Static is electrostatic discharge. It commonly happens especially in houses that have carpet. When I was growing up I thought it was normal to “shock” yourself. I grew up in a house without a humidifier, without any kind of moisture control whatsoever. When I got into the HVAC industry, I learned why I had static in my house. I also learned it is possible to get rid of it. It was just brutally dry. Adding moisture into the air in the wintertime can help reduce static. It also eliminates many of the problems that go along with low humidity.
Which Humidifier Is Best To Get Rid Of Static?
When we first moved into our home I was shocking my hand on light switches. The humidifier just couldn’t keep up. I got a different humidifier and now we just don’t have static. I changed from a bypass humidifier to a steam humidifier. Our house was just a little too large for the bypass to humidify enough.
See the photos to the left for a view inside and outside of a steam humidifier.
Is It Bad When Your House Has Static?
Typically the static itself is not bad for your health. The problem is that static is a signal that your house has very low humidity. Low humidity does lead to dry skin, nose bleeds and makes you susceptible to colds and other illnesses.
To me the biggest advantage of a humidifier is is health benefits. Oftentimes we don’t contribute humidity to health. However having a good humidity level in your home all throughout the year, is good for your skin and protection against illnesses.
According to an article in Environmental Health Perspectives, a review of the health effects of relative humidity in indoor environments suggests that relative humidity can affect the incidence of respiratory infections and allergies.
The majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%. This would require humidification during winter in areas with cold winter climates.
Which way does the furnace filter go? Is there a wrong way to put in the furnace filter?
The short answer is yes, there is a wrong way to replace your furnace filter, but never fear. We show you exactly how to replace your furnace air filter and why your furnace filter direction matters.
The Correct Furnace Filter Direction
First of all, if you’re changing the filter, even if you put it in wrong, it’s better than not changing it all. So good job!
There is an arrow on the filter, sometimes they are very tiny. The arrow is an air flow indicator. What you want to remember is that this is the furnace’s filter. So, the arrow always points toward the furnace.
You could be in a basement where the return air comes down the left side or you could have a house where the return air comes down the right side. Always remember whether it’s coming from the left side, the right side, the arrow always points towards the furnace.
Why Is It Important For The Filter To Be Put In Correctly?
The reason they put those the airflow arrows on the filter is because the filter is constructed in a certain way to withstand the air pressure that will be going through the filter. When you know the airflow will be going in a certain direction the filter can be reinforced so it doesn’t pull apart or be sucked into the blower compartment.
Many filters have a side that is reinforced with the cardboard and the other side is open to actually filter the air. When the filter is replaced correctly with the arrows pointing toward the furnace, it will have proper reinforcement and will ultimately be longer lasting and more efficient.
How To Fix A Furnace With No Heat? Here are three easy checks.
This advice is geared for anyone who has little to no experience with how to fix a furnace.
If your furnace is not heating, there are actually three easy checks you can do before calling a professional. These may fix your furnace that is not heating. If you have a furnace no heat issue, we recommend:
1. Check the thermostat and make sure it is set to heat mode
2. Set the thermostat to “on” instead of “auto” and make sure there is power going to the furnace.
3. Do a hard reset of the furnace by removing power for about 10 seconds.
If after you check these three things, the furnace is still not working, we recommend calling a professional to do a more in depth look for the problem.
1. Check the thermostat and make sure it is set to heat mode
If you’re experiencing a problem with your furnace, the first thing to check is your thermostat. Go to the thermostat, don’t touch it, don’t make any adjustments. Just look at the thermostat.
Is it properly set on heat?
On the thermostat there is a heat/cool/off switch. The switch should be in the heat mode.
Also, the temperature setting should be set above the recorded room temperature. The term for that is that your thermostat is “calling for heat.” This is telling the thermostat that “yes I need you on.”
Sometimes you thermostat is just not calling for heat or if it is a programmable thermostat where the settings have changed and you are not aware of the change.
