Author: acshvac

Short cycling is a term used in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) world to explain a situation where a furnace or air conditioner turns on and off too frequently. The “short cycle” is the period of time that your HVAC equipment is actually running, and the shorter this cycle, the harder your system needs to work.

Our team at ACS Air Conditioning Services wants you to understand the concept of short cycling, why it can be harmful and costly, what causes the problem, and what you can do about it.

Root Causes of Short Cycling

If you notice your HVAC system is kicking on and off more than normal, you may be facing a short-cycling issue in your Marana home. Before short cycling causes expensive damage, you’ll want to get to the root cause of the problem. Here are some common causes of short cycling:

• Incorrect unit size. If you have a furnace or air conditioner that is too large for your Arizona home, it will short cycle. Essentially, an oversized furnace or air conditioner repeats the cycle of heating or cooling an area quickly and then shutting down immediately over and over again. According to ENERGY STAR®, ensuring you have the correct-sized air conditioning system can minimize this problem as well as reduce your energy bills.
• Repair issue. If you recently had a bad storm that resulted in a power outage, this could cause short cycling. In addition, breaker problems, condensate switch issues, a corroded flame sensor, or objects stuck in your vents could also be a root cause. Contact our professional team to inspect your system to help you identify the cause.
• Maintenance issues. Homeowners who fail to regularly maintain their HVAC systems may cause short-cycling issues to arise. For example, a dirty air filter can restrict airflow, which may lead to short cycles. Regular cleaning and inspections can go a long way to prevent short cycling.
• Thermostat problems. If you’ve recently installed a new thermostat, be sure it’s in a location where you can get an accurate temperature reading. For instance, thermostats that are in direct sunlight or near heat-generating appliances or vents may misread your home’s actual temperature and signal your HVAC system to turn on and off incorrectly. A broken thermostat could also be the root cause of the problem.

Before You Notice

Today’s technology does have some built-in protection against HVAC short cycling. Similar to an overload trigger on an electrical motor, shut-off controls will often prevent catastrophic HVAC equipment failure. For instance, if temperatures or pressures exceed maximum preset ranges, these safety devices will kick in and shut down your HVAC system for a certain amount of time.

Whether you notice short cycling or your HVAC system shuts down due to this issue, it’s important to resolve the root causes for the long-term health of your heating and cooling system. Living with a system that short cycles can lead to poor temperature-, ventilation-, and humidity-management; a strain on electrical and lubrication systems; and energy wastage.

What You Can Do

The most important thing you can do to prevent short cycling is to regularly maintain your HVAC system with biannual inspections and cleanings. During this process, a trained technician can spot potential problems and correct them before you experience short-cycling problems.

You can also invest in technologies such as variable capacity furnaces and air conditioners, which will adjust the output of your equipment instead of simply shutting down. Look into dead-band settings on your thermostats as well. These allow you to specify an acceptable temperature band so your HVAC equipment cycles less frequently.

Contact Us for All Your Heating and Cooling Needs

For more details about short cycling, its causes, and how to prevent it, call our professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services in Marana, AZ. Our trained, experienced team can help you address short-cycling issues with repairs, maintenance, and new equipment suggestions. Call us at 520-230-5668 or request service online.

Once the cooler weather hits here in Tucson this fall, you are going to want the inside of your home toasty and comfortable. This means turning on your furnace. Long before the first night you’ll want to use it, you should have your furnace cleaned and checked by a professional from ACS Air Conditioning Services.

You may think this maintenance is unimportant and you can save money by forgoing it, but you would be mistaken. Here are five reasons you should call to schedule your appointment today.

1. It prevents unexpected and costly breakdowns.

When you schedule your furnace clean and check regularly on an annual basis, you are preventing breakdowns. By having one of our seasoned experts inspect and clean your system, he or she can spot any impending repairs or weaknesses. This alerts you so you can take care of the issue in a timely manner, circumventing middle-of-the-night emergencies when emergency services will cost you more.

2. It saves on monthly energy bills.

By having your furnace cleaned regularly, which includes replacing or cleaning your filter, your furnace can work more efficiently, saving you energy. Once it gets dirty, airflow becomes diminished and blocked. This causes your furnace to work harder, using more energy to do the same amount of work it normally does under easier conditions.

3. It keeps you and your family safe.

When your furnace is not inspected and cleaned before you use it every fall, you run the risk of missing a possible unsafe issue or repair. Sometimes something as dangerous as a cracked heat exchanger can occur.

