Design Comfort Blog: Archive for September, 2014

Don’t Put Off Any Needed Air Conditioning Repairs

Friday, September 26th, 2014

Calling a technician for AC repair may seem like a hassle, but it’s sometimes a necessary step in owning an air conditioner. If you want your air conditioner to last for years to come, it’s important that you pay attention to the signs that your AC is not in top shape. Whether you hear strange sounds from your unit or notice your home is not quite as cool as you’d like it to be, it could signify major damages. When you run into any problem with your unit, it’s important to schedule air conditioning repair right away, for the following reasons.

  • Reduce the Chances of a Breakdown: One of the worst feelings on a hot day is coming home to a broken AC. Even if a repair need seems minor now, it can develop into something big, causing your unit to become overworked and, eventually, to break down entirely.
  • Increase the Lifespan of Your Unit: An air conditioner is a big investment, so you want it to last for many years to come. However, problems with your AC could put strain on the most important components, such as the compressor, which may mean your unit needs to be replaced prematurely.
  • Save Money: Sometimes, reduced cooling indicates a problem that is fairly simple for a trained technician to correct, such as a dirty condenser coil. But this seemingly minor issue could cost you more every month on your energy bills. Whenever your unit has to work too hard to compensate for damages, you’ll end up paying a price.

Scheduling repairs at the end of summer may be frustrating, but there are a few steps you can take to ward off trouble. Cleaning or replacing the air filter is a great way to restore some efficiency to your AC and ensure proper airflow to the evaporator unit. But you should also be sure to schedule maintenance once a year. During maintenance, a technician cleans many parts of your AC and may make some adjustments as needed, keeping repairs at bay. The technician will also let you know if your unit has any problematic components that need repair or replacement.

For air conditioning repair service in Salt Lake City, call our team of highly skilled experts at Design Comfort today!

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What Are the Benefits of an Energy Recovery Ventilator?

Friday, September 19th, 2014

Proper ventilation is important for good indoor air quality. But how do you maintain proper ventilation while your air conditioner is running? A great solution is an energy recovery ventilator, aslo known as an ERV. Not only can you properly ventilate your home with an ERV, you can do so efficiently. An ERV is added to your air conditioning, so the upgrade is easy and seamless, and Design Comfort has the indoor air quality experts you need for professional installation.

What is an ERV?

An ERV is a ventilation system that allows you to exchange your stale indoor air for the fresh outdoor air – but it does more than that. The heat exchanger, which is at the core of the ERV, not only exchanges the two streams of air, it also pre-treats the incoming air with the energy from the outgoing air. During the summer, the incoming warm, humid air is cooled and dehumidified by the outgoing stale, cool indoor air. In winter, the cold, dry, incoming air is warmed and humidified by the outgoing warm, stale air – but the two airstreams never meet, so there is no worry about contamination. The result is fresh, continuous, incoming air that is pre-cooled (or heated), which gives your AC a big reduction in its work load.

What Are the Benefits of an ERV?

There are several benefits to installing an ERV:

  • Better indoor air quality – with a continuous stream of fresh air, you are assured of having healthy, clean air indoors all the time.
  • Better energy efficiency – when your air is pre-cooled (or pre-heated), you air conditioner has less work to do, which can mean less energy usage.
  • Longer lifespan for equipment – less work for your AC also means less wear and tear, which can help extend the lifespan of your system.
  • Improved moisture control – an ERV dehumidifies the fresh air before it can enter your home or system, which helps improve moisture control.

If you’ve been looking to improve both your indoor ventilation and energy efficiency, an ERV may be just what you need. Call Design Comfort today and schedule service for your ERV in Salt Lake City with one of our indoor air quality specialists.