2. Set the thermostat to “on” to make sure there is power going to the furnace
We want to make sure there is power to the furnace.
Many times the the furnace is completely dead, not doing anything. In this case, we want to make sure there is not a power problem.
There’s a really simple way for you to check for power to the furnace that is not heating.
Let’s go back to the thermostat. There is another switch for your fan. It will either be marked fan or blower. This has two settings: “auto” and “on.” (Some will have a circulate mode but typically just the two.)
Set your thermostat to the “on” position.
By putting the thermostat to the “on” position you are telling the blower to come on and to run non-stop. When you switch it to on you should hear the furnace blower come on. Go to a nearby register. You should feel air blowing out of the register. If you do not, we know that we have some sort of power issue.
We have given the furnace a direct call for the blower to come on, and if it’s not coming on, there is a power problem.
3. Do a hard reset of the furnace by removing power for about 10 seconds
Let’s try a hard reset of the furnace.
Many furnaces today have multiple circuit boards with many safety control features. These control features can sense when your furnace is having a problem turn itself off for safety reasons.
Sometimes the furnace could turn itself off due to a power outage or something that isn’t actually a problem so you can try resetting the furnace to see if it comes back on.
In order to do a “hard reset” you simply remove power to the furnace. There should be a power switch, an external power switch on the side of the furnace that looks much like a light switch on the wall. Turn off the switch for about 10 seconds and then turn it back on.
If you do not have a switch to power on your furnace, your furnace may use a simple wall plug. Unplug the furnace, wait ten seconds then plug it back in.
You have now done a hard reset of the furnace. It should have cleared out any faults and so it should have a good call for heat. At this point you should hear action in the furnace.
Bonus tip for a furnace that is not heating: Change Your Filter
Make sure the filter has been changed and is not blocking air flow. A dirty filter can cause the airflow to be blocked to such an extent that your furnace will turn itself off for safety reasons. Change your filter, do a hard reset of your furnace and see if that helps the furnace start working again.
If You Still Have A Furnace Not Working…
If after these checks you still are not getting heat from your furnace, it’s best to schedule an appointment with a professional. There is something larger going on. You have now checked the most rudimentary things: the thermostat is on, it is calling for heat, there is power to the furnace, there is a clean filter. Now time to have a professional take a look.
Change settings on your HVAC system to protect against viruses
There are settings on your heating and air conditioning system you can adjust for optimal protection against viruses and allergens. Plus anything else you don’t want flying around your indoor air.
Here are some of the best HVAC settings to prevent viruses and increase protection against germs:
Set your fan to “on” so your indoor air is constantly circulating through your filtration system.
Use your variable drive blower motor to circulate the air 24/7 for the maximum amount of filtration.
Set your whole home humidifier to 40%-50%
Turn UV Light to maximum setting
Make sure filter is clean and changed regularly
The optimal way to have your heating and air conditioning set to reduce viruses and illnesses
Of course you’re heating and air conditioning system is not the only way to prevent illnesses or viruses in your home. However it is at least part of your defense. Include these settings along with hand-washing social distancing. We want to let you know how best to use your heating and air conditioning system in order to keep you as safe as possible.
According to the EPA: Air cleaning and filtration can help reduce airborne contaminants, including particles containing viruses.
We don’t know a lot about the Coronavirus but we do know that the residential UV lights have been successful in sterilizing other viruses in the past so according to an article put out by the refrigeration news we have no reason to believe that it will be much different than these other types of viruses in far as how we can help treat it with our heating and air conditioning system.
Run Your Blower/Fan 24/7 to Prevent Viruses
The vast majority of the furnaces we install have variable drive blowers. They are extremely efficient and they have a low electric consumption. This affords you to be able to use it as a constant air cleaner.
Go to the thermostat and look for the blower switch. Where it says “on” or “automatic” put it in the “on” position. You’re telling it to run the blower all the time. 24/7.