According to the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), this can leak toxic carbon monoxide into your Arizona home’s air, and you may not be aware of it at the beginning stages of the problem. By then, dangerous levels of the poisonous gas could already be in your home. One of our professional and highly trained technicians can spot and address safety issues prior to them becoming unsafe.

4. It extends your furnace’s life span.

Your furnace is meant to run smoothly and efficiently, with an expected life span of 15 to 20 years (for gas furnaces). When you neglect its annual clean and check, the dirt and dust accumulated inside builds up and causes problems.

This in turn forces your system to work harder, wearing down its parts sooner. Keeping things running smoothly helps your furnace live a long and healthy life.

5. It keeps the warranty valid.

Your furnace most likely came with a manufacturer’s warranty. Many of these warranties specify that regular maintenance needs to be performed to keep the system in tip-top shape and to prevent unneeded repairs. By not scheduling these maintenance appointments, your chance of incurring repairs increases and may void your warranty.

Schedule Your Furnace Clean and Check Today

To ensure the best results for both your furnace and your pocketbook, be sure to schedule your annual furnace clean-and-check appointment before the cold weather hits here in Tucson, AZ. You want your furnace to start right up without issue. Call one of our ACS Air Conditioning Services team members at 520-230-5668 or request service online to make your appointment today.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters and the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield have a lot in common. They both can tout, “I don’t get no respect!” Most people do not realize how pivotal the HVAC air filter is to both their homes and their HVAC systems.

Respect Yourself, and Your Air Filter

Here in Arizona, you may think about your filter only when the seasons change, particularly transitioning from the warmer temperatures of summer to the cooler temps of fall, but filters need more attention than that all year long. Both our ACS Air Conditioning Services HVAC professionals and ENERGY STAR^® recommend replacing your filter as frequently as every month, but at the very least every three months. Here’s why.

1. Keeps Your Indoor Air Quality High

The purity of the air you breathe inside your home, your indoor air quality (IAQ), is not always high. By changing your filter on a monthly basis, you can improve it. Here are a couple worthwhile statistics to know.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Americans now spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors. And according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), our indoor air is two to five times as toxic as our outdoor air.

These indoor pollutants cause or can worsen allergies and respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, as well as other long-term conditions and diseases like heart disease and cancer. In other words, keeping the air you breathe in your Oro Valley home as clean as possible should be a priority. Change your HVAC filter monthly to help keep those toxic particles out of your lungs.

2. Increases the Efficiency of Your System

By changing your filter on a regular basis, you can help increase the efficiency of your HVAC system. A dirty filter is a common reason for breakdowns due to overworking furnaces and air conditioners.

With a clogged filter, the air can’t get through, causing the system and its motor to work harder and run longer. When everything has to work harder and longer than designed, it causes system stress and decreases your system’s efficiency. So keep it running smoothly with regular filter changes.

3. Saves You Money

Despite the argument that changing your filter on a monthly basis costs you more money, in actuality, regularly changing your filter can save you money. By giving your HVAC system clean filters, your system does not have to work as hard to heat or cool your Oro Valley home. Less stress on your system’s components extends their life making them less likely to need premature replacement.

4. Leaves a Green Footprint

Being a good steward of Mother Earth and all her resources is more important than ever. When your filter is dirty and causing your system to work harder—since it is stressed—using more energy. These days, HVAC systems are designed to run efficiently, in an eco-friendly manner, so you will be doing your part simply by changing your filter.

Call ACS Air Conditioning Services for All Your Air Filter Needs

Now it’s plain to see; so much of both your indoor air quality and your HVAC system’s health depend on a clean filter. This everyday item wields mighty power and certainly deserves more attention, and respect, than it usually receives.

Give your filter that attention by replacing it on a regular basis, and the dividends will outweigh the investment. If you have any concerns or questions about your HVAC system’s filter, speak to one of our ACS Air Conditioning Services HVAC specialists at 520-230-5668 or request service online today here in Oro Valley, AZ.

In many places, evidence of fall’s presence is obvious by way of beautiful fall colors. But many only experience fall with its subtlety through lower humidity levels.

No matter which way you experience it, one thing is evident in them all––fall brings drier air. The cooler air simply can’t hold as much moisture as warm air, resulting in the dry air. While it can make for crisp mornings for walking, the lack of moisture in the air can also take its toll on you, your home, and your overall comfort.

