Climate Masters Blog: Posts Tagged ‘St. Augustine’

What to Know about Central AC Installation

Monday, March 29th, 2021

two-technicians-working-on-outdoor-ac-unitSpringtime is officially here, and soon enough temperatures will start soaring. This means you want to make sure that your air conditioner is well prepared for the heat. In most cases, this means ensuring that you have professional maintenance done. Maintenance allows our technicians to thoroughly inspect, clean, and adjust components of your cooling system. All of this helps it work as effectively and efficiently as possible!

In some cases, though, this is the time of year that homeowners realize they need a new air conditioner. If you’re one of these folks, you may be tempted to go out and buy the biggest air conditioner you can find within your budget.

We really want to discourage you from doing this though, as bigger does not always equal better. In fact, an air conditioner that’s too large can be more detrimental to system efficiency than one that’s too small. And that’s what you should know about central AC installation—that size matters!

Read on to learn more.

Continue Reading

“Is Ductless Heating Right for My Home?”

Monday, March 15th, 2021

modern-living-room-with-ductless-air-handler-on-wallIt may seem odd for us to be talking about heating at all, during this time of the year. After all, it’s not like we need our heaters once spring hits. But if your heater was struggling this past winter, then it’s not a bad idea to look into your replacement options sooner rather than later. This is especially true if you’re considering a heat pump system—that is, a system that operates not only as a heater, but as an air conditioner as well!

Ductless systems have become increasingly popular for climates like ours—where summers are stifling hot and winters are mild (not to mention short). But, is a ductless system right for your specific home? These systems operate on heat pump technology, and as the name implies do not rely on a network of ducts. Rather, they consist of one outdoor condenser unit connected via refrigerant, power, and condensate lines to up to 4 indoor air handlers that can be mounted on the walls inside your home.

These systems have what’s called a reversing valve, which is the component that allows you to switch between heating and cooling mode.

But is this right for your home? Read on to find out!

Continue Reading

How Can You Use Your Air Conditioner Most Efficiently?

Monday, March 1st, 2021

woman-leaning-back-on-couch-with-eyes-closed-and-smilingWhile other parts of the country are dealing with very severe winter temperatures, we know that in our area, summer weather is just around the corner. There’s no denying that our air conditioners get quite the workout throughout not only summer, but pretty much 11 months out of the year if we’re being honest!

Now is the time to schedule maintenance, if you haven’t done so already. This is just one of the many ways to ensure that your cooling system works as efficiently as possible throughout the season, and throughout the years. The good news is, there are some additional, easy, and even free steps you can take to boost efficiency in addition to keeping up with your annual AC maintenance appointments.

Continue Reading

What Happens During My AC Tune-Up?

Monday, February 15th, 2021

checklist-with-red-markerYou’ve heard us talk about maintenance, but do you know why it’s so important? First off, it will help your cooling system work more efficiently. This means you won’t have to pay any more than you should in order to use your AC. Additionally, it reduces wear and tear and repair needs, meaning your air conditioner will last longer, too. A well cared for air conditioner can last about 10-15 years, but without tune-ups you can expect yours to last maybe half of that.

We typically recommend air conditioner maintenance in the early spring, before you’ll need the system the most. But consistency is what’s most important here—you should have maintenance done at least once a year for a central air conditioner. Also, in a climate like ours, it doesn’t really matter what time of the year it is! Although it’s worth noting that it can be harder to schedule a tune-up during our busier summer months as technicians are out on emergency service and repair calls.

So, what does maintenance entail, exactly? How can we convince you of its importance? Read on!

Continue Reading

Is It Too Early for an AC Tune-Up?

Monday, February 1st, 2021

two-technicians-working-on-outdoor-ac-unitMost of the HVAC blogs you might read will typically recommend that you schedule air conditioning maintenance in the spring, and heating maintenance in the fall—before you need either system the most. But here in St Augustine, we pretty much need our air conditioners year-round. So what does that mean for scheduling? Well, it’s never too early for an AC tune-up!

