HVAC Maintenance

Air Conditioner Maintenance – Do’s and Don’ts

February 25, 2020 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

Keeping these basic rules in mind when dealing with your AC unit will not only ensure that it will function effectively, but it will save you money and keep your home comfortable.

It may still be chilly in and around the St. Louis area, but warm weather will be here before we know it. This means you’ll be turning on your air conditioner soon. Air conditioning is a necessity in most homes, as it keeps indoor air at an optimal temperature, ensures airflow and controls the humidity levels in your house.

Modern air conditioning systems are designed to be user-friendly and even have a self-diagnose function to keep repairs to a minimum. But, regular maintenance is still needed by any system.

Here is a thorough list of the most common do’s and don’ts of maintaining your HVAC system.

DO: Clean Your Air Filters Regularly

One of the most important rules to keep your air conditioning working well is to regularly clean or replace the air filters. All the air that gets inside your house will go through the filters, so you need them to be clean and unclogged all the time. Every manufacturer recommends a certain frequency for their AC model, but if you live in a polluted area you might want to do that even more often.

DON’T: Cover Your Outdoor Unit Completely

One of the maintenance rules that are often misunderstood is covering your outdoor unit during the cold season. Don’t cover it completely and don’t leave it cover throughout the winter. It prevents proper airflow. Covering your unit should only be done during autumn when there’s a lot of plant debris. Make sure to only shield it from above with a breathable material.

DO: Check Ductwork for Leaks

Many homeowners neglect their ductwork system and blame any malfunction on the equipment, but thorough maintenance includes checking the ducts for leaks and other issues.

DON’T: Ignore High Electricity Bills

Your air conditioning unit should be energy-efficient, especially newer models. If you notice your electricity bills going up, don’t ignore the AC unit, as it might be the cause. A lot of malfunctions can lead to poor efficiency and overworking.

DO: Schedule Annual Professional Check-ups

Hiring a professional team to do at least an annual check-up of your AC unit can save you a lot of money in the long run. Many AC problems are not easy to notice in the beginning, but a check-up will bring them out and solve them before they get worse.

DON’T: Attempt DIY Methods to Maintain or Repair Your HVAC System

The Internet is full of handy DIY projects, and many good ideas can be applied at home, but maintaining your HVAC does require a professional’s experience. Don’t attempt DIY repairs or maintenance operations if you are not 100% sure that you know what you’re doing.

DO: Replace the Thermostat Batteries When Needed

This may seem like a trivial issue to mention, but it happens very often. Remember to replace the thermostat’s batteries often, as programming it properly is crucial in your AC’s performance.

DON’T: Leave Your Air Conditioner on 24/7

Don’t rely only on your AC unit for your comfort. It should be put on stand-by from time to time, for its health as well as your comfort. Find ways of regulating your temperature that don’t rely on the AC unit.

Keeping these basic rules in mind when dealing with your AC unit will not only ensure that it will function effectively, but it will save you money and keep your home comfortable for years to come.

How Powerful Winds Affect Your HVAC System and What to Do About It

January 28, 2020 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

As wind blows, it disperses dirt that has gathered inside the HVAC unit which in turn blows around the inside of your home.

Missouri is no stranger to powerful storms which can produce strong winds which in turn can lead to property damage. We know the affects wind can have on the roof and siding of a home, unfortunately, powerful winds can affect your HVAC system as well.

At first you may picture physical damage, such as your AC unit being blown away. But powerful winds can have other types of damaging effects. As we move into tornado season, which occurs between mid-March through late June, it is good to be aware of potential threats so that you can ensure it’s better protected.

Physical Damage

Physical damage is the obvious threat to your HVAC system. As high-speed winds blow on a unit, parts can become loose, damaged, or dirty. Flying debris caused by strong winds can also damage different parts of your HVAC system. If, after a storm, you notice your unit making strange noises or it stops working correctly, chances are it was damaged and needs repairing.

Affected Indoor Air Quality

As wind blows, it disperses dirt that has gathered inside the HVAC unit which in turn blows around the inside of your home. This can have negative affects on your health as the air circulates and is inhaled. This poor air quality can set off allergic reactions which can lead to asthma attacks or other respiratory issues.

To avoid these problems, it is a good idea to have proper maintenance and HVAC vent cleaning performed on your system.

Dust Can Accumulate

If you notice a musty odor coming our of your AC unit, it may be an indicator that the evaporation coils have a build-up of dust that may be causing blockages. This can create a fertile environment for mold to grow and flourish. Like the dust that enters your home, mold is bad for a person’s health. In order to fix the problem, the AC needs to be unblocked and then cleaned correctly.