That’s why we at ACS Air Conditioning Services recommend a humidifier for your home, especially for the cooler months. It helps to maintain the necessary humidity in your Marana home, making everything, including you, run as it should.

Which Type of Humidifier?

There are several types of humidifiers out there, but essentially they boil down to either a whole-house humidifier or a portable humidifier. The whole-house humidifier attaches to your furnace and the fan blows across the humidifier pad, which is hooked up to a water supply, sending the moisture throughout your home via the ducts. This type of humidifier benefits your whole house at once.

A portable humidifier is exactly that. It’s a smaller humidifier that’s portable—you can put it exactly where you need it in a room. It benefits one area at a time. At ACS Air Conditioning Services, we prefer a whole-house humidifier as the benefits are more comprehensive at once. But we encourage you to call and speak with one of our professionals to assess which type would work best for you and your home.

Protecting Yourself

The ideal humidity level for a home is between 30 and 50 percent. When and if your Arizona home’s humidity drops below 30 percent, you’ll definitely have noticeable issues, especially when it comes to your body. It’s best to monitor your home’s humidity level to protect yourself.

Some of the most prevalent negative issues have to do with your breathing and skin. Lower humidity levels affect your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). With decreased indoor air quality, if you or anyone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma, you’ll notice more breathing problems. According to the Mayo Clinic, humidifiers may help ease breathing problems for those with allergies or asthma, especially children.

Also, though many people think the increase in spreading of germs and bacteria through the cooler weather is due to the lower temperatures, the cause is actually more-susceptible body membranes. Germs and bacteria actually spread less in cooler weather because there’s less moisture in the air in which for them to travel. But due to that same lack of moisture, the body’s membranes are drier and crack, thus making them more receptive to these alien body invaders.

With proper home air humidity, you’ll suffer less bouts of colds, flu, and viruses in general. Your skin will also be properly hydrated, resulting in less dry, cracked skin and the issues that can result.

Protecting Your Home

Just like your body, your home’s contents need protecting from the fall’s lower humidity. Your furniture, especially your wood furniture, needs a certain level of moisture to maintain its beauty and proper function.

With drier air, wood furniture will dry out and crack. You may notice your home’s woodwork and trim cracking or separating from your walls, ceilings, or floors. This could be due to lower humidity.

The same issue can affect your home’s systems and electronics. To run smoothly and properly, certain air conditions need to be met. Too dry of air can sometimes be as damaging as too moist of air.

Increasing Your Comfort

Along with protecting you and your home, humidifiers simply add to the overall comfort in your home. Humidifiers help you sleep better at night. Have you ever woken up with a nosebleed, dry throat, or a cough? These are all symptoms of dry air. The too-low humidity dries out your nasal passages while you’re sleeping, causing interruptions in your night’s sleep. Putting the humidity where it needs to be will allow you a comfortable night’s sleep, making your day that much better.

Another way a humidifier can increase your comfort at home is eliminating static electricity. Getting a small zap, known as electrostatic discharge (ESD), every time you touch something in your home can be unpleasant and annoying. But did you know it can also cause damage to your home’s electronics? Again, a home humidifier can take care of that uncomfortable issue as well.

Contact Us Today

Maintaining your home’s humidity is important for many reasons, especially as the weather shifts to cooler temperatures. While it definitely increases your home’s comfort, it has more far-reaching advantages—protecting both you and your home.  If you don’t currently have a humidifier in your home, or if you do and are still noticing any of the issues described above, call 520-230-5668 or request service online and speak with one of our ACS Air Conditioning Services professionals today. We want to help you make your Marana, AZ, home the best it can be.

The average air-source heat pump lasts approximately 15 years. But your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit’s life span is dependent on several factors, including its design and overall quality. However, there are many factors that you, as owner, directly control.

Pump It Up, Perfectly

Caring for your heat pump requires diligence, but is quite manageable if you get into the habit of it. Often, tasks are easier if you break them down into steps. So, from our experienced team at ACS Air Conditioning Services, here are five steps you can take to keep your heat pump in tip-top shape and help make it last even longer:

1. Change Your Air Filter

Changing your heat pump’s air filter is key to its long life. Filters help provide cleaner air for you to breathe in your Tucson home. They also protect your heat pump’s equipment from dust.

