Climate Masters Blog: Posts Tagged ‘St. Augustine’

3 Ways to Tell That Your Heater Needs Professional Service

Friday, November 22nd, 2013

Florida isn’t known for its cruel winters, but the climate can still hurl surprises at us, especially during the evenings. Your heating system will experience some periods when it needs to work hard to keep you warm. If your heater starts to malfunction, you need to know what signs to look out for so you can get it timely repairs.

Here are three ways to tell that you need to schedule professional repairs for your heater. And we stress professional, because trying to handle repairs yourself can end up costing you much more. When you need heating repair in St. Augustine, FL, contact Climate Masters. We’re now moving into our third decade of business providing quality heating and cooling to St. Johns County.

Watch out for these 3 signs of impending repairs

  • An unexplained jump in your heating bills: If you’ve already lived with your heater through a previous winter season, you’ll know what to expect to see on your bills during the time of the year when it does the most work. Pay close attention to these bills, because if you notice an unexplained spike in price, it usually means that a malfunction is occurring somewhere in the heater that is making it work harder than it should.
  • Unexpected and unusual sounds: Even the quietest heaters, like geothermal systems, make some noise when they operate. These sounds should be consistent, so if anything unusual starts echoing from a furnace or heat pump cabinet, you should have it looked into. If you have a gas-powered furnace, some of these strange sounds may indicate a potential gas leak, so get professional technicians on the job as soon as you can. (You should also shut off the gas as a precaution.)
  • Heater coming on and off at the wrong times: If your heater is turning on when it shouldn’t, or shutting off before the house gets warm enough, there could be a number of culprits behind it. A common reason for this is a malfunction in the thermostat, which causes it to sense the temperature incorrectly and turn the heater on and off when you don’t want it to. You’ll need to have professionals investigate this to find out what is causing your heater to behave this way.

Whatever your problem with your heating system, Climate Master will have the solution for it. Contact us any time of the day or night for heating repair in St. Augustine, FL.

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I’ve Heard of Ductless Mini Split Heating: Is It Really That Good?

Friday, November 15th, 2013

For years, you probably accepted ductwork as a necessary part of home life. Even if you used a boiler to keep you warm during the occasional cold Florida nights, you still needed ducts for your air conditioner to send cooled air throughout your house. But you’ve heard about something called “ductless” mini split heating. That sounds like a good idea. However, things that sound too good to be true often are. Is that the case with ductless mini split heating?

No, not at all. Ductless mini splits offer tremendous advantages to homeowners, especially in places with less need for heating, like St. Augustine, FL. Ductless mini splits can provide you with sufficient heat and superb air conditioning, all without the need for ducts. If you are interested in getting one of these ductless systems installed, contact our specialists at Climate Masters. Let us handle your concerns from step one.

What’s so great about a ductless mini split?

First, ductless mini splits are heat pumps, which work as both air conditioners and heaters. You solve two comfort problems at once. Heat pumps draw heat out of your home during the summer, and put it into your home during the winter, simply reversing the direction of their operation. Because heat pumps do not burn fuel to generate heat, instead using only a small amount of electricity to move heat, they are among the most energy-efficient and cost-reducing ways to provide heat for your home.

Then there’s the difference in going ductless. Instead of using duct work to distribute heated or cooled air, a ductless mini split uses individual blower units mounted in different room (or “regions”), each of which has a refrigerant line running to the outdoor unit. You no longer have to worry about dust or breaks in the ducts, and you have zone control over the heating and cooling in different rooms.

So why doesn’t everybody install a ductless mini split?

Although ductless mini splits sound fantastic, they will not work ideally for every home. For houses that already have ductwork installed, it might be better to go with a standard heat pump that uses ducts. (You’ll still get all of the regular advantages of a heat pump.) For some houses, the heating function on the heat pump won’t supply a sufficient level of warmth, and a furnace will work better, or a hybrid system that hooks up a heat pump to a back-up furnace.

The best way to know if you should go with a ductless mini split for your heating in St. Augustine, FL is to consult with HVAC installation experts. They can survey your home and deduce its heating and cooling requirements, then provide you with a solid idea of how to get the maximum comfort. Trust Climate Masters to help you with the important decisions about heating your home.

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Why Winter Is a Good Time to Get Air Conditioning Maintenance

Friday, November 8th, 2013

We’re always concerned about air conditioning in St. Augustine, where temperatures run high and the humidity is quite beastly. That can make it tricky to schedule any maintenance or repair, since we need our air conditioners to keep our homes comfortable in the face of outdoor heat. At the same time, however, it’s important to schedule regular maintenance sessions for your HVAC system, in order to keep it functioning as efficiently as possible. It’s usually best to plan for such things in the winter months: from around Thanksgiving until the end of March.