The amount of electricity that it uses is extremely low. By doing this the furnace blower will constantly gather up all the air in the home, take it down to a central location, (via the return air duct )and at that point we can clean it with your filter. Better yet, clean it with a Micro Power Guard air cleaner or a UV light that can help to sterilize the air. You will also humidify the air if you have a humidifier.
For optimal air quality and illness protection it is extremely important keep the air circulating
When you keep the air circulating, it can be filtered as much as possible. If you have a variable drive blower motor it throttles down so it’s not like you’re going to have the curtains blowing. It’s going to be about half its normal air velocity. It will quietly and continuously circulate, clean and freshen the air so it is the best air quality you can have.
Again, if your blower is off, air is not being filtered so it is best to keep the air moving through your filtration system as much as possible.
Make Sure Electronic Air Cleaner is Turned On
If you have a Micro Power Guard electronic air cleaner those are really either on or off so it’s just important to make sure that it is on. Also make sure it has a clean media in the electronic air cleaner. If you’re one of our Comfort Club Members we take care of that for you and change the MPG media during your routine maintenance.
We recommend that those media be changed two to three times a year.
Turn UV Light to High and Change the Bulbs Every Two Years
The most popular UV Light that we install is the Oxyquantum LED UV Light. This light usually has two bulbs in it. Turn it to the maximum setting. This is also great for odor control and sterilizing the air as much as possible.
The best setting for your HVAC UV LIGHT sterilization system is to set to high, and make sure the bulbs have been changed within the last two years. (If you have an Oxyquantum LED UV System.)
We don’t want it to get too humid as we get more into the summertime but right now keeping the humidity setting so we’re maintaining about 40 to 50% is optimal for the control of viruses.
Does humidity kill viruses?
We recommend you set your humidifier to 40%-50. It has been shown that viruses are least viable in that range of humidity.
With what we have discussed, you also need to consider the proper care and feeding of your HVAC accessories. They need to be maintained on a routine basis, which is important to make sure that everything is clean and functioning properly.
Of course your heating and air conditioning system should only be seen as a part of illness prevention, along with all the other preventative measures. However, if you do the things we just mentioned above…your HVAC system can be used as another layer of defense against illnesses.
The options for solutions to get more air upstairs range dramatically. You can start simple with registers and damper solutions, all the way up to some high-tech solutions like zoning. What you wan to think about with the airflow in your home is that air will always take the path of least resistance. We’ll show you how to make the path of least resistance the upstairs.
Experiment With Opening And Closing Room Registers To Get More Air Upstairs
The first and easiest thing you can try to get more air upstairs is to just simply shut off registers in rooms. Shut off registers in the lower levels that will sill be comfortable if they don’t have as much air flow, and make sure the registers upstairs are open. You would be surprised how many people complain that they don’t get enough air upstairs and they have closed registers!
They key here is you are trying to manipulate the air to go where you want it to go.
Adjust Dampers
Most homes have dampers near the furnace area. You can usually find your dampers on runs that go to the upstairs. Most homes have at least two dampers, however that is not the case for every home, so you home may not have them. We made another video about how to find your dampers and adjust them how you like.
Dampers do need to be manually adjusted, but they are a fantastic way to control where you are pushing the air in your home.
The down side about dampers is typically there are two options. You can open or close the dampers that go to the upstairs. This will help tremendously, however you have to remember to change them with the seasons and sometimes you may need another person to help you open or close them properly.
HVAC Zoning To Get More Air Upstairs
We also have a more high-tech solution to get more air upstairs. You can install a zoning panel. You can take a home that only has one heating and cooling system, (one furnace and one air conditioner) and you can zone different areas in your house.
And those zones would have their own thermostat.
You can adjust those thermostats however you want. For example, you could create a “zone” that only includes your home office with its own thermostat while using your same heating and cooling system.
We are breaking your system up into multiple systems where we can have two three and four thermostats in the home and utilize control panels. Those panels are connected to dampers that have little actuators on them (little motors) which will adjust on the fly. They can open and close at the touch of a button to get the proper airflow to where we want.
