Lubbock HVAC, Plumbing, and Energy Management Blog

Helpful Air Conditioning and Plumbing Links

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Having and educated customer base is one of my goals in writing blogs.  I have put together some helpful air conditioning and plumbing links that will help you to be educated about your air conditioning system and plumbing equipment.  All you have to do is click on the highlighted links and read the articles by other bloggers. 

Troubleshooting Air Conditioners
by HVAC Maintenance & Supplies

Before you call a air conditioning service repair man to check your air conditioner that’s not cooling you may want to check some of these possible causes. First and most obvious is to be sure your systems air filter is not restricted.

Air Conditioners:  Some Cool Facts To Know
by AirCon 365

Air conditioning is one of the most important inventions for mankind. These units work towards providing the best of cooling during summers.

Tankless Water Heaters-Common Questions 
by Anaheim Plumbers

One of the common questions that we're asked all the time is if tankless water heaters are really a good value.  So here are some answers to questions that we have been asked.

Troubleshooting a Tank Type Water Heater 
by Bob Formisano

Unlike tankless water heaters, standard type gas and electric water heaters use an insulated storage tank. The construction or anatomy of a gas tank type water heater is explained in the tutorial Anatomy of the Gas Water Heater.

I hope that these articles help you to become more familiar about the plumbing and air conditioning systems in your home.  Please feel free to send questions or comments.

Air Conditioning Tips: How to stay cool for the summer

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If you live in Lubbock you know how hot it has been lately and I thought it would be appropriate to give you some tips to help stay cool.  

1. Set the Fan setting on your thermostat to "On"

This is one of the easiest money saving tips that you can do.  Many people do not realize that leaving your blower on will help your compressor not run as much.  In the Fan "Auto" mode your fan shuts off when the thermostat reaches its set-point.  When the ambient temperature is over 90 degrees the inside temperature will come up faster with the fan off.  So, I recommend leaving the fan set to "On" during the summer months.  FYI: It costs about the same to run a blower motor as it does to run a ceiling fan.

2.  Make sure ceiling fans are turning "clockwise"

This is another easy tip that will not cost you very much to do.  During the winter months I always recommend to turn your ceiling fan setting to "counter-clockwise": this helps to circulate all of the hot air off of the ceiling.  The opposite is true for the summer months.  If you follow tip #1 and run your ceiling fan(s) you are going to be circulating a lot of air in your home!  This is good because it feels cooler to the skin and at the same time your air conditioning compressor is not running as much either.

3.  Close your blinds or shutters

For me, this tip will be hard to follow because I like to let the sun light up my home rather than the artificial lights during the day.  This is also a way to let the heat into your home.  Believe it or not, closing the blinds or shutters on your windows can cool your house down about 5 degrees!  

4.  Hydrate yourself and your children

This is the most important tip!  Staying hydrated when it is 90 degrees and above is very important.  Please drink plenty of water and try to stay out of the sun for extended periods of time.

I know that most of these tips seem obvious but I thought it was appropriate with the extreme heat that we have been having.  I hope that these air conditioning tips have helped and if you have any more that you would like to add or if I forgot some, please send me a comment.

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Air Conditioning Repairs: How to tell if your system needs it

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Having air conditioning repairs done to your system can be expensive.  Most people do not think about the air conditioning system until they have a problem.  If your system needs repairs I wanted to give you some symptoms to look for.   I know that some of these tips seem obvious but our office gets a lot of calls that have these problems listed on the service tickets.  My main goal with this article is to help you know what to look for when a problem occurs.  Also, the sooner you recognize the problem, the sooner we can get a technician over to your home to repair it. 

One of the major indicators that your air conditioning system might need to be repaired would obviously be that it is not cooling. But what you might not know are the small indicators that will let you know this.  One sign that many people fail to notice is the thermostat.  If your thermostat is not cooling down to the temperature you have set it at, turning the set point down is not going to fix this problem.  Another symptom to look for would be the unit not turning on.

Another indicator that your system needs to be repaired would be loud noises.  The compressor is the heart of an air conditioning system and when they do not have oil flowing through them it does not sound good.  Metal is banging against metal!  So when and if you hear the outside unit making a loud noise, you might want to schedule a repair with Sinclair.

The last symptom that a lot of people notice but do not understand is ice.  We get a lot of calls like this.  The customer notices ice on the unit and wants us to come out "Now" and fix it.  The only problem with this is we will not be able to do any repairs until the ice is completely thawed.  The best thing that a customer can do is turn the system setting to "Off."  This will help ice on the unit thaw because the compressor is not running.  Another important tip to remember is this is not a quick process, depending on how much ice is on the unit and the ambient temperature, it can take up to 4 hours on average.  

The easiest way to avoid problems is to have a technician come out twice a year and look the system over to make sure it is in proper working order.  If you follow these tips and check out our Comfort Customer Agreement you will be prepared when your air conditioning system breaks down.  Did I miss anything?