If a filter gets too dirty, it does more harm than good. With more and more built-up debris, your filter hinders air from passing through the way it should. A dirty filter means your heat pump will work harder and longer to reach the desired temperature, or it may even short cycle. Either way, it is definitely hard on your heat pump’s internal components.

Both ACS Air Conditioning Services and ENERGY STAR^® recommend changing your filter every three months—even more frequently if you have pets or a smoker in your Arizona home—but double check your manufacturer’s guidelines.

Additionally, it is a good idea to habitually check your filter. If it looks like it needs to be changed, it probably does.

2. Keep Your Outdoor Unit Clean

The cleanliness of the area around the outdoor components of your heat pump is often overlooked. Remove sticks, leaves, and excess dirt from your outdoor box. Trim any shrubbery or vines growing near it.

During cold weather, snow and ice can be the enemy of your unit. Be conscious of the outside component’s appearance during wintertime. If it becomes ridden with snow or ice, power your unit down. Then pour warm water over it, and clean off the remaining frozen buildup.

3. Have Your Ducts Cleaned

Dust, debris, and even mold can settle in your Tucson home’s ductwork over time. This can have negative effects on your indoor air quality (IAQ). In addition, it is rough on your system’s components.

To ensure proper airflow and clean air, you should have your ducts professionally cleaned periodically. As a result, your system’s internal parts will be less likely to develop residue and more likely to last longer.

4. Schedule Routine Maintenance

What is the best way to prevent system breakdowns? Maintenance, of course.

By scheduling professional preventative maintenance at least once every year, you will ensure your system is running at peak performance. During the visit, our ACS Air Conditioning Services licensed professional can quickly diagnose and treat potential problems. Any faulty parts, loose screws, or dirty components can quickly be remedied.

5. Have Repairs Performed by a Licensed Professional

If your heat pump needs to be repaired, have it done by one of our highly trained and experienced pros. While an under-qualified technician may tempt you with dirt-cheap prices, it is best to have a knowledgeable professional take care of the repair.

Many factors in the repair, if wrongly executed, can void your heat pump system’s warranty and lead to future problems. So you should always trust one of our team member’s expertise to address your issue.

We Are Your Heat Pump Experts!

ACS Air Conditioning Services is a team of fully licensed professionals. We go above and beyond to protect the condition of your heating equipment. For any questions or to schedule service, call our Tucson, AZ, office at 520-230-5668 or request service online today.

Aside from the professionals, like ours at ACS Air Conditioning Services, who really thinks about air conditioners and their components? Air conditioners keep your Oro Valley, AZ, home or business cool and comfy when the outside temperatures are high, and that’s all you really need to know, right?

Well, air conditioners do so much more than just cool, like dehumidify your home or business and help keep your inside air cleaner. Understanding a bit of its basic components and how they work can help you identify a problem or malfunction when it occurs.

Air Conditioner Overview

As already mentioned, your air conditioner does more than just cool. It dehumidifies by reducing the volume of humid air, thereby taking a portion of its moisture. That’s the reason for pans and drains with air conditioners.

Your air conditioner also aids in cleaning the air by removing allergen and debris particles from the airflow where they attach to the filter. But the largest purpose of your air conditioner is to remove the heat from your inside air and cool it, providing the maximum indoor comfort.

Looking at this side of your air conditioner, most conventional central air conditioners have a hot side, which is located outside, and a cool side, located inside. Since these air conditioners have both outdoor and indoor components, many times you’ll see your air conditioner referred to as a split-system air conditioner.

In the very basest of explanations, here’s how your air conditioner works. Air conditioners transfer heat to the outside, extracting it from the inside air. The compressed gas refrigerant in the system (you probably know DuPont’s Freon® refrigerant) absorbs the excess heat before it’s pumped through the piping in a closed system to an outside coil.

A fan blows air over the hot coil, transferring the absorbed heat in the refrigerant to the outdoor air. Since the inside heat has been removed, the indoor air is now cool. As a result, the refrigerant is recooled and condensed here, then sent back to circulate through the system to begin the process again.

There are many complex and smaller transactions throughout your air conditioning system, but this gives you an overview on how your system works.

On a side note, be sure to stay up to date on the phaseout of R-22 refrigerant by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States by 2020. Call and talk with one of our ACS Air Conditioning Services team members to see how it affects you.

Air Conditioner Components

An air conditioner is made up of many components, but the major parts doing the heavy lifting of moving the air indoors and outdoors are the evaporator, condenser, expansion valve, and compressor. Keep in mind they’re each either located outside (the hot side) or inside (the cool side).

