Air conditioning specialists

Considering how much you rely on your air conditioner to see you through the hot Fort Worth/Arlington summers, it’s well worth consulting a professional for guidance on a number of system selection issues.

System matching — When upgrading your air conditioner, you can change out just the outdoor compressor unit or replace the entire system. If you choose to replace just the outdoor unit, the new unit must match the older indoor unit. Mismatched systems are inefficient and wear out early. Consulting with a specialist is essential to ensure your components are correctly matched.

Energy efficiency — Replacing a 10-year-old air conditioner with a newer, more efficient model could reduce your cooling costs by 20 to 40 percent. An A/C’s efficiency is indicated by its seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). Although the current minimum SEER is 13, high-efficiency systems achieve SEERs of up to 21. Air conditioning specialists can help you find a high-efficiency model that also offers the features you need.

Energy-saving features — Look for a system that uses a variable-speed fan motor. Most high-efficiency systems include this type of motor because it’s more efficient than the older, two-speed motor and provides more consistent temperatures.

Features for convenience — An A/C system with a filter-check indicator light will help you remember to keep your filter clean to maintain your system’s energy efficiency. Also consider looking for a unit rated for quiet operation. Air conditioning specialists can suggest other features you may want, depending on your needs.

A new air conditioner is a significant investment, but the right system will lower your energy bills and improve your comfort. For expert guidance on finding the air conditioner that’s right for your home, contact us at AirRite Air Conditioning Company, Inc. Since 1955, we’ve been been helping homeowners around the Fort Worth/Arlington area find efficient, affordable HVAC equipment.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about replacing your cooling system and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Indoor air quality

An unhealthful amount of mold can form even in the cleanest home. It often grows in crawl spaces, inside walls, in attics and basements and other places you don’t see during routine housekeeping.

Mold spores enter from outdoors through windows and doors, cracks in the building, and even on your shoes and clothing.

In many homes in the Fort Worth/Arlington area, indoor humidity above 60 percent and damp building material give those spores a chance to grow. Some of this moisture comes from outdoor air, but tightly sealed homes can also experience high humidity problems. Showering, cooking, and housekeeping all add to your indoor humidity. Your body releases moisture through breathing and perspiration. Leaky plumbing and roofs also add to humidity.

Once established, mold produces spores that lower your indoor air quality and irritate your respiratory system. Among the health issues mold can cause are:

• Airway irritation — If you’re sensitive to molds, you may develop a cough, itchy eyes, a stuffy nose, and a scratchy throat
• Skin irritation — Some people develop skin rashes from exposure to mold spores.
• Asthma symptoms — Mold spores can worsen existing asthma symptoms, but they can also cause asthma-like symptoms in people without asthma.
• Greater asthma risk — Some research suggests mold in the home increases a child’s risk of developing asthma.

The first step in controlling your indoor humidity is to repair any plumbing and roof leaks. Other ways to improve your indoor air quality include installing a balanced ventilation system, installing a dehumidifier, and upgrading your HVAC air filtration system with an ultraviolet (UV) light air cleaner.

If you’d like professional guidance on how to improve your home’s air quality or you’re interested in installing new HVAC equipment, contact us at AirRite Air Conditioning Company, Inc. Wherever you are in the Fort Worth/Arlington area, we can help you keep your home comfortable and healthful.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Geothermal

General troubleshooting
Most troubleshooting and repair for a geothermal system should be performed by a qualified and trained professional. However, there are general checks you can perform that may help pinpoint the problem.

• Check the air filter and coils. A dirty air filter or coil will interfere with the airflow the system needs to operate and can affect required head pressures. Change the filter or clean the coils to see if that helps.
• Make sure the unit is plugged in and receiving electrical power.
• Check for tripped circuit breakers on the unit or at the main breaker panel and reset tripped breakers.
• Make sure the thermostat is set at an appropriate temperature and that the heat pump itself is set to the correct mode for heating or cooling.
• Make sure there is water circulating through the system’s heat exchanger.
• Verify there is pressure in the loop system where heat is captured or released.
• Check the loop pumps to make sure they’re operating.
• Look for problems such as leaks, disconnected or broken wiring, and other obvious issues that could interfere with system performance.

Professional-level troubleshooting
Contact your local trusted geothermal system professional to conduct more detailed and technical diagnostic work on your system and to perform any needed repairs.

