Tag Archives: HVAC technician

Heat pump replacement

Heat pumps allow thermal energy to move against its impulsive flow direction by applying heat absorption within a cold space and then continue movement to a warmer space. A heat pump is a mechanical device that can break down and likely needs to be replaced. Your HVAC system does not need to stop functioning completely for you to think about replacing any part of it. You will notice warning signs that will alert you when it comes time for a heat pump replacement.

Taking Steps

If your heat pump stops functioning altogether, then the next step is to get a replacement. However, in the meantime, there are signs that you can look for in order to consider replacing your heat pump before it completely breaks down. Let’s take a closer look at this.

Constant Heat Pump Repairs

If your heat pump is constantly breaking down and having to be repaired, you may have to look at heat pump replacement. In fact, if it breaks down several times within the same year, this is a sign that replacement should be the next step. If repair costs are too high, then this may call for purchasing an entire HVAC system or just a heat pump, depending on how much you will save. When your heat pump breaks down at a time that it is needed the most, then it can cause so many inconveniences. Therefore, it is wise to make sure that you hire a professional HVAC contractor to inspect your system before the weather becomes cold.

Abnormal Noises

If you hear abnormal noises coming from your HVAC system, it may be time for heat pump replacement. All mechanical devices are designed to operate smoothly with no internal resistance or too much friction. With abnormal noises coming from the heat pump, you may have loose parts and components that have started to wear down. A professional HVAC technician will assess the situation, tracing the specific parts or components that may be loosened. This includes:

• Depleted motors
• Vents
• Defective ductwork
• Dirty filters

The moving parts may be able to be repaired. However, if nothing changes after the repair, it may be time for a new heat pump replacement. This is the more permanent solution.

Increased Energy Consumption

If you notice that your energy bill is steadily increasing and you are still operating the same number of mechanical devices and appliances in your home, this could point toward energy being lost somewhere. The only time you should see an increase in energy consumption is when you add a new appliance. A professional HVAC contractor will be able to determine the cause of the increase and if the heat pump is the cause, a replacement should be done.

Conclusion

If you have had your heat pump for a number of years, it may be the time for a heat pump replacement. A professional HVAC contractor will assess and make the appropriate recommendations of how long you should keep your heat pump before doing an upgrade.

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Heating System

In every season, you should expect to have HVAC maintenance carried out in order to have your cooling and heating system working efficiently. Bear in mind, though, it does not mean that you have to focus your attention on your air conditioner unit in the summer months and the heating system in the winter. It is important to take the appropriate care of your HVAC system throughout the whole year so that it will always operate to its full capacity.

Summer Preparation

Yes, you may be hanging out on the beach during the summer and a heater is the farthest thing from your mind. Yet, you cannot wait until the winter is upon you before taking care of your furnace or other heating system. The season may arrive and that is when you discover problems with your heating system. It is better to approach a season, being confident that everything inside your home is working properly. Below are some of the top reasons why you cannot afford to neglect your heater during the summer.

Don’t Regret Your Decision

If you need to have a heater repair done as the winter comes to a close or if the heater is providing warning signals of malfunction, you may need a new heater. For this reason, you should not ignore the signs. If you don’t take immediate action, you may regret your decision. You should not wait to schedule a repair at the last minute. If so, you may be put on a waiting list and who wants to go through winter without a functional heating system? The HVAC technician needs time to inspect the situation and conduct the necessary repairs so that you can be comfortable during the winter months.

Advanced Maintenance

One of the things to prevent being an uncomfortable situation is putting your HVAC maintenance on a schedule with a HVAC contractor. Therefore, try to have a healthy heating system at all times by frequent maintenance. There are various tasks that are involved with furnace maintenance and some of these include cleaning dirt and dust, inspecting the air flow, lubrication of moving parts, and thermostat testing. Doing this in the summer makes you prepared for the winter.

Heat Pump

Heat pumps are generally used both in the winter and in the summertime. If you do not have your heat pump repaired, then the choice will also affect your air conditioner unit. You will be switching your system to cooling during the summer, but that doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore any heating issues until the winter.

Proper Ventilation

Both heating system and cooling system utilize the same ventilation to function, especially when your system uses forced air. For this reason, you have to keep the air ducts clean, not only to improve air quality, but also to prevent this from negatively impacting your HVAC system’s efficiency. When you have problems with your heating system, it can also result in an increase in your summer’s energy bill.

