Rite-Way Ventilating Blog

5 Problems That Keep Your Air Conditioner From Doing Its Job

Jim Steffey — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:28 +0000

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner, making it an ideal time to check your air conditioner for potential problems. Who wants to wait until that first 80-degree day to find out something is not working with the A/C?

There are a variety of problems that can occur with your air conditioner. Here are the five most common one issues:

Refrigerant leaks: If your air conditioner leaks, it could need a refrigerant charge, which requires professional help.
Inadequate maintenance: Dirty filters and coils can cause your air conditioner to freeze up and run improperly. To prevent this, clean or replace your air filter every one to three months.
Electric control failure: Compressors and fans can and do wear out over time. This can be confirmed during a service call by a professional.
Sensor problems: It’s possible for the sensor to be knocked out of place, which can cause your A/C to act erratically.
Drainage problems: Air conditioners need their mounting position to be level so that they can drain properly.

Some of these common problems are ones that can be determined through routine maintenance. However, if you are unsure of a problem or how to fix it, calling in a professional would be the wisest thing to do.

The professionals at Rite-Way Ventilating Co. have the expertise to troubleshoot any air conditioner issues you may have. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or get more information. We happily service Tucson area homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Air Conditioner image via Shutterstock

Cool Ways To Hold Down Your Energy Costs As The Temperature Climbs

Jim Steffey — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:00:24 +0000

As temperatures begin to climb, your energy costs will do the same as your air conditioner works longer and harder. Fortunately, there are a number of easy steps you can take to reduce your energy costs without giving up comfort:

Always turn off lights as you leave a room.
Open shades, blinds and curtains during the day instead of turning on lights. Natural light will fill the room, brightening it without wasting energy.
Energy costs can rise when an excessive amount of hot water is used. Many water heaters are powered by electricity, and washing clothes with hot water will cause your energy bill to skyrocket. Instead, choose the cold water cycle to launder clothing in.
Only wash clothing or dishes when you have a full load.
Set the dishwasher to air-dry, and either line-dry cleaned clothing or tumble dry on no heat.
Have a complete energy audit performed on your home. A home energy audit is performed by a qualified HVAC technician who will examine your home, evaluate your HVAC system and provide you with a detailed report outlining the areas where your home is wasting energy and what you can do to improve energy efficiency.
Consider upgrading your HVAC system. Older models are not energy efficient and can use more energy than needed. If however you do not have the extra funds to replace your entire unit, consider upgrading other areas of the unit. For example, programmable thermostats and energy-efficient HVAC filters will reduce your energy costs and keep the unit functioning efficiently.

For more tips on how to reduce your energy costs, contact Rite-Way Ventilating Co. Since 1959, we have been providing dependable and affordable HVAC services to Tucson-area homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy costs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Your Heat Pump: Tend To It While You’re Taking Care Of The Yard

Jim Steffey — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:05 +0000

When you’re out in your yard tidying up, remember that it’s your heat pump that’s going to cool you off when you go back indoors. Take a little time to tend to it, and help it keep you cool all summer long.

Heat pumps are complex systems that, when well maintained, are extremely energy efficient. The entire process for heating and cooling your home is reliant upon optimal air flow. The primary components to keep clean for optimal air flow are the indoor blower, heat exchanger and the outdoor casing. Use these simple care steps to maximize your comfort and energy savings:

First, turn off the electricity and the thermostat to the heat pump, even if it is not cycling.
At the outdoor casing, clean any debris around the unit that may hinder air flow, such as weeds, grass clippings, trash, leaves and ice during the heating months.
Shrubbery and fences do a good job of blocking winds from blowing debris into the system. However, make sure there is at least two feet of space between the unit and any plants, shrubbery or fencing.
Do not cover the casing with weather covering, as moisture may collect inside.
When using landscaping equipment, be aware not to come into contact with the casing, pipes or electrical components.
Rinse off the casing from time to time with a garden hose.
Sprinkler systems should not spray water on the unit, as extended exposure to chemicals like chlorine and sulfur can damage it.
Make sure to use a quality air filter and keep it clean or change it as recommended by the manufacturer.
Clean the indoor heat exchanger and blower with a cloth. Debris easily builds up around these components.
Lastly, consider a duct inspection and duct cleaning. Your home’s duct system is just as important to efficient air circulation as heat pump maintenance.