St. Louis HVAC

Working with professionals is crucial in ensuring the best HVAC system for the home is selected, whether you are searching for an HVAC installation service or an existing system needs to be upgraded. Call Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC at (314) 471-7625 for more information. We can help you choose the best heating and cooling system and will provide proper maintenance for the system to ensure it works properly throughout the year.

What Is Static Pressure and How Do You Get Rid of It?

January 15, 2020 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

Static pressure is one of the most important factors in evaluating how your HVAC system works. It is a parameter that you should check frequently and understand at least at a basic level so that you can easily identify problems with your air conditioning.

Let’s go through the basic information about HVAC static pressure and how to get rid of it.

What Is Static Pressure?

When it comes to HVAC systems, static pressure defines the resistance to the airflow in the ductwork system. In order for your HVAC system to function properly, it needs to push the air through the ducts with a greater force than the static pressure in the pipes. If this condition is not met, the airflow will be affected.

Just as high blood pressure is a sign of stress and malfunctioning in our bodies, static pressure indicates a problem with your HVAC system if it exceeds certain values.

To measure the static pressure in your ductwork, your HVAC expert may drill a few test ports and will insert a manometer in the ducts, reading the static pressure values. Just as your blood pressure has an ideal range, your static pressure measurement shouldn’t be too high or too low.

Diagnosis of HVAC Systems Based on Static Pressure

When the static pressure is too high, it means that airflow is restricted. This will make your HVAC system work harder to compensate for the poor airflow, and it will overwork itself. Your electricity bill will go up and the air conditioning system might get damaged.

Possible reasons for high static pressure in your duct system at:

A blockage in the ducts
Closed dampers
Offset flex duct
Restrictive filters

When the static pressure is too low, it means that there’s a leak somewhere on the way. Possible reasons for this are:

Missing filters
Leaks in the duct pipes
Low fan speed
Separated duct sections

How Important Is the Ductwork in Your HVAC System?

Understanding how important it is to read the static pressure in your ducts will also make you realize how crucial good ductwork is to your system. Many homeowners and even HVAC experts focus a lot on the equipment when they plan an upgrade of the HVAC system, but what would truly add to the value and efficiency of the system is a good ductwork system.

If you are looking for a solution for low or high static pressure, or if you are browsing new HVAC systems, look for a company that has experience with ductwork and can design, install and repair it efficiently. Also, plan static pressure readings as a part of the regular maintenance of your HVAC system and you will be able to detect issues in time and solve them with less time and costs.

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How to Fix Hot and Cold Spots in Your Home

November 13, 2019 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

Checking for possible causes of hot and cold spots in your house may not be entirely possible without the right equipment and expertise.

Ideally, your HVAC system should be calibrated to provide a nice, constant temperature and airflow in every room in your home. Sure, when you live with other people, they might have different preferences for their room, which is why many systems come with programmable thermostats for separate areas of the house.

However, when your house has hot or cold spots that you can’t control, this becomes a problem that may require some investigation. Here are some possible causes of hot and cold spots in your house.

Airflow Issues

When one of your rooms is hotter than it should be while the others may get too much cold air from the air conditioning system, the problem is likely with the air ventilation network. The hot room is simply not receiving enough cold air, which in turn goes to other areas of the house. The result is an uncomfortable mix of hot and cold.

Here is what to investigate first:

Are Your Air Ducts Properly Sized?

If the air ducts are too narrow, then the airflow is restricted to certain areas and you’ll get hot spots. You might need to adjust the duct size in certain rooms, so that more or less air comes in, depending on the type of size discrepancy.

Is the Ductwork Damaged?

A leak could be the cause of your hot and cold spots. A damaged air duct can easily disturb the balance in your climate system. An HVAC professional is able to evaluate your ductwork and see if there is any problem with it.

Poor Insulation

If a faulty duct system didn’t cause the problems with the airflow, then poor insulation may be the reason behind the temperature fluctuations. Again, a professional would be able to test this with special equipment. Poorly insulated areas can be too hot or too cold at certain times of the year, or all the time.

Air Leaks

Even if your home’s insulation is ok, it might be compromised by air leaks that let the temperatures go up and down. Gaps and cracks in the house can let in cold or hot air from the outside, sabotaging your HVAC system. If airflow and insulation turn out to be ok, but you still have hot and cold spots, that would be the next step to investigate.

Checking for possible causes of hot and cold spots in your house may not be entirely possible without the right equipment and expertise. Speak with an experienced HVAC technician to look into the problem and avoid frustration and too much trial-and-error testing. They will be able to suggest the best options to solve your issue.

Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 471-7625!

