HVAC Tips from Sears Heating and Cooling

Air Conditioner Ice Build Up Does your air conditioner have a build up of ice on the outside? Wondering what could be the cause or fix for this? Read on to find out! Restricted Air Flow The major cause of ice build up on an air conditioner is restricted air flow. Without the proper air flow being able to flow over the evaporator coil, the temperature will easily drop below freezing and ice will begin to accumulate both inside and outside. Most people only notice their outside unit being frozen but chances are if you our outside unit is a block of ice then so is the evaporator coil that sits on top of your furnace out of view. R-22 refrigerant works to cool your home by making your indoor coil extremely cold as warm air blows over it. The best way to prevent ice build up on your air conditioner...

Why Does My Air Conditioner Smell Bad? Have you recently turned on your air conditioner only to find your house smelling foul a few minutes later? Dirty Sock Syndrome There is nothing worse than coming home on a hot day and walking into an air conditioned home that smells like a dumpster. If you have just turned your air conditioner on for the first time of the year, this is popularly known as "dirty sock syndrome" and is due to dirt and dust growth on your evaporator coil. If your air conditioner is creating foul smelling air all of the time however, there could be several things occurring. Here are a list of the most popular odors and their likely culprits. Air Conditioner Smells Musty If your air conditioner smells musty when you turn it on, you may have dust, mold or mildew growing in your duct work or indoor...

Fixing an Air Conditioner Refrigerant Leak Did you know that it's technically possible to fix a leak in an air conditioner? Although it may not be the most cost efficient repair to make based on the age of the unit, fixing a leaking air conditioner can buy you some extra time to get the money needed to have a new one installed. Let's take a look at what all goes into repairing a refrigerant leak in an air conditioner. Determining the Type of Refrigerant This first step is extremely important due to the fact that putting the wrong refrigerant in your air conditioner will destroy the compressor. You will need to determine the age of your air conditioner to verify what type of refrigerant it is using. If your AC was manufactured before 2010 then it is most likely using R22, the old and now phased out refrigerant. If it...

Is It Possible For My Air Conditioner To Give Me Headaches? Believe it or not, air conditioning can actually be the cause of headaches for some people. Cold Air Can Cause Dehydration Did you know that your air conditioner not only cools the air in your home but also acts as a large dehumidifier as well? Yep! While lowering the overall humidity indoors is a good thing during the hot summer months, lowering it too much can cause dehydration which will in turn lead to head aches. Even mild dehydration can cause headaches so be sure you drink plenty of water even though you are inside your cool home. Another option is to have a humidifier installed that will work with your HVAC system to keep your home at a constant humidity level.  Cold Air & Blood Vessel Contraction If you keep your home too cool, it can actually cause...

List of Annual Festivals | Columbus, Ohio Annual festivals are something to look forward to attending with your family each year and Columbus, Ohio has plenty to choose from. During the warmer months, it seems as if there is a festival happening in the city somewhere each weekend! Check out the seasonal list below for some of the most popular events to attend. We have listed the festivals in the order they occur. Summer Festivals   Arnold Sports Festival This annual event draws thousands of people to Columbus, Ohio from across the Midwest states each year. Established in 1989 and named after the famous bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the event is a multi-sport expo that consists of bodybuilding, strongman, fitness, and a figure and bikini weekend expo. The annual event is held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and occurs at the beginning of March each year with the...

Best Ice Cream Places | Columbus, Ohio Here at Sears Heating & Cooling, we love our ice cream! Ice cream is good any time of the year but with summer fast approaching it's popularity will start to climb. Get acquainted with all the best ice cream spots in Columbus, Ohio by checking this top 5 list we have compiled. This list is in no particular order. 1.) Jeni's Founded by Jeni Britton Bauer, a previous student at Ohio State University, this place was actually started and is still headquartered here in Columbus, Ohio. They are well known for their unique flavors such as "Queen City Cayenne" which is chocolate flavored with cayenne pepper to spice it up! They offer an assortment of normal ice cream flavors to choose from as well. Jeni's splendid ice creams currently has over 47 storefronts across the United States.  2.) Graeter's Graeter's was founded in...

How To Choose a Heating & Cooling Company A heating and air conditioning system is a huge home investment. For this reason you want to make sure that the HVAC contractor you choose is going to do the job right the first time. Correcting problems caused by a poor HVAC installation can be costly and inconvenient. You should also consider that the quality of the work of the heating and cooling company you choose will also affect the safety of your home as heating and air conditioning system malfunctions can be dangerous. Talk to Friends The best way to know what a contractor’s work will be like is to talk to folks who have already worked with them. Your friends and family will have real life experience they can share with you about different contractors in your area. A great HVAC company will generally be well known and involved with...

Is It Worth It To Repair My Air Conditioner? With warmer weather quickly on the way, now is the time to think about your air conditioner. Is it in good shape? Does it need major repairs? When it comes to ac repair in Columbus, Ohio, there are several questions you should ask prior to calling for service. When Should I Repair My AC? Your AC Is Less Than 12 Years Old If your air conditioner is less than 12 years old, it may be just worth repairing it depending on what is wrong. The average life of an air conditioner in Columbus, Ohio is around 15 years depending on how well the system has been taken care of. Minor Repair Is Needed Even if your unit is older than 12 years, if a minor repair is all that is needed then repair your air conditioner may be the best call....

What Refrigerant Does My Air Conditioner Use? There are 2 primary types of refrigerants that are used in air conditioners today. R22 Vs R410A There are 2 primary types of refrigerants in air conditioners today. R22 and R410A. If your air conditioner was manufactured after 2010, it uses the new style of refrigerant R410A. Air conditioners made prior to this most likely are filled with R22. Why Are There Different Refrigerants? Believe it or not, R22 has actually been in the process of being phased out since the mid 1990s and was completely phased out as of January 1, 2020. R22 refrigerant is not nearly as eco-friendly as the R410A refrigerant. R410A offers several benefits compared to R22: Better Performance - The R22 refrigerant has to work harder to let go of the heat it absorbs inside your home. This extra work means your compressor has to work harder in...

How Often Should I Clean My AC? Even if you aren't having any problems with your air conditioner, it is still highly recommended to receive annual maintenance by a professional HVAC company. Warranty Issues Most manufactures require that annual maintenance be performed on your air conditioner in order to keep any warranties active. Think of it this way, if you were a car dealer, would you accept a warranty claim on it if the customer who bought it never did oil changes or regular maintenance? A plus side to this warranty requirement is that you will not have as many air conditioner repairs and increase its overall lifespan as well. Best Time Of Year Generally, best time to have your air conditioner maintenance completed is in the spring and early summer months to ensure that it is properly cooling your home. Most of the time, it is not necessary to...