How to Extend the Lifecycle of Your Cedarburg, WI Heating System

If your heating system has been working overtime for years to keep your Cedarburg, WI house warm and comfortable, it may be time to get it serviced. Although standard furnaces have a lifetime of 15 years, they frequently fail due to improper maintenance. Attention and regular maintenance, on the other hand, can make your furnace survive longer than its actual lifecycle. The following provides a few pointers to help you extend the lifecycle of your heating system and keep it in good working order.

Replace Your Air Filters

A clogged filter will make your furnace work harder. Dust, dirt, and other indoor contaminants are held in your filter, so they don’t recirculate through the air in your house. If you don’t replace that clogged-up filter, your system will have to work harder to pull air through it, potentially resulting in costly furnace repairs.

So, how frequently should you change your HVAC filter? The general rule is to change it every two to three months. However, if you have pets or household members with allergies, try changing your filter each month.

Have Your Ducts Cleaned

Your ductwork, like any other equipment, requires frequent cleaning and maintenance. Because air ducts are the medium that allows the heated air to enter your home, they are easily polluted with dirt, allergens, and other particles that degrade your air quality. Furthermore, unclean air ducts make your furnace operate harder than it should, thus reducing its lifespan.

As a result, to enhance your home’s air quality, arrange professional HVAC ductwork cleaning. If your home has allergic members, pets, or smokers, you should get your ductwork cleaned more frequently.

Upgrade Your Thermostat

The lifespan of your Cedarburg, WI furnace is determined by how hard you push it. If you’re at the office for eight hours daily but keep your furnace on full blast, you’ll be overworking your system and overpaying on your electricity bills.

Invest in a smart thermostat instead of needing to recall setting your thermostat before going out. You may program your thermostat to alter the temperature of your house depending on the time of day. Set your programmable thermostat’s temperature back by 7-10 degrees for eight hours each day to save the most money. This method can save you up to 10% on your heating expenditures.

Insulate Your Home

If your home has any openings through which heated air might escape, you must seal those gaps immediately. The loss of heated air would significantly increase your utility costs and make your heating system work harder to achieve your desired temperature.

Ensure that no heated air is escaping from the gaps in your ductwork, windows, doors, or any other house components. Maintain your home’s insulation and seal all leaks and cracks as soon as possible.

Use Fans Clockwise

Have you ever seen the tiny switch on the back of your ceiling fan? This is where you may change the rotation of the fan blades. Most people believe that ceiling fans are exclusively used to cool space. However, this is only true if the rotors are turned counter-clockwise. Change the direction of your ceiling fan to clockwise to help warm a space. This draws cold air up and forces any heated air from the ceiling downwards along your walls and onto the flooring.

Using this tactic will make your spaces warmer without requiring you to turn on your heating system. In fact, homeowners who utilize ceiling fans during winter can save 15% on heating costs. This also means that you’re not running your furnace until it’s necessary, which considerably extends its lifespan.

Perform Regular Maintenance

The best way of showing that you care about your furnace is by giving it seasonal maintenance. Get expert maintenance on your system every autumn before turning up your heating system. Allowing an HVAC expert to fully examine and clean your entire system on a regular basis may significantly increase the lifespan of your furnace. A clean furnace will not only operate more effectively than a filthy one but having a maintenance check will also allow our experts to notice any possible repair issues and solve them immediately before they cause significant harm to your system.

We are a certified, experienced, and licensed company serving Cedarburg, WI residents. Our experts can service or perform annual maintenance to keep your furnace working properly. We also offer furnace installation, cooling services, electrical installation, and indoor air quality service. Call Hometown Heating & Air today to set up an appointment.

What’s the Difference Between a Heat Pump and Furnace?

There’s a large draw toward heat pumps given their vastly superior efficiency rating. However, they may not be appropriate for every circumstance. Discover the differences between heat pumps and furnaces as you consider what’s best for your home.

Are There Similarities?

Before looking at what makes these systems different, let’s look at how they’re similar. Both still require air to flow through your house and the system. That means both will have air filters that need periodic changing. It also means that both will need routine maintenance to maintain their operational efficiency.

A professional should also size and install both. Getting a unit that’s too large or too small can have detrimental effects on the system, let alone your utility expenses. Further, both are hazardous to install if not done properly.

