Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Air Conditioning’

AC Troubleshooting: The Problem with Refrigerant Loss

Monday, September 21st, 2020
insulated-refrigerant-line-behind-air-conditioner

There’s a fairly common misconception among homeowners about refrigerant–that it “runs out” or depletes from your air conditioner like gasoline does from a vehicle.

This misconception could come from an internet video or article, or even a dishonest HVAC “professional” looking to make a quick buck. But the point is, refrigerant loss isn’t something that should ever happen!

Refrigerant is in a closed, sealed loop, and is recycled throughout the lifespan of your air conditioner or heat pump. So if you’re suffering from refrigerant loss, it means there is a leak that must be repaired. Read on to learn more!

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End of the Season Is No Time to Neglect AC Repairs!

Monday, September 7th, 2020
bag-of-tools-with-home-in-the-background

When you live in a climate like ours, it can be easy to put off AC care. We’re much more well known for our chilly winters, after all, than we are our hot and humid summers, no matter how much of a punch they pack when they come.

As the summer season slowly but surely comes to a close, it’s almost time to turn our attention to our heating systems, scheduling maintenance or upgrading our systems as needed. This does not mean, however, that you should ignore any AC repair needs you might have. Read on as we uncover some of the most common signs that you need AC repair, and call our team when you’re ready to schedule them!

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AC Not Performing As It Should? Here’s Why

Monday, June 29th, 2020
woman-sitting-in-front-of-fan-trying-to-cool-off

Nobody needs to explain to you why an air conditioner is beneficial. Air conditioning is more than just a luxury these days, it’s a necessity to stay comfortable and even healthy inside of our homes. If you have a whole-house air conditioner in place, however, and it’s not performing as it should, it could leave you frustrated and miserable.

We would like to help you avoid this! There are a few AC performance problems in particular that homeowners will often ignore or neglect at first, because “it’s not that bad” or they’re afraid that a repair will be expensive. The truth is, though, that the longer you wait on fixing a cooling system problem, the worse the problem can get—until you’re stuck with a completely broken down system.

So, read on as we uncover these few common AC problems and what they may mean for your air conditioner.

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How Damaged Ductwork Impacts AC Performance

Monday, July 15th, 2019

hvac-technician-hands-sealing-up-damaged-ductworkYou’d be hard pressed to find a homeowner in the Chicagoland area who doesn’t care how efficient their HVAC systems are. Given how much of our heating we use each year, it stands to reason that when the time comes to turn on our air conditioners, we want to do so as affordably as possible.

But what many individuals don’t think about, is the fact that the “V” part of HVAC plays a pivotal role in all of this. Your ventilation—your ductwork—connects your AC and forced-air heating systems to the outdoors, making the distribution of conditioned air possible. Your ducts are usually out of sight, hidden behind walls, beneath floors, or even in your attic or crawlspace. So, what happens if this ductwork was installed by an amateur, or it is aging to a point of degradation?

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Tips for Staying Cool in Summer Heat

Monday, August 13th, 2018

Woman feeling hot and trying to refresh in summertime heatIf we could all afford to keep our air conditioners running at full blast all day every day during the summer, we would, right? But alas, that is just not feasible for most homeowners. The costs of running your air conditioning in Northbrook, IL day and night throughout the summer season are high, and it’s not that great for the environment, either! You will also wear out your air conditioner much faster than normal, and find having to replace the system years before you thought you would need to.

So, while setting your thermostat at the lowest possible temperature so that it will blast cold air out on you 24/7 is not the best option, are there still ways to stay cool other than using your cooling system? Yes, there are, and you can save energy by doing so too. Read on for some tips.

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Air Conditioning Problems to Watch for This Spring

Monday, March 14th, 2016

The weather is already starting to heat up, and that means that people are going to start relying on their air conditioning systems more and more often as the year progresses. As the strain on your air conditioning system increases, the chances for problems to develop will go up. If you want to limit the amount of damage these problems can do to your air conditioner, you should be able to recognize them early. That way you can call for repairs before whatever is wrong with the system can do too much damage to it. Read on for some common air conditioning problems you need to watch for this spring.

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Air Conditioning Noises and What They Indicate

Monday, September 28th, 2015

Air conditioners make a lot of noise during operation. We know this. However, that doesn’t mean that all noises they make are normal. If you notice your air conditioner making unusual noises, it very likely means that there’s a problem with your system. Let’s take a look at some of the various noises that your air conditioner might make, and the problems they indicate.

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Why Ductless Air Conditioning Is More Energy Efficient Than Central AC

Monday, August 31st, 2015

Central air conditioning systems are a great way to keep your home cool. They’re certainly a better option than just opening a window or turning on a fan. However, they have their share of weaknesses. One of those weaknesses is that they are unable to modulate their output. An air conditioner has two settings: on or off. It cannot change how much cool air it direct to each room, which means it cannot compensate for differences in insulation across the house. Fortunately, there’s an answer to this weakness and others in the form of ductless air conditioning. Read on to find out why ductless air conditioning is more energy efficient than central air conditioning.

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Air Conditioning Maintenance Procedures

Monday, August 24th, 2015

Air conditioning maintenance is a vital part of keeping your system as healthy as possible. While prompt repairs are a good idea for mitigating damage to your system, it isn’t nearly as beneficial because it relies on waiting for a problem to develop before addressing it. Air conditioning maintenance is a proactive way to keep your air conditioner healthy, by isolating and fixing issues before they develop. In order to understand why air conditioning maintenance is so beneficial, have a look at some of the steps taken during a maintenance appointment.

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Refrigerant: How Does It Work?

Monday, August 10th, 2015

Refrigerant is arguably the most important part of any air conditioning system. It is responsible for actually removing heat from your home, and without it your system couldn’t function at all. While you don’t need to know every little thing about the workings of your air conditioner, we do feel that it is important to know a little bit more about the role of refrigerant in your air conditioner. So let’s take a look at refrigerant, and how it works.

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