Professional Heating & Air Blog: Archive for April, 2014

Air Conditioning Tips for the Coming Summer

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

Louisiana summers are hot and humid, and home air conditioners are necessary to make the season pleasant. But you cannot just switch on your air conditioning when the heat arrives and expect the system to work its best. You can end up wasting money on power bills, running into numerous repairs, and receiving less effective cooling. You don’t have to spend a few hours a day working with your AC to get the proper cooling level from it, but you can take a few steps and change some habits to improve its performance during the summer. We’ll share some valuable AC tips for the upcoming season.

Whenever you need to have professional HVAC technician service for your air conditioning system in Kenner, LA, call on the team at A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning. We have technicians ready to help you 24 hours a day so you won’t have to sweat out a broken AC for long.

Tips for Better Air Conditioning Operation This Summer

  • Schedule a maintenance session: You should never miss an annual maintenance visit for your cooling system. Regular attention from an HVAC professional will keep an air conditioner working and free from unnecessary stress. This will stop your electrical bills from rising, fend off repairs, prevent a sudden breakdown, and generally extend the air conditioner’s service life. Although we advise maintenance during the spring, it’s never too late to schedule it.
  • Stay away from the lowest setting on the thermostat: How low does your thermostat go? Likely around 60°F, and that is rarely the level of cooling anybody requires, no matter the heat outside. If you put your thermostat on the lowest setting, it will force the system to work longer (no, it won’t cool down your house any faster), drain energy, and put extra pressure on the components. All this for a temperature that most people won’t even find comfortable. By raising the thermostat up to 72°F, you will have the right comfort level and save between 24% and 36% off your energy bills. (Each degree higher is a 2–3% savings.)
  • Change the air filter monthly: The air filter protects the AC from debris that enters the return vents. During regular operation, the filter will become clogged with dust, lint, hair, and other pollutants. This is enough to cause the air conditioner to strain due to low airflow, and it may also lead to icing along the coils. Change the filter once a month to keep the system efficient. (You should also change it during the off-season, but once every three months is usually sufficient when the AC isn’t running regularly.)

Start Off With Maintenance

There’s still time this spring to jump ahead of the weather and have regular maintenance done. Contact A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning and ask about our regular maintenance program, which also includes a 10% discount on parts and labor, plus priority scheduling. We’ll help keep your air conditioning in Kenner, LA healthy all summer long.

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Why Consider Ductless for Your Next AC Installation

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

If you are considering new air conditioning installation this fall to prepare for summer, you have more options than you once did. Over the last decade, ductless mini splits have made the transition from the commercial world (they’re popular in restaurants and hotels) into the residential world. Ductless systems have some important advantages that may tilt your choice for air conditioning installation in Hammond, NJ in their favor.

You will need advice from air conditioning professionals to make the best choice for your new AC. Call A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning and speak to our comfort specialists about the options available for cooling your home this summer.

Why ductless may be the way to go

A ductless mini split heat pump works the same way that standard heat pumps do: using the circulation of refrigerant between indoor and outdoor units to move heat from one place to another. The difference with a ductless mini split is that instead of a single indoor unit connected to a ventilation system, they use multiple smaller blower units mounted in various rooms. Each blower has its own coil, and connects through the back of the wall to the outdoor unit.

Here’s how this system can benefit you:

  • No ducts! This sounds obvious, but consider the sort of problems that ducts can cause your air conditioning. Ductwork gather dirt, dust, and even less pleasant contaminants, which then blow out into your home, lowering the air quality and dirtying the space. Dirt also impedes airflow and makes the system strain harder. You need to schedule regular cleaning to make sure the ducts remain dirt-free. Any breaks in the ductwork require repairs or else the AC will lose air pressure. Ductless systems have none of these issues.
  • Zone control saves money! The individual blowers of a ductless system allow you to control the temperature in rooms separate from each other. You no longer have to cool down the whole house when you turn on the AC, only the places that require it. You’ll see a drop in your power bills when you only need to keep the air conditioning running in the spots of the house that need it.
  • Heating and cooling! Although we’ve focused specifically on cooling down your home in this post (summer is coming up, after all), a ductless mini split heat pump has the same advantage that all heat pumps have: they work as air conditioners and heaters. Their heating power is far more efficient than that of fuel-burning systems like furnaces and boilers—another way you’ll save money.