For more information about the your home’s heat pump, contact Rite-Way Ventilating Co. We have proudly served residents of Tucson since 1959.

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

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Landscaping image via Shutterstock

Your Programmable Thermostat: Making The Smart Decision

Jim Steffey — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:23 +0000

For many years a thermostat has been a fairly basic device — not much more than an on/off switch, really. But more Arizonans are discovering that a programmable thermostat has a variety of features that help them save significantly on monthly energy bills:

Individual setting for each day of the week: Many “smart” thermostats allow you to program different temperature settings for each day. This means you can decrease the demand on your system while you’re at work and the kids are at school. Settings these eight-hour windows to decrease demand by 10 to 15 degrees can save you 10 percent on energy.
Up to six settings per day: Aside from the work settings, you can should take advantage of features that allow you to have as many as six separate settings for a single day. For example, your programmable thermostat can lower the demand a few more degrees once you are asleep and then bring the temperature back to where you’re comfortable about 15 minutes before you wake up.
Vacation settings: You can also use it to keep your house in good health while you’re away without losing money on energy. For example, the temperature in your home can’t get too low in the winter because water pipes are subject to freezing and damage. You can set your smart thermostat to turn on for a few hours at night, without running it all day.
Optional remote control ability: Many of these new thermostats give you the ability to program them remotely and even from your cell phone. If you get stuck at work or you leave for the evening, it only takes a few seconds to override your settings and save even more money while you’re out.

There are more features which vary depending on the specific programmable thermostat. If you want to make sure you choose the best model for your needs, contact us at Rite-Way Ventilating Co. With more than 50 years of service in the Tucson area, we have the expertise to maximize your savings.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

A Comprehensive Duct Sealing: The Benefits You’re Bound To See

Jim Steffey — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:00:28 +0000

Most homeowners who have forced-air HVAC systems rarely think about their home’s ductwork. However, since these ducts are the means by which conditioned air is delivered to the rooms in your home, it is important that they are properly sealed. Thorough duct sealing provides you with a number of key benefits:

A More Comfortable Home

If ducts are leaking, rooms may not be as comfortable as they should be. This is especially the case for rooms that are farther away from the HVAC unit, since the air has to travel a greater distance through the ductwork. Making sure the ducts are airtight can eliminate this problem

Better Air Quality

Comprehensive duct sealing can also significantly improve indoor air quality. This is because leaking ducts can easily pick up dust, mold, pollen and chemical vapors and blow them into your rooms.

Eliminating Backdrafting

If you use gas appliances, they are designed to vent any harmful fumes to the outside of your home. However, if your ductwork is leaking, is can easily create a backdrafting situation in which combustion fumes are drawn back into the living spaces of your home.

Savings

One of the more obvious reasons why it is a good idea to make sure your ducts are fully sealed is that leaky ducts cost you money. Studies have shown that the average ductwork system is loses up to 20 percent of the energy the system is producing. Repairing duct leaks can lead to big savings each year.

If you have any questions about duct sealing, please feel free to contact us at Rite-Way Ventilating Co. We will be pleased to help you.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct sealing and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Sealing Air Leaks image via Shutterstock

Ductwork Banging And Clatter? Something’s Definitely The Matter

Jim Steffey — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:43 +0000

Ductwork serves as a conduit for air that moves through the heating and cooling system of your home. Much planning goes into duct design to ensure the space has proper temperature control, air pressure and ventilation. Sizing your ducts is part of that process. If ductwork banging is keeping you up at night, the sizing may not be quite right.

