HVAC Tips from Sears Heating and Cooling

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...

Ductless HVAC System Average Lifespan in Columbus, Ohio Assuming the ductless system is maintained by a professional HVAC company on a yearly basis, these types of systems can easily last 20 years or more in the Columbus, Ohio area. These systems are also a great way to improve the value of your home! The lifespan of a mini split ductless system is generally longer than that of a normal heating and cooling system (12-15 years). You can think about the lifespan of your ductless system in the same manner you would mileage on your car. The overall age of the system isn't nearly as important as how much it has run over it's lifetime. Why Do Ductless Systems Last Longer? This answer largely comes down to one component, the compressor. The compressor is the heart of your air conditioner. without it, the refrigerant would not cycle through your system to help remove the heat from your home. There are a couple different reasons a compressor can fail including: Hard Start Ups - It takes a good jolt of electric to start your air conditioner's compressor. When your AC starts and stops many times in day, this can begin to take a toll on the compressors lifespan. Most ductless mini split systems use a variable speed compressor that can go up and down in speed to help lengthen it's lifespan. Dirty Indoor Coil - The indoor coil of your air conditioner is what actually removes the heat from the air in...

What Questions Should I Ask During An HVAC Estimate? If you've never gone through the process of receiving an HVAC estimate, it can be daunting. We are here to help you out with some important questions you should be asking! While you should technically be asking as many questions as you can when receiving an HVAC estimate for a furnace or ac replacement, here are a few that we believe are the most important and should always be asked. Is The Estimate Free? Before you even have someone out to give you an HVAC estimate, you should ask whether or not the estimate is free. Generally speaking, most companies will come out and provide you with an estimate at no charge, but there are a few companies here and there that will charge you a small fee for their time. Here at Sears Heating & Cooling, our estimates for new equipment are ALWAYS free of charge. Do You Offer Financing? It's well known that new HVAC equipment is not the cheapest thing in the world, but at the same time it makes sense as it is a large factor in your home and the overall comfort level of it. If you are not in a position to pay up front for a new furnace or air conditioner, it is always important to ask if the company offers any financing options. Most HVAC companies that offer financing do so through a third-party bank. Here at Sears, we offer third-party HVAC financing...

Your HVAC System Can Help Reduce Indoor Allergies Do you struggle with allergies? Are you looking for some indoor allergy relief? Believe it or not, your HVAC system can help as it is responsible for the quality of your air indoors. Causes of Indoor Allergies As an allergy sufferer myself, I know how terrible it can be to have to deal with during allergy season. Spring time is generally when most people start to have issues, but allergies can be a year round deal as well when it comes to indoor allergens. There are multiple ways you can improve your indoor air quality. Believe it or not, your HVAC system can help you in this regard through the use of advanced filters and UV lights that are able to remove small allergy particles and dust mites. Some of the most common causes of indoor allergies include: Pet Dander We all love our indoor animals, but for some of us they can cause quite the problem with our allergies as well as our HVAC system. The dander from your pets fur can stay in the air for hours at a time, being blown all around your house and wreaking havoc on your allergies.  Mold Spores These babies aren't only bad for your allergies, but are bad for your health in general. Mold is prone to grow in damp, dark places such as basements or closets. Over time, the spores from any mold growth can become sucked into your HVAC system and...

Why Is My Air Conditioner Not Blowing Cold Air? The weather is finally warm and you go to turn your air conditioner on and nothing but warm air comes out. There are several things that may cause your air conditioner to not blow cold air. The best course of action if your air conditioner is not blowing cold air is to call a professional HVAC professional to come diagnose the problem. Attempting to fix something yourself can lead to an additional air conditioning repair being needed. However, here are a few items that could be causing the issue.   Dirty Filters   The first thing to check would be your air filters. One of the most common causes for air conditioners not blowing cold air is a dirty air filter. If your air filter is dirty or clogged, cool air flow is restricted and your air conditioner will not be able to properly cool your home. Letting your air conditioner continue to run under this circumstance can cause ice buildup to occur on both the outdoor coil as well as the evaporator coil. Continuing to run your ac system with ice build up can cause damage to the unit. Sometimes, something as simple as changing the filter will fix this issue.   Broken Parts Sometimes, this issue may be due to a broken part or parts on your condenser unit. One of the more costly fixes could be a failed compressor or indoor coil. If your outside condenser is not...

Pros and Cons of a Ductless HVAC System Is a ductless heating and cooling system right for you and your home? There are both pros and cons to using a ductless mini split system vs a standard heating and cooling system. Depending on the application, a ductless heating and cooling system could be a great addition to your home and improve its overall value. Pros of a Ductless Heating & Cooling System   1. Very Energy Efficient Ductless heating and cooling systems are extremely energy efficient compared to a standard HVAC system. Energy usage for these units is measure using a SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). Many of these units have a variable speed motor that can be adjusted based on need. Also, the Mitsubishi ductless system has an advanced inverter driven compressor that operates on a cruise control style setting. It ramps up only when needed then slows back down to conserve energy. With a ductless heating and cooling system, you are generally looking at 40% increase in energy efficiency compared to a standard ac unit!  Options include more than 30 energy star certified systems. 2. Flexibility in Usage One great benefit of a ductless system is their ability to "spot treat" certain areas of your home that are hard to heat and cool with your normal HVAC system. If a room is located far away from your central hvac system, the room may become hot in the summer and cold in the winter due to reduced air...

What Is the Best Way to Clean a Mini Split? Just like a normal air conditioner and furnace, mini splits require routine maintenance. Keeping your mini split ductless system clean is vital to its lifespan as it works all year round to heat and cool your home. Regularly scheduled maintenance is the best way to guard against expensive repairs that could arise when the system is not maintained. The frequency of cleaning required largely depends on how often you use the system and what kind it is (single zone, multi-zone, ceiling, wall-mounted etc.) Also, the overall efficiency of your system largely depends on how clean the unit is as well. A ductless system covered in dirt and other debris will not operate as efficiently and cost more in energy as opposed to a clean unit. There really is no substitute for having your mini split cleaned and inspected by a professional HVAC contractor, but here is a basic step-by-step process of how you can clean the unit yourself. 1. Make Sure the System Is Turned Off The most logical place to start the cleaning process is to make sure your mini split is turned off. For safety purposes, you will want to verify the power is off to the unit at the circuit breaker panel as well. Be sure to unplug any power cables that may be running from the unit as well. 2. Cleaning Materials Needed Having the right materials will making cleaning your ductless system much easier. Most...

How Cold Is Too Cold For My Heat Pump? Heat Pumps are highly efficient units but they do come with some drawbacks when the weather gets really cold. Heat Pump systems are highly efficient units but they do come with some drawbacks when it comes to cold temperatures. Will My Heat Pump Work When It’s Cold Out? This is a somewhat 2 part answer. The short answer would be yes, it will heat your home in cold weather. The tricky part is exactly how cold does it have to be before your heat pump just cant keep up? Let’s take a look. Heat Absorption Your heat pump heats your home by absorbing the heat in the outside air and transferring this heat indoors. It is basically working as an air conditioner in reverse through the use of refrigerant. This is great during heating season when there is some heat in the air for it to transfer, but when temps drop below freezing, the efficiency of your heat pump begins to suffer. This is why you have what is called “auxiliary heat” or “emergency heat” when you have a heat pump. This emergency heat comes in the form of a furnace inside your home (electric or gas) and it takes over for your system when it just can’t keep up anymore. Emergency Heat Source When the temps outside begin to drop below freezing, your thermostat should automatically switch from your heat pump to your auxiliary heat due to the loss of efficiency in it...