Climate Masters Blog: Posts Tagged ‘St. Augustine’

Advantages of Replacing Your Old HVAC System with a Heat Pump

Friday, May 9th, 2014

A Florida summer is nothing to take lightly: you never want to head into one with a faulty, decrepit air conditioner about to sputter its last at any moment. If you have an air conditioning system that matches that description, or if it has already exceeded its manufacturer’s estimated lifespan, then you should grab these tapering weeks of spring to schedule a new installation.

However, you do not need to install another air conditioner. You have another option: a heat pump. There are some major advantages to opting for heat pump installation in St. Augustine, FL rather than a standard air conditioner.

Call Climate Masters today to talk to one of our trained HVAC installers abut heat pumps vs. air conditioners. Your home may be ideal for a heat pump, and if it is, you should let our experienced technicians handle the job of installing it for you before the summer arrives.

The heat pump advantage

The #1 benefit of having a heat pump in your home is that it solves two problems at once. A heat pump is both an air conditioning system and a heating system. It isn’t a packaged unit with a separate AC and heater put together; a heat pump uses the same action—moving heat from one location to another—to deliver heating and cooling. When you have a heat pump installed, you won’t need to have a furnace or boiler installed as well.

When it comes to heating, Florida is well-suited to take full advantage of a heat pump. Locations that experience cold climates can pose trouble for heat pumps, since they will struggle to remove sufficient heat from the outdoor air to move indoors. However, Florida rarely experiences low temperatures that could make the heat pump’s job difficult.

You’ll save money on your heating bills with a heat pump working for you. Because heat pumps do not burn energy to create heat, instead using a smaller amount of electricity to move heat from one place to another, they are more energy-friendly than furnaces or boilers. A family of four can save 30% off their energy bills with the switch from a furnace to a heat pump.

As far as their air conditioning power, heat pumps are the equal of any standalone AC of comparable size. You won’t sacrifice any comfort for the summer when you replace your current system with a heat pump, and you’ll also have your heating covered as well.

Find out if a heat pump is the best choice

A heat pump isn’t ideal for every home, since there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” HVAC system.

You can contact Climate Masters today to find out if you have one of those homes. Let us take care of you this summer with quality heat pump installation in St. Augustine, FL.

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Common Problems Faced by Commercial Air Conditioning

Friday, May 2nd, 2014

The operation of a commercial air conditioning system is not much different from the systems found inside homes: they use circulating refrigerant, compressors, evaporator and condenser coils, fans, and ductwork. But commercial systems are not only bigger than residential ones, they also undergo a greater amount of work and stress in order to cool down significantly larger spaces and numerous people. This level of continual strain on the system—especially during a heavy and humid Florida summer—will eventually lead to repair issues, no matter how well the system is maintained.

These repairs need commercial HVAC specialists who not only know how to repair the problems of an extensive commercial air conditioner, but also know the local codes that your business must meet. Our team at Climate Masters handles commercial air conditioning in St. Augustine, FL. You can reach them 24 hours a day for the repair service necessary to cool your workplace down and restore comfort to your employees, customers, and clients.

Some problems commercial ACs encounter

  • Zone thermostat errors: Most commercial air conditioning systems are zone systems, where multiple thermostats control different zones inside a workplace. Depending on the size of your business’s workspace, you may have only one or two zones, or you could have more than twenty. A malfunction in any one of the local thermostats will cause uneven heating and a difficult situation to diagnose. Commercial HVAC experts can solve the problem and find out whether you need thermostat work or some other targeted repair.
  • Condenser damage: The most popular type of commercial AC is the rooftop package unit. Having the condenser on the roof saves space, but it exposes the condenser to the elements. If debris enters the condenser unit, it can damage the face, dirty the coils, and spread dust and dirt over the motors—all of which can cause problems with performance or eventually a breakdown. Leave the investigation of rooftop units to professionals.
  • Loss of refrigerant: An enormous amount of refrigerant must course through the lines of a commercial AC system for it to work, and there are numerous places where leaks can occur to allow the refrigerant to escape. Refrigerant loss will not only threaten performance level, it can lead to irreparable damage to the compressor. Commercial specialists will know how to track down the leak locations, seal them, and then recharge the refrigerant to its proper level. Look out for a loss of cooling power as a sign the refrigerant charge is dropping and call for repair technicians immediately.

