Never Too Late for HVAC Maintenance

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

HVAC maintenance is something that we all need from time to time, and also something that many of us find ourselves putting off far longer than we should.  Keeping your heating and air conditioning systems maintenanced might seem like something that’s not really that important, and you may possibly think about it as an optional investment or one that can be left till next month, or even year. Truth be told, keeping up to date on your air conditioning maintenance can help keep your monthly utility bills and running costs down during the hot summer months.

While it’s getting hot, it’s never too late to get your air conditioning system up to par. If you let your heating or air conditioning system slip by without any maintenance, you’ll soon find yourself needing heating and air conditioning repair, instead of just the simple maintenance. This often adds up being far more expensive than just keeping up with the standard maintenance.

Residential air conditioning down here in southern California is used quite a bit given our hot summers, but our heaters get used almost as much during the winter. Our heaters, like our air conditioners, need simple and regular maintenance to stay running at efficiency. Maintenance, as stated before, is often times cheaper than the repairs that they prevent, which makes keeping up on them a practical option.  

We all love our air conditioners; I know I do, especially in these hot southern California summers. With temperatures reaching far into the triple digits, I found myself running my AC far more than I had thought I would. Luckily, I didn’t have to deal with a drastic increase in my power bills thanks to the maintenance I had done in the spring.

We have a great crew here at WC Air, and they really know their stuff. They should, given the high standards we hold each and every one them to, and the extensive training that we require. While all of our technicians are specialists in what they do, there are a few things you can do on your end to help prolong the lifecycle of your heating and cooling systems.

The most important thing you can do on your own, in my opinion, is to see if your air filter has been cleaned or replaced recently. It’s important to clean the air filter about once every month, depending on usage. By simply keeping this little bit clean, you can find yourself one giant step closer to lowering your monthly utility bills, while enjoying the cool air that your air conditioner can bring during these hot summer months.

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Why upgrading your FAU & AC is important!

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

The reason why upgrading both your FAU and AC is so important is because if you do them seperately you can only get R-22 but if you get a full system upgrade you can get R-410A .

For more than four decades, the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) industry has relied on refrigerant-22, also known as R-22 and sometimes referred to as Freon, as its primary refrigerant. R-22 is the staple of many air conditioners, as it is the heat-transfer agent that extracts heat from inside your house and transfers it outdoors.

However, when fluorocarbons in R-22 were discovered to deteriorate the earth’s ozone layer, an international mandate created a timetable to remove the refrigerant from use. Originally planned as a gradual process culminating in a complete R-22 refrigerant phase out by 2020, the timetable has recently been accelerated in proposals by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce 2012 supplies by more than 40 percent over that of 2011. As with any scarce commodity, uncertainty in the supply chain has caused R-22 prices to spike, and also created shortages and caused stockpiling.

How does the R-22 refrigerant phase out affect you? Well, if your air conditioner is at least 10 years old, it likely utilizes R-22. So here are a few realities confronting homeowners who are facing another summer with aging R-22 cooling equipment:

1.  You can expect to pay more than three times last year’s prices for an R-22 recharge. Even just topping off your system to nurse it through another summer may produce a startling repair bill. If component replacement necessitates a full recharge, cost of R-22 alone could exceed total parts and labor.

    

2. While no one can predict supplies during the R-22 refrigerant phase out, shortages could result in complete unavailability in some regions, especially if a spell of heat waves impacts a wide area. In this scenario, an air conditioner in need of R-22 will be converted into an expensive fan that circulates hot air in your residence.

    

3. You should consider upgrading to a system that utilizes R-410A refrigerant, which is an environmentally friendly replacement for R-22. All HVAC equipment manufactured since 2010 uses R-410A. This state-of-the-art equipment is more efficient, and offers lower operating costs and higher comfort levels than most R-22 cooling systems. Additionally, R-410A units generally offer longer warranties with more comprehensive coverage.

For more information on how the R-22 refrigerant phase out could affect you, contact the experts at WC Heating, Air, and Plumbing Inc.

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