Furnaces Generate Heat

Furnaces generate heat to keep your house warm. Depending on your particular unit, it either does this with an electric resistance element or by burning a furnace fuel, which is more common. In southeastern Wisconsin, the most common fuel type is natural gas, which is run to individual homes through underground lines. In more rural areas or with older houses, there may be a fuel tank outside the house, which is usually either propane or oil.

Heat Pumps Transfer Heat

Heat pumps act more like an air conditioner in that their job is to transfer heat, not generate it. Just like an AC unit will absorb heat from the air inside of your home in the summer, making it cooler, it absorbs heat from the outside air in the winter.

This may seem a little odd since you probably think the air outside in the winter is cold. However, it’s cold because your skin and body temperature are warm. When the refrigerant in the heat pump system cycles to the coils outside, it expands and becomes very cold. This difference in temperature allows it to absorb heat, even from what you might think is cold.

When the refrigerant moves into the house, the compressor forces more refrigerant into a smaller space. This increases the pressure, which raises the temperature, allowing it to transfer the heat to the air inside of your home.

Since the heat pump isn’t actually producing heat, the air coming from your vents may not feel as warm as that from a furnace. Heat pumps tend to run nearly constantly in cold weather to keep your home comfortable.

Furnaces Are More Efficient in Colder Weather

Heat pumps can only transfer heat as long as the coils remain colder than the air temperature. The closer the air temperature gets to the temperature of the coils, the less efficiently it runs. The particular heat pump you have will determine the operational temperature range, with most models starting to lose efficiency around 40 degrees Fahrenheit and not working below 25 degrees.

This is why it’s recommended to have a secondary heat source for when the temperatures enter dangerously low ranges in Wisconsin. The most common is to have a furnace that will automatically kick in when temperatures drop below an efficient range. This ensures you’re always running the most efficient heating source for your home. Most all-electric models come with an electric resistance element heater. However, you may opt for a dual-fuel model, which has a standard gas or oil furnace as part of the package.

You Can Both Heat and Cool With a Heat Pump

One of the major draws for heat pumps is that they can pull double duty, both heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. These systems come equipped with a reversing valve, which changes the direction the refrigerant flows in the system. Over the summer, the inside part of the system is low pressure. However, it becomes high pressure during the winter.

Changing from heating to cooling mode is as simple as switching the setting on your thermostat. Simply hit a button or flip a switch, and the system knows what needs to change internally. Just be sure to adjust the temperature properly and reset your programs for the change of seasons.

Hometown Heating & Air Conditioning has been the service provider of choice for people around Cedarburg since 2016. Our award-winning technicians proudly provide air conditioning and heating maintenance, installation, and repair combined with indoor air quality solutions. Call today to schedule your consultation with one of our expert installers to discuss the right system for your home.

Common Furnace Noises and What They Mean

When your furnace suddenly starts making strange sounds, it’s only natural to be concerned. You may be worried about spending a bunch of money on repairs, having your heating system break down on you, or even, in the worst-case scenarios, needing to replace your furnace altogether. Don’t panic yet, though. While many noises can represent problems and should not be taken lightly, the majority of them can be minimized if you’re proactive about it. Knowing what each type of noise means can help you save yourself quite a bit of discomfort and money.

Whistling Noise

A whistling noise is one of the least serious sounds you may hear coming from your heating system. The furnace’s air filter causes this noise in most cases. That air filter protects the furnace by trapping floating particles of dust and dirt, but when the filter itself becomes clogged, it makes it harder for the heating unit to pull air through. This is where the whistling noise is coming from, and you should take the sound as a signal that it’s time to replace the air filter with a new, clean one. Ideally, you should try to make this change a regular part of your furnace care routine.

Banging or Booming Noises

If you’re hearing occasional or even regular banging or booming noises coming from your furnace, you shouldn’t ignore it. These sounds typically happen with gas-burning furnaces, which usually means that gas is building up within the appliance. The noise happens when there is a delay with the ignition of the gas burners, which is usually caused by one of the burners being dirty or clogged. You won’t want to try and fix this yourself, and you also shouldn’t wait around to bring in a professional because a malfunctioning gas burner can sometimes cause damage to the heat exchanger, which is a more serious problem.

