Air Conditioning Guide

Sometimes it can be a little confusing to know how to take care of your air conditioner. We all know how to turn it on and get your space cooled to that perfect temperature to get cozy in your home. Today we are going take a look at best practices when it comes to air conditioning maintenance and repair and give an overview of different types of ac related information.

Types of AC Units

We might as well start with the most commonly used types of AC units.

Window A/C

This type if air conditioning unit is most commonly found hanging out of an open window. Hence the name window a/c. Window unit air conditioners are installed in an open window. Window a/c are optimal when you only have a small space that needs cooling.

Central A/C

This type if air conditioner makes use of air ducts built within a structure to distribute conditioned air to all of the areas. This air becomes warmer as it passes through the home. Eventually the air will flow back to the central ac through return ducts.  Central air conditioning offers whole-house or large-commercial-space cooling.

Portable A/C

This type of air conditioner unit is small and portable. It can be easily moved from room to room in a home. Portable air conditioners are useful if you have a temporary space that needs cooling. They are currently available with capacities of about 5,000–60,000 BTU/h (1,800–18,000 W output) and with or without electric-resistance heaters.

Filters

Fiberglass filter. This throwaway air filter is the most common type. Layered fiberglass fibers are laid over each other to form the filter media and typically are reinforced with a metal grating that supports the fiberglass to prevent failure and collapse.

Polyester and pleated filters. These filters are similar to fiberglass filters but typically have a higher resistance to airflow and a superior dust-stopping ability.

High efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filters. These units filter the air passing through them at a very fine scale. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)and its contractors use HEPA filters that meet DOE standard STD-3020-97, Specification for HEPA Filters Used by DOE Contractors, to filter 99.97 percent of all particles 0.3 microns or larger.

Washable air filters. These products are not as common and rely on the build-up of dust along the cloth to improve the efficiency of the filter. Industrial processes involving high volumes of coarse dust are typical applications.

AC Maintenance

Flushing the drain line w/ Bleach

This should be done once a month to make sure you don’t get any build up in the drain line. Batteries in the thermostat

Thermostat

Make sure that your thermostat has fresh batteries installed. You should install new batteries once a year.Possible signs that you need to replace your thermostat batteries include a low battery warning, unusual behavior from your heating or cooling system, and after the batteries finally die, a blank screen and no response from your units

 

Leave the Thermostat Alone

Many people are good about leaving the air conditioner at 78 degrees F. Some even take it upon themselves to set the temperature even higher when there is no one at home. If you make this a practice in your house, make sure that no one drops the temperature below 78 in order to cool the house down faster. The air conditioner cools at the same rate no matter the setting. Adjusting the temperature to 70 degrees will not help your house get to 78 degrees any faster than if it were left at 78.

Keep The Curtains Closed

Natural light can help reduce your lighting costs, however when no one is in a room it is best to keep the curtains closed during the day. This is especially true for houses with windows on the eastern and western sides. Keeping the sun’s direct rays from entering the house helps reduce the amount of effort your air conditioner puts forth to keep the house cool. To maximize this, open the drapes. blinds, or curtains in the evening to allow heat to escape through the windows of your house.

Turn On a Fan

In some climates, you can turn the air conditioner off at night and just let ceiling or floor fans provide cool air for your comfort. The energy used by a fan is far less than that of the air conditioner. If you live in a warmer climate, fans can still provide a comfortable breeze. Using the fans at night may allow you to set the air conditioner above 78 degrees saving a great deal of energy. Fans can also help move cool air around the house to ease the workload of the air conditioner.

Get Rid of Hot Air

Use an exhaust fan when cooking to help expel hot air from the house. If you don’t have an exhaust fan, cool the room by setting up a floor fan in the kitchen while cooking. The fan not only cools the air, but can also help move it out of the kitchen.

Use the Dehumidifier

When people say, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity,” they are right. If you have a dehumidifier turn it on when the temperature rises. Ridding your house of the humidity will help make your family feel more comfortable. You may even be able to set your air conditioner above 78 degrees when using a dehumidifier combined with fans.

