Climate Masters Blog: Posts Tagged ‘St. Augustine’

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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Reasons to Install a Dehumidifier in Your Furnace

Friday, February 28th, 2014

Florida is infamous for its high humidity, and if you’ve lived here for even a single season you’ll understand why. Humidity causes more than discomfort; however, it can cause problems throughout your home. With the heating installation of a dehumidifier onto your furnace, you can help remove the moisture from the air the furnace circulates through your home—a “whole-home humidifier” solution to your troubles from Florida’s muggy climate.

Having a dehumidifier installed isn’t difficult: you only have to call Climate Masters and ask about our dehumidifier installation in St. Augustine, FL. Our indoor air quality specialists will be glad to tell you about your options and schedule a professional installation that will take care of your home’s humidity problems.

Why Install a Dehumidifier? Here Are a Few Good Reasons:

  • Increased comfort: Humidity makes a house feel stuffy and uncomfortable. Whatever the temperature in your home, humidity will cause you to find it hotter than it should be because the moisture that condenses on your skin releases extra heat.
  • Prevent mold and mildew: High humidity inside a home will promote the growth of mold, mildew, and other bacteria, often in places you can’t see such as your vents. All these pollutants can lead to health troubles like nausea, dizziness, breathing problems, and flu-like symptoms—especially if they are growing in the ducts connected to your furnace. They also will damage building material and create musty, unpleasant odors. A humidifier on your furnace will help keep these contaminants from growing inside your home.
  • Prevent damage to furnishings: High humidity leads to such damage to your home’s décor as peeling wallpaper, warping floor boards, wet spots on the floor and ceiling, and damaged furniture finishing.
  • Alleviation of other health problems: Aside from the issues with mildew, high humidity can contribute to trouble sleeping, asthma, and increased problems with allergies.

You Need a Whole-House Dehumidifier

Although you can purchase portable dehumidifiers for single rooms, these are only useful to combat mild problems in part of the house. To effectively reduce the humidity throughout your home, without making the air too dry, you should have a professional install a whole-house dehumidifier onto your furnace. Make sure you have the dehumidifier serviced annually so that it works its best.

The indoor air quality specialists at Climate Masters are dedicated to helping you have the most comfortable and safe home environment possible. Call them today to talk about a heating installation in St. Augustine, FL that will help you control high humidity.

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Why You Should Use a Heat Pump

Wednesday, February 19th, 2014

The heat pump… a remarkable machine. The heat pump uses a simple concept—basically, creating a reversible air conditioner—to give homeowners a two-in-one answer to their comfort needs. During the summer, you set the heat pump to cooling mode, and just like an AC it cycles refrigerant through an indoor and an outdoor coil to remove the heat from your home and place it outside. But when colder weather comes along (or as cold as it gets in Florida), you set the heat pump to heating mode, and now the refrigerant direction reverses. Presto! Heat moved from outside and brought inside.

Heat pumps have some disadvantages, but a heat pump for your home in St. Augustine, FL will experience almost none of them. That’s why we think they’re great choices for installation here. To schedule an appointment for quality heat pump installation, call Climate Masters today and speak to one of our heat pump specialists.

The Heat Pump Advantage

You already know the main advantage of a heat pump: it takes care of the jobs of both a heater and an air conditioner. That’s money saved and space saved. And heat pumps hook up to the existing ductwork for your air conditioner (and furnace, if you used one), making them easy to install for professionals. If you don’t have ducts, the heat pump has you taken care of as well: ductless mini split heat pumps need no ductwork at all.

A specific reason that heat pumps are such good ideas for Florida is because of our climate. First of all, during cooling mode, the process of heat absorption along the indoor coil also removes moisture from the air, helping to control humidity. Second, heat pumps do not encounter a problem they often face in cold climates: struggling to extract sufficient heat from outdoors during heating mode. In places where the temperatures can drop well below freezing, a heat pump will lose efficiency. In Florida, however, we almost never have this problem. Heat pumps are ideal no matter the time of year.

Finally, heat pumps offer savings on your heating bill. You’re used to your AC costing less to run than a furnace or a boiler. That’s because those heaters must burn fuel to create heat. But a heat pump is just like an AC: no fuel burnt to create heat, only a small amount of electricity to run the mechanical parts so heat can be moved. An average family of four can save up to 30% on their heating bills each year if they switch to a heat pump.