The results are phenomenal
Many people are loving zoning, and you might be pleasantly surprised by the price.
Run Your Furnace Blower In The “On” Position
Another really great trick to get your upstairs more comfortable is continuous airflow. Turn your thermostat blower to the “on” position. This will run the blower continuously.
By running the blower constantly, we are now pushing air upstairs constantly. We are constantly mixing things up in the return air that will make a huge difference.
Just try that.
The blower is going to run continuously. It’s not like you’re running your air conditioner non-stop, and just see if that doesn’t make a difference.
If you are wondering why does furnace start and stop?, we have a few easy checks. Ramon with One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning in Olathe, KS details what is happening when your furnace turns on then immediately turns off.
This is a problem known as short cycling.
What does is mean when your furnace is short cycling?
When your furnace is short cycling, it is a safety control that turns the furnace off. Your furnace is sensing that something is wrong. It may not be venting properly for example and the furnace turns off to protect your home. It is for this reason why if your furnace is short cycling, it means that your furnace is sensing a problem that needs to be addressed. We recommend a professional look at your furnace and perform a professional cleaning. Often, short cycling can be prevented with routine maintenance.
Problem #1 Furnace Tries to Start Then Stops
The first possibility for why your furnace turns on then off is that there could be a problem with the ignition portion of the furnace. When your furnace tries to turn on, and you hear the actual burner lighting and then shutting off, there is a problem with the flame guard circuit of the furnace. Meaning, it is not sensing a proper flame. Probably a thorough cleaning is what is needing to fix this particular problem.
Problem #2 Furnace Ignites Then Turns Off
The next possibility for why your furnace is turning off is that is is not venting properly. If you hear the inducer assembly (which is a little combustion blower on the furnace) cycle on and off the issue is going to be in the circuitry of the inducer assembly.
The pressure switches are sensing a flu problem or an improper draft in the flue.
We’re talking about the safety controls turning the furnace off
It’s time to have your furnace serviced. This is a problem and it’s not going to go away. If you’ve caught it acting up once it’s going to do it again. When it does short-cycle again it’s going to be when you want to use it.
Here’s the good news.
Short-cycling is Prevented With Regular Cleaning and Maintenance
Typically short cycling is a problem with a common culprit: dirt.
This is a maintenance-related problem where dirt causes a poor ignition. Regular professional cleanings and adjustments can keep this problem at bay. The good news is that short-cycling is typically not a costly repair, but it does take an experienced technical hand to know exactly what’s going on.
Why does my furnace keep shutting off? When Your Furnace Runs, But Does Not Reach Desired Temperature Before Turning Off?
Short cycling, is mainly when a furnace turns on then immediately turns off. If it runs for a few minutes and turns off, that is a different problem. If you suspect your furnace turning off before it completes a full cycle, there are some adjustments that can be made with the communication between the furnace and the thermostat. Again, it is best to have an experienced heating and cooling technician handle this one as mis-wiring can create more problems than you’re trying to solve.
Recently we received a question from our “ask an expert” page on our website. Yevette asked: “I was wondering if you could tell me how to switch my dampers now that we have the heater on because it’s set for summer right now, and is pushing all of the hot air upstairs and it is stifling up there.” Yes, we can help you with some easy tips on how to adjust dampers plus how to tell if your dampers are open or closed.
Where are HVAC dampers located?
Typically in most homes, your HVAC dampers are located in the main supply trunks. The supply trunks are the parts of the ductwork that are blowing warm air or cold air depending on the season. How many dampers are you looking for? Every house is different. Some homes have no dampers at all. Hopefully most homes have a damper in each one of the supply ducts. Your home may have a supply duct go to the right and you might have one go to the left off of your furnace. You’ll also typically have a damper in the supply duct going to your upstairs. If you have exposed ductwork, look at all the runs and check which ones have dampers. Some homes have dampers in every run, which is great for air balancing.
