Summer is almost here, and that means it’s time to start using your air conditioner on a daily basis. As great as central air conditioners are, though, they aren’t perfect. There are a couple of distinct disadvantages associated with using central air conditioners. First, they tend to rely on a single thermostat to control them. This means that the air conditioner is operating based on the temperature readings in only one part of the house, which means it can cool other areas of the house too little or too much. Second, it wastes energy cooling areas that are not in use. Fortunately, there is a way to address both of these disadvantages in the form of a zone control system.
Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category
Why You Should Consider Installing a Zone Control System
Monday, June 1st, 2015Why Spring Air Conditioning Maintenance is so Important
Monday, May 18th, 2015Most homeowners would call for air conditioning repairs as soon as they noticed a problem with the system. That’s all well and good, but what about problems that don’t have obvious symptoms? If you’re really interested in keeping your air conditioning system in the best possible condition, it’s a good idea to schedule preventive maintenance at least once a year. Read on to find out more about the benefits of preventive maintenance, and why you should schedule yours this spring.
How Duct Sealing Can Improve Your Air Conditioner Efficiency
Monday, April 20th, 2015With summer almost upon us, it’s time to start making sure that your air conditioner is ready for the hottest days of the year. Annual maintenance and timely repairs are obviously both a good idea. However, there is one thing you can do to improve your air conditioner efficiency that most people never think about: duct sealing. Read on to find out more about duct sealing, and how it can help your air conditioner keep you cool this summer.
3 Air Conditioning Problems That Require Immediate Repair
Monday, April 13th, 2015No air conditioning problem should be left alone, once discovered. The longer a problem with your air conditioning system is allowed to continue, the worse it’s going to get. However, there’s a difference between problems that need to be addressed as soon as possible and those that need to be fixed right now. There are some problems that, if allowed to continue for any appreciable length of time, could cause catastrophic damage to the air conditioning system. The following are 3 of those problems.
3 Ways to Evaluate Whether You Need to Replace Your Air Conditioner
Monday, April 6th, 2015With summer fast approaching, now is the time of year when homeowners start to get their air conditioning systems ready for the season. There comes a time with every air conditioning system, however, when maintenance and repairs simply aren’t good enough. At that time, the only thing left to do is replace your air conditioner. As this is the perfect time for new air conditioner installation, you should take a hard look at whether your current air conditioner can make it through another year. What follows are 3 ways that you can tell whether or not you need to replace your system.
Operating Cost
If you’ve kept your system in pretty good operating condition over the years, you probably have a good idea of how much it costs to operate it from month to month. If you notice that costs start to increase over the course of a few months, it might mean that your system is wearing out. The wear and tear that all systems accumulate over their lifetimes will eventually cause yours to steadily decrease in efficiency. That forces it to operate for longer to achieve the same results, which costs you more money.
Repairs
Another good way to tell whether or not you need to replace your air conditioner is to keep track of how often it requires repairs. Normally, you shouldn’t need to have your system repaired more than once or twice a year. Older systems have many more worn out parts, however, which are liable to fail much more often. If you have to have your air conditioner repaired every few months, it’s a good sign that it is ready to be replaced.
Age
The average lifespan for an air conditioner is between 15 and 20 years. It is possible for an air conditioner to operate well past that point, but oftentimes the problems that begin to occur at that age are enough to warrant a new system. If your air conditioner is older than 15 years, you might want to consult a professional about replacing it.
If you think it may be time for a new air conditioner, call touchstone Heating & Air, Inc. We provide air conditioner installation services throughout Gainesville, FL.
Why Consider a Ductless AC System?
Friday, March 27th, 2015Spring has brought some very warm weather with it this year, and if you are in the market for a new air conditioner, we have a suggestion for you: why not consider the installation of a ductless AC? Ductless air conditioners have become very popular for a number of reasons that we’ll get into more detail about below, but gaining the benefits a ductless system has to offer is very dependent on good installation. The experts at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., can offer you and your home in Lake City comprehensive ductless AC services, so if you are considering going ductless, call us today!
