Air Conditioner FAQ’s

Can I turn off the power to my central air conditioning system during the cold winter months? Yes, you can. There is a disconnect in your panel box or at the outside unit. Turn it off over the winter and save energy. But when you turn it on again in the Spring, do it at least 24 hours before turning on the cooling equipment. A day`s delay will give the oil time to warm and lubricate the essential parts upon startup. Heating FAQ’s How often should I change or clean my filters? Filters should generally be replaced every month when the system is running. General FAQ’s How often should my system be cleaned/checked? Performing preventative maintenance on your units before the winter heating season and before the summer cooling season extends the life of your units. What Size System Do I Need for My Home? It is important that new or replacement equipment is not sized by “Rule of Thumb” or by duplicating the existing equipment capacity. The only accurate way to determine the correct capacity of heating and air conditioning equipment for your home is to have a load calculation performed on your home. There is a specific method to do this calculation, and it will give us the heat gain and heat loss design data for your home. These figures can then be used to select the appropriately sized air conditioning or heating system for your home, based on equipment-performance data. Many factors determine the size (capacity) system your home requires. Some of these are:
  • Square feet to be cooled and heated
  • Climate
  • Humidity
  • Number of windows
  • Insulation factors
  • Which direction your home faces
  • Heat producing appliances, and
  • The number of people who will be in the home

Oversized air conditioning systems will not remove adequate moisture from the indoor air due to short cycling.

Oversized systems quickly cool the indoor air temperature, but they do not run long enough to remove the humidity. That leaves you feeling stuffy and uncomfortable. Control of your home’s climate is rarely achieved with oversized systems and electricity consumption is higher than with a properly sized system. An oversized furnace is similar to an oversized air conditioning system. The furnace run time is short, creating uncomfortable air stratification and less air filtration. Also, the frequent cycling of the unit on and off can cause undue wear and tear on internal working components. An undersized air conditioning system will not adequately cool your home on the hottest days and an undersized furnace will not adequately heat your house on the coldest days. Contact us to perform a load calculation on your home and to recommend the best system to meet your family’s needs. What Do All Those Rating Numbers Mean? Gas furnaces are rated for AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). Will Anything Help Control the Humidity in My House? The best way to control excessive humidity is to have a system that runs longer at lower speeds. Call us, we’ll be happy to help!