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More and more homeowners these days are exploring the option of going ductless for their cooling needs, and for good reason. Ductless systems are highly efficient, and effective at providing individualized cooling throughout the home.
But that doesn’t mean a ductless system is right for every home. Could it be right for yours? We’ll explore the pros and cons of this system below.
Did you know that this is the time of year you’re most likely to have air conditioner troubles? This is particularly true if you skipped maintenance this past spring. Professional maintenance allows our technicians to thoroughly inspect, clean, and adjust your air conditioner to ensure it performs powerfully, operates efficiently, and doesn’t give you any unexpected surprises over the summer season.
But by this time of the year, your cooling system has undergone a lot of work, and natural wear and tear can take its toll. So too can any small repair needs that grew over the season without you knowing if you did skip that tune-up. To address the question we asked in the title of this blog post, yes, you should bother with AC repairs this late in the season, lest you want a dysfunctional system next spring! But how do you know if your system is in need?
You may hear a lot of advice over the years on how to boost efficiency and performance for your air conditioner. Some of this advice is worth listening to—investing in professional maintenance for your cooling system, changing your air filter every 1-3 months, clearing out the space surrounding your outdoor unit—and some is, well, not.
For instance, have you ever heard from an HVAC “professional” that your air conditioner’s refrigerant is something that needs to be refilled on a routine basis? Unfortunately, they may be telling you this because either they actually believe this is the case—meaning they aren’t actually a trained and experienced professional—or they’re trying to get more money from you.
The one AC myth you should never believe is that your refrigerant needs to be refilled, what we call recharged, every maintenance session. Read on to learn what’s wrong with this concept!
Here’s the thing—you can’t repair an air conditioner’s compressor if it breaks down. The compressor of your air conditioner is essentially the heart of the system, responsible for allowing the refrigerant process that even makes it possible for your cooling system to… well… cool.
So, if that’s the case, why are we even writing this blog post? If repairing the compressor isn’t possible, isn’t the only option to replace it?
Well… here’s the thing. The real question you should be asking here is, “should I replace my AC compressor, replace the outside unit of my cooling system, or replace the entire air conditioner?” To be honest, the answer to this is, “it depends” and that’s why this blog post is so important. When it comes down to it, it may simply be best to replace the entire air conditioner, and here’s why:
If you’ve only ever used a central air conditioner for your cooling needs, you might not know that there is a singular alternative that takes care of both your cooling and your heating needs—a ductless system! Also known as a ductless mini-split, this has become a preferred option for many homeowners. They’re great at efficiently keeping homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer, providing you with year-round comfort.
We understand that choosing the perfect air conditioning system for your home may seem like a daunting task. There are, after all, many great options to choose from. Our advice is to speak with a trained professional before you make any final decisions. After all, not every home is well equipped for a ductless system, but yours may very well may be! Read on to learn more.
Lives everywhere have been upended as the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic. Gatherings have been
called off, businesses have been shuttered and people are advised to stay home whenever possible. As the government continues to preach social distancing on every available screen, it is understandable that you would be wary of allowing another person into your home. However, that being said, the verity of the matter is: nobody sent a pandemic memo to your HVAC system, therefore, unfortunately, it could still break down. Preventative air conditioning maintenance is the answer; and we, on the other hand, are much more considerate than your HVAC system. At Boehmer Heating & Cooling, we’ve taken the steps to ensure your health, safety, and overall comfort in these difficult times.
As inconsiderate as it would be for your system to break down right now, these stay-at-home orders only mean longer run times and increased strain on your air conditioning system, thus maintenance has never been more crucial. Take the significant extra hours spent at home, add the soaring temperatures on the forecast, and a bonus side of allergy season to create the perfect scenario for disaster.
Fact: Properly maintained HVAC equipment maximizes the life expectancy of your system, $100 now could save you thousands later, not to mention the headache that comes with an unexpected breakdown or premature replacement.
One being: it will improve the quality of the air circulated throughout your home.
The quickest and simplest way to improve your home’s air quality is to replace your furnace filter regularly; but did you know dust and debris don’t only collect on the filter? Any moving part in your system can accumulate dust, bacteria, and contaminants, meaning we could find particles inside your air ducts, the condensing unit, and even inside the furnace itself. Bad news: all of that build up gets circulated into the air you breathe, acting as a trigger for family members with allergies, asthma or other respiratory ailments.
The next being: it will reduce your energy usage and costs.
Yes, I know I said “over and above the financial” but saving money can never be ignored. Maintaining your system will ensure it’s operating at peak efficiency, bringing down the amount of energy you use and, in turn, the amount you pay for it.
The health and safety of our customers are vital to us. That’s why in these extraordinary times, we’re taking safety precautions to ensure that we can provide the same level of service that you’ve come to expect from us without breaking the need for social distancing. Each of our trained and certified technicians are following CDC guidelines for health and safety and they’ll arrive at your home with:
Open communication can also be constructive. Discussing any worries you might have with us beforehand can help get both parties on the same page and create a safe situation for everyone.
The toll this virus has taken on the world appears boundless. Whether it be your health, livelihood, savings, or sanity it seems no one was spared. Regardless, we understand times are tough and money may be tight. Yet, the fact of the matter is, right now, your home is your only refuge, and discomfort in your only place of refuge might just take the last ounce of your sanity. We are offering comfort, good indoor air quality, and peace of mind in the form of simple, preventative maintenance.
When temperatures soar to their highest during the summer, homeowners are immensely grateful for the use of their central air conditioners. What most homeowners aren’t grateful for, though, are the high energy bills that come along with AC bills. They may try to use their air conditioners less, or hope to save energy by keeping unnecessary lights off (this helps, but not much!)
What if we told you that there was one, small, simple trick to boost your air conditioning efficiency? What’s that trick, you ask? Using your ceiling fans!
It’s still on the chillier side for now, and you might even still be using your heaters on a daily basis. But as we all know, springtime can bring warmer temperatures quicker than expected, and when it does you need an AC system that can keep up and operate as cost-efficiently as possible.
We’ve shared some tips below that can help you use your air conditioner more efficiently this year, but keep in mind these tips can be applied to your heating system as well—just in case winter decides to last a little bit longer in our parts.
While homeowners in other parts of the country would consider our current weather chilly, around here we know it’s just a matter of time before we need our cooling systems to work full force. When that time comes, are you ready?
The #1 thing you can to do prepare for the cooling season is to make sure your air conditioner is ready to work as efficiently and effectively as possible—through maintenance. During your AC maintenance session, otherwise called a tune-up, our technicians will fully inspect, clean, and adjust components that need it. It’s also at this time that we’ll recommend repairs, if needed, so you can get them on your schedule right away.
You’ve been using your air conditioner diligently this summer, right? Which also means, of course, that you had maintenance performed on the system before the summer began.
What’s that? You skipped maintenance this time around? First off, that’s okay! It’s never too late. If you haven’t had your system maintained you can still give us a call. Sure, it’s more convenient for your schedule to have it done before you need the system the most, but it’s more important that you have the service done regularly than how often you have it done.
Regardless of whether or not you have maintenance done, however, it’s important that you take care of any late-season repair needs ASAP. Sitting on them and ignoring them in hopes your system won’t break down before the season is over isn’t a great idea. Even if the AC doesn’t fail you this year, it certainly can next. That said, here are some common signs it’s time to give our team a call, today: