Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
If there’s one thing that a lot of people seem to neglect when it comes to the upkeep of their homes, it’s the heating and air conditioning system. This time of year, you really want to focus more on the heating system maintenance side of things, as it is the heater that is getting the brunt force of all the work. While it’s a good idea to have a professional come out and take a look at least once a year, there are a few things you can do yourself to help make sure your heating system, as well as your air conditioning, continue to run and function properly.
We’ve covered a few of them before, and they’re pretty simple. Things like making sure the air filters are changed and there aren’t any obstructions around any outside units. These are fairly strait forward, and you can see more in some of our earlier posts here.
Heating and air conditioning maintenance is something that doesn’t seem to cross the minds of many people these days, despite it being a key part of prolonging and maintaining the appliances’ lifecycle. That and it’s a really good way of keeping monthly utility bills down – that’s something we all want to do during the long, cold winter months.
Without proper heating repair services, heating systems begin to wear out and break down, causing the whole system to have to work harder and longer to achieve the same desired results. Home owners and residents who find they have to break the bank every time they want to head up their homes should consider having one of our highly trained and skilled technicians come out and take a look. We’re skilled and experienced in making older, under-maintenanced systems work like new.
Idealistically, we all want our heating and air conditioning systems to work without fail. We just want to be able to turn them on and have them work, without any issues or having to fix things. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. It will be right out of the box and after a fresh installation, but over the years, things start to wear out and need replacing. If you don’t keep up on the maintenance and tune ups, than you’ll soon find yourself deciding to deal with the cold rather than the increased utility bills – something many of us have found ourselves in over the years.
Heating and air conditioning maintenance is extremely important for maintaining the systems. It’s something that we should all be keeping up with throughout the years if we want our systems to continue running like they did when they were first installed. We all want the lower monthly bills while still being able to enjoy our indoors, whether it be cold or hot outside. The only way to do that, though, without incurring the high bills is to keep up on the maintenance. After all, you wouldn’t let your car run for a few years without a tune up or oil change, would you?
Tags: Heating and air conditioning maintenance, Heating repair services, heating system maintenance
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Monday, January 16th, 2012
The most efficient heating and cooling system you can have today is a central one. While there are uses for window air conditioning units and space heaters, you really get the most bang for your buck when you go with a central heating and air conditioning system. Space heaters use up a good portion of electricity and window units are only really useful for the room in which they reside. Central air and heating systems, on the other hand, heat and cool the entire house, as well as singular portions of it.
Most new and recent homes will come with central heating and cooling standard, but this is not the case with a lot of older homes. Central heating is wonderful to have during the long, cold winter nights and a central cooling system is great for those hot summer days. Luckily for those who don’t have central heating and air conditioning installed in their homes, there are many options available in regards to financing and tax rebates and credits. With the social shift towards energy efficiency and green technologies, now is the best time to take advantage of the available options to get one’s heating and cooling systems upgraded.
Every central heating system has a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating. These ratings are important when looking for new equipment or installations. The higher the rating, the better off one is when it comes to their monthly energy bills. These ratings aren’t necessarily constant, since the systems themselves begin to require maintenance as time goes on. For this, heating and air maintenance is required to get everything working back at factory standards, increasing the energy efficiency back up to par and restoring the SEER rating.
We all want to be warm during the cold winter nights, and we all want to stay cool during the scorching summer days. Central heating and air conditioning systems are the way to achieve just that without having to pay through the nose every month in utility bills. Older systems can also benefit greatly from heating and air maintenance, especially if they haven’t been maintenanced in the last year. Typically, one would want their heating and cooling systems maintenanced once a year in order to keep them running at par. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.
If you haven’t had your heating and air conditioning systems maintenanced this year, than it’s probably a good idea to give us a call and see how we can help you out. We’re pretty good at maintenancing older units and getting them back up and running at peak efficiency.
Tags: central air and heating systems, Central Heating, heating and air maintenance
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Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
Keeping your heating and air conditioning system well maintenanced is something that we all should be doing, but most of us aren’t. Like any other piece of machinery that’s used on a regular or semi-regular basis, air conditioners need regular tune-ups and repairs. Many large and expensive problems start out as small problems or issues that can be easily repaired or fixed; however, if left unchecked, these small problems can quickly turn into large ones requiring an expensive repair or replacement.
