One of the more common malfunctions an AC can encounter is a leak that allows its refrigerant to escape. Refrigerant is the heat transference fluid that allows an air conditioner to absorb heat from inside a home, cooling it down and then exhausting the heat to the outside. Your air conditioner has a set level of refrigerant inside it, referred to as the AC’s charge. This level will not lower over the air conditioner’s lifetime… unless it develops a leak.
Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Air Conditioning’
Can I Still Run My Air Conditioning System if It Loses Refrigerant?
Monday, June 15th, 2015Why You Should Not Attempt to Install Air Conditioning on Your Own
Monday, June 8th, 2015We understand that many homeowners today are looking for ways to cut down on extra expenses and save money, and also that many people pride themselves on their independence and ability to get jobs done on their own. This is a commendable attitude… but it has limits. There are household jobs that must be left to skilled professionals or else the consequences can end up expensive. You don’t want to try to save money only to cost yourself more money and multiple hassles.
Some Advantages of Geothermal Cooling and Heating
Monday, May 25th, 2015Among your options for cooling down your home this summer and many summers to come is a geothermal heat pump, also known as a ground-source heat pump. These home comfort systems use similar indoor components to a standard heat pump (an air-source heat pump), with an evaporator/condensing coil and air handlers to distribute the conditioned air. But instead of an outdoor cabinet with a coil and exhaust fan that uses the air as a medium for heat exchange, a geothermal heat pump has underground loops that use the heat of the earth as its heat exchange medium.
What Happens During an Air Conditioning Maintenance Visit
Monday, April 20th, 2015Your air conditioner is a precision machine designed to give you many years—often more than 15—of quality cooling for your family. But as with any precision mechanical device, an AC must have regular inspections and tune-ups to make sure that it continues to run its best and without wasting energy.
Are Heat Pumps as Effective at Cooling as a Standard Air Conditioner?
Monday, April 13th, 2015Heat pumps are a great choice in Florida for year-round residential comfort. One of the reasons they are excellent for our climate is that heat pumps conserve energy when in heating mode while still delivering the right level of warmth for the mild winters. Heat pumps often experience efficiency issues in colder parts of the country, but for Florida they are ideal and can keep a house warm through even our chilliest days.
Does My Air Conditioner Work to Dehumidify My Home?
Monday, April 6th, 2015Humidity is one the major enemies of hot weather comfort in Florida. Your home will at some point deal with uncomfortably high levels of moisture, which not only makes the heat harder to bear, but can lead to water damage to walls and floors and the growth of unhealthy molds.
You may have heard that an air conditioner helps with lowering humidity. But along with keeping you cool during those hot humid days, does an air conditioner really make a difference when it comes to humidity? Or should you investigate other dehumidifying methods?
Your air conditioner lowers humidity…
When electromechanical air conditioners were first invented in 1902, they were designed with humidity control as much in mind as temperature control. The natural action of the evaporator coil in an AC removes moisture from the air along with heat, decreasing humidity. Your home’s air conditioner does much the same thing while it works. When you occasionally hear the drip of water from the indoor unit of the AC, it’s the sound of the moisture drawn from the air dripping from the evaporator coil down into the condensate pan, where it will be removed.
…but it is NOT a dehumidifier
However, when it comes to dealing with high humidity in a home, an air conditioner is not a solution. Although your AC can help a bit with humidity, modern cooling units are not designed with humidity control as a major function (unless they have dehumidifiers built into them). In fact, during drier weather, an air conditioner can cause the opposite problem and make the air too dry.
If you have excess humidity in your home, you cannot depend on a standard air conditioner to handle the problem. Call for indoor air quality specialists to install a dedicated whole-house dehumidifier into your HVAC system that will give you the proper humidity balance. If your home occasionally encounters air that is too dry because of the air conditioning system, you can also have a whole-house humidifier installed. That way you will receive the ideal humidity conditions around the year.
For trusted work on air conditioning, dehumidifiers, and humidifiers in Navarre, FL and the surrounding areas, call Kool Breeze.
Air Conditioning Basics: Refrigerant and Why It Is Important
Friday, July 25th, 2014In order for an air conditioners to cool, they rely on the process of heat exchange, moving heat from the inside of a home to the outside. Refrigerant, the chemical that allows for heat transfer, is the perfect chemical blend for this process because it is non-combustible and easily converts from liquid to gas form and back again.
Your air conditioning system is made up of two major parts, the condenser unit and the evaporator unit. In split systems, the evaporator is located indoors, while the condenser is outside, but packaged systems store every part in one single cabinet. All air conditioning systems have the same components, however, and the four most important components through which refrigerant passes as it moves through the system are the compressor, condenser coil, expansion valve, and evaporator.