Ductless mini splits are not the ideal comfort solution for all homes. If you already have ducts in your house, you may consider installing a standard heat pump. However, for new construction projects and add-on rooms, ductless systems are great options.

Call A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning to schedule an appointment regarding your new air conditioning installation in Hammond, LA. Ductless or not, we’ll make sure you end up with the right cooling for the summer.

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Add Some Upgrades When Installing a New Air Conditioner

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

Spring is here and that means summer can’t be far behind. Here in Kenner, LA, our air conditioning service technicians are standing by to install new cooling systems as replacements for older or more worn-out air conditioners. Now is the perfect time of year to replace your existing air conditioner, since temperatures are still mild and you won’t feel the heat during the time it takes to perform the installation. You might also want to add some upgrades when installing a new air conditioner, taking advantage of new advancements to improve your system. What kinds of air conditioning upgrades should you consider?

A brief list of some of the more popular options appears below:

 Zone Control Systems

Zone control systems are often associated with ductless air conditioning systems, though variations can easily be installed in existing centralized systems. They consist of a series of valves and shutters placed in your ductwork that divide the home into specific sections. Each section has its own thermostat and control panel, allowing you to control the temperature individually rather than heating the house all at once. For example, you could turn the air conditioner up high in the kitchen while you cook over a hot stove while leaving it off in the living room where another family member is watching TV. You can even turn off the air conditioner in parts of the house you aren’t using, helping you save money on monthly bills in the process.

Thermostats

Thermostats often make a fairly painless upgrade, since new units can often be installed in the exact same spot the old one was.  New thermostats often contain a host of attractive features, including smart systems that learn to adjust the temperature based on your regular habits, and remote activation systems that let you turn on the air conditioner when you’re away from home.

Regardless of what you have in mind, you can use a professional HVAC service to add some upgrades when installing a new air conditioner. The experts at A-Professional Heating and Air Conditioning provide quality air conditioning services in Kenner, LA. Give us a call to make an appointment today. You’ll be glad you did!

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What Qualities Should I Look For In An Air Conditioning Service Company?

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

Having too many choices can create as many headaches as having no choices at all. When you need professional air conditioning service in Kenner, LA, the most basic Internet search will turn up a ream of companies looking your business… but only a small number who deserve it. How do you make as choice between them?

When you look over possible AC service companies, there are a number of factors you can focus on that show you the company offers quality work and pure professionalism. Here are some of the qualities to put at the top of your list when deciding on which company to hire.

A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning is proud to offer some of the best service for air conditioners in Southeast Louisiana.

Look for these qualities in a professional AC service company

  • 24-hour emergency service: Air conditioning malfunctions and breakdowns wait for no man or woman. They happen at the most inconvenient times, and it will do you little good to rely on a company that doesn’t offer emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Make sure you look for repair technicians ready to jump on the job no matter if it’s 11 pm on Tuesday or 3 am on Saturday.
  • Extensive services, local business: Dealing with a company that offers little in the way of other services and can only perform work on a narrow range of comfort systems can be difficult and won’t give you the results you need. Dealing with a large company that covers many states can result in impersonal work where your repair and maintenance jobs are simply “the next thing on the daily schedule.” Aim to find a company between these: local and focused, but offering the same diversity of services you might expect from a large corporation.
  • Handles indoor air quality services: A company that also does work such as duct cleaning, duct sealing, and installation of air purifiers, filters, and dehumidifiers is a company with air conditioning knowledge that goes far beyond the single cabinet and the components inside it. These contractors have experience with the whole network that circulates air through your home, which makes them far more than basic repair technicians.

Since you are already on our website, take a tour of all the services we offer here at A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning. From heating and indoor air quality to air conditioning service in Kenner, LA, we have all the comfort bases covered. (We even handle Commercial HVAC, which brings an extra layer of experience to our work.) Whenever you need AC repairs on the double, call us any time of the day or night.

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