We strongly recommend to all of our clients with failing heating systems that they consider replacing them now, in the fall. Temperatures here in Georgetown, TX are still pretty warm, which means you won’t have need of a heater for a while and can plan the installation according to your schedule, instead of having to rush ahead of a cold front or similar emergency. But is your heater truly ready to be replaced, or would it be more worthwhile to keep it for another season or two before installing a new one? Specifics vary and you’ll need to make the final determination yourself but here are 3 reasons to replace your heater now that you should consider.
Ten years is more of a guideline than a hard rule. Your individual warranty may vary and if you’ve kept your system serviced at least once a year it may last for many years beyond that. But once it passes the warranty, you need to keep an eye out for signs of trouble. When they appear, that’s probably a good point to talk seriously about replacement.
Monthly energy bills are a good way to gauge your system’s efficiency, and an older heater with a lot of wear and tear is apt to cost you more every month without any noticeable difference in heating ability. If your monthly budget is feeling the pinch, then an investment in a new system may be called for.
“Too much” is a matter of opinion of course. It could mean a large number of repairs occurring in a short period of time, or it could mean a single repair that costs more than the unit is worth. Either way, replacing it is the best way to stop throwing good money after bad.
If you’d like to replace your heater now, call Intelligent Air, Inc. today!
Fall has arrived in Austin, TX, which makes it an ideal time to consider replacing an outdated heating and cooling system. Temperatures are apt to be fairly mild for the next few weeks, giving you an excellent window to put an older system out to pasture and consider something new. If you’re looking at installing a new HVAC system for your home, consider the benefits of geothermal heating and cooling. This innovative technology draws upon the infinitely renewable energy of the earth itself, providing inexpensive and environmentally-friendly temperature control for your entire household. How does a geothermal system work? We’ve provided a brief outline below.
Once you descend more than a few feet beneath the earth’s crust, the temperature remains the same no matter what the weather is like outside. A geothermal system simply taps into that potential. Coiled tubes are buried underneath the ground well below the frost line, and a mixture of water and antifreeze is pumped through it. They facilitate heat exchange between the earth and the liquid: warming it in the winter and cooling it in the summer. The liquid is then passed back into your home where the temperature change is transferred to the air.
Geothermal systems cost more to install than traditional systems and usually require a sizable piece of property. In exchange for that, however, they cost very little to run. Since the energy they draw upon is infinitely renewable, it reduces the monthly energy bill by a great deal, as well as remaining extremely environmentally friendly. And because the loops are below ground and out of the elements, they rarely require repair or wear out. Over time, they could save you a huge amount of energy costs.
Intelligent Air Services handles geothermal installation and repair services of all varieties!
Thermostats are built to last and chances are yours has been doing the job reliably for many years. But even if there’s nothing wrong with it, you might want to consider an upgrade to a more modern version, especially if your current one is more than ten years old. Technology has advanced with thermostats just like everything else, and modern thermostats offer features that you wouldn’t have believed possible just a few years ago. That’s a big deal here in Austin, TX, where the heat and humidity can be overwhelming at times. Here’s a brief list of three of the most exciting thermostat features:
1. Learning Features
New thermostats come equipped with “smart” programming that allows them to analyze the heating and cooling habits in a home and automatically adjust the system to match them. That means you no longer have to worry about programming and reprogramming your thermostat. It also saves you money in improved efficiency and can still be altered when you need it to. The same programming can also remind you when you need to schedule a maintenance session, and monitor the internal circuits for signs of trouble.
2. Remote Activation
With more and more of our lives being run through our phones these days, it’s only natural that your thermostat should go the same way. New models tap into your house’s Wi-Fi signal to give you access from any corner of the globe: letting you program it or turn it on or off no matter where you are.
3. Environmental Monitoring
The weather is always changing and so too are the conditions in your home. Modern thermostats have the tools to deal with that: measuring outside conditions as well as factors like humidity inside your home and adjusting your indoor temperature to match.
Intelligent Air Services can install and repair thermostats throughout the Austin area, so call us today!
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of the summer season for air conditioning, and while we likely have a few more steamy weeks here in Austin, TX, the temperatures will start dropping before you know it. For most people, that means simply turning off their AC and forgetting about it until the spring, which could be a big mistake. If you can get your air conditioner ready for the off-season, and then maintain it periodically throughout the winter, you can reduce the risk of repairs and help your system retain its efficiency for a long time to come. Here’s how.
