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Advice on Heating and AC Repair & Green Replacement Solutions | Frisco, TX

Advice on Heating and AC Repair & Green Replacement Solutions | Frisco, TX

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Modern heating and cooling systems are smart enough these days to take care of themselves. Their efficiency blows away older systems, and homeowners in Frisco, TX count on them to keep their homes comfortable year-round.

And yet, sometimes things don’t work right, and you have to call someone out for heating and AC repair. It’s good to understand your HVAC system and how it works, as well as how sometimes it doesn’t work so well. Below please find some answers to common complaints about which HVAC technicians are often called out.

Dirty Air

The air coming out of your heating and air conditioning vents should feel clean. Central air systems have air filters to make your air feel light and breezy, but when the air filter isn’t regularly replaced, dust and other particles build up inside the system. But calling in someone to help with your HVAC repair may be a bit premature, as the issue may be a simple one.

Dust and other contaminants are ventilated throughout your house by your AC or furnace, and that’s why your air can seem dirty. Replacing the air filter twice yearly takes those particles out of the air, making it cleaner and fresher. If you’ve got pets, however, you may wish to change your air filter more frequently to get rid of excess dander.

Changing the filter doesn’t just make the air clean. It also keeps your HVAC system from working too hard and keeps homeowners from having to schedule heating and AC repair work. Dust and other particles can wear the parts your heating and cooling system down much more quickly.

Loud Noises

As a machine with moving parts, your HVAC system isn’t noise-less, as any heating and AC repair technician will tell you. Though some noise is normal, other sounds are potentially a sign of serious mechanical problems. Noises often occur because of the systems moving parts, which vibrate and otherwise move. Over time, nuts, bolts, screws, and other pieces work themselves loose. That’s where the majority of noises in your heating and cooling system come from.

Though these sounds by themselves are nothing serious, they do indicate that it’s probably time to have a heating and AC repair and maintenance check-up. Calling out a HVAC technician for minor maintenance will prevent bigger problems from occurring.

Not Heating or Cooling Properly

When your heating and cooling system doesn’t work, it may be for a simple reason. Before calling out for heating and AC repair, consider these things:

  • Thermostat setting: Is the thermostat set too high or low to prompt heating or cooling?
  • Electricity & fuel: Has your electric breaker tripped preventing your electric heating or AC from working? Is the gas line working on your furnace? It’s also good to make sure there’s not an outage of some kind.

Once you’ve ruled out these simple things, contact your local heating and AC repair specialist. It’s likely that he or she may find:

  • Blown capacitor in condensing unit
  • Evaporator coils compromised
  • Leaking refrigerant
  • Safety switch tripped

Once the problem is identified, a heating and AC repair solution can remedy the problem.

Green Heating & Cooling Options

HVAC systems are the lungs of buildings, with their complex networks of ducts, fans, compressors, and other equipment, they provide buildings, including most homes, with clean air at a comfortable temperature.

These systems consume a lot of energy, however. The U.S. Department of Energy states that heating and cooling systems account for 48% of energy usage in homes and between 40-60% in commercial buildings. When they don’t run efficiently, they devour natural resources and cause energy bills to skyrocket.

The HVAC industry has come a long way since furnaces used dirty coal to warm houses during winter. Renewable energy and smart technology combine in a multiplicity of heating and cooling systems that not only consume less energy, but also improving indoor environments while saving money.

Upgrading to a Hybrid Heating System

First, a look at hybrid heating systems. If you live in Frisco, TX you may just make do with a standard heat pump to heat your home in wintertime. After all, winters in northern Texas tend to be mild. Yet when artic air blasts across the Great Plains and even deep into Tarrant County, TX you may start to rethink your position, and begin to rethink your heating options.

For those in Frisco, TX thinking about upgrading their heating system, you may want to call up your local heating and AC repair and maintenance company. They can give you sound advice on hybrid heating systems.

Why Switch to a Hybrid Heating System?

First, let’s begin by learning what exactly a hybrid heating system is. Essentially, it’s similar to the standard furnace or heat pump that you’re now using to heat your household. It’s a combination system, however, that combines a hear pump system with that of a furnace, giving you incredible efficiency.

While heat pumps tend not to be able to heat households when the temperatures dip too low, you won’t have to worry about this with a hybrid heating system. When temperatures get colder than your heat pump can handle, the furnace kicks in. Heat pumps don’t handle colder temperatures well. They become terribly inefficient, depending on the type, at between 25°F to 30°F.

Besides working more efficiently and saving you money on your monthly bills, you’ll also be contributing less to your household’s environmental footprint. This happens because hybrid heating systems work with fuel types at temperatures for which they are most efficient. Hybrid heating systems are environmentally friendly and lessen our impact on the world, all while keeping more moolah in your wallet.

Eco-Friendly AC: Going Solar

Now that we’ve looked at hybrids for heating, let’s look at solar for cooling. While some folks in Frisco, TX may be thinking ahead and calling out heating and AC repair and maintenance technicians to service their air conditioners in the off-season, perhaps it’s time to think about solar powered air conditioning.

