Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

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Season AC Problems

Once the warm weather finally arrives around here, we’re all pretty ready for the change of pace. Winters in Colorado can be beautiful and there’s certainly no shortage of outdoor winter sports opportunity around here. But eventually, enough is enough. Before long, though, you’ll find the heat in your home is a bit much, and you’ll turn to your air conditioning system for comfort once more. The best piece of advice we can give you to help your system succeed is to schedule routine air conditioning maintenance with our team.

But there is no such thing as a 100% reliable air conditioner. You can count on the need for air conditioning repair in Loveland, CO, at some point. When that time comes, you want to act fast. The longer you wait to schedule repairs with our team, the worse off your air conditioning system is likely to be. In today’s post, we’ll cover some issues you’ll want to address even if it’s the beginning of the season.

 

Short Cycling

Well, it’s just been lying dormant all winter. Give it some time, it’ll get back up to running speed soon. 

Do not give your short cycling air conditioner this benefit of the doubt! If you had your air conditioning system tuned up before you started using it again, then the most likely contributors to short cycling should have been addressed. Your refrigerant charge should have been checked, your air filter should have been changed, etc. If your system is still short cycling after routine maintenance, you could have an electrical issue or something else that either snuck by during your tune-up or which developed in the interim. Either way, you don’t want to go into the cooling season with an air conditioner that won’t run consistently.

Warm Air

This is something that you’ll notice as soon as you start using your air conditioner, and it’s definitely something that you want to address right away. If there is warm air coming from your vents and you just had your system tuned up, then there is a likely suspect that you don’t want to wait on repairing: leaky ducts!

If your air ducts are leaking, then they need to be professionally sealed or, depending upon the extent of the issue, replaced. Your ducts are not going to be inspected as part of a regular tune-up. If they’re pulling warm air into the system through leaks, though, you’re going to be paying more money for less comfort in your home!

Strange Sounds

Eh, the system’s cooling my house down. I can live with the weird noise. It’s barely noticeable in most of the house.

Well, if that’s your attitude, trust us, we’ll be seeing you soon! It’s definitely better to get out ahead of this particular problem. Depending upon the type of noise—screeching, whining, banging—you could be looking at anything from a worn-out belt to a loose motor mount. These problems won’t cause an immediate disruption in cooling, but they can eventually—while also doing more damage to the system.

Schedule your AC repairs with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Get That AC Ready Ahead

There are certain facts in life that are completely inarguable. We’ve got one in the HVAC world. Routine maintenance is the best way in which to keep your air conditioner working as successfully as possible. There’s just no getting around it. It doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter at what heights temperatures in your area max out at. If you want to make it through the summer season comfortably, you need to schedule the maintenance that your AC demands.

If you think that this is one air conditioning service in Windsor, CO, that you can handle on your own, think again. Routine maintenance may be just that—routine—but that does not mean that it is simple. A thorough and successful tune-up is something that only a skilled professional can ensure, and you don’t want to run the risk of damaging your system or putting yourself in danger by doing the job on your own.

 

You’ll Be Saving Yourself Money

“I don’t want to spend the money on a tune-up.”

Well, that’s your decision. We want to point out how flawed the thinking with such reasoning is, however. You see, a tune-up is not free—that’s true. But a tune-up is going to save you money in the long run—and you can take that right to the bank!

When you schedule annual air conditioning maintenance, you are going to get the most efficient performance possible from your home cooling system. Over time, a poorly maintained AC is just going to cost more and more to run. So spend the money up front, and enjoy better efficiency throughout the years.

You’ll Be More Comfortable

Say, for whatever reason, you’re fine with paying more to cool your home. Are you still fine with paying more to cool your home with lesser results? Because this is going to be the reality of the situation. Simply put, there is no way that you can hope to cool your home as effectively as possible if you  do not have your air conditioner tuned up annually.

Think about it this way. Last year, you ran a marathon. Sure, it was tough, but you prepared for it and you succeeded. Does that mean that you’ll be able to go and do it again this year, without reconditioning your body for that type of feat? Of course not! You need to keep yourself in marathon shape, and the same is true of your air conditioner.

