In Texas, you know your air conditioner needs to be up for a big job, keeping your whole home cool during the long, hot summers of this climate. It’s true: you need the best air conditioner you can get. Do you need the biggest air conditioner you can get? Definitely not! A bigger AC unit won’t keep your house cooler. You need just the right size.
We’re right in the thick of it now: the middle of summer in Texas. Your air conditioner is working the hardest it ever does, and you’re probably retreating into the cool comfort of your air conditioned home as often as you can. Is there anything you should be doing to keep your HVAC system in good shape throughout the summer? Yes! We’ll tell you five things to do.
Happy Summer! It’s the season of swimming, barbecues, mosquito bites, and getting a new heater. Yes, really! You definitely don’t want to wait too long, have your heater fail during a cold snap in January, and spend days shivering while you find out it can’t be repaired, have it hauled away, and go through the process of purchasing a new one and getting it installed. Don’t let that happen to you! Take the time during the summer, when it’s not an emergency, to assess your heater, decide whether to replace it, and research the replacement options. We’ll help you.
When it comes to the care of your air conditioning system, you want somebody you can trust. But the reason you need an AC expert is that you’re not an AC expert yourself. So how can you judge whether a company has the skills and qualities your air conditioner deserves? Here are some things you should look for.
How can you tell when there’s a problem with your air conditioner? Listen to what it’s telling you!
What’s that you say? You don’t speak air conditioner? You don’t know what your AC unit is trying to communicate? Never fear! Here is a handy translation guide for air conditioner noises and what they mean.
You’ve probably noticed that the outdoor unit of an air conditioner is almost always placed on a base made of concrete. Have you ever wondered why that is? There are very good reasons for air conditioners to be set on a concrete platform, and we’ll tell you the most important ones. When you have an air conditioner installed, you’ll know why professionals make sure to do it this way.
As you probably know, your air conditioner has an air filter as one of its components. We strongly recommended that you clean or swap it out regularly, around every one to three months.
But why do you need to do this? What happens if you don’t change the air conditioner’s air filter? And what are the benefits when you do?
We’re so glad you asked. As air conditioning professionals, we feel very strongly about the importance of changing your AC unit’s air filter, because we often see the aftermath of the problems caused by a clogged air filter.
Many homeowners have a smart thermostat, and experts expect the number of homes with a smart thermostat to increase over the coming years. Don’t confuse digital thermostats with smart thermostats. Although sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably, it’s possible that you have a thermostat with a digital display that still isn’t considered “smart” because it doesn’t connect to Wifi.
A smart thermostat offers a long list of great benefits, but we know the best reasons to invest in a smart thermostat. If you’re interested in smart thermostat installation in New Braunfels, TX, our team can help. In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about why a smart thermostat is an investment in your home and comfort.
You may have heard about “cracked heat exchangers” in gas furnaces as one of the major problems these heating systems can have. What does this mean, and how can you protect yourself from it? Below, we’ll look into the problem of a cracked heat exchanger.
You may not know what a heat exchanger is to begin with, so we’ll start there. The heat exchanger is the component in a gas furnace that does the direct heating of the air that moves into the ductwork. The heat from the gas burners can’t come into direct contact with the air because of the combustion gas, so the heat exchanger serves as the intermediate step. The hot combustion gas from the burners collects inside the metal chambers of the heat exchanger and raises the temperature of the metal. The blower then sends air around the exchanger and the heat transfers from the metal surface to the air. Once the heating cycle is complete, the remaining combustion gas in the exchanger exits the furnace and the house through a flue.
Electric furnaces are not as common as natural gas furnaces in local homes, but that doesn’t mean that electric furnaces don’t come with some excellent advantages. Although gas furnaces generally cost less to run and have higher heating capacity, electric furnaces cost less to install upfront, last for around five years longer, run into fewer repair issues, and don’t present any hazards due to gas combustion or toxic exhausts.
The secret to the electric furnace’s longevity and resistance to repairs is that it doesn’t burn gas to work. In a gas furnace, the constant stress of powerful burners and the reaction of combustion gas with other components is what leads to the system declining. Electric furnaces have a more direct and simple method of heating.
Because of the difference between the two furnace types, people often think that electric furnaces don’t need frequent maintenance. At least not every year. But this is wrong! Any home heating system, regardless of its type, benefits from pre-season maintenance done each year.
