In order to select the right HVAC system for your home, locate the best professionals to service your system and recognize when your unit may need repairs, it’s important to understand a few basic HVAC terms. Consider the following HVAC terms to gain a better appreciation of your system needs:
Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category
Understanding The Pros: HVAC Terms Defined
Tuesday, September 18th, 2012Wise Consumers Know The Meaning Of Yellow EnergyGuide Labels
Tuesday, September 4th, 2012
One of the most difficult things about being a consumer in today’s market is knowing where to go for the right information, and the EnergyGuide label is a perfect source for this information. As a homeowner, purchasing a new appliance for your home – such as an HVAC system – is about more than just locating the right price. It’s also about quality and savings over the course of the product’s lifetime.
Tips To Help Reduce Air Conditioner Noise
Thursday, August 30th, 2012
Sometimes you can tune it out, but it always creeps up at the most inopportune times – like the moment you settle onto the sofa with a good book or just as you begin to drift off to sleep. Suddenly it starts, and no matter how hard you try to ignore its churning, clanking, humming and buzzing, your air conditioner’s irritating jumble of sounds is as close to pure torture as you can imagine. Luckily, there are a few ways to quiet air conditioner noise.
When Your Air Conditioner Won’t Cool, Try These Tips
Thursday, August 23rd, 2012
It’s another sizzling San Joaquin Valley summer, and just when you need it most, your air conditioner is failing to keep your home at a reasonable temperature. Even the simplest tasks, such as eating and sleeping, have become difficult and uncomfortable. Although recent utility bills read as if your unit has been on full blast for months, the cold breeze you desire is simply nonexistent. Sound familiar?
Paying For A New A/C Installation? Make Sure It’s Been Properly Sized
Tuesday, July 17th, 2012
Before you install that new A/C, verify with the installation team that the company’s representative has sized it properly for your home. Going by your existing air conditioner can be misleading, and chances are the system you’re using is already too large. This is because most homes are more energy efficient than they used to be, as a result of weatherization improvements, including better air sealing and insulation.
Everyone talks about SEER, but it really isn’t the relevant measure of an air conditioner’s efficiency in a hot climate
Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
With the San Joaquin Valley’s blazing summer nearly upon us, if you’re looking for an air conditioning upgrade, you’ll need to know how to compare the energy efficiency of different models. Most people think the SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is the best way to make a comparison. But increasingly, in climates with hot summers, EER is becoming the better standard for comparison. So when it comes to SEER versus EER, go with the latter number.
The Basics Of High-Efficiency Air Conditioning — What To Look For
Thursday, June 14th, 2012
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:
A/C Trouble? It May Be Time To Make A Repair Or Replace Decision
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012With 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:
An A/C Upgrade Is A Long Term Investment, So Consider The Lifetime Costs
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
Making 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.
R22 Refrigerant Prices Rise As Phase Out Date Nears
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012The next time you have to add refrigerant to your old air conditioner, you may be a bit surprised by the R22 refrigerant prices.
And it’s not a pleasant surprise. Since late 2011, R22 refrigerant prices have increased by about 300 percent. And it seems a fairly safe bet that R22 prices will continue to rise in the coming years.