Blog | Page 4 of 7 | A/C Contractors

When to Replace Your Home AC Unit

February 26, 2020

Table of Contents When Should I Replace My AC Unit? How Many Years Should an Air Conditioner Last? How Much Does it Cost to Replace a Home AC Unit? Repair vs Replacement: Cost Comparison When Should You Replace Your Home AC Unit? About 75% of homes in the United States rely on air conditioners to maintain a comfortable temperature in their homes. Central AC units are so common that we often take them for granted — until they stop working. Whether you’ve noticed a slow decline or you wake up one morning to a hot, humid house, a broken or poorly functioning air conditioner can be a sign that it’s time to replace your unit. But how do you know when it’s time to replace it? And is it more efficient to repair an existing unit than replace it? These are the signs that your AC unit is reaching the end of its life, as well as what you should do when you recognize these signs. When Should I Replace My AC Unit? An AC unit should last an average of 12 to 15 years. It’s important to notice that this number is only an average. With proper maintenance, some AC units will last longer. Others, for a variety of reasons, may not make it that long. So what are the signs you need a new air conditioner? 1. High Energy Bills Have you noticed your energy bills creeping up? One or two higher-than-average bills aren’t necessarily a sign of a problem — especially if the upward trend happened during the summer months — but if you see a steady increase over time, then this is a good sign that you should replace your HVAC system. The best way to detect an upward trend is to compare bills from the past couple of years to get a feel for how much energy you’ve been using and how much you’ve paid as a result. In some cases, your energy bills may skyrocket because it’s been a hotter-than-average summer. Or, the energy company may have raised its rates. But if you see an upward trend that isn’t due to fluctuations in rates or the weather, then your AC unit might be to blame. Why? If your AC unit is more than 10 years old, it’s using a lot of energy to operate. This is because the last decade has seen significant changes in the way HVAC systems are built and operated. A new, high-efficiency system rated by ENERGY STAR can save you up to 20% on your energy bills. 2. Frequent Problems If your HVAC specialist is on your phone’s speed dial, then that may be a sign that your AC isn’t doing well. It’s a good idea to schedule annual maintenance, and occasionally breakdowns happen, but if you notice your AC unit requires frequent service to keep your home cool, then it might be a sign your air conditioner needs to be replaced. But consider more than just the frequency of the problem — also consider the nature of the problems and the repairs that have been required to address them. Regular maintenance doesn’t mean your unit is old. In fact, we recommend regular maintenance on units of all ages to prevent the need for excessive repairs later. But if you’ve had a lot of broken parts or ongoing issues with leaks, then it’s probably time to consider a new central AC unit. 3. Changes to Your Home’s Square Footage AC units come in different sizes — the bigger the home, the bigger the unit you’ll need to cool your space efficiently. If you recently completed an addition or finished off a previously unfinished basement or attic space, then your current AC unit may not be big enough to keep up with the new demands you’ve placed on it. If you’re renovating or contemplating a renovation in the near future, it’s a good idea to talk with a professional about your current AC unit and its ability to handle the changes you’re about to make to your home. Besides preventing efficiency problems down the road, knowing what to expect in advance will help you as you budget for the upgrades you’re planning. 4. Fluctuating Humidity in Your Home AC units are designed to cool the air inside of your home, as well as pull excess humidity from the air. If your unit isn’t operating as it should, then it might not be efficiently pulling moisture from the air. Signs that your AC unit isn’t adequately pulling moisture from the air include mold around your home, moisture around the windows or a muggy feeling inside of the house. How Many Years Should an Air Conditioner Last? Although most AC units last 12 to 15 years, there’s not a perfect way to predict how long they’ll last. While the numbers do help you know what to expect, the lifespan of an AC unit depends on more than just averages. What contributes to wear and tear on an AC unit? 1. Incorrect Sizing If your home is operating an AC unit that wasn’t properly sized for your house, then your unit may be working inefficiently to compensate. If an AC unit is too big for the house it’s trying to cool, it will engage in “short-cycling,” which means it will turn on and off quickly. This puts a lot of strain on the compressor — the most vital part of the whole system. Eventually, this could result in a broken compressor. In an AC unit that is no longer under warranty, a broken compressor costs so much to repair that it’s usually more cost-effective to replace the whole unit. Likewise, a unit that’s too small for a home will work harder — without successfully cooling your home — and therefore wear out faster. 2. Frequency of Use How much you use an AC unit will also contribute to its longevity. If you live in an area where you’re using AC most of the year, your unit will naturally

