Cooling season and ac repair.

Posted by Jim Harless on Fri, Jul 11, 2014 @ 11:07 AM

ac repair

We are entering mid-July.  The cooling season is in full swing.  It seems like a good time to remind people of a few tips to keep their air conditioners running efficiently.  And, to prevent the air conditioner from breakdowns and costly ac repairs. 

The number one tip is to replace or clean your indoor air filter according to manufacturer's recommendations.  This typically means every 1 to 3 months for filters that are 1" in thickness and every 6 to 12 months for filters that are 4" to 5" in thickness.  Dirty filters cause a reduction in indoor air flow which puts undue strain on the indoor fan motor and may lead to it's failure.  This reduction in air flow can also damage the outdoor compressor by not allowing for complete evaporation of the refrigerant through the indoor evaporator coil.  Dirty filters also lead to a reduction in efficiency.  Filters will pay for themselves through increased efficiency of the air conditioner and fewer ac repairs. 

One thing that can help reduce the cost of running your ac which some people do not address is solar radiation through your windows.  You should always close curtains and blinds where direct sunlight is filtering through.  This can reduce the ac run time by blocking unwanted heat gain.

Also, having your air conditioner serviced annually by a licensed HVAC contractor can increase efficiency and decrease breakdown likelihood.  I have found that most air conditioners need to have the outdoor condensing coil cleaned annually.  This improves the efficiency and decreases the likelihood of the compressor and/or outdoor fan motor failing.  Other things that the HVAC tech checks during the maintenance inspection includes :  refrigerant level, compressor and motor amp draws, high and low voltage levels, contactor relay for charring and pitting, and capacitors for proper capacitance.  Checking that all of these things are satisfactory insures that the air conditioner is running efficiently and reduces the likelihood of breakdown and costly ac repairs.

I hope these tips are helpful!

Have a nice day!

-Jim Harless

Topics: ac repair, ac service, ac maintenance, ac replacement, cooling repair

Phasing out of Freon

Posted by Jim Harless on Tue, Aug 6, 2013 @ 21:08 PM

Phasing out of Freon

R-22 refrigerant known as Freon is due to be phased out by 2020.  The primary focus of this article will be the impact that the phasing out of Freon will have on consumers.  I will leave the technical aspects of Freon vs. Puron for another blog (maybe).

First, a brief history of why R-22 Freon is being phased out.  In 1987, the United States signed the "Montreal Protocol."  Which is a worldwide agreement to phase out all ozone-depleting Chloro-Fluoro-Carbons by 1996.  And, the protocol was amended in 1992 to included HCFCs, Hydro-Chloro-Fluoro-Carbons (which are less destructive to the ozone layer), and to begin the phase out of HCFCs by 2010.  Not counting dry charge units, all new air conditioners have been using "Puron" (R-410a) since Jan 1, 2010.  We are currently 3.5 years into the 10 year phase out of Freon. 

Consumers are beginning to feel the economic impact of the transistion from R-22 (Freon) to R-410a.  The 10 year phase out of Freon includes a reduction in production levels from one year to the next.  In the first 3 years, we have seen Freon prices increase by as much as 3 to 4 times as much as they were 3 years ago.  But, the biggest reduction has yet to happen.  At the midway point (2015) production levels will be dropped by 90%.  Freon will be very difficult to get by 2015 and if you can get it, it will be pricey.  Also, Puron is the replacement for Freon, and it does NOT work in R-22 systems. So, if you have an air conditioner with a Freon leak, you will be forced to seriously consider replacing your entire ac system with a new environmentally friendly R-410a system.  Repairing R-22 systems from 2015 on beyond will be costly.  Just some food for thought and a friendly FYI if you have an older R-22 ac system.

For more info on this, check out this EPA site here :

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/phaseout/22phaseout.html

And, here is another site with additional info about the phase out :

http://www.phaseoutfacts.org/

 

I hope this has been informative, Thanks.

Jim Harless

 

 

 

  

Topics: ac repair, ac maintenance, phasing out of Freon

AC Repair - Turn It Off

Posted by Jim Harless on Thu, Jun 6, 2013 @ 12:06 PM

AC Repair

It's June.  Air conditioners will be sorely tested over the next three months.  Unfortunately, not all ac's will pass the test.  Some, will invariably, fail during this time.  If your ac stops cooling, what should you do? 

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, there are a couple of things you can try before calling to schedule an ac repair.  Check and replace your furnace filter if dirty.  Also, check both the furnace and ac electrical service breakers.  Note :  Do not continue resetting a breaker that repeatedly trips as you could cause a more serious problem to your furnace or ac.  If your ac is still not cooling there is one more thing you need to do.  This is very important....TURN IT OFF and call your HVAC service provider to assist you. 