Your System Will Be More Reliable

If there’s anything worse than an under-performing air conditioner on a hot summer day, it’s got to be a broken down air conditioner on a hot summer day! If you don’t let a professional tune up your system annually, then it is not going to be reliable.

And the most likely time that a system will break down is when you need it most—because that’s when you use it most! Don’t put your comfort and your budget at risk by failing to have your AC tuned up this year.

Schedule your air conditioning maintenance with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Special Tune

For just a few more days, Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning is offering a special $49 tune-up for your air conditioning system (or your furnace, if you want to have it tuned up at the close of the season).  This offer is going away come 3.31.19, so act now! Routine AC maintenance is, without exception, the best way in which to keep your system in the best working condition possible. Keep your eyes out for a full post on the subject this coming Monday—it may be the first, but it’s no joke!

ContactFort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning today to take advantage of this offer. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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A quick look at the calendar will tell you we AC Replacementare well on our way toward the coldest time of the year. Right now is the perfect time to schedule your heating maintenance and—if you think your heater may not have another winter’s worth of reliable service left in it after all—your heating replacement. Does this mean you should forget all about your air conditioner until next spring, though?

Absolutely not.

If your air conditioner was struggling at the end of this past cooling system, or if you were unhappy with it or its performance for any reason, then now is a great time to schedule your air conditioning replacement, as well. And, as always, you want a trained professional on the job. While an air conditioning installation in Loveland, CO, at this point in time may seem counter-intuitive, there are plenty of reasons to have it done sooner rather than later.

There’s a Lot to Be Said for “Just Getting It Out of the Way”

If you contact us just before summer is gearing up again to replace your air conditioning system, then we are of course going to replace that air conditioning system. We’ll do it the right way, every step of the way, just as we would at any other time of the year. That being said, it may not be on as expedited a schedule as you’d like, particularly if it is in the midst of AC tune-up season.

Simply put, this is an extremely busy time for air conditioning technicians everywhere, not just those on our team. Because of this, you may have to wait longer than is ideal to have your new system put into place. Summer can come in fast and it can come in hot around here. By replacing your air conditioner now, even if you are not going to need it for a while, you can avoid the potential wait time you may face when spring is winding down.

How Great Is Your Memory?

Okay, so investing in a new air conditioning system may not be the type of thing that you’re as likely to forget about as, say, picking up milk or eggs at the market. However, you may not be quite as on top of it as you’d hope when the summer season is drawing near once more. It doesn’t matter if you forget about the AC replacement until you’re ready to fire it up for the first time, or if you just cut it a little closer to the heat than you intended due to a brief memory lapse.

When the weather does heat up, you don’t want to be scrambling to get as big of a job as a full AC replacement done in time. You want to fire up your system (after having it tuned-up,  of course) and enjoy its best performance possible. That’s what you’ll get when you schedule your AC replacement and other services with our team.

Schedule your AC services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Your air conditioner is making a weird Why Schedule AC Repairssound. Or it is starting and stopping too frequently. Or maybe it’s blowing warmer air than usual, or costing more to run. Whatever the case, there’s a problem of some kind affecting system performance.

But hey, we’re almost at the end of the 2018 cooling season. Why not just wait until the summer begins anew to have the air conditioner repaired?

Well, as it turns out, there are a whole lot of reasons.

And yes, we’re going to share a few of them.

First, however, an executive summary of what is to follow …

It is always best to schedule immediate AC repair in Loveland, CO.

If you ask us, no problem with your air conditioning system is ever truly “minor” enough to ignore. The sooner that you stop thinking of problems like that, the better off your air conditioning system.

Start Saving Money Immediately

The whole “well, my air conditioner is still working pretty well” argument really drives us nuts. Why? Because a good enough performance is not good enough, and for a few reasons.  Chief among them is the fact that we hate thinking of our customers paying too much for too little comfort. That is just what you’ll be doing if you fail to schedule your air conditioning repairs promptly, though.