Screeching or Shrieking

If you’re hearing a high-pitched screeching, shrieking, or squealing sound coming from your furnace, it’s certainly annoying, but it’s probably not all that serious. In most cases, it’s caused by a motor issue such as a loose or damaged belt or possibly just a loose screw. It may also mean that the bearings need to be lubricated so that they can operate more smoothly. It will be hard to tell on your own which of these is actually causing it, so your best bet will be to bring in a heating technician as soon as you can.

Popping Noises

If you’re hearing occasional popping sounds coming from your HVAC system, the issue may actually be taking place in your air vents as opposed to inside your furnace. Your heating system uses these ducts to circulate heat throughout your household. However, sometimes when that warm air from the furnace comes in contact with the cold metal of the ducts, the metal starts to expand, which can result in those popping sounds that you’re hearing. In most cases, this is nothing to worry about, but for your own peace of mind, you may consider bringing in a ductwork expert for an inspection.

Rattling Noises

If your furnace is regularly making a rattling noise while it operates, you would be wise to turn the appliance off until you’re able to have it professionally inspected. It’s possible that this noise is only being caused by a loose panel or screw, which is a relatively minor concern. Alternatively, it could be a more serious problem, such as a cracked heat exchanger, which can lead to carbon monoxide leaking into your home. Even if the problem is only a loose screw, that loose part may end up contacting and damaging other parts of the furnace, so you don’t want to take the risk of leaving it running.

At Hometown Heating & Air, we are a locally owned and operated business that has been serving the greater Cedarburg, WI, area since 2016. We strive to earn the trust of our community by treating them like friends and family and by providing them with excellent comfort services. Our areas of expertise include heating, cooling, and indoor air quality. We also fully believe in supporting our local community, which is why we participate in a variety of community and chamber events in the area.

Let our friendly team take care of your household needs. Give us a call at Hometown Heating & Air, and get an appointment on the books today.

5 Tips to Ensure That Your HVAC System Is Ready for Winter Storms

Everyone knows how bad winters can be around Cedarburg, including the infamous snowstorms. One of the many challenges these intense storms bring is keeping your HVAC system running strongly. Here are five tips to prepare your HVAC system for the storms that are sure to come this winter.

1. Schedule Your Heating Maintenance

The most important thing that you can do at the start of the season to prepare for the coming storms is to get your system’s routine maintenance performed. You’ll enjoy better efficiency throughout the entire season as a result. However, you’ll also stave off predictable breakdowns when extreme weather strikes.

Routine maintenance cleans your system to allow it to operate with less stress, extending the life of all system components. Additionally, it seeks to identify components operating suboptimally before the weather turns frigid. Any components already straining will fail with the additional strain this weather brings, leaving your house without heat and with expensive emergency repair bills.

2. Check Your Vents

Your system depends on air movement to efficiently heat your home. It creates air movement by producing high pressure at the output vents and low pressure at the return vent. If these vents are closed or obstructed, then the air doesn’t circulate properly throughout your home.

This also means that closed doors inhibit your system’s ability to heat your home. Sure, one room may seem pleasantly warm, but it means that your system runs longer to bring the rest of your home to your set temperature.

Whenever possible, keep all doors open to spaces that your heating system serves. Keep your vents open, and ensure that each one has at least a 2-inch clearance above and around it. This ensures that air can effectively flow from the vent and create that circulatory flow.

3. Keep Your Air Filter Clean

Your air filter is critical to keeping air flowing through your HVAC system. It removes particles that would otherwise settle on the sensitive internal components. But its placement means it also easily creates an airflow restriction at the start of your system if it gets clogged.

Most 1-inch filters need replacing about every 90 days if you have average air quality. However, freezing temperatures may make your home unusually dry, leading to more airborne particles. Keep some extra filters on hand in case you need to change your filters during a storm.

Plan to check your filter monthly over the winter to catch it early when it clogs. When you do check it, gently vacuum off the intake side to extend the filter life and prevent reduced airflow through your system between filter changes.

4. Fix Small Problems

Small problems may be difficult to catch if they occur after your maintenance visit. However, noticing small changes may help prevent unnecessary strain on your system before the bitter cold arrives. Some subtle signs that you should watch for include:

  • Reduced airflow from your vents
  • Unusually long heating cycles
  • Cooler air from your vents
  • Unusual rattles or squeals
  • Sooty residue around your vents

A clogged air filter may cause some of these, so check there first. If you’ve just changed your filter, or if it’s pretty clean, call for a certified technician to identify the underlying problem. This protects your system and family from an emergency repair at the time you depend on your system to stay safe.

