Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category

Laguna Hills Air Conditioning FAQ: AC Services Available

Monday, January 21st, 2013

If you live in Southern California then you know how critical a good air conditioning system is to your comfort. We enjoy wonderful weather all year long but on those hot days you need an efficient AC system to cool your home. There are so many different options available for cooling your home. At Saddleback, we provide complete air conditioning services throughout the Laguna Hills, CA area. We thought it would be helpful if we put together some of the options that are available to homeowners in the Laguna Hills area.

Air Conditioning Maintenance in Laguna Hill, CA

We’re all looking to reduce the amount of energy that we use in our lives. One of the best ways to increase the efficiency of your home’s  air conditioning system is to get it regularly maintained by a professional Laguna Hills air conditioning contractor.

Over time, and with continued use, your AC system will begin to wear out. This is just a natural part of your equipment’s life-cycle. But during regular maintenance visits, your air conditioning technician will look specifically for problems or issues that might be causing your AC unit to work harder. This can include dirty fan bearings, worn out fan belt, dirty cooling coils or leaking refrigerant. Your technician will clean any dirty parts, lubricate the moving parts and replace any parts that are worn down.

Ductless Mini Split Systems in Laguna Hills, CA

One type of heating system that is gaining popularity among many homeowners in the Laguna Hills area is the ductless mini split system. As their name implies, ductless mini split systems heat and cool your home without the use of cumbersome ducts. In this type of system, each room has their own unit that is mounted on the wall. Installation of these wall units is as easy as drilling a 3-inch hole in the wall to allow for electrical and refrigerant lines. Outside, a condensing unit provides for the exhaustion of heat.

Ductless mini split systems are terrific for old home renovations in Laguna Hills that don’t have room for ducts. They are also highly efficient and allow you to control the temperature in each room.

Zone Control Systems in Laguna Hills, CA

Finally, another great air conditioning service that we offer at Saddleback, is zone control systems. Zone control systems are a way for homeowners to potentially reduce the amount of energy that they use in their homes. If you have a traditional AC system, then you have to cool your entire home every time you turn on your AC. However, zone control systems allow you to target your cooling to just the rooms that you’re using. This saves you energy of having to cool your whole home when you’re just using one or two rooms.

If you need any kind of air conditioning repair just contact Saddleback today!

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How to Determine the ROI of HVAC Replacement

Monday, September 17th, 2012

Whether you’re a home or business owner in Trabuco Canyon, it’s important to consider the ROI, or return on investment when upgrading your HVAC system. ROI basically refers to what you get back for your initial investment and it’s the best way to make sure you’re getting the most out of what you pay for.  The higher the ROI, the less the system costs you in the end.

One of the most important things to weigh is which brand to buy.  When you purchase a new heating or air conditioning system from a prominent manufacturer, you are usually getting two things – lasting performance and a good warranty.  Going with a cheaper, lesser known manufacturer isn’t advisable as they may not have a track record, or the system may not be easily repaired or it may even be difficult to find parts.

It’s important to also check the system’s efficiency rating.  Run through some simple numbers to come up with how much you might save if you purchase one of the energy efficient systems.  These typically cost more initially, but many pay off in the long run.  If it saves you considerable money over time, this just increases your ROI.

Airflow is a something else to look at.  There are some systems that come with a variable speed air handler that can improve the comfort of your home.  In addition to providing the right airflow, these systems prevent the stagnant air so many of the older ones contribute to.  These newer systems can also run at different speeds, depending on the weather and your needs.  These aid the ROI by saving energy while keeping your home or office the same temperature throughout all the rooms.

For more information about air conditioning replacement in Trabuco Canyon and the surrounding area, give Saddleback Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning a call!

 

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Incorporating Air Filters into Your Comfort Systems in Orange County

Monday, August 27th, 2012

If you desire cleaner air in your home, one easy solution is to incorporating better quality, higher rated air filters into your comfort system.  The Mission Viejo air quality specialists at Saddleback Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning can help you breathe easier by installing a good air filtration system.

One of the first things you want to do is determine what types of allergens and air pollutants you are most concerned with, as each air filter will specifically target certain sized particulates in the air.  Then you must determine where those items fall along the MERV scale so that you know what MERV rating to look for when finding an air filter.