Conclusion

Be sure that you change your air filters on a frequent basis, even during the summer. Contact a HVAC contractor or HVAC technician today to schedule an overall check on your heating system and cooling system.

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Air duct cleaning

Most of the residential and commercial buildings these days are usually erected with ventilation, HVAC, heating or air conditioning ducts. Since these are tightly assembled, it is rare that stale air or fresh air will circulate at the same time. If this occurs, then there may be accumulated pollutants in the air ducts. This will typically create air that is unhealthy for everyone living in the home. Subsequently, these same pollutants will become irritants, negatively impacting the health of the occupants of the building. In many cases, people will suffer from respiratory conditions and in other cases, the pollutants could likely cause damage to the home.

Reducing or Eliminating Pollutants

When you clean the HVAC air ducts, it will drastically eliminate or reduce the pollutants, creating healthier air and improving the health of the occupants. There are several suggestions for air duct cleaning. However, it is best to hire a HVAC contractor with more knowledge about the best practices for air duct cleaning. In so doing, the project will be done more properly and it will reduce the appearance of annoying rodents.

The Disadvantage

The disadvantage of air duct cleaning if you do this yourself is that you could ultimately damage the air ducts. So, to improve the air quality in your home, it is strongly recommended to get professional assistance. The HVAC technician will be able to tell when your next duct cleaning will be necessary. It is especially important, though, to know as much as you can about air duct cleaning so as to establish the one that is ideal for you. While you will be relying on a professional HVAC contractor, you will still have personal knowledge about what is involved and the methods used.

Common Methods

The most common methods used for air duct cleaning over the years is industry standard. As time goes on, advancements are being made to continue improving the methods involved in the process. However, for now, the methods employed are as such:

• Power Vacuum or Air Sweep – this is a meticulous method of duct cleaning, although, more expensive. It does the best job of removing dirt in an extremely careful manner.
• Point of Contact – while this may not be as thorough as the air sweep method, it is safer for the vents and air ducts. It is also less expensive, but still uses a vacuum, and spinning brush as the best cleaning tools
• Removing the Source – this is the most common of all three methods for air duct cleaning. Mechanical agitation loosens the dirt and debris and extraction helps to remove everything entirely in a safe manner.

Conclusion

Methods of air duct cleaning have been around since the 1900s. However, the techniques have evolved since that time due to the work done by knowledgeable and experienced HVAC contractors. When you hire a professional HVAC technician, you stand a better chance to have improved air quality in your home.

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HVAC Maintenance

One of the poignant facts in life is that nothing is perfect and that includes your HVAC system. One day, everything may begin to fall apart. Therefore, landlords and homeowners alike have one main responsibility and that is to make sure that the tenants or family members can live inside the building comfortably all throughout the year. What does this mean? It means that your home or apartment will be kept cool during the warm months and whenever you need to have air conditioning unit turned on.

The Truth

One more regrettable truth about this is that HVAC maintenance and repair needs to have specialized expertise and skills as well as necessary equipment that many homeowners and landlords do not have. For that reason, you are going to need the services of a HVAC repair contractor. The trick about saving money is to schedule an appointment with a HVAC contractor as soon as possible. You cannot procrastinate, but you must know when to make that phone call.

Do Not Procrastinate

If you wait too long, or until the AC system is broken, then you may have to wait for weeks or days to get the contractor to come to your home. Remember, these specialists are always busy serving other clients. Below are some suggestions on when you should call the technician so your system can run smoothly all year round. Let’s look at the different seasons.

The Summer Time

During the summer, you will definitely need your AC. It is important to get preventative maintenance done during the spring so that you don’t encounter any problems during the summertime. If your air conditioning unit is running, but it is not doing so efficiently, you may want to have the air filters changed and get rid of dust in and around your AC unit. Otherwise, you should solicit the services of a HVAC technician to see what the problem is.

During the Fall

As summer ends, the temperature will begin to drop. This is the ideal time to contact an HVAC contractor to inspect your heating and furnace system. The goal is to try to apply preventative measures prior to waiting until issues arise. Furnaces are like any equipment. They need frequent tune up. This is the perfect time, too, to ensure that you have enough filters for your furnace and that they are changed as needed.

Winter Weather

There are not many things that are more risky and uncomfortable than to be inside a home with no heat during the winter. While you may have had preventative maintenance done on your heating system, something can still go wrong. Make sure you have the phone number of a reputable HVAC technician that you can call on a moment’s notice.