Here’s why winter is a good time to get air conditioning maintenance.

  • You’ll have less need of the unit. We get our share of warm days in the winter – certainly more than cities further north – but they’re comparatively few and far between. Most temperatures average in the high 50s, which is enough to do without an air conditioner for the time it takes to perform maintenance on it. Winter tends to be drier than summer too, which means the repairman won’t have to deal with rain while trying to do his job.
  • Less demand. When an air conditioning unit breaks down in the summertime, service technicians need to deal with it immediately lest their clients’ homes turn into furnaces. That puts a high demand on their services, which means you may need to wait for a while before a technician can schedule a maintenance session for you. Demand is much less high in the winter, and you can likely find service technician much more readily.
  • Summertime takes its toll. With your air conditioner running all day every day during the summer months, it’s bound to generate a lot of wear and tear. A maintenance session in the winter can take stock of all that, and plan to address it in a timely fashion well before next summer rolls around. This helps extend the air conditioner’s lifespan and reduce the risk of more extensive repairs.

If you know why winter is a good time to get air conditioning maintenance, call upon Climate Masters for help. We can repair and maintain all kinds of air conditioning in St. Augustine, so don’t hesitate to contact us today!

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Common Heat Pump Noises to Listen For

Friday, November 1st, 2013

Heat pumps offer tremendous benefits for homeowners in Florida, where they supply superlative cooling during the long hot and humid season, and the right amount of heating during the short winter season. Because heat pumps will work for us around the year, whether helping beat the heat or tolerate the cold, they can wear down quickly and begin to develop repair needs.

Heat pumps often make unusual noises when they need repairs. Here are a few to listen for that may indicate you have to call in an HVAC specialists to look over your system. For quality heat pump repair in St. Augustine, FL, contact the experts at Climate Masters. Since 1988, people have looked to us for dependable service for all their comfort systems. You can learn more about Climate Masters here, or feel free to give us a call for more information.

Pay attention to these heat pump noises:

Grinding during start-up: If you hear a harsh grinding sound when your heat pump comes on, then it could be “hard starting” because of a problem in the compressors—a heat pump uses two different compressors, so you will need a professional to find out which one is having difficulty.

Clanging and striking: The likely culprit here is a loose blower fan belt. A heat pump uses different fans to move air for the condensation and evaporation processes; if the fan belt develops damage or cracks, it could come loose and start hitting against other components. This needs to be addressed immediately, before the belt starts to cause more damage. The noise could also come from loose motor mounts.

Hissing: This usually indicates a leak in the refrigerant, which is responsible for the heat exchange that allows your heat pump to heat and cool your home. If you can hear it, it is probably a large leak and you won’t have a working heat pump for long. Get a professional to seal the leaks and recharge the lost refrigerant.

Humming and buzzing: There are a few reasons for hearing this sound (usually within the outdoor unit). One is that the run capacitor which keeps the motors operating has developed a fault. It could also indicate a stuck relay or a motor on the verge of a burnout.

Regardless of the noise, if you think it means that your heat pump requires repair, don’t try to get the work done yourself with a standard toolkit and an online DIY guide. Get a professional to diagnose the problem and offer a remedy. Contact Climate Masters for heat pump repair in St. Augustine, FL—any time of the day or night.

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Common Problems That Can Occur with Your Pool Heater

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

When you live in Florida, you get to enjoy summer vacation type climates throughout much of the year. What better way to realize that vacation atmosphere than with a pool? However, since temperatures in Florida won’t always hover in the tropical 80’s and 90’s, you’ll need a way to enjoy your pool in cooler times as well. That’s where a great pool heater comes into play.

Because pool heaters must warm up a large amount of water, they require professional installation and maintenance to make sure they operate properly. But no matter the care that goes into pool heaters, they can still suffer from malfunctions.

Pool heaters encounter many of the same problems as indoor heaters (flickering pilot lights, gas flow issues). Here are some of the pool heater-specific problems our technicians at Climate Masters often address during service calls:

Improper ventilation in the heat exchanger: The heat exchanger is where the water in your pool has heat transferred to it. The water runs across copper finned tubes, which receive heat from flames in a burner tray below. But if the space between the coils becomes congested with lime deposits or debris such as leaves, the heater won’t be able to exhaust itself fast enough. The heat exchanger will need cleaning.

Pool chemistry issues: The balance of chemicals in your pool is crucial for the health of all the systems connected to it, especially the heater. Low pH levels and alkalinity can lead to pinhole leaks in the heat exchanger, and sometimes the heat exchanger must be replaced. However, a technician may find that putting in new gaskets will solve the problem.

Trouble with the water pump: In order to receive heat from the heat exchanger, the pool water needs a pump to push it through the heating elements. If the pump malfunctions, then you won’t receive any hot water in the pool no matter how well the rest of the heater is working.