5. Think Through a Generator

Winter storms notoriously knock out power for at least a short time. Think about whether you’ll try to use a portable generator when this happens. Plan for where you’ll set up the generator so that you don’t risk carbon monoxide poisoning.

Plan for how you’ll which appliances you’ll connect to the generator and how you’ll get them connected. Be sure that you have appropriately sized and rated extension cords and know how you’ll run them through your home. Consider firing up the generator at the beginning of the season to make sure that it starts and runs properly before you might need it.

When you need reliable HVAC service, trust the Hometown Heating & Air Conditioning team. We’ve been serving Cedarburg since 2016. Our NATE-certified technicians provide heating and cooling installation, maintenance, and repair, along with indoor air quality solutions. Call to schedule your heating maintenance or repair with one of our expert technicians today.

Prevent House Fires With These Space Heater Safety Tips

Sometimes there may be a room in your house that may not heat up as warm as you would like it. Installing a portable space heater can be a great way to help make that room warm up without having to increase the temperature for the entire house. If you’re thinking of putting a space heater in one of your rooms, you should follow these safety tips below to ensure that you don’t experience a house fire.

Be Home When It’s on

The most common reason that space heaters result in home fires is that the owners are not home when they’re running their space heaters. Your space heater should never be running if you’re not at home as you won’t be able to respond quickly if it has a problem. It’s also essential to note that you shouldn’t have your space heater running while you’re sleeping as you lack responsiveness during this time.

Give It at Least Three Feet

Due to the fact that space heaters let off a lot of heat, they can catch flammable objects on fire. It’s best to give your space heater three feet of open space the whole way around it. Be mindful of flammable objects like your curtains or your bookcase, as you don’t want them to be too close to your space heater. They could catch fire.

Go Directly to the Wall Outlet

Where you plug your space heater in will have a big impact on whether or not it’s safe. Space heaters draw a lot of energy which means they should be directly plugged into a wall outlet. And, you shouldn’t be using the outlet that is paired with it as you don’t want to draw too much energy from that circuit. Never plug your space heater into a power strip or an extension cord. This is due to the fact that many of these items cannot handle the amount of power that the space heater needs. They can easily get overloaded and end up causing a fire.

Ensure It Has a Safety Certification

Before you purchase your space heater, you should take the time to see if it has a safety certification on the box. There are three different types of safety certifications that can be given to a particular space heater, which are UL, CSA, and ETL. When the heater has this certification, it ensures you that it’s safe to use as it has passed rigorous testing.

Inspect It Often

Over time, natural wear and tear can deteriorate your space heater to the point where it needs to be replaced. You never want to run a space heater that has a cord with exposed wiring or housing that has started to crack. It’s best to do a quick check over of your entire space heater every time you go to plug it in to make sure that everything is in good condition.

Set Boundaries With Your Kids

Unlike adults, kids don’t always understand the dangers that come along with appliances. It’s highly advisable that you sit down and speak to your kids about boundaries regarding the space heater and the dangers that come along with it. Set restrictions for who is allowed to turn on the space heater and for how close your kids may get to the space heater.

Position It Low in Your Room

You want to avoid putting your space heater on all surfaces but the floor. It’s a bad idea to put a space heater on a coffee table, counter, cabinet, or even furniture for multiple reasons. The most important reason is that it’s more prone to being knocked over. When positioning your space heater, make sure that you don’t place it on the rug or carpeting that is prone to catching fire. Stick to hardwood or vinyl flooring.

Smoke Detectors

Before you opt for turning on your space heater, it’s a good idea to have smoke detectors installed throughout your home. You want to check these smoke detectors at least once a month and replace their batteries every six months. Most experts recommend placing a smoke detector outside the bedrooms in your home and as well as on each level of your home.

Outstanding Heating Services

Hometown Heating & Air offers outstanding heating services for the entire Cedarburg, WI, community. We’re also happy to help with all of your indoor air quality, AC repair, AC installation, and AC maintenance needs. Call our office today to schedule your next service appointment.

What Happens During Furnace Maintenance?

