What You Should Know
Before talking about air conditioning and heating services, you need to know some terms that are used, especially about air conditioning. The word “ton” refers to the number of BTUs, or British Thermal Units, the air conditioner produces. A typical window unit has less than one ton, and a whole house unit typically has five tons.
There are certain “loads” that air conditioners are sized to meet in a home, and they have a certain “charge”, or amount of refrigerant. They also have an amount of “airflow” that they have, which is air that travels across the coils. All these terms are ones that you should know before learning more about air conditioning and heating.
There are places that you can contact to learn more about air conditioning and heating. You could contact Class A Heating and Air Conditioning to learn more. They have been in business for many years and can help you in this way.
This article will help you to learn some things that you need to know about these systems. It can help you to see why these things are important. You can also do some research and learn even more.
Information You Should Know
- Hazards – Air conditioners and heaters cause about seventy-four hundred home fires each year because they need some kind of repair. This has caused about thirty deaths and two hundred fifty injuries in this time and over two million dollars in home damage. This is because of electrical and mechanical failure in the units.
- Health Issues – Dirty ducts and units can also cause some major health problems if not taken care of properly: https://alfboss.com/7-ways-unclean-air-ducts-can-affect-your-facility-residents/. During the summer, humidity can build up in the ducts and mold can begin to grow. If that mold is not cleaned up, it can grow during the winter and cause issues with breathing. Use a professional to clean the ducts at least once a year.
- Leaky Ducts – If it feels that you aren’t getting enough air through your home, you might have leaky ducts. You could lose about forty percent of your energy through leaky ducts. You could save this energy just by fixing or replacing the leaky ducts.
- Clean the Coils – The coils help to create condensation for the air conditioning to work properly. These need to be cleaned regularly so that they work the right way. You can’t touch them directly, but there is a spray that you can use to clean them.
- Buying New Units – If your units aren’t working and can’t be repaired, you need to think about replacing them. Some companies will offer special deals at certain times of the year where you can buy one unit and get the other unit free or at a reduced price. Learn about Energy Efficiency Ratings here. When you do buy new, you should look at the Energy Efficiency Rating, or EER, to make sure that what you get is energy efficient.
- Increased Efficiency – You could do things around the home to increase the efficiency of both units. You could opt for cool roofing to keep your home cooler in the summer. You could use insulated curtains and drapes in the winter to keep your home warmer.
- Ventilation – Ventilation is important in your home to make sure that both units work efficiently. You need to make sure that you have proper ventilation to ensure that the contaminants can be kept out of your home. If you have an older home, there may be enough ventilation because of leakier walls, but newer homes are usually more airtight so need mechanical ventilation.
- Timers – Installing timers on your thermostat can reduce the amount of time that your units are on. You will want to turn the thermostat to a less comfortable temperature while you are gone and have the temperature more comfortable while you are home. You don’t want to turn it off completely because it takes too much energy to get it back to a comfortable temperature when you get back home.
Conclusion
There is a lot of information that you need to know about your air conditioner and heating units in your home. Knowing this information can help you to have a more energy efficient home and help you to save some money. It can also help you to keep your home safer and less likely to have a fire because you are not maintaining the units correctly.