• Reduced function or decreased heating and cooling levels: Could be caused by restricted airflow. Check and change air filter.
• No cooling: Could be caused by low refrigerant charge, restricted metering device, scale in the heat exchanger, or a defective reversing valve. The thermostat may need to be repositioned to give a more accurate reading of indoor temperatures. The unit may also be too small to adequately supply your indoor cooling needs.
• Inadequate temperature of warm air: Could be caused by too much airflow through the system. Adjusting the fan motor speed per manufacturer’s instructions may help.
• High indoor humidity: Could be the result of too much airflow or an oversized unit. A fan motor speed adjustment may help.

AirRite Air Conditioning Company, Inc. is a longtime provider of heating and cooling services for customers Fort Worth, Arlington and nearby Texas communities. Contact us today for more information on common problems with geothermal heat pumps or to schedule a professional maintenance or service appointment for your geothermal system.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about geothermal heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Your HVAC system’s air filter can dramatically improve indoor air quality but it requires a system design to meet your individual needs. Many air filters only remove the largest dust particles from the air, allowing smaller (and more harmful) bacteria, viruses and mold spores to pass through freely. So, to make sure the air in your Tarrant County Fort Worth home is clean, you need to make sure your air filter is up to the task.

Better Air Through MERV
To find out whether your air filter is truly effective at improving indoor air quality, you need to look at the filters MERV rating number.

MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is the standard rating system used to indicate how well a filter removes microscopic particles from the air. MERV rates each filter on a 20-point scale.

• The flat fiberglass filters used in most HVAC systems have a very low MERV rating of 1-4. They protect your HVAC equipment from larger particles, but do not protect your lungs or even pet dander, and diseases that are in the air.
• HEPA filters fall at the opposite end of the scale, with MERV ratings of 16-20. They remove 99.97 percent of all pollutants with every pass. However, they also require the HVAC system to be designed properly so the air can pass through the filter in a way that does not affect the efficiency of your HVAC system. A trained professionally can make these require changes to your duct system design to compensate and allow for the proper air flow.
• Medium-efficiency filters, with MERV ratings between 7 and 13, are a good option for budget conscious customers that need good filtration but cannot afford the best in class filtration. These filters remove a fairly high percentage of pollutants with each pass, and since the air passes through them multiple times, the cumulative effect results in clean, healthful indoor air.

To determine exactly which MERV filter will work with your HVAC system to provide the best indoor air quality, please contact us at AirRite Air Conditioning Company, Inc. for a free evaluation and recommendation We’ve been serving Tarrant County homeowners since 1955, and are the local indoor air quality experts.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Solar energy

There are three primary types of solar systems available:

• Passive solar energy warms homes directly. Homeowners choosing this option will place large windows and glass-enclosed spaces on the south side of their residence so that the sun’s energy will be absorbed in the house. Passive systems do not require any special equipment or effort to operate, but they are only viable in homes specifically designed for this purpose.

• Solar photovoltaic converts sunlight into electricity that is then used to warm either the home or hot water. Photovoltaic units consist of between one and 20 silicon panels that contain approximately 40 photovoltaic cells per panel. These panels are placed in areas where they can collect large quantities of sunlight that is filtered through a semiconductor within the photovoltaic cells. This generates an electrical current which is then transferred to appliances within the home.

• Solar water heating takes solar energy and uses it to warm water directly. Consisting of a collector and a storage tank, the system pumps water through tubing, which is then warmed as it passes over a solar collector plate. Once warmed, it is then deposited into a modified storage tank designed to keep the water from cooling down.

Now that you understand the types of solar energy systems, it’s time to look at the advantages of installing them:

• Solar energy is clean, renewable, and once your initial investment is recovered, practically free.
• Solar panels do not generate emissions that pollute the air.
• Dallas-Fort Worth receives approximately 250 days of sunshine a year, and even on cloudy days, solar panels continue to generate electricity.
• There are plenty of state and federal tax credits available for solar energy installations.

If you would like to learn more about the viability of solar energy in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, give AirRite Air Conditioning Company, Inc. a call. We will be glad to provide a free home evaluation to see if Solar is a viable option for you to consider. Since 1955, we’ve provided the very best energy efficiency solutions in the area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about solar and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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How does a condensing furnace work? 
A condensing furnace functions like conventional forced-air gas furnaces in that the heat from combustion gases is transferred to a heat exchanger. It heats air brought in through the cold air return and then blows the heated air back into your home through air ducts. The most significant difference, however, is that a condensing furnace has a secondary heat exchanger that collects the heated exhaust from the first chamber (that would have otherwise gone up the chimney), and extracts any remaining heat before exhausting a small amount of cooled gases and water condensate. It like reusing and distributing air that has already been warmed.

