You might see the words drain clogs in the title and think, “Wait, Touchstone isn’t a plumbing company.” True, but we’re air conditioning professionals with a long history of helping people stay cool in Florida weather, and so we know all about a specific type of drain clog: the air conditioning system drain clog.
Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category
How to Stop AC Drain Clogs
Monday, May 4th, 2020Why Your AC May Be Having a Rough Start to Spring
Monday, April 6th, 2020
Air conditioners get a head start on the summer in Florida, so you’ll already have your air conditioner running on a routine schedule during the spring. But what if your air conditioner doesn’t seem to be up to the task? Why does it seem like it isn’t able to do the job it once did? Why is it starting to give you trouble?
A faulty AC in the spring is nothing unusual, unfortunately. It can be a leftover problem from the end of the fall, or something that developed during the stretch the air conditioner wasn’t working regularly. It can also be due to lack of maintenance.
That last one is the most important, so we’ll start with it…
Looking for Better AC Efficiency in a New Unit?
Monday, March 9th, 2020
Warm weather settles in early during the year for Florida—if it can ever be considered to have “gone away” in the first place. If you’re looking to change your air conditioning in Gainesville, FL because you have an ancient money-guzzling cooling system, early spring is the best time to schedule the work. Speak to our technicians, and they’ll help you get started finding the right new unit with no rush.
If the money you’ve spent on cooling your house the past few years has irritated you, then we’ll guide you toward an AC unit with better efficiency. Below we’ll look at a bit more at the quest for an energy-efficient choice.
The Top 5 Reasons to Schedule a Pre-Season AC Tune-Up
Monday, February 24th, 2020
Spring arrives officially next month. And in Florida, it’s already unofficially here. Time to prepare your home’s central air conditioner for another sweltering summer slam. How do you do that? Call your reliable professional HVAC technician (spoilers: that’s us) and tell them you want a pre-summer AC tune-up and inspection.
There are many reasons for pre-season tune-ups, and we’ve picked the five biggest. So put your hands together, we’re counting down…
Your Air Conditioning System Has Its Limits
Monday, September 9th, 2019
In the Florida fall weather, home air conditioners still put in plenty of work—and sometimes they’ll hit their limit and need air conditioning repair in Newberry, FL.
We want to discuss air conditioning system limits in greater detail so our customers can understand what their ACs can and cannot do. An AC is not an unending supply of cooling that works against the heat no matter what—it has limitations, and we’re going to look closer at them.
The AC Cooling Cycle: How Long Should It Last?
Monday, August 26th, 2019
A problem our technicians often address in air conditioning systems is short-cycling. This is when an air conditioner becomes trapped in the start-up cycle so it doesn’t complete a regular cycle. The thermostat activates the compressor to begin cooling down the house, but for some reason, the compressor shuts down early. Soon after, the compressor starts again, only to shut down early once more… and the process repeats.
Most of the time, short-cycling requires professional air conditioning repair in Alachua, FL to fix. No matter what, don’t allow your AC to continue this stop-and-start routine. It increases wear on the system and endangers the compressor. You might end up with a dead AC years before its time. And you will certainly have higher electrical bills because the start-up cycle uses the most amount of power of any part of an AC’s operation.
But to understand when an AC is short-cycling, you have to understand how long a “regular” cooling cycle lasts. Let’s get into the details …
Air Conditioning Won’t Run? It May Be a Contactor Problem
Monday, August 12th, 2019
The “no cool” is the most common air conditioning emergency call we get. Our technicians are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to rush out to help with whatever has caused and AC to stop doing its job.
There are several reasons for an air conditioner to stop working. A common one we’re going to look at today is a problem with a contactor. What’s a contactor? That’s as good a place to start as any …
The Moldy AC—It Happens!
Monday, July 29th, 2019
Nobody likes talking about mold in homes. It’s icky and unpleasant. And, in the case of black mold, it’s downright dangerous. Unfortunately, living in a humid place like Florida means we have to confront the reality of mold and mildew sometimes cropping up in our homes. A good defense is the best way to keep these troubles away.
Our expertise when it comes to unwanted mold is when the mold occurs inside a home’s air conditioning system. This can happen, and happen more often than anybody would like. For a number of reasons, ACs can encounter bad mold and mildew problems, which hinder their ability to function, send awful smells around a house, and even spread black mold spores everywhere.
Why Won’t My AC Keep Up With the Heat and Humidity?
Monday, July 15th, 2019
Mid-summer heat can be tough to bear in North Central Florida. The combination of high temperatures and high relative humidity means sweat and plenty of it. Fortunately, if your house has a quality central air conditioning system able to handle the high temperatures, you’ll have a fantastic oasis to escape from the worst conditions of the summer.
Unless…
And that unless is why we have this post. You may discover your air conditioning system can’t keep up with this summer’s heat and humidity. You can hear it running, feel cool air coming from the vents, but it’s just not enough. The house is too hot and stuffy. What’s going on?
Raise the Thermostat Setting This Summer! (Yes, Really)
Monday, July 1st, 2019
It’s midday during the hottest part of the summer in Florida. Outside the temperature is above 90°F the relative humidity is more than 80%. And yet we’re recommending you raise the setting on your thermostat? You might think we’ve lost our minds.
But we’re not telling you to turn on your heating. What we’re recommending is to go against the first instinct you’ll have when the outdoor temperatures soar, which is to turn the thermostat down as low as possible because this will give you more cooling, or faster cooling. This isn’t what happens, however. Finding a higher temperature for your indoor comfort on hot days is not only a way to save energy and spare your air conditioner extra work stress, but also a way to enjoy greater comfort and convenience.