Bob Mims Heating & Air Conditioning Blog : Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category

Leaking Refrigerant May Destroy Your AC!

Monday, June 4th, 2018

terrified-woman-thinks-of-destroyed-air-conditionerMany types of malfunctions can cause your home’s air conditioning system to fail or stop working altogether. A fan motor burns out, and that means no air circulating through the house. Bad wiring to the thermostat means you can’t turn the AC on. But there are some malfunctions that can mean the end of your air conditioner—the point where the only repairs that may fix it will cost more than the price of getting a new AC.

One of the big air conditioning-ending disasters you may run over summer is leaking refrigerant.

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The Advantages of a Programmable Thermostat

Monday, May 21st, 2018

thermostat-adjustmentDo you live in a home where you have to control comfort using a manual dial-and-levers thermostat? These older style of thermostats can get the basic job done, but we recommend you consider making the upgrade to a digital programmable model—or even a “smart” Wi-Fi thermostat.

The Benefits of Going Programmable

The specific benefits of upgrading your home to programmable climate controls depend on the model you get. These are the broad benefits you can expect, but feel free to ask your installer questions about how the new system works—there may be advantages you don’t know about.

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Surprising Reasons Cooling Systems Fail Prematurely

Monday, May 7th, 2018

thermometer-going-redWhen you read that title, you probably expected to see a list of funny pictures of animals jammed inside air conditioners, or a picture of a truck that accidentally skipped over the curb and crashed through an outdoor condenser unit. Yes, weird things can happen that will cause an air conditioner to fail. You could probably think up some bizarre situations on your won.

But what this post is about is a bit more useful: when we say surprising reasons, we mean surprising to homeowners who aren’t familiar with HVAC equipment. But these problems aren’t surprising to HVAC technicians like us. We see them often. People are rarely aware of what can cause an AC system failure—and it can sneak up on them. So here are few of those surprises you don’t want to run into.

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Doing the AC Replacement Shuffle: It Can Be Tough!

Monday, March 26th, 2018

big-blue-question-markIn our previous post, we talked about the importance of having routine air conditioning maintenance done in the spring. (Call us now if you haven’t done this yet! Don’t put it off.) Maintenance helps an air conditioner last for as many years as possible, and many ACs can serve a house effectively for 15 years. But an air conditioner is not a “forever” device. At some point in the future, you’ll need to have an air conditioning replacement in Staten Island, NY.

But what if the future is today? Looking ahead to the warm weather—and it will be here before we know it—do you have doubts about your air conditioner? Are you wondering if you should keep repairing it, or if it’s less expensive in the long-run to put in a new one?

If you’ve got these questions bouncing in your head, you’re caught doing the AC Replacement Shuffle. We have some answers for you that will help with making the choice—but eventually you’ll need our direct assistance.

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Time to Think About Air Conditioning Maintenance

Monday, March 12th, 2018

servince-reminder-clockIt’s March and spring will soon be sprung upon us. In the world of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, this means it’s time for AC maintenance for customers.

Maintenance requires a professional HVAC contractor in Staten Island, NY. This isn’t a job you can handle with a checklist printed up from an do-it-yourself site. It requires experience, training, and special tools.

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Short-Cycling Air Conditioner: What It Is, Why It’s Bad

Monday, August 28th, 2017

air-conditioner-units-near-grassAmong the more common malfunctions that can occur with a residential air conditioning system is something called ­short-cycling. The brief definition of short-cycling is that it’s when the compressor of an air conditioner turns on and off rapidly—too rapidly to do much good and too rapidly for the good of the air conditioner.

We’re going to delve deeper into this common repair situation so you’ll have a better idea of when to call us for air conditioning service in Staten Island, NY.

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What’s in the Future of Air Conditioning and Heating?

Monday, August 14th, 2017

digital_house_blueprintWe have a long history as an HVAC company: we’ve been serving the comfort needs of homes in Staten Island for more than 60 years. When we first started in business in the mid-1950s, the window air conditioning unit was the newest innovation in cooling, and many homes still lacked ventilation systems. Today, we work with central air conditioners, high efficiency cooling systems, flexible ductless mini split heat pumps, computerized zone control systems, smart thermostats, and more. The development of air conditioning technology over the past few decades is tremendous—and we’ve not only stayed current with it, we’re always looking ahead to the future.

We’re going to use the HVAC crystal ball to look forward to what we can expect in the future when it comes to heating and air conditioning. The technology for many of these developments is already in place. It’s only a question of finding the best way to implement them affordably for residential systems.

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Why Newer Air Conditioners Are More Energy Efficient

Monday, July 31st, 2017

air-conditioner-on-leavesAt the start of the summer, we took a look at the energy efficiency rating for air conditioners (SEER) to help you understand how modern ACs are rated and compared. We encourage customers who have an air conditioner that’s more than 15 years old to replace it with a new system—even if the current system still seems to be working adequately—because it means superior energy efficiency right from the start. That’s not only because a newer system will be in better shape. It’s also because the current crop of air conditioners are more energy efficient in general.

Why is that the case? What technological developments have allowed the current line of air conditioners (as well as heat pumps) to use less energy to run while providing the same cooling power? There are a couple of reasons:

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Not Too Small, Not Too Large: Why AC’s Must Be Just the Right Size

Monday, July 17th, 2017

Air-conditioner-repairmanWhen it comes to the size of an air conditioner in a house, the “Goldilocks Rule” applies: you don’t want an air conditioner that’s too small or too large, but one that’s just right. Finding the right size of air conditioner is a tricky job, however, and it’s not something you want to make a guess at. You must have skilled professionals handle the job of sizing a new central air conditioning installation so you don’t end up with either an AC that can’t keep your home cool enough or an AC that drains energy because it’s too powerful.

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Keep a Watch for These Early Season AC Repair Warnings

Monday, June 19th, 2017

tools-on-ac-unitAs the summer weather gets going here in New York City, you’ll begin to use your air conditioner for steady periods for the first time in the year. If you’ve arranged for its spring maintenance already, the system will be off to the best possible start. (However, it’s never too late to contact us about our maintenance agreement so you can have the AC tuned-up and inspected.)

But there’s no magical service that can make an AC immune to problems. If there were, believe me, we’d offer it! Maintenance is as close as it comes. During these opening summer weather days, it pays to attend closely to how your air conditioner is operating. This way you can catch any early troubles and have them fixed before the temperatures soar in July and August. Our AC repair experts are ready to help you!

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