Before you call, make sure you check these things…

Sometimes your Atlanta air conditioning unit isn’t working at all or the fan may be working but the air isn’t cold. Often when these problems occur people will phone a repair man or try to replace the unit, but this isn’t always necessary. It could be that the circuit breaker that controls all or part of your Atlanta heating and air unit has tripped. This could be as easy to fix as flipping the switch back on or it may be due to an underlying electrical fault. If it’s the latter you’ll need an electrician instead of an AC repair man. It could also be a fault with the electrical connection somewhere along the circuit. This is much cheaper to fix than replacing the unit and can again be easily accomplished by an electrician.

Another thing that you can do before you call a technician is to check the condenser coil for a blockage. If anything gets caught in there it will stop the air circulation which could lead to needing a replacement. A blocked filter will also hinder air circulation and stop the system from working properly. It could even lead your AC to freeze as the cold air stagnates and freezes the coils. Change the air filters regularly to ensure your AC stays working properly and you can avoid an expensive callout.

One final problem to keep in mind is having a lot of stuff blocking the air vents. The AC’s air vents should be left free of clutter that might block air flow. Even if the vent is not completely blocked having stuff nearby may still severely impair free air flow. To make sure your system runs at full efficiency keep furniture and boxes away from the vents to allow the air to be drawn in properly. Follow these tips and hopefully you should avoid too many costly repair calls from heating and cooling Atlanta professional service providers.

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Want a smooth running AC unit? Follow these tips.

Performing regular maintenance on your Atlanta air conditioning unit is really important and can prolong the life of your unit by quite a long time. Keep up to date with your maintenance and you’ll be much less likely to end up in the horrible position of having no AC at the hottest time of year and having to wait in line to have it serviced by air conditioning Atlanta repair professionals. One of the most commonly forgotten but easiest pieces of maintenance to perform is to change the air filter regularly. The filter will become clogged with dust and dirt over time and this will force your AC to work harder. Changing the filter regularly leaves the air cleaner and will help to prevent a stress fault occurring in your AC later on. Not only this but your unit will work more efficiently with a new filter and this will save you money on energy bills.

Another good way to keep your AC running smoothly is to check how well your doors and windows are sealed. Any gaps in the sealant will allow cold air to escape which will force the AC to work harder to keep your home cool. With this, any gaps you find can easily be sealed with some weather stripping, and you might be surprised to see how much of a difference it makes.

Something else to keep in mind is the status of the outside unit. This is often forgotten but keeping it clear of debris can have a huge effect on your AC’s performance. Get rid of any leaves or other debris that’s accumulated in or around the unit. Doing this on a regular basis can protect your AC from damage to the fan and other internal parts.  Finally, it’s important to get your AC checked out by a professional heating and air Atlanta technician at least once a year. They’ll be able to spot any serious faults and increase the life of your AC unit.

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Do It Yourself tasks that can save you money on heating and cooling costs

It can be expensive to be overly reliant on Atlanta heating and air repair men to fix anything that goes wrong with your heating and cooling system. Also you may be considering a replacement AC unit if its efficiency is down. There are however some things you can do to improve performance and save you forking out a ton of cash for a new unit. Here are some actions you can take yourself to improve the performance of your unit over the summer.

One of the most common problems heating and cooling Atlanta professionals say there is with AC units is a lack of proper maintenance. Huge numbers of people are living with higher energy costs simply because they haven’t changed the filters in their AC. By changing the filters on a regular basis you can improve the performance of your AC by a huge amount. Not only this but it will be less likely to develop any expensive faults down the line.

There is also lots of heating and air Atlanta companies that offer a tune up service to ensure your AC is running properly. This tune up will cost relatively little in comparison to the good it can do your system. The technician will be able to work out any problems that might be developing such as a fault with the fan motor or low refrigerant levels. All of these little things could end up saving you a huge amount on repairs in the future.

There are other things you can do yourself to keep your cooling costs down. For instance, while this may be common sense and easier said than done, air conditioning Atlanta experts say keep your AC off if you’ll be out for long periods of time. It might be nice to come home to a cool house but all that energy is being wasted when you’re not there. Also when you switch your AC turn the thermostat to a sensible temperature. Setting it lower than normal will not speed up the cooling process but it will use more energy.

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Size matters…when it comes to your home ac unit.

Choosing the right Atlanta air conditioning unit is a tricky task that has many contributing factors. One of which is of course how large an AC unit you’ll be needing to cool your home. Other factors up for consideration are how efficient the unit is and how much it will cost to run and repair. There is no set price for an AC because there are so many factors that contribute to the cost. For instance do you need to have ducts installed before you get an AC, or how many rooms need cooling. There are a variety of questions that have to be asked before you can reach a price. Don’t worry though, you don’t need to work it out yourself. The Atlanta heating and air company will send a technician round to work it all out for you and you can discuss the cost with them. They should work out exactly what your home’s cooling needs are with a load calculation. This considers a number of factors and works out what the best size AC is for your home.

If you want an idea of how much your AC will cost before you start getting estimates from air conditioning Atlanta experts,  then you can make a rough estimate based on a few factors. For instance the actual floor space of your home will be a significant factor but there are other considerations. The amount of people in your home can affect the size of the AC you need. More people means more body heat and more activity in your home and this may mean you need a bigger AC. Also if you have a large number of heavy duty appliances they will give of heat meaning you need a bigger cooling system. These are the major factors as well as the level of insulation and the positioning of windows. Keep this information in mind and you should have some idea of how large an AC you’ll be needing for your home.

