Professional Heating & Air Blog: Archive for July, 2014

What is ENERGY STAR and Why is it Important for my Air Conditioning?

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

You may have noticed the ENERGY STAR label printed on many products purchased for your home. Not every system gets this distinctive mark, however, so you may not be sure whether it is necessary to look for when purchasing a new air conditioning system. Finding an ENERGY STAR qualified system can help you save money and protect the environment, so we’ve put together a guide to this government-backed certification.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Products Help Protect the Environment

The ENERGY STAR label lets you know that you’ve chosen a system that is efficient enough to receive the approval of the US Environmental Protection Agency. In order to receive this distinguished label, air conditioners must meet a series of conditions including significantly low energy consumption. This helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants released into the air by home appliances, so ensuring that this label is present on your AC lets you know you’ve done something to benefit the earth.

ENERGY STAR Products Can Save You Money without Reduced Performance

ENERGY STAR air conditioners help you save a lot of money every month on your energy bills since many are over 15% more efficient than conventional models. And even though it seems as though an AC that costs less to run would not have the same features of other systems, ENERGY STAR labeled air conditioners must offer the performance and cooling power that customers want to earn the approval of the EPA.

ENERGY STAR Products Still Require Maintenance

Some people may think that installing an energy-efficient product is enough to maintain efficiency throughout the life of the system. However, any air conditioner needs maintenance to restore efficiency and keep costs low. If you choose an ENERGY STAR qualified product, you should continue to clean the air filter and schedule maintenance once a year.

Check the EnergyGuide label attached to all air conditioning systems in the U.S. to determine whether an air conditioner will save you money every month and help the environment. For air conditioning services in Hammond, call A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning today!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Hammond
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What Are the Benefits of Zone Control Systems?

Monday, July 21st, 2014

What is “zone control”? It is a way of setting up the heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system in a home or business to divide the building into multiple “zones” that receive heating and cooling independent of each other. Without zone control, central air conditioning in a home will cool down the entire home when the air comes on. With zone control, only rooms that need cooling will receive it. Zone controls can be part of initial installation of an HVAC system, or specialists can retro-fit an existing system for zoning.

There are a number of important benefits that you will receive from installing a zone control system. To find out more about the zoning services we offer at A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning, call us and speak to our specialists. They will give you the important details about how they can set up a zone control system for your home.

Reasons to Look Into Zone Control

Energy savings: Because you no longer have to cool down every single room in a house connected to the ventilation system when the AC kicks on, you only need to cool down the rooms that need it. As a result, you will conserve energy and save money on your utility bills. This is especially beneficial if you have a guest room that is frequently empty.
Personal temperature control: If you are used to arguments in your home between people with differing comfort needs (“This house is always too cold!” “No, it’s always too warm!”) then zone control is one of the answers. The different zones in a house have their own thermostats, so people can adjust the temperature in their area to suit their personal comfort level without affecting the rest of the home.
Temperatures to fit each room’s purpose: Your whole house doesn’t need the same level of cooling all the time. Some rooms benefit from warmer temperatures, such as rooms with few windows on the ground floor, or an infant’s room. Other rooms need cooler temperatures, like the kitchen, or a home gym, or a room where wine is stored. Zone control lets you adjust all the rooms so they are cooled “just right.”

When you contact A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning for zone control installation service in Hammond, LA, you’ll also have a company to handle whatever repairs you may need for the new system, as well as regular maintenance. We can help with your whole HVAC system, and our technicians are ready around the clock with 24-hour emergency service.

Tags: Hammond, Zone Control Systems
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When Is the Right Time for Air Conditioning Maintenance?

Wednesday, July 16th, 2014

Air conditioning maintenance is key for keeping your system running efficiently. Typically, the best times of year to schedule maintenance is during the spring and fall. But this doesn’t mean you can only schedule maintenance during these times; the fact is, if you haven’t done maintenance for a long period of time, it is better to schedule maintenance sooner rather than later.

What Are the Benefits of Maintenance?

Routine maintenance has several important benefits for your air conditioning system:

Extends the life of your system – maintenance helps all the parts and components of your air conditioner run optimally. When your system is strained or running inefficiently, this can contribute to premature aging and early wear-and-tear.

Helps lower repair costs – the thorough inspection your system gets during a maintenance appointment means small and developing problems are caught and repaired before they can blossom into big ones that can be costly.

Helps lower energy bills – when your AC operates at its best, it also operates efficiently. An efficient system uses less energy, which, in turn, can lower your energy bills.

Better indoor air quality – a cleaner air conditioner delivers cleaner air throughout your home.

What Happens During a Maintenance Appointment?

