The wrong size AC can lead to higher energy bills, inadequate cooling and even system damage. Understanding how AC sizing works along with other factors will help you purchase the best AC unit for your home. 1. Consider the Size of Your Home The square footage of a house impacts how well an AC system works. To properly cool a home, you need an air conditioner with enough BTUs (British Thermal Units) to cover the square footage. Generally, the larger the area, the more BTUs you will need. Consult an HVAC professional to help you figure out how many BTUs you need to cool your space. 2. Consider the Climate When considering the climate where you live, it is important to take note of the various environmental factors that affect cooling efficiency. Temperature, humidity, and air circulation all play a role in determining how well an AC unit will perform. In addition to these factors, you should also consider the type of insulation you have along with the size and placement of windows. These elements can impact how efficient your AC will be at cooling your home. 3. Consider the Type of Unit There are different types of AC systems...
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Coils are one of the most essential components of an HVAC system. They provide critical functions, such as cooling and heating, transferring heat energy from one place to another, and controlling air pressure. As such, it is important to keep your coils clean to ensure the best performance from your system. Here are some of the reasons why coil cleaning is so important. Improved Air Quality Dirty coils can restrict air flow, leading to poor indoor air quality and increased dirt and dust particles in the air. All this debris in the air can cause allergies, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses. Clean coils allow for proper air filtration, improving indoor air quality and reducing the risk of respiratory illnesses. Increased Efficiency Dirty coils are less efficient at transferring heat, meaning they require more energy to function properly. This translates into increased energy costs and decreased efficiency of the entire system. Clean coils allow for better heat transfer, improving system efficiency and reducing energy costs. Better Performance Dirty coils can cause a decrease in the performance of the HVAC system, including slower heating and cooling cycles, increased noise levels, and reduced air pressure. Clean coils can help to increase system performance,...
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Your furnace is one of the most parts of your home, but it can be prone to problems if you don’t take proper care of it. A dirty air filter can cause many issues with your furnace, from poor performance to costly repairs. Here’s what you can do about it. 1. Reduced Furnace Performance A dirty air filter reduces the amount of air that can pass through the filter, impacting your furnace’s performance. This reduction in airflow causes your furnace to work harder than usual to keep up with the demand for warm air within your home. As a result, it will have shorter cycles, run more frequently and use more energy than usual. Not only does this reduce its efficiency, but it can also cause unnecessary wear and tear on the components of your furnace. 2. Safety Concerns A dirty air filter is also a safety hazard because it restricts airflow so much that combustion gases cannot vent properly from the system. This increases pressure within the unit and may cause carbon monoxide (CO) buildup in your home. Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that can cause serious health risks if inhaled in large quantities. Installing CO detectors in...
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While wintertime can bring a nice break from the scorching hot summertime weather, it can also bring along with it some nasty dry skin. This is due to the fact that cold air is naturally low in humidity and will pull moisture out of the human body. Fortunately, you can banish your wintertime dry skin by installing a home humidification system. How Does a Home Humidifier Work? A home humidifier works to introduce humidity into the air inside your home. These systems come with the convenience of being able to set a desired relative humidity level for the inside of your home, and your system will work to reach that level. Most experts recommend setting your indoor humidity level between 40% and 60%. How Will This Reduce Your Dry Skin? When the weather is cold, the air will extract moisture from any source that it can find. One of the most common is your body since the human body is made up of 60% water. When you have a home humidifier installed, it will introduce moisture into the air, so the air won’t naturally try to get extra moisture from other sources, like your body. When the air inside your...
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The weather in Ingram, Kerrville, and the surrounding areas can get cold, and the last thing you want to deal with during the cold season is a faulty water heater. Read on to learn some easy ways to prolong the lifespan of your water heater. Keep It in Check Your water heater will serve you longer when you keep it properly maintained. It’s advisable to get the tank regularly inspected for breaks and leaks. For on-demand heaters, get the components checked and any underlying issues resolved immediately. Ensure the heating element, burner, and thermostat stay in functional condition. Stop Overheating Your Water Heater Overheating your water heater often shortens its lifespan. If you have a chronic habit of letting your water heater overheat, it will lose its ability to withstand high temperatures over time. Keeping the heater temperatures above 120 degrees will affect its performance and may even cause untimely failure. Change the Filters Often Changing the heater filters regularly eliminates harmful sediments that could accumulate in the tank and the pipes, leading to corrosion. Changing the filter also prevents rust damage and elongates the useful life of the water heater. At Trade-Mark Air Conditioning, we offer water heater repair...
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Getting a new HVAC system installed in your Ingram, TX home is a big deal. It’s also a major investment in your home’s comfort and overall value. Homeowners worry that they’ll damage a new system if they don’t get it off to the perfect start in their home. To put your mind at ease, here are the facts about HVAC break-in periods. What Happens After an HVAC Installation? On the day of your HVAC installation, one of our expert technicians will arrive at your home with everything they need to complete the job. They’ll begin by removing your existing system if you have one. Then, they’ll prepare the installation areas both inside and outside your home. After that, they’ll install your new HVAC system. When your new HVAC system is all set up, our technician will run it through a series of tests to make certain everything’s in working order. After that, you can turn on your HVAC system and use it as much or as little as you wish. So, There’s No HVAC Break-in Period? There’s no special procedure you’ll need to follow and no break-in period to worry about. Modern HVAC systems arrive at your home ready for...
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A noisy furnace can be a real nuisance. Not only is it a source of constant background noise, but it can also be disruptive when it kicks on and off throughout the day. If you’re looking for ways to make your furnace quieter, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll share three easy tips to help reduce the noise from your furnace. 1. Ensure Your Furnace Is Properly Maintained A well-maintained furnace will not only operate more efficiently, but it will also produce less noise. It would be best to have your furnace regularly serviced by a qualified technician. This will help to ensure that all the moving parts are well-lubricated and are working properly. This simple step allows you to keep your furnace running quietly and efficiently for years. 2. Regularly Replace Your Furnace’s Air Filter A new air filter will help remove dust and other particles from the air, reducing the amount of noise your furnace makes when circulating the air. In addition, a new air filter will also help improve your furnace’s efficiency, which can save you money on your energy bills. It is essential to regularly check your furnace’s air filter and...
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Heat pumps are an efficient option for heating your home throughout the year. They are popular because they combine the functions of an air conditioner and a heater. Like other systems, heat pumps experience various issues, one being water leakages. The following are common reasons why your heat pump is leaking water. 1. Drainage Issues Heat pumps contain a pan to hold normal condensation before it flows through a drain line. If the drain line is blocked or the overflow pan is not balanced, your heat pump may leak water. Our technicians can unclog the line or align the pan to prevent leaks. 2. Dirty Coils Your heat pump’s cold evaporator coil collects condensation and channels it into a pan that takes it to a drain. If your coil is dirty, it may become faulty and result in water leaks. Scheduling regular maintenance with us to clean various heat pump components is a great way to prevent leaks caused by dirty coils. 3. Frozen Coils Besides dirty coils, frozen coils can also cause leaks. Ice formation often occurs when low refrigerant levels in the heat pump disrupt the cooling process. Keeping your unit filled at an appropriate level of refrigerant...
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Air conditioners are great to have in Texas since our summers can be pretty brutal. We would all prefer it if our air conditioners could work efficiently. One factor that affects their efficiency is your home’s layout. So, how does ceiling height affect their cooling abilities? More Cubic Feet A high ceiling is usually seen as desirable since it can make a home feel more spacious. However, it does increase the amount of air you’ll have to cool, and it necessitates the need for a larger air conditioner. Typically, people use a basic formula that tells them what size of air conditioner would be ideal for a certain amount of square footage. If you have a high ceiling, you’ll also need to take your ceiling height into account. If you don’t, your air conditioner will have to work harder than it’s been designed to, and it may break down prematurely. Hot Air Rises Those of us with two-story homes know all too well how hot air rises. In a room with high clearance, hot air can get trapped in the ceiling. To keep hot air from accumulating up there, consider using a ceiling fan. The fan will keep the air...
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Ducts form part of your HVAC system and help you enjoy a warming or cooling breeze in every room. When they are not working as they should, you should consider replacing them. At Trade-Mark Air Conditioning, we advise our clients in Ingram, TX to consider duct replacement after several years or when moving into an old house. From our years of working on HVAC systems, our technicians have found the following benefits to replacing old ducts. Improved Air Quality Old ducts usually allow dust particles into the system, thus making the air quality worsen. Even if we seal any tears, some dirt may still remain in the air passage, and the air will not be as clean as it should be. However, when we perform replacements, you get new ducts with no existing dirt, and you can rest assured that you will breathe fresh air free of dust and allergens. Lower Bills Torn ducts usually allow in external air that reduces the impact of your air conditioning or heating. Therefore, the system uses more energy than usual to give you enough heat or cooling in your home. This increased usage automatically leads to higher utility bills. We advocate installing new...
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