Not every air filter is alike, so once you have decided what particulates you want eradicated it is important to pay attention to the MERV rating listed on each air filter, that way you can determine which will give you the desired results you are looking for.

In addition to knowing the proper MERV rating, you will want to learn a little bit more about the types of air filters out there.  Media filers are also known as passive filters, they are the kind that sits in the ducts and as air passes through them, they capture the particles that are smaller than its membranes such as pollen, dust and animal dander.  Electronic filtration uses electricity to ionize the air as it passes through and eradicates smaller particulates such as smoke and exhaust.

Using multiple types of air filters within a home comfort system will usually provide the best results with the cleanest air.  If a media filter is used to capture larger particles, followed by an electronic filter which captures the smaller particles, then your home will have a drastic reduction in the presence of not only allergens but harmful elements that can cause illnesses such as colds.

Air filters can be placed in numerous places within your duct system; it all depends on your system’s specific design.  This can include being placed at the central air return register, at the attic air handler, at a basement air handler, or next to an electrostatic air cleaner.  Additionally, some systems have multiple air filters at varying places for different purposes such as fiberglass or pleated paper filters, washable filters, and electrostatic filters.

Speak with the air quality professionals at Saddleback Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning if you are interested in learning more about how to improve the air quality in your Mission Viejo home!

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Why Matching Coils are Important to Air Conditioning Systems

Monday, August 6th, 2012

Within our air conditioning systems the evaporator coil and condenser coil work together to cool our indoor air.  Because whole building AC systems tend to use split systems with an outdoor condenser unit and an indoor evaporator unit it is important that these two systems work properly together.  The Orange County AC professionals at Saddleback Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning understand how to properly size AC systems while also matching condenser coils and evaporator coils.

The Importance of Matching Evaporator and Condenser Coils

Air conditioning manufacturers tend to lab-test and rate their air conditioning systems together.  Thus having the same brand evaporator coil as condenser coil means that they have already been tested while working together and you will possibly get the most efficient usage out of each.

Proper sizing of an evaporator coil to a condenser coil is of vital importance.  If they are sized differently they will not work together as designed.  The evaporator coil can be up to a ton larger than the condenser coil, but it is not recommended to go much beyond a one ton difference.  A bigger condenser should never be used with a smaller evaporator.

When the entire air conditioning system is properly sized for the internal space which it is cooling as well as properly sized to its own separate parts you get the most energy-efficiency.  This means that not only the evaporator and condenser are properly sized, but the refrigerant tubing, circuit breaker, fuses, and electrical system all function as intended.

When matching evaporators and condensers to one another, there are a few main items that must be considered by your air conditioning technician that is performing the job.  These can include air flow and fin spacing, in addition to performing a manual load calculation for proper AC sizing, ensuring proper ductwork sizing, and that the blower is properly sized for both coils.

It is normally recommended that when the compressor goes out, both the compressor and evaporator are both replaced at the same time.

Contact Saddleback Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning and get assistance with your Orange County AC system and all its vital parts including the condenser coil and the evaporator coil, while ensuring that all your questions are answered along the way.

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Air Conditioning Tip 9: How to Use A/C Efficiently

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

Air conditioning is a great comfort in Tustin, but it can also be a big waste and expense when used inefficiently. There are plenty of ways to waste cooled air from your Tustin air conditioner, but fortunately there are also several ways to increase efficiency. Try these, for starters:

  1. Keep filters and coils clean

Filters and coils need to be kept clean in order for an air conditioner to run optimally. Clean or change your filter once a month, in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. A tech can should inspect the evaporator and condenser coils every summer, and clean them as necessary.

  1. Look at efficiency ratings

All air conditioners bear a rating that reflects their efficiency, called the seasonal energy efficiency ratio, or SEER. The SEER rating is a measure of how much cooling capacity a unit has in relation to how much power it draws. For more energy efficiency, opt for a model with a higher SEER rating.

  1. Use the “auto” fan setting

Most thermostats have an “auto” setting that will take control of your AC for you by turning it one when the temperature is high and off again when it is sufficiently low. Make use of this setting for better cooling and energy efficiency.

  1. Program your thermostat

A programmable thermostat saves a lot of wasted cooling by keeping the house a few degrees warmer during times when no one is home.