The Springtime

A reasonable time to contact an HVAC contractor is in the middle of spring. At this time, the contractor will look at your HVAC system to see what kind of preventative measures need to be performed. The HVAC contractor may conduct a check and balance on your refrigerant levels, replace filters and clean your system.

Conclusion

Lucky for homeowners, most of the HVAC problems can be fixed. However, these problems will usually need specialized skill. Always include your HVAC contractor when heating and cooling system issues arise, no matter the season.

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Lennox and Trane

If you are going to purchase an air conditioner unit or heating system, you want to do a comparison brand. In this case, let’s take a look at the Trane and the Lennox brand. Comparing these two will give you a general idea on how to compare others.

Lennox

Lennox provides materials and equipment that may equally compare to the competition. However, their parts are difficult to find. The competition, Trane, provides a wide range of logistics supply chains and Lennox does not since its supply chain is proprietary and does not give as many choices to the consumer. What does this mean for the consumer? Well, if you were to order replacement parts from Lennox, you would have to wait sometimes for weeks for it to arrive. If you were in need of repair, it is best to hire a professional HVAC contractor. If you sent your air conditioning unit, for example, for a Lennox repair, you would have to wait much longer for their technician to get the parts. Not that the Lennox brand will break down often. It is that when they do break down, it is difficult to handle the repair aspect.

Expensive Brand

On the other hand, the Lennox brand tends to be more costly than the Trane brand. Many people think that the more expensive brand is superior to the other. However, this is not necessarily true in all cases. Both brands can break down does as its competitors and none of these two seems to offer any advanced technology that the competition does not have. The point is you are looking for the best value for the money you spend as a consumer. Many consumers tend to think that the customer service offered by Lennox is poor, even though, their equipment has a warranty. They are hard to deal with and don’t have many distribution centers to handle customer complaints efficiently.

Trane Brand

Trane, on the other hand, does not have the issues that Lennox does. However, many consumers found that warranty payouts were hard to get. Trane and aluminum coils go hand in hand. In the past, most air conditioners were made with copper and there weren’t as many repair problems. Aluminum coil is used by Trane and other brands to reduce the cost, but it does not necessarily help the consumer in the long run. Air conditioners with copper coils are easier to fix.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that the HVAC contractor that you use for your air conditioning or heating system installation is far more important in comparison to the equipment brand you choose. However, at the end of the day, despite the fact that Lennox brand has a good reputation, there are too many issues that can go wrong with its HVAC system. It is best to conduct an extensive research, but even better, it would be more ideal to hire a good HVAC contractor. You cannot afford to hold back on on this part of the equation. One more point to make is that you should take care of your equipment and try to have a contractor provide regular maintenance.

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HVAC Zoning

Is your existing HVAC zoning system appropriate for your home? It is important to note that you would probably benefit from having a zoning system for your home’s heating and cooling needs. When you have such a zoning system, it allows your A/C and heating systems to activate on the basis of the areas where they are being used. Those areas have to show heating and cooling efficiency more than the rest of the home that is being heated and cooled with a central air conditioning system. With the HVAC zoning system, you will end up saving more money and increasing your home’s energy efficiency.

HVAC Zoning Systems and How They Work?

If the lights were located on a single switch in your home, what would happen? When you go to sleep at nights or you are away from home, it is obvious that you would probably switch off all lights. However, what happens when you are actually home? If you were to turn on the lights with that one switch, then all lights would be on at the same time. That is a waste of energy and more importantly, you would have to constantly replace light bulbs. Many homes are cooled and heated with that same concept. Each room, whether someone is in it or not, tends to be equally cooled or heating with a central air conditioning system. If you were to create specific zones, then this would change the dynamics.

Different Thermostats

HVAC zoning systems incorporate different thermostats in each zone. For that reason, you are able to control temperature in each room, dictating how much energy is used to heat or cool a specific room. In the end, you will save on utility and you will improve the comfort that your air conditioning unit or heating unit provides.

Zoned Temperature

When the temperature is zoned, then each zone in the home has an exclusive thermostat to turn the temperature to various comfort levels. All of these thermostats then have one control panel. With this control, the environment in the home is dictated by the homeowner. If you wanted to keep a specific bedroom cooler than it was without having this affect other areas of the home, zoning would work for you. The zoning system depends on a sequence of automatic dampers located in the air ducts. These shift the heating or air conditioning systems according to your needs.