Neither homeowners nor business owners should delay when it comes to scheduling AC repairs… but the business owner has far more to lose from only an hour of a malfunctioning air conditioning system.

Whenever your company’s comfort is at risk, call Climate Masters for commercial air conditioning in St. Augustine, FL that will resolve the problem.

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How Does Geothermal Air Conditioning Work?

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

Geothermal air conditioning is an innovative system that relies on the ambient temperature of the earth itself to cool your home. (The same principles can also be used to heat your home in the winter.) It can cost a fair amount to set up, because it involves placing tubing underneath the earth, but once established, it can save you a great deal of money on monthly bills as well as providing environmentally friendly energy that doesn’t produce any toxic side effects. Here in St. Augustine FL, geothermal air conditioning makes an attractive alternative to more traditional forms or cooling. But how does geothermal air conditioning work?

How Geothermal Air Conditioning Works

The earth itself retains a constant temperature, regardless of what the weather is like outside. The very top of the soil can be affected by temperature changes, but once you get down below a few feet, it’s going to stay the same temperature no matter what. A geothermal system uses this principle to facilitate a heat exchange. Coils are planted underneath the ground, through which a combination of water and antifreeze it pumped. Depending upon the circumstances, the mixture can either pull heat from the earth or release heat into the earth, which either cools or warms the mixture accordingly. It can then return to your home and be used to warm or cool the air.

Because there are few moving parts, a geothermal system doesn’t need much energy to operate, and it also runs a lower risk of repairs. (The coils, in particular, rarely need servicing, since they aren’t vulnerable to wear and tear.) Geothermal systems do require a large amount of property space, since the coils need to spread out, though in some circumstances, you can sink the coils vertically into the ground instead of spreading them horizontally across a shallow field.

For more on how geothermal air conditioning works, or to schedule an installation session, call on Climate Masters to help.

In St. Augustine FL, geothermal air conditioners work well, but they also face unique installation challenges that our team understands very well. Pick up the phone today and make an appointment.

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How Duct Cleaning Benefits Indoor Air Quality

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014

“Regular duct cleaning? Is that really necessary?” This is something people often ask when they hear about duct cleaning services. It’s an understandable reaction, since it’s difficult to see the inside of the ventilation system in a home and know the level of dust and dirt contamination inside.

But duct cleaning is necessary every few years, and in some cases every year. It will help you keep a cleaner house. It will reduce airflow friction along the ducts so your HVAC system won’t overwork and drain money. It will prevent debris from entering the cabinet of your AC or furnace and create repair needs. And, perhaps most importantly of all, it will raise the quality of your indoor air.

Cleaning ductwork isn’t a job you can perform on your own; it requires specialists with pro-level tools. For duct cleaning in St. Augustine, FL, call up Climate Masters and our indoor air quality team.

Duct cleaning and indoor air quality

How serious is the quality of your indoor air? The U.S. EPA has identified it as a major health threat. Most U.S. citizens spend 85% of their time indoors, and when you consider how much of that time is inside their own homes, the quality of the air there is of great importance. Since most houses have an effective seal against the outside air in order to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures in winter and summer, there is little fresh air circulation.

Here is where duct cleaning plays an important part. Inside your home, your HVAC system circulates air throughout the rooms, and it will pick up dust, dirt, and other contamination and draw them through the return air vents into the ducts. In this sealed environment, the pollutants will begin to build up and then blow out into your living spaces, lowering the air quality. Skin and eye-irritation, asthma, headaches, and cold and flu-like symptoms are common problems due to low indoor air quality. People with allergies are especially hard hit.

But with regular cleaning of your ducts, you remove one of the major reservoirs that collect the contaminants that cause these troubles. It’s difficult to access the interior of ductwork, and the dirt and dust inside is hard to remove—unless you have professionals take on the job. Using power vacuums and agitation equipment, duct cleaning specialists can make your ducts almost like new.

How often you need to have your ducts cleaned depends on your house and living situation. If you have pets or if people with allergies live in your home, you should consider having cleaning done every year. Many homes will benefit from it every other year. Consult with a duct cleaner about the best schedule for you.

To start right away with duct cleaning (how long has it been?) call Climate Masters. We have the tools and the skill to give you a great duct cleaning in St. Augustine, FL.