Why Autumn Is the Perfect Time to Schedule an HVAC Check-Up

October 17, 2019 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

The best time to do preventive check-ups of your HVAC system is Spring and Autumn.

st. louis woman scheduling hvac maintenance

Most households nowadays are relying heavily on HVAC systems to go comfortably through the heat of the summer and chilly autumn nights. New models allow homeowners to control the parameters of the cooling, heating and ventilating in each room of the house, scheduling their systems or operating them remotely through an Internet connection.

Whether your HVAC system is brand new or it has a few years of activity behind, it should be regularly maintained by a professional HVAC expert. The manufacturer of your unit usually specifies how frequent maintenance should be, but for a unit to work efficiently, twice a year is generally the ideal frequency for check-ups.

Autumn HVAC Check-Up

The best time to do preventive check-ups of your HVAC system isSpring and Autumn. That’s because the unit will perform two entirely different tasks in between. After running intensively for the whole summer, it’s wisest to get a team to look at your exterior and interior units, the duct system, the pipes, etc. Making sure everything works properly for the winter is part of preventive maintenance, and it prolongs the life-span of any system you have.

Preventing Bigger Issues

Identifying potential problems or issues in their incipient phase can save you a lot of time, money and comfort in the long-term. This type of approach allows you to spot cracks, leaks, weakened connections, damaging factors and other things that would become worse if ignored.

Cleaning Up Summer’s Dirt

It is also a good opportunity to clean the system, the filters and ducts, as well as groom the area around the exterior unit. All of these steps will ensure a smooth start for the winter.

Changing the Thermostat Settings

For many users, setting up the thermostat is an annoying task. Use the autumn check-up as a chance of asking the maintenance team to do it for you. This way, you will make sure everything is indeed programmed the way you want. If you have any doubts on how to program and schedule your thermostat, ask your HVAC expert for help.

Schedule Future Maintenance and Getting Good Deals

An advantage of getting your HVAC unit checked preventively is becoming a loyal customer of your HVAC service company. A lot of companies offer discounts if you schedule your maintenance with them regularly. Saving a few bucks on the service, on top of the money you would spend on more serious problems, is not to be ignored. Also, you can talk to the experts about how you can choose a more effective energy plan, saving even more.

Now that summer has ended, the information above should convince you to pick up the phone and call your HVAC service team for an autumn check-up. That way, you can prolong your system’s life and fix any potential issues before they cause costly problems. Give us a call 24/7 (314) 471-7625!

HVAC Maintenance Tips For Pet Owners

September 17, 2019 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

If you stay on top of all of these tasks, you should keep your HVAC system running smoothly and avoid any adverse outcomes that might come along with mismanagement.

While our furry friends undoubtedly add an incredible amount of joy to our lives, they can also create a few challenges. One of them involves your HVAC system, which can suffer when animals are in the home. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways for you to mitigate these effects and keep your system running as smoothly as possible.

Don’t Fall Behind on Grooming

The primary way a pet can impact your home is through shedding. All of that hair tends to do two things. First, it crops up around air vents, which decreases your flow and makes your HVAC system work harder for the same output. Second, that hair can rise into the air surrounding you, which may lead to worsened allergy symptoms. You can mitigate both of these issues through washing and brushing your pets often. Keeping a clean, well-vacuumed home helps too.

Replace Your Air Filters

Your HVAC system has the ability to keep your home’s air clean. It does so with a filter, which removes various harmful constituents. Unfortunately, having a pet can overload this piece of protective equipment with hair and lessen its effectiveness. You can avoid this problem with frequent filter replacements. The rule of thumb is every two or three months, but your needs might vary.

Consider a HEPA Filter

If you continue to have allergy issues despite replacing your air filters frequently, you may want to look into improving your hardware. One way to do so is with HEPA filters, which are much more powerful than their conventional counterparts. Choosing to take this route will undoubtedly lead to cleaner air in your home.

Fence Off Your Outdoor Unit

If you’re not familiar with HVAC terminology, your outdoor unit is a combination of a condenser and compressor. What it does is suck air in from outside and treat it before it enters your home. Pets sometimes interact with this machinery, with a typical example being urinating on it. Not only can doing so hurt your system, but more importantly, it might harm your pet. Both of these outcomes will be frustrating and painful. You can significantly lessen the chance of them happening by putting a fence around your outdoor unit.

Call in an Expert For Regular Maintenance

Lastly, you can keep your HVAC system and home in working order by having an expert come by for regular maintenance. Doing so will ensure that everything is working correctly or, in some cases, alert you when something isn’t. Either way, you’ll be glad to have an HVAC professional at your disposal.

Having pets around the house leads to more responsibilities. Among them are ones that relate to HVAC functionality, which include proper grooming, replacing filters, getting a HEPA filter, fencing off your condenser, and getting regular maintenance from a professional. If you stay on top of all of those tasks, you should keep your HVAC system running smoothly and avoid any adverse outcomes that might come along with mismanagement.