HVAC Zoning System Installation

For homes that would receive the largest energy savings with an HVAC zoning system installation, there would have to be specific architectural features. Here are some of the features of the home to bear in mind:

• Many large windows
• Higher ceilings
• Above garage apartment or room
• Attic living space
• Basement living space
• Sunroom
• Loft
• Two or more story homes

Conclusion

With a zoning system, you will end up paying a lower monthly utility bill. The environment in your home would be more comfortable and the wear and tear on your HVAC system would be reduced. If you want to discuss your zoning system options, it is best to speak to an HVAC contractor.

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Smart Thermostat

In the past, thermostats were simpler than they are today. These thermostats came with a dial that you would manually turn on when you wanted to get the house cooler or hotter. Soon, thermostat were digital so they could be programmed with various options available for presetting to different temperature gauges at different times during the day.

Innovative Gadget

So, what is the next innovative gadget when it comes to the thermostat? The smart thermostat has taken over from the manual and digital options. Yes, you still can purchase the digital and manual thermostat, but why not get with technology for a change?

The Smart Way

Some of these smart thermostat models work in such a way as to look at your patterns and behavior, using the information to program the thermostat accordingly. Many of these HVAC thermostats can be programmed remotely from the Internet, allowing the homeowner to make adjustments while not at home.

Making the Decision

The question now is whether you should purchase a smart technologically inclined thermostat for $250 or $350. For help in deciding if you should or not, think about the scenarios below.

• Do I have technological skills to throw out the programmable or manual thermostat for a smart thermostat? Let’s say you are at Starbucks and able to check your phone to see if the home furnace was turned off or not. Does this seem surreal or just too much and you prefer to stare at that pastry case instead? Or what if the smart nest thermostat sends you an email report about how much energy you are actually using and recommends improvements. Would you be interested in receiving such details or are you the kind of person who would just press the delete button? Some homeowners love apps and gadgets as well as the concept of tweaking their energy system for the maximum savings, but there are some who don’t really care.
• Smart thermostats are more than just energy efficient. They are amazingly convenient. If you are the kind of person who is always forgetting to adjust your thermostat upon leaving your house, before going on vacation or when going to bed at night, a smart thermostat would be more helpful. You would end up saving more money and when you are at home, this high technology gadget will allow you to feel comfortable in the temperature that it decides on.

The cost of the smart thermostat will pay for itself in the long run. It will check your energy usage and estimate your savings, after which you can calculate the length of time that this will pay for the smart thermostat.

Conclusion

There are various brands of smart thermostat to choose from. Some come with added features such as voice control and others only have Internet capabilities. An HVAC contractor can help you to make the choice that is right for you and also help with the installation process as well as teach you how to use it. So, call a HVAC technician or contractor to discuss your home temperature needs.

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HVAC Tips

What is the major challenge that homeowners face during the cold winter months? It is staying as warm as possible, right? Every person handles the coldness of the winter weather in a different way. The main objective, though, is to remain warm. When you go outdoors, you likely will have to wear the right clothing and shoes for the cold weather to protect yourself from ice, snow, wind, rain and the freezing temperatures.

The Indoors

With that being said, what do you do for the indoors when it is cold? Many homeowners don’t make the necessary preparation for the wintry weather. Yes, we are now going through the summer months, but that does not mean you shouldn’t prepare for the fall and the winter. In fact, there are many homeowners that are in the summer time frame and winter is the last thing on their minds as it relates to preparation. What if you live in a two story home? How do you prepare the upstairs area for the winter or even the summer?

The Suggestions

There are several reasons why you should maintain warmth in the upstairs area in a home with two stories. It can be quite a challenge, but here are a few proven suggestions below that you can consider.

• Seal the home air tight
• Make sure there is the right amount of insulation in the home
• Adjust your thermostat
• On the warmer side of the house, open up the blinds
• Open up the vents and make sure there is no blockage

The Right Insulation

When it comes to insulation, you should be aware how important it is in keeping your house warm. It is even more important for two story homes. While downstairs may be warm, you still want to make sure that the upstairs is as well. The level and the kind of insulation you use must be enough for the area where you live. For example, if you live in a warm climate such as Florida, you may want to have an HVAC technician check to see what kind of insulation you need.

Air Tight Seal

When winter arrives, there are many homes that have cold air escaping in different areas of the home. This cold air will typically come in through doors and windows that are not properly sealed. You will find out sooner enough how detrimental this is to your energy saving efforts.

Thermostat Adjustment

One of the main reasons that the upstairs of a two story home is so difficult to maintain its warmth is failure of homeowners to adjust the thermostat. However, make sure that the thermostat is adjusted once individuals go upstairs and not before. Lower the temperature when no one is upstairs.