There are other HVAC upgrade features that add to a condensing furnace’s efficiency and provide optimal comfort. An optional heat recovery ventilator brings in fresh outside air, preheats it and mixes it with the stale return air to enhance your home’s air quality. A modulating gas valve uses less fuel by rationing the gas flow to the furnace during warmer periods. A variable-speed fan blower can adjust the blower speed to the demand for heat, providing more consistent heating.

Combine a high efficiency 2 stage furnace with an outdoor high efficiency condensing unit and you will have a system that saves money , provides years of  outstanding comfort and qualifies for Federal tax incentives for promoting energy savings for our environment.

There are HVAC systems that have a lifetime warranty now on the heat exchanger for the indoor furnace unit and the compressor for the outdoor condenser unit. Should this part fail while you own your home, the contractor will replace the entire unit with a new unit for no charge to you the homeowner. That is total peace of mind combined with great savings.

An HVAC upgrade can save you money, be more energy efficient, add peace of mind with outstanding lifetime warranties and give you many years of home comfort. If you would like more information on this and other HVAC options, contact the experts at AirRite Air Conditioning. We have been serving our neighbors in the Fort Worth/Arlington area since 1955.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about high-efficiency systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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If you’re considering installing a geothermal heat pump, chances are you’ll need a closed-loop system. These systems use a continuous loop of durable high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic tubing buried in the ground or submerged under water. The tubing contains water with a anti freezing agent added for extra protection. An electric heat pump draws heat from this antifreeze solution and distributes that heat through your ductwork or radiant floor system.

Open-loop systems that circulate groundwater are also viable in some cases, but require a large body of water to circulate and water treatment is needed to preserve the  integrity of the system.

• Horizontal closed loop — In this type of geothermal installation, the tubing is laid out horizontally in a trench of at least four feet deep and two feet wide. The loops may be buried with one above the other or side by side. This is usually the most cost-effective option where space is available and soil conditions are good. If you have considerable acreage, this is a good cost effective way to lay out a geothermal piping solution. However you will need  450 feet of space for each  1 ton of A/C  and heating load required for a your home. That is why vertical drilling is by far the most popular method of geothermal installation in the DFW area.
• Vertical closed loop — This installation type is often preferable where space is limited, heating and cooling demands are high , the soil is too rocky or sandy for trenching or to avoid damaging landscaping. Vertical installations require boring multiple small-diameter holes of between 100 to 400 feet deep. Most commonly in DFW are that is 240 to 260 feet per well ( per 1 ton of AC cooling or heating) The holes accommodate lengths of tubing connected at the bottom.
• Surface-water closed loop — Also called a lake or pond system, this type may be practical if your DFW-area property has a large body of water that lies within a few hundred feet of your home. In these installations, the tubing is formed into coils and sunk below the water surface.

Regardless of which installation meets your needs best, if you install an Energy Star-qualified geothermal system from now until December 31, 2016, you’ll be eligible for the 30 percent Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit. You will also enjoy the highest efficiency available in A/C  SEER rating often around 28-34 SEER.  The life expectancy of a geothermal heat pump is 2 times that of a conventional A/C unit (up to 25 years) based on the fact that it sits indoors and is not subjected to the outdoor extreme conditions that a conventional heat pump or A/C condenser must face.

If you’d like professional guidance choosing an efficient geothermal heating and cooling system, contact us at AirRite Air Conditioning Company. We’ve been serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1955.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about geothermal and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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If you think your ducts might be due for a cleaning, consider what you stand to gain by scheduling soon:

1. Cleaner air — Ducts can become so clogged with dust, dust mites, pollen, pet hair and other particles that the debris is blown out the registers along with your warm or cool air. Duct cleaning eliminates these airborne particles. Although it’s never been proven to help with any health condition, reducing the lung-irritant particles in your ductwork may be beneficial if you experience allergies or asthma.
2. Fresher-smelling air — Even if larger debris particles never enter your air, duct buildup can still give off stale, musty odors.
3. Energy savings — Clean ducts move air more efficiently than ducts clogged with debris. Thorough duct cleaning helps keep your whole HVAC system cleaner and more efficient, too.
4. Longer system life — When dirt builds up in your air ducts, it can break loose and travel elsewhere in your HVAC system. Clean ducts reduce the risk of dirt damaging your system’s components.
5. Less housework — Dust blown through your registers eventually settles on your furniture, window sills and elsewhere. If you find your home getting unusually dusty, it may be time for a duct cleaning.
6. A final clean-up job — The ducts in new and recently remodeled homes often hold construction debris such as drywall dust, sawdust and even bits of carpet. Getting this debris out of your ducts should be part of the post-construction clean-up job.

