Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Air Conditioning’

AC Question: Why Is Air Conditioning Maintenance So Important?

Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

Are you fully satisfied by the performance of your AC? Do you feel like you pay too much to stay cool and comfortable during the summer months? If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to ensure that your Lake City, FL home’s AC remains in good shape for the years to come, then you should probably consider air conditioning maintenance. Unfortunately, many homeowners stop at professional installation, because they assume that once integrated into the home, the AC can then be forgotten about and left to its own devices. Nothing could be further from the truth. While professional installation is a necessary ingredient to a successful, energy efficient air conditioning system, it needs to be looked after on a regular basis by an AC technician. Call Touchstone Heating & Air if you need air conditioning maintenance.

During maintenance visits, your local technician will closely inspect your system, taking into consideration its performance, cleanliness, voltage, and refrigerant levels, among others. Any lurking problems can also be brought to your attention so that you can fix them before they become major, costly repairs or replacements. Your technician will also perform a comprehensive cleaning of your system to make sure that dirt, dust, and debris are removed from the system. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons why air conditioning maintenance is important:

Performance: You need to make sure that your AC performs well throughout the summer, no matter how hot or humid it may get. But it cannot reach its cooling potential if it is dirty or parts are malfunctioning.
Energy efficiency: Your energy costs are probably high enough as it is, so you need to make sure that your AC is operating efficiently at all times. Maintenance not only ensures solid performance, but also boosts your energy efficiency.
Reliability: One of the greatest benefits of regular maintenance is that your AC will be as reliable as it was designed to be. It’s a great way to minimize repair needs and extend system longevity.

Call Touchstone Heating & Air today for comprehensive air conditioning services in Lake City, FL.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Maintenance
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How Problems with Your Thermostat Can Affect Your Air Conditioning

Wednesday, June 12th, 2013

Thermostats are one of the most-overlooked and underestimated components of your home’s air conditioning system. While they are small and almost unnoticeable on your wall, they can have a huge impact on your AC. The Lake City, FL air conditioning professionals at Touchstone Heating & Air have years of experience working with all different kinds of thermostats. We wanted to shed some light on these important pieces of equipment that run your whole AC system.

Thermostats detect the temperature of the air around them and then they activate your AC when that temperature increases to a certain point. They also shut-off your air conditioner once it has cooled your home enough. This is a huge responsibility for your thermostat which means that if they start to have any issues it can negatively impact your AC and your home’s comfort.

Not enough cooling – If your home isn’t getting enough cooling it could be the fault of your thermostats. They might be detecting the wrong temperature in your home and directing your AC to provide insufficient cooling.
AC not turning on – If your air conditioning system isn’t coming at all, it could be the fault of your thermostat. It could be that they are out of battery or it might mean that they need to be replaced.

But there are also a few ways that thermostats can positively impact your home’s air conditioning system.

More control – By upgrading your thermostats to programmable ones you could be able to more accurately control your home’s AC. If can set programmable thermostats to turn your AC off when you leave for work in the morning. You can also set them to come back on 30 minutes before you get home so that your house is always comfortable.

When you need Lake City, FL air conditioning services, just call Touchstone Heating & Air today. We can work with any type of thermostat that you have and we can also help you replace or upgrade your thermostats as well.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Repair, Fort White, Jacksonville, Newberry, Thermostat
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Ways to Avoid Problems with Your Air Conditioning

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013

Homeowners throughout the Gainesville, FL area are looking to improve their air conditioning systems now that June is here. If your AC was professionally installed, that’s a good first step. Unfortunately, some homeowners stop there. This type of neglect can lead to frequent repairs, energy inefficiency, and even premature replacement. While repairs are an inevitable factor in owning a home, there are some things you can do to avoid problems with your AC. In today’s post, we’ve given you several. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule a service, call Touchstone Heating & Air for all of your Gainesville, FL air conditioning needs.

The best thing you can do for your AC is to enroll in a preventive maintenance program. The majority of maintenance duties must be carried out by a trained professional. During these routine visits, an AC tech will arrive during a scheduled time to inspect your system closely, noting any potential issues in the process, such as low voltage or refrigerant. This will be followed by a comprehensive cleaning of your coils and other parts of the system, so that your AC performs well and operates efficiently. Finally, a system adjustment is taken care of so that your AC runs optimally.

Keep your air filter clean. During the cooling season, the air filter designed to protect your components from accumulating dust and debris can itself become a problem. When it becomes dirty and clogged with debris, it blocks the flow of cool air. This can lead to frozen coils when the cold air can’t escape the air handler. It can also disrupt performance across the entire system, and any imbalance typically causes problems elsewhere.

You should also make sure to keep your outdoor unit free of any encroaching vegetation. The outdoor unit contains both the compressor and condenser coils. The purpose of their location is not only related to noise, but also because it needs to dissipate heat into the outside air. It won’t be able to do this if it is partially covered by shrubs, hedges, low branches, or tall grass. If your outdoor unit cannot perform its function, then it may result in warm air and high energy costs.

If you’d like to schedule routine maintenance to avoid problems with your Gainesville, FL air conditioning system, call Touchstone Heating & Air today!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Repair, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Newberry
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Touchstone Heating and Air Inc – Before and After York A/C Unit Install

Friday, May 24th, 2013

Here at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc we pride ourselves on clean, efficient and professional installs for our clientele. We recently replaced an old A/C unit with a brand new York A/C unit with a SEER rating of 18. Check out the photos below for a peek at the clean new A/C units available from York and installed by your favorite Gainesville, FL heating and air professionals at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc. Schedule your install/replacement today and start reaping the benefits of a new and more efficient A/C system!

: Old A/C Unit Before

Tags: 18 SEER, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Installation, Touchstone Heating and Air Inc, York
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Ways to Boost Air Conditioning Efficiency Affordably

Friday, May 17th, 2013

In order to stay comfortable in your home you probably run your air conditioning system on a daily basis. Using your air conditioning system that much can cause your utility bills to increase. Every homeowner is looking for ways to decrease their energy usage without sacrificing comfort. The Lake City, FL air conditioning experts at Touchstone Heating and Air have years of experience working with countless customers to help them increase the efficiency of their home. We thought it would be a good idea to put together some of the best ways that you can do that.

Get Insulation Inspection

One of the best ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home is to get your insulation inspected and possibly replaced. Over time, your insulation can wear out, develop holes, start to rot and generally decline in quality. This allows heat from your attic to seep into your home which means that your AC has to work harder to keep your home cool. The insulation repair, installation and replacement experts at Touchstone Heating and Cooling can work with you to replace your current insulation with newer, more efficient types.

Duct Sealing

If you have a heat pump or a central air conditioning system, then you have a series of ducts in your home that carry the cooled air into each of your rooms. If those ducts are leaking it can cause up to 30% of that air to leak outside; which is obviously very wasteful. We offer fast and quality duct sealing services for all different types of ductwork.

Air Conditioning Replacement

If your air conditioning system is old or if it has started to require more frequent repairs it might actually make more sense to replace it. The air conditioning repair and replacement specialists at Touchstone Heating and Cooling can help you find the perfect system for your home that will meet your needs and your budget. Not only will you likely be able to avoid those repairs, but a new AC system will be much more efficient than your old one.

Call the Lake City, FL air conditioning efficiency experts at Touchstone Heating and Cooling today to talk with one of our friendly technicians about any of the AC needs that you might have.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Efficiency, Air Conditioning Installation, Jacksonville, Lake City, Macclenny
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How to Tell if You Need Air Conditioning Repair Service

Monday, May 6th, 2013

Short of total breakdown or hot air blowing through your ductwork, it can be difficult to tell when you need professional Gainesville, FL air conditioning repair service. But with a little vigilance and know-how, you’ll be able to spot some of the more common AC problems that can occur during the cooling season. It’s critical that when you catch a problem, you call a technician to take care of it. Allowing problems to fester can lead to increased damage and energy inefficiency. In this post, we’d like to explain some of these common problems that tell you that professional air conditioning repair service is necessary. Call Touchstone Heating & Air today!

Inadequate cooling: This is a common problem with a great variety of possible causes. Often, it’s a number of problems in combination. Inadequate cooling can come down to airflow, mechanical deficiency, or even low refrigerant. Your AC was “charged” during installation, which means that it has just the right amount of refrigerant circulating through the compressor and coils to effectively and efficiently remove heat from your home and send cooled air into your home. However, if you have even a microscopic leak in one of your coils or in the copper lineset, then it can lead to inadequate cooling, as well as other problems.
Frozen evaporator coil: This is often due to an airflow issue. If you have a clogged air filter in your air handler, then much of the cool air will be trapped at the evaporator coil and this causes it to freeze over. Once this occurs, it usually tends only to worsen and may eventually lead to system shutoff.
Dirty condenser coil: Your condenser coil is responsible for dissipating the thermal energy of your home into the outside air, once it has been heightened by the compressor. Because of the location of your condenser coil, however, it is subject to encroaching vegetation and the accumulation of dust and debris. Dirty coils lead to energy inefficiency and premature system failure.

We hope this brief guide helps. Call Touchstone Heating & Air for comprehensive Gainesville, FL air conditioning repair services!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Repair, ake City, Gainesville
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Winner of the Oldest AC in LC Contest

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Congratulations to Leonard Fishell, winner of Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc.’s “Oldest AC in LC” contest! Leonard won a brand new energy efficient AC unit. Call or contact us today for more information about high-efficiency AC systems.

Tags: Air Conditioning, contests
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Air Conditioning Guide: Why Use a Ductless System for a Home Addition

Monday, April 29th, 2013

Renovating your home is a great way to improve its value, to provide additional room for a new family member, or simply give you a little more space. Whatever your reason for putting an addition onto your Jacksonville, FL home, if it will be an occupied space, then it will need some type of heating and cooling solution. However, merely extending your existing system may not be cost-effective, nor even possible, considering the type of space you need for ductwork. If you need a new type of solution for your home addition, consider a ductless mini split air conditioning and heating system. In this post, we’d like to explain its advantage over a conventional system, especially for a home addition. For comprehensive air conditioning in Jacksonville, FL, call Touchstone Heating and Air today!