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All about your AC unit’s efficiency and SEER rating

All sir conditioning units, regardless if it’s your Houston air conditioning unit or Dallas air conditioning unit, are rated on their efficiency using the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). This rating goes from 13 to 23 with the higher numbers referring to the more energy efficient models. There are still some AC’s which have a lower rating than 13 but these are older models made before new efficiency guidelines were put in place. When purchasing a new AC unit, just about all Houston hvac companies recommend to get one with a rating higher than 13 and preferably closer to 23.

Efficiency refers to how much cooling an AC will provide for the amount of energy it expends. An AC with a higher SEER rating will use less energy to cool a room than an AC with a low rating. What this means for you is that the higher the SEER rating of your AC the lower the electricity bills will be in the future. It can often work out much more cheaply in the long run to pay a higher initial cost for your AC to get one that is much more efficient.

When deciding which the the right AC for your home you’ll need to take into account the climate you live in as well as how much you’re likely to use your AC. According to Houston heating and air experts, higher efficiency units tend to be a lot more expensive so you need to be sure you’ll save enough money on electricity to make it worth it. If you live in a very hot climate and you’re sure you’ll be using your AC a lot then it will probably be worth spending a extra to get a high efficiency unit. However if your AC will only be for occasional use then you may as well get the less efficient model as you’ll be unlikely to save that much money on your electric bill. If you’re still unsure about what to do use an efficiency calculator to work out how much the running costs will be for each AC.

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Almost free ways to cool your home in the summer…

It’s horrible when you can’t escape the heat of the summer sun, even in “comfort” of your own home. However there is hope. Here are a few tips straight from Houston air conditioning experts that will hopefully keep your home cool even on the hottest days of summer.

First of all keep your curtains closed, especially when your windows are in direct sunlight. Doing this will significantly lower the temperature in your home and prevent your home’s ac unit from having to work hard to keep everything cool. Sticking to this little trick has the propensity to lower your electric bill. Just be sure to keep your curtains closed whenever you can and you’ll be surprised by the difference it makes.

Something else to bear in mind is whether to have your windows open or closed. Most people who have an AC unit will keep their windows closed all the time. This is certainly the right thing to do when your AC is running otherwise the cold air will escape. However if you’re looking to save some money, many Houston hvac companies recommend that you try, even if it’s for a few days, turning off your AC in the evenings. It may still be warm outside, but opening your windows at night can let through a cool breeze making your AC unnecessary.

Lastly, many air conditioning in Houston Tx experts recommend that you consider how air will flow in your home and open and close doors accordingly. For instance if you have an AC unit for only one room of your home you can choose to either keep that one room very cold or having your entire home a little cooler. This is easily accomplished by opening and closing your doors. If it’s really hot and you don’t mind being confined to one room, close all the doors and the temperature will drop considerably. If you need to move around a bit more leave the doors open and the whole house will benefit from the cool air. Think carefully about what parts of your home you want to keep cool and focus on cooling those areas. Your home will be a haven of cool in no time.

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Keeping cool in the summer without the AC bill

It’s hard keeping cool in summer without using your Houston air conditioning unit, but it can be done. Not all Houston homeowners have a Houston heating and air unit and those that do often don’t want the high electric bill that goes with them. By following these easy tips that a Houston hvac company provided us, you can keep cool and save money.

First, try planting tree’s around your property in areas you’ll be likely to sit down. The temperature in the shade can be 20 degrees cooler than in the sun so this is a great way to keep cool. Also if you have tree’s that overhang your roof they will block the sun’s rays resulting in a cooler home all round.

The food you eat can make a huge difference to your body temperature. In hot weather try eating cold foods such as salad and fruit. Not only does this stop your body from heating up, it also means you don’t have to turn on the stove which will keep your home cooler as well. Also make sure to drink lots of water during those hot days. If you can drink more than you normally would you’ll keep your body properly hydrated and you’ll be able to deal with the heat a lot more effectively. When dehydrated you’ll have more difficulty moving around and this will increase your temperature.

One of the best ways to keep cool is not just to drink water but to use it as a cooling device. This can be a simple as wrapping a damp towel around your neck but you could also try spraying yourself with a hose when watering the garden. These are great ways to keep cool in the heat whilst still being active. By far the best way to cool off though is to take a swim. This will lower your body temperature really quickly and it will feel great.

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All about AC unit freeze up’s

If you notice that your Houston heating and air unit is running but isn’t doing any actual cooling it may be that it’s frozen up. This can occur when the Freon levels are low or the air flow is obstructed and can be caused by a number of things, including a dirty air vent as well as an obstruction in the ducts. It may also be that a faulty blower motor is stopping the air from moving freely, causing the freeze up.

Once you’ve realised your AC unit has frozen up, the first thing you should do is to turn off the outdoor condenser. This can be accomplished by turning it off at the thermostat or by pulling the power at the condenser itself. If neither of these works then trip the circuit breaker for your AC, it should be on a different circuit than the rest of your electrics.

Once the condenser is turned off you need to melt the ice. The best way to do this is simply to let it melt but if you’re in a hurry there are a few things that can help to speed the process. If your system uses a heat pump or gas furnace you can set your thermostat to heat for a short time. This will raise the temperature in the system. You can then turn on the blower fan which will transport the warm air through the AC. This will help everything to melt a lot more quickly.

These steps will get your AC running again but it won’t last unless you correct the underlying problem. This can be as easy as changing the air filter, which could fix your AC altogether. Also check for closed vents or blockages as these are other easy to fix problems. If none of these seem to be the problem call an Houston hvac technician and they’ll get it up and running again in no time. Simply go online and search for “air conditioning in Houston tx” to find the best hvac companies or services to assist you with your needs.

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