We always tell our customers to turn off an ac that is not cooling properly.   Then we set up a service appointment to diagnose and repair the ac in question.  I can't count the times that I have shown up for an ac repair appointment only to find the ac still running (or trying to).  The logic goes something like this :  "It's cooling a little bit, so I will leave it on so that I can have a little bit of cool air".  Huge mistake!  There are a couple of problems with this.  If the system is frozen or iced up (which may not be apparent), then there is nothing we can do to diagnose and correct the problem until the ice is thawed.  Which can take an additional hour or two of our time (= higher cost of repairs), or require us to reschedule the repair for another day to give the system time to thaw out naturally.  This occurs more frequently than I care for. 

Another problem occurs when an ac with a relatively simple problem is left to run which puts stress on the ac and causes a more serious failure.  A blown capacitor is one of the most common ac repairs.  The good thing is that it is relatively simple and inexpensive ac repair.  But, if the system is left running with a defective capacitor it puts stress (and creates an high temperature overload condition) on the outdoor fan motor and compressor.  Last week, I went on an ac repair appointment with this exact problem.  After replacing the capacitor, the outdoor fan motor began to operate properly, but the compressor was not coming on due to the overheat condition.  Luckily, the compressor kicked on a few hours later after it was allowed time to cool.  Another customer had the same problem last year, but was not so lucky.  They allowed the ac to run all weekend knowing that it was not cooling properly.  It also had a defective capacitor, but the compressor was damaged by allowing the ac to operate in a disfunctional state.  That customer ended up replacing their entire air conditioner system. 

So please, turn off your ac until the repairman arrives.  If you live in columbus ohio or the surrounding neighborhoods, you can call Minutemen Heating and Cooling, Inc. at Phone 614-837-5062 to set up an appointment for an ac repair for Columbus Ohio.

Thanks,

Jim Harless

 

Topics: ac repair, ac maintenance

Air Conditioner Service

Posted by Jim Harless on Fri, Mar 1, 2013 @ 10:03 AM

Ac Repair

Spring is just around the corner, and before you know it those 85+ degree days will be upon us!  Now is the time to consider servicing your air conditioner for the up coming cooling season.  Air conditioner service is the last thing most of us think about until that moment that we desperately need it.  Don't wait until the outside temperature reaches 85 or 90 degrees.  By then, you may have a hard time finding a contractor as our industry gets log-jammed during that time of the year.  Once the outside temperature reaches 70+ degrees, that's the time to call and set up an appointment to have your air conditioner serviced for the cooling season. 

Why 70+ degrees?  Outdoor air temperature has a considerable effect on air conditioner performance.  At temperatures below 60 degrees it becomes difficult to determine if the freon level is correct.  A warm outdoor temperature creates a "load" that will elevate freon pressures into the correct operating range.  So, remember to call for a spring tune-up as soon as the outdoor temperature reaches 70 degrees. 

What are the benefits of servicing your air conditioner annually?  First, servicing your ac will insure that it is operating efficiently and that you are not wasting money on electricity.   And second, some (not all) failures can be prevented by having your air conditioner serviced annually.  The things our service tech inspects include :  filters, coils for dirt build up, freon level, compressor amperage draw, fan motor amperage draw, freon superheat (or sub-cooling), indoor coil temperature drop, damaged or corroded wiring, relays for charred/pitted contacts, capacitors for proper capacitance readings, and thermostat operation.  If anything is out of spec, it can be addressed before a more serious problem arises.  Thirdly, performing annual maintenance on your air conditioner will insure its longevity. 

Here is a good example illustrating point number one :

Two years ago we picked up a new customer who had not serviced her ac in quite a while.  She signed up for our Annual Maintenance Agreement.  The previous summer (2010) she had high electric bills.  During our inspection, we found several issues with her ac.  Her ac was still running and cooling (to some degree).  But, she had a dirty filter inside, a dirty condensing coil outside, a weak dual-run capacitor (outside specs), and was about 0.5 lb low on freon.  We addressed all those issues for her.  Upon returning later that fall to inspect her furnace, she let me know how happy she was that she had the air conditioner serviced.  She said that her electric bill for the summer of 2011 was about half her electric bill the previous summer.  This is a good example of the first point. 

In conclusion, performing annual maintenance and servicing your air conditioner can pay for itself in the long run by improving efficiency, preventing failures, and increasing longevity.  So what are you waiting for?  Call us now to set up an appointment this spring for an air conditioner service inspection at phone 614-837-5062.

Thanks,

Jim Harless

Minutemen Heating & Cooling, Inc.

Topics: ac repair, ac service, ac maintenance