  1. Zone your home

To get really serious about cooling efficiency, consider zoning your home. This allows for independent cooling of different parts of the house, so that no extraneous rooms are cooled unnecessarily. For example, if your family likes the bedrooms cooler at night, you can defines them as one zone so that they can be cooled more, but without wasting energy cooling the rest of the house.

  1. Get an annual inspection

A machine that is in good working order is a machine that will run efficiently. Air conditioners are no exception. Have a licensed Tustin air conditioning professional look over your whole system every year to ensure peak operation and maximum efficiency.

Any of these tips on its own will help your air conditioner’s efficiency, but for best results you should combine them. In particular, the maintenance steps go a long way toward not only improving efficiency, but also maximizing the life of your AC system. Call Saddleback Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning today to schedule an appointment!

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Air Conditioning Question 1: What is Involved in Installing a Programmable Thermostat?

Monday, July 16th, 2012

If you’ve decided to replace your old manual thermostat with a new programmable model, you’ve made a smart choice. At Saddleback we like to keep our customers informed, so here’s what to expect when having your new thermostat installed.

First of all, location is key. Your thermostat will be installed on an interior wall, and will perform optimally when kept away from sources of heat or drafts such as heating and cooling vents, windows, doorways, and so on. To ensure that you are getting the most accurate performance out of your thermostat it should be in a spot representative of the room’s true temperature.

Your technician will most likely shut off the electricity during the installation. If the electricity is not shut off, the job is not being done safely. The fact that thermostats run on low voltage wiring does not make it acceptable to rush a job. Depending on your specific heating and cooling system you can expect to see anywhere from 2 – 10 wires at the point of connection.

If you are replacing your existing Irvine central air or heating system, we strongly advise that you also upgrade your old, manual thermostat. There is no comparing the accuracy you get from the old manual models to that of the new, programmable thermostats. Remember, with greater accuracy comes better efficiency and more effective performance levels from your heating or cooling system. Before you decide on a new thermostat for your heating or cooling system upgrade, talk with a professional. There are a lot of options out there, and you want to be sure that you are making the right purchase for your individual needs.

Also, if you’re having an old manual thermostat removed it is possible that the model may have a mercury switch inside. Mercury is a liquid metal once commonly used in thermostats to complete connections. It is also toxic. Your Irvine air conditioning technician will make sure that this substance is safely removed from your home and properly disposed of.

Upgrading to a programmable thermostat may not be a big job, but it is an important one. After all, this is the control panel you rely on to keep your home comfortable. Call the professionals at Saddleback and know that your new thermostat is properly installed.

 

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AC Question: What Causes Evaporator Coils to Freeze?

Monday, July 9th, 2012

When warm temperatures arrive it is important that your Orange County cooling system is performing at peak levels. Not only do you want your home to be cool and comfortable, but you want your system to be working efficiently. One of the most common problems with cooling systems is the freezing of AC or evaporator coils. There are many factors that can lead to this problem, and eliminating these factors will ensure that your air conditioning system is up to the task of keeping you comfortable during the hottest times of the year.

First things first, it is important that your AC system be turned off if you develop a frozen evaporator coil. Prolonged operation in conjunction with a frozen coil can cause serious, unnecessary damage to you system’s compressor. Don’t let a relatively small problem become a bigger one.

Restricted air flow across the evaporator coil is a very likely cause of its freezing. If the temperature is allowed to drop below freezing, the humidity and condensation that it is evaporating will freeze up. Maintaining proper air flow is a priority. Your air filters should be replaced if dirty and the evaporator coil’s intake must be free of blockages. Also check to make sure that multiple service registers in your home are not closed or blocked off. If cooled air has no outlet it can freeze up your evaporator coil.

Check your blower motor. If it is not running your evaporator coil is very likely to freeze up. Insufficient refrigerant in your system can also be responsible. If your systems refrigerant is low, call in an HVAC technician to recharge your system and to check for any potential refrigerant leaks. If you’re running your air conditioning system when the temperature outside is low, there will not be sufficient pressure to push the refrigerant through the evaporator and the coil will freeze.

The only way to sure of what is causing your evaporator coil to freeze is by having an Orange County AC specialist investigate the problem. Don’t get stuck in the heat when warm weather arrives. Call Saddleback and get your home’s cooling system back on track.

 

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