Whatever the other effects that your problem has on your air conditioner may be, you can definitely count on energy efficiency suffering. It may not add up to too much right away, but even a little bit of unnecessary cost is too much for our valued customers. When we repair your system promptly, your budget reaps the benefits as well as your comfort!

Prevent Further Damage

If you sprain your ankle a mile from the marathon finish line, you may decide you’ve come too far to give up. It’s not as if you can have a doctor come out to the race and patch you up. If you do manage to finish, of course, you’re really going to feel it for a while to come.

When it comes to your AC finishing a marathon of cooling a home all summer, there’s no reason to force it across the finish line. You can easily have a technician come tend to its pain points. Scheduling prompt repairs helps limit further damages to the system.

For the Sake of Convenience

Let’s pose a question—how certain are you that you’ll remember to schedule your AC repairs before you actually need to use your system next year?

If your answer is “not very,” then have the job done now! The last thing you want is for summer to strike harder and earlier than expected when your air conditioning system isn’t prepared for it. If you get the necessary repairs out of the way now, you won’t find yourself scrambling to schedule service during our busiest time of the season.

Schedule your AC repairs with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning, the company you can trust.

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Huh, you think, taking in the scene. That’s weird. I didn’t even realize my air conditioner used water. So, should I call a plumber, or an AC technician?

First things first—stop what you’re doing!

You are right to be confused. A central air conditioning system does not use water in its cooling process. It doesn’t have a water supply line. It does not store water in a tank.

So, am I just imagining I’m seeing water around the AC unit? Because I’m definitely seeing water around the AC unit. 

This Water Surrounding My AC From

Well, no—we didn’t say that. What we are saying is that this is not exactly a water leak, at least not in the way you’re thinking of. Feeling more confused? That’s okay. Trust us, we get plenty of calls for HVAC services in Windsor, CO from homeowners in your same situation. The good news is we have answers.

First of All, What’s the Source of the Water?

If your air conditioner is not a plumbed appliance with a designated water line, then where is the water surrounding the indoor unit coming from? There are two potential answers to this question.

The first is that the water surrounding your air conditioner has just wound up there due to the AC unit being at a low point in the home. It could have come from a plumbing leak, or even from a leak in the foundation letting water in when it rains. Whatever the case, water is naturally going to follow gravity’s pull, and that means it will pool around the AC if it’s at the lowest point on the floor it is installed on.

A more likely scenario, however, is just that you’re looking at condensation. Your AC doesn’t generate cool air, remember, but instead evaporates refrigerant in order to draw heat out of the air already inside your home. As it does so, humidity is removed from the air and condensation collects on the evaporator coil. But why is that condensation winding up around the AC unit?

Condensate Drainage Issues

Your AC has a condensate drain pan and drain line, which allows for condensation to be removed from the house. If the drain pan or drain line is damaged, then leaks can develop. By adjusting the drain pan, cleaning the drain line, or replacing either component in the event of damages, you can resolve the problem.

You could also be dealing with ice melting off the evaporator coil. This could be due to a very dirty air filter restricting airflow to the point where condensation freezes on the coil. It could also be the result of a refrigerant leak, though.

If you have a refrigerant leak, failure to schedule prompt repairs could actually result in potentially irrevocable damages to your system. If your filter is not obviously dirty, but you’ve got issues with ice developing, there is no time to spare!

Schedule your AC repairs with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Why do we ask? Because a refrigerant leak is AC Leaking Refrigerantactually one of the most serious problems you can face with your air conditioning system. Not only that, but it is also one of the most common! That is a bad combination, especially when you consider that the symptoms of a refrigerant leak are not always easy to spot or accurately diagnose at first! We’re not here to alarm you, of course. Instead, we just want to make sure that you have some basic information which will help you to deal with any refrigerant leaks successfully.

Does that mean that you can fix your own refrigerant leak once you determine that this is what you are most likely dealing with? Absolutely not! Fixing a refrigerant leak is no different than almost any other AC repair in this regard. It’s a job for skilled professionals and skilled professionals only. When you suspect that you need an air conditioning repair in Loveland, CO, be it for a refrigerant leak or any other problem, remember that the pros on our team are always here for you.