Evaporator

The evaporator is located on the cool side. Its main function is to receive the liquid refrigerant. It’s paired with a fan blowing air over the chilled coils into your home. After it receives the liquid refrigerant, it converts it to gas through a drop in pressure.

Condenser

The condenser is located on the hot side. Its main function is to facilitate heat transfer. Resembling a car’s radiator in looks, it actually works the opposite of the evaporator by converting the evaporated refrigerant back into a liquid. This process is called a heat transfer, working on the principle that heat will always move from a warmer to a cooler substance.

Expansion Valve

The expansion valve is located between the evaporator and condenser coils. Its main function is to regulate the refrigerant flow into the evaporator. It removes pressure from the liquid refrigerant allowing the conversion into gas to occur in the evaporator.

Compressor

The compressor is located on the hot side. Its main function is to pressurize refrigerant. The compressor is a large electric pump repressurizing the refrigerant gas to convert it back into liquid. It assists the condenser, while the expansion valve assists the evaporator.

Call Us for Your Air Conditioning Needs

While there are additional fans, valves, sensors, and other components to your air conditioner, these four components are fundamentally the main components. Call ACS Air Conditioning Services at 520-230-5668 or request service online if you think you need service or replacement on one or more of them. Or one of our certified experts is happy to discuss the roles of these components in more detail with you any time you have a question.

Your air conditioner (AC) can do several things––keep your Arizona home’s indoor air cooler than outdoor temperatures, help to keep indoor airborne allergens at bay, and help keep your home’s humidity low. But one thing it can’t do is kill mold.

It can help prevent mold, but once it exists, your air conditioner can’t kill it. If you find mold exists somewhere in your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, particularly in your air conditioner or ductwork, call ACS Air Conditioning Services for assistance. We can guide you on ridding your home of the mold and help maintain your HVAC system to prevent the mold from recurring.

How Does Mold Occur?

Mold needs a damp, humid environment to breed. That means water is part of mold’s equation. Remove the water, and mold can’t live. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mold already exists in all homes, even in your Marana home. But in most cases, it exists on such a small scale that it’s not noticeable or a health risk. It’s when that damp, humid environment is introduced that mold grows.

This mold-ideal environment can be introduced because of an unknown or ignored leak somewhere in your home or high humidity. Air with over 70 percent humidity is a definite breeding ground for mold. Once the mold begins to grow, the spores can travel through your home’s air causing allergen issues. A small leak in your HVAC system or ignored air conditioner drains and pans, evaporator coils, or air handlers could very well be an origin of mold.

How Can My Air Conditioner Prevent Mold?

As already mentioned, mold thrives in damp, humid environments. Your air conditioner is designed to help dehumidify your home, removing excess moisture and preventing mold’s growth. So keeping your air conditioner running in humid weather and situations is a proactive step to take.

Mold also likes stale air. Running your air conditioner provides proper ventilation and airflow in your home, thereby preventing mold’s growth again. If you decide to leave your home during high temperatures or high humidity for more than a few days, it’s advisable to leave your air conditioner running with the fan set to ON, though you may be tempted to save a little energy and turn it off. The tradeoff in mold prevention in your home is well worth the amount of energy you would have saved.

What Do I Do If I Spot Mold?

Even if you take the proper precautions against mold in your home, you may still come across it, maybe on your air conditioner itself. What should you do?

There are times you can clean mold yourself, when there’s only a small amount. But sometimes you need a professional, as mold spores can be a health risk. It’s not uncommon for HVAC air handlers, evaporator coils, and condensation pans to have mold. A professional, like ours at ACS Air Conditioning Services, can take care of that mold during a regular air conditioner maintenance visit and explain how to avoid its recurrence.

Call ACS Air Conditioning Services Today

Call and speak to one of our certified experts at 520-230-5668 with any questions you may have or request service online. We are here in Marana, AZ, to help you with all your air conditioning needs whether you need a repair, replacement, or maintenance. Our professionals are highly trained and experienced to address whatever issue you may have.

Homeowners generally favor heat pumps for their efficiency. However, a number of common issues can cause them to run very inefficiently. When your unit turns on and off continuously, this can significantly drive up your energy bill and damage its parts.

No One Likes Short Short

The continuous on-and-off phenomenon is known as short cycling. When a heat pump short cycles, it is having trouble heating or cooling your Tucson home. The unit can’t maintain the set temperature, so it restarts over and over again.