A-Professional offers annual and bi-annual maintenance plans. During every appointment, the following occurs:

Monitor refrigerant pressure
Test starter capabilities
Test safety controls
Clean or replace standard air filters
Measure for correct air flow
Tighten electrical connections
Measure volts & amps
Inspect all duct work
Lubricate all moving parts
Adjust thermostat calibration
Clean evaporator coil if accessible
Flush drain lines
Measure temperature difference
Clean outside unit

Is It Time for a Maintenance Appointment?

We may be past spring, but that doesn’t mean you can’t schedule maintenance for your air conditioning system in Hammond, LA. In fact, if you’ve been seeing signs of inefficiency, or suspect you may have a developing issue with your AC, there’s no better time than the present to call us. Call A-Professional Heating and Air Conditioning today!

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Potential Problems with Your Outdoor Air Conditioning Unit

Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

Most home air conditioners are “split” systems, which means that they consist of an indoor and outdoor unit. The indoor unit contains the evaporator coil that removes the heat from your house, and the blower fan to distribute the cooled air. The outdoor unit is often known as the condensers, and it contains the condenser coil, a fan, and the compressor.

The outdoor unit is built sturdy to withstand weather conditions, but sometimes it can suffer from repair needs that will require you call for work from Hammond, LA air conditioning professionals. You can trust to the technicians at A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning, and they are available to help you 24 hours a day.

Some Issues You May Experience With the Condenser

Damage to the fan: The fan inside the condenser is responsible for drawing air across the refrigerant coil and causing it to release its heat to the outdoors. The fan also vents that heat out of the top of the condenser. Debris can sometimes enter the condenser and cause damage to the fan, leading to bent blades or a broken fan belt, and this will hamper the proper cooling operation of the system and could cause serious mechanical damage inside the condenser. Call for repairs as soon as you hear odd noises from the outdoor cabinet.
Compressor “seizing”: The compressor it the most important component in an AC: if it fails, there is no air conditioning—period. The compressor works in the fashion of a piston motor, and dust and dirt along the moving parts or a loss of lubrication can cause the compressor to become “tight,” and eventually seize up and stop working. This might even lead to compressor burnout, which is one of the most expensive repairs for an air conditioner possible. At the first side of the compressor encountering difficulties, call for professional repairs.
Leaking refrigerant: Refrigerant runs through the whole AC system, but leaks along the line are most likely to occur in the condenser, where the line connects to the compressor. Loss of refrigerant will cause the AC to lose its conditioning power, and the change in pressure throughout the cooling system will cause severe damage and lead to the compressor overheating. At the first sign of refrigerant loss (hissing sounds, ice on the evaporator coil, a drop in cooling), bring in trained technicians.

At A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning, we take pride in how we deliver the quality service that customers would expect from a large company, but with the personal attention of a small business. Whatever issues you may encounter with your air conditioning system, you can trust our experienced and friendly staff to solve the troubles. Call A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning for professional Hammond air conditioning service.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Hammond
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Leading the Way with Independence Days!

Thursday, July 3rd, 2014

The term “Fourth of July” is the popular name for the U.S. federal holiday officially known as Independence Day. It isn’t surprising that we would come up with a different name from the official one, since “Independence Day” is one of the most common holiday names across the globe. Most of the nations in existence today won their independence from another power, whether through wars, treaties, or long transitions.

What might surprise many people is how old U.S. Independence Day actually is compared to the similar holidays of other nations. Although the U.S. is still considered a young nation, it was one of the first to make a full break for its colonial master with a new constitution. Most countries that celebrate a national Independence Day are commemorating events that occurred in the second half of the 20th century, when many older empires at last relinquished control over their colonies.

How substantial is the difference in time for the U.S.A. and the rest of the world? U.S. Independence Day celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1776, making our country unusual in that almost no existing nations celebrate an independence event from the eighteenth century.

In terms of age, there is only a tiny handful current countries that celebrate an independence day that occurred earlier than the United States. Switzerland celebrates its independence from the Holy Roman Empire of the Germans in 1291 with “Swiss National Day,” held every August 1—although this only gained status as a national holiday in 1994. Sweden Celebrates “National Day of Sweden” to commemorate events in 1523 and the election of King Gustav I during the War of Liberation against Christian II of Denmark and Norway. Romania comes almost a hundred years after U.S. Independence, with its 1877 freedom from Turkish rule.

The most recent Independence Days to come into existence are for Montenegro, which gained independence from Serbia in 2006 and celebrates the day on May 21, and South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011 and celebrates the day only a day after the U.S., on July 5.

Does anyone else celebrate a literal “Fourth of July,” an Independence Day that also falls on the fourth day of the seventh month? Yes: Abkhazia, a small Central Asian country that declared its independence from the Republic of Georgia in 1999 (although not all countries recognize it). Coming a day (like South Sudan) on July 5 is the independence of the small Atlantic island nation of Cape Verde, which became free from Portugal through signed agreement in 1975.

Everyone at A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning hopes you and your family enjoy a vibrant Independence Day/Fourth of July this year!

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