paynow3

 Carrier Financing Program
FinancingProvided LearnMore 250x90 A
 
cfad tag220px
paynow

Home Tips

HVAC Home Tips For Atlanta Homeowners

Tips for Lowering the Cooling Costs of Summer

Summer means starting up your home’s air conditioning system. Unfortunately, it can also heat up your utility bills.

Energy tips:

  • Have the system checked by a professional to make sure everything is running at peak efficiency. 
  • Check the level of insulation in your exterior and basement walls, ceilings, attic, floors, and crawl spaces. Check for holes or cracks around windows and doors and for open fireplace dampers. Also, look out for unsealed ducts in your attic, basement, and crawl spaces.
  • Make sure nothing is blocking the system’s air return inlet, such as a piece of furniture or a rug. This could decrease the air conditioner’s performance.
  • Look for ways to use natural light to reduce the time your lights are on, and replace your bulbs with the newer, high-efficient light bulbs and lamps.
Call us today, at Self Heating and Cooling, to schedule a HVAC system maintenance, to ensure your system is running efficiently this summer. 

Regular maintenance is the tried-and-true way to maximize the life of your air conditioner. It’s also the best way to get optimal and efficient performance from any cooling system. The more efficiently your air conditioner operates, the more money you’ll save on electric bills, and the more comfortable your indoor environment will be.

Why Is Air Conditioner Maintenance So Important?

Cooling systems are like cars. During the warm months, they labor day in and day out. Without regular care, they lose their ability to keep you cool. A critical component of every air conditioner is the condenser coil. When the condenser coil gets dirty, it causes problems that affect performance and can damage other parts of the system.

What Are Condenser Coils?

Condenser coils are situated in the outdoor unit of your air conditioner. As refrigerant removes heat from your home, it turns into a gas. It then travels to the condenser coils. As the refrigerant gas passes over the coils, it is cooled and changes back into a liquid. It is then recirculated back into your home to cool the air and remove more heat.

What Happens To My AC When The Condenser Coils Get Dirty?

Condenser coils get dirty in the process of cooling the refrigerant. Dirt from the air outside is absorbed into the outdoor cooling unit and begins to build up on the coils. The bigger the buildup, the harder it is for the cooling system to perform. Electric bills increase and indoor comfort decreases because the system needs more energy to keep up with the demand for cooled air. If the condenser coils become too coated with dust and dirt, they can no longer convert the hot refrigerant gas back into a liquid. This can cause your system to stop producing cool air, even though it’s still running. Then the compressor might overheat, causing air conditioner breakdown.

How Can I Maximize The Lifespan Of My Air Conditioner?

Condenser coils should be cleaned every year before the warm weather kicks in. Coil cleaning is included in an A/C tuneup. You can do your part by keeping the area around your outdoor unit clear of dirt, foliage and debris. Ask your technician to also clean the A/C evaporator coils. These coils are located in the indoor A/C unit and should be kept free of dust, smoke and grease extracted from indoor air. These particles can pass through the indoor air filter and collect on the evaporator coils. As the residue builds, it can impede the efficiency of the system, causing higher energy usage. Invest in the best air filter you can afford and keep it scrupulously clean, especially if you have pets. Prepare for every summer by scheduling air conditioning maintenance.

You bought a home! Congratulations! Whether this is your first time purchasing a home or fifth, it’s important to be familiar with the systems that control its comfort levels before for they need a major repair. Doing so allows you to perform the preventive maintenance the HVAC system needs, recognize sign of trouble and avoid newbie mistakes. In turn, your HVAC system will reward you with energy savings and reliability.
 
 
Know your HVAC System:
 
Does your home have central air conditioning, heat pumps, mini-split systems or a boiler? After learning exactly how your home is heated and cooled, find out what type of fuel it uses, such as electricity, oil, propane or natural gas. Other important things to learn about your HVAC system include its:
 
Age: While some HVAC systems seem last decades, most start experiencing problems after 10 or 15 years.
Efficiency rating: Heating and cooling systems have SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio), EER (energy efficiency ratio), AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) or HSPF (heating seasonal performance factor) ratings. The higher the rating, the more efficient a unit is.
 
Warranty: In addition to learning the warranty’s term, learn what actions might accidentally void it.
 
Maintenance inspection results: If the previous homeowner took good care of the HVAC system, they hired a professional to maintain it annually. Ask for the inspection reports to learn about the types of issues the system experienced to be aware of problems that might occur.
 
Change the air filters: One of the simplest, most effective ways to keep your HVAC unit in top shape is to change its air filters as often as the manufacture recommends. The frequency can range between one and six months. Some thermostats will remind you about filter changes.
 
The area around outdoor units: Maintaining the landscape does more than make your yard look beautiful, it also helps your HVAC system perform well and have proper airflow. Shrubs, trees, plants and other foliage should be about three feet away from the unit. It is also a good idea to keep garden tools, supplies, furniture and toys away from it. As leaves and pine needles fall on and around the unit, clear them away. The same goes for snow.
 
Take care with ice: It is okay if a little bit of ice forms on an HVAC unit during the winter. If larger sheets or blocks of ice form during the winter, or you notice ice formations when the weather is warmer, call a professional right away. Do not pour warm water on the ice to melt it.
 
