Air Conditioning Tune Up

What can a low refrigerant charge cause?

A loss of refrigerant is one of the most common causes of a non operational HVAC system.

Even more, an under or over charged system is at risk of damaging some very expensive components, such as a compressor!  And if you have ever replaced a compressor before, you know they are not cheap!

Refrigerant loss can be caused by a number of things, but their is one thing that they all have in common…  A leak!

How & where do refrigerant leaks happen?

Refrigerant leaks can happen anywhere in the refrigerant circuit!

Some of the most common leaks a technician may run across are at the evaporator coil, condenser coil, joint’s of a line set or even the caps on the service valves of your equipment.

If you are low on refrigerant, the first thing you should check is if your system has caps on the service valves.

Simply walk out to your Condenser (outdoor unit)  and where the line set connects to the unit, verify the unit has caps.  If the unit does not have caps, put them on!

Another thing you can verify if you already have caps on the unit, is that the caps are either flared caps, if they are not flared, verify that they have gaskets and are tightly secured to the valves.

How does a technician find a leak?

Their are many ways a technician can go about finding a leak.

In today’s world, most technicians are equipped with electronic leak detectors, which are handy tools to have when trying to locate a leak.

  However, their are other ways to find a leak such a spray bubbles, a soapy water like liquid the forms bubbles when it comes into contact with a leak on a pressurized system.

Another form of leak detection can include UV dye that is injected into the refrigerant system, making it easier for the technician to spot.

Lastly, another one worth mentioning is simply sound!

On larger leaks a technician can pressurize the system with nitrogen and listen to see where the leak is coming from.

What should you do if you have a leak?

The answer is simple, repair it!

If you choose not to repair the leak, you could end up spending more money on refrigerant over the years then it would cost to simply repair the leak.

This is even more crucial to customers with R22 refrigerant systems.

As you may already no, after this year R-22 refrigerant will no longer be available.  The limited supply on the market currently is already costing consumers a ton of money!

Nonetheless, if you have a leak with any type of refrigerant, the statement still stands.

It is a much better solution to simply repair the leak, then continue to add refrigerant on a regular basis.

What kinds of electrical components are checked during an Air Conditioning Tune Up?

All of them!

You see, an HVAC system consists of two different kinds of voltages:  Line voltage (what powers the fan motors, compressor, etc.)  and Control voltage  (This voltage tells the system what it should be doing, controls safety’s and can power other things such as a thermostat, etc.)

It’s imperative that the Line voltage and Control voltage are correct.

If not, they can damage system components or prevent a system from operating.

With this said, your technician will comb through your system and verify that all components are functioning as intended by the manufacturer, have the correct voltage and are drawing the correct amperage.

What kind’s of electrical components are on an Air Conditioner?

Their are many!

Some of which are as follows:  A contactor, in many cases more then one type of capacitor, several different types of safeties, transformer, circuit board, relays, motors, compressor, etc.

If any one of these components is not functioning correctly, it can cause a ripple effect the prevents your system from running!

How does a technician check the electrical components of an AC?

Using their meter, they will verify that the correct voltage is where it should be, motors such as outdoor fans, blower motors and compressors are drawing the correct amperage and control voltages are traveling through the circuit as intended.

Another thing a technician should be doing is inspecting the wires for rubbing, as this can wear down wires over time and cause components to short to ground!

What kinds of coils are their?

In most cases, their are two different types of coils.

A condenser coil, which can be found on your outdoor unit (if you have a split system) and a evaporator coil, which can be found on your indoor unit (if you have a split system).

You could however, have a third coil if you have something like a dehumidifier in your home.

What maintenance is done to my coils during my air conditioning tune up?

Your technician will inspect both coils.

On every tune up we do, a complimentary condenser coil is included!

  Evaporator coils are also thoroughly inspected.

As long as you have the correct filtering system and change your filters regularly, you should not have to clean your evaporator coil nearly as often as you do your condenser.

However, your technician will let you know if it’s getting to be about time for an evaporator coil cleaning if one is needed!

What can a dirty coil cause?

Both a dirty evaporator coil or condenser coil can actually prevent a system from running, cause a system to run inefficiently or even cause damage to the HVAC system.

