With temperatures dipping down into the low teens, it seems like we may never need to turn on our air conditioners ever again. Fortunately, that’s not true! This spring and summer will be here soon enough, and that means we’ll need to kick on our ACs to keep our homes cool. As vigilant homeowners know, yearly air conditioning service in St. Louis, MO is a must if you want a well-functioning system throughout the sweltering summer months. Here are some benefits of securing this service:
- Prevent repairs: AC unit repairs can be very expensive. New parts can cost a pretty penny, especially if they have to be custom ordered by the shop. On top of that, labor fees can be high if the repair takes a while to complete. The best way to save money on those repairs is to ensure they don’t need to be made in the first place! A yearly checkup from one of our professionals is inexpensive compared to the cost of hiring a repairman.
- Increase lifespan: Did you know that if you properly maintain your AC system, you can expect the unit to last 15 to 20 years? Without proper maintenance, that lifespan can be cut in half. It’s just like a car: the better you take care of it, the better (and longer) it will run. Replacing a new AC unit can be pretty costly, so save yourself the trouble and expense of buying a new unit by maintaining the one you already have.
- Save money on your electric bill: An air conditioning unit that hasn’t been maintained properly will eventually start to lose efficiency. Slowly but surely, your unit will have to work a little bit harder and longer to put out the same amount of cool, refreshing air. The longer your unit is running, the more electricity it’s going to use, steadily increasing your electric bill each month. A technician performing annual air conditioning service in St. Louis, MO will lubricate and clean all of the necessary parts of your unit to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible all summer long!
While you probably aren’t thinking too much about your air conditioner right now, there are actually some good reasons to get your AC checked out well in advance of needing to turn it on again:
- Get speedy service: Since the temperature doesn’t even seem close to feeling like spring or summer, most people haven’t scheduled AC service yet. Because of this, our technicians have more time to fit in an AC service call right now than they will in the spring. As the summer gets closer and closer, we get more and more calls for scheduled maintenance and repairs. We’re able to service air conditioners all year long, so we recommend calling us during the cooler months before our schedule starts to fill up.
- Know who you’re working with: There are plenty of quality AC repairmen, but there are also a handful of less reputable companies out there who are willing to take your money but not properly service your unit. If you schedule yearly air conditioning service in St. Louis, MO, you’ll be working with the same quality company year in and year out.
Don’t get caught in the heat next summer—call Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today to schedule air conditioning service!
Keeping your house clean is an essential part of being a homeowner. The cleaning work never really stops; you dust, sweep, vacuum, clean your bathrooms and tidy up whenever there’s an accident. But did you know that cleaning parts of your house you can’t see is just as important as cleaning your kitchen and bathroom? It’s true! Here are several reasons why experts recommend yearly furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO:
- Increase efficiency: Even the best furnaces become less efficient over time. Dust and other debris can coat the blower motor, switches, heat exchanger and the ignition system. When that happens, the furnace will slowly lose its ability to properly heat your home. If you call one of our technicians to service your unit, you’ll rest assured that we can clean out all of the debris to ensure maximum efficiency.
- Avoid safety issues: Furnaces can be very dangerous fixtures. A faulty or dirty furnace poses the very real threat of starting a fire or spewing deadly carbon monoxide gas into your home. Old filters and clogged vents can lead to fires. What’s maybe even scarier is that a dirty heat exchanger is in danger of cracking, which can lead to carbon monoxide leaks! Carbon monoxide can lead to serious health issues rather quickly.
- Extend the life of your furnace: A clean furnace is the key to a long-lasting unit. Dirt that gets into your furnace’s switches drastically ages critical components of your unit. Electrical switches and controls, the fan and blower motor and the heat exchanger are all necessary for a fully functioning unit. They also need to be kept clean at all times. Only a professional technician can properly clean all of these vital components.
- Retain your warranty: Most furnaces come with some kind of warranty. However, some warranties become void if the manufacturer finds out you haven’t been taking proper care of your unit by having it serviced regularly. Yearly preventative maintenance that includes furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO will help keep your warranty intact throughout your furnace’s lifespan.
In addition to hiring one of our professionals to clean your furnace, there are steps you can take to help keep the unit clean:
- Change the filters: You’re responsible for changing your unit’s air filters between annual maintenance and cleaning visits. Furnace filters can be purchased at any home improvement store for a few dollars. Just be sure that you purchase the exact size specified by the manufacturer of your furnace.
- Keep the area around your furnace tidy: Dusting and sweeping around your unit can do wonders to improve the functionality of your furnace. Just think: all of that dust in the unit has to come from somewhere—probably from the floor and ceiling. Make sure you take care of that debris before it has a chance to get inside your unit.
Since this is the time of year when you’ll be using your furnace the most, call Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today to schedule a visit from one of our professionals for furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO.