Don’t close vents: In an attempt to save money on heating and cooling costs, some homeowners close the vents in rooms they don’t use often. This action will actually increase your energy costs because your system will have to work harder to maintain the comfort levels in your home. For this reason, professionals recommend that you never block vent registers with furniture, books, blankets or other objects. If you only want to heat or cool certain areas of your home, talk to an HVAC expert about creating different zones.
 
Annual HVAC maintenance: Hire an HVAC service to perform maintenance services on your heating and cooling units once a year. The tune-up will keep your system in optimal condition and alert you to small problems that could become major repairs. A good time of year to schedule maintenance is during the spring or fall, before the weather gets too hot or too cold.
 
Mind the ductwork: When your homes constantly seems dusty, has uneven temperatures, smells musty, feels too humid or has unusually high energy bills, hire an expert to clean and inspect the ductwork. Leaks in ductwork negatively affect an HVAC system’s performance and send conditioned air into spaces that you don’t use, like between the walls.
 
Find a reputable HVAC company now: Don’t wait until you need a repair to search for a company that you can trust. Searching for one in advance gives you time to research and vet different contractors. A good company is one that has served your area for several years, provides emergency services, and specializes in a variety of home comfort systems.
The HVAC system is one of the features that attracted you to your new home. Maximize its life and your energy savings by keeping it in good shape. If you ever have questions about your heating and cooling units, never hesitate to get in touch with Self Heating & Cooling. We’ve proudly served the metro-Atlanta area since 2001, and can’t wait to become your trusted HVAC expert.

The Snow’s Effect on Your HVAC System

Normal Ice Build Up on Heat Pumps

The first thing you should note is that not all snow and ice that is built up on an HVAC system is an emergency situation. In fact, in a heat pump, it’s a normal part of the operation especially on extremely frigid days. Heat pumps operate via a refrigerant that absorbs temperature from the Earth’s atmosphere. When the refrigerant absorbs heat excess moisture builds up on the processing coils and when the outside temperatures are at or near zero degrees that moisture freezes up almost instantly. You’ll notice the system run a little more sluggishly on those very brutal cold days but return to normal as the temps start to rise again.

How Falling Snow and Ice Wreaks HVAC Havoc

To be honest, even the ‘normal’ ice buildup on heat pumps and HVAC systems is somewhat rare. This is due mainly to the fact that the units are manufactured to account for this moisture freezing with an automatic defrost setting. When an ice buildup is detected the unit switches to a heat-distribution mode that melts the ice off the coils, all while backup heat keeps the house warm. It generally only takes 30 minutes for the defroster to do its job, but it needs air flow to do so. When snow has built up around the outdoor unit and ice has formed on top of the HVAC components can’t breathe and that defrost cycle doesn’t work – thus raising electricity usage, but more importantly putting incredible wear on the entire system.

Could it Cause Legitimate Damage to the HVAC System?

The most impending damage from snow and ice on an HVAC system is inefficient operation, but there are underlying problems that result as well. The main issue that arises when snow and ice encase the unit is that it triggers an emergency shut-off as the system freezes up. This cuts off heat to the home, which could cause burst pipes that result in property damage as the internal temperatures drop.

As far as physical damage to the outside units, most of the components are designed to withstand the elements in year-round exposure. It’s still possible for snow and ice to build up on the aluminum fan and coil fins and bend them, which would cause loud sounds while operating and will eventually bust the fins. Also, when components have to work twice as hard with a limited air flow, they end up short circuiting and burning out faster than expected.

Snow and Ice Maintenance

Protecting the HVAC system from Old Man Winter takes place at installation and continues during the life of the unit. Here are some guidelines that should be followed:

  • Don’t install outdoor units directly on the ground and instead far enough up from normal snowfall (6-10” minimum); most HVAC installers do this as a standard part of their installation procedure
  • Build a wind barrier with either shrubs or fences but remember to keep them far enough away for servicing and air flow
  • Keep the unit at least 18” away from the exterior wall to increase air passage and to avoid drifting exposure
  • Monitor your heat pump and outdoor HVAC systems in the winter. Snow buildup should be shoveled away, gutters should be inspected, so they’re not dripping on the unit, and ice should be melted away with warm water avoiding ice picks and possible damage to the system. If temperatures are still freezing out, warm water is often not a good choice as it will merely refreeze. In this case, let the defrost cycle run its course once or twice (give it an hour) or call an HVAC service technician.

Save Energy and Money.

Air that leaks through your home's envelope − the outer walls, windows, doors, and other openings − wastes a lot of energy and increases your utility costs. A well-sealed envelope, coupled with the right amount of insulation, can make a real difference on your utility bills.

Increase Comfort.

Sealing leaks and adding insulation can improve the overall comfort of your home and help to fix many of these common problems:

  • Reduced noise from outside
  • Less pollen, dust and insects (or pests) entering your home
  • Better humidity control
  • Lower chance for ice dams on the roof/eves in snowy climates

Most Homes Will Benefit.

Most homes in the United States don't have enough insulation and have significant air leaks. In fact, if you added up all the leaks, holes and gaps in a typical home's envelope, it would be the equivalent of having a window open every day of the year!

                                                                                                                                                                                                 Common Air Leaks

 

specialoffers2
selfassurancepicnew2
BBB Logoa
reviewusongoogleplaces

About Self HVAC

1700 Cumberland Point Dr
Marietta, GA. 30067
Phone: (678) 909-6377
Fax: (678) 909-6378

Search