Pool heaters handle a large task, so they require expert care and repair. When you need work pool heater service in St. Augustine, FL, contact Climate Masters. We have years of experience with pool heater installation, repair, and maintenance. Let us help you get the most out of your individual piece of vacation paradise.

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How Long Does It Take to Install An Air Conditioner?

Thursday, October 17th, 2013

Here in St. Augustine, air conditioning installation can take on an air of urgency. Our warm and humid summers can be unbearable without a reliable means of cooling the air, and even the winters can be warm enough to merit the use of a reliable air conditioning system. In that environment, it’s very reasonable to ask “how long does it take to install an air conditioner?” The answer of course, is that it depends on the specific circumstances involved and the nature of the unit in question.

In most cases, installation can take place within a day or so. This assumes that the weather is clear, and that no major alterations need to be made to your home. The technician will arrive, prepare for work by laying coverings over your floors and furnishings, remove your existing unit, install the new one and ensure that it’s functioning before declaring victory. A professional will explain all of the steps to you, then undertake them with courtesy and professionalism, making sure that everything is in its proper place.

That rough timetable assumes that you’re replacing an existing unit with a similar unit, or that your installation won’t involve any additional work. Sometimes, however, it does. For example, you may need to have ductwork installed in a home that doesn’t currently feature any, or you want to install a geothermal system and need to provide time to dig trenches for the tubing. In that case, it may take a longer period of time than a simpler operation.

No matter what the specifics, however, you should always get an estimate from your service technician about the price involved and the time it will take. Once you have a schedule in hand, you can plan for the installation with greater confidence, and let the technician work with a better idea of what exactly is going to be involved.

In St. Augustine, air conditioning installation service is the purveyance of Climate Masters. We can tell you how long it takes to install an air conditioner, and provide an estimate as to the costs before we begin.

Contact us today to set up an appointment.

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Fun Facts About Ductwork

Friday, October 11th, 2013

We rarely think about the ducts in our home since they’re so often out of sight, but their importance cannot be underestimated. For homes in St. Augustine, ductwork is as integral a part as the plumbing or electrical wiring, providing a hidden “passageway” for conditioned air from your HVAC unit to reach every corner of your home. Ducts require periodic cleaning, and must be repaired when fissures or leaks develop, but without them, our heating and air conditioning systems couldn’t do their job.

Here are some fun facts about ductwork that you may not have considered before.

  • Ductwork comes in different types of materials. Traditional ducts are made of galvanized steel, while newer ones are made of flexible plastic “flex duct” and/or rigid ductboard surrounded by foil.
  • Ductwork is vulnerable to extremes of heat and cold. If left uninsulated in a warm areas or in a spot with a lot of sunshine, the air inside can be warmed: reducing the effectiveness of your air conditioning system. The same principle applies to ducts in cold parts of the house when attempting to heat your home. This is why you should always place your ductwork in conditioned space within your home and/or use insulation to keep the temperature inside the ducts constant.
  • Leaks can sometimes spring up in the duct system because of external damage, wear and tear along the fittings, or pressure exerted when the HVAC system is being used. The leaks can pull dust and debris in from outside the HVAC system, as well as costing your efficiency and making it harder to condition the air in your home.
  • Cleaning dirty duct systems can improve the quality of your air, as well as giving a technician a chance to examine the ducts for leaks and schedule a time to seal them.

Beyond fun facts about ductwork, the experts at Climate Masters can handle St. Augustine ductwork services of all varieties. From repairing leaks to cleaning ducts, we help you keep them in ship shape, allowing you to make the most out of your HVAC system. Call us today and let us show you what our trained professionals can do for you.

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Why Should I Get Duct Cleaning Before Winter Is Here?

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

If you have ductwork in your home, it usually serves two purposes: channeling cool air most of the year, and channeling warm air during Florida’s brief but often unpredictable winter season. Ducts are carefully sealed along their length to prevent loss of pressure during normal operation. But as a consequence, dust and other debris that can collect inside will begin building up. Just running your air conditioner during the summer doesn’t clear out these pollutants—it will probably draw in more, especially if you’ve neglected to change the air filter once a month.

Winter is right around the corner, and you may already have a large amount of dirt and other contaminants sitting in your ducts. Before you start using those ducts to circulate heat, get them cleaned out. Call Climate Masters to get thorough duct cleaning in St Augustine.

But wait, you may be thinking, how bad can dirty ducts really be? The truth is that contamination in your ducts poses health risks, and also contributes to lowering your heater’s efficiency and causing dust to circulate throughout your home. Getting your ducts cleaned will benefit you in numerous ways.

