If your current plan for cooling your home involves a carefully coordinated system of portable air conditioning units and fans, you’re probably using a lot of energy to power a cooling solution that’s not very effective. With a central air conditioning system, you can effectively and efficiently control the climate in your home with the press of a button. You can even set up your thermostat to maximize the efficiency of your cooling and save energy at night or while you’re at work. Even though central air conditioning installation in St. Louis, MO does require an investment of time and money, it may be well worth it for the long-term comfort, efficiency and value of your home:
Air quality improvement: Window units and fans might offer some circulation and cooling benefits, but they do little to address the quality of your air. A central air conditioning system has filtration systems that are designed to remove bacteria, particles and allergens from your air before it’s circulated through your home. Improved air quality can benefit the health of you and your family. The airborne particles that tend to be circulated with portable AC units can cause allergy flare-ups, respiratory irritation and the contraction of illness.
Quiet operation: Central air conditioning units circulate cool air throughout your home, but the noisy condenser unit is located outside. Because of this, you don’t have to deal with the loud noises associated with the air conditioning process. Using portable air conditioning units elevates the noise level in your home, which can become annoying over time.
More comfortable climate: When the temperature outside rises, it can be challenging to maintain a cool climate indoors without a central air conditioning system. Sitting around in an overheated room is not an enjoyable way to spend the summer months, and it can make you feel like you can’t get comfortable in your own home. Central air conditioning installation in St. Louis, MO allows you to ensure that you will be able to precisely control your home’s climate and keep cool regardless of what the forecast throws your way.
More effective energy use: Heating and cooling make up the biggest share of the average household’s monthly energy consumption, and these costs can increase sharply when summer rolls around. Even though you might think that a central AC system will use more energy than fans or window units, you will be getting much more bang for your energy buck. While portable AC units may only offer relief in a single room, a central AC system can effectively circulate cool air through your entire home during the day.
You can begin enjoying all of the benefits of central air conditioning installation in St. Louis, MO just in time for summer when you contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. For nearly 20 years, our experienced team of expert technicians has delivered exceptional service to residents and businesses in and around St. Louis. We have built a reputation for delivering quality work and friendly service to each of the customers we’ve worked with. We would be happy to help you regardless of what your specific concerns may be—just contact us online or via phone for assistance!
With summer rapidly approaching, now is the best time to make sure your air conditioning unit is working properly so you don’t get stuck having to deal with the heat. If you’re guilty of slacking when it comes to your annual preventative maintenance, then you’ll want to check things out several months before you truly need to use the unit. After you’ve let your AC unit run for a bit, there are several signs to check for. If you notice your unit is doing any of these things, then it’s likely time to get an expert to your home for a new air conditioning installation in St. Louis, MO.
It’s Creating Excessive Moisture
While any AC unit will produce a decent amount of moisture, excessive fluids often mean there is a refrigerant leak in the system. Caused by natural wear and tear, leaks can be easily repaired if they aren’t too bad. However, if you have had a maintenance appointment recently, the leak may have gone past the point of no return. You’ll need to call an HVAC expert to access the situation.
It’s Not Making the Room Cooler
People tend to not notice an issue with their AC unit until it truly fails to make their home cooler, which in many cases can mean it’s too late for basic repairs. There are many possible causes of a non-functioning system. It can be something as simple as replacing the system’s filter to something as drastic as needing new ductwork or major leak repairs.
There’s an Increase in Energy Costs
When an AC unit isn’t properly maintained, it will often have to work harder in order to maintain its temperature settings. This can be caused by poor home insulation or a malfunctioning unit. If you notice an increase in your energy bills, it’s best to have a professional come take a look at your unit sooner rather than later. This could ultimately end up saving you hundreds of dollars a year.
It’s Creating Loud Noises
When an AC unit starts making loud noises that it wasn’t making before, this often means there’s a serious issue with the components of the system. If this isn’t addressed immediately, your AC unit will likely be destroyed and need to be replaced before the season is out. This noise is often due to a loose or detached part being ground by the system itself, which will eventually damage other parts of the unit.
It’s Giving Off a Burning Smell
If your AC unit is giving off any smell other than that of natural, clean air then there’s likely an issue. When a burning or smoky smell is being produced, then there’s likely an issue with the components of the system, and it should be looked at by a professional right away. This can often be experienced along with a system that’s making strange or loud noises.
If you find that your AC unit is experiencing any of these signs of excessive wear, then you should contact an HVAC professional immediately to discuss air conditioning installation in St. Louis, MO. Our experts at Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling can help you determine the necessary steps to get your system working properly and will have it up and running in no time. Give us a call today to schedule a visit!
Since it’s almost winter, thinking about buying and installing a new air conditioner may be the furthest thing from your mind. However, now may actually be the time to go out and buy a new unit! Since people are more focused on heating right now, many air conditioners are on sale. Once you purchase your new unit, you’ll have to figure out how to install it. After all, there’s no point in having a new AC if it’s not hooked up. But unless you’re an HVAC pro, installing a new AC can be a bit tricky. Inspect the following components if something seems to be wrong with your new air conditioner:
Ensure you bought the right unit: The first step in proper AC installation in St. Louis, MO is making sure that you buy the right-sized unit for your home. It might sound like a good idea to buy the largest unit on the market, but a big unit is just going to waste money if your house is too small. Speak to a professional before buying an air conditioner. An HVAC pro will recommend a unit based on the square footage the unit has to cool.
Check the ductwork: The ducts leading from your outdoor unit to your home need to be secure and intact. If not, that cool, refreshing air won’t get inside! Check the ducts for any holes or loose connections. If something’s amiss, call an HVAC repairman to fix the problem right away.
Check your filters: Your AC’s air filters have to be free and clear of any debris if your unit is going to function as it should. If your unit isn’t functioning the way it’s supposed to, double check to make sure the filters are intact and clean!
Check your cooling bills: Finally, one way to tell if your air conditioner has been installed correctly is to monitor your monthly electric bill. If your cooling costs are higher with your new unit than with your old, it may be installed incorrectly. Air conditioners that are improperly installed may be less energy efficient, which will raise your bill without cooling your home as well as they ought to.
The only way to truly ensure your air conditioner has been installed correctly is to hire the professionals at Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling to do the job. We have years of experience with AC installation in St. Louis, MO, so you can trust that we’ll install your unit correctly on the first attempt. From making sure you buy the right unit to hooking everything up properly, you can count on us to cool your home!
If you’ve made the mistake of installing an air conditioner by yourself and now have an issue with the unit, don’t worry! One of our HVAC technicians can come out to your home to properly install your unit quickly and easily. What’s even better is that we offer some of the lowest rates for installation in town. Get in touch today to schedule an appointment!
We hear this question a lot: Do portable air conditioners save more electricity—and thus, more money—than standard AC units? And the simple answer to that is, no!
There may be some benefits to portable AC units, but conserving electricity is not one of them.
So, why are standard AC units more efficient?
Portable air conditioner towers are standalone air conditioners that can be moved from room to room. They condense and cool air, and then pump their hot air through an exhaust tube that can be set up to blow out any window. Their main benefit is their convenience. But when it comes to energy efficiency, they’re nowhere near the level of a standard air conditioning installation in St. Louis, MO.
There are several reasons why this is so:
Standard units have higher energy efficiency requirements: The most important reason is that, while standard AC units––such as HVAC units located outside the home, and window units––are highly regulated and have stringent energy efficiency standards they must uphold, portable units are essentially not regulated at all. This means that unless you’re using the very top-of-the-line portable unit, your portable unit simply won’t be engineered well enough to compete with a standard unit in terms of energy efficiency. On average, they use worse parts––aluminum instead of copper tubing—and less efficient systems for cooling—cap-tube evaporator coils rather than expansion valves—and are not built to stand the tests of time and the elements like a standard unit.
Portable ACs do not have efficient heat exhaust: The portable unit’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Because it is indoors, you’re overly reliant on its exhaust setup to pump the hot air its motors make and then extract outdoors, and even then it is creating ambient heat while it cools. Standard units do all their work outdoors. The heat is separated from the cool air and then simply radiates into the air instead of into your house, making them more efficient.
Portable units create negative pressure: Whereas standard AC units circulate in cool air at the same rate they circulate out warm air––meaning there is no pressure added or removed from the rooms it works in––portable ACs create a negative pressure, which causes warm air to be pulled into your home from outside to fill the space left by the air your unit is venting outside. This greatly diminishes its energy efficiency.
Overall, the basic design of a portable system means it just can’t compete with standard AC units. They are only really useful if you live somewhere that’s almost always a habitable temperature and you’re only likely to need AC a few days a year. Otherwise, you’re better off with a standard AC setup.
Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling has been providing air conditioning installation in St. Louis, MO since 1999, and we can help you get the best AC solution for your house. We install and consult, so give us a call if you’re thinking about home cooling.
It is important for people to be able to cool off when they are hot. When you need to beat the heat, there are many ways you can go about doing so, including powering up your AC. An air conditioner will definitely keep you cool, but if you want to survive the summer, you’ll want to ensure you know the facts and avoid believing some of the many common myths related to air conditioning.
If you are planning for AC installation in St. Louis, MO this summer, here are a few myths you should know about first:
The bigger the air conditioner, the better: You might have heard that, the bigger the air conditioner, the better it will be at cooling your home and keeping you comfortable when the outside temperature is high. Air conditioners come in different sizes, and there is a particular size that will be perfect for your home. A unit of the right size will keep your home cool, but it won’t leave you with a ridiculously high energy bill every month.
Air filters should only be changed once a year: Your air filter is an important part of your AC unit. Many people believe that you are only supposed to change it once a year, but if you are expecting your unit to run efficiently, you will have to change it much more often. In fact, most air filters need to be changed every three months, if not every month. To avoid having a high energy bill and issues with airflow, you should change your air filter more frequently.
Regular maintenance isn’t necessary: After you first purchase your air conditioner, it can run efficiently for quite a while. You may be under the impression that as long as your unit isn’t making strange noises, emitting strange odors or failing to keep your home cool, maintenance isn’t necessary. Maintenance is actually going to help keep your AC in good working order, so instead of waiting for your unit to break down, you should be having a technician perform regular maintenance on the unit.
Lowering the thermostat will help cool your home: Although lowering the thermostat will help you avoid feeling hot while you are at home, you will also be increasing your energy bill. As most ACs are designed to run at one speed and cut off once they reach the desired temperature, when you set your thermostat too low, your unit will have to run longer. It won’t cool your home any faster, and it could cost you big, so just avoid excessively lowering your thermostat.
Being hot can make a person unhappy, uncomfortable and irritable. When you want to cool off, using an AC to do it is a wise option. You just want to make sure you don’t ignore the facts and believe the myths, because doing so can greatly affect your ability to keep cool on a hot day, and ultimately has a negative impact on your comfort and your wallet.
Do you want to speak to a professional about AC installation in St. Louis, MO? Contact the experts at Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today for assistance.