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Heat Pump System: Will I save money with a Heat Pump?

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First we have to answer:  What is a Heat pump?

For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house; during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors. Because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide up to 4 times the amount of energy they consume.

The most common type of heat pump is the air-source heat pump, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air. High-efficiency heat pumps also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, resulting in less energy usage and more cooling comfort in summer months. However, the efficiency of most air-source heat pumps as a heat source drops dramatically at low temperatures, generally making them unsuitable for cold climates, although there are systems that can overcome that problem.

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The short answer to the question above is "No".  In cooling and heating mode the compressor is running most of the time.  If you do the math with the cost of your gas bill and add it into your energy bill (for the winter months), it comes out about the same during the summer months.  So you really didn't save any money.

The only way you can really save money with a heat pump system is to look into the new inverter compressor technology with Daikin or Mitsubishi.  With this new technology you will save money on your energy bills and stay warm. The reason is simple: with an inverter compressor, the compressor stays running at a low constant amperage (even on start-up).  With a conventional compressor, when it starts to run the amperage spikes and then goes down to a low amperage. When your compressor spikes, so does your energy meter!  

In some instances, a heat pump system can save the owner money through lower energy costs, but conventional heat pumps are not the most efficient way to save money in Lubbock. With the new inverter compressor technology you will be able to save money and have great efficiency along with it.  Ask me about how a new Mitsubishi or Daikin system can help you save money.

What is your opinion?

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Lubbock Air Conditioning & Plumbing Coupon

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Would you like to receive $20 off of your next service repair?  You can by filling out the short form on the Coupon page!  After the form is filled out and you have selected "Get Coupon", you will be redirected to a .pdf file that has the coupon on it.  Print out the coupon and present it to the service technician on your next service repair.  You can only use this one time for plumbing or an air conditioning repair, so make sure you use it wisely because this offer ends May 28, 2010.  Read coupon for more details. 

This discount is similar to what our Comfort Customers receive every time a repair is needed.  I wrote about this in a recent article but again I would not be doing my job if I did not warn you before it gets too hot!  Having a technician check your A/C system before it gets too hot can save you a lot of money.  For example:  If your air conditioner is running low on refrigerant, your compressor can lock-up.  "What does that mean?"  It means you could be getting a price for a new system or condensing unit and coil!  You can prevent this by having your system looked at before the outside unit comes on.  Our technician will see this problem and be able to fix it on-site.  Plus, you get a discount on the repairs that were done to the system.  This is just one example of the benefits of having a Comfort Customer Agreement.  If you want more details on our Comfort Customer Agreements, please fill out a short form so you can be contacted.

Air Conditioning Maintenance Before The Summer

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I am sure that you have heard me write about this particular subject before but it is my job to look out for our customers.  Before it gets too hot I want to remind you to get your air conditioning system checked out by our technicians.  This will be an investment that can pay off in the long run and give you peace of mind when it gets over 100 degrees.  If you have lived in Lubbock as long as I have, you know that reaching the 100 degree mark is a very real possibility.  

"Why do you bring this up every year?"

When the temperature goes up and it will in West Texas, I want you to be comfortable.  Our Comfort Customers can testify that they do not have to worry because they already know that their system is ready to go.  90 percent of our "No AC" calls during the summer months are customers that have not had their system checked and something has gone wrong that could have been prevented.  

"What does the technician do?"

When I ran service full-time I did many service and checks.  You would not believe the problems that can be prevented just by opening the unit.  I am looking for pitted contactors, proper amp draw on the compressor, clean air filters, and many other things.  The average check takes about an hour and can save you lots of money by having your system checked twice a year.  

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Do you think having your system checked twice a year is important?  If no, why not? 

Programmable Thermostat: Why Should I Buy One?

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When I ran service calls on a daily basis, I was asked a lot about programmable thermostats.  The customer would ask me, "Do they really save money?"  The answer to that question is, Yes!!!  If you have ever left your house in a hurry and forgot to turn the light off, you probably forgot to adjust your thermostat.  For example:  If it is 100 degrees outside and you leave your thermostat set on 74 degrees, your air conditioning unit is going to run most of the day.  You are spending money to cool your home at 74 degrees with no one there!  With a programmable thermostat you can set it to 78 degrees when you leave for work and not have to worry about it running as much during the day (With no one at home).  The key to saving money with your programmable thermostat is to stick to the schedule that you set.  What I mean by that, is to create a schedule when you first get your thermostat and don't touch it for 2 weeks.  After 2 weeks is up, you should be able to notice changes that you could make to the schedule, so that it fits your demands.  A programmable thermostat is a big change from the old mercury turn-dial thermostats but let us help you and I promise it will save you money in the long run.  

This is a great example and overview about a programmable thermostat from Energy Star:

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