Conclusion

If you need heating assistance before the winter months come around, solicit help from a HVAC contractor that specializes in heating and air conditioning, but also expertise in two story homes. If you want to be comfortable during the next winter months, make sure you get this done right now, regardless if it is summer or even fall.

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Air Conditioner

Air conditioner units are considered closed cycle system because of the condensation of coolant that transforms to liquid, forcing coolant to expand and then vaporize, after which it uses heat from its transfer coils to pump into the cooling tower. Subsequently, it re-condenses and passes through the same closed cycle system again.

The Vaporization

When vaporization of the coolant takes place, it does one of two things:

1. Absorbs the necessary heat for vaporization
2. Changes its pressure to the energy that is needed

As the air begins to cool, humidity lessens, but whatever humidity comes from the air will condense on the coils, considerably cooling the air in multiple ways:

• The coils get cold and so the air becomes cool
• The condensed water and the air combine to provide generated heat, which condenses the water

For that reason, the water gains additional thermal mass more than the air that remains. The additional thermal mass energy is eliminated from the coils in the water.

Leaking AC

Whenever you notice water leaking from your AC unit, you shouldn’t assume that the unit is operating at its full capacity. There is several times that water leaking from the HVAC system will reveal that some of the elements in the air conditioner unit may be broken or has a malfunction. To avoid a high air conditioning repair bill, you must either have an AC maintenance service in place or watch to see when problems arise, which is never easy.

Leaking Condensation

It is possible that on a very hot day, the air conditioning unit in your home will continue to run throughout the day to keep the home and its occupants comfortable. If you see water leaking out of the AC unit after running your AC for long periods of time, the leakage is normal. It means that the air conditioner unit is experiencing condensation as a result of the evaporator coils being excessively used, dehumidifying the air inside the home as it is supposed to do. As the humidity is reduced, dryer and cooler temperature is pumped out, circulating the interior of the home. On days where the temperature is really high, it will also increase condensation, resulting in an overflow inside the drain pan. When this happens too often, you may want to call a HVAC contractor for help.

Conclusion

If your AC filter is clogged with dust, small particles or debris, it may also restrict the air flow inside the home. Overtime, this can build up and make it even worse. Filters have to be changed on a regular basis. It may be best to have air conditioning maintenance service prior to the summer months so that your AC unit will be working efficiently. Whatever is resulting in leakage from your AC unit, a skilled HVAC technician can assist you.

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HVAC Systems

Did you know that your heating and ventilation and air conditioning system provides your home with about 30% energy? This is common for small offices and residential homes as well. When you have a well-designed air conditioning system, it does adequately cool a building, but it also reduces the energy consumption. In addition, it also improves the building’s air quality without causing any damages to the environment.

Industrial and Manufacturing

In a manufacturing warehouse or industrial building, the HVAC system has various combinations of devices for heating and cooling. Some of these devices include:

• Electric heat
• Heat pump
• Rooftop unit
• Furnace
• Chillers
• Boilers
• Central AC units

For the commercial HVAC system installation, there are various system designs to choose from. For this reason, the installation should be done by an HVAC technician with industrial installation experience because some of these designs can be complicated while others are simple.

Industrial Plant

In the industrial plant, a basic system would be utilized in a single zone. Modifications are made when necessary to offer coverage to multiple plants or other large areas. For the basic industrial system, the air comes in from the air intake feature, which is usually found on the side or top of the building. Through atmospheric pressure, the forced air goes through a damper. The air is regulated to take in the amount that is required to cool the building. The air that previously went through the HVAC system will subsequently join with the external air.

The Combination

This combination is then filtered through the air filter, removing any large particles in it such as bugs, leaves and dust. After this, there is a second filtration process that handles the smaller particles prior to going through the fan. Once the air comes through the fan, it is then cooled or heated by the coils. If there is any condensation, a drain pan does the collection from the coils. The air then goes through the air duct to heat or cool the building, after which it returns through the air registers to be combined with newly created air or it goes out the building.

Conclusion

A basic HVAC system offers comfort to a specifically small space while a commercial HVAC system covers a wider space and has elements that consist of:

• Packaged units
• Window units
• Heat pumps

You will find a commercial system with evaporative coolers, chilled water systems and direct expansion coolers. So, if you own an industrial plant and need to have your HVAC installation done, the complex nature of it will require an experience and specialized HVAC technician. With a bad HVAC installation, you can end up paying higher cost in energy and have terrible air quality.

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