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3 Ways You Can Make Your AC More Energy Efficient

Friday, September 12th, 2014

You may not need to run your air conditioner for much longer this year here in Salt Lake City, but you can still benefit from a more efficient air conditioning system in the next cooling season. It’s been a particularly hot summer, and parts of your air conditioner become worn down overtime, which may affect the performance of your system, reducing its efficiency. Here are some of the ways you can make your AC more energy efficient for the rest of this year and the next one.

  • Change the Filter: The air filter in your AC is responsible for keeping the air in your home free of pollutants that may trigger allergies or other respiratory problems. But if you don’t change the filters regular, you may be spending too much on cooling costs. Dirty filters prevent the right amount of airflow from reaching your evaporator, lowering the efficiency of your unit.
  • Program the Thermostat: If you don’t take advantage of the features of your programmable thermostat, you may be missing out on an opportunity to save money while keeping more comfortable. Don’t keep the air conditioner on all day if you won’t be home to use it. Instead, program your unit to come on 30 minutes before you get home, and cool air will be waiting upon arrival. Don’t have a programmable thermostat? Call a technician for digital thermostat installation and you may save even more with a more accurate, programmable model.
  • Schedule Maintenance: Air conditioning maintenance is a service that experts recommend you schedule once or twice a year. During a maintenance visit, a technician cleans various parts of your air conditioner, inspects your systems and makes some necessary adjustments, such as adding lubrication to the motors if needed. When parts of an air conditioner are loose or dirty, other components will have to work harder to keep up, which means your entire system will not run efficiently. It’s a good idea to schedule maintenance twice a year, and a fall maintenance visit is a great time to make sure your unit is efficient in the following cooling season.

Need professional maintenance or a new programmable thermostat? Call Design Comfort to talk to a professional technician about efficient air conditioning service in Salt Lake City.

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What Do the Coils in an AC Do?

Friday, September 5th, 2014

Each component of your air conditioner plays a role that helps achieve the cooling you need from your AC. Two components we are going to focus on right now are the coils.

There are two sets of coils in your air conditioning system: one set is in the condenser and the other set is in the evaporator. Both sets are needed for the heat release/cooling process, and while they do similar jobs, they do not do the same job. Since 1982, Design Comfort has helped customers with their air conditioning repairs, so if you are experiencing problems with your AC, call us today.

What Are the Coils?

The coils in your system are comprised of narrow, serpentine copper tubing that is protected by thin, metal fins (usually made of aluminum). Each set of coils has a job:

  • Condenser coils – as the hot, high-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser coils in the outside unit, the heat from the refrigerant is released into the outdoor air with the help of the condenser fan. By the time the refrigerant reaches the end of the condenser coils and starts its journey into the evaporator coils, the refrigerant has cooled and returned to a liquid state.
  • Evaporator coils – the refrigerant in the evaporator coils is a cool gas. In this state, the refrigerant absorbs the heat from the warm air blown over the coils by the indoor blower. As the heat is absorbed by the refrigerant in the coils, the air is chilled and blown into your home through supply ducts.

Common Problems of Coils

There are several common problems technicians see with AC coils:

  • Refrigerant leaks – refrigerant leaks inside coils are common, but their repair can be complex. It’s important that all refrigerant leaks are repaired as soon as possible, as low refrigerant can cause a lot of different problems with your system.
  • Dirty coils – it is common for dirt and dust to cling to your coils, but if a layer develops, it can act as insulation and disrupt the heat release/cooling process of your system.
  • Bent fins – the metal fins surrounding the coils are very easily bent. When too many are bent, air flow can be restricted, which affects your whole system. Bent fins can be fixed by purchasing and using a fin comb that straightens out the bent fins.

The coils in your AC may be smaller than other parts of your system, but if there are problems with either set, you can experience system-wide problems. One of the best ways to ensure your coils are working well is with bi-annual maintenance. If you haven’t scheduled maintenance for your air conditioner, fall is a great time to set up an appointment. Call Design Comfort today and schedule your fall air conditioning maintenance in Salt Lake City – your coils will thank you!

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