How to tell if HVAC dampers are open or closed?
Dampers are made of sheet metal. These sheet metal dampers have a little wing nut on them. The very center of the bolt that goes through that wing nut has a flat spot on it and that tells you the position of the damper. When you look at it and it’s been smashed in a certain direction, that means the damper is in that position. As you rotate it you visualize that a damper is attached to the part you can turn. It moves in the same position as the direction you turn the wing nut. If you look at it and it is horizontal that means it is open. If you turn it at an angle it will cut down the amount of air going through the duct.
When you loosen the wing nut to adjust the damper, you may need a pair of pliers to loosen it. Turn it, then hold it there and tighten the nut back down to keep the damper in position.
To summarize, if you are looking at ductwork going horizontal over your head and the little wing is in a horizontal position that means it’s open. If you are looking at a duct that is coming off the furnace and going straight up like it is going to the upstairs, and the wing is in the same direction as the duct, it is open. If the wing is in the opposite or vertical position to the ductwork, then the damper is closed.
When should you adjust a balancing damper?
You’ll notice a need to adjust your dampers when you are changing seasons. When the temperatures get cold enough that you turn on the furnace, you will notice your upstairs feeling too hot. Personally I wouldn’t adjust the dampers until you are routinely using either the furnace or air conditioner so you can better understand where you want the conditioned air to go.
How to test if your dampers are open or closed?
If you have someone to help you, an easy way to check if the dampers are open or closed is to get someone to go upstairs and place their hand over each vent. By placing your hand over the vent in a bedroom, you can test each damper to make sure it is open or closed. It takes some teamwork, but it is a great and easy way to get maximum comfort for hot spots and cold spots in your home.
HVAC Damper Open Or Closed In Summer/Winter
In most homes, dampers going to the upstairs are open in the summer and closed in the winter. By closing the dampers to the upstairs in the winter, it allows for the heat to rise naturally after first being introduced into the lower levels of the home. In the summer, the downstairs is naturally cooler and most people complain of hot bedrooms. Opening the dampers to the upstairs and closing as much air to the downstairs as possible allows maximum cool air to go to the bedrooms in the summertime.
Still have hot spots or cold spots after adjusting dampers?
Dampers are great, but they may not be enough to completely end hot spots or cold spots in your home. There are several reasons you may still have air balancing issues.
Poor air flow. Have you changed your filter recently? Dirty air filters can block necessary air flow to keep your home comfortable.
Blocked air vents. Make sure you don’t have furniture or personal items blocking the vents where you are feeling hot or cold spots.
Air leaks in your duct work. Most homes leak a significant amount of air through unsealed portions of their ductwork. Ductsealing is a great option for fixing hot spots and cold spots in your home.
Your carbon monoxide detector can be set off by any gas burning appliance. Gas burning appliances include your water heater, furnace, fire place, and gas stove. All of these appliances can give off trace amounts of carbon monoxide. However, if these appliances are not burning correctly, they will set off the carbon monoxide detector. Often times, if there is not adequate ventilation for your gas burning appliances, this can be a cause of the detector to sound an alarm.
How Can You Check for Carbon Monoxide in Your Home?
The best way to continuously check for carbon monoxide in your home it to have a low level carbon monoxide detector. If you do not have a detector, you can have an HVAC professional check it for you during their routine maintenance. Most HVAC professional wear a carbon monoxide detector on their belts since they commonly work with gas-fired furnaces. However, having an HVAC professional check will likely cost money, so you could also call 911 or the fire department if you suspect a carbon monoxide leak in your home.
If you suspect you currently have a carbon monoxide leak, please leave your home and call 911.
Is One Carbon Monoxide Detector Enough?
One carbon monoxide detector is great, but you want to have one in the hallway outside of bedrooms. If you have bedrooms on more than one level in your home, it is a good idea to have more than one detector. Why you want to have it in the hallway outside of bedrooms is so you will be able to hear it, wake up, and safely exit your home if there is danger.
