Getting a Bigger AC Is Probably Not a Good Idea

October 4th, 2021
air-conditioner-cabinets

We’re accustomed to thinking that getting an appliance that’s “more powerful” is always for the best. But this isn’t the case—and it’s certainly not the best when it comes to a central air conditioning system.

Maybe you’re unhappy with your current air conditioning in Fresno, CA. This recent summer was hot, and when you lowered the thermostat to your standard comfort level, you didn’t feel as cool as you expected. The air conditioner just didn’t seem like it could handle the heat. Getting a bigger AC might sound like a good solution; it seems sensible. But it rarely is. We’ll talk more about air conditioner size below and how to get the right cooling.

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The Big Benefits of Regular Duct Cleaning

September 20th, 2021
duct-cleaning-before-after

Like most parts of your home, the ductwork requires regular attention. It doesn’t need annual maintenance the way the heater and air conditioner do, but it’s important to have the ducts cleaned every three to five years. Over time, ducts naturally accrue dust and other particles that move through the ventilation system. It only takes about a year for the first thin layer of dust to form along the interior of the ductwork, and after three to five years the build-up will start to have negative effects—that’s when it’s time to schedule duct cleaning.  

When you have our professionals handle your duct cleaning in Fresno, CA, it can make a major difference in the performance of the HVAC system and the quality of your indoor air. Since homeowners often forget about duct cleaning entirely, we’ve put together a list of the major benefits of making this a regular service:

ONE: It improves the energy efficiency of the HVAC system

Think of the ducts like nasal passages. When someone has a cold, these passages become congested, making it more difficult to breathe. This applies to the ductwork: the dust and debris that build up inside the interior of the ducts causes restrictions against airflow through the ventilation system. The blower fan that pushes air through the ductwork to the rooms must labor harder to do its job, and this causes the HVAC system to lose efficiency. This applies to both the air conditioner and the furnace! You’ll pay more for the standard performance of your heating and cooling until duct cleaning restores the ducts to their original condition.

TWO: It protects the heating and air conditioning system

The strain placed on the HVAC system due to a build-up in the ducts can contribute to parts wearing down rapidly, more repairs, and even an early system replacement. All that dust and debris can also end up infiltrating the HVAC cabinet, which can inflict even worse damage on parts like motors, burners, and refrigerant coils.

THREE: It helps keep your household air clean

On average, a six-room house circulates 40 lbs. of dust through its ventilation system per year. That’s an enormous amount of dust that keeps running through a house without any easy escape. Each time you turn on your HVAC system when it has dirty ductwork, the blower fan will blast out the dust inside it into the living spaces. Not only is this unhealthy to breathe, it contributes to making the house much dustier. (If you’re struggling to keep your house dust-free, it’s often a warning that it’s time for duct cleaning.)

Rely on professionals for duct cleaning

Duct cleaning isn’t a job you can do on your own with a hose vacuum pushed into the vents. You also shouldn’t trust to amateurs who quote suspiciously low prices for it—they also won’t do much more than push a vacuum into the vents! Let our HVAC experts see the job is done thoroughly so you won’t need the service again for several years.

Call Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning for duct cleaning and other HVAC services in the Central Valley. “Quality Is the Cornerstone of Our Success” since 1952.

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How Has Your AC Held Up This Summer?

September 6th, 2021
air-conditioner-with-dirty-coils

Did you remember to have AC maintenance in Fresno, CA in the spring? If you did, then you gave your air conditioning system the best beginning to the summer. (If you didn’t … it’s not too late to schedule it!) But as wonderful as maintenance is, it can’t prevent all air conditioning problems or stop an AC from eventually wearing down.

As we move toward the fall, we recommend you think about your air conditioner’s performance over this last summer, especially if the system is more than 10 years old. If your air conditioning system is showing signs it needs repairs or it’s ready for retirement, have the service done as soon as possible. (Fall is a good time to replace older air conditioners because HVAC technicians have more open schedules.)

Let’s go through a few basic air conditioning considerations to see how well your cooling system held up.

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Late August Still Isn’t Too Late for an AC Tune-Up

August 23rd, 2021
checkmark-green

It’s hot outside in August, and it’ll be hot in September as well. Summer isn’t finished, and your home’s air conditioning system has hard work ahead of it.

And that’s one of the reasons it’s not too late to have your annual AC tune-up and inspection. We recommend our customers have this maintenance service done in spring because it gets the air conditioning system ready before the first of the big heat waves arrive, and it takes the most advantage of maintenance’s benefits. But, and this is the key point to remember, AC maintenance does not have an expiration date. It only needs to be done each year.

So, although we recommend having your future AC tune-ups done in spring if possible, it’s not too late to have the work done now. It’s far better than skipping it for a year.

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5 Reasons an AC May Start Short-Cycling

August 9th, 2021
air-conditioning-system-grill-top-down

An air conditioning system runs in cycles where the compressor turns on to provide cooling for the house, then shuts down until the thermostat registers it needs to turn back on. These cooling cycles should last at least fifteen minutes.

If you notice your AC shuts down after only a short time, then turns on again soon after, it’s short-cycling. This malfunction makes it hard for the air conditioner to fully cool a house. It also wastes energy (compressor start-up draws on large amounts of electricity) and wears down the AC components rapidly. Below we’ve listed five frequent causes of this problem.

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What Causes Ice to Form on an AC’s Evaporator Coil?

July 26th, 2021
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A mistake that homeowners often make about the way their air conditioning systems work is to assume that ice appearing along the indoor evaporator coil is normal, just a sign the AC is working extremely well at cooling down the air.

The truth is that ice should never appear on any part of an air conditioner. When ice appears along the evaporator coil, it means something is interfering with the standard way the air conditioner operates. The ice creates a major problem on its own, but the source of the ice forming may be an even worse problem.

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Why Your AC Is Running Continuously

July 13th, 2021
Spinning-fan-closeup

An air conditioning system that won’t turn on is obviously a major problem. But an air conditioning system that continues to run and run without cycling down is almost as big a problem. A nonstop air conditioner will waste massive amounts of energy, make parts of the house too cold, and wear down the unit rapidly so it needs multiple repairs and an early replacement.

What has turned your AC system into a runaway train? We’ll examine several potential causes below. You shouldn’t attempt to diagnose the problem on your own, however. You’ll need an expert HVAC contractor in Fresno, CA to figure out what’s wrong and how best to fix it.

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Is Your Water Heater Beyond Repair? Let’s Help You Find Out?

June 25th, 2021
water-heater-tank

A water heater is a major purchase to make for a home, and nobody wants to replace their current water heater until they need to. The tricky part is understanding when that “need to” time arrives. We don’t recommend you continue to run and run an older water heater until it fails completely and breaks down. For one, that will leave you unexpectedly trapped without hot water and a longer period to wait until a new one is installed. For another, the dying water heater will waste tremendous amounts of energy as it declines and probably deliver less hot water than it used to.

It’s best to get in front of a water heater replacement by understanding when to have a new system installed rather than continue with water heater repair in Fresno, CA. We can provide you with some important info about when a water heater has gone beyond repair, but please don’t make a decision until you’ve worked with our team—we can help you find out when it’s time for a new water heater.

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There’s No “Expiration Date” for AC Maintenance: It’s Not Too Late to Schedule!

June 1st, 2021
service-blue-marker

Although spring doesn’t officially end until June 20, people tend to think of summer as starting when the calendar flips over to June. Since we recommend people have professional maintenance done for their air conditioning systems in spring, it may sound like the time is almost up to get it done. This isn’t the case at all!

Regular maintenance is one of the most important services you can have done for your AC, and it doesn’t have an expiration date. It has a “recommended” date, but the only requirement is that professionals do it once a year. 

We Still Recommend Spring or Early Summer for Maintenance

We do want to be clear about the ideal time to have air conditioning system maintenance, which is fall or early summer. You’ll receive the most benefit from maintenance when you have it done before the major heat waves arrive and you use the air conditioner on a regular basis. And because it’s not even officially summer yet, you’re right on time if you schedule maintenance now.

Why Maintenance Needs to Be Done Annually

The big takeaway from this blog post is that maintenance done later is still far better than skipping it for a year. We don’t want our customers to decide that they might as well abandon maintenance for a year if they haven’t gotten it done by mid-July. Maintenance is both a long-term and short-term investment, and those long-term benefits are among the most important.

Here are reasons maintenance should be kept up with each year, even if it’s done later a few of those years:

  • It keeps the warranty valid: Equipment warranty for your air conditioner is an essential consumer protection. A small percentage of AC units leave the factory with faults, but the warranty will cover parts repair and replacement in case something goes wrong. Lack of maintenance may void the warranty and leave you paying for parts that would otherwise have been covered.
  • It helps the air conditioner last for as long as possible: The average service life of central air conditioners is 10 to 15 years, but only if the ACs receive annual professional maintenance. Skipping maintenance gives wear and tear a chance to take hold and cause the system to age faster. Your AC will need to be replaced years earlier without routine maintenance.
  • It catches repair issues before they can become serious: Maintenance gives our technicians the opportunity to examine an air conditioner closely and find where there are potential problems. It’s similar to your annual visit to the doctor. Early detection for ACs means fewer and less expensive repairs.
  • It stops a decline in AC efficiency: When an AC misses maintenance, the wear on the unit will cause it to lose energy efficiency and cost more to run.

Right now is a great time for this air conditioning service in Fresno, CA. Reach out to our team to get on the schedule for your AC’s annual inspection and tune-up.

Call Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning to schedule AC maintenance today. “Quality Is the Cornerstone of Our Success” since 1952.

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My AC Isn’t Cooling the House Enough—What’s Wrong?

May 17th, 2021
flueshed-man-before-fan

Now that we’re experiencing major heat in the Central Valley, home air conditioning systems are putting in steady work. You almost certainly run your AC on most days. But something isn’t right—you’re handling your AC the same as you normally would, but the house won’t cool down enough. You’re worried: what’s causing the air conditioning system to fall behind?

Below are some reasons you may have a struggling AC during our early wave of hot weather.

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