Professional Heating & Air Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category

What SEER Ratings Mean for You

Monday, July 25th, 2016

We often stress the importance of SEER ratings when determining which new air conditioner you should purchase. The rating is an easy way to determine the system’s efficiency, and after the power load (the amount of output the air conditioner generates), the SEER rating is the single most important factor in selecting an air conditioner. Here’s a quick analysis of what all that means for you.

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Common Signs of Air Conditioning Problems

Monday, July 11th, 2016

Air conditioning is as much a necessity as a luxury here in Madisonville, LA. Our summers are brutally hot and without a reliable AC system, your home is apt to become an oven very quickly.  The sooner you can spot an air conditioning problem, the more quickly you can summon a repair service and the less vulnerable your home will be to high temperatures and humidity. Only a trained technician can properly diagnose problems with your air conditioner, and you need proper licensing to conduct repairs (refrigerant and other materials in the system are actively dangerous without training). That said, most problems with your system evince one of just a  tiny handful of symptoms, and if you can spot them, you know enough to turn off your air conditioners and summon a repair service. We’ve listed the common signs of air conditioning problems below.

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Common Air Conditioning Misconceptions

Monday, June 27th, 2016

Hammond, LA is a hot city, and we’re not just referring to the gumbo. High temperatures and stifling humidity are par of the course, and a reliable air conditioner can often be your best friend in the summer months.

But even if you have the most efficient air conditioner on the market, you could be wasting a huge amount of energy simply because you adhere to certain myths and misconceptions about how the system works. Air conditioners are staples of our homes, but they can be complex pieces of equipment, and being able to run one isn’t the same as knowing how they work. By dispensing with those myths, you can save a great deal of money on cooling costs.

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Easy Steps for Air Conditioning Efficiency

Monday, June 13th, 2016

Summer has arrived — in deed if not in word– and here in Walker, LA, that means making sure your air conditioner is working at its very best. Timely repairs are part of that, but there are other steps you can take to keep your system running, and running efficiently. That last part is just as important as the first, for while your system need to be ready to go every day, that doesn’t mean it should cost you an arm and a leg in the process. You can take a few easy steps for air conditioning efficiency and ensure that this summer’s cooling bills don’t break your budget in half.

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Replace Your Aging Air Conditioner Today

Monday, June 6th, 2016

Spring is here in Hammond, LA, and we can already feel the heat index rising. You’re going to need your air conditioner to function every day, and if yours is starting to look a little long in the tooth, now is the time to do so. We’ve talked a lot about determining when you old air conditioner needs to be replaced, and we haven’t talked about the specific benefits you can enjoy by replacing an old air conditioner with a new one. Mot people adopt the notion of running their existing air conditioning system into the ground before replacing it, but if your system is struggling and its warranty has expired, there’s really no reason to wait.

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What is Short Cycling?

Monday, May 30th, 2016

You may have heard the term “short cycling” used in conjunction with a problematic air conditioner before. It doesn’t sound like a big deal at first glance: an AC that shuts down shortly after turning on, only to turn back on again a few minutes later, then shut down, then turn back on again and so on. Considering the heat we have to deal with in Madisonville, LA every summer, it can be hard to spot something like that so long as the house is cool. In point of fact, however, it’s a serious problem demanding immediate attention.

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Leaking Refrigerant Spells Trouble for your AC

Monday, May 23rd, 2016

People often assume that air conditioners consumer refrigerant they way a car consumes oil. That’s not the case. Refrigerant actually is supposed to stay at certain set levels dictated by the make and model of your air conditioner. It cycles through an endless loop within the system, first releasing heat outside of your home, then pulling heat from the air within the unit, which can then be blown into your home with a fan. Leaks aren’t supposed to happen, but unfortunately they do. The good news is there’s steps you can take to address the problem the right way.

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Common Misconceptions about Air Conditioning

Monday, May 9th, 2016

We’re already into May here in Walker, LA and a warm spring is already promising a very hot summer. That means you’re going to need your air conditioner to function at its peak every day. Not only that, but you need it to do so without wasting any unnecessary energy or driving your bills up higher than they should go. Many homeowners harm their own cause on this front with some common misconceptions about how air conditioners work and the best way to make use of them. By clearing up those misconceptions, you can save yourself a lot of cost almost by default.

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Repair or Replace? How to Decide for Your Air Conditioner

Monday, May 2nd, 2016

Whenever an air conditioner breaks down, you have to determine whether the cost is worthy it this time, or whether your system is in need of a full-bore replacement. Usually, you don’t need to ask that question until your existing air conditioner is more than 10 years old, but with summer on the way here in Hammond, LA, an older system may be put to the test sooner than you’d think. Ideally, you should make a determination now before trouble arises, but in the event you face an expensive repair bill, you may need to make the call on short notice. Every case is different, of course, but here’s a few tips to help you make the determination.

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Beneficial Air Conditioning Upgrades

Monday, April 25th, 2016

A good air conditioner can be your best friend when summers hit here in Hammond, LA, and high temperatures combined with extreme humidity to turn our atmosphere into a steam bath. Unfortunately, it can cost a great deal in monthly bills to maintain a comfortable home, and while a new air conditioner may be able to do the job more efficiency, you may not be in a financial position to consider such an option.  An upgrade to your existing air conditioner, on the other hand, can improve its efficiency considerably, and may even help your system last longer than it might otherwise. We’ve provided a brief list of possible upgrades from you to consider below.

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