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What Makes Air Conditioning Repair Different from Heat Pump Repair?

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

If you’ve ever had the operation of a heat pump explained to you, then you’ll know how similar it is to an air conditioner. Essentially, a heat pump works the same as an AC—it cycles chemical refrigerant through an indoor and outdoor set of coils, absorbing heat along one coil and releasing it from the other—but with the major difference that a heat pump can change the direction of its heat exchange. An air conditioning system can only remove heat from indoors and deposit it outdoors; a heat pump can also move heat from outdoors and bring it indoors.

Homeowners are sometimes interested in what makes repairs different between the two systems. We’ll look into this and see where the two stand apart as far as fixing malfunctions.

If you need heat pump or air conditioning repair in St. Augustine, FL, come to the experienced team at Climate Masters, where we’ve worked on both since 1988.

The differences in heat pump and AC repair

For the most part, repairing an air conditioner and a heat pump are similar. The compressors, fans, capacitors, and motors work in the same fashion, and replacing these broken components is identical between the two systems.

One of the big differences is that heat pumps contain a key component that air conditioners lack: a reversing valve. This device is attached to the line exiting the compressor; as refrigerant leaves the compressor, it first enters the reversing valve. Depending on whether the valve is in an excited or relaxed state (whether an electric current is flowing through it or not), the refrigerant will either move first to the outdoor coils or the indoor coils. If the refrigerant goes outdoors first, the heat pump will operate in cooling mode; if the refrigerant goes indoors first, the heat pump will operate in heating mode. Should the reversing valve fail, it must be replaced or the heat pump will remain fixed in one mode. Air conditioners do not need this repair.

Heat pumps can develop frost over either their outdoor or indoor coil due to loss of refrigerant, while an AC will only experience this on its indoor coil. The actual repair work is similar in both cases, however.

Another important repair difference: heat pumps work more per year than ACs. If a heat pump is your only method of heating your home, then it will run in both hot and cold weather. With regular maintenance (and a heat pump does require maintenance twice a year, not once) you shouldn’t have too many repairs, but in general a heat pump will have more repair needs than an AC system.

An important similarity: both need professionals to work on them

No matter what problems afflict your heat pump or air conditioning system, they need a trained technician to fix them. Don’t attempt the work yourself or hand it off to amateurs. For heat pump and air conditioning repair in St. Augustine, FL, you can trust in Climate Masters. We have 24-hour emergency service for your convenience.

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What Is Dirty Sock Syndrome?

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

What is dirty sock syndrome? You may not have heard of it – at least not as it applies to your HVAC system – but it can definitely impact your home. It refers to parts of your air conditioner which smell, and the issues that smell reflects. Air conditioning maintenance in St. Augustine can usually handle dirty sock syndrome, which is a fairly common problem in systems around here. Our climate is made for it, which means it crops up much more often than you’d think.

The professionals at Climate Masters can handle air conditioning maintenance in St. Augustine, which includes dealing with the causes of this smelly syndrome. Call us today. 

Dirty sock syndrome is usually caused by one of two things. The first is the presence of mold, fungus and similar organic compounds within the air conditioner itself. Florida has the humidity to make mold a problem, and when it grows in your air conditioner, it can result in a foul smell that gets blown through you entire house, and this ultimately effects your indoor air quality.  A similar effect can be caused by common household odors, such as pet smells, tobacco smoke and smells from rotting food, which will get circulated throughout the house by your system. In both cases, you’re getting a great big stink every time you try to cool your air.

The solution varies depending on the sort. Molds and bacterial growth are fairly easy to treat. A good maintenance session should clear them out of your system, and regular visits will likely keep them out permanently. In-house odors can be a little trickier, but a service technician can help by making recommendations such as circulating fresh air more regularly, or repositioning certain components such as the laundry or a home gymnasium. More extensive corrections can include installing an exhaust hood in your kitchen, setting up a dehumidifier for your home, and rerouting vents so that they don’t circulate the smells so readily.

Dirty sock syndrome can certainly inspire a few chuckles, but it’s no laughing matter, especially when you’re sitting in the middle of the odor.  If the odor is more than you can stand, then give us a call today. We’ll have it cleaned up and set your air conditioner back on track!