HVAC maintenance has grown prominent in the minds of homeowners over the years, and rightly so. Properly maintaining your system is the difference between burning money versus keeping an efficient unit. Here’s what you can expect during a routine maintenance visit and why it’s important.

Safety Checks

Furnaces are so common in our homes that most of us forget there are risks with running them. You see the occasional warning about carbon monoxide poisoning, but you seldom see that risk connected to your furnace. There’s also the occasional story about a gas leak that leads to a house fire or an explosion.

Fortunately, these kinds of incidents are relatively rare, so we easily forget about them. However, when we neglect to take care of mitigating these risks, that’s where you see them start to crop up.

Further, you want to make sure the safety systems built into your heating system are working properly. These might include your gas shut-off switch as well as the heat safety switches.

Your annual furnace maintenance appointment will include the necessary checks to ensure your system will be safe this winter as it runs. Your technician will check for carbon monoxide levels around the furnace while it’s running. They’ll also look for any signs of gas leaks and test each of the safety components so that you can resolve problems before they become catastrophic.

Deep Cleaning

As air moves through your heating system, it deposits small particles that slip through your air filter onto your heat exchanger and circulating fan. As these collect, it inhibits your furnace’s ability to transfer heat and restricts the system’s airflow.

Your technician will gently clean both of these areas during your annual maintenance appointment. Care must be given to ensure they don’t damage either component, which can happen just by using the wrong cleaning products. This task is a major part of keeping your furnace operating at peak efficiency.

Function Testing

The only way to know whether your system is working properly is to objectively test its performance. This means running a full cycle to ensure the thermostat is sending the signal and that all the components engage at the right time.

Additionally, you want to make sure that your system is producing the right amount of heat. This is called the temperature rise, or how much warmer it makes the air than the ambient room temperature.

Your technician will run your system through an entire heating cycle to ensure that it works properly. While it’s running, they’ll double-check your heat rise to ensure it’s optimal. If anything comes up, you can get the needed repairs done without relying on an emergency repair before jeopardizing your family’s safety.

Component Inspection

Beyond testing, some of your components need a visual inspection to ensure they’re operating safely. This is especially true for your heat exchanger, which may crack over time. Your circulating fan motor, burner, and igniter may all show visible signs of problems and will be inspected during routine maintenance.

Tightening and Balancing

Your system creates vibration as it runs, which loosens some components’ mounting screws and electrical connections. Loose mounting bolts and screws lead to additional movement while your system runs, causing excessive strain on those components. Loose electrical connections create additional electrical resistance, which increases heat in electrical wiring and components.

Your circulating fan must also maintain balance to prevent damage to the motor and spindle. Dust collecting on the fan wheel and loose mounting bolts may cause the fan to go out of balance. All of these connections are tightened during your maintenance visit, and your circulating fan will be balanced to reduce the strain put on your system.

Why Maintenance Matters

If all of that isn’t enough to convince you of how important furnace maintenance is, consider your system’s warranty. Manufacturers understand all of what is described above and recognize that without proper maintenance, your furnace will experience preventable repairs. To reduce the risk of these warranty claims, they often require regular maintenance as a term of the warranty.

Even if your unit is no longer under warranty, attending to these areas reduces your overall operating costs. Keeping your system running efficiently lowers your utility costs, reduces preventable repairs, and extends the lifespan of your appliance. There’s little you can do for your system that’s as reasonably priced as annual maintenance.

People throughout Cedarburg have trusted Hometown Heating & Air to keep their homes warm since 2016. Our NATE-certified technicians provide heating and air conditioning installation, maintenance, and repairs as well as indoor air quality solutions. Call to schedule your furnace maintenance appointment with one of our expert technicians today.

How to Test the Efficiency of Your AC

Your house has air conditioning, which is great, but you’re not sure how efficient it is. Many homeowners never question the status of their AC until it stops working. If your AC efficiency is questionable, you may be spending a lot more money than you need to. Regular checks of your air conditioner’s components, and a simple test will tell you if it is functioning properly.

Here are four things that can affect the efficiency of your air conditioner. Check these first to make sure that you get accurate test results. Any one of these can cause your air conditioner to struggle to maintain even room temperature.

