Let’s face it: heating is probably the last thing on your mind right if you live in Hammond, LA right now. Our steamy southern summers are in full swing, and homeowners are rightfully focused on keeping their air conditioners well maintained. But the heat will cool off before you know it, and while Louisiana is a long way from Michigan or Maine, we still get our share of chilly nights in the winter. The last thing you want is to fire up your heater, only to find out that it needs a major repair or even have it running with less efficiency than you expect. You can get a jump on that by planning for heating maintenance now, before the temperatures drop.
Professional Heating & Air Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Hammond’
Get a Jump on Heating Maintenance Now
Monday, July 27th, 2015How Do UV Germicidal Lights Help Me?
Monday, July 20th, 2015UV germicidal lights harness the power of ultraviolet light, which humans are unable to see, but which affects our world nonetheless. If you’ve ever gone to a concert or ridden a dark ride at an amusement park, and your white clothing begins glowing in the dark, that’s the effects of an ultraviolet light reacting to the chemicals in your laundry detergent. They can have a much more practical effect in your home: helping to keep your family healthier and happier as a result. Here’s a quick breakdown on how UV germicidal lights help you.
How do Dehumidifiers Work?
Monday, July 13th, 2015Hammond, LA, has more than warm temperatures in the summer. It features stifling humidity too, which can be as much of an impediment to your comfort as high temperatures. An excess of humidity in your home can leave your skin feeling damp and clammy, as well as making the air feel much hotter than it actually is. Furthermore, high humidity levels encourage the growth of bacteria and mold, which can present a considerable danger to your household. The solution is to install a whole-house dehumidifier, which lowers the humidity and provides a number of benefits in the bargain. Here’s a quick primer on how dehumidifiers work.
Does My Air Conditioner Need to Be Replaced?
Monday, July 6th, 2015Replacing your air conditioner is a big step, involving considerable expense and requiring the services of a trained technician to install properly. It’s often the last thing a homeowner wants to think about, especially in the height of our Hammond, LA summers. But replacing an air conditioner can be a good thing, provided that the conditions are right for such a move. “Does my air conditioner need to be replaced?” you ask. Here’s a quick guide to help you make that decision.
The Purpose of Refrigerant in Your AC System
Monday, June 29th, 2015Many homeowners know that air conditioners run on refrigerant: chemicals that facilitate a heat exchange between the air inside your home and the air outside your home. The specific refrigerant depends on the exact model of air conditioner, and you need precise amounts in order to facilitate the process of cooling the air. Here in Hammond, LA, that makes your refrigerant vital to keeping your home cool and comfortable during our sultry Southern summers. It helps a great deal to fully understand the purpose of refrigerant in your AC system, and how that can be affected when it starts to run low.
Recirculated, Not Consumed
Unlike the gas in your car, refrigerant is not consumed by the air conditioner. In fact, it theoretically exists within a closed system, and will never leak at all. It first passes through a condenser array, where heat is pulled from it and a great deal of pressure applied. That shifts the refrigerant to a pressurized liquid state, where it enters the evaporator coils in a set amount. There, it shifts back into a gas, pulling heat from the air around the coils as a result. The cool air is blown into your home and the refrigerant returns to the condenser array.
Trouble Comes from Leaks
As we said, theoretically, the system is never supposed to leak. But leaks can occur for a number of different reasons, and when they do, the balance of the system is thrown off. The refrigerant can’t cool the air as effectively and your system has to work much harder to do its job: increasing the risk of more serious breakdowns in the future.
Luckily, the experts at A Professional Heating & Air Conditioning Services can seal any leak and recharge your refrigerant levels to their optimum state. Pick up the phone and call us today!
Common Problems with Ducts
Monday, June 22nd, 2015Your central air conditioner relies upon a series of ducts to do its job. They branch out from the centralized unit through unseen places in your home, like crawlspaces in the walls and your attic, and carry conditioned air out to various rooms through a series of vents. They’re designed to function without trouble, but like any other appliance, they sometimes run into problems. When they do, it pays to contact a seasoned professional to get them taken care of. Considering the heat of our summers here in Hammond, LA, common problems with ducts can end up costly you an uncommonly large amount of money in higher monthly bills if you aren’t careful.
What Kinds of Indoor Air Cleaners Are Available?
Monday, June 15th, 2015Here in Hammond, LA, the heat and humidity of our summers can lead to significant indoor air quality questions. High humidity breeds mold and bacteria, in addition to that clammy uncomfortable feeling that makes your body think it’s much hotter than it actually is. A good air conditioner can counteract some of this, but it can’t account for the proliferation of germs in your household and in any case it needs to work much harder to do its job when the indoor air quality is low. You can counteract this by upgrading your system with an air cleaner of some stripe, installed by a professional and working alongside your air condition. What kinds of indoor air cleaners are available? We’ve written down a few of the more common models.
Common Signs of Air Conditioning Trouble
Monday, June 8th, 2015When your air conditioner breaks down in Hammond, LA, you can feel it immediately. Our summers are too hot and humid to let such incidents pass, and unless you get a trained technician in there quickly, your household will be at the mercy of our stifling temperatures. Only a skilled professional should address an air conditioning repair issue – amateurs might make the problem worse and the presence of potentially toxic refrigerants may pose a safety risk as well – but you can help out by spotting the signs of air conditioning trouble as early as possible. Doing so may help you stop a big problem while it’s still small and save you a great deal of money as well as a day without an air conditioner. Generally speaking, anything out of the ordinary should be reported, but more specifically, look for these signs:
Are Heat Pumps Right for My Home?
Monday, June 1st, 2015We’re all used to traditional central air conditioning systems, and for the most part, they do a very good job. But they’re not the only type of system out there, and if you live in Hammond, LA, they might not even be the best system for you. Heat pumps, in particular, make an attractive alternative to traditional systems, and if you’re looking to consolidate heating and cooling into one set. Heat pumps work very well in our sultry southern climate, but are they right for your home? Here’s a quick primer to help you decide.
Why Should I Worry About Short Cycling With My Air Conditioning?
Monday, May 25th, 2015If you’ve had to deal with air conditioning repair, you may have heard the term “short cycling” before. It’s a condition whereby your unit turns off and on again very quickly, sometimes without adequately cooling the house and often with far more frequency than is proper. This is of especial concern as we gear up for summer here in Hammond, LA, because you’re going to need your air conditioning when the temperatures hit triple digits. Short cycling can be caused by anything from low refrigerant levels to a system that’s too powerful for the space it’s supposed to cool. But why should you worry about short cycling with your air conditioning?