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Preparing Your Air Conditioning Unit for the Summer

Friday, March 28th, 2014

We’ve finally reached spring, and although we may still encounter cold days here in St. Augustine during the next month and a half, the summer will leap upon us before we know it with its infamous Florida heat. You’ll switch on your air conditioning, and probably keep it running all the way through September. Make sure that your AC is ready to do the work.

Climate Masters can assist you with preparing your air conditioning in St. Augustine, FL for the heaviest summer conditions. We have helped St. Johns County since 1988 endure the sun and sweat of Florida summer, and with one call to us you’ll be on your way to bolstering your cooling system for the season.

Some Steps of Summer AC Preparation

The most important stage of preparing an air conditioner for long spells of hot weather is a maintenance visit from a professional HVAC technician. Spring is the usual time to have this done, not only because it preps for the summer, but because it’s usually one of the less busy times for technicians. (During the summer, they have numerous emergency calls to attend to.) Air conditioner maintenance checks will inspect the AC to see that all its systems are operating without impending repair needs. The technician will check that you have the correct level of refrigerant, all electrical connections are tight, and no excess dust or dirt is clogging any of the components.

Maintenance will also catch malfunctions that you may not have noticed yet. This is the next important stage of AC preparation: having any repair needs—even small ones—taken care of right away. You do not want to begin the summer with an air conditioner running with a fault that will impair efficiency and may lead to a break down during one of the hottest days of the season.

Finally, make sure to have your air filter changed out so you’ll have a unit free from any contamination that might either lead to debris entering the AC cabinet of a restriction on airflow. For the rest of the summer, change the filter once a month to maintain the best performance from your cooling system.

Start With Maintenance Now!

Call Climate Masters today and talk to us about our maintenance program. We offer two visits per year, one in the spring for your AC and one in the fall for your heater. A friendly technician can give you more details about how we can ready your air conditioning in St. Augustine, FL for the summer.

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Why Duct Repair Is Necessary

Friday, March 21st, 2014

Most homes have forced-air system for their heater or air conditioner—often both. With the exception of ductless mini split heat pumps, forced-air systems distribute their heated and cooled air through a set of ducts that lead to vents into rooms. Ductwork can sometimes develops breaks and gaps along their length, and when this occurs it’s necessary to call up a professional duct repair service to seal up any leaks and restore the ducts to their original condition.

We need to emphasize the necessary part of that last sentence. Repairing broken ducts isn’t an option, and you can’t decide to just “live with” a few gaps in your ventilation system. We’ll explain why you need to schedule professional duct repair in St. Augustine, FL as soon as you sense that something has gone wrong with the ductwork in your home.

Climate Masters has the skilled indoor air quality technicians with the right equipment to take care of fixing your ducts so you won’t encounter any of the problems listed below.

Problems That Broken Ducts Cause

  • Heating/cooling system inefficiency: Ducts are designed to form a tight seal along their entire length, from the HVAC system all the way to the ducts. This maintains the air pressure necessary for the flow of the heated and cooled air from the system. Gaps in the ducts will cause a drop in air pressure and loss of temperature. This will not only reduce comfort, but it will place a strain on the HVAC system that will result in higher bills. (In fact, one of the first warnings people receive that they have ductwork breaks is a sudden spike in energy costs.)
  • Dust and dirt infiltration: Breaks along ducts will often open onto closed and unused areas of a home, such as the gaps between walls and crawlspaces. These areas contain large amounts of dust, dirt, and residue left over from construction, and this will be drawn into the ventilation system. This can lead to damage to the heating and cooling system, and it will also cause a drop in the quality of the indoor air. If the air entering the ductwork is humid, it can contribute to the growth of mold and bacteria.

Damaged ducts will rapidly cause a deterioration of your comfort, a rise in your bills, and the many problems that can come from low indoor air quality (which are especially troublesome if there are people in your home with allergies).

Thankfully, duct repair is usually not a difficult task for professionals. Using metallic tape and mastic sealant, ductwork repair specialists can fix up the leaks in the network and return everything to normal in your home.

Don’t try to make repairs yourself, and don’t grab for the duct tape! (Duct tape isn’t meant for ducts anyway.) Call Climate Masters and schedule an appointment with our quality experts in ductwork services in St. Augustine, FL.

