North Central Florida Air Conditioning Blog

“Does the Size of My Furnace Matter?”

December 24th, 2018

furnace venting outsideIf you’re shopping for a new furnace this time of the year, you likely have a lot on your plate. True, we obviously don’t need to worry about frigid temperatures in our part of the country. However, given the baseline of temperatures we’re used to the majority of the year, when those temperatures do drop in the wintertime, we’re thankful for efficient and effective heating systems!

So when it comes time to replace yours, you may be tempted to rush out and just buy the biggest one that will fit your budget. Well, we don’t recommend this. One of the most important reasons we don’t is because size truly does matter, in this case. If your furnace is too large, or too small, you’ll be unpleasantly surprised by the impact.

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When Should You Schedule Your Heating Tune-Up?

December 10th, 2018

white question mark in blue circle on white backgroundIf you lived in the Midwest, the answer to this would have been “probably a couple months ago!” But fortunately, Florida residents have a bit more leniency. In fact, most winters are extremely mild and you may not even need your heater that much. Still though, even if you only need it for a week, you want it to work at its best, right? If this is the case, then scheduling maintenance for this system once a year is essential.

Delaying the call to schedule your maintenance inspection and tune-up could leave you without a properly functioning heater right when you need it the most.

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3 Reasons Not to Neglect Your AC As Temps Cool

November 26th, 2018

white question mark in blue circle on white backgroundThis is it! Temperatures are finally cooling down a bit and we’ll get some reprieve. What’s more, our air conditioners will get some reprieve, and as a result, so will our energy bills. This is a huge relief to most homeowners throughout Florida, who of course use their cooling systems far more than they do their heaters.

But it’s important to remember that because of this fact, your cooling system goes under a lot of stress, for nearly 9 months (and sometimes longer when we’re having a “winter” heat wave). As a result, it can accumulate wear and tear beyond what’s standard for the average AC system. Annual preventive maintenance will help fend off the costliest and most emergent of air conditioning repairs in Live Oak, FL, but even if you had this done last spring, that doesn’t mean you should neglect your air conditioner now as the cooling season ends.

In fact, here are 3 solid reasons not to!

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Allergies Acting Up? Consider the Cleanliness of Your Ducts

November 12th, 2018

before-after-cleaned-ductHave you ever invested in duct cleaning in Gainesville, FL? This may not seem like a very important service, but it does actually come with a number of benefits.

While it might seem like your air ducts are just a minor part of the entire heating and cooling system, they are actually very important to the operation of both! If you want to keep your home comfort systems functioning as efficiently and effectively as they can, and keep your indoor air quality high to avoid aggravated allergies, then you should make sure that you get your ducts cleaned on a regular basis.

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Don’t Let Scary AC Noises Haunt You This Halloween

October 29th, 2018

Keep silence. Scared woman covering mouth with hands while posing to camera on gray studio background. Shocked girl close lips with palms, speak no evil conceptIt’s that time of year! You know, the time where homeowners all throughout the country are shutting their air conditioner off for the season in favor of their heating system.

Well, all except for us. Air conditioning in Lake City, FL is pretty much a year-round need. So if you’re starting to hear strange noises coming from your cooling system, it can sure seem concerning. How bad the problem is that’s causing those noises depends on the particular sound you are hearing. But don’t worry, your air conditioner isn’t haunted—probably.

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Improve AC Efficiency with These Simple Tips

October 15th, 2018

top view of an outdoor AC unitWhen you live someplace like Florida, it goes without saying that an air conditioner is an absolute must. It’s needed to make homes in our region not only comfortable for the families in them, but bearable. However, if your cooling system doesn’t work the way you expect it to, then it’s time to call for air conditioning repair in Alachua, FL, particularly if you skipped maintenance this past spring (though, it’s never too late to get it on your schedule).

That being said, repair needs are not the only reason that your AC system may not be working as efficiently as it should be able to. The good news is, there is something you can do about! Keep reading for some tips on how to utilize your air conditioner most efficiently, and give our team a call if you suspect any operational problems.

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“How Does a Heat Pump Work and Why Should I Care?”

October 1st, 2018

heat pump systemWe hope you made it through summer with a fully functional air conditioner, and were able to avoid air conditioning repair in Lake City, FL, particularly if you had maintenance done at the beginning of the year. But what if you’ve gotten to this point to discover that your air conditioner isn’t exactly working up to par, and you’d like to replace it? You could upgrade your current central system, but we’d like to introduce another option to you—the heat pump!

If you haven’t already considered a heat pump in the house, this would be a good time to do so. A heat pump is a two-in-one system that allows for effective and efficient cooling as well as heating in the winter. Since our winters are extremely mild compared to other parts of the country that actually get snow, heat pumps are a fantastic option. This is because they work best in climates with hot summers and mild-cool winters, since some models struggle when temperatures are too cold. But how does a heat pump work?

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Should I Have a Ductless Cooling System Installed?

September 17th, 2018

Closeup view about using some appliance such as air condition.While the official start of fall is a few days away and homeowners in other parts of the country are preparing to turn their air conditioners off for the rest of the year, we still have a long way to go before we can turn our attention to our heaters (and some years, we don’t even use those much!)

So, what if your Gainesville, FL air conditioning system hasn’t been functioning very well this season? Did you have maintenance done? How about follow-up repairs? Still not working as well as you think it should? Then it’s probably time to consider a cooling system replacement. If you already have a central air conditioner in place, then you may be tempted to just get the newest model of that same type of system. But that’s not your only option!

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What Happens During AC Maintenance and Why It Matters

September 3rd, 2018

technician working on outside unit of an air conditionerIf you’ve read our blog before, you’ve likely seen us tout the benefits of maintenance. There’s a good reason for this, which we’ll get to below. But a common question our customers have about this service is, “what exactly does a technician do during maintenance?”

We get it, you care about where your money is going, so perhaps you may wonder if the maintenance service you’re paying for is worth it. We’re sure you also care about how efficiently your air conditioner functions, since after all, if it’s not operating as efficiently as possible, it will cost you more to run over the years than it should.

It would take a pretty lengthy post to go into extensive detail about every step a technician goes through during air conditioning maintenance in Gainesville, FL, but we want to share with you a few of the most important ones. This should give you a pretty good idea of how maintenance helps your AC system run better and last longer.

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How Damaged Ducts Can Impact Your Air Conditioner

August 19th, 2018

A worker is sealing two sections of house attic vent duct insulation with aluminum foil tape. The foreground is a section of truss and the background is OSB sheathing for the roof.When you live in as hot and humid a climate as ours, chances are you think about your air conditioner a fair amount. You want it to perform effectively and efficiently as possible after all, right? What you probably don’t think too much about, though, is the “V” part of HVAC. That is, your ventilation system—or it’s more commonly known name, your ductwork.

This ductwork connects your air conditioning in Live Oak, FL to the outside, enabling the distribution of cooled air. Your air ducts are typically out of sight, too, hidden behind walls, beneath floors, or in your attic or crawlspace. Unfortunately, in these locations it’s hard to see if something is wrong, and harder to see if your ductwork was improperly installed. If it was put in by an amateur, or even if your ductwork is aging, then it likely has accumulated damage that can lead to leaks.

And if your ductwork is impacted by leaks from poor connections, improper construction, or some other reason, you aren’t receiving the cooling efficiency that you should be. One of the most common reasons for ductwork problems is that it wasn’t properly sized for the home to begin with by the installer.

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