Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Lake Butler’

Should You Prep for Winter Weather Now? Yes, And Here’s How

Monday, November 2nd, 2020

time-service-clock“Winter weather” is a relative term in North Central Florida. We won’t get hit with snowstorms or bone-chilling subzero temperatures. However, we often deal with rain and temperature swings that make it necessary for our homes to have working heating systems. November is the right time—deeper into fall—to make sure your residential heating system is able to do the job you expect from it. You don’t want to switch on your electric furnace for the first time in December only to discover you already need to schedule heating repair in Lake Butler, FL for it, after all.

Here’s what you can do to see that you have a heating system in good shape for the sometimes odd winter weather of Florida.

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Why the Upper Floor of Your House Gets Too Hot

Monday, July 27th, 2020

thermometer-going-redOne of the common problems with air conditioning in Lake Butler, FL that we often help to fix is uneven cooling. Providing even cooling throughout even a medium-sized home is difficult, and it takes technicians with experience to ensure whatever AC system is installed for the house can deliver appropriate cooling to all the rooms. Some basic malfunctions in an air conditioner can lead to an imbalance in the house, with some locations receiving comfortable temperatures, and others growing too hot.

And the uneven cooling problem we encounter the most often is when the upstairs of a two-story house is hotter than it should be. The second story already faces challenges for cooling (heat rising, radiant heat coming through the roof), so if the AC starts to have problems, the upper floor will suffer first.

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What Can Cause AC Fans to Stop Working?

Monday, June 1st, 2020

desk-fanYour air conditioning system has two fans that are essential for it to work. The fan you’re most used to hearing and feeling is the indoor blower fan. This fan is located at the bottom of the HVAC cabinet, where it pulls air from the return air ducts and then pushes it past the evaporator coil, where it’s cooled, and then into the ventilation system.

The second fan is in the condenser cabinet outside. This fan draws air through the grill of the cabinet to run it across the condenser coil and release heat. The fan then pushes this heat through the top of the cabinet.

If either fan stops working, you won’t have a cool home. A broken indoor fan means air won’t move through the ducts. A broken outdoor fan means the AC can’t effectively release the heat it drew from indoors and won’t cool down the home’s air.

What causes these fans to break, and what can you do about it?

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The Parts That Make a Heat Pump Different From an AC

Monday, February 10th, 2020

air-conditioner-units-near-grassThe heat pump is common in some parts of the US, almost unknown in others. You don’t often find heat pumps at work in places with cold winters, but they’re increasingly popular in warmer climates like those on the West Coast, the Southwest, and right here in Florida.

But even with the popularity of heat pumps in Lake Butler, FL and elsewhere in North Central Florida, many homeowners are not sure how they do what they do. I.e. “How does something that looks like an air conditioner and acts like an air conditioner also provide heating when needed?”

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Is an Air Filter Enough for Healthier Air in My Home?

Monday, October 7th, 2019

air-fliter-cuIf you found your way to this blog, it’s probably because you know your house, like many houses in Florida, has poorer air quality than you would like. Homes today are often built so tightly that there is little chance for the circulation of fresh air, and even less chance in a warm climate like ours.

What’s the best solution to combat low indoor air quality? Air filtration systems are one of the basic solutions for removing the unwanted particles circulating through a house—but is an air filter enough for your house? Let’s take a look.

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Raise the Thermostat Setting This Summer! (Yes, Really)

Monday, July 1st, 2019

woman-is-coolIt’s midday during the hottest part of the summer in Florida. Outside the temperature is above 90°F the relative humidity is more than 80%. And yet we’re recommending you raise the setting on your thermostat? You might think we’ve lost our minds.

But we’re not telling you to turn on your heating. What we’re recommending is to go against the first instinct you’ll have when the outdoor temperatures soar, which is to turn the thermostat down as low as possible because this will give you more cooling, or faster cooling. This isn’t what happens, however. Finding a higher temperature for your indoor comfort on hot days is not only a way to save energy and spare your air conditioner extra work stress, but also a way to enjoy greater comfort and convenience.

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Questions to Ask Your Maintenance Tech About Your Old AC

Monday, March 25th, 2019

AC-technician-at-the-doorThe time is here once again—time to schedule your air conditioning maintenance in Lake Butler, FL or elsewhere in North Central Florida. If you’ve signed our Energy Savings Agreement, then you’re ready to go! Just call our office to set up your maintenance appointment. If you haven’t signed up yet, then you’re almost ready to go! Just call our office to sign up, and we’ll take it from there.

Spring AC maintenance is usually straightforward. Our techs inspect your cooling system, clean and adjust it, and then inform you about anything they’ve noticed that may require repair work (such as a loss of refrigerant to leaks). However, if you have an air conditioning system that’s in the 10 to 15-year range (or older) and/or you’ve noticed it isn’t working as well as it once did, we recommend asking the tech a few questions about the AC’s future. It may be time to have it replaced.

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Black Mold and Your HVAC System

Monday, January 14th, 2019

mold-on-wallThe term black mold is one homeowners never want to hear. It’s one of the scariest possibilities for a house in a place like Florida, where the damp and often warm weather makes it easy for mold to start developing in parts of the house. Mold of any kind is unpleasant to look at and creates bad odors. Black mold, however, presents a health threat to the people in a household.

One of the most harmful places where black mold can develop is inside the ventilation system of a house. Not only is it hard to recognize because it is out of easy sight, but the harmful spores from the mold will spread all around the house when the air conditioning and heating system comes on and the blower fan pushes air to the different rooms.

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Which Air Purifier is Ideal for Your Home?

Monday, July 31st, 2017

air-filterImproving indoor air quality is a very important part of keeping as healthy and comfortable as possible year-round. It’s especially important during the summer season, though, as people tend to shut themselves in their homes and cut off most fresh air flow. That tends to increase the concentration of various contaminants in the home, including pollen, dander, dust, mold spores, and germs. If you want to improve your air quality by getting rid of these contaminants, the best thing to do is to install a whole-house indoor air purifier. Have a look at some of the most popular air purifier types below.

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Ways to Improve Your Air Conditioner Performance This Summer

Monday, May 22nd, 2017

air-conditioningIt can be kind of hard to differentiate seasons in a place like Florida. Summer is often identified as that season where the days are slightly hotter than at every other time of year. However, it’s still a good idea to make sure that your air conditioner is in top condition for the hottest months of the year. Summer is the time of year when air conditioners are put under the most stress. There are a couple of different options you can explore for upgrading your air conditioner this season, so it’s ready to serve you well throughout the summer season.

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