How a Ductless AC Works
The main components of a ductless system are the outdoor unit, which contains the compressor and condenser, and the individual indoor blowers, which contain a small fan, a small set of coils and a small air filter. The indoor blowers connect to the outdoor unit via a conduit and a single outdoor unit can support up to 4 individual blowers. When a blower is turned on, the refrigerant begins to flow, cueing the cooling cycle to begin. The system will operate just as a traditional AC system, accept that the cool air is delivered through a single blower (or as many blowers as are on) instead of ductwork.
Benefits of a Ductless System
There are several benefits a ductless AC can offer that are worth considering:
- No need for ductwork – with a ductless AC system, it is possible to offer whole-home cooling without the significant expense of adding ductwork.
- Customized comfort – the individual blowers of a ductless system allow you to cool only what you need to and at the exact temperature you want.
- Better energy efficiency – unlike a ducted system that cools all or nothing, a ductless system allows you to cool only the areas you want cooling, which can save you energy.
- Can work with a heat pump – a ductless system that has heat pump technology can offer your home both heating and cooling.
If a ductless system seems like a fit for your Lake City home, call the experts at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., today and schedule an appointment for ductless AC services.
How a Whole-Home AC System Helps Control Humidity
Friday, March 13th, 2015Air conditioners are interesting systems. Many people believe that they cool by blowing cool air into warm air, but this isn’t actually what’s happening. Yes, cool air blows in, but more importantly, air conditioners remove the heat and humidity from your living spaces and release it, then use this air to cool your home. It’s all part of the heat release/cooling cycle, and one of the benefits of this cycle is that humidity is also removed. How does your Lake City air conditioning system do this? Let’s take a look.
How Humidity Is Removed
Air conditioners use refrigerant to help facilitate the transfer of heat to the outside. The cycle starts with the heat from your return ducts being absorbed by the refrigerant. The refrigerant travels to the compressor where it is pressurized; as the pressurized refrigerant leaves the compressor to enter the condenser, the heat is released and the refrigerant starts to cool. The refrigerant travels from the condenser to the evaporator, where warm air from your home is blown over the evaporator coils that now contain cooled refrigerant. When hot air meets cool air, condensation is formed, and this condensation is removed via the condensate array of your air conditioning system. This is how your air conditioning system helps remove the excess humidity in your home.
Benefits of Removing Humidity
Humidity holds heat, which is why a humid day at 70 degrees feels much more uncomfortable than a dry day at 70 degrees. But excess humidity does more than make you feel uncomfortable – it can lead to mold and mildew development, dust mite populations and create rot. When you install a whole-home air conditioner, you gain the benefit of dehumidification along with improved comfort.
Get Ahead of Humidity with a Whole-Home Air Conditioner
Today’s air conditioners are some of the most energy efficient around, and can offer your home cool, comfortable air for years to come.
If you’ve been struggling with indoor comfort because of heat and excess humidity, call the experts at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., today.
Is Your Commercial AC Ready for Summer?
Friday, March 6th, 2015Having a comfortable atmosphere in your business space is critical to your business’s daily operation, and with spring almost here, it’s time to schedule commercial AC maintenance for your Gainesville business. You may be saying to yourself that your system just had a maintenance appointment this fall, but it’s recommended that commercial systems are scheduled for maintenance bi-annually. Why? Commercial HVAC systems are large and complex, and many systems perform both heating and cooling. Plus, you don’t want to risk experiencing poor performance from your system just because you didn’t schedule maintenance. Only trained commercial experts should work on your commercial HVAC system, so call the experts you can trust: Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc.
What Are the Benefits of Maintenance?
Maintenance is a full tune-up of your commercial HVAC system, so there are a number of benefits to scheduling AC maintenance:
- Better energy efficiency – staying on budget with heating and cooling costs can be tough, but maintenance helps your system to work optimally, which reduces the system’s energy usage.
- Better comfort – the cleaning and adjusting your system receives during a maintenance appointment allows it to achieve your set temperature without a problem, ensuring that your office space will be comfortable.
- Prevents repair – during a maintenance appointment, the technician will closely inspect your system and its working parts to make sure there are no existing or developing problems. Should a problem be discovered, you’ll be alerted.