No ducts: As you and your contractor go through the design of your new home addition, you may have already thought about where the ducts will go. Now, because this is likely not another full-sized home, the efficient use of space is critical to achieving a good balance of cost-effectiveness and home improvement. A ductless mini split system avoids the use of ducts and that can save you lots of space in your new home addition.
Energy efficiency: You need your new addition to as energy efficient as possible. Perhaps you’re already thinking of ways in which the new section of your home can be more efficient than your existing home. Because of its lack of ducts and the compact design of its indoor air handlers, a ductless mini split system has energy efficiency ratings that far exceed those of conventional split systems.
Flexible connections: A standard central air requires its outdoor unit to be just outside the house, typically within a few feet of its hard copper lineset connection to the indoor unit. Because it puts together the refrigerant, electrical and drainages lines into a compact bundle, the ductless mini split outdoor unit can be located some distance away from the addition where the indoor air handlers are installed, so long as there is a place for drainage. This versatility may help to give you options when it comes to thinking about your home addition.

For more information about how a ductless mini split system might be the right type of system for your new home addition, call the Jacksonville, FL air conditioning pros at Touchstone Heating & Air today!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Installation, Ductless System, Jacksonville, Newberry
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Improving the Energy Efficiency of Your Air Conditioner

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

Homeowners throughout the Gainesville, FL area are thinking about energy efficiency as we enter the cooling season. Because the cost of operating your air conditioning is a major portion of your home budget, you’re probably always looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of your AC. There are many approaches to reducing energy consumption, and in this post, we’d like to share just a handful. While we can’t control the cost of energy, we can control how we use it and how much of it we use. For more information about energy efficiency and your air conditioning system, call the Gainesville, FL AC experts at Touchstone Heating & Air today!

Install a programmable thermostat: If you’re still using a manual thermostat to cool your home, then you may be interested to know about digital programmable thermostats. Not only is the digital display easier to read and adjust, but the programmability can cut down your energy usage significantly. You can program it to automatically turn down your AC when you normally leave for work, and automatically turn the AC back up an hour before you get home, so that you can walk into a cool, crisp living space. Such programmability allows you to balance your home comfort with energy efficiency.
Install a zone control system: If you have a forced-air distribution system that uses the ductwork in your home, then you may have often wondered why you have to cool your downstairs kitchen in order to sleep comfortably. A zone control system uses electronically controlled dampers within your existing ductwork to control the flow of cool air, and to break your home into zones, each of which may be individually controlled. You can save energy and defuse any family arguments about home temperature with a single upgrade.
Regularly replace the air filter: Your air filter is designed to prevent the harmful accumulation of dust and debris on the components of your system. But when it becomes dirty or clogged, then it can have an adverse effect on airflow, thus making your AC work harder and increasing its energy needs.

These are just a few ways you can improve the energy efficiency of your home during the cooling season. For more information about how you can improve the efficiency of your air conditioning system in Gainesville, FL, call the experts at Touchstone Heating & Air today!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Efficiency, Gainesville, High Springs, Starke
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Best AC Tip – When to Schedule Air Conditioning Repair

Monday, April 15th, 2013

With a professional installation and routine maintenance your air conditioner can work very reliably. No mechanical system can ever be completely problem free, though. When you do run into operational problems with your air conditioner, call the Lake City, FL air conditioning experts at Touchstone Heating & Air. Our air conditioning repair technicians have the training, skills and expertise to ensure that your comfort experiences as little disruption as possible. In order to get your AC repaired as quickly as possible, it is necessary that you understand some of the basic air conditioning warning signs.

If you notice a sudden spike in the cost associated with operating your air conditioner you most likely have a problem requiring professional air conditioning repair. Unless your home cooling habits fluctuate a lot there is some issue leading to this decrease in efficiency. The air conditioning repair experts on our team can determine exactly what the problem is and will resolve the issue quickly and effectively. The less time your air conditioner is forced to operate in a compromised condition the less likely it is that any serious damage will be incurred.

Also take not of any general decline in the performance of your air conditioner. Uneven cooling and the development of any warm spots throughout your home is a sure sign that something is amiss. As with any air conditioning problem, there are a number of possible causes for this problem. Your air ducts may be damaged or improperly installed, or there may be a problem with the fan in the unit. Whatever the issue is, only a qualified professional can repair it in order to provide you with the high quality air conditioning performance you deserve.

It is also important that you do not mistake any warning signs as being too minor to contact a professional air conditioning repair technician about. Even strange sounds or smells coming from your air conditioner may indicate a more serious problem in development. Your air conditioning technician will discover the root of these seemingly minor issues.

The important thing to remember is that the faster any air conditioning repair work is completed, the better off your system is likely to be. Call your Lake City, FL air conditioning repair company the moment you suspect a problem with your system. Call Touchstone Heating & Air.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Repair, Jacksonville, Lake City, Newberry
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