Sounds Great! When Can I Get One?

We need to slow you down a bit. Heat pumps are fantastic choices for home comfort… but they still won’t work for every home. Call on Climate Masters today to find out about how well a heat pump in St. Augustine, FL will work for you.

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How Heat Pumps Can Save You Money

Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

A heat pump seems like an almost miraculous machine: a single unit that takes the principles of an air conditioner and uses it to provide heating as well. But in theory a heat pump is quite simple: if you’ve ever walked behind the outdoor unit of an air conditioner when it was working, you’ve noticed warm air blowing from its fans. That’s the action of the AC removing heat from indoors and placing it outdoors. So what would happen if you swapped the indoor and outdoor unit? Presto! Heat pumped into your home. A heat pump is essentially an air conditioner that can switch the direction it moves heat.

But there’s another important advantage to a heat pump aside from its dual function: a heat pump can save you money on heating during the winter. We’ll explain how this works. If you’re interested in heat pump installation, or if you have need for repairs or maintenance on your home heating in St. Augustine, FL, call the skilled technicians at Climate Masters today.

The Secret of a Heat Pump’s Efficient Operation

Okay, it’s not really a “secret.” It’s simply the difference between heat creation and heat exchange. Most heating systems create heat: they burn a fuel source to raise the temperature of air (a furnace) or water (a boiler). This uses a large amount of fuel. In the case of an electric furnace or boiler, it requires an enormous amount of electric current running through the heating elements in order to raise the temperature of the air or water.

It’s different with heat pumps. They also run on electricity, but they do not use this electricity to heat up the air the fans send through their vents. Instead of creating heat, heat pumps move heat around: from the outside to the inside in heating mode, and from the inside to the outside in cooling mode. This process is called heat exchange. The heat pump only needs electricity to run its mechanical parts.

How much of a difference does this make? The U.S. EPA conducted a study to see the difference in heating bills when families switched from a furnace to a heat pump. On average, families paid 30% less per year with a heat pump.

There Has to Be a Downside, Right?

Yes, heat pumps do have one negative… but fortunately, it isn’t one that matters much in Florida. During sub-freezing temperatures, heat pumps can have trouble extracting sufficient heat from outside. Don’t expect this to be a problem in our climate.

Please keep in mind that no matter what advantages a heat pump has, it isn’t necessarily the best choice for your home’s heating in St. Augustine. This is why you’ll need the assistance of experienced professionals, like those at Climate Masters, to find the ideal option for providing you effective and economical heating.

For questions and heating service needs regarding heat pumps in St. Augustine, give us a call today and speak with one of our HVAC specialists!

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Advantages of Installing a Pool Heater

Friday, January 31st, 2014

Even with our beautiful year-round weather in Florida, heating your home’s pool is an essential part of enjoying it. Our winters and falls are mild compared to much of the rest of the country, but if you want to get the most from having your own outdoor pool, you’ll need a proper heater to keep the water inviting all through the year. Even during the summer, you won’t have the sun shining down all the time on your pool to warm it up.

Pool heaters are tricky to install, however. It’s not just the actual installation that is difficult, it’s picking the right size of heater to install. Make sure you have a dependable contractor handling your pool heater installation in St. Augustine, FL. Trust to the experience of Climate Masters for all your pool heater needs.

Why You Should Install a Pool Heater

  • Year-round fun: With a properly sized pool heater, you can keep the pool temperature approximately 10° above what it would normally be without a heater—and this can make all the difference when it comes to whether you want to dive right in or just sit on the edge with your legs dangling in. You can even enjoy your pool through the winter.
  • Enjoy the summer evenings: No matter how warm the nights can be during a Florida summer, without the sun a pool will rapidly become colder and less inviting to swim in. A heater lets your pool become the focus of evening activities as well as day time ones.
  • A better return on your investment: Whether you have a heater installed in your pool or not, you’ll still need to spend money on it each month. If you have less chance to swim and enjoy the pool, you’ll get less value from the pool. Adding a heater will end up as a minimal investment because it will let you enjoy the pool much more during the year. If you schedule regular maintenance on your pool heater, its additional costs should stay low, adding to the value you get from your pool. Have your heater properly installed, maintained, and repaired.