With winter approaching, now is the time to get your home winterized and ready for the season. An HVAC service in St Louis, MO can help you get your home ready for winter by ensuring your heating system is ready for operation and your cooling system is prepared for its long hibernation. Here are some ways an HVAC service can help get your home ready for winter:
- Change filters: Dirty filters are one of the most common problems when a furnace doesn’t work properly. It can make your heating system run inefficiently, and can even cause it to stop working at all. Changing your filters now can get you ready for the winter and will save you from a repair necessitated by clogging.
- Drain AC lines: This is a must, as you don’t want to suffer damage to your AC system during winter. Because any water left in your AC lines can freeze, you need to make sure they are properly drained to prevent this. This is as simple as letting them release any stored water, and an HVAC service in St Louis, MO can help you perform this task. This is also a good time to turn the water off at your outdoor spigots to ensure they don’t freeze.
- Plug drafts: Are there areas of your home that are letting in cold air? If there are, this can increase your energy bill each month, as your heat is literally going out your windows. Inspect your home for areas where air from the outside is coming in, and plug these holes as best you can. You can use a draft stopper to eliminate the cold air from coming in, or have repairs performed to remove the draft completely. An HVAC service in St Louis, MO can help you identify common draft areas and give you ideas for preventing cold air from getting in.
- Seal ducts: When your air ducts leak, this can prevent proper heating in your home. Looking for cracks and holes in your duct work can save you money on your energy bill by sealing these areas to prevent air from escaping through them. An HVAC service in St Louis, MO can inspect your ducts for signs of leaks and repair any damaged areas to ensure you have good airflow in your heating system all through the winter.
- Check your heating system: One of the most important things an HVAC service in St Louis, MO can do for you is give your heating system a checkup. They will be able to perform a maintenance check on your furnace and make sure that it will operate correctly through the winter. They will clean all components and check your thermostat to ensure that it is holding temperature and functioning correctly.
Winterizing your home now will have you prepared for the cold weather season. An HVAC service in St Louis, MO can help you get your home ready and ensure your heating system works properly come winter. For HVAC service at your home or business, contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. We are seasoned HVAC contractors with technicians who are skilled in all areas of heating and cooling. Let us identify any issues preventing effective winterization and perform any necessary repairs to your heating system before the cold weather starts!
When you have problems with your humidifier or dehumidifier, it can be frustrating. You expect them to operate properly, and when they don’t, it can leave you feeling disappointed and uncomfortable. Luckily, an HVAC service in St Louis, MO may be able to help. They have experience repairing and servicing humidifiers and dehumidifiers, and will be able to help you get yours back to working order. Here are some of the most common failures that occur with these appliances that you can have an HVAC service help you with.
Common humidifier problems
When your humidifier doesn’t operate at all, it’s possible that a very simple fix is required. Oftentimes the power cord on your humidifier has gone bad and needs replacement. This can be determined by seeing whether the power cord works in another outlet. If it doesn’t, your power cord may be the culprit, and an HVAC service in St Louis, MO can replace it for you. This will get your humidifier up and working again with little effort or expense. This can also happen with a dehumidifier.
If your humidifier is leaking, meanwhile, this is a sign that your connections are not properly secured. You should check all connections from your water supply to make sure they are tight and sealed correctly. If you have plastic connections or hoses, these can crack over time, and an HVAC service in St Louis, MO can help you replace them. Also, look for any areas where you might have a clog or a kinked hose, as this can also affect the flow of water to your humidifier.
Common dehumidifier problems
In a dehumidifier, when operation stops, it may mean you need to empty the collection tank. Since a dehumidifier pulls moisture out of the air, it needs an area to collect this water, and the tank is where it does so. When the tank gets full, your dehumidifier doesn’t have any more room to store water, so it stops operating. Just empty the tank and your dehumidifier should start running again. If it doesn’t, this may be a sign of a bigger problem, which an HVAC service in St Louis, MO can help you identify and solve.
Another common failure in a dehumidifier is when it has iced up. This can occur in a room that is too cold. If you notice your dehumidifier has iced up, stop running it, as this can burn up the compressor. Allow it to thaw before resuming operation. If it continues to ice up, the room you are using it in may be too cold for operation, and the heat needs to be adjusted to avoid the problem from happening again. The presence of ice can also indicate that the filter is clogged or the fan is not working correctly. Contact your HVAC service in St Louis, MO to have them look to determine the exact nature of any problem with your dehumidifier.
If you are having a problem with your humidifier or dehumidifier, don’t get discouraged—an HVAC service in St Louis, MO is there to help and can examine your equipment to see what the problem is. For repairs to your humidifier or dehumidifier, contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. We are experienced in all areas of HVAC repair, installation and maintenance and can get any component of your system up and running in no time.