Attend Success Group International 2019 Fall Expo

October 30, 2019

Grapevine, TX — The A/C Contractors team was well represented at the Success Group International (SGI) fall 2019 Expo at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Dallas. This event marked SGI’s 20th Anniversary and was the largest fall Expo in SGI’s history with over 1,300 attending. The Expo was Sept. 30–October 4, 2019. Admin/Office Manager Brittney, Service Manager Wade, Admin Clerk Karen, CSR Nikki, Tech/Comfort Advisor Sean and Techs Steven, Jud, and Anthony from A/C Contractors attended the four day Expo. The Expo began with tours of local member locations and the 20th Anniversary party and featured a keynote presentation by SGI President Rebecca Cassel on performance management for managers. During the event, participants were able to receive one-on-one coaching sessions, as well as 30 group sessions on a variety of topics important to residential contracting and contractors. Featured local companies included Milestone Electric, Baker Brothers and Metro Flow Plumbing. The A/C Contractors team focused on ways to serve customers better, ways to manage the company better for both employees and customers, and how to best show the ‘Win-Win-Win’ values that A/C Contractors strives to have all the time. “I feel like I took away some great tools that will help me manage a great company. We also went to some great classes that taught us ways to help not just impact our employee’s work lives but their lives overall. That’s one thing that I want to strive for, especially as the manager of a family-oriented company like A/C Contractors. We want our customers to Win, our employees to Win, and also the company to Win. That’s our ‘Win-Win-Win’ goal, and I think the SGI Expo experience can really help us with that. We got to meet with some of the top A/C Companies in the United States and see what they do, take ideas from them and learn from them. We’re going to take what we learned and use it to push our ‘Win-Win-Win’ philosophy to the max to be the best for our customers, our employees and our company. – Brittney, Office Manager SGI announced that its Spring Expo will be held at the Pechanga Resort in Temecula, California, April 1–April 3, 2020. For all your heating and air conditioning needs in the Longview area and beyond, A/C Contractors is your best choice! We would also like to honor all Veterans for their service to our country, but especially our Vets (pictured above) for their service to our customers and our company. We’re glad you’re part of our A/C Contractors family. References: https://www.achrnews.com/articles/142064-success-group-international-celebrates-20-years-of-helping-contractors-at-its-dallas-expo https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/457408/934507/

