Purl's Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category

The Benefits of Ductless Mini Split Systems

Monday, July 11th, 2022
ductless-system-sending-out-snowflakes

Ductless mini split systems are a type of comfort system for homes that work through a series of wall-mounted air handlers. Think of one of these systems as similar to a standard split system air conditioner, except the condenser doesn’t connect to a single indoor blower and evaporator hooked to ductwork. Instead, it connects to a series of separate mini-air handlers/evaporators placed throughout the rooms.

We offer installation of ductless heating and ductless air conditioning Fresno, CA. These systems aren’t ideal for all homes, but their benefits make them attractive options if you’re planning on making upgrades or changes to your HVAC system or if you live in an older home lacking ductwork. 

Here are a few of the best benefits of ductless mini splits…

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Why Does My AC Smell Strange?

Monday, April 18th, 2022
woman-with-sinus-troubles

An air conditioning system is not supposed to have any noticeable odor as it runs. The air from the vents should have the neutral smell of the rest of the house. If you start to detect any smell from the air vents you’ve never noticed before, such as a dirty laundry stink, rotten eggs, or an acrid burning, it’s something to pay attention to.

You may need to call our technicians for air conditioning system repair in Fresno, CA after you notice any of these odors. A few may have simple causes, but in many situations, these odors warn of a bigger problem with an AC. We’ll look into these strange air conditioning system smells and what they may mean.

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Time to Prep for the Heat With AC Maintenance

Monday, March 21st, 2022
air-conditioner-unit-being-repaired

We’re experiencing extremely hot days in the Central Valley—days with true summer heat, and spring has only just started. You may have had to turn on your AC for the first time in several months to battle the heat. But your air conditioning system is going to need extra help to handle the continuing heat we’ll face through the middle of the year: professional air conditioning maintenance.

We always stress with our customers the importance of having their air conditioning systems professionally inspected and tuned up annually, preferably in spring to beat out the hot weather. The weather is already turning hot, so the time to call us to schedule your regular air conditioning maintenance in Fresno, CA is now. 

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Getting a Bigger AC Is Probably Not a Good Idea

Monday, October 4th, 2021
air-conditioner-cabinets

We’re accustomed to thinking that getting an appliance that’s “more powerful” is always for the best. But this isn’t the case—and it’s certainly not the best when it comes to a central air conditioning system.

Maybe you’re unhappy with your current air conditioning in Fresno, CA. This recent summer was hot, and when you lowered the thermostat to your standard comfort level, you didn’t feel as cool as you expected. The air conditioner just didn’t seem like it could handle the heat. Getting a bigger AC might sound like a good solution; it seems sensible. But it rarely is. We’ll talk more about air conditioner size below and how to get the right cooling.

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How Has Your AC Held Up This Summer?

Monday, September 6th, 2021
air-conditioner-with-dirty-coils

Did you remember to have AC maintenance in Fresno, CA in the spring? If you did, then you gave your air conditioning system the best beginning to the summer. (If you didn’t … it’s not too late to schedule it!) But as wonderful as maintenance is, it can’t prevent all air conditioning problems or stop an AC from eventually wearing down.

As we move toward the fall, we recommend you think about your air conditioner’s performance over this last summer, especially if the system is more than 10 years old. If your air conditioning system is showing signs it needs repairs or it’s ready for retirement, have the service done as soon as possible. (Fall is a good time to replace older air conditioners because HVAC technicians have more open schedules.)

Let’s go through a few basic air conditioning considerations to see how well your cooling system held up.

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Late August Still Isn’t Too Late for an AC Tune-Up

Monday, August 23rd, 2021
checkmark-green

It’s hot outside in August, and it’ll be hot in September as well. Summer isn’t finished, and your home’s air conditioning system has hard work ahead of it.

And that’s one of the reasons it’s not too late to have your annual AC tune-up and inspection. We recommend our customers have this maintenance service done in spring because it gets the air conditioning system ready before the first of the big heat waves arrive, and it takes the most advantage of maintenance’s benefits. But, and this is the key point to remember, AC maintenance does not have an expiration date. It only needs to be done each year.

So, although we recommend having your future AC tune-ups done in spring if possible, it’s not too late to have the work done now. It’s far better than skipping it for a year.

