Sounds You Don’t Want Your Furnace Making

January 27th, 2020
woman-covering-her-ears

Some of the noises that come from the electronics and appliances in your home can be easy to ignore. It’s also easy to deny anything is wrong, since fixing the issue can be a bigger nuisance than listening to it.

But there are certain noises that shouldn’t be ignored if they’re coming from your heating system. For instance, a rattle could be something benign, like a loose panel. But another possibility is that it’s a cracked heat exchanger making the sound, which is actually quite dangerous.

Here at Kool Breeze, we understand how important protecting yourself and your family is. So if you’re hearing suspicious noises from your furnace, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our techs. Below are some of the noises worth calling in about!

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How to Boost Your Heating Efficiency and Pay Less

January 13th, 2020
animation-of-house-on-seesaw-with-money-symbol

We’re going to guess that the “pay less” part of that title is what caught your eye, as it should!

The fact of the matter is, though our area of the country isn’t known for drastically cold and snowy winters, the drop in temperature this month absolutely necessitate a fully functional and effective heater. But if you’re staying comfortable this winter and find yourself paying more than you should, then you really aren’t getting the most from your furnace.

There are some simple steps you can take—some that don’t cost anything but a moment of your time—to not only boost the efficiency of your furnace, but help prevent repairs, too. What are they? Read on!

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No, It’s Not Too Late to Schedule Heating Maintenance

December 30th, 2019
jets-of-furnace

“Schedule heating maintenance? In Florida? But I barely even need my heater!”

This may be what you’re thinking, but we are going to push back on it a bit. Barely needing your heater is a lot different from never needing it—and when you do need it, don’t you want it to work as effectively and efficiently as possible? Given how much you use your air conditioner, you’re already spending enough on utility costs—don’t make it worse this winter by skipping heater maintenance.

The good news is, it’s never too late to make an appointment. True, if your heater has broken down past the point of repair, then technically it is too late—but it’s more important that you schedule your heater tune-up consistently (once a year) than it is the time of the year you have it done.

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Does Your Heater Need Repairs?

December 16th, 2019
technician-working-on-furnace

Do you know when your heater needs repair? You may not run yours for as long or as consistently as homeowners elsewhere along the east coast, but when you do need your heater, you want an effective one!

Knowing the signs of a heater in disrepair means you can take care of those repairs right away, helping the system last longer and reducing your monthly heating costs. So, what are these signs?

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What to Do If Your Heat Pump Is Stuck in Cooling Mode

December 2nd, 2019

man-standing-in-front-of-thermostat-looking-coldWith temperatures dipping into the 50’s at night this past week, you might have decided to use your heater. True, we use it very briefly around our area, but given the contrast in temperature, it can be quite chilly at night without a reliable heating system! So, what if you’re using a heat pump, and all it will do is blow out cold air?

The first thing you want to do if this happens is to check the thermostat to ensure that you actually have it set for heating mode. This may seem apparent, but there’s always a chance that a family member switched it back over, preferring a different temperature than you. Assuming you’ve checked this and the heat pump is blowing out cold air when you’ve switched it over to heat, it likely means that your heat pump is actually stuck in cooling mode, despite what your thermostat is saying. But, how does this happen?

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How to Choose an Expert HVAC Technician

November 18th, 2019

two-hvac-techs-standing-with-arms-crossedWhile other parts of the country are scheduling heating maintenance and starting to shut down their air conditioners for the season, we’re still using our cooling systems on a regular basis. That said, this is commonly the time of year that air conditioners begin to experience problems—the reason for this is because it’s been going since last spring.

If you have an older system or one that’s skipped maintenance this year, it can be even more prone to problems. If you do have an air conditioner problem, though, the last thing you want to do is reach out to just any HVAC professional. We recommend contacting an HVAC technician as soon as possible, but we don’t recommend rushing the process. Do your due diligence, and make sure your HVAC technician has the following qualities.

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“Will a Dirty Air Filter Hurt My HVAC System?”

November 4th, 2019

homeowner-putting-clean-air-filter-inMost homeowners misunderstand the point of the air filter within their HVAC system. They think it is there mainly to protect against allergens and particles in their indoor air. This is partially correct, but not the main purpose nor the reason you should change said filter every 1-3 months.

So if you aren’t suffering from allergies at the moment, that doesn’t mean you get to escape the need of changing your air filter.

While helping your indoor air quality is a minor benefit of your HVAC air filter, it’s actually there to protect the interior components of your HVAC systems. Read on to learn more, and to see just how a dirty air filter can, in fact, hurt your HVAC system.

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Tips for Improving AC Efficiency

October 21st, 2019

outdoor-ac-unitsIn other parts of the country, it probably seems pretty strange to be talking about air conditioners this time of the year, unless they’re talking about winterizing them. But winterizing just isn’t a thing here in the Gulf Breeze. Even though our fall and winter seasons are notably and relatively cooler than our summers, it doesn’t mean they are cool.

There’ve been years where homeowners in our area use their air conditioners all the way through December, only to start them back up again in February or March. That’s just the nature of being a Florida resident, right? But what doesn’t have to be a given is how much you’re paying to use that air conditioner.

There are quite a few things you can do to improve your air conditioner’s efficiency, all of which will save you money in the long run. Read on to learn more!

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AC Care: Prep for the R-22 Phaseout

October 7th, 2019

refrigerant-line-outside-acFirst off, you might be wondering what R-22 is. It’s refrigerant—the substance needed for your central air conditioner or heat pump to function at all. Perhaps you have a basic understanding of how refrigerant works, and you might have even had someone tell you that refrigerant needs to be refilled (called recharged in the HVAC industry) every once in a while.

First off, that’s not true—if your system is losing refrigerant, it means there is a leak in the line that has to be repaired before it can be recharged. In the ideal scenario, your AC system has enough refrigerant upon installation to last throughout its entire lifespan.

That brings us back to R-22. If your system is a decade old or older, chances are that it uses this type of refrigerant. And unfortunately, R-22 is being phased out. The reason is due to the harmful effects it has on the environment, so it’s for a good cause! But you may be in for an unpleasant surprise should your older AC need refrigerant.

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Check Out Our Recent Residential Jobs!

October 1st, 2019

 

On our team, we understand just how important it is to have a great air conditioner in place. After all, we don’t get much reprieve from the heat—it may be fall, but while other parts of the country get out their scarves and start buying pumpkin spice lattes, we’re wondering when the heat and humidity will dissipate.

 

In order to maintain comfort in your home, you need the right air conditioner for your needs. This means ensuring its efficiency rating is right for your home, and that it’s properly sized.

 

Did you know that a system that is too large for your home can be just as detrimental to its efficiency as one that’s too small?

 

Our technicians look at many factors when determining the right size and match for your residence.

 

 

This includes looking at not only the square footage of your home, but also how many windows and doors are in your household, what type of insulation you have, and what materials make up your home’s construction.

 

 

 

 

If you’re wondering what a new air conditioner will look like on your property, check out our recent residential job highlighted in these images.

 

Contact Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc. for expert air conditioning services and more!

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