Spring Is Coming, is your HVAC unit ready?

Well its that time of year again. That breath of fresh Spring air. You know what I am talking about.
That seemingly necessary desire to visit your local home improvement store and purchase some new garden tools, patio furniture, or maybe a shiny new riding lawn mower. I think you get the point. Cabin fever has finally taken its toll. It happens to all of us. Spring fever is contagious and seems to have a positive effect on everyone that comes in contact with it. One thing that a lot of homeowners don’t think about until it is too late is their air conditioner for the home. It is one of the most important components in the building block of your house. It controls the comfort level. It won’t be long until it is time to fire it up for the season. Here is the big question—Will it start up when I need it or will huff and puff and just fizzle out. I think at some point in time we all have taken the old air conditioner for granted.

Most people just don’t realize how hard it works to keep us cool. Did you know that an air conditioner works harder than your automobile does? If properly maintained it will outlast many automobiles. Most of us don’t really want to know exactly how that cool air comes into the house, just so it is there when we need it. I would like to give you a little bit of information that you may find helpful.

Most of us spend about 90% of the day indoors, whether it is in our home, our office, or school. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests, the level of pollutants are 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoors. Wow, what a wake up call. This makes us wonder about the quality of the air in our homes. Your air conditioner controls temperature and humidity. So you see why it is so important to be concerned about the condition of your equipment.

I have been in the heating and air conditioning business for 35 years and one of the leading causes in air conditioning failure is improper or lack of proper maintenance. Think about this for a moment, what would happen to you if you did not take your automobile in for service when it is time? You would probably be left stranded somewhere on the side of the road with a very expensive repair ahead of you. Automobile manufacturers want you to get the expected life out of your vehicle, that’s why they remind you with the little “service engine soon” light.

The same applies to your air conditioner. Remember it works harder than your automobile. Normally 2 times a year is what most manufacturers recommend for maintenance. Once for the fall / winter season and once for the spring / summer season.

One important topic of discussion that has really come alive over the past couple of years is indoor air quality (IAQ). More and more of our customers are calling with questions on types of air filtration, mildew and mold issues. There are so many adverse things that can occur due to a dirty or non-maintained air conditioning system.

Most systems are sealed and customers have no idea what might be going behind that closed door. For instance, an evaporator coil is the component of the system that draws the moisture out of the air that flows across it. It is a component that is covered up and you can’t see what is happening behind the service panel unless you remove it. If the condensate drain pipe gets clogged and backs up water into the pan for an extended period of time, bacterial can form and provide a breeding ground for organisms that can cause Legionnaires Disease. Drains must be flushed annually. Another potential problem with a clogged drain is ceiling damage if the unit is in the attic space.

Air filtration is a very important part of the equation. We do have a lot of questions about what type of filtration do you recommend. Did you know that most houses generate about 40 pounds of dust for every 1,500 feet of space. One of the most common allergens is the dust mite. Some filters out perform others in their ablility to filter out smaller particles. The clean air delivery rate (CADR) is recognized by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a fair an objective measure of various air cleaner technologies. The higher the CADR number the more efficient it is. Look at this fact chart:

Typical Ionic-Type device = 10 CADR

Standard 1” filter from hardware store = 12 CADR

Typical room HEPA Appliance = 150 CADR

Whole House 5” media = 240 CADR

Whole House Electronic Air Cleaner = 660 CADR

Trane Clean Effects = 1200 CADR

The Trane Clean Effects air filtration unit can remove up to 99.98% of allergens from the filtered air. For more information on this unit please visit www.trane.com. Dirty filters can create a compound problem. The particles that make it through the filter can accumulate on the evaporator coil and may cause it to freeze. I am sure a lot of homeowners don’t even know that there is a coil in their system. This is why it is so important that the system be serviced by an experienced technician.

With the cost of gas, refrigerant, and utilities proper maintenance can save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars. I have some customers with 30 year old systems that are still running because they have had proper service performed over the years per manufacturer recommendations. A little money spent up front is easier than a lot of money spent that could have been prevented. When is the last time that you had your unit serviced? Last season I hope. If not don’t you think it is time. What better way to start the season knowing that you are ready for the heat. Bring It On!



Tony Blinson is the President of Blinson Service Company, Inc. located at 7228 Becky Circle, Raleigh. For more information please call @ 919-881-0915 or visit their website at www.bschvac.com