When an air conditioner is left without regular maintenance, small decreases in efficiency, both in cooling power and energy usage, start adding up and compounding each other, ultimately causing the whole system to work harder for fewer results. Some common signs of an under maintenanced air conditioner is trouble maintaining the temperature within the home, constantly running to maintain that temperature and increased energy bills.
There are steps you can take at home to help maintain your air conditioner, increasing its lifecycle and efficiency in the process. The easiest and most effective of them is making sure you change or clean the air filters regularly – they get dirty and clogged up, causing a decrease in overall airflow. Another good tip is making sure you clear away any obstructions from the outside unit, such as newspapers, leaves, etc.
While there are steps you can take on your own to keep up to date on your air conditioning maintenance, your best bet is having professional AC maintenance. In the spring they will look at your air conditioner to make sure it is ready for the demand that summer will bring and again in the fall to ensure your furnace and heating system is ready for the dark and cold nights of winter.
Maintenance is important and isn’t something that should be overlooked or taken lightly. When caught in time, small issues and problems can be fixed and repaired before they escalate and compound, requiring an expensive replacement.
Tags: air conditioning system, maintenanced air conditioner, Murrieta air conditioning, professional AC maintenance, Temecula air conditioning service
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Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011
Looking to boost your air conditioners efficiency, don’t want to spend the money to have someone come out and tune up your system or perform potentially costly air conditioning repairs? Well, then you should probably keep reading, ‘cause this post just might have exactly what you’re looking for.
First off, check the connections. If a breaker has switched, or something has simply become loose or disconnected, it is rather easy to reattach or plug it back in, not to mention it will save you a good deal of embarrassment later down the road. If your air conditioning system is acting funny, check the various connections to make sure everything is plugged in nicely.
Alright, now that we know everything is connected properly, time to see if there is anything blocking the outdoor unit. Make sure there isn’t anything on top of the air compressor and that it has about 3 feet of room on either side. Blocked airflow to the compressor makes your whole central air conditioning system work harder and harder to achieve the same results, ultimately causing more damage to the system in the long run.
While we’re at the compressor, check the air filters. Yes, just like your car, your air conditioning air compressor has air filters. They’re there to prevent bugs, plants, dust and other nasty debris from making its way into your air conditioner, and by proxy, into your home. But, over time, these air filters get dirty and clogged and begin blocking air flow to the compressor themselves. Make sure you clean the filters and replace them when necessary to help ensure optimal airflow.
Last, but not least, to help boost the cooling power of your AC without having to pay for air conditioning maintenance, try adding or tuning on some fans inside. Ceiling, standing and desk fans all help circulate the cool air your AC is kicking out and sip the electricity from the wall, so they won’t raise your electric bills by too noticeable an amount.
Tags: air conditioners efficiency, air conditioning maintenance, air conditioning repairs, central air conditioning
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Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Air conditioning and heating systems, like any piece of machinery, requires regular maintenance from time to time. Nothing big, replacing an air filter here, swapping out damaged or worn our parts and pieces here. Regular maintenance isn’t a new concept or anything, we take our cars in every three months or so for an oil change and we keep up on all the little stuff to help ensure that the vehicle will run for a long time. The same applies to your heating and air system, so why do people tend to neglect these most valuable and precious appliances and put off maintenance or repairs until It’s too late?
That’s a tough question, and the best answer that I can give is that people just don’t realize that they should be doing regular maintenance for their heating and air conditioning system. Regardless of the reasons, though, the majority of people just don’t seem to be getting their systems maintenanced, instead putting it off until the problems have become too big to ignore. Like having your AC just stops working in the middle of a triple digit day.
Truth be told, most of the extensive repairs and replacements we perform could have been avoided with a little routine maintenance. Typically, we like to come out twice a year and make sure you’re entire system is up to par; once in the spring for your AC, and again in the fall for your heater. It’s important to make sure everything is working properly and correctly in order to avoid a costly and unexpected repair later down the road.
Not only will regular maintenance help maximize the lifespan of your equipment, but it will also help ensure that your heating and cooling system is operating correctly and efficiently, keeping its energy usage at a stable rate so you don’t see the gradual climb in utility bills that comes with a declining heating and cooling system.