1. Dirty Air Filter

The first thing to do is check your air conditioner’s air filter. Is it clogged with dust? A dirty filter can make it harder for the unit to pull in the fresh air. Air filters should be checked monthly and replaced when dirty.

2. Clogged Condenser

Can you hear the unit running? It should have a faint humming sound when turned on. The outdoor condenser unit can get clogged with dirt and debris from your yard. Give it a thorough cleaning with a garden hose and make sure it is free of leaves and grass clippings.

3. Closed or Blocked Vents

Do you feel cold air coming out of the vents in each room? The vents should be clear of dust and open to allow air to flow out.

4. Drafty Doors and Windows

Doors and windows can let in drafts that can affect your indoor temperatures. When you have the air conditioner on, close the blinds or cover windows to prevent heat transfer through the glass. The heat that comes in through the windows can make it hotter inside and increase humidity.

After checking the components of your AC system, perform the following test to see how well your system performs. This test will determine if you need to call a repair service or not.

Testing The AC

This simple test works perfectly on older systems since newer units are programmed for maximum efficiency. If you have a system that is between 5 and 10 years old, and it struggles to keep your home cool enough, then give this test a shot.

The only thing you need for this test is a thermometer. Allow your air conditioner to run for at least 20 minutes before performing the test. You can determine the efficiency of your AC by comparing the temperature of the air blowing out of the vent, to the temperature of the air being drawn into the system.

Hold a digital thermometer up facing the air coming out of the vent. Wait until the thermometer has a steady read. Now, repeat these steps for the return vent. You can also use a kitchen thermometer if that is all you have. Just set it inside where the air can blow on it.

Compare the temperatures from both readings. On a properly running air conditioning system, the air coming out should be 20 degrees cooler than the air going in. If the reading is less than 20 degrees difference, it could mean that the unit needs refrigerant or minor repair. It would be hard to properly diagnose the system without an inspection, but this is a common reason for an air conditioner not to be cooling efficiently.

Depending on the results of your test, you should consider contacting a heating and air conditioning company to inspect and repair the system before the problem gets worse. Fixing the issue now would be less costly than waiting until it stops working altogether.

Additional Signs of AC problems:

  • More humidity indoors
  • Increased utility bills
  • Frequent repair visits
  • AC cycles frequently

Call Us for Assistance

At Hometown Heating & Air of Cedarburg, WI, we proudly serve our community by ensuring the comfort of our customers. We have an A+rating from the BBB and received the Super Service Award from Angie’s List in 2020, as well as the Best of Home Advisor Award. We pride ourselves on service and our team of NATE-certified technicians can fix just about any problem you have with your air conditioner.

We provide heating and cooling repair, indoor air quality checks, and system maintenance for the residents of Cedarburg and the surrounding area.

If your air conditioner is not as efficient as it could be, contact us today to schedule a repair service.

Common AC Problems in Summer

The heat has arrived, and you’re enjoying the cold comfort of your AC system. Suddenly, your unit stops working properly, and your indoor air begins to heat up. What’s causing the problem, and how do you get the issue fixed as quickly as possible?

Not every AC problem requires a professional’s skills and knowledge to get resolved. In fact, some air conditioning issues are easy for a homeowner to handle. Knowing how to respond to an AC issue quickly can mean a faster recovery. We’ve assembled a quick guide to outline what can happen and how to approach a repair.

Overall Cooling Is Deficient

There’s nothing worse than insufficient airflow on a hot day. When this problem crops up, your first task is to check for blocked vents. Move furniture, curtains, and other items away from vents. You’ll also need to check your outdoor compressor for debris that’s blocking the unit’s fan. If you still find your overall cooling experience lacking, request a system inspection from your local cooling company.

An inspection can tell you whether the unit you have is built to properly cool your floor plan. Replacing the unit with a larger capacity compressor could solve this issue. You can also choose to close vents and add portable air conditioners in important rooms. This isn’t an ideal way to solve the issue. However, it’s a good temporary solution until you have an updated air conditioner in place.

Air Flows Slowly From Vents

Check your air filter to take care of this issue. Dirty filters slow the airflow and can cause the system to struggle to operate. Regular filter replacement or cleaning is a necessary task for homeowners. Verify the state of your filters every three months or more often according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Pet owners will need to replace filters more often.

