more heating than they actually need. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Cooling, Furnace, Heating | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | September 10, 2012
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Storm Debris can Damage Your AC

The summer may be coming to an end, but many of us are still using the air conditioner during these dog days of summer. With the heat here in Chicago we have also had extremely high humidity and powerful storms. The weather seems to be catching up on all the rain we missed out on earlier this season during the drought that spread across the Midwest! The rain is welcome, but the damage these storms can cause is not!

Hurricane Winds in the Windy City

A hurricane as seen from spaceThe hurricane in Louisiana brought high winds up through the Windy City, and those winds tore down trees and branches all across the Chicagoland area. All of this debris creates quite a mess, and if it becomes lodged in the air conditioner, it can cause some costly damage. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Cooling, Helpful Tips, Money Saving, Repair | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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