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5 Reasons an AC May Start Short-Cycling

Monday, August 9th, 2021
air-conditioning-system-grill-top-down

An air conditioning system runs in cycles where the compressor turns on to provide cooling for the house, then shuts down until the thermostat registers it needs to turn back on. These cooling cycles should last at least fifteen minutes.

If you notice your AC shuts down after only a short time, then turns on again soon after, it’s short-cycling. This malfunction makes it hard for the air conditioner to fully cool a house. It also wastes energy (compressor start-up draws on large amounts of electricity) and wears down the AC components rapidly. Below we’ve listed five frequent causes of this problem.

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What Causes Ice to Form on an AC’s Evaporator Coil?

Monday, July 26th, 2021
caps

A mistake that homeowners often make about the way their air conditioning systems work is to assume that ice appearing along the indoor evaporator coil is normal, just a sign the AC is working extremely well at cooling down the air.

The truth is that ice should never appear on any part of an air conditioner. When ice appears along the evaporator coil, it means something is interfering with the standard way the air conditioner operates. The ice creates a major problem on its own, but the source of the ice forming may be an even worse problem.

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Why Your AC Is Running Continuously

Tuesday, July 13th, 2021
Spinning-fan-closeup

An air conditioning system that won’t turn on is obviously a major problem. But an air conditioning system that continues to run and run without cycling down is almost as big a problem. A nonstop air conditioner will waste massive amounts of energy, make parts of the house too cold, and wear down the unit rapidly so it needs multiple repairs and an early replacement.

What has turned your AC system into a runaway train? We’ll examine several potential causes below. You shouldn’t attempt to diagnose the problem on your own, however. You’ll need an expert HVAC contractor in Fresno, CA to figure out what’s wrong and how best to fix it.

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There’s No “Expiration Date” for AC Maintenance: It’s Not Too Late to Schedule!

Tuesday, June 1st, 2021
service-blue-marker

Although spring doesn’t officially end until June 20, people tend to think of summer as starting when the calendar flips over to June. Since we recommend people have professional maintenance done for their air conditioning systems in spring, it may sound like the time is almost up to get it done. This isn’t the case at all!

Regular maintenance is one of the most important services you can have done for your AC, and it doesn’t have an expiration date. It has a “recommended” date, but the only requirement is that professionals do it once a year. 

We Still Recommend Spring or Early Summer for Maintenance

We do want to be clear about the ideal time to have air conditioning system maintenance, which is fall or early summer. You’ll receive the most benefit from maintenance when you have it done before the major heat waves arrive and you use the air conditioner on a regular basis. And because it’s not even officially summer yet, you’re right on time if you schedule maintenance now.

Why Maintenance Needs to Be Done Annually

The big takeaway from this blog post is that maintenance done later is still far better than skipping it for a year. We don’t want our customers to decide that they might as well abandon maintenance for a year if they haven’t gotten it done by mid-July. Maintenance is both a long-term and short-term investment, and those long-term benefits are among the most important.

Here are reasons maintenance should be kept up with each year, even if it’s done later a few of those years:

  • It keeps the warranty valid: Equipment warranty for your air conditioner is an essential consumer protection. A small percentage of AC units leave the factory with faults, but the warranty will cover parts repair and replacement in case something goes wrong. Lack of maintenance may void the warranty and leave you paying for parts that would otherwise have been covered.
  • It helps the air conditioner last for as long as possible: The average service life of central air conditioners is 10 to 15 years, but only if the ACs receive annual professional maintenance. Skipping maintenance gives wear and tear a chance to take hold and cause the system to age faster. Your AC will need to be replaced years earlier without routine maintenance.
  • It catches repair issues before they can become serious: Maintenance gives our technicians the opportunity to examine an air conditioner closely and find where there are potential problems. It’s similar to your annual visit to the doctor. Early detection for ACs means fewer and less expensive repairs.
  • It stops a decline in AC efficiency: When an AC misses maintenance, the wear on the unit will cause it to lose energy efficiency and cost more to run.

Right now is a great time for this air conditioning service in Fresno, CA. Reach out to our team to get on the schedule for your AC’s annual inspection and tune-up.

Call Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning to schedule AC maintenance today. “Quality Is the Cornerstone of Our Success” since 1952.

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