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

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! 

Continue Reading

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!

Continue Reading

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.

Continue Reading

Common Air Conditioning Problems

Monday, April 8th, 2013

When you purchase a high-quality air conditioning system from a trusted manufacturer and have a professional handle your installation you should enjoy a great performance from that AC. Even the best air conditioners experience problems eventually, though. When you need to hire a Gainesville, FL air conditioning repair professional, call the experts at Touchstone Heating & Air. We’ll make sure that your air conditioner is fixed properly and that you can cool your home with confidence. It is necessary that a professional handles your AC repair needs, but you should know a bit about some common air conditioning problems.

Pretty much all problems that you may experience with your air conditioner will have multiple possible causes. That is why it is so important that you contact a professional air conditioning repair technician immediately. Only a pro will be able to determine the exact cause of the problem. One common air conditioning issue we see a lot, for instance, is uneven cooling throughout your home. This may be due to the fact that your air conditioner is improperly sized. It may also be the result of damaged or poorly installed air ducts. We can inspect the system, pinpoint the source of the problem and make any necessary repairs.

Many homeowners also have trouble maintaining temperatures in their home. Again, there are many different causes of this problem. You system may be too small, though if a good load calculation was performed prior to installation then this should not be a problem. Your air conditioner may be low on refrigerant, or it may even be the result of a faulty thermostat. Whatever the issue is, the Gainesville, FL  air conditioning repair professionals at Touchstone Heating & Air can help.

Even problems that seem minor or unimportant, such as strange sounds during the operation of your air conditioner, should be addressed by a professional. They are often early warning signs of a more serious problem. The sooner any issues with your air conditioner are resolved, the better. Forcing your AC to operate in compromised condition puts unnecessary stress on the system. This can lead to inefficient performance or damage to your air conditioner. Schedule air conditioning repair service in Gainesville, FL with Touchstone Heating & Air today.

Continue Reading