Common A/C Problems in Your Longview Home

June 7, 2019

When you live in Longview or Tyler, Texas, you know you’re going to get a lot of hot weather. While it’s true we get a few rainy days, Tyler and Longview get sunshine almost 220 days out of the year. Those sunny days bring warm weather. You can expect temperatures to be above 80 degrees Fahrenheit from late April until early October, and above 90 degrees for much of June, July, August and September. While we all love warm weather, living with so many days above 90 degrees quickly becomes uncomfortable and even potentially dangerous for seniors and infants. Keeping your air conditioning in tip-top condition all year long is not just a good idea, it’s a necessity. Since Tyler and Longview only have a few months you could consider “cool” or even a touch cold, you want to know your air conditioner will start working without problems when the warmer weather appears. If your air conditioning does fail, however, life can be unbearable. Air conditioning repairs can be expensive, so you want to ensure your air conditioning receives regular maintenance throughout the year. An air conditioner is a complicated system that requires the perfect combination of airflow, pressure and temperature to operate correctly. Complex systems, however, mean there are many places your air conditioner can develop problems. Fortunately, not all these problems require expensive repairs. Regular maintenance also means your HVAC technician can catch potentially costly problems before they become severe, thus helping you save money in the long run. 10 Common A/C Problems and Solutions You know you’re going to need your air conditioner to work properly, so here are a few of the more common problems that can plague an air conditioning system and prevent your home from being the cool oasis you desire. 1. Filter It’s amazing how often an air conditioner fails to work properly because of a clogged or dirty filter. You need to follow the manufacturer’s suggestion on how often you should change the filter. Some manufacturers recommend you change it every three months, while others require you to do it monthly. One way to determine if your filter is too dirty is to hold it up to a light. If light passes through the filter, it is still good, but if it doesn’t, it’s time to change it. Clogged and dirty air filters not only block the flow of cool air into your home, but they can also cause the air conditioner’s evaporator coil to freeze, literally creating a block of ice that prevents cooler air from circulating. The Fix: One of the easiest solutions for how to fix an air conditioner that’s not cooling is to check your air filter regularly and change it if it looks dirty or clogged. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s suggestions for how frequently you should change the filter. 2. Refrigerant Leaks When an air conditioner is low on refrigerant, your air conditioner will struggle to cool your home. There are two reasons for an air conditioner to be low on refrigerant — either it did not get charged correctly at installation, or there is a leak. Fixing it is not merely a matter of adding more refrigerant. If it is leaking, you need to get it repaired quickly. If you notice puddles or pools of liquid next to your air conditioning unit, it can present a health problem. Air conditioning refrigerant can irritate eyes, cause headaches or nausea and induce coughing. If the problem originated at installation, the technician can add the right level of refrigerant. Too much refrigerant can be even worse than too little. There are several ways to tell specifically if you have a refrigerant leak: Ice forms on the outside unit and on the refrigerant line You hear a hissing or bubbling noise coming from the air conditioner Your air conditioner won’t cool your home on hot days, but works perfectly on cool days or during the nighttime. The Fix: If you have either of these problems, your best bet is to call an HVAC professional right away. Refrigerant leaks are not something to ignore. You need to get a leaky unit fixed as soon as possible. If the problem is with the refrigerant level, an HVAC technician has the tools to measure the level of refrigerant in your system and make sure you get the right amount. 3. Drainage Dirt, lint and dust can clog your air conditioner’s drain line, just like a clogged air filter. That is especially true when the weather is excessively humid. If the drain line gets clogged, however, that means your drain pan will quickly fill with water. If this water overflows, it may not only damage the rest of the air conditioning unit, but anything near the unit will become soaked and potentially ruined. The Fix: Regularly check to make sure the drain line remains clear. If you know the weather is going to be humid for a few days or even weeks, it’s always a good idea to check for clogs regularly. If you’re using a room air conditioner anywhere in your home, make sure it is level when mounted, or else overflow will be a problem. 4. Breakers or Fuses There are a lot of reasons that your air conditioner may trip your circuit breaker or blow a fuse. If some other part of your air conditioning system is not working properly, the air conditioning unit will draw too much energy trying to keep your home cool. Sometimes, a tripped circuit breaker is the result of a homeowner using too many appliances at once. If you have the television on while you’re doing laundry and someone else is vacuuming at the same time, then you add in the air conditioning unit on a hot day, the circuit breaker may trip. A tripped circuit breaker is a good thing. Circuit breakers exist to make sure that your home doesn’t catch on fire. The Fix: Circuit breakers have three positions — on, off and somewhere in between. If you check the