Metal Ductwork

The likely cause of this noise is the expanding and contracting of metal ducts. Ideally, proper sizing and design of the network will prevent this problem. If not, the metal may flux with changes in the temperature. Since the ductwork delivers conditioned air, these changes happen often, especially in Arizona where air conditioning is vital. You may hear the noise in two stages. The first will occur while the system is running. When it turns off, the temperature of the metal goes back to normal and you will hear the noise again.

Noises that point to metal expansion:

Pinging
Banging
Booming

Loose Ductwork

Rattling happens when something is loose. This is true with ducts, as well. If the noise you hear is a rattle, then the cause may be a loose fitting in the system. You will hear the rattling when either the furnace or air conditioner is running.

Silencing the Noise

To fix the problem, you must find the misbehaving section of duct. When the ductwork banging begins, walk around until you locate the problem area. From there, you have several options to silence the noise. You might add insulation or attach a brace to secure a loose piece. For hard-to-reach areas, it’s best to hire a qualified professional.

Contact us at Rite-Way Ventilating Co. for ductwork service, or for any of your heating and cooling needs. We have proudly serve the Tucson area since 1959.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Have You Put An Air-Conditioner Tuneup On The Spring To-Do List?

Jim Steffey — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:00:30 +0000

The Tucson weather is starting to get warmer — and that means it’s time for spring cleaning. But this year don’t limit yourself to cleaning out the inside of your house; add an air conditioner tuneup to your to-do list and you will reap the benefits all summer.

An A/C unit that is not properly maintained will not operate efficiently, which means it will consume far more energy and it will not last nearly as long as it should.

Air filters: You can make your air conditioner 15 percent more efficient simply by cleaning or replacing the air filter. Clogged filters reduce airflow, so the machine has to work much harder to pull in the amount of air it needs.
Coils: The inside coils gather dirt and debris over the course of the year. This buildup hinders the coils’ ability to pull heat from the incoming air so the A/C has to run longer to get your interior air down to the desired temperature.
Coil fin: The fin can become bent fairly easily so it needs to be reshaped once a year. You can use a fin comb to make sure it maintains a good shape, allowing air to pass through without interference.
Condensing unit: The drains and condensing unit tend to collect leaves and other blockages, especially after the fall and winter seasons. This stuff needs to be removed in order to allow the A/C to control the humidity in the air. If the condensing unit is blocked, the moisture in the air will have nowhere to go but into your house.

A spring air-conditioner tuneup will not only lower your utility bills, it will also prolong the life of the A/C unit and help you avoid unwanted surprises. If your air conditioner goes out in the middle of the summer, you will have to pay a premium for emergency service on top of coping with the brutal summer heat.

To schedule a professional air-conditioner tuneup before summer arrives, contact Rite-Way Ventilating Co. With more than 50 years of service in Tucson, we have the expertise to maximize your savings.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioning and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Maintenance Checklist image via Shutterstock

If You’ve Put Off Replacing The Furnace, Wait No Longer

Jim Steffey — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:00:51 +0000

If your heating system limped through winter, now is a great time to think about replacing that furnace.

Winter is the wrong time to install a new system. Contractors are busy during the cold months just providing service to furnaces, so having someone come out to your home during a busy season is going to cost more. As the weather warms up, the demands for service diminish, and those same contractors will be looking for things to do. This is why professionals will recommend trying to get by if your furnace gives up near the end of the cold months.

Manufacturer Discounts

Spring is also the time to get the best deals on a new furnace. Manufacturers have to make room for the new models coming out. When the weather warms, they will be discounting systems to create space. This means you may get a better price on the furnace you want or even upgrade to the heating and cooling unit you thought you could never afford. Just like contractors, spring is the beginning of a slow season for manufacturers, so this when you can get the deal.

Do Your Homework

Do your homework before replacing the furnace. Look at the advancements in the technology to see if they fit your needs. This will allow you to think ahead when making choices. Investigate alternative fuel sources on the market such as geothermal and photovoltaic systems. If you go with a more traditional unit, select one with an energy-star rating of at least 95 to save on next years energy bills.