It’s a low cost, energy-efficient solution for cooling your home, but you can call a professional HVAC technician to learn more. With an average of 229 sunny days per year, anyone living in Frisco, TX knows how much power the Texas sun can provide. Its potential can be turned towards providing cool air throughout your home.

Here are two good reasons to go solar:

  • Solar savings: One of the more obvious benefits of solar AC is the lower utility bills. From the moment you install a solar AC system, it begins paying for itself.
  • Power outages: Sometimes after storms or due to unexpected maintenance, you’ll get a power outage. Though rare, they still occur, and if you’re sitting in your solar-cooled home, you won’t have to sweat while waiting for the power to come back on.

Going Green

More and more people are becoming environmentally conscious and turning to heating and AC repair, maintenance, and installation companies for advice in how to do so. We’re realizing how humanity’s impact has affected this planet we live on. Solar power is one of the cleanest forms of energy. Even if you use electricity to run your air conditioner, this electricity is likely produced by oil, gas, or coal. It doesn’t produce carbon monoxide or other emissions that traditional heating and cooling systems do.

With well over 220 sunny days on average a year, solar powered air conditioning is perfect for any household in Frisco, TX. Plus, it will lower your electricity bill significantly. And what homeowner wouldn’t want that?

Other Ways to Go Green

Besides solar-powered air conditioning and hybrid heating systems, there are a number of other ways that the HVAC industry is going green and making its products more energy efficient. While some of these aren’t quite ready to be used commercially, they certainly make you consider what other options are out there.

Some of the green HVAC solutions include:

  • DeVAP Air Conditioning: This stands for “desiccant-enhanced evaporative” air conditioning, or DeVAP for short. Besides its snappy name, it’s got the potential to transform the HVAC industry. Combining the dehumidifying aspects of liquid desiccants – that salt-like substance you find in “Do Not Eat” preservative packets in some food items – along with the natural cooling that occurs from evaporation, it creates an AC unit that blows cold, dry air at a fraction of what regular air conditioners do. Prototypes show a reduction of energy use of 90% compared to traditional AC units.
  • Digital Ceilings: The future of building automation may be digital ceilings. Furnished with sensors for motion detection, temperature, room occupancy, carbon dioxide levels, and other data, these ceilings combine a building’s various systems into one network, including HVAC, security, and lighting. Sensors in the ceiling adapt and learn from the behaviour of a building’s occupants, changing air and light settings automatically to augment comfort while it curtails energy wastage.
  • Ice-Powered Air Conditioning: A thermal battery that transforms existing ACs into something more cost-effective, the Ice Bear uses electricity during the night, when its less burdened and less expensive. The Ice Bear fills with water, freezing it to become a block of ice. During the day, this ice provides more affordable air conditioning without having to run an AC’s electricity gobbling compressor. It impressively reduces energy consumption by 95% during the hottest times of the day, cutting emissions as well as electricity bills.
  • Recyclable Ductwork: Not every green solution includes futuristic gadgets or Wi-Fi networks. Made simply out of cardboard, GatorDuct is a low-tech solution. Treated with a water-resistant and incombustible covering, it replaces ordinary ductwork. Triple-walled cardboard ducts that are cheaper, stronger, lighter, and which require 20% less insulation than the typical sheet metal ducts you find in commercial buildings, they’re also manufactured using sustainable forests and are recyclable. In addition, they can be custom-printed with company logos or decorations.
  • Smart Thermostats: With smartphones and tablets, homeowners can now control their heating and cooling systems from anywhere in the world. These smart thermostats automatically adjust to homeowners’ preferences as well as notify them when maintenance may be necessary, helping people monitor and reduce home energy usage.
  • Sustainable Retrofits: A new generation of sustainable retrofitted HVAC is coming, with the CATALYST system. Installed directly onto already existing HVAC rooftop units on commercial buildings, it endows older equipment with demand-response ventilation, economizers, smart controls, variable fan speeds, and automated capabilities. It also reduces energy consumption by as much as 50%.
  • Wearable Technology: Regardless of how well-designed, when building owners ignore heating and AC repair and regular maintenance these systems are bound to become ever more inefficient. One creative idea arms heating and AC repair and maintenance technicians with an online network of HVAC experts with smart glasses that transmit video in real time. The software was developed to be compatible with popular smart glasses brands and allows multiple technicians to diagnose problems and inspect systems remotely.

Heating and AC Repair, Maintenance, & Installation

Serving Tarrant County since 1988, One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating® provides top-notch heating and AC repair technicians for both residential and commercial buildings. Our technicians are skilled in heating and AC repair, replacement, and servicing. We design and install air conditioners and heating systems in new construction as well as older homes. You can also contact us for advice on any indoor air quality issues.

We know that being comfortable in your home or business is important. We’re your indoor climate control experts, able to install HVAC systems that control for both humidity and temperature. Our heating and AC repair and maintenance experts make the indoor air quality of where you live and work the best it can be. Call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating® for all your heating and AC repair, maintenance, and installation needs.

Call us them for all your emergency heating and AC repair needs at 817-283-6911. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year.