According to the EPA, low indoor air quality is a major health concern in the US, where people spend a large amount of time inside. Breathing poor quality air can lead to respiratory problems, eye irritation, and sleeping difficulties. People with allergies are especially sensitive to poor quality air. A furnace or heat pump blowing dust, pollen, and dander around your home contributes enormously to reducing its air quality. Most worrying of all are biological pollutants that form in the dark of ducts. All of these can be fixed with thorough professional cleaning.

The other benefits of getting your ducts cleaned before winter are improving heating efficiency, reducing the strain on your heater, and keeping dust from settling around the house.

You’ve probably seen action movies or thrillers where the hero had to crawl through air ducts to escape the villains or spy on them. Fun… but you don’t want to try to crawl through ducts in real life, and you couldn’t do much good if you did. You should hire professional duct cleaners to do the job of getting the dirt out of your ductwork. They’ll use special tools and access your ducts without causing damage.

Climate Masters has performed duct cleaning in St Augustine FL for so many years that we can get your ductwork clean in no time at all. Contact us before your furnace or heat pump turns on for the winter.

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How Can Dust and Dirt Cause a Need for Air Conditioning Repairs?

Monday, September 30th, 2013

After a long, hot summer in Florida, your air conditioning system might have accumulated a bit of dust and dirt. Even if you’ve regularly changed your AC’s air filter (something you should do once a month during the peak season), some debris can slip into your ducts or into the air conditioner cabinets. Aside from decreasing the quality of air in your home, an accumulation of dust and dirt can cause the need for professional repairs. For quality air conditioning repair, St. Augustine, FL, residents can turn to the experts at Climate Masters. If dirt is giving your AC grief, we can offer a solution. Contact us today for an appointment.

The ways dust and dirt can cause the need for repairs include:

Dirty condenser or evaporator coils: The two coils in your air conditioning system—the condenser outside and the evaporator inside—are vital for the heat exchange that cools your home. If they become dirty, they will lose their ability to absorb and release heat. You may experience a rise in temperature, and your air conditioner will overwork itself to compensate. Cleaning the coils is a difficult process that requires cutting and sealing the refrigerant line, and should be left to trained technicians.

Inefficient blower motor: The blower motor that distributes air and helps with heat absorption will start to work at lower efficiency if it becomes too dirty. This reduces airflow and could increase your electrical usage by 50%. The motor must be cleaned, or perhaps replaced if the problem has persisted too long.

Clogged air filter: The air filter does the job of trapping dust and dirt and any other airborne contaminants from getting into the interior components of your AC. Without regular changing, an excessively clogged filter will require professional attention because it will impede the flow of air and heighten the risk of extreme damage to motors, fans, and the compressor.

One of the best ways to keep your air conditioner free from dust and dirt is to schedule regular maintenance with an experienced HVAC company. Climate Masters offers an excellent maintenance program that gives you two annual check-ups, one for your AC and one for your heater. We aim to give you complete customer satisfaction, so if you want maintenance or air conditioning repair in St. Augustine, FL, make us your first choice.

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When Is The Best Time to Hire a Duct Cleaning Expert?

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

Ducts are one of those hidden components of your household that quietly make life better for everyone in it. They branch out from your air conditioning or HVAC system, moving cool air in the summer time and warm air in the winter to every corner of your house. In most cases, they’re composed of sturdy materials and perform their jobs without a fuss. But over time, dust and debris can build up inside of them, necessitating a duct cleaning. In St. Augustine, FL, duct cleaning services are also necessary to deal with bacterial growth, created when moisture gets into the ducts and made worse by our sultry Florida weather.

So when is the best time to hire a duct cleaning expert? Usually when signs of dirty ducts become apparent.

Because ducts are usually located in out-of-the-way spots like the attic or inside your walls, you rarely notice when things start to go wrong. Look for subtle yet telltale signs of dust entering your household. If family members suffer from allergies, they may have attacks more often than normal. If your house seems to have a hard time staying clean, no matter how many times you dust it, there may be trouble. If you detect a strange odor coming from the ducts, there may be bacterial growth that needs to be dealt with. In the most extreme cases, you may detect a reduced air flow coming from your vents: signs that build-up has gotten so bad in the ducts that it’s interfering with their ability to circulate air.

Whenever you detect those signs, it’s best to hire a duct cleaning expert as quickly as possible. A trained service operative will undertake a duct cleaning with courtesy and professionalism: treating your home with the utmost care while providing solid, reliable cleaning for the ducts themselves. The results should not only improve your air quality, but may illuminate larger issues such as leaks or breaches in your ducts that could cost you money in higher electric bills. In St. Augustine, FL, duct cleaning services are provided by the trained experts at Climate Masters. If you’ve decided that now is the best time to hire a duct cleaning expert, give us a call. You’ll be glad you did.

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