 

You Are Right to Be Concerned, Considering the Function of Refrigerant

What function might that be? A pretty important one, in that the entire cooling process hinges on the refrigerant cycle! Specifically, it demands the evaporation and condensing of refrigerant.

Your air conditioner has two coils, those being the indoor evaporator coil and the outdoor condenser coil. Refrigerant evaporates in the indoor coil, which allows it to draw heat out of the air passing over it. The warmed refrigerant is pumped through the system to the condenser coil, and its heat is released into the air outside during the condensing phase of the cycle. That cycle continues until desired temperatures are met in your home—which is a much easier goal to reach when you have the right amount of refrigerant in the system.

How Can I Spot Trouble?

By knowing what to look for. Keep your senses on the alert for any of the following problems in your home.

  • A decrease in cooling output, or even warm air coming from the vents. If you don’t have enough refrigerant in the air conditioning system, then it will struggle to effectively cool air.
  • An increase in cooling costs. If you there isn’t enough refrigerant in the AC system, then it is not going to work as efficiently as it otherwise would.
  • A hissing sound coming from the system. If you have a refrigerant leak in your air conditioner, then you may hear the pressurized gas escaping from its lines in the system.
  • An icy evaporator coil or frost on the refrigerant lines. If you have a refrigerant leak in your air conditioning system, then these components can get too cold and ice up.
  • An irregular cycling pattern. Leaking refrigerant will cause the air conditioner to overheat and may force it to shut down rapidly in an act of self-preservation. Short cycling puts added strain on the system and further drives up energy costs.

Schedule your AC services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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How Dirty Filters Affect

Are you one of those homeowners who is diligent in scheduling routine air conditioning maintenance services each and every year? If so, then we applaud you. This is a responsible trait to possess, and one that is sure to help keep your air conditioning system running as effectively, efficiently, and reliably as possible. However, you must also keep in mind that routine maintenance alone is not necessarily enough to get you the cooling performance you deserve.

There is at least one major step that you should take on your own, and that is changing your air filter. No, you cannot complete a full AC tune-up on your own. However, you can change the air filter yourself, and you should be doing so as needed. This is typically required every 1 to 3 months, though a number of factors will influence how frequently your filter actually needs to be changed. So read on and learn more about how changing your air filter benefits you, including keeping air conditioning repairs in Windsor, CO at bay.

Yes, It Is That Big of a Deal

We know what some homeowners reading this are probably thinking. Really? I need to change my air filter that frequently? Is that really necessary? 

The answer is yes. It is that necessary. A dirty air filter may not seem like that big of a deal, particularly if you have not noticed a marked decline in overall indoor air quality. However, the function of this filter is not to boost indoor air quality throughout your home. Instead, it is there to protect your HVAC system itself from the various problems that may arise when pollutants like dust and dirt build up on its components.

What Kind of Problems Are We Talking About?

For starters, you are going to see a dropoff in system energy efficiency. If you are trying to cool your home in the most efficient manner possible (and why wouldn’t you?) you are definitely not going to want to keep a dirty air filter in place. That is going to make it harder for the system to force air through it, and that is going to cause the system to consume more and more energy as it tries to do its job. You’ll see this reflected in your overall energy costs.

You will also notice that you are paying more for a lesser cooling output. Your system just won’t work as well as it should if it is contending with a dirty air filter. It may even wind up short cycling, meaning that it will start up, run briefly, then cycle back down rapidly. When that happens, you are going to consume more electricity than you should have to because your system uses more energy when starting up than it does when running normally. Plus, you are putting a lot of wear and tear on the system, and the decreased airflow can cause the evaporator coil to ice up, insulating it and making the problem worse.

Schedule your AC services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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You Delay AC RepairsChances are that if you are reading this blog, you are not an air conditioning expert. That’s why you come here for our expert advice, right? Well, many non-experts, meaning most homeowners, are a bit confused about when is the right time to schedule service with their Windsor, CO air conditioning repair specialists. Let us ask you this—when do you schedule repairs? When the AC is completely incapable of cooling your home? When it breaks down completely? If so—reconsider this course of action right now!

