A/C Designs of St. Augustine, LLC Blog: Posts Tagged ‘ac issues’

How to Prepare Your A/C Unit for Summer

Monday, May 17th, 2021

With temperatures heating up, this is a good time to make sure your air conditioning unit is ready. This helps ensure that your home feels comfortable and cool no matter how hot it is outside. Keep these HVAC tips in mind to prepare your A/C unit for a hot Florida summer.

Cleaning the Indoor Unit

Central air conditioning unit cleaning includes preparing the indoor and outdoor unit. To get your indoor unit ready, you should change the air filters. These filters get covered in debris and dust over time, which can cause your air conditioning to run less efficiently. Clean air filters improve the unit’s efficiency and indoor air quality.

Consider upgrading your thermostat to a programmable one this summer. Programmable thermostats allow you to program settings that reduce how much air conditioning your home uses at certain times, such as when you’re out of the house. Other cleaning tasks for your indoor unit include checking your ductwork for air leaks and cleaning the condensation lines.

Cleaning the Outdoor Unit

When you’re getting ready to prepare your A/C unit for summer, you’ll need to clean your outdoor unit. Air conditioner cleaning on this unit helps ensure that your HVAC system works properly throughout the season. You should clean the coils on this unit since they can become coated in mud, dust, and other kinds of debris. If the coils are slightly dirty, shut off the power to the outdoor unit and spray it down using a garden hose.

Cleaning the outdoor unit also involves wiping down the fins using a soft toothbrush. This helps remove debris from these fins. Other tasks to do when preparing your A/C unit include making sure the concrete slab it sits on is even. You can use a level to even it out if needed.

You should also get rid of any weeds, branches, twigs, and other debris that is around your outdoor unit. This kind of debris can blow airflow through your outdoor A/C unit.

Scheduling Annual Maintenance

Having annual preventative maintenance done on your HVAC system helps ensure that it’s able to run at maximum efficiency throughout the year. These appointments allow HVAC technicians to check the components of your HVAC system to make sure they’re in good condition.

These technicians can also inspect parts of your HVAC system that you might not be able to check or clean on your own. If your A/C has any problems, HVAC technicians can find them early during maintenance visits and make repairs when needed. This helps lower the risk of having your air conditioning stop working during summer or develop major problems that require emergency repairs.

Putting these HVAC cleaning tips to use is a great way to keep your energy bills lower while still having a cool home all summer long. Routine maintenance is also an important part of preparing your HVAC system for summer. Please contact the experts at A/C Designs today to schedule an HVAC maintenance appointment.

Tags: A/C Designs, ac company jacksonville, AC Installation, ac issues, AC Maintenance
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Seasonal HVAC Maintenance Tips for Spring

Thursday, April 15th, 2021

Keeping your HVAC system up and running properly requires seasonal maintenance. HVAC maintenance plays an important role in making sure your system runs efficiently and improves your indoor air quality. Follow these seasonal HVAC maintenance tips to ensure your home system is performing at its best.

Replace Your Filter

Your HVAC system’s removable air filter traps pollen and other particles, keeping them out of your home. Tree pollen and other debris can cover these filters during spring, leading to clogged and dirty filters. A dirty filter can lead to damage as your HVAC system attempts to run improperly.

In severe cases, your HVAC system could break down. Keep in mind that lowered efficiency also results in higher energy bills. You should replace your filter as part of your HVAC maintenance routine during spring.

Test and Clean Your Cooling Equipment

Testing your equipment helps determine if it is running efficiently. Turn your HVAC system on and leave it running for a few minutes. This test allows you to determine if your air conditioning is working properly.

You should run your HVAC equipment through one standard cycle to ensure that it’s producing cool air throughout your home. A professional HVAC technician can perform a more in-depth test on your system to determine its efficiency.

When it comes to HVAC cleaning, you can do some of these tasks on your own. Wipe down return registers and supply vents to remove dust and other debris. During a professional HVAC maintenance visit, a technician can clean the internal components of your system, such as the blower fans. Clean components can help your HVAC system run properly.

Preventative Maintenance

Performing preventative maintenance on your HVAC system is a great practice to ensure it operates at its highest efficiency. In addition to the tasks you can do at home, you should schedule an appointment for professional maintenance. Technicians will check the components in your HVAC system to make sure they’re in good condition.

If needed, technicians can repair minor problems and make adjustments to keep your system working properly. They can also inspect your air ducts to check for dents, debris, and other problems that could affect airflow. During maintenance appointments, technicians also look for signs of bigger problems with your HVAC system that require prompt repairs.

These seasonal HVAC maintenance tips can help you enjoy dependable cooling throughout the hot spring and summer months. While you can do some of these tasks yourself, it’s necessary to have a professional technician perform preventative maintenance. When searching for “HVAC maintenance near me,” choose A/C Designs for your preventative maintenance needs. Request an appointment with A/C Designs for your annual HVAC service maintenance appointment.