When it’s clear that the air conditioning season is well and truly done, schedule a servicing session with a trained technician. He or she can assess the wear and tear caused over the summer and make a lot of little adjustments to help correct it: tightening loose bolts, recharging refrigerant, cleaning dirty filters, and the like. He or she will also check for signs of more serious problems, and if necessary, schedule a specific repair to treat them. Your system will be able to do its job without using quite as much energy when you fire it up, and you’ll have a chance to fix significant issues while they’re still small and manageable.
Once your servicing session is done, the next step is to periodically check on your air conditioner, particularly the outside unit. Weeds, leaves, and other detritus can clog up the vents if they build up around the unit, and in some cases might even slip through the vents and get caught up in the internal mechanisms. Wet weather can also lead to ice on the system, which can be severely damaging. Keep your air conditioner dry, or purchase a weather-proof cover for it during the off-season. (Just remember to remove it if you need to use the AC for any reason.)
Intelligent Air Services provides air conditioning maintenance and repairs in Dripping Springs and the surrounding areas. Call us today!
UV air purifiers sound like something out of a science-fiction movie: using invisible light to kill germs as they attempt to invade your home. That’s no small consideration in Austin, TX, where high humidity levels create a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. UV air purifiers help improve your indoor air quality, as well as reducing the risk of illness and infection in your home. (This is of special concern to households that have just brought home a new baby, or who may have asthmatic or elderly members living there.) They’re all strong benefits, but they don’t explain how UV air purifiers work, or why you should consider one for your home. We’ve included a brief outline below.
How UV Light Works
As we intimated above, UV light exists beyond the light spectrum visible to the human eyes, although we can definitely feel those rays on a hot day—it’s what causes sunburns—and if you’ve ever seen a piece of clothing glow in the dark at a concert or amusement park, you can be sure they’re using a UV light. Though they can cause sunburns and even cancer with repeated exposure, UV light is otherwise harmless to human beings and pets, especially if it limits itself to the ducts in your air conditioner. For germs, however, UV lights are a much different story.
How UV Air Purifiers Clean Your Air
UV air purifiers are installed at the apex of your air conditioning system, sending a solid wall of UV light across the whole width of your ducts. Air can’t help but pass through it, which means there’s no escape for the creepy-crawlies within it. Though the light is harmless to us, it’s lethal to germs, bacteria, bedbugs, and mold spores: killing them and preventing them from replicating. As the air in your home slowly circulates, the purifier gradually scrubs it clean, leaving your home far less vulnerable to illnesses.
Intelligent Air Services installed UV air purifiers, so call us today!
Austin, TX can get hot in the summer, and with months of high heat already behind us, your air conditioner will still be called upon to perform every day without a break. That increases the risk of a serious breakdown, and while good maintenance and careful use can reduce the chances of air conditioning repair, now is usually the most likely time of the year to suffer something significant. A good repair technician can help, but before that happens, you need to be able to spot the signs that something has gone wrong. The exact causes vary, but some of the more common symptoms of serious trouble with your AC unit include the following:
- Strange noises. This basically means any noise you don’t associate with the normal functioning of your air conditioner: buzzes, hums, clicks, groans, and dripping noises among others. The moment you hear them, turn off the system and contact a repair technician
- Power Issues. The most obvious power issue is a system that won’t turn on at all, but it can also mean an unusually low airflow from your vents. (Low airflow can result from blockages in the system as well as power issues, but the end result is the same.)
- Lack of cool air. If the air coming out of your system isn’t cool, that’s a big problem. It can result from low refrigerant levels or an ineffective venting process, as well as various malfunctioning components from within the air conditioner itself.
- Short cycling. Short cycling is the air conditioner’s tendency to turn on and then off again very quickly. Since the system uses more power turning on and off than it does simply running, short cycling is usually the sign of a serious malfunction.
The good news is that Intelligent Air Services can resolve most air conditioning issues quickly and effectively. Give us a call today and let us show you!
Posted in Air Conditioning
We’ve officially hit the dog days of summer here in Austin, TX, which means your air conditioning system is going to be busier than ever. That usually translates to higher monthly bills and in some ways that’s inevitable: you’re simply going to have to pay more for running an air conditioner seven days a week than you would be running it three days a week. But those higher costs could hide some unnecessary costs as well: paying more than you need to for the service you expect. You can cut into those high bills in a number of ways, starting with common-sense solutions like setting your thermostat a few degrees higher than you’re used to. A trained technician can help with a number of more formal steps designed to lower your air conditioning bills.
Ideally, AC maintenance sessions should take place at the beginning of the summer, and if you’ve already had your unit serviced, you probably don’t need to worry. But if it’s been a year or more since your last maintenance session, now is the perfect time to schedule one: lowering the risk of a breakdown and improving your unit’s efficiency for these last few brutal weeks of summer.
