Hometown Heating and Air Conditioning Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Concord’

How to Use Your Heater Most Efficiently

Monday, January 4th, 2021

woman-leaning-back-on-couch-with-eyes-closed-looking-content-and-comfortable

Winter is officially here, and the temperatures are only going to get colder. Are you prepared?

Sure, we are in a climate known for its summer warmth, and it doesn’t get as bone-chillingly cold here as it does in other parts of the country, but our winter seasons are still nothing to scoff at, and you need a well-functioning heater to stay comfortable.

Having a great heating system in place is about many things—reliability, effectiveness, and efficiency. You want a heating system that won’t cost you an arm and a leg to operate.

The good news is, there are some simple steps you can take to ensure that your heater is working as efficiently as possible and saving you money. Read on to learn what they are!

Tags: Concord, Heating
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Is Your Home’s Air Healthy Enough?

Monday, December 21st, 2020

With cases rising and many counties in our state going back into lockdown, we probably don’t need to tell you that COVID-19 has brought its share of health concerns to the forefront of homeowners’ minds.

We cannot guarantee that any indoor air quality products will completely prevent the transmission of COVID germs, and encourage you to follow guidelines set forth by the CDC to make your home as healthy an environment as possible.

In addition, it is a good idea to look for ways to improve your indoor air quality overall. This will help boost your family’s immunity, and make you more comfortable spending time at home. After all, even pre-pandemic, most Americans spent 70% of their time in their homes. Surely, that number is higher now. If you’re one of those individuals who’s at home a lot more now, what can you do to make your living space healthier? Read on as we uncover at least one method.

Tags: Concord, Indoor Air Quality
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Stuffy Home? How Cleaner Ducts Will Help

Monday, October 12th, 2020

One of the most common complaints homeowners make about their indoor air quality is a stuffy or muggy feeling–particularly when temperatures have been as warm as they’ve been lately.

Now, there are a lot of factors that contribute to this. First off, it may simply be an extraordinarily humid day. Relative humidity levels above 50% are considered to be beyond comfortable. A whole-house dehumidifier is one home comfort system that will help with this issue.

Another thing that happens with that humidity though, is that it creates a cool, damp environment inside your ductwork. This leads to the growth of mildew, not to mention the accumulation of dust and other debris as it moves through the ventilation system and gets stuck inside. As you can imagine, over the years this will lead to quite a nasty situation inside your ducts. And this is where professional duct cleaning comes in!

Tags: Concord, Duct Cleaning, Indoor Air Quality
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Don’t Neglect These Late-Season AC Repair Needs

Monday, September 28th, 2020

Fall is officially here! It’s time to turn off our air conditioners and not worry about them until next spring, right?!

Well, not quite. Temperatures don’t always agree with whatever season it happens to be at the time. Still though, there’s no arguing that in the next several weeks, we will be able to use our air conditioners a lot less. So, that means you can wait on any repair needs that have cropped up, right?

No! At least, we don’t recommend it. The longer you wait to address an air conditioner in disrepair, the higher chance there is that you’ll experience severe HVAC problems. This is particularly true if your AC system shares ductwork with the furnace or if you’re using a heat pump, since that means your heating efficacy can be impacted too.

Even though it’s late in the cooling system, it’s a good idea to watch for the signs of AC problems we’ve listed below, and give our team a call if you notice any of them.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Concord
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Why AC Refrigerant Loss Is a Big Deal

Monday, September 14th, 2020

insulated-refrigerant-line-behind-air-conditioner

There a number of problems that can and will afflict your air conditioner over the years, most of them a result of natural wear and tear. This means some problems will be more minor than others. For instance, you might have a worn-down motor bearing that needs to be replaced, or a loose fan tightened.

There are other problems, however, that really shouldn’t be brushed off and need to be addressed right away. A refrigerant leak is one of them.

There’s a fairly common misconception circulating that refrigerant to an air conditioner is like gasoline to a car–it depletes over time. On the contrary, refrigerant is in a closed-loop system and is recycled throughout the lifespan of your air conditioner, theoretically. If your air conditioner is losing refrigerant, it means there is a leak, and yes it is a big deal. Read on to learn why!