Symptoms & Signs of a Bad A/C Compressor

May 22, 2019

Table of Contents Why Do You Need Your Air Compressor to Be in Good Working Order? What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Bad A/C Compressor? AC Compressor Not Turning On: Common Reasons Troubleshooting A/C Compressor Problems Are All AC Compressors the Same? While the weather can always be a bit on the warm side in Texas, the late spring, summer and early fall months can be particularly brutal. The heat can get as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit — sometimes even higher — during the warmest days for many days in a row. Knowing that your air conditioner is going to be performing at its very best when you need it provides peace of mind. [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Get a Free Estimate Now!” style=”3d” color=”primary” align=”center” i_icon_fontawesome=”fas fa-comment-dollar” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Faccontractors.com%2Festimate%2F”][vc_column_text] Many homeowners, however, are often unaware of what constitutes bad ac compressor symptoms and when their A/C units start having trouble working as it should. Among those troubles is a bad air conditioning compressor. What’s an air conditioning compressor? Basically, it’s the heart of the system. It’s responsible for pressurizing the refrigerant that runs through an air conditioner. It allows that refrigerant to absorb the heat from the air in your home and release it outside. It also cools air, which it then returns into your home. Refrigerant cycles from gas to liquid back to gas. This cycle starts when the air conditioning compressor turns the low-pressure refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. The gas then makes its way through the condenser and turns the refrigerant into a cool liquid. The liquid enters evaporator coils, which turns it back into a cool gas. The process happens again and again, with the hot air released outside your home and the cool air pumped inside. Why Do You Need Your Air Compressor to Be in Good Working Order? Some of the most important reasons follow: You want your home to be cool: After all, when you purchase an air conditioner, the object is to protect you from the intense Texas heat. If your air compressor is having problems, you’re not going to get all that cool air when you need it most. The ideal time to notice an air conditioning compressor problem is when it starts to happen: Compressors can go bad for a lot of reasons, some of which we will examine below. It could be the unit itself — perhaps the air conditioner is too old and is starting to wear out. Regardless of the reason, if you notice the compressor is starting to have problems in the early stages, you’ll be able to make early repairs and avoid a large A/C compressor replacement cost. Air conditioning problems can get worse with time, so you can save money, time and cool air by spotting and fixing issues early. Some air compression problems can be potentially harmful to you and your family: If refrigerant leaks out of your air conditioner, the puddles it forms can be toxic and harmful to your health. If you have children or pets, you don’t want them anywhere near leaking fluids, let alone a toxic refrigerant leak. Even if you don’t, a refrigerant leak requires the immediate attention of a professional. What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Bad A/C Compressor? As we noted above, recognizing the signs when your air conditioner’s compressor might be in the early stages of breaking down or wearing out will keep your home cooler when you need it and likely result in a smaller repair bill. It’s crucial to know how to tell if your A/C compressor is bad. Some of the signs of a bad A/C compressor are as follows. 1. A Lack of Hot Air Being Released Outside When a compressor is working properly, it takes hot air from inside the home and releases it outdoors. A good way to tell if your compressor is starting to develop a problem is to hold your hand near the fan on the air conditioning unit. If that air is not hot but is instead lukewarm or cool, it’s a sign that your compressor could be having problems. It could mean the unit is not compressing the gas properly. It might also be a sign of a refrigerant leak. If you’ve noticed that your system has been losing cooling power over time, a refrigerant leak could be the reason. A leak causes strain on the compressor. 2. Loud or Strange Noises From the Unit Have someone in your home turn on the air conditioning while you stand outside beside the unit. If everything is working properly, the unit will start smoothly, and you’ll hear the compressor and the compressor’s fan motor working properly. If the unit, however, starts vibrating or makes a rumbling noise, a popping sound, banging noises, clicking, growling, clattering or screeching noises, it could be the sign of several potential problems. Any of these noises might signify that the A/C compressor is having electrical problems. It could also mean that the compressor or a fan is loose thrashing around in the housing. If the unit vibrates when it starts, it may mean that the compressor is “hard starting,” or having problems starting — a telltale warning sign that the air conditioner compressor is about to fail. In any of these cases, you should immediately turn the air conditioning unit off and call an HVAC professional to make repairs. 3. Failure of the Compressor to Turn On If you notice that the air conditioning is not cooling your home to the temperature you’ve set and the fan inside your home is working properly, check your condensing unit outside your home. If you hear the fan running but the aircon compressor is not running, you have a problem. The compressor should be clearly audible over the fan. If this is the problem, you may face a replace or repair choice. Failed compressors can be expensive to replace so how to know if the A/C compressor is bad is vital. If your

