Many homeowners choose central air conditioners, because they provide an even distribution of cool air throughout the home — especially important during the heat of California or Nevada summers. Also important to many homeowners these days: saving energy, and, therefore, money on their utility bills. A high-efficiency air conditioning unit provides a comfortable home and begins to pay for itself through energy savings the day you install it.

A few benefits of energy-efficient A/C units provided by air conditioning installation contractors:

• Long-term savings. Because your unit can run on less energy, you save money on each month’s utility bill. High-efficiency units are built to last, so those savings really add up over the equipment’s lifetime.
• Tax incentives. Many high-efficiency units qualify for a 2011 tax credit. See also the AC Pro Rebates and Tax Credits page.
• Environmental friendliness. Consuming less energy means your household contributes to fewer greenhouse gas emissions, meaning that high-efficiency units are good for the environment. EnergyStar central air conditioners are vetted for high efficiency.
• They’re an attractive option for reselling your home. Do you plan to move? A high-efficiency A/C system can be a selling point. Everyone wants to save money and energy.

To appreciate these benefits, don’t simply look for the largest unit with the highest Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating.

Good air conditioning installation contractors are trained to properly size an A/C unit considering your home’s size and design, among other factors. For help, please contact an AC Pro air conditioner contractor. We represent the best air conditioning installation contractors in California and Nevada.

Our goal is to help inform our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about high-efficiency air conditioning and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

If your home’s air conditioner has seen better days, now is the time to upgrade before the worst of the summer heat strikes. Signs that it may be time to replace your A/C:

• You’ve noticed spikes in your utility bills during recent cooling seasons or at the start of this one.
• You’ve noticed persistent warm spots and/or cold spots in certain areas of your home.
• Your system can’t cool your home to the desired temperature.
• You hear unusual noises emanating from the unit when it is in operation.

If you decide to upgrade, high efficiency air conditioning systems are the way to go. High efficiency air conditioning systems offer environmental and financial benefits.

To choose one, first look for a superior SEER rating. The “seasonal energy efficiency ratio” equals the cooling output (measured in British thermal units) divided by the electric energy input (measured in watt-hours). The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the air conditioner. By choosing a system with a high SEER rating, you do the environment a favor and reduce the burden you’re placing on the local power grid.

An energy-efficient system also can help you realize significant savings over the life of your A/C unit. Because high efficiency air conditioning systems require less power to run, many people enjoy reduced power bills. In addition, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit if you install a new, energy-efficient system.

The air conditioner contractors at AC Pro are happy to answer questions about high efficiency air conditioning systems. Don’t hesitate to contact us for professional advice or to learn more about the range of air conditioners on the market.

Our goal is to help inform our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about high-efficiency air conditioners and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

The summer months in California and Nevada can be brutal, so when you have an air conditioning problem, you may be tempted to try to fix it yourself.  While there are some things that you can check and repair, it’s important to know when the problem might be something that you can’t fix and need an expert to come help you out.  This will help you avoid causing even more damage and increasing the total cost of repairs.

If your air conditioning system has suddenly quit working, a first place to check would be the fuse box.  Make sure that all the circuit breakers in your main breaker panel are “On” and that you do not have any blown fuses.  Also check the disconnect switches to make sure they are properly set.  If you find problems in any of these areas, you will probably need an electrician rather than air conditioner repair.

Another simple troubleshooting tip you can do on your air conditioning system is to check the airflow.  Take the filters out and make sure that they are clean so that they are not causing your A/C system to work harder than necessary.  You may need to simply replace them depending on the type of filter; some are not designed to be cleaned by hand.  Also make sure that the return-air and supply-air grills are open and that nothing is blocking them.

Outside of simple fixes, though, an expert should definitely be called.  Your air conditioning system is one of the hardest working appliances in your home and needs to be worked on by someone who is familiar with all the components.  Here are some common symptoms for problems that would require a pro:

• The unit hums but the fan doesn’t come on
• The fan and compressor run but they do not generate any cool air
• You can detect warm spots in your home

If you are experiencing these or any other type of home comfort problem, contact a contractor in the AC Pro network today so we can help make your home more comfortable.

Our goal is to help inform our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioning and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

Did you know that about two-thirds of all homes in the United States have air conditioners?   Here’s another air conditioning fact:  according to the U.S. Department of Energy, air conditioners use about 5% of all the electricity produced in the United States, at a cost of over $11 billion to homeowners.  Switching to high-efficiency air conditioners and taking other actions to keep your home cool could reduce this energy use by 20%–50%.

If you understand how your air conditioning system works, you can operate and maintain it for better energy-efficiency and home comfort.  So, we’d like to go over some air conditioning essentials for homeowners:

How Air Conditioning works
Air conditioners employ the same operating principles and basic components as your home refrigerator. Refrigerators use energy (usually electricity) to transfer heat from the cool interior of the refrigerator to the relatively warm surroundings of your home; likewise, an air conditioner uses energy to transfer heat from the interior of your home to the relatively warm outside environment.

An air conditioner cools your home with a cold indoor coil called the evaporator. The condenser, a hot outdoor coil, releases the collected heat outside. A pump, called the compressor, moves refrigerant between the evaporator and the condenser. The pump forces the refrigerant through the circuit of tubing and fins in the coils.

The liquid refrigerant evaporates in the indoor evaporator coil, pulling heat out of indoor air and thereby cooling your home. The hot refrigerant gas is pumped outdoors into the condenser where it reverts back to a liquid, giving up its heat to the outside air flowing over the condenser’s metal tubing and fins.

Maintaining your Air Conditioner
An air conditioner’s filters, coils, and fins require regular maintenance for the unit to function effectively and efficiently for many years.  Neglecting necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases.  To avoid problems and costly repairs down the line, we strongly advise homeowners to hire a professional HVAC technician to do regularly scheduled maintenance on their A/C components.

Filters- The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters.  Clogged, dirty filters block normal air flow and reduce a system’s efficiency significantly. Keeping the filter clean can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by 5%–15%.

Coils- The air conditioner’s evaporator coil and condenser coil collect dirt over their months and years of service.  A clean filter prevents the evaporator coil from soiling quickly.  In time, however, the evaporator coil will still collect dirt. This dirt reduces air flow and insulates the coil, reducing its ability to absorb heat. To avoid this problem, have your evaporator coil checked and cleaned every year as necessary.

Also, minimize dirt and debris near the condenser unit.  Your dryer vents, falling leaves, and lawn mower are all potential sources of dirt and debris.  Cleaning the area around the coil, removing any debris, and trimming foliage back at least 2 feet allow for adequate air flow around the condenser.

Coil fins- The aluminum fins on evaporator and condenser coils are easily bent and can block air flow through the coil.  Your tech can use a tool called a “fin comb” that will comb these fins back into nearly original condition.

A qualified heating and air conditioning technician can answer your questions about air conditioning essentials.  Find one here at ACPro!

Our goal is to help inform our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioning and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog