Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category

How AC Refrigerant Coils Work—And How They Can Go Wrong

Monday, June 27th, 2022
air-conditioner-evaporator-coil

An air conditioning system has many different parts that combine together to provide cool comfort for a house. The part of an AC that does the direct cooling of the air is the evaporator coil, which works in conjunction with a second coil, the condenser coil, to allow for the heat exchange process that’s at the core of how an air conditioning system works.

Today, we’re going to look closer at how these coils work, as well as how they may end up requiring professional AC repair in Lake City, FL.

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How an Amateur AC Installation Can Go Terribly Wrong

Monday, June 13th, 2022
ac-units

When we tell customers to rely on licensed professionals for their air conditioning services, it’s not just because we want the job. Of course, we want homeowners who need AC help to hire us, but we also know how poorly amateur work can go. This is especially true when it comes to installing a new air conditioner. Amateurs will make big promises of doing the job at a low cost, but you’ll end up paying a high price for their inferior, hasty work. Letting non-professionals install an air conditioner can go wrong in several ways…

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Already Got AC Blues? Watch for Signs You Need to Call to Repair It

Monday, May 2nd, 2022
air-conditioner-units-near-grass

The warm weather arrives in Florida early, and already air conditioning systems are switching on around the state to cool down homes. And that also means that some air conditioning systems will start running into malfunctions.

If you’ve already arranged to have your AC maintained, then the chance of running into an air conditioner malfunction early in the cooling season is low. (If you haven’t had your AC maintained yet, give us a call!) We still recommend you watch for early warnings that something is wrong with your AC as it starts up for the season. Moving fast to have air conditioning repair in Live Oak, FL will make the rest of the season and its hotter weather easier to bear.

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It’s Spring—And That Means It’s the Season for an AC Tune-Up!

Monday, April 4th, 2022
AC-plastic-grate

No matter where you live, one of the best parts about spring is seeing the days lengthen, the flowers bloom, and the weather get warmer. At the same time, homeowners understand that spring is also a time to consider routine maintenance around the house. Many of us look at our homes to see if they need work, such as loose shingles, peeling paint, damaged windows, or clogged gutters.

But what about our HVAC system? For too many of us, the air conditioner is an unseen force that keeps us comfortable in the summer months. Nonetheless, an HVAC system also needs maintenance. Let’s look at the benefits of AC maintenance in Lake City, FL.

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Amateur AC Repair Errors We Often See

Monday, January 10th, 2022
hand-holding-wrench

Please don’t attempt to make repairs to your air conditioning system on your own if you’re not a trained HVAC technician. And don’t let amateurs take on AC repairs either. It’s that simple: the modern central air conditioner is a complex piece of refrigeration technology that requires years of training and special tools to repair. 

If you have a malfunctioning cooling system in your home, the best way to deal with it is to call us to schedule AC repair in Alachua, FL. We’re responsive professionals with more than two decades of history fixing all types of air conditioning problems.

We can use our experience repairing ACs to explain why amateur tampering can go so wrong. We’ve often inspected air conditioners and discovered mistakes made from some non-professional attempts to fix them. If your current AC was already in your house when you moved in, you may not even realize your cooling system has these “amateur patches,” and they can lead to trouble later. Here are a few of the more common botched repair errors we see.

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Undersized and Oversized: Why a New AC Must Be Right in the Middle

Monday, December 27th, 2021
air-conditioning-condenser-against-white-background

It’s in the middle of summer, and the sun is convincingly scorching as you look at it through the window from the comfort of your house. It’s unfortunate if your AC breaks down during this period, leaving you with no options but to cool yourself with a fan and bucket-loads of ice.

But this is a temporary solution. You need a permanent fix, and you can only achieve this once you understand why your AC keeps breaking down.

AC malfunction is a shared problem for most Americans. Fortunately, the problem is easy to solve, as it’s usually associated with installing the wrong-sized AC in your home.  

Touchstone takes pride in customer satisfaction and services that include AC replacement in Lake City, FL.

Here are some other reasons why having the wrong sized AC is a problem.

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Can My Air Conditioner Rust?

Monday, November 15th, 2021
old-ac-unit

Anything made of ferrous metal can potentially rust, and that includes your air conditioning system. Is this a common occurrence that you should worry about? And how would rust start to develop on an AC in the first place? We’ll get into that below, as well as help you know when you should call our team for AC repair in Lake City, FL.

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If the AC’s Compressor Fails, Do I Need to Get a New AC?

Monday, October 18th, 2021
compressor-in-ac-unit

You may have heard that a failed compressor in a central air conditioning system means the whole system needs to be replaced. Compressors are critical for an AC’s operation—they’re responsible for circulating refrigerant and putting it under pressure so it can move heat out of the home and cool the air. Compressors are also large and powerful components that are expensive to replace. Since compressors often fail in older AC’s, it makes sense to replace the AC rather than pay just to replace the compressor.

However, a failed compressor doesn’t automatically mean a central air conditioner must be replaced. Not in all situations. Below we’ll look at four different outcomes for a failed compressor. This can help you make the choice about whether to have an AC replacement or an air conditioning repair in Lake City, FL, but please consult with our HVAC professionals to help you make the final decision.

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What Are the Most Debilitating AC Malfunctions?

Monday, October 4th, 2021
air-conditioner-with-dirty-coils

A busted AC is no fun in Florida heat. In fact, it can be dangerous if you have household members susceptible to heatstroke. This is why we take air conditioning repair in Alachua, FL seriously. When an air conditioning system isn’t working, people need expert help right away—and we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to get cooling systems back to work. 

We have more than two decades of history working on air conditioning systems, so it’s fair to say that we’ve seen it all. In this post, we’ll look at the AC malfunctions that cause the worst problems, i.e. ones that cause an AC to stop working entirely. We recommend calling us when your air conditioner is struggling, because we can help head off an even larger problem. But when you’ve got an AC that won’t work at all because of one of these problems, you’ll know you need to call us!

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Closing Room Vents Isn’t Helpful: Here’s How It’s Hurtful!

Monday, September 6th, 2021
vent-cover-in-ceiling

“How can I pay less to cool and heat my house?” You’ve probably asked yourself this before, and you can find many options to lower how much you need to depend on running your heating and air conditioning system over the year.

One method you might try is to close vent covers in unoccupied rooms. This seems to make sense: blocking the flow of conditioned air to empty rooms means less energy used. 

Except … this is completely false! Closing room vents (or blocking them) won’t save money on heating and cooling. It does the opposite: it costs money in energy efficiency, repairs, and failed equipment! We’ll take a look at why closing rooms vents is a destructive move for your HVAC system.

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