How to Test Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

May 10, 2019

Table of Contents What Are the Benefits of Indoor Air Quality Testing? Signs and Symptoms of Bad Indoor Air Quality Different Types of Indoor Air Pollutants and How to Test for Them It’s easy to tell when your roof is leaking. We can usually see when there’s mold growing on the ceiling, and it’s readily apparent if you’ve developed a bug infestation. Problems like these are difficult to miss, making it easy to get them fixed before they develop into something truly serious. Air quality is different, however. Because the air in our homes is invisible, it’s impossible for the naked eye to perceive slight changes in the air quality. If different pollutants begin to infiltrate our house’s air, the odds are very good that we won’t even notice until they’ve developed into a much larger problem. This is why it’s important to know how to test the air quality at home. By running the proper tests regularly, as well as anytime you have reason to suspect anything might be wrong, you can often catch problems early on in their development and before any real damage has been done. If you aren’t quite sure how to test air quality in your house, don’t worry. Today, we’re here to walk you through the process and help you keep your home’s air clean, fresh and safe. What Are the Benefits of Indoor Air Quality Testing? Not convinced that it’s worth it to test the air quality in your home? Convinced that just because you’ve never had a problem with your air quality in the past, you’ll continue in the same way in the future? Don’t be so sure. Here are just a few of the primary benefits you’ll experience when you regularly test the air in your home. Keeping yourself and your family safe: The air might be full of pollutants that are harmful to your lungs, skin and immune system, and just because you can’t see these things doesn’t mean they’re not there. By performing regular tests, you ensure that if a problem does arise, you’ll catch it before this damage has the time to build up in your body. In this way, you’ll prevent the problem from becoming too serious. Keep your home safe: Let’s say mold and mildew are growing someplace obscure in your house — someplace you can’t see. Without testing the air quality in your home for mold, this problem would continue to grow unchecked, potentially becoming widespread enough to level significant damage against your house, lowering the value and even making it unsafe. An air quality test alerts you to the fact that there’s mold around, prompting you to search for it when you might otherwise be unaware it existed at all. Signs and Symptoms of Bad Indoor Air Quality It should be clear that testing your home’s air quality is important. The next question, however, is how exactly to do that. How do you know if your home’s air quality is poor? What should you be looking for? Here are some of the top signs that your home’s air quality is lacking and could be unhealthy for you, your family and your house. 1. Noticeable Allergies Most people have a few seasonal allergies here and there. When flowers open in the spring, we might spend a few days sneezing and rubbing our eyes, but this soon fades away. Consistent, year-round indoor allergies are something else altogether and not something to dismiss lightly. This is likely a sign that the air quality in your home is poor, and you are reacting to pollutants in the air. A few of the allergy symptoms to watch for include: Sneezing Coughing Watery eyes Itchy eyes and ears Congestion Nose bleeds If you experience these symptoms in your home regularly, try to pay closer attention to them and take note of the circumstances. Do you notice an uptick in symptoms when you go into the basement, for instance? Do these allergies feel better when you’re in the kitchen? By taking notes like these, you can begin to pinpoint where in your house the problem might be located. 2. Unusual and Unexplained Illness Symptoms While they’re unpleasant, allergies caused by the odd spot of mildew will rarely be serious. Other contaminants like asbestos or toxic mold spores, however, can be far more serious and lead to much more threatening symptoms. If you start to experience any of the following symptoms, seemingly out of nowhere, this could be a sign that there’s something wrong in your home: Rash Fever Chills Dizziness Nausea Vomiting Fatigue Shortness of breath Muscle pain Hearing loss If you experience any of these symptoms, head to a doctor right away. If they can confirm that no underlying health problems are causing your symptoms, your next course of action should be to test the air in your home for dangerous pollutants as soon as you can. 3. Lung Problems Things like bronchitis and pneumonia aren’t uncommon, and the odds are that many of us will have brushes with these types of lung conditions at some point. Most of the time they aren’t serious and pass quickly. If you find that you’re frequently coming down with these illnesses, however, or that your family members as a whole are often struck down with lung conditions, let this raise a red flag in your mind. This could be a sign that something in your home’s air is hurting your lungs. While the rare, single case of bronchitis might not be proof that your home’s air quality is compromised, recurring cases are cause for concern. If this happens to you, get your home’s air quality checked right away. Be sure to change your air filters and consider installing an air purifier to prevent the continuation of these lung problems. 4. Air Inconsistencies Have you ever noticed that sometimes the air feels different in different parts of your house? Perhaps it feels more humid in the bedrooms and drier in the kitchen. Or maybe it’s

A/C Services

Service Area

Resources

Heating Services

Service Area

Resources

IAQ Services

Service Area

Resources

A/C Services

Service Area

Resources

Heating Services

Service Area

Resources

IAQ Services

Service Area

Resources

A/C Contractors Blog

When to Replace Your Home AC Unit

Attend Success Group International 2019 Fall Expo

Common A/C Problems in Your Longview Home

Symptoms & Signs of a Bad A/C Compressor

How to Test Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

Categories

About Us

Quick Links

Services

Contact Us