There are different reasons why air conditioners emit so much noise. It could be in need of a repair or it simply may have a poor design. Here are a few tips to decrease the noise levels when you run an air conditioner. Insulate the Walls A central air conditioning system is located throughout the house. Reduce the noise by installing insulation into the walls that separate you from your air conditioner. There are different forms of sound-deafening materials to use from soundproof foam to acoustical drywall. In the end, an insulated home increases the efficiency of your HVAC unit by keeping the cold air inside of the home. Install a Compressor Blanket Install a sound blanket around the compressor without interfering with the airflow. The insulation helps the AC to maintain a more stable temperature as it pumps the refrigerant through the system. Many AC manufacturers use these blankets to reduce the unit’s noise levels without having to replace the machine. Use Plants Plant bushes, shrubs, or garden fences around your air conditioner to block out the sounds. Plants can withstand air conditioning that frequently switches on and off. Choose a Distant Location It’s too often that you hear...
Everyone wants the cleanest and most comfortable air in their home. It is necessary to periodically clean your air conditioning unit to keep it running efficiently and maintain quality air throughout your indoor spaces. Here are ways to clean your air conditioner to keep it running reliably. Cleaning Your Internal Air Conditioning System To begin to clean the internal mechanisms of your air conditioning unit, you first need to shut off power to it via your circuit breaker. It is unsafe to work with a live, working unit, so making sure it is fully shut down is essential. After this, you should open up the door that encloses the evaporator coils. There normally is no natural opening, so you may need to remove screws or duct tape to get inside. After you have access to the internal evaporator coils, use a soft brush to remove the dust and other dirt from the surfaces. Additionally, you may need a special coil cleaning spray that traps dust and removes it from your coils. This spray is available at your local hardware store. Cleaning Your External Air Conditioning System The exterior of your air conditioning unit includes the grille and fan. Whenever you’re...
Replacing your AC or adding a portable unit to your cooling system requires you to understand some basic terminology. BTU, or British thermal unit, is a term that you should know. What are BTUs, and why is this acronym important? What Is a BTU? British thermal units are a way to measure thermal, or heat, energy. Technically, a BTU is the amount of heat that it takes to heat 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. However, when it comes to your AC, it refers to the amount of heat that the unit can remove from the room per hour. Why Are BTUs Important? When BTUs aren’t figured correctly, keeping your home cool can be difficult and even cost you extra money. An incorrect number can cause your unit to operate continuously without really cooling properly. This increases utility costs and causes the equipment to fail long before it should. Your equipment’s specifications should match up with the square footage of the area that you intend to cool. can help you get a new high-performance AC system installed in Savannah. We know how to accurately figure BTUs for your home and offer in-home estimates. BTUs for Your Floor Plan...
Hay fever, or an allergic reaction to pollen, occurs when exposed to the powder from flowering trees and plants. The problem is prevalent in spring because that’s when most flowers blossom. Thankfully, you can take some steps to reduce the effects of excessive pollen levels. 1. Monitor the Pollen Forecast Check the allergy tracker page to understand the types of pollen in the air and their levels. That way, you’re aware of when to take precautions in preventing pollen from entering your house. For instance, you can be more vigilant by showering and removing outside shoes immediately after outdoor activities. 2. Purchase a HEPA Filter Not all indoor air filters are effective. If you want to get rid of pollen and other springtime allergens, consider buying a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. They operate by forcing air through a fine mesh to trap over 90% of microscopic particles. Installing an air purifier in your home in Savannah, GA, can help to combat pollen-related issues. 3. Keep Your Car in the Garage If you don’t have a garage, rinse your car whenever you can. Remember that touching the vehicle, opening the car windows, or shutting the doors can help spread pollen....
Most homeowners use their garages for other purposes besides parking vehicles or storing boxes. You can use the extra space in your home as a kid’s play area, workshop, entertainment room, or a home gym. That’s why you need to make the space warm during winter. If your area has mild winter days and nights, you might not need any extra heating options. However, you might find your garage freezing if you reside in areas that experience harsh and freezing winters. Here are ways you can use to heat your garage. 1. Replace the Weather Stripping, Check Insulation You can start by winterizing your garage for proper heating during the winter. Insulate your space by sealing up air leaks that allow warm air outside and cold air into the room. Start by inspecting the weather-stripping on the doors and windows and replacing broken or cracked areas. Weather-stripping wears out over time, causing air leaks and creating cold drafts in the garage. It’s wise to scrap off the remaining weather-stripping and apply a new sealant for effective garage heating. Often the walls in the garage aren’t finished. Insulating and putting up dry-wall will definitely add to the success of warming your...
