HVAC Tips from Sears Heating and Cooling

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 the community you live in. You can also check local HVAC reviews online on sites such as Google and Facebook to verify other customer's past experiences. Check Qualifications The most important qualification to look for is the company's HVAC license. Licensing is important as they are required to be tested and then registered by the local government ensuring that they are an expert in the heating and cooling field. Also, most reputable HVAC contractors will belong to some type of qualifying association such as the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). There are several such associations that heating and cooling...

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. Minor repairs include things such as electrical component replacement, a dirty evaporator coil and clogged condensate lines. Repair Costs Less Than 50% Of a New Air Conditioner Depending on your air conditioner's age, if a repair costs less than half the cost of a new unit a repair may be the better option. Less Than 2 Repairs In Last 10 Years If you've had less than 2 minor repairs within the last 10 years on your air conditioner, a repair is still a good option depending on what is wrong. When Should I Replace My AC? Your Air Conditioner Is...

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 return leading to a decreased lifespan. Better Efficiency - As previously stated, R410A is more capable of absorbing the heat from your home and dispersing it outside. This increases the overall efficiency of your air conditioner and allows your home to cool more quickly. Cheaper - R410A is much cheaper to obtain than R22. As R22 becomes more and more scarce, the price of it will continue to rise. Eventually all supplies of R22 will be depleted and you will have no choice but to replace your air conditioner if you have a refrigerant leak. Better For Environment - The...

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 check refrigerant levels unless the unit is pointing to a possible refrigerant issue. Each time a technician hooks up their gauges to your air conditioner, a small amount of refrigerant is released so limiting this process is recommended. As your air conditioner continually runs, it begins to accumulate dust and dirt even in places you wouldn't expect. Did you know that dirt and lack of maintenance are the top causes of HVAC breakdowns? An air conditioner that has annual maintenance performed on it can easily last 3-5 years longer than one that doesn't. Schedule Your AC Tune Up Have you scheduled...

7 Signs It's Time To Replace Your AC Wondering if it's time to finally replace that AC that has been giving you trouble? Check out these 7 popular signs to help you make the best decision! 1.) Your air conditioner is old (10 years +) Air conditioners are designed to last 8-10 years on average. However, assuming that you have had annual maintenance completed by a licensed HVAC company, some units can last 15+ years easily. Also, as of the year 2020, R-22 will no longer be available anywhere as it is being phased out by the government.  This also means that the price of R-22 related repairs right now has begun to skyrocket due to dwindling supplies all across the country. R-22 is being replaced by R410a, which is found in all new air conditioners that are sold today.    2. Your air conditioner is noisy In general, your air conditioner should not be noisy while running. It is normal to be able to hear the quiet hum of the compressor as it runs in your outside condensing unit, but it should not be anything overly noticeable. If your condenser is beginning to sound like an airplane taking off, chances are your compressor is beginning to die, and that equates for 50% of your air conditioning system. If you have an old air conditioner, replacing the compressor would not be the wisest option financially as compressor replacements can easily cost $1,200 or more. It would generally be money better spent...

A Complete Guide To Common HVAC Problems Looking to learn more about some common HVAC problems that homeowners face today? Look no further, we've got your complete guide right here. When it comes to HVAC, there are countless numbers of problems that can occur and keep you from enjoying the comfort you deserve. There are instances where you can fix the problem yourself. However, most of the time, you will need a certified, professional, HVAC company to come out and diagnose the problem you're having. In any case, we figured we would put together a list of common HVAC problems to provide you with a guideline as to what may be going on with your system. We hope that in turn, this makes you a more educated and informed customer! To utilize this guide, click on the problem you are having below and you will be taken to the page needed. Please understand that this guide is an ongoing effort and information is continually being added to it. Common Air Conditioner Problems Air conditioner is iced up Air conditioner is blowing warm air Electric bills are higher than usual Air conditioner makes air smell bad Air conditioner is leaking water inside Air conditioner not turning on Air conditioner runs all the time Air conditioner making loud noises Common Furnace Problems Furnace blowing cold air Furnace won't light Furnace produces burning smell Furnace runs all the time Pilot light is out Furnace making strange noises Miscellaneous HVAC Problems Humidifier leaking water...