- Extends life of the system – each year your system goes unmaintained, it loses 5% of its energy efficiency; conversely, following through with bi-annual maintenance keeps your system operating within 5% of its original efficiency level. Keeping your commercial AC in good working order year after year helps extend its life, which is great for you and your business.
Always Call a Commercial Expert
Commercial HVAC systems are very different from residential ones, so it’s important to always call for a commercial expert when needing any kind of work for your business’s HVAC system.
The commercial experts at Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc., have the commercial experience needed to perform any kind of commercial HVAC work, so call us today!
Options for Air Conditioning Replacement
Thursday, February 5th, 2015It wasn’t too long ago that your option for whole-home air conditioning was limited to a single type of system. These days, homeowners have multiple choices, and knowing which one will be the best fit for your home takes some research and help from a trained expert. It may seem like you should wait until the warm weather hits before installing or replacing an existing unit, but the truth is that off-season installation can often be better than waiting until the warm weather comes. The experts at Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc., can help you with your air conditioning installation or replacement in High Springs, FL, from start to finish, so call us today.
Available Options
Here are the air conditioning options available from Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc.:
Traditional Split System
Traditional split system air conditioners are one of the most common types used in homes. A split-system AC has an outdoor unit that contains the compressor and condenser and an indoor unit that contains the evaporator unit and blower. Ductwork is needed to disperse the air with this type of system.
Heat Pump System
Heat pumps do not generate cool air; instead, they move heat from one place to another with the help of refrigerant. Heat pumps look very similar to traditional systems in that they have an outdoor unit and an indoor blower, however, heat pumps can also offer heating thanks to a component called a reversing valve. Heat pumps can be part of a ducted or ductless systems.
Geothermal System
Geothermal systems use a ground-source heat pump, so they can also offer heating and cooling. However, the set-up is different. Geothermal systems use a ground loop buried below the frost line to transfer heat back and forth, with the help of an environmentally-friendly fluid inside the loop. During winter, the latent heat in the ground is absorbed and transferred into your home; in summer, the heat from your indoors is absorbed and transferred to the ground loop and absorbed by the surrounding ground, known as a heat sink.
Ductless System
Ductless air conditioners have an outdoor unit that contains a compressor and condenser and individual indoor blowers that deliver the cool air. The blowers are about 35” long and connect directly to the outdoor unit via a conduit in an exterior wall. Ductless blowers operate individually, which allows you to use only the amount of cooling you need.
As you can see, there are a number of choices available for your air conditioning replacement in High Springs, FL.
Call Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc., today and schedule an appointment with one of our installation experts.
Finding the Most Efficient System for Air Conditioning Installation
Thursday, January 29th, 2015Every whole-home appliance uses energy which is why it’s important to review the energy efficiency of a given system before installation. There are different rating systems for appliances and whole-home systems; for instance, heating systems use a rating called AFUE. When it comes to air conditioners, the rating to review is called SEER. Energy efficiency can, and should, be an important factor for any air conditioning installation in Lake City, and we’ll explain more about this below.
What Is SEER?
SEER stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio. SEER is based on a scale of 1 to 23; the higher the SEER number, the better the energy efficiency of the unit. SEER tells you how much cooling a particular AC will provide for every unit of energy it uses.
SEER Minimums
In 2006, federal law mandated that all air conditioners have a minimum SEER of 13; prior to this, the minimum SEER was 10. If you are replacing an outdated system, you may see a significant savings from your new system because each SEER point higher can save you up to 10% on your annual cooling costs.
How SEER Works
SEER doesn’t tell you that one unit will cool your home better than another; what it tells you is that if you have two comparable units, and one has a SEER number of 13 and the other has a SEER number of 16, the unit with the SEER of 16 will cost you less to cool your space versus the unit with the lower SEER number. As such, the unit with the higher SEER number will save you more money by being a more energy efficient unit. However, a more efficient unit can cost more initially, so it’s important to balance between the monthly savings a particular unit can cost you and the initial costs.
Confused about SEER? Working with a trained expert can help ensure that you choose and install an air conditioner that has the energy efficiency you want for your home.
Contact Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc., today and schedule an appointment with one of our experts.