Keep Your Air Conditioner Out of the Sun

The ideal location for a central air conditioning unit is on the north side of a house. While this may not be practical in every case, the general idea of keeping the unit out of the sun can be achieved in other ways. Landscaping does more than make your yard look nice. By planting shrubs or trees around your air conditioning unit, you can help it cool your home more efficiently. The shade from this landscaping can also be used to keep the sun’s direct rays off your home!

Save Chores for the Right Time

While cooking can heat up the kitchen, so can using the dishwasher to dry the dishes. Clothes dryers located in the house can have the same effect. These tasks are better left for the evening time or, better yet, when nobody’s home. Taking on labor intensive tasks can also make you feel uncomfortable during the hottest times of the day. If possible, do them in the evening or the early morning when the heat isn’t so bad.

Time to call a Professional

Your system is over ten years old. Most central air conditioning units operate efficiently for between 10 – 15 years. After the 10 year mark, it may be time to consider an air conditioning replacement system, especially if you’re experiencing other problems (see below) as well. After this time, you will likely begin to incur more costs of maintenance and operation.

Your system requires frequent repairs. If this is the case, stop throwing cash into an old system, put the money into good use and replace the air conditioner with a more efficient, new unit. You will quickly realize many benefits of the investment, including lower bills, better cooling and energy savings.

Your system uses the old refrigerant type, R-22, which the EPA is phasing out. According to the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty by the United States (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency, there is a mandate of phasing out the R-22 through the Act of Clean Air. As of 2010, R-22 system manufacturers were prohibited from any further production of the product, and by the year 2020, its production will be ceased.

You experience uneven cooling in certain rooms/ areas of your home. As an air conditioning system ages, it becomes less efficient, hence not cooling as required and leaving the users of the rooms not comfortable.

Your home remains humid even while the system is running. This could be as a result of leaky ductwork, inadequate equipment or poor, aging equipment.

Your home has excessive dust. If you can no longer keep up with dust, even though you change filters regularly, it’s time to consider installing a new air conditioning system. Worn-out systems accumulate and blow dust back into the house.

You hear strange noises coming from the indoor or outdoor A/C equipment. This could be the result of improperly operating air-blowers or cooling equipment, or indoor coils.

Your home’s score on the Home Energy Yardstick is under 5. Your expenses could be rising and it’s important to understand how your energy use is affected by changes in your aging A/C system. This simple assessment gives you an idea of your home’s annual energy use, compared to other homes.

Your energy bills have been rising. This means that your home energy usage is above average and you could be paying more than necessary on your energy bills.

Your A/C system quits on you when you need it most. Central air conditioning is a necessity for many homeowners. If you can’t rely on your system to keep you cool at the most important times, then it may be time to replace your system.

Air Conditioner Replacement info

SEER

Seer which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a rating which describes how energy efficient the unit is at cooling and heating your home. 14 SEER is the minimum rating and any SEER rating 16 or above is considered high efficiency. The benefits of having a higher SEER rating is the less you have to pay to your electricity provider reflected on your power bill. It may be better to replace your Air Conditioner if you have a older 8 SEER unit.  Make sure to ask any Air Conditioning Service providers about the SEER rating of any unit you may purchase. Also there may be rebate incentives in your state for purchasing a higher rated unit. You should always ask your contractor about these because they can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Warranty

A written statement that promises the good condition of a product and states that the maker is responsible for repairing or replacing the product usually for a certain period of time after its purchase. It’s Important that check any warranty information that comes with your air conditioner, that way you can save some money in case any problems fall under the terms of your warranty

Tons, Size of the a/c, Home size, House insulation

Most of us know very little about what TONS means when it comes to Air Conditioners and how they cool your home. A ton, as it refers to air conditioners, means how much heat it can remove from your space in an hour. One ton is approximately 12,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units). A true professional will use Manual J and Manual S calculations to figure out the proper air conditioning system for your home. Factors that go into choosing a size for your home including floors, roof color, insulation, crawl spaces, and etc. Your contractor should spend a good hour poking around your home to calculate how many tons you need. Make sure your contractor sizes the air conditioner based on the latent cooling load (which considers the humidity of the air) as well as the sensible cooling load (which considers the temperature of the air) for your home.

