Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for June, 2012

The Importance Of Heat Pump Maintenance

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

The Importance Of Heat Pump MaintenanceIf your home uses a heat pump for cooling and heating, you know how efficiently it can operate. You’ve seen the relatively low energy bills. However, like any other complex machinery, heat pumps need regular maintenance. Following are all good reasons for keeping your system in top condition.

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Shopping For A Heat Pump? Terms You Should Know

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Shopping For A Heat Pump? Terms You Should KnowWhen shopping for a heat pump, you’re taking a trip into the world of heating and air conditioning engineering. A heat pump works like an air conditioner in the summer, and thanks to design technology, as a home heater in the winter. Heat pumps simply exchange heat from one place to another for both functions. The following terms will help you make the right choice:

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An Attic Fan May Be The Answer To Your Attic Heat And Humidity Problems

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

An Attic Fan May Be The Answer To Your Attic Heat And Humidity ProblemsYour attic requires natural ventilation, and a solar attic fan will help nature get the job done. On a summer day here in the San Joaquin Valley, attic temperatures can approach 150 degrees. That accumulated heat conducts through the ceiling into living spaces. It also saps coolness from air conditioning ducts routed through the attic. In winter, unventilated attics may accumulate water vapor rising from the living spaces below and provide a moist environment for mold and mildew. These unwanted particulates may later infiltrate your home, not to mention rotting the wood structure and degrading electrical wiring. Most existing home construction incorporates lower attic vent openings at the soffits — located under the eaves of the roof — and upper vents at the gables on either end of the roof. Natural ventilation depends upon the chimney effect of warm air rising out of the gable vents, pulling fresh air into the soffits.

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Summer Allergies Acting Up? 5 Tips To Alleviate Indoor Symptoms

Tuesday, June 19th, 2012

Summer Allergies Acting Up? 5 Tips To Alleviate Indoor SymptomsWith the warm weather settling in, many people are plagued by allergies. Often, the air inside your house can be more polluted than the outside air, and this means there’s no escaping summer allergies when you go inside… unless you take steps to remove allergy-causing dust and debris from the air. Here’s five tips for alleviating your summer allergies:

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The Basics Of High-Efficiency Air Conditioning — What To Look For

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

The Basics Of High-Efficiency Air Conditioning -- What To Look For  Given our long the cooling season in the San Joaquin Valley, choosing high-efficiency air conditioning systems for your home can increase your indoor comfort and lower your electric bill. The minimum SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ration) for new air conditioners and heat pumps stands at 13 in the United States. The SEER rating gives you a good idea of how efficient an air conditioner is over an entire cooling season. Some features of cooling systems increase the SEER number, including:

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A/C Trouble? It May Be Time To Make A Repair Or Replace Decision

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

With the average daytime temperature in Fresno about to hit the 90 degree mark, you need your air conditioner to be reliable and efficient. If you experienced A/C trouble last cooling season, you may have a decision to make before things really heat up. Here are some tips to help make the decision to repair or replace a little easier:

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An A/C Upgrade Is A Long Term Investment, So Consider The Lifetime Costs

Thursday, June 7th, 2012

An A/C Upgrade Is A Long Term Investment, So Consider The Lifetime CostsMaking an A/C upgrade can be a very difficult process to get right. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that almost half the money you spend in your home goes toward heating and cooling it. In the Fresno region, many of those costs occur during our long, hot summers. Running an older air conditioner that requires frequent maintenance and repair is a lot like throwing good money after bad.

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Air-Source Heat Pumps — How They Provide Efficient Home Comfort Year Round

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

If you’re in need of a new heating and cooling system for your home that offers high energy-efficiency levels year-round, consider an air-source heat pump. The only fuel these systems use is electricity and their efficiency comes from their ability to move heat from one place to another. In the summer, they remove the heat from your home and in the summer, they harvest it from the air, bringing it inside.

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