Save yourself time, headaches and money by letting us perform your bi-annual maintenance checks. Give us a call today and find out how easy it is to get started.
Tags: AC Maintenance, AC units, Air conditioning, Air Conditioning Service, air quality, Heating Maintenance, Murrieta CA
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Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
We’ve been fortunate enough as a business to have experienced relatively continuous growth despite the rough economic times we’ve seen. While some luck was involved, it wasn’t nearly a deciding or determining factor in why we’ve grown while other companies have not survived the economic shift.
We believe that, as a business, you’re only as successful as your customers are happy. This has been a driving force behind our customer service policies, as well as a determining factor in the level of quality our services are performed at. We’ve managed to not only keep our head above water these past few years, but we’ve managed to grow. Essentially, there are 2 reasons why.
- Dedication and hard work. We wouldn’t be where we are today if we didn’t have the dedication and loyalty of each and every employee, staff member and technician. Every last one of us here at WC Heating & Air hold a high level of professionalism and take pride in our work. Because of this, each installment, repair or maintenance job is preformed to the highest quality available with a primary focus on long-term customer satisfaction.
- Never compromising quality. Throughout the years we have never faltered on the level of service we provide, and we believe that it has been crucial to our continued success and growth. In fact, over the years, we’ve increased the quality level of our services, as well as the benefits available to our customers.
There are various different ways for a business to keep their heads above water, but these are the ones that we’ve found to work for us.
Tags: air conditioner maintenance, Air Conditioning Service, qualified contractor, WC Heating & Air
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011
That’s right, we’ve been presented with yet another award for outstanding performance and customer satisfaction! Last month we were awarded the Lennox Centurion Award – an honor that is only bestowed upon the top 2% of all dealers and contractors throughout the country.
For 3 out of the last 4 years, we have received this reward from Lennox. It’s a proud reminder that we are on the right track and serving our customers with the highest quality customer service we can.
This marks the third time we have been presented with the Lennox Centurion Award for outstanding dealer performance, and we’re working hard to make receipt of this reward an ongoing tradition.
Tags: Air Conditioning Services, Heating Services, highest quality customer service, Lennox Centurion Award, outstanding dealer performance
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Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
With spring in the air, lots of people will suffer sneezing, swollen eyes and dependence on inhalers, and they’ll buy many allergy medications. What a potentially expensive nuisance.
What causes allergic reactions? 
- Particulates: Ash, dust, dust mites, insulation and pollen.
- Bio-aerosols: Bacteria, fungi, mildew, mold, various spores and viruses.
- Odors or chemicals: Pet or cooking odors, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, gasoline fumes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde.
- Other: Radon gas and lead
There can be five to 100 times more pollutants found inside your home than in the outside air, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Some statistics: One in three homes includes someone suffering from asthma or allergens. One in four Americans has asthma or allergies. That’s about 60 million people. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), allergies are the fifth-leading chronic disease in the United States among all ages and the third most common chronic disease among children. The two groups who suffer the most from allergies are infants, because their lungs are still developing, and the elderly, because their lung function tends to deteriorate.
How can you protect yourself from all these elements? You could live inside a plastic bubble, but that’s not very practical. More realistically, there are ways to manage pollutants in the home. Portable, freestanding air cleaners are available, but they are often not very effective and can be pricey, costing $350 and more. You could spend more than $1,000 to keep several positioned throughout your home. A leading consumer magazine reported them to be quiet but inefficient.
A better strategy for combating allergy triggers is using your central heating and air conditioning system. The fan in the furnace circulates air through the home. The trick is the filtration in the system. Filters are ranked with a minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV rating, which measures filters’ efficiency. The rating reflects the size of the
particulates the filter catches. The higher the MERV rating, the more the filter will collect. A MERV rating of 16 is the highest, given to surgery room filters professionally installed by licensed heating-air conditioning contractors.
If you look along the filter aisle at a local home-improvement store, you’ll see a variety of filters. Buyers beware: The filter companies use great marketing. A package might claim the filter is “99% efficient” at collecting particles but may not specify the MERV rating. That’s because more than likely, it hasn’t been rated and will collect only the largest particles.