There are a lot of problems that may develop with your air conditioning system. Even the best ACs on the market today manufactured by the most trusted companies around are going to encounter operational problems from time to time. The best way in which to deal with those problems is to do so the moment that you notice any signs of such trouble developing. Read on to learn more about how delaying repairs will negatively affect you.

 

You’re Just Making Them Worse

Imagine if you sprained your ankle a mile or two into a marathon, and then went on to finish that long, arduous race—an immense challenge even for those participants in great shape. How do you think your ankle would fare? Sure, you’d have one heck of a story and a rightly earned sense of accomplishment. Would it be worth the damage done to your body, though?

Probably not, considering you may not want this race to be your last! The same is true of an AC that is working its way through the summer season despite being in poor working condition. Yes, it may make it through to the end. It will likely be much worse for wear as a result, however, and perhaps even damaged beyond repair.

You’re Wasting Money

Okay, so let’s say that your air conditioner is not functioning at peak performance levels, but it is still getting its job done decently in spite of the troubles that it is facing. No big deal then, right? Wrong. Why? Because it’s not just about a poor performance level, but a poor efficiency level, too.

If your air conditioner is not kept in great working condition, then it is not going to work at great efficiency levels. It is that simple. Your air conditioner does not have to break down entirely to cost you a lot of money. You’ll see that in the high cost of cooling your home with a compromised, but technically operational, system.

You’re Putting Your Comfort on the Line

Are you most likely to get sick when you’re well rested and healthy, or when you are being pulled in a million directions at once and are running yourself ragged? Obviously the latter, right? That’s much the same with your AC, which is most likely to suffer serious damages just when you need it the most!

Be sure to schedule prompt air conditioning repairs if you are serious about keeping your AC reliable. Ignoring “minor” issues will have major consequences if and when your system finally breaks down during the hottest time of the year.

Schedule your air conditioning repairs with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning, the company you can trust.

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AC Maintenance Necessary

If you navigate around this site a bit or read through some of our previous blogs, then you will notice very quickly that we are strong advocates of annual air conditioning maintenance. Yes, annual. Yes, every single year. Why? Because there is just no better way to keep your AC working like new, without investing in a new air conditioner every year! When a professional tunes up your system annually, you will enjoy a great cooling experience.

We cannot stress that last bit enough. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. An AC tune-up is definitely worth doing, and only by scheduling this service with trained professionals can you hope for it to be done right. If you think you can read a few blog posts or watch an instructional video in order to learn how you can tune up your AC yourself, think again! This is definitely a job for air conditioning professionals in Loveland, CO.

A Waste of Money? Quite the Opposite!

It’s an argument many have made—many of whom have learned the hard way that routine AC maintenance is definitely worth the minor cost of the service! My air conditioner is fine—if it’s not broken, why fix it? There is a fundamental flaw in this logic, that flaw being that AC maintenance is not about fixing problems, but rather preventing those problems from developing in the first place.

This should be obvious, with the service being called “preventive maintenance” and all that, but some people still fail to see the connection. No, there is no way to completely eliminate the risk of running into operational problems with your air conditioning system from time to time. When your system is kept in the best working condition possible, though, it is far less likely to run into such problems. That saves you money on repair costs and even a premature replacement.

You Do Want to Live Comfortably, Right?

If so, then you are definitely going to want to schedule routine air conditioning maintenance. There is a major difference between an air conditioning system that starts up when you need it and one that actually excels in its operation. If good enough is good enough for you, that’s fine. If you’re serious about living comfortably, however, you need more than a good performance.

You need a great one, and that is what routine air conditioning maintenance allows for. Only when every component of your air conditioning system is pulling its weight, from motors to fan belts and everything in between, can your system truly function at peak performance levels. Do not allow “minor” issues to cause very real problems very shortly down the road. Instead, work with our team to keep your system working properly!

With annual air conditioning maintenance, you discover problems early on so that immediate interventions can be made. You can help to extend the life of your system. You boost energy efficiency so that you can actually pay less for greater comfort. If all of this sounds good to you, and we cannot imagine why it wouldn’t, check out our maintenance program today.

Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning is big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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