Tags: A/C Designs, ac company jacksonville, AC Installation, ac issues, AC Maintenance, air conditioner tips
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Common Heat Pump Repairs Explained

Tuesday, December 15th, 2020

Heat pumps come highly recommended as energy-efficient heating and cooling systems that are ideally suited for climates like you’d expect in Jacksonville, Florida. These are reliable devices, too, particularly when installed by qualified HVAC technicians, and when serviced through routine maintenance. Even so, problems can arise with heat pumps, so let’s take a look at what heat pumps are, and the common types of issues and repairs you can expect.

What is a Heat Pump, and What Does it Do?

To understand some common heat pump problems and how they might be repaired, it helps to understand how these fixtures work. They’re surprisingly simple, usually made up of two components, which would be the condenser unit on the outside of the home, and an indoor unit that vents hot or cold air into the home.

Heat pumps serve as both heating and cooling units, and they are reversible as your need for heating and cooling changes throughout the year. In warmer months, you can set them to air conditioning, and the reversing valve will pump cooled air into your home, while in the cooler months, you can set the unit to heat. This works exactly the same as the air conditioning part of the process, but instead of removing warm air from inside the home, the pump reverses to compress the refrigerant, which heats the refrigerant and allows the pump to blow warm air over the refrigerant coils and into the home.

Common Heat Pump Issues

When it comes to heat pump problems, there are a few common themes. Some of these include:

The pump isn’t providing enough heat. As with many issues like this, when a heat pump isn’t heating enough, it’s time to call a technician right away because the problem could get worse—and it could get worse quickly.
Problems switching into heating mode. Heat pumps are designed to switch between heating and cooling, and if yours won’t switch from one mode to the other, then it’s time for repairs.
Unusual noises can signify a problem, so if you hear banging or hissing noises, you’ll want to schedule a diagnostic.

Common Ways to Repair a Heat Pump

Repairs depend on what has gone wrong with the heat pump, but just the same as there are common themes in heat pump problems, there are usually also some common fixes that are quick and easy for a qualified technician.

When the pump isn’t providing enough heat, it may be that leaky refrigerant lines need to be repaired. This is also a likely repair if the unit is producing unusual hissing sounds.
Banging sounds could signify that the compressor needs repair or replacement, or that a fan needs to be replaced.
When heat pumps won’t switch between heating and cooling, the most common causes are either a malfunctioning thermostat or a malfunctioning reversing valve—and both are issues that can be corrected by replacing these parts.

If you’re experiencing issues with your heat pump system, or if you’re considering having such a system installed, don’t hesitate to contact A/C Designs. We can help you save on repairs and new installations alike, and our technicians have the industry expertise to handle your concerns quickly.

Tags: A/C Designs, ac company jacksonville, ac issues, AC Maintenance, Heat Pump, Heat Pump Installation, heat pump problems, Heat Pump Repair, heat pump valve, Heat Pumps, heating and cooling, Heating Repair, heating system, HVAC Maintenance, Jacksonville, St. Augustine
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3 Common A/C Problems and How to Fix Them

Friday, February 14th, 2020

While homeowners in some parts of the country have a long “off-season” to have their a/c repaired or replaced, most Florida residents use their a/c for a significant portion of the year. Because of this, it’s important to diagnose and repair any issues quickly, before they begin to have a serious impact on your unit and home comfort. Take a look at three of the most common a/c problems and how you can fix them.

Tags: ac issues, ac problem, AC Repair, Air Conditioner Repair, air conditioning issue, common A/C problems, common ac repairs
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3 of the Spookiest A/C Problems & How You Can Solve Them

Monday, October 21st, 2019

Is your home haunted? Or is it just your a/c? We’re here to debunk three of the most common misconceptions your home experiences during this spooky fall season.

Tags: ac issues, ac leaking, ac problems, AC Repair, AC Service, Air Conditioner Repair, Air Conditioning, air conditioning problem
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3 Signs Your Home Has Poor Indoor Air Quality

Thursday, September 12th, 2019

The quality of the air inside your home can affect the quality of life for all members of your household. Determining whether your home’s air quality is sub-par isn’t always as easy as it might seem. Read on for some surefire signs that your home’s air quality could use some improvement, as well as how A/C Designs can help.

Tags: ac issues, ac unit tips, air conditioner, air conditioner tips, Air Conditioning, air quality, cleaning and air quality, home air quality, Indoor Air Quality
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Why Is My A/C Tripping the Breaker?

Friday, August 9th, 2019

Even more frustrating than an a/c that only blows out lukewarm air is one that continually trips its breaker each time it turns on. Fortunately, this is an issue that usually can be quickly diagnosed and repaired. Learn more about some of the reasons your a/c breaker may be tripping, as well as what you’ll need to do to get it back into good working order.

Tags: ac issues, AC Repair, AC Service, air conditioner, Air Conditioner Repair, air conditioning issue, hvac repair
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