Here are four reasons this might be happening to your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and what you should do:

1. Air Filter Clog

Whenever your heat pump has a problem, always check your air filter first. Over time, dust and debris form on your filter. When the filter is unchanged, this restricts airflow, which means your system will not circulate the right amount of air to heat or cool your Arizona home. Short cycling can result.

You should replace or clean your air filter, depending on whether it is disposable or reusable. To prevent future clogs, be sure to do this on a regular basis per your heat pump manufacturer’s recommendations.

2. Thermostat Error

Your thermostat could be giving your system an inaccurate reading. This might be due to your thermostat’s placement. If situated near a vent or window, it is likely to produce a misleading temperature scan that can cause short cycling.

Another possibility is faulty wiring between your thermostat and heat pump. In either case, you should have one of our highly trained ACS Air Conditioning Services professionals assess the situation for you.

3. Leaky Refrigerant

During hot weather, your heat pump’s refrigerant absorbs heat from inside your home and sends it outside. During cold weather, the process is reversed. If you have a refrigerant leak, your system is going to have trouble with the heat transfer. Consequently, it will come up short in trying to complete a cycle.

If you notice any icing on your outdoor unit, this could indicate a refrigerant leak. In this case, be sure to seek help from one of our experienced experts.

4. Oversized Unit

This is perhaps the most serious problem, as improper sizing may call for replacement. It is why our experts at ACS Air Conditioning Services always perform the proper calculations, such as the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual J load calculation, before any HVAC installation.

According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), accurate load calculations have a direct impact on energy efficiency, occupant comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ), and building durability.

If you have an oversized unit, it will heat or cool the area quickly, prematurely detect it has reached the target temperature, then shut off. Then the cycle will repeat. To be sure your system is the right size, you need to have a trained professional from ACS Air Conditioning Services perform Manual J testing in your home.

Call Us for All Your Heat Pump Needs

If you have any heat pump questions or want short cycling explained in more detail, please don’t hesitate to call ACS Air Conditioning Services here in Tucson, AZ, at 520-230-5668. Or call or request service online today if you think you need a repair.

Heat pumps can be expected to make some noise. Unusually loud noises point to a problem in the brewing. If your system is reaching decibels impossible to ignore, you should turn it off to prevent further damage.

Give ACS Air Conditioning Services here in Oro Valley a call to schedule a repair visit. We will be able to quickly identify the issue and give you a fair and honest quote.

When Things Go Bump in the Night or Day

Because we like to help educate our customers, here are five heat pump noises to keep an ear out for:

1. “Bam! Bam! Bam!”––Metal Rapidly Hitting Metal

If you hear a metallic clang repeating in a cycle, there is probably something going on with your fan. What you are hearing is the sound of the blades hitting another hard object. Immediately turn off your heat pump’s power if you believe this to be the case.

Under this type of stress, the fan will become bent or chipped. Once the machine is off, inspect the inside for any foreign objects, then give one of our experienced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals a call to fix your fan if necessary.

2. “Sssss . . . ”––Hissing

There is really not much chance a snake with unlimited lung power has inhabited your heat pump. So the more likely possibility is you have a refrigerant leak.

You are hearing the sound of gas escaping. In this instance, you should contact one of our trained professionals to repair the leak and replenish the refrigerant supply.

If the sound is related to your refrigerant, keep in mind the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated regulations about the use of R-22 refrigerant. Speak to one of our knowledgeable team members about which refrigerant your heat pump uses and how the regulations relate.

3. “Reeeeeee . . . ”––Screeching/Squealing

If you hear high-pitched screeching or squealing, there is a good likelihood the motor is having trouble. When your motor’s bearings become dirty, shrill noises can result.

You should schedule routine maintenance to help prevent this from happening in the first place. If the issue is not related to the bearings, it may be the motor itself giving out. Either way, our ACS Air Conditioning Services HVAC pros are always on hand to inspect things.

4. “Hmmmm . . . ”––Loud, Low-Pitched Droning

A low-pitched hum is usually benign, unless it is significantly louder than usual. You could think of this uptick in sound as the heat pump grumbling with hunger.

It likely needs its oil refilled, its refrigerant refilled, or quite possibly a new compressor. You might be tempted to fix it yourself. However, keep your distance, and let one of our experienced professionals handle things.