When you need an AC repair in Cedarburg, Hometown Heating & Air is ready to help. Our technicians deliver fast, accurate results on a wide range of air conditioning problems. Let us know how we can solve your summer AC issues for you.

AC Delivers Hot Air

If your AC is blowing hot or warm air, then it’s a pretty sure bet that the refrigerant levels are deficient. Either there’s a leak in the component housing the refrigerant or there never was enough refrigerant in the system. The refrigerant is placed inside the system during the manufacturing process. This substance is not a fuel, so it won’t dissipate or get used up. If adequate levels aren’t there to begin with, your equipment can’t produce enough cold air for you.

This is an issue that requires an expert’s skill because of the chemical makeup and pressurized state of the refrigerant. Refrigerant is dangerous when handled incorrectly. EPA-certified technicians know how to locate and fix leaks. They also can safely add more refrigerant for you or dispose of any refrigerant when necessary.

System Won’t Turn On

For an AC system that won’t turn on at all, check your breaker box. Power surges on hot days can cause a breaker to flip. In order to protect your cooling equipment, make sure that the AC is turned off before flipping the breaker back on. When this doesn’t solve the problem, it’s time to test the thermostat.

To do this, set your AC system to the ON mode. Next, make adjustments to your thermostat. Wait for your system to respond to your new temperature settings. If it doesn’t respond as it normally would, the thermostat is faulty and should be replaced.

Compressor Won’t Turn Off

A compressor that won’t shut off or short cycles is signaling that your thermostat is malfunctioning. A broken thermostat can’t tell the system how to operate, and that can cause it to run continuously. Although a repair may be possible, replacing the thermostat is usually the least expensive way to address this issue. A licensed, insured technician can handle this update for you.

Hometown Heating & Air is the company locals depend on for complete air conditioning services in Cedarburg. Our customer-focused approach is supported by our A+ rating and accredited standing with the BBB. We repair, maintain, and install heating and cooling equipment for residential properties. You can lean on us for indoor air quality testing, humidity control, and duct cleaning and sealing services as well. Plus, we provide a 24/7 emergency repair response. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

How To Prepare Air Conditioner for the Summer

Keeping your home cool when the temperature goes past 90 degrees is important, and if you want to have an air conditioner that works reliably all summer long, there are some things you should do right now to improve the chances that your system won’t cause you problems later. Here are some tips for getting your air conditioner ready for the hot weather in Cedarburg, WI.

Clean the Filter

There’s a filter on your air conditioner that removes contaminants and particulates from the air. It prevents your air conditioner from overworking, and it preserves the quality of the air you and your family breathe. Ideally, you should be cleaning or replacing this filter every couple of months when the unit is in operation. Taking care of this now is a good place to begin.

Clean the Indoor Unit

Air conditioning systems have both an indoor and an outdoor component to them, and making sure that the indoor part is clean is important to both the health of your AC system and the overall health of your family. There can be a buildup of dust and other debris in various parts of the equipment. The first thing you should do when you’re trying to get your air conditioner ready for the summer is to take the time to clean the indoor unit.

Always start by turning off the power to the air conditioner at the electrical box. This is vital for your own protection. You should remove the cover of the evaporator coil and dust it off with a soft cloth. Use a vacuum cleaner if necessary.

Mold can build up in the unit, which can be bad for your health. You can prevent this in the drip pan by using a solution of bleach and water to clean it before replacing it under the condenser coil.

Finally, if there’s a clog in the drain, you’ll want to clear it so that the system continues to take humidity out of the air properly. If water is slow going down the line, you can go to the place where everything empties out. Take a wet/dry vac and suck everything out for a couple of minutes. Make sure that you have a tight seal so that you’re removing the clog.

Clean the Outside Unit

When it’s time to clean the outside unit, you’ll need to remove the grate, which will probably require that you take off a few screws. If you didn’t have a cover on the equipment, you’ll likely find some dirt, twigs and leaves inside it. You can easily get rid of this debris by removing all of the big pieces first and using a vacuum to suck out the rest.