Duct Maintenance

Cleaning the grill – Get bucket of soapy water, spray bottle of bleach / water solution, and a bottle mold remover may be necessary.  You will also need a few rags and your vacuum if it has a hose attachment. Locate the ducts in your home.Take the cover off of each air ducts and wipe them down with soapy water making sure to get all the loose dust. Use the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner to remove loose dust, fluff, particles and any other debris from the inside of the air duct. Using the rag, wipe down the inside walls of the vent area with the warm water and detergent mix. Make use of a flashlight to check for mold. If you see mold / mildew further inside your duct system that you can reachplease call a professional.

Home Maintenance – If your home is undergoing construction or heavy maintenance you should bump up changing your filters to once a week to compensate for the extra debris the air.

Things You Can Do

Purchase UV Lights

In case there are several strains or types of viruses, mold, bacteria and mold in your home, you can use a catalyst to speed up destruction of these harmful micro-organisms. When the catalyst is exposed to UV rays, it breaks the micro-organisms down, forming harmless byproducts in the process. According to the EPA, this method of getting rid of micro-organisms in your home may not be 100% effective, but it can be very helpful in reducing the amount of harmful micro-organisms in your home.

Types of UV Lights

• Coil Sterilization – A “stick type” light installed inside the return air duct near that sterilizes the air handler coil. A coil sterilization UV light runs 24/7 and is the most common type of HVAC UV light. It is also most reasonably priced. Amazon lists the TopTech 14″ UV light for about 100 bucks
• Air Sterilization – A complete UV light unit that sterilizes moving air. The UV light unit is installed in the return air duct and cycles on with the air handler blower.

Time to call a professional

It’s time to call a professional when:

Musty Odor Coming From Vents – Musty odor coming from your vents can be a sign of mold or fungus growth in your air duct system. Mold and mildew are fungi that release harmful spores into the air. If the spores are released into the air ducts, your heater or air conditioner will spread them throughout your home. Well all want to avoid that situation as it may lead to health problems.

Scurrying Noises in the Ducts – It’s not far fetched for critters to get into your air ducts.While rodent hairs and particles released from their waste can cause a plethora of serious illnesses, a professional duct cleaning for your West Palm Beach home could rid your house of any rodents and their pathogens that are present in the duct work.

Abnormally High Utility Bills – If you are having unusually high power bills you may have a leak or a blockage in your duct work which is causing your air conditioner to work harder that it needs to.Much of the time, blocks start with a filter that is clogged with dust and long overdue for cleaning. The harder your system has to work to force air through the system, the more energy and money will be wasted. Additionally, leaks in the ductwork will release much of your conditioned air into your attic or the spaces within your walls. When this happens, it takes longer for your system to heat or cool your home.

Duct Replacement info

The duct system is largely responsible for what you actually feel when you heat and air condition your home. It doesn’t matter what size A/C unit you have three ton, four ton, etc or how efficient your air conditioner  is if that air doesn’t get into your home. You are paying good money to have hot or cold air added to your home so that you can be comfortable. I would even go so far as to say that you want your home the most comfortable it can be at the lowest possible cost. And that combination is largely a result of quality design and installation of your ducts.

Ducts Sealing – Sometimes ducts spring leaks. You could be air conditioning the whole parts of your home that don’t need it due to leaks. This will insure that you are betting the most amount of air back from your air conditioning unit.

Duct Fan Booster – Booster fans are add-ons that help move air through ducts. While inline duct and register booster fans will not cure underlying defects, they can “boost” air flow, thus increasing the amount of cold and warm air that ultimately makes it to a room.

 

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