Summer Humidity vs. Your Air Conditioner

May 15th, 2017

air-conditioning-condensers-on-risersIn our last blog post, we looked at the ways summer heat puts strain on your air conditioner and how this leads to needing to call us for repairs.

But as you know as a resident of Louisiana, heat is only half the story during summer. The other half: HUMIDITY. The scary eight letters! Our air conditioning systems in Shreveport, LA face special challenges because the moisture in the air is especially high. This not only means needing to run air conditioners for longer (putting more strain on their components), it also means the moisture causing wear to the AC.

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How Summers Strain Your Air Conditioner

May 1st, 2017

Air-conditioner-maintenance-technicianDuring spring is when we encourage our customers, as well as our soon-to-be customers, to arrange for regular professional air conditioning maintenance with our team. A maintenance visit from one of our skilled technicians will find any spots where an AC needs to have repairs or adjustments, as well as provide a general cleaning and tune-up to alleviate wear and tear on the system so it performs at peak efficiency through the summer. A well-maintained AC should few malfunctions over its service life.

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A Dehumidifier and Your Indoor Air Quality

April 17th, 2017

woman-in-front-of-fanHow humid can it get here in Louisiana during the spring and summer? If you’ve already lived her for at least a single year, you know the answer is incredibly humid. The average daily high for humidity through most of the year is 90%, and it’s rare to dip below 50%. Humidity tends to reach its peak in October, but we don’t receive anything like a break from it during the summer. This is why having a dehumidifier installed in a home is so helpful.

But a dehumidifier—or at least a powerful and professionally installed whole-house dehumidifier—has some other uses as well. It can lead to improved indoor air quality for a household, as well protection for building material and personal possessions.

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Air Conditioner Efficiencies: A Short Guide

April 3rd, 2017

money-saving-homeTwo weeks ago, we took a look at making plans to have a new air conditioning system installed in your home. Spring is a great time to have this done, and when you contact our technicians regarding it, you’ll soon be on your way to enjoying an excellent new AC in your home.

In today’s post, we’re going to look at specific piece of information about new air conditioning systems that’s essential for ensuring you end up with the ideal new unit: efficiency. This is a complex topic and requires the know-how of professionals. But a bit of knowledge is always helpful for consumers, so here is a simple explanation of the efficiency ratings for modern air conditioners.

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Planning for a New Air Conditioning Installation This Spring

March 20th, 2017

air-conditioning-grillSpring is the best time of year to make major plans for your home cooling system. If your current air conditioner is too old or has shown signs that it’s likely to fail during the coming summer, it’s a smart idea to have the replacement done ahead of time, during the moderate warmth of spring, rather than wait for the summer when you can’t afford to go for long without a working AC. It’s always better to replace an air conditioning system before it breaks down and forces you to replace it.

We handle many air conditioning replacements in Shreveport, LA. We’d like to share some of our knowledge about putting in a new air conditioner to make the process easier for you. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact one of our air conditioning professionals. We’re always glad to help.

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Is It Too Early to Think about Air Conditioning Maintenance?

March 6th, 2017

sun-and-snowflake-badgeIt’s March, and March means the start of spring… although not until later in the month. But we are already experiencing hotter weather here in the Shreveport area. The temperatures can go through major shifts during March, a month that is proverbially known for its unpredictability. (Does it enter like a lion and leave like a lamb, or is it the other way around?) You may still need your heating system in the coming weeks, but if you’re wondering if it’s time to consider scheduling air conditioning maintenance, the answer is a big “yes.”

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Atmospheric vs. Sealed Combustion Furnaces: What’s the Difference?

February 28th, 2017

furnace-burners-burning-blueThe technology of heating and cooling a home is a field that’s always advancing. When it comes to furnaces, the new technology is designed to meet four goals:

  • Making the furnace safer
  • Increasing reliability and a reduction in repair issues
  • Better indoor comfort
  • Improving energy efficiency

Today we’re going to look at the sealed combustion furnace, which is an advance in furnace technology that hits all four of those goals. But first, we have to talk about atmospheric combustion furnaces, the older technology that sealed combustion furnaces aim to replace.

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What Is the Big Difference Between How Electric and Gas Furnaces Run?

February 6th, 2017

burners-gas-furnaceTo most people, a furnace is just a furnace. Regardless of the power supply that it uses, a furnace is a device that heats up, then heats up the air, and then sends that air through ductwork to the rooms.

You really don’t need to know much more than this. As long as you know to rely on professionals to take care of annual maintenance for your home’s furnace (make sure you do it every fall) and remember to regularly change the air filters, you can expect your furnace to put in years of great work keeping your family warm.

But a little knowledge can often help, especially when you’re thinking about getting a new furnace. So we’re going to look a bit closer into what makes electric furnaces and gas furnaces different. It’s more than just the type of energy they use!

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We Recommend Wi-Fi Thermostats—Here’s Why

January 23rd, 2017

wi-fi-thermosataThe poor thermostat! It’s often the most overlooked and neglected part of any home’s heating and cooling system, even though it’s one of its key components. After all, the thermostat is the control panel for the HVAC system, the place where a homeowner interacts with the air conditioning and heating. But since the thermostat is such an unassuming device, designed to blend in with the home décor, people often take it for granted.

But ignoring a home’s thermostat can mean trouble. An inferior thermostat will lead to poor comfort and increased energy waste. As we wrote about a few weeks ago on this blog, simply taking the time to properly adjust the thermostat during the year can help lower your energy bills. Imagine what a major thermostat technology upgrade can do!

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Should I Have an Air Purifier or an Air Filter Installed?

January 16th, 2017

Last week we addressed an important part of looking for an air filtration system: understanding their efficiency ratings. A quick re-cap for those who came in late: if a filter is put into a home’s HVAC system that is too efficient, it will impede airflow and end up putting immense strain on the blower, leading to high energy bills and a system shutdown.

We also briefly brought up another issue that we want to go into deeper today, which is using an air purifier as a way to eliminate smaller particles when an air filter powerful enough cannot be installed.

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