Those filters can range from $5 to around $30. Again, there’s a lot of marketing involved – they’re out to get your money. If you don’t have a maintenance agreement with a heating and air conditioning company and you don’t want a professionally installed air cleaner, at least get a pleated filter in your system and replace it four times per year, or as often as necessary.
There are many professionally installed air cleaners out there. Do your research to learn what system best meets your family’s needs. Some devices are designed for general surgery, with ultraviolet light air purification; some are rated to simply filter the air enough to keep the HVAC equipment and duct work clean.
Another way to improve indoor air quality is professional duct cleaning. Again, be cautious. “Dateline’s” Chris Hansen reported on companies that cheat customers. Check out companies offering a $59 – $99 special. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That’s a fraction of what a thorough duct cleaning will cost.
Honest companies will do a great job without charging hidden fees. About $350 and up is reasonable, with a worker spending three to four hours per system. After a professional duct cleaning, an air cleaner can be installed to keep debris from building up in the ducts. The MERV 16-ranked air cleaner can eliminate future duct cleaning altogether. Now that’s a savings!
Air scrubbers are another tool for improving indoor air quality. These units have been proven to destroy up to 99.9 percent of all surface bacteria, viruses and germs. Air scrubbers are installed in the air-supply portion of the heating and air system and use a specialized ultraviolet germicidal light wave with a proprietary catalytic process that creates enviro-scrubbing molecules of oxygen and hydrogen. This is just like nature’s outdoor environmental cleaning process. The technology reduces and kills airborne germs, dust and odors.
Whatever strategies and devices you employ, do your research, ask questions – and may you live better and breathe easier.
Tags: Air Conditioning Services, Bio-aerosols, indoor air quality, Odors or chemicals, Particulates
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Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
Spring is basically here again, which makes now the perfect time to consider getting that new air conditioner installation out of the way. Already have an air conditioning system? No problem, because our maintenance plans and services are the perfect tools for getting your AC system up to par for the summer heat that is soon to hit us.
There are several benefits to a new air conditioning system, with reduced monthly utility bills being one of the better ones. Is your air conditioning system 7 to 10 years old? Then it’s probably time you think about a system upgrade. The new systems and equipment out today are far more energy efficient than those released a few years ago, allowing you to keep your home cooled to a comfortable temperature without having to pay high monthly utility bills.
A new air conditioner installation, or even a maintenance servicing of your existing system, will run quieter and be more dependable, and will help lower your monthly utility bills and keep you from melting in the upcoming summer heat. A new system, or a well maintenanced system, also won’t need any real servicing for quite some time, keeping your wallet happy at the same time as you keeping cool.
Give us a call today and find out more about how we can help you get prepared for the onslaught of summer heat.
Tags: AC maintenance service, New AC, new air conditioner installation, new air conditioning system
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
It is a new year, and with it, new resolutions. Many want to start eating healthier, and others have a few bad habits they want to replace with good ones, but have you thought about getting your central air and heating system maintenanced? Most heating and cooling systems do not receive adequate maintenance, causing them to break down quicker while decreasing their energy efficiency.
There are a quite a few good reasons why keeping your central heating and cooling system well maintenanced.
- Keeps utility bills down – A well maintenanced system doesn’t lose its energy efficiency for at good number of years, and will continue to run properly and without issue. We all have bills we have to pay every month, so why not do what we can to keep those energy bills down? They already go up enough in the winter and summer, anyway.
- Great indoor air quality – Regular maintenance and cleaning will help keep air born particles down to a minimum, increasing the overall quality of the air inside your home. We all want to keep our health up, and doing what we can to keep the air you’re breathing clean and healthy is the best place to start.
- Expanded equipment lifespan – with regular maintenance, not only will your utilities be lower, but the life cycle of your entire system will increase. These systems can last a good ten years before needing an upgraded, and maintenance can help them reach that mark.
Now is the perfect time to take advantage of our Preventative Maintenance package. It not only provides all the great benefits we’ve seen above, but it also gives you a discount on parts and labor. Can’t beat that, can ya’? Get your new year off to the right start, and give us a call to find out how we can help make this year your best one yet.
Tags: Air Conditioning Services, Expanded AC lifespan, Great indoor air quality, Heating Services, Keeps utility bills down
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