If you have a dirty condenser coil, it can cause a number of things, one of them we see very regularly is that the system will trip out on high pressure.

If you have a dirty evaporator coil it can  cause your system to freeze up due to the lack of air flow and even trip out on low pressure.

Both scenarios certainly have the potential to cause irreversible damage to components on your air conditioning system.

What is a Condensate Line?

Fulbro has a perfectly simple explanation:

“The line is an exit route for moisture collected by the evaporator coil as air passes over it. The coil removes humidity from the air and converts it into water.”

If you have a split system, this line will be found on your indoor system, connected to your evaporator coil.

Something worth mentioning is that here in North Texas, the average AC system removes about 20 gallons of water from the air inside your home or business every day.

So having a condensate line that is clogged, can potentially cause hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of water damage!

What is done to the condensate line during an air conditioning tune up?

The condensate line is inspected by your technician to verify that it is draining properly and then blown out to prevent the potential of clogging during the rest of the summer.

Biological growth is very common to build up in the condensate lines in North Texas, and it is very important to have your condensate line blown out once a year, or in some cases even more!

Does the thought of water damage scare you?

Well, their is something you can do about it!

You can have what is called an “emergency float system” installed on your HVAC system.

This will prevent the system from running and producing any more condensation, should your line ever become clogged.

If you don’t already have one, your technician will most likely mention this to you as they are really quite the life-saver here in our area.

What is Biological Growth?

Also known and bacterial growth, Abatement says:

“With sufficient moisture content in the accumulated dust, fungal spores germinate and grow. During the cooling season, condensation from cooling coils and water in the drain pans allow fungi and bacteria to proliferate.”

Simply put, with too much moisture in the air stream of your HVAC system, mold and other biological substances begin to grow.

Which if not caught early, can end up contaminating the entire air stream.

Including:  indoor units such as furnaces, coils and air handlers, plenums, duct work, registers and more.

What does a technician do in regards to biological growth during an air conditioning Tune Up?

It’s worth noting that in recent years, we have been seeing more and more biological growth inside the air stream of HVAC systems.

So, biological growth is certainly something that we take very seriously and always keep a watchful eye out for.

Your technician will examine certain points inside the air stream of your HVAC system and look for any potential biological growth.

If found, he will help educate your on what actions you have the option to take.

Is their anything that can be done to prevent biological growth?

Their definitely is!

Making sure that your condensate line is blown out regularly is a great start.

Other very important things to verify is that your air stream is completely sealed and insulated, eliminating the possibly of contact with hot or cold attic air.

Other preventative actions that can be taken are the installation of UV light systems in the air streams of HVAC systems.

We believe the best product on the market for this is the Reme Halo!

It does a whole lot more then just help prevent mold however.

They can help your keep your home smelling fresh, kill bacteria and viruses in your home and tons more.

They even advertise that it will kill the germs in your sneeze within three feet after leaving your nose.

If you’d like to find out more about this product and how to get one installed, we’d be glad to help!

Please put in a request for service or call us at 817-354-5822 and we’ll send out a technician!

What do we look at in regards to your duct work during your air conditioning tune up?

We do a number of things!  As mentioned above, we do a check for biological growth.  Secondly, we verify that all duct work is securely attached, insulated and properly sized.  We can also help identify solutions to the pesky hot or cold areas in your home!  It’s worth noting that an improperly designed duct work system can cost you big bucks on your utility bills and cause a lot of uncomfortable rooms and areas in a home or business…  So it makes sense to spend the money to have us do it correctly, if needed.  We also inspect zoning systems, to verify that the dampers are working correctly and allowing air to travel to the correct places.  When it comes to duct work, we pride ourselves in our work!

What can cause problems with duct work?

Many, many things can cause problems with the ducting in your home or business.  Some common issues we run across are crushed or unattached ducting from when previous companies have crawled across them, improperly sized duct, improperly designed plenums, under insulated or completely uninsulated  ducting and non-UV rated duct work that literally tears apart after even the slightest contact with outside light for any extended amount of time are all things that we see on a regular basis.