Where is the Best Place to Put a Carbon Monoxide Detector?
The best place for a carbon monoxide detector is in each hallway outside of bedrooms. It is often recommend to place it 5 feet off the ground and on every level of your house. Place at least 5-20 feet away from any gas-fired appliance so you do not get false alarms. Another great place for a carbon monoxide detector is near your attached garage, since the fumes from a running car can be dangerous in your home if not monitored properly.
According to epa.gov: Keep the detector out of the way of pets and children. Each floor needs a separate detector. If you are getting a single carbon monoxide detector, place it near the sleeping area and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up.
What To Do If Carbon Monoxide Alarm Goes Off
Call 911 or call the fire department and leave your home.
Should I Go To Trade School or Get Hired As An Apprentice?
I recently spoke with Matt who has been an HVAC technician for 21 years. He went to trade school for his education however he also runs the apprenticeship program. The following are Matt’s opinions about the pros and cons of going to trade school vs. getting hired as an apprentice.
Pros and Cons of Going to Trade School:
One of the good things about trade school is there is generally a lot of “lab.” This provided many changes to work on real-life air conditioners. It is always great to get hands on experience instead of reading a book about HVAC.
In this industry, you can’t just read a book or take a test and think you know what you need to know to be a successful HVAC technician.
In trade school, a lot of you experience depends on the teacher and how much ownership they take in the students. The teachers do teach a very well-rounded education. For the student that doesn’t know which part of the industry they want to pursue, they will learn about residential, commercial, industrial topics in about two years. Trade school give you an option to learn a little bit of everything. An apprenticeship will just focus on one part of the industry such as residential, commercial, etc.
If you go to trade school, try to work in the industry at the same time.
When I went to trade school I was working at the same time. I went to trade school in the morning and then worked in the afternoon. I will say my progression through trade school was significantly faster than I think the typical student. I was learning and also out there in the field doing it. None of my fellow students were in the field. All they could do was envision what the industry was going to be like.
Pros and Cons of Skipping Trade School and Being Hired as an Apprentice
Many HVAC companies have found that they have success in hiring when they hire based on if the applicant has a good attitude and personality and train for the technical skills “in-house.”
In our particular case at One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, we’re a residential service provider. Good people skills and good communication is something they can’t teach in trade school, but we can look for that when we hire. We know that in our industry someone’s success rate has more to do with communication skills than their technical skills. I would say that’s one thing that a lot of trade schools are not teaching as much…the communication aspect of our industry. But it’s so important.
The apprentice program is a way for us to hire the right person, then provide a high level of education without the need to go to school.
Here’s the kicker…
I personally think one of the biggest benefits to the apprentice program is the one-on-one you get with your instructor. We just completed a program with three individuals. One of the employees had zero experience and the other two had already been through trade school…and we still put them through the apprenticeship program.
All three ended up in the field at the same time. They were all on the same level playing field and all three are just doing amazing. When you are in trade school, you’re in a classroom full of maybe twenty five other students and and there’s only so much time the teacher can spend with each student.
What is an HVAC Apprentice Program Like?
In the One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning program in Olathe, KS we’ll spend about six hours per day with the apprentices. They have class room days where we’ll start in the morning, take a lunch and then get back at it in the afternoon. Then on the non-classroom days they spend their time doing ride alongs and shadowing with experienced technicians. They will also be “helpers” on an installation crew. They get to see all all the different aspects of our industry. On the classroom days, you’re able to make eye contact with every one of those individuals and they’re not afraid to ask questions. Most people don’t want to feel like a fool in front of 25 other people, but when you are in a room just with a few other people, you are free to ask questions without consequence.
How long is the HVAC Apprentice Program?
For the apprentice coming in who knows absolutely nothing, how long does it take before they are ready to be in a truck?
Eight months.