Is a tune-up necessary? Well, in short, yes. If you want your air conditioner to work as efficiently and effectively as possible for as long as possible, then you want to have maintenance done on the system at least once a year. If you’re utilizing a year-round heat pump system, then this should be upped to twice a year. Read on to learn more!

Continue Reading

How to Improve the Air You Breathe

Monday, January 18th, 2021

two-women-leaning-back-on-couch-looking-comfortableNo matter who you are, there’s no doubt that COVID-19 is something that you’ve been very aware of in the past year. Many homeowners throughout the country are looking for ways to mitigate their risks of virus transmission and the like in their own homes, and St. Augustine residents are no exception.

That said, we can’t promise that any indoor air quality solutions will guarantee that COVID or virus germs won’t be transmitted within your home, and we encourage our customers to follow CDC guidelines. However the right indoor air quality products and services will certainly mitigate your risks and make it less likely that germs, allergens, and other potentially unhealthy particles will enter your living space.

Since Americans typically spend around 70% of their time indoors—maybe even more these days—it makes sense that you want to ensure that the air you’re breathing is as healthful as possible! One way to help make this a reality is with a whole-home air purifier. Read on to learn more!

Continue Reading

Do You Need Professional Duct Testing?

Monday, January 4th, 2021

duct-being-professionally-sealedHomeowners often don’t realize how much their ductwork plays a role in not only their comfort but also the cleanliness of their indoor air. So when that ductwork is dirty or damaged, it can impact your home in significant ways. Damaged ductwork allows air leaks into unoccupied spaces like your attic or crawlspace. Dirty ducts invite common allergens as well as mold spores and bacteria into your indoor air.

But how do you know when your ductwork is trouble?

With professional duct testing. Duct testing allows our technicians to unobtrusively inspect your ductwork and see where you may have problem areas. But how do you know you need professional duct testing in the first place? Read on as we uncover some signs that this may be the case!

Continue Reading

Is Heating Maintenance Worth It?

Monday, December 21st, 2020

heater-jetsLook, we get it. You live in St Augustine, FL. You don’t need your heater much. Shoot, some years it seems like you maybe only turned in on for one cool week during the winter.

But, as minimally as you may use your heater, you do use it. You likely wouldn’t be reading this blog post if you didn’t have a heater in your home. You don’t want to pay more than you should have to in order to use it, no matter how briefly, right? If you want to truly rely on that whole-home heating system you have, then yes, you need to schedule routine maintenance tune-ups.

We’re not talking about trusting a neighbor or a general handyman. We mean true, professional heating tune-ups from trained and experienced technicians. Read on to learn more!

Continue Reading

How to Help Your Heater Perform At Its Best

Monday, December 7th, 2020

woman-huddled-under-blanketWinter is right around the corner! True, that doesn’t mean much for us here in the sunshine state. “Winter?” you may scoff, “that’s something other states get, not us!”

It may be true that our “chillier” season is brief and pretty uneventful compared to our neighbors up north and in the Midwest. But the fact is that it does get cold enough to use our heaters. Given that your HVAC systems make up half of all your energy use, and you use your AC system about 9 months out of the year if not more, it makes sense you want to save as much money as possible when winter does roll around.

You can do that by using your heater as efficiently as possible. How do you do that? Read on!

Continue Reading

Don’t Ignore This Threat to Furnace Safety

Monday, November 23rd, 2020

woman-covering-mouth-and-looking-concernedAre you using a gas-powered furnace to warm your home this winter? This is a great choice for homeowners in our area. Our winters may be brief, but we can certainly have some chilly days and nights. And you need a powerful and safe heater to get you through the cooler temperatures. That said, there is a potential threat when it comes to gas furnaces that is important for homeowners to be aware of. A cracked heat exchanger.

Before we go any further, it’s important that we clarify—gas furnaces are not inherently dangerous, and cracked heat exchangers are a relatively rare occurrence, particularly in newer furnaces. But they are still a very real threat, which we’ll get into more detail about below. Keep in mind, you will significantly reduce the risk of ever being surprised by a problem of this magnitude by keeping up on your annual furnace maintenance sessions.

Continue Reading