It’s important to have your HVAC system professionally serviced twice a year. You should have your air conditioner serviced in the spring and your furnace in the fall. One of the biggest benefits of maintenance is that your system lasts longer. How Does Maintenance Contribute to System Longevity? Your HVAC system will have parts that naturally wear down or even stop working as it gets older. If you keep it well-maintained, everything runs smoother, and the system lasts longer. There are a few things you can do yourself to maintain your system, but other maintenance requires the attention of a professional HVAC technician. Professional Maintenance HVAC technicians have the knowledge and the tools to perform service on parts that you can’t perform yourself. Technicians know how to calibrate the thermostat correctly to ensure it works properly. They also measure voltage and tighten electrical connections in hard-to-reach places. Furthermore, they will lubricate moving parts within motors and other components. Air conditioners and high-efficiency furnaces have condensate drains. A technician checks these drains to make sure they are draining properly. System controls are checked to see if the start cycle, operation, and shut-off sequence are working correctly. Finally, the technician will clean...
When it’s time to replace the heating system in your Savannah, GA, home, you might wonder about the differences between a gas furnace and a heat pump. Both of these systems can heat your home during the winter months of the year, but they’re quite different from each other. Consider these three key differences between a heat pump and a gas furnace for your home. 1. Source of Fuel Gas furnaces burn natural gas or propane. This combustion process creates heat for your home. Heat pumps don’t use any gas. They operate on electricity only. No fuel is burned in a heat pump. During the winter months of the year, the heat pump transfers heat from the outdoors and moves it into your home. 2. Energy Efficiency Gas furnace efficiency is measured with the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating system. Older gas furnaces may only be 65% to 75% efficient. New gas furnaces have AFUE ratings of up to 98%. Heat pumps are rated with a different system, which is called the heating season performance factor (HSPF). HSPF measures how much of the input energy is used to transfer heat into your home for the entire duration of the...
If you’re looking to save money on your energy bills, a zoning system is a good way of doing so. You can keep your home comfortable while reducing the amount of energy you use to heat and cool your home. What Is a Zoning System? When you implement a zoning system in your home, you have independent control over the temperature of different areas of your home. Each zone has its own dedicated thermostat. There are motorized dampers installed in your ductwork so that each zone can be independently heated and cooled. Lower Energy Bills One of the largest benefits of a zoning system is lower energy bills. You can adjust the temperature in rooms you aren’t using, so you don’t waste money heating and cooling them. Many people reduce their energy bills by about 30% after installing one of these systems. of Savannah, GA, installs zoning systems. We pay our technicians a salary, so unlike commission-based technicians, they’re free to give their honest professional advice. Smart Thermostats You can save even more money by installing a smart thermostat in each zone. The thermostat will learn the routines of your home and will learn when each room is occupied. Smart...
At some point, you’re likely to experience what could be described as a burning smell coming from your heater. Sometimes, these are a normal occurrence, but in other cases, they are a definite cause for immediate concern. To help you make sense of the various occasions in which you may get a burning smell, here’s the scoop on those smells and what may be behind them. Burning Smell at Startup If the burnt smell you are experiencing only occurs at startup and is brief, this is likely due to residual dust particles that have settled on your heater’s heating components while it was not running. Once the heater comes on, it briefly burns off this particulate matter, and this is a normal occurrence. If the burning smell increases or continues beyond the first moments of operation, turn the system off and call us right away. Electrical Burning Smell An electrical burning smell is distinct and smells different from the typical burning dust smell as covered above. In no circumstances is this normal or safe. This can be caused by an overheating fan motor, a wiring issue, or other hazardous conditions. If you experience this kind of smell, power your system...
While bigger is better for some things, this isn’t the case when selecting an HVAC system. Having an HVAC system that is too big will result in expensive problems. Manual J Calculation and Efficiency When you call an HVAC company to discuss installing a new system, the technicians should perform a Manual J calculation. This is a procedure that determines the cooling or heating load of a building in order to recommend the appropriate capacity of the HVAC equipment required. A properly sized HVAC system operates at peak efficiency. The Manual J calculation takes into account specific factors about your space, such as square footage, insulation levels, duct leakage, building orientation, and even the color of the roof. Frequent Cycling If your HVAC system is too large, it will cycle on and off constantly. This creates a lot of wear and tear on the equipment, and it’s not energy-efficient. Parts will fail, and you’ll have expensive repair bills to deal with. Higher Energy Costs An HVAC system too large for your home will waste energy. Your system uses the most energy whenever it’s starting up, which will occur far too frequently if it’s too large for the space. You can...