How To Raise the Value Of Your Home Improving the value of your house is something that should always be on your mind if you are planning to sell someday. Here are some of the most popular ways to improve your home today along with the estimated costs to do so. Heating & Cooling System Believe it or not, your HVAC system can increase the overall value of your home. Some homes today do not even have an air conditioner installed and just utilize a furnace for the winter but if your home is located in an area that get summer weather, many potential buyers will want the comfort that an air conditioner provides. When buying a home, many people do not want the extra stress (or expense!) that comes with having to have a new air conditioner installed. Having an old, outdated heating and cooling system can be a deterrent to some buyers and lower the overall selling price of your home. Also, the energy efficiency and potential tax credits that come with having a new furnace and air conditioner installed can help make up for its cost. By replacing your old 10 SEER air conditioner with a new 16 SEER unit, you could see up to a 38% savings on your annual utility bills! If your current heating and cooling system is older than 15 years or has had several repairs completed recently, it may be cost effective to consider replacement if you are considering putting your home...

How Does Refrigerant Work in Your Air Conditioner? How does R-22 work exactly and how does it end up cooling the air in your home? This brief summary should help clear things up. What Is Refrigerant? How does refrigerant work in your air conditioner? First we need to define what a refrigerant actually is, it's a fluid that can easily boil from a liquid into a vapor and back into a liquid again. The most important part is that this process must be able to happen many times over continuously to work. Did you know that water is actually considered a refrigerant? It can be moved from a liquid state to a gaseous state but it's not utilized in air conditioning because specifically designed refrigerants can handle the cooling process more efficiently. The most popular refrigerants on the market today are R410A, R134A (for refrigerators) and R22. The low boiling points of these type of refrigerants make them the reason they are preferred over water. With such a low boiling point, the refrigerant can evaporate faster with less energy. Some people think that the refrigerant is the matter that is blown into your home to cool it down. Unfortunately, (and fortunately due to health reasons!) this is not how it works. Your heating and cooling system is actually a “closed loop system” in that the refrigerant in your system should never leak out or need refilled.  If you are low on refrigerant, this means that you have a leak somewhere in...

High Electric Bills: Is My HVAC System To Blame? Did you recently receive your electric bill and notice a massive jump in cost? Did you know that your HVAC System could be to blame for this? High electric bills are a common complaint during the super hot and super cold months. There are several different things that could be causing this increase so let's dive right in. Emergency Heat Running, Outdoor Unit Broken This one obviously relates to the colder months and if you have a heat pump. Heat pump systems are interesting in that they can essentially have two different ways to heat your home: the outdoor unit and the indoor unit (furnace). Generally speaking, the outdoor unit is designed to heat your home as long as the outdoor temperature is at 34 degrees or above. If it gets much colder than this, there is just not much heat outside that your condensor can work with to transfer inside, therefore, your system switches over to "emergency heat" mode. When this change happens, your outdoor unit shuts down and your furnace takes over at heating your home. This can cause some serious bill increases if the weather outside is extremely cold and you have an electric furnace. The simplest way to think about it would be to imagine an over-sized toaster running for hours on end and chugging an enormous amount of electricity at the same time.  When the weather drops below freezing outside, it is normal for emergency heat...

What Is The Purpose of a Cold Air Return? Cold air returns play an important role in the heating process of your home. What Do Cold Air Returns Do Anyways? Well, they do pretty much exactly what they say; they return cold air back to your furnace to be heated and then distributed throughout your home. You will find cold air returns near the floor of your rooms as cold air falls. The returns at the top of your rooms are hot air returns, since warm air rises. Amazing stuff, I know. These vents are essentially the "lungs" of your HVAC system. It "breathes in" via the return air vents, and "breathes out" via the supply vents.  Cold Air Return Tips Be sure to keep the area around your cold air return vents clear and clean so that air can recirculate properly. Blocking these vents can hinder your furnace or air conditioner from properly heating or cooling your home resulting in an air conditioner repair being needed. If some of your rooms feel "stuffy" you may need to add another return air vent in the room so that the hot and cold air can properly recirculate back to the furnace or air conditioner. A professional HVAC company can diagnose this issue for you. How many cold air returns do I need? Ideally you want a cold air return register in every major room in your home. This would not include bathrooms and closets, but bedrooms, living rooms, etc. Older homes...