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Comparing Centralized Heating Systems to Ductless Mini Split Systems

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

Ductless heating systems are not new to the HVAC world, but they may seem new to homeowners. It’s only in recent memory that ductless systems shifted from commercial use into homes. Before then, when people wanted heating in their home, they needed central heating like a furnace or a standard heat pump.

As a homeowner, you now face a major choice with your heating: a centralized system that uses ducts, or a ductless mini split. This isn’t an easy decision to make, and finding an answer depends on your future plans for your home, as well as your home’s current condition. But there is help available: call Climate Masters and speak to our specialists in heating. They are experienced with both central and ductless heating installation in St. Augustine, FL. They’ll assist you with making the right choice for your situation.

How Does a Ductless System Work?

For the most part, ductless systems are heat pumps, and work in the same fashion: moving heat from the outside to the inside. (They also reverse direction to deliver cooling.) The difference is the air distribution system. Instead of a central indoor unit and air handler that send the conditioned air through ducts, mini splits have multiple smaller blower units mounted on the room walls, each connected to the single outdoor unit. These units blow conditioned air directly into the rooms.

Centralized vs. Ductless

The main advantage of using centralized systems is that many homes already have ductwork systems in place, even if they use a radiant heater, for their air conditioner. It makes sense for most homeowners to install a centralized heater to make use of this ductwork. For houses with pre-existing ventilation, ductless installation makes the most sense for add-on rooms.

Where does ductless come out ahead? Not to point out the obvious, but ductless mini split systems don’t require ducts, and that carries some major advantages. It means the air won’t pick up the dust and contamination that can gather in ducts, and there are no ducts that require regular cleaning and repairs to seal leaks. Ductless mini splits also permit zone control without requiring any special installation: individual blower units can be shut off where they aren’t needed. This means large energy savings.

Find the Right System for You

Ductless comes with many advantages, and may sound like the superior choice. However, ductless mini splits are probably best for new construction and any home that doesn’t have ductwork already installed. You’ll need to have installation professionals look over your house to determine if ductless or centralized will work better. Call Climate Masters and make an appointment with our St. Augustine, FL heating installation technicians today and find out which wins for your home: ductless or centralized.

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What to Expect with Geothermal Heating Installation

Friday, March 7th, 2014

Geothermal heating has become popular during the last ten years because it saves homeowners money on their annual bills, provides reliable comfort levels regardless of the outside temperature, and benefits the environment with its low amount of emissions.

However, some people feel a bit nervous about geothermal systems as a heating option. It’s a big step to take that moves them out of the familiar wheelhouse of furnaces and boilers, and the upfront costs can seem intimidating. They may also wonder if the land they live on will even work with geothermal heating and cooling.

We’re here to help you with some information about what you can expect with installation of geothermal heating in St. Augustine, FL. At Climate Masters we understand that this is a major decision, and you want to make sure it’s the right choice for you. We have the experience to help make your geothermal installation as stress-free and effective as possible.

Geothermal May Not Work For Your Home or Property (Although It Probably Will)

It’s true that geothermal heating won’t work for every home. Sometimes there isn’t sufficient space either horizontally or vertically to lay the underground refrigerant coils, or the landscape isn’t appropriate for heat exchange. However, no heating or cooling system will work for every home, and the majority of homes can have effective geothermal heating installed.

Geothermal Installation is Extensive

The refrigerant coils of a geothermal system must be placed down into trenches around your home at least 6–10 feet deep in order for them to work effectively. The process of drilling can require 3–5 days, with trenching and pipe connections requiring 3–7 days. This doesn’t include the indoor work with electrical connections and necessary duct modifications, or the period of design work beforehand. You’ll need to plan in advance and work with your contractor to come up with a timetable that works for you.

Although Expensive, Geothermal Will Pay Back Its Costs—And More

The time, labor, and materials involved give geothermal installation a higher price tag than installing most other home comfort systems. However, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that a properly installed geothermal heating and cooling system will pay back its original costs in 5–10 years. With an estimated lifespan of 20 years for the indoor heat pump unit and 50 years for the underground coils, you’ll have many years of savings beyond the payback period.

Don’t take chances with inexperienced installers when it comes to heating installations in St. Augustine, FL. Climate Masters has served St. Johns County since 1988, and we can help you get an excellent geothermal installation that will serve you efficiently for many decades. Give us a call today and ask our professional HVAC specialists about geothermal heating.

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