High humidity levels make the air feel hotter than it is. If there’s too much moisture in the air, your sweat won’t evaporate, which is the way your body cools down. You feel hotter (as well as sweatier and grosser), and while your air conditioner can serve as a sort of de facto dehumidifier, it takes a lot more strain and energy to do the same job. A whole-house dehumidifier can ease that burden, as well as improving your indoor air quality immeasurably.
For more upgrades that can lower your air conditioning bills, call the experts at Intelligent Air Services today!
We’re in the middle of August, which marks the final stage of summer cooling season before Austin, TX segues into fall. That means your air conditioning system will likely be put to more use than ever, and with months of steady work already behind it, it means a greater chance of problems developing. When a major issue arises—something bad enough to halt the system in its tracks—you naturally want to get it repaired as quickly as possible. But when the damage isn’t so bad—when it’s not enough to stop the system from cooling your home—then many people have a tendency to wait on repairs, figuring they can schedule it after the weather cools down a bit. This can be a gigantic mistake. Here are 3 reasons not to wait for air conditioning repair, no matter how close to the end of summer it is.
Sure, your system may still be functioning, but it won’t function the way it should. That means you’ll likely need to put up with less cool air, lowered airflow, longer wait times for the house to cool down and even the system shutting off and on at inappropriate times. Even a mild nuisance shouldn’t have to be endured for weeks until the weather cools.
The main concern about ignoring a repair issue is that it’s bound to cascade eventually, as greater strain and reduced efficiency take its toll on the rest of the system. Instead of dealing with a comparatively minor repair, you may be looking at a full-bore breakdown: costing you the use of the air conditioner and demanding a much higher repair bill to boot.
Even if the system doesn’t break down, a repair issue means reduced efficiency, which translates to higher monthly bills for as long as the issue remains unaddressed. August is the worst time to add such unnecessary costs to your energy bills.
If you spot the signs of air conditioning problems, turn off your system and call Intelligent Air right away!
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and it’s a rating used to determine the efficiency of your air conditioner. Indeed, it’s one of the most important barometers for gauging your system’s performance and can save you a great deal of money over the years if you pay attention to it during installation. Summers in Austin, TX is too hot and muggy for an air conditioner that can’t give you the most bang for your buck. The SEER rating is a fast way of determining which system you should choose for your home. Here are a few more details.
The SEER rating itself is derived by comparing the BTUs (British Thermal Units) it generates in cooling power against the watt-hours it consumes in the process. For example, if the SEER rating is 12, it means the system generates 12 BTUs of cooling power for every watt-hour it uses. Keep in mind that this isn’t the same thing as power. Smaller air conditioners can have a much higher SEER rating than larger ones. It simply measures how much cooling power it generates considering the power it uses.
Since 2006, air conditioners sold in the United States require a SEER rating of at least 13 to meet federal standards. But you can look for units that are more efficient than that by checking for the ENERGY STAR sticker, which denotes units that have a SEER rating of 14 or higher (14.5 or higher if the unit is a split air conditioner). It’s a good short-hand means to ensure you’re getting an efficient system, translating to lower bills from month to month and considerable savings over the course of the unit’s life.
If you’re in the market for a new air conditioner and need some expert advice, as well as installation service that’s second to none, call Intelligent Air Services today!
A new air conditioner is a serious investment and you need to make sure you choose your new system wisely. The right choice will provide you with years of problem-free service, while the wrong choice can waste your time and money with a seemingly endless series of hassles and service calls. Here in Austin, TX, you can’t afford that kind of trouble, especially in the summer with the heat and humidity so high. That’s why it’s important to consult with a trained professional before choosing a new air conditioner and to make sure you know exactly what you want before installation begins. Here are 3 important things to consider when making your decision:
Your air conditioner needs to reflect the needs of the space you intend to cool. If it’s too small, it won’t do the job the way it needs to. If it’s too large, it will short cycle on and off over and over throughout the day, wasting energy and causing considerable stress on your system. Your installation professional will carefully evaluate the needs of your home and help you find a system that’s neither overpowered nor underpowered, but just right.
If at all possible, you want to purchase an air conditioner that is more efficient than the one it is replacing. It’s usually not hard, since newer units tend to be more efficient than older ones. To be sure, compare the SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) between the new unit and the old one. The higher the rating, the more efficient the unit.
A new air conditioner is a great opportunity to look into some extra features, such as a new thermostat if it’s getting old, or a zone control system which allows you to tailor the temperature in each section of your house individually.
For air conditioning installation done right, contact Intelligent Air Services today!