Aside from hiring a professional to install your pool heater in St. Augustine, FL, you should have the installation company also handle heating maintenance and repairs. Keeping your pool heater well-maintained is crucial to keeping it working efficiently for you so you really are getting the best return on your investment.

Climate Masters has served St. Johns County since 1988, and we offer comprehensive and quality work on pool heaters for all different sizes of pools. Contact us today to get started on getting the most out of your pool.

For professional heating services in St. Augustine, give us a call and schedule your next appointment with one of our trained HVAC specialists!

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3 Reasons to Call Duct Cleaning Professionals

Tuesday, January 28th, 2014

Most homes have ductwork installed for their HVAC system. Even if you use a boiler to heat your home, you probably have a central air conditioner for warm weather that requires ductwork. Because ducts remain mostly hidden from sight, it’s easy to forget that they require regular professional cleaning to keep them free from the dust and other contaminants that can start to develop inside.

Here are 3 good reasons that you should call duct cleaning professionals. And you do need professionals, since accessing your ducts and providing the right level of cleaning and vacuuming power isn’t something you can achieve on your own. Call Climate Masters for any ductwork services in St. Augustine, FL that you need.

1. Increased heating/cooling efficiency and reduced power bills

When ducts begin to develop a layer of dirt and other debris along their inner lining, it increases the airflow resistance. Ductwork designers try to create ducts that have the least amount of friction possible against the flow of air, but dirty ducts interfere with this. As airflow drops, you’ll not only receive less effective heating and cooling, your HVAC system will need to work harder—and that means higher monthly power bills.

2. Increased indoor air quality

The U.S. EPA has identified low air quality as a major health concern in the U.S. On average, you probably spend 85% of your time indoors, and more than half of that time will be inside your home. To keep the air quality of your house at its best, you need to have clean ducts that won’t blow out dust, dirt, dander, pollen, hair, or other pollutants that can cut into air quality.

3. A cleaner home

All that dust sent out from the vents of your HVAC system will do more than lower your air quality. It will also make your house dustier and dirtier in general. If you discover that no matter how much you sweep, clean, and dust, the dust comes back right away, then you probably have a dirty ductwork system.

At Climate Masters, our professionals in service on ductwork in St. Augustine, FL care about your indoor air quality, and we care about the efficiency of your heating system.

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Which Heating Systems Typically Need to be Repaired Most?

Monday, January 20th, 2014

When you are in the market for a new heater, one concern you probably have is system durability. You don’t want to pick a heater that will need repairs routinely; any good heater should only require repairs on rare occasions. So which of the various options on the market is the least reliable, the one most prone to breakdowns?

There’s an easy answer to that, which we will share with you. It’s powerful information, something essential for all homeowners to know so they can avoid this kind of heater at all costs. The staff at Climate Masters feels, however, that we can safely push you away from this system that needs too many heating repairs in St. Augustine, FL without frightening you too much.

So here it is. The heating system that needs to be repaired the most is…

A heating system that doesn’t receive regular maintenance

No, there isn’t an answer like “an electric furnace” or “a ground-source heat pump.” Although some systems have more mechanical parts than others, which puts them at a higher risk of breaking down, proper maintenance levels the field for all heaters. Perhaps the question is better phrased, “Which heating system requires the most stringent maintenance?”

However, all­ heaters should receive annual maintenance. Gas furnaces are perhaps the heaters that benefit the most from these inspections, because it helps avoid possible health hazards. But you shouldn’t develop the habit that you can go slack on maintenance for other types of system. Treat them all the same: schedule maintenance once a year.

Maintenance will prevent repair needs long before they begin, and the tune-up will make sure the heater isn’t running inefficiently and putting stress on the components that might lead to malfunctions. There is no better way to reduce calls for repair technicians than a yearly check-up and tune-up for your system.

On top of the reduction in repairs, regular maintenance will also keep your heater from draining excess power to run. You’ll save money on repairs and your heating bills.

Climate Masters has an excellent maintenance program that delivers you two visits per year: one for your heater and one for your air conditioner. Signing up for the program also provides a 10% discount on parts and labor for most necessary repairs. Talk to us today about our maintenance agreement so regardless of what heater you have, it will be the one that needs the least amount of heating repair in St. Augustine, FL.

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