5. “Clink! Clank!”––Rattling

This sound can be particularly annoying. It usually indicates a loose, detached, or poorly balanced part.

This could be a motor mount that has become unfastened. Or it could be your fan is poorly aligned and now rattling against another component in the heat pump. Yet another possibility is worn-down compressor bearings.

One of our HVAC professionals can remedy all of these problems through a quick tune-up or, if necessary, a part replacement.

ACS Air Conditioning Services Is Your Heat Pump Expert

Restore the peace in your Oro Valley, AZ, home now! Our highly trained and experienced professionals are just a phone call away at 520-230-5668 or request service online instead. In addition to heat pump repair, we offer installations, replacements, and seasonal maintenance. Get in touch with ACS Air Conditioning Services today.

It’s the first really hot day of summer when open windows, sun-blocking shades, and the ceiling fans just can’t cut it anymore. You resign yourself to finally turning on your air conditioner (AC)—only to find it blowing warm air, making funny noises, or simply not cooperating at all. It’s a scenario we all dread, and one that our professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services want to prevent.

If you are a homeowner in Marana, you will want to understand the top causes of air conditioner failures and what to do to prevent or address them.

Bad Circuit Breaker or Fuse

One common cause of air conditioner failure is a faulty circuit breaker or fuse. Although some customers may be comfortable changing a fuse or blown breaker on their own, it can be somewhat dangerous because you are working with your electrical system. Be sure you have clear, complete, and reliable instructions on what to do, be sure your system is completely cooled down, and ensure your electricity is turned off.

You can also contact one of our professional heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) specialists to handle the problem for you. A trained technician may be able to inspect related problems, such as a tripped high-pressure limit switch, and repair those items during the same service call.

Leaking Refrigerant

Most air conditioners require toxic refrigerants to operate properly. And while this refrigerant is contained and perfectly safe in a well-running air conditioning system, a refrigerant leak can be a significant problem.

Not only will a leak affect your air conditioning system’s performance, but it is also bad for our Arizona environment. Our highly trained and knowledgeable technicians can help find and repair the refrigerant leak as well as recharge your air conditioning system so it’s working properly once again.

Frozen Evaporator Coil

It’s always a bit disconcerting if you notice frost and ice building up on your air conditioner evaporator coils. Even if you are not an HVAC professional, you probably realize that’s a problem.

One way to fight against freeze-ups is to ensure your air filter and ductwork are clean. Good air circulation is key to keeping frost off your coils and keeping your air conditioner functioning well. Another possibility is your system is low on refrigerant, causing your system to much work harder to keep your home cool. If changing your air filter does not thaw your system, call one of our professionals to diagnose the cause.

Worn-Out Parts

Time and wear-and-tear will slowly affect the performance of your air conditioner. If your system is several years old, it may be more critical to arrange for a professional inspection on integral components of your air conditioner. Parts like your compressor and fan blades as well as electrical connections can malfunction due to regular use. If a trained technician can replace worn-out parts before they actually fail, you may be saved an emergency repair call.

Damage Resulting From Poor Maintenance

If you have been neglecting regular maintenance on your air conditioner by skipping its annual inspection and cleaning, you may void your air conditioner unit’s manufacturer warranty and be shortening its lifespan. According to the US Department of Energy (DoE), the most important maintenance item is changing your air filter regularly.

Damage can result from failing to do so or from something as simple as allowing plant growth to block your outdoor condenser unit. Take the time to care for your air conditioner on a regular basis, and have a professional come out to check and clean your air conditioner once a year.

Bad Thermostat

In some cases, your air conditioner may not be at fault for poor performance. If your thermostat is not operating properly, it is not providing the information your air conditioning system requires to turn on or off correctly. This may mean your air conditioner fails to work or cycles too frequently, which can be damaging to your unit in the long run.

If you are in the market to replace your thermostat, take some time to explore the different options. Many affordable options can help you reduce your energy bill by adjusting automatically, and some can be controlled remotely through your smartphone.

Call Us for Your Air Conditioning Needs

If you require more than a very basic air conditioner repair or prefer not to address any air conditioning problem on your own, you can always turn to our professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services here in Marana, AZ.

Our trained and experienced experts are familiar with various makes and models of air conditioners and can help you service and maintain them to keep your home cool all summer. We are also here if you are thinking of replacing your current system and are always available to discuss it with you. Call us at 520-230-5668 or request service online today.