Each of these parts is responsible for changing refrigerant so that it can carry out heat exchange. The compressor changes refrigerant from a low-pressure gas to a high-pressure gas so that it can give off heat at the condenser. Here it changes into a liquid under high pressure and moves to the expansion valve, where it changes into a low-pressure liquid. At the evaporator, it changes back into a gas, absorbing the heat in your home in the process. It then moves to the compressor to begin the cycle again.
It’s important that the refrigerant level remains constant in order to continue cooling your home effectively. Low levels of refrigerant obstruct the exchange of heat, so that your AC has less cooling power. Additionally, the parts of your system are sized to handle a specific level, and when this changes it can cause the evaporator to freeze or damage the compressor, leading to a costly repair.
Refrigerant will never dissipate on its own. If you have low levels of refrigerant, it may be a result of improper measurements during installation, but it often means there is a leak somewhere along the refrigerant line due to loose connections or corrosion.
The technicians at Kool Breeze can assist you when you notice problems like these for your air conditioning system in Fort Walton Beach, FL. For repairs, maintenance, installation, and more, give us a call today!
How High Humidity Affects Your Air Conditioning System
Thursday, July 10th, 2014“Sticky.” “Heavy.” “Like a sauna.” These are just some of the words and phrases we’ve heard describe the days of heavy humidity here in Fort Walton Beach, and why it’s so important to have your air conditioning running optimally, especially during periods of excessive humidity. While your air conditioner removes humidity as part of the cooling process, excess humidity can adversely affect it, particularly during long periods of heavy humidity. One of the ways to help alleviate the stress and problems high humidity can cause your AC is to retrofit your air conditioning in Fort Walton Beach with a dehumidifier.
How Does a Dehumidifier Work?
A whole-home dehumidifier attaches to your existing air conditioning system. It pulls in the warm, humid air and passes it over cold metal coils to create condensation. This condensation drops into a collection tank and exits your home through piping. The air is then released into your air conditioning system, minus the excess moisture from the humidity.
Effects of High Humidity on Your AC
There are several ways excessive humidity can negatively affect your air conditioning system:
- Stress on your system – your air conditioner has to work harder to cool your home during times of excessive humidity. Humidity holds heat, so while the temperature may not have risen, the humidity in the air has made it feel as if it has. In addition, your air conditioner has to remove a larger amount of moisture from the air. Therefore, longer periods of humidity can put a lot of stress on your system.
- Less energy efficiency – the more your air conditioner has to work, the more energy it needs. As your AC works harder to combat extra humidity, it uses more energy, making it less energy efficient.
- More opportunity for particles to cling – humidity can cause certain parts of your air conditioning system to become wet with condensation. Water attracts particles, especially dust and dirt; with excessive humidity, a layer of dust and dirt can develop, making your air conditioner very dirty and prone to possible malfunction.
- Excessive drainage – it is normal for your air conditioning system to collect more water during times of high humidity, but if there is any kind of issue with your condensate tray or drain, you may experience leaks.
Dry Out the Air with a Dehumidifier
A whole-home dehumidifier can help improve comfort, indoor air quality and energy efficiency. To determine if a dehumidifier is right for your air conditioning in Fort Walton Beach, contact Kool Breeze today and schedule an appointment with one of our trained professionals.
Why Properly Sizing an Air Conditioner Is Necessary
Friday, June 6th, 2014Here in Pensacola Beach, FL, air conditioning systems are far more than just a convenience. Our summers get hot and muggy the way few other parts of the country do, and a reliable air conditioner can be your first, best line of defense for your home. When you install a new one, you want to make sure that the unit is the best one possible for your circumstances, which is why you want to be very careful when sizing a new unit. Here’s a quick breakdown on why properly sizing an air conditioner is necessary.
By “size,” we’re referring to the power output of the air conditioner. It needs to be carefully balanced against the features of your home, starting with square footage, but also including such factors as the amount of insulation in your attic and the presence of large windows that let in a lot of sunlight. The air conditioner’s size needs to properly factor all of these in: neither too small nor too large but just right.
Why? If it’s too small then the answer is obvious: the air conditioner won’t be able to cool the space adequately, and will undergo a lot of unnecessary strain in the process. If it’s too large, however, the end result is the same. The air conditioner will cool the air too quickly, cycling on and off rapidly throughout the day. Air conditioning units use exponentially more energy when they power up and power down than they do when they’re running. You need a unit that runs for at least 15 minutes at a clip to make the best use out of the energy.
Sizing an air conditioner begins with square footage, but usually requires a professional to properly calculate. If you know why properly sizing an air conditioner is necessary, the next step is to call the experts at Kool Breeze to help. We provide professional air conditioning installation in Pensacola Beach, FL and we’ll go above and beyond to ensure that your unit is perfectly sized for your space. Pick up the phone and give us a call today!
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Call Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc. for all your air conditioning, heating, indoor air quality, new construction HVAC, and commercial service needs.