Do I Need a Dehumidifier When I Have an AC?

Monday, May 28th, 2018

flushed-man-before-fanIf you’ve lived through a summer here in Louisiana, you understand that humidity is a serious problem for comfort. Even mild warm days can feel like a blistering 90°F when the relative humidity level is high enough. The reason for this is that the higher moisture levels in the air trap heat inside the body, making it harder for it to release the excess heat through perspiring. Humidity causes other troubles as well: encouraging mold and mildew growth and causing water damage to surfaces.

But you have an air conditioner in your home, so that should take care of the humidity problem, right?

Well, not really. You may have heard that air conditioners are natural dehumidifiers, but there’s more to it than that.

Continue Reading

What Is Refrigerant—Really?

Monday, May 14th, 2018

air-conditioning-condensers-on-risersIf you looked up the word refrigerant in a dictionary, you’d probably come across a definition like this:

re·frig·er·ant: noun 1. A substance used for refrigeration.

Not terribly informative or helpful, is it? If you’re curious about what the refrigerant in your home’s air conditioning system is, how it actually provides cooling, and why it’s so important, we’re here to give the dictionary a bit of help.

Continue Reading

Replace Your Old AC with a High-Efficiency Unit!

Monday, April 30th, 2018

air-conditioner-money-saverYou’ve had your current air conditioner for more than ten years. Maybe more than fifteen or twenty. It’s just not working as well as it used to, or it’s started to run up astronomical bills each summer. Maybe it’s breaking down frequently and needs repair to keep it hobbling on. Or you might feel it’s time to retire it before all of those things start happening.

That’s great! Replacing your old air conditioner can significantly improve your life during summer, not to mention keep your electrical bills under control. You also have some excellent new options for air conditioners that are better than your old system was even when it was new. We recommend you look into a high-efficiency air conditioning unit.

Continue Reading

Summer Problems You’ll Avoid Thanks to Spring AC Maintenance

Monday, April 16th, 2018

service-markerWe always encourage our customers to schedule spring air conditioning maintenance with us. We don’t want to be a pest about this, but it is extremely important to have these inspections and tune-ups done each year before the big summer heat and humidity arrives. There are many reasons why air conditioning maintenance is such an important job, and we’re going to look at a few specific problems an AC that doesn’t have spring maintenance done might run into.

Continue Reading

How to Shut Down Your AC at the End of the Season

Monday, October 30th, 2017

ice-on-acEventually, your air conditioning system is going to shut down for the rest of the year. The cold settles in for winter, and it won’t be until spring arrives that you’ll turn on your cooling system once more. But you can’t simply trust that your AC will leap to life next year, fresh from a winter nap and ready to get to work once more. Air conditioners don’t work that way! You’ll need to schedule maintenance for it in spring, the same way we encourage homeowners now to schedule maintenance for their heating systems.

And there are a few steps you can take now to help your AC shut down for the season and remain in good condition over its winter break. You can call on us if you need any other air conditioning service in Benton, LA or elsewhere in our service area.

Continue Reading

Consider Going Ductless for Your Next AC Installation

Monday, September 4th, 2017

behold-a-ductless-mini-splitThe fall is an ideal time to take care of HVAC installations in your home, both heating and cooling. The period between the harshest weather of the year allows you to take stock of your home’s comfort needs without feeling rushed. It’s also a good time to take advantage of the slower schedules of HVAC professionals, who aren’t under the burden of handling numerous AC or heating emergency repair calls.

So as we wrap up another hot and humid summer here in Louisiana, we encourage you to think about whether it’s time to retire your current cooling system and have a new air conditioner installed. If you think that, yes, 2017 is the year when you have a new AC put in, then you might want to think about the possibility of going with a ductless air conditioning system. Our technicians are experienced with working with ductless mini split systems, and they’re glad to help you make the choice and take on the installation duties.

Continue Reading

Why Bad Ductwork Is Bad News for Your AC

Monday, July 24th, 2017

vent-cover-roomWe once did a post on how problems with ductwork can mean a spike in winter heating bills. But it’s not a problem that’s limited to the winter and times when you need your heating system working. The standard central air conditioner that uses ductwork (which is the majority of systems) can suffer from major issues if there are breaks, gaps, and other leaks in the ducts of the ventilation system.

Continue Reading

What Does “Tonnage” Mean for an Air Conditioner?

Monday, July 10th, 2017

outdoor-condenser-units-ACThe world of HVAC has a set of terms that often sound bizarre to people who aren’t professionally trained. This is true of any technical field, and part of our job is breaking down details of air conditioning, heating, and ventilation in ways that make sense to laypeople. We want to maintain good communications with our customers and keep them informed every step of the way.

One bit of HVAC lingo that people find hard to understand is tonnage. This is a vital part of new air conditioning installation and replacement. Although you can always trust to our experts to do the best job of air conditioning installation so you end up with the ideal new AC, we’d like to share a bit about what tonnage means and how it fits into the installation process.

Continue Reading

How a Dirty Evaporator Coil Affects Your Air Conditioner

Monday, June 26th, 2017

Air-conditioner-repairmanWhere does the actual “cooling” in an air conditioner occur? It happens along the surface and fins of the evaporator coil, located in the indoor cabinet of the air conditioner—which is also known as the (surprise) evaporator. Warm air drawn through the return air ducts by a blower fan passed over the coil, and the cold refrigerant moving through the coil evaporates. This draws heat from the air (as well as moisture), lowering the temperature of the air. The air continues into the ventilation system and then to the various rooms around the house.

It’s important for an the evaporator coil and fins to have a clean surface. During regular air conditioning maintenance, HVAC technicians always make a check of the coil and fins to see if they are developing dirt and grime across their surfaces. If they are, the technicians clean off the dirt so the air conditioner will work at its best during the summer.

Continue Reading

We Recommend Wi-Fi Thermostats—But Here’s Something You Need to Know

Monday, June 12th, 2017

remote-home-controlsIn a post we wrote at the beginning of the year, we talked about why we recommend having a Wi-Fi thermostat installed for your home’s comfort controls. Here’s a quick rundown:

  • Wi-Fi thermostats help you save energy by allowing you to control the your home’s climate remotely from anywhere you have Internet or satellite access with a smart phone, laptop computer, desktop computer, or tablet.
  • The smart capabilities of Wi-Fi thermostats improve upon your own settings to find new ways to save energy. You don’t have to do the work—the thermostat will take care of it.

When you’re planning to have a new HVAC system installed, there’s no reason not to have a Wi-Fi thermostat included as part of the installation. You want to receive the best performance from any new comfort system, and including the best type of thermostat will help see you get that best performance.

Continue Reading