Contact us at Rite-Way Ventilating Co. for expert heating and cooling system advice or to schedule an appointment, or for help with any questions you have. We proudly serve Tucson and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

When Minimizing Respiratory Issues Is A Priority, Electronic Air Cleaning Becomes A Necessity

Jim Steffey — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:00:33 +0000

Indoor air pollution affects many respiratory issues, including allergies, asthma and respiratory infections. Modern homes are often tightly sealed to retain conditioned air, but that tight seal also traps air pollution indoors. Fortunately, electronic air cleaners can remove unhealthy particulate matter from your home’s air, including:

Pollen.
Pet dander.
Dust.
Mold spores.

Electronic air cleaners can also reduce unpleasant odors and make your air feel fresher.

How They Work

Electronic air cleaning works by giving dust and other particles in the air a charge, causing them to stick to surfaces rather than remaining in the air for you to inhale. There are two types of electronic air cleaning systems, ionizers and electrostatic precipitators. Ionizers send ions into the air, which stick to particles in the air and give them a charge. The newly charged particles then settle out of the air by sticking to surfaces in your home. Electrostatic precipitators give particles in your home’s air a charge as the air passes through air ducts. The particles then stick to oppositely-charged plates within the air ducts.

Considerations

When choosing between air cleaning systems, think about the cleanup. Ionizers cause dust to settle around your home, meaning that you might have to dust more often to keep your house clean. Electrostatic precipitators require you to clean the charged plates regularly, but they do not cause more dust to settle around the house. Both types improve respiratory health by removing particulate air pollution.

It’s also a good idea to remember that electronic air cleaners use some electricity, although they run very efficiently. They also fit conveniently within your HVAC ducts, so they take up less space than free-standing air purifiers. If you have severe mold problems or want to kill germs and viruses in your home’s air, consider using an electronic air cleaner along with a UV light-purification system.

For help choosing and installing an air cleaning system in the Tucson area, contact the experts at Rite-Way Ventilating Co.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about electronic air cleaning and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Indoor Air Quality image via Shutterstock

Relax — You Have A NATE-Certified Contractor Doing The Job

Jim Steffey — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:00:16 +0000

Your HVAC system is a complex piece of machinery that only qualified technicians should service. But how do you know if your HVAC contractor is truly capable of doing your system more good than harm? Certification by NATE (North American Technician Excellence) can provide peace of mind about your service call.

What Is NATE?

NATE is a non-profit that was founded in 1997 and is the largest and most prestigious certification organization for HVAC pros in America. NATE is owned, governed and operated by the entire HVAC industry, and its tests are developed by a committee of industry experts. NATE uses real-world problems to test technicians in order to validate their knowledge. Candidates can earn installation and/or service certifications in any of the following specialties:

Air conditioner.
Gas furnace.
Air distribution.
Heat pumps.
Hydronics oil.
Hydronics gas.
Commercial refrigeration.
Light commercial refrigeration.
Senior HVAC efficiency analyst.
Ground source heat pump loop installer.

How NATE Benefits You

When hiring a NATE technician, you’re hiring a professional whose expertise has been proven by a series of rigorous test. Therefore, the jobs they perform once are done right and rarely need to be followed up by multiple house calls or warranty returns.

Finding a NATE Contractor

HVAC companies that employ NATE-certified contractors are not shy about that information. The next time you contact an HVAC company, ask if they employee NATE technicians. If they do, request that your service professional be NATE-certified. You can even use the search function on the NATE website to find their contractors near you.

When you schedule a Rite-Way Ventilating Co. service call, you can take comfort in that fact that a NATE-certified technician will be working on your system. With Rite-Way, you’ll have NATE certification and over 50 years of experience working for you.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about NATE-certified contractors and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rite-Way Ventilating Co services Tucson, Marana, Catalina, Oro Valley, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Tubac, AZ. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!