Tags: AC Repair, Concord
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Is a Ductless Air Conditioner Right for You?

Monday, August 31st, 2020

In the market for a new air conditioning system? Then you’re in luck. When it comes to a new air conditioning installation in Concord, CA, there is no shortage of options to choose from! Of course, that can also make it pretty tough to find the exact right AC for your needs.

Air conditioners all serve the same basic function, right? They’re there to cool your home. They can go about that in some surprisingly different ways, though. One option you should definitely consider is the ductless mini split.

Tags: AC, air conditioner, Concord, ductless AC, ductless mini splits
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4 Qualities to Look for in an HVAC Contractor

Monday, August 17th, 2020

hvac-professional-shaking-hand-of-homeowner-at-front-door

These days, you can find a lot of people who would be willing to do HVAC work in your home. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that the professional you find will actually have the expertise and experience necessary to do a good job. We really don’t recommend putting the wellbeing of your HVAC system and the comfort of your home in the hands of amateurs.

Of course, it’s fine to say this, but what should you do then? When you need HVAC work, it’s understandable that you want to find someone affordable and reliable. But what other qualities should you look for?

We’ve provided a bit of a guide below to answer just that–what 4 qualities you should look for in a professional HVAC contractor. Read on, and please reach out to our team if you have any questions–we want your HVAC system and your home to be in good hands!

Tags: Air Conditioning Service, Concord
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Compressor Trouble? Here’s How to Proceed

Monday, August 3rd, 2020

This doesn’t have a quick or easy answer, to be honest. But we’ll do our best to cover all the bases on what happens when you have a failed compressor.

It’s a particularly unpleasant problem to face, a failed compressor, as this component is essentially the heart of your air conditioner. Your air conditioner literally cannot do the very job it was designed to do without this component–which is to transfer and compress refrigerant in order to return cooled air into your home.

With most components, replacement is the best option. But the thing is, because of the compressor’s importance, it’s the most expensive component in your AC. In many cases, if it fails, it makes more economic sense to replace the whole entire air conditioner. But that’s not always the case. We get it, that’s frustrating. Read on to gain a little clarity on the matter!

Tags: Air Conditioning Repair, Concord
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Buzz, Bang, or Boom: AC Sounds You Don’t Want to Hear

Monday, July 20th, 2020

surprised-woman-covering-ears-and-standing-against-a-white-background

Let’s face it–no air conditioner is ever going to operate in complete silence. There have been a lot of technological advancements that help certain cooling systems function much more quietly, such as inverter drive and variable speed AC systems. But for the most part, you’re always going to hear your outdoor compressor cycling on and off, and you’ll hear the whoosh of air through your vents, plus perhaps even the flexing of your ductwork as temperatures fluctuate.

What you shouldn’t hear, however, is banging, buzzing, booming, or any other noise you’re unfamiliar with. Strange noises aren’t something to be ignored. Neglecting them can only cause problems to grow, until you’re left scrambling to buy a new air conditioner in the middle of summer because yours has completely broken down.

Read on as we uncover what these, and more, sounds mean and why they’re so ominous.

Tags: AC Repair, Concord, Professional Air Conditioning Services
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Why You Don’t Want to Ignore the Size of Your New AC

Monday, July 6th, 2020

Several weeks ago, we published a blog post letting you know why it’s so important to hire a professional for your air conditioning installation. We mentioned briefly how a professional will know how to properly size an air conditioner, but do you know why this is so important?

When you’re purchasing a new air conditioner at this time of the year, it’s likely you’ll be tempted to rush, and buy the biggest system that will fit your budget, but this can actually be a big mistake. You don’t want to just assume that bigger is better—because it’s not. In fact, too large or overpowered of a system can be just as detrimental to HVAC efficiency as a system that’s too small or underpowered.

Tags: AC Installation, Air Conditioning, Concord
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