After eight months of classroom, field training, and shadowing the typical person is ready.
Avoid dreadful student loan debt.
Our apprenticeship program takes potential technicians from knowing absolutely zero to being in a truck. Imagine having no experience whatsoever to being a working technician in the field without going into debt.
Here’s the kicker…
It doesn’t cost a penny.
We hire who we want to train, then train them at no cost. We also pay an hourly wage while we train.
However, it is a big investment for the company. It takes a lot of time and money for a company to train someone, but we find it a worthwhile investment. We have had great success with apprentices turning into long-term employees.
Another big benefit of an apprentice program is that we can teach and train for exactly what we need and want in a technician. Trade schools teach everyone universally. In our apprentice program we teach a lot of technical training but also a lot of communication training.
Advice For Anyone Interested In a Career In HVAC
My tip is always to just go and do a ride-along. (Ride with a technician for a day.) If you just have this vague interest, go see what it would be like in real life and see if you would be good at the job. Approach a company in a professional manner and nine time out of ten they would be happy for you to ride along with one of their technicians for a day.
I think that that would be a good investment of your time. Spend a couple of days doing a ride along instead of going to school for a year or two and then realizing after completing school that you don’t enjoy the HVAC industry.
Can You Be Passionate About HVAC?
When it comes to following your passion…we twist that saying a little bit and encourage people to find something that you are good at. Find something you’re good at and you tend to start loving the things your excel in and you get better and better every day.
In the video below we provide pros and cons to trade school vs apprenticeships and how to decide between trade school or apprenticeship. If you have questions about how to become an hvac apprentice, please contact us.
An AC Tune Up includes checking and cleaning all major components of your air conditioning system. Also included is checking to make sure you have the proper freon levels in your ac unit. This makes sure the ac unit is not leaking and will not leave you without air conditioning in the summer.
It is important to check the power level of your capacitor. Checking the capacitor, makes sure it will continue to start your outdoor unit. If your capacitor is low on power, an HVAC technician typically recommends replacing your capacitor preventatively. If the capacitor loses enough power, it will leave you without air conditioning. Also an important reason to replace a capacitor that is low on power preventatively, is if the capacitor is not providing enough power to the more expensive components, it can create problems for those other parts. These parts are much more expensive to replace such as a blower motor. Watch this video that explains the importance of checking your capacitor.
At One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, we also check the major components of your furnace as well during your air conditioner maintenance to make sure we are not overlooking one side of the system.
How Often Should AC Be Tuned Up?
We recommend getting regular maintenance done or getting an ac tune up one time per year. It is important to keep your outdoor unit free of debris that clogs it throughout the year. The outdoor coil can be considered the “lungs” of the system so if it can’t breathe properly, the air conditioner will not be able to cool your home enough.
Often ac tune ups will uncover an ac repair that needs to be done preventatively so you will not be left with an air conditioner breakdown.
How To Wash Out Your Air Conditioner
While a professional cleaning is always best because you can get a much more thorough clean from the inside out, you can help your air conditioner by washing the outside. Watch our demonstration here to learn how to wash out your air conditioner properly. If you have a professional cleaning done once per year, it is not necessary to clean your outdoor unit yourself unless you have an unusual amount of leaves, dirt, etc. on your outdoor unit that may be causing it to not work properly.
Air Conditioner Not Cooling Enough?
If your air conditioner is not cooling enough, it is possible that you can help solve the problem. Lack of maintenance and dirt in general creates problems for your air conditioner. If your air conditioner is not cooling enough, try changing your air filter and do a gentle wash of the outdoor unit with a light stream of water. These simple changes may help! It is important to change your air filter regularly. Please watch this video on what can happen if you do not change your filter.
When we first moved into our home I was shocking my hand on light switches. The humidifier just couldn’t keep up. I got a different humidifier and now we just don’t have static. I changed from a bypass humidifier to a steam humidifier. Our house was just a little too large for the bypass to humidify enough.