A certified home protection specialist can assist you with proper duct cleaning and inspect your duct work for any outside air leaks and separation of the duct work from the HVAC system. It may be that you are sucking in attic air and dust from an outside source causing the duct work to become dirty and more importantly wasting valuable money on your utility bills.

If you’re having air quality or system efficiency problems, the trouble may lie in your ducts. To have your ductwork assessed by professionals you can trust, contact us at AirRite Air Conditioning Company. Since 1955, we’ve been providing cost-effective services Dallas-Fort Worth homeowners depend on.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about duct cleaning and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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1. Unit doesn’t run. Check the power. Be sure the power is turned on, also checking to see if the circuit breaker has been tripped. Turn that back on as well. If you have power, check the thermostat. Be sure it’s on the proper setting, and try turning it up a few degrees to see if anything happens. If not, you may have the wrong model, or it may be wired incorrectly.
2. Unit won’t heat or cool properly. One problem that homeowners who are heat pump troubleshooting sometimes ignore is making sure nothing is blocking airflow from the registers.  A register is the vent in the ceiling in the wall that serves as the supply air or return air for your heat pump unit. Then check the air filter to see if it’s clogged. Replace it if necessary. If that doesn’t work, call a technician to check the blower, coils and other components.
3. No air is coming out of the vents. Check the fan switch on the thermostat. If it’s on, turn it off. Many heat pumps are designed to shut off automatically if they get too hot. In that case, your problem may be the unit’s limit switch. If the motor is running, but no air is coming out, then there may be a broken belt. Call an HVAC technician to fix it.
4. Strange noises. Some mechanical noise for heat pumps is natural, if annoying of too loud then you should have it checked. An HVAC contractor can offset ordinary heat pump noises with some flexible, insulated ductwork. If you’re hearing a rattling sound, try tightening the cover panels, then check to see if there’s a loose component. If you hear a squealing or grinding noise from the motor, shut the unit off and call an HVAC technician.

For more advice on heat pump troubleshooting, contact our experts at AirRite Air Conditioning. We’ve proudly served the HVAC needs of Fort Worth, TX  and the surrounding areas since 1955.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pump troubleshooting and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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What is AFUE?

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) is a measurement of a system’s fuel consumption to heat production ratio. All furnaces hold an AFUE rating, which must be clearly documented on the packaging or labeling for homeowners to see. In general, the higher the AFUE rating, the higher the energy savings. Many of the features that high-efficiency heating systems employ are features that significantly advance home comfort and safety, too.

How does AFUE work?

The government has outlined minimum efficiency ratings for all types of heating and cooling systems. The minimum standard for furnaces rests at 78 percent AFUE. If you were to install a system with this AFUE rating in your home, it would mean that the unit would use only 78 percent of the total energy consumed to generate heat for the home, with the other 22 percent being lost up the flue. That’s a lot of energy lost, even if the heating season is shorter here in DFW.

High-efficiency furnaces begin at 90 percent AFUE, using 90 percent of the fuel they consume to produce heat, and losing only 10 percent of the energy. It’s possible to purchase a furnace rated as high as 98.2 percent AFUE, delivering a loss of less than 2 percent.

What benefits do systems with high-efficiency ratings deliver?

While experts generally advise homeowners living in colder climates to invest in high-efficiency systems, just as homeowners living in warmer climates should invest in high-efficiency cooling, purchasing a high-efficiency heating system offers other advantages — no matter where you live:

• Improved comfort through even distribution of heat
• A longer-lasting system, with components that cycle on and off less frequently–a process that is very hard on system components
• A higher return on investment
• Lower lifetime costs
• Safety, with components like sealed combustion and direct-air intake vents improving indoor air quality

When it comes time to upgrade your heating system, look to high-efficiency furnaces as one solution worth exploring. For expert advice, contact AirRite Air Conditioning Company today. We serve DFW homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about high-efficiency furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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