You’ll want to clean the condenser coil, and you can find a cleaner designed for this task at a home improvement store. Follow the directions on the bottle. After applying it and waiting a few minutes, use a hose to spray it away along with any remaining debris. Finally, you should make sure that all of the fins are straight because bent fins can really hamper the efficiency of your unit.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

If you have an older, very basic thermostat, you should upgrade to an energy-efficient programmable model. This simple change can save you hundreds of dollars throughout the course of the summer. This type of thermostat will let you set your ideal temperature for when you’re at home and automatically adjust it for when you’re not. You can also make adjustments using an app on your cell phone. If you’ll be coming home an hour early one night, you can remotely adjust your system to start cooling your house sooner than it normally would.

Check the Ductwork

Another energy-saving tip is to check the ductwork for leaks. Even a seemingly small leak means that cool air isn’t reaching the areas of the house where you actually intend it to go. You can use duct tape, mesh and duct mastic to repair the crack or hole in the ductwork.

Implementing these tips can give you peace of mind and save you money throughout the summer. Because your system will be running more effectively, you can feel more confident that it will make it through the season without a hitch. If you’d like more information on this topic or you require any assistance, take advantage of the many services that Hometown Heating and Air offers to residents of Cedarburg. We provide heating, cooling and indoor air quality installation, maintenance and repair. Call us today.

What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need for My Home?

Most people do not think about the size of their air conditioner, even when it needs to be replaced. Rather, the focus is usually on getting a replacement similar to what you already have, with an efficiency improvement. However, an air conditioner should fit like a glove for your home, not too big or too small. Here is how you determine the size unit you should consider for your home.

How Is Air Conditioner Size Measured?

You may have heard the term BTU when it comes to air conditioners, but do you know what it means? This actually stands for British Thermal Unit and is the standard we use even in the United States. One BTU is the energy required to raise 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.

Being we are talking about cooling rather than heating, the BTU rating gives you an idea of the cooling capacity per hour. The higher the rating, the more that particular unit will be able to cool in an hour.

Given this definition, a common misconception is that if you simply go to a larger capacity, your system will work faster. Unfortunately, that is not the case when it comes to your central air conditioning unit.

Does Size Really Matter?

In the case of your home AC, you really want to find a unit that is just the right size, not too big or too small. When you go with a smaller system than your home needs, you will end up running longer cycles. This translates into much higher utility bills and unneeded wear on your system.

On the other hand, if your system is too big, your system ends up running shorter cycles but more frequently. This means the system never gets to dehumidify your air the way it should, leaving the air muggy. It also means your system is going through more start-up processes, which increases strain, shortening the system’s service life.

The way to get the most from your system at the best cost overall is to get the right size. So let’s look at how you determine the size needed to effectively cool your home.

Determine How Much Space You Need to Cool

If you remember buying your home, you probably remember how many square feet it boasted in the listing. That may be a good reflection of the space you need to cool, but it’s always worth double-checking.

The simple calculation for square feet is to multiply the width of a rectangle or square by the length. If your home is not a perfect rectangle or square, you may need to do some extra work to get at a good number.

Go room by room and calculate the square footage of each. Do not forget areas like hallways and closets in your calculations. Do not include spaces like your attic, garage, or basement unless there are vents serving those areas.

Going From Square Feet to BTU’s

Once you have the rough square footage you are trying to cool, it’s time to figure out how many BTUs you need. There is no specific conversion that is perfect for everyone. However, a general rule of thumb is to use 20 BTUs per square foot as a starting point.

So if your home is roughly 1,500 square feet, you simply multiply this by 20, giving you a 30,000 BTU need. Once you have this rough starting point, consider the other factors affecting your need.

Going Beyond the Rule of Thumb

Other factors include how much shade your home receives and how many occupants you typically have in your home. The rule of thumb takes into account two people. If you have more, you should increase your BTU calculation by 600 for each additional person. Be sure to consider how much entertaining you do during the hot months as you consider this factor.

Also, think about the shade you have around your home. If your home is mostly shaded the majority of the day, you can reduce your need by about 10%. However, if it is in direct sunlight all day long, you may need to increase it by the same factor.

Ultimately, the best way to know you have the right size is to work with an experienced air conditioning professional. Consider getting multiple quotes before making your decision, and then go with a company you feel like you can trust. Not only will the company do the installation, but they will provide the warranty service if something breaks down.

Hometown Heating and Air has been an award-winning air conditioning provider for people around Cedarburg since 2016. Our team is sought out for heating and cooling installation, service, and maintenance, along with indoor air quality solutions. Call to schedule your consultation with one of our expert air conditioning professionals today.