Ductless systems are a unique and effective way to heat your home. Like all heating systems, however, they occasionally run into issues. Ductless heating systems are not combustion-based, so a lot of the problems they experience are very different from your standard boiler or furnace problems. Let’s take a deeper look at the repairs a ductless heating system may need, and how you can identify them.
Refrigerant is a vital part of a ductless heating system’s operation. When the heating system turns on, the outside unit uses an evaporator coil to convert refrigerant inside the coil into gas. This turns the refrigerant into a heat sink, leeching heat out of the air around the unit and into the coil. The refrigerant then carries the thermal energy through the refrigerant line and into the indoor unit, which converts the refrigerant back into a liquid. This releases the thermal energy so that it can heat the room.
Refrigerant is not consumed by the ductless heating system. Instead, it is recycled each time the heating is turned on. A refrigerant leak is a major problem because it drains refrigerant from the system, making it unable to transport heat into the home. If you notice any pooling or dripping liquid around your ductless unit, call a professional right away.
When the ductless heating system’s outdoor unit evaporates refrigerant to draw in heat, it also creates condensation on the coil itself. The combination of condensation on the coil and a drop in the surrounding air temperature can cause ice to begin forming on the unit. All ductless heating systems are designed with a defrost cycle, to melt the ice off of the unit. If the defrost cycle isn’t working, however, ice can build up until it covers the entire outdoor unit. This cripples the whole system by depriving it of the air that it needs to siphon thermal energy from.
If you are having issues with your ductless heating system, contact Intelligent Air Services. We provide heating repair services in Round Rock, Buda, Kyle, and throughout the Austin area.
Geothermal heating and cooling have been around for a long time, but with recent advancements in technology and products, it has become an increasingly popular way for homeowners to both heat and cool their homes. Geothermal systems offer a lot of benefits to homeowners and understanding how the systems work will help you gain an appreciation for this unique heating and cooling system. If you are concerned about the environment and want to have a sustainable and reusable fuel source for your heating, a geothermal system may be just what you’ve been waiting for. One thing to keep in mind is that the installation of geothermal systems requires professional knowledge and expertise, so call the people you can trust: Intelligent Air Services.
A geothermal system harnesses the steady temperature of the Earth just below the frost line to heat and cool your home. It does this via a ground loop made of very durable tubing that is buried in the ground of your yard. The tubing is filled with a solution that helps to absorb the heat from the Earth during the winter. A heat pump is used to facilitate the transfer of heat: in the winter, the heat pump takes the heat absorbed by the ground loop, concentrates it, and delivers it to the indoors of your home; in the summer, the heat pump transfers your indoor heat into the ground loop, where the Earth acts as a “heat sink” and absorbs the heat. There are no fossil fuels used by a geothermal system, and only a small amount of electricity is used for the heat pump.
In addition to providing both heating and cooling, geothermal systems offer other important benefits:
- Long lifespan – the tubing for geothermal systems lasts 25-50 years, and the heat pumps last an average of 20-25 years. In comparison, combustion heating systems last about 15-20 years.
- Very energy efficient – as stated above, geothermal systems use no fossil fuels and a very small amount of electricity, making them very energy efficient.
- Very environmentally friendly – the small amount of electricity used for the heat pump, coupled with no greenhouse gas release, makes geothermal heating and cooling very environmentally friendly.
- Comfortable heating and cooling – the air delivered in a geothermal system enter your home in a continuous, low-level flow. This makes both cooling and heating gradual and very comfortable.
Geothermal systems have tremendous longevity, energy efficiency, and comfort. Think your home can benefit from geothermal heating? Then call the Austin, TX heating experts at Intelligent Air Services today!
Your air conditioning system does a lot, and you can capitalize on its work by adding an upgrade. Upgrades can help address a number of your needs, like improving indoor air quality. The specialists at Intelligent Air Services are here to help improve your indoor comfort in any way possible, and upgrading your air conditioning can help achieve this.
There are several types of upgrades available for whole-home use:
DEHUMIDIFIERS
Why add a dehumidifier to your air conditioner? Doesn’t your air conditioner already dehumidify the air? While your air conditioner does dehumidify the air, periods of excessive humidity can make it difficult for your air conditioner to perform at its normal level. This can compromise your indoor comfort and put additional strain on your system. A whole-home dehumidifier removes the excess moisture in the air before it can circulate through your system, improving the air and reducing the stress on your system.
ZONE CONTROL SYSTEM
How many times have you heard complaints about the temperature in your home? It’s hard to meet everyone’s cooling needs with a single thermostat. A great way to eliminate this problem and have better energy efficiency is by installing a zone control system. With a zone control system, you can separate your home into heating and cooling zones that are individually temperature-controlled, allowing you to customize your cooling and use only the cooling you need.
AIR CLEANERS
Are you concerned about your indoor air quality? There are a number of whole-home products available that can help you improve your indoor air, including air filters, electronic air cleaners and UV germicidal lighting. Your air conditioner comes with a standard air filter, but this filter is not for improving your indoor air. With a whole-home air cleaner, you can improve the air and your health with a simple upgrade.
Upgrades to your air conditioning system can help with energy efficiency, air quality and more. If you are interested in finding out what an upgrade can do for you, call Intelligent Air Services today and schedule air conditioning service in Austin, TX with one of our experts.
Although summer is coming to a close, you can expect to use your home’s air conditioning system throughout the year in Texas. If your current air conditioner is showing signs that it may be approaching the end of its service, there is never a bad time to have it replaced: a hot day can surprise you at any moment.
But how can you tell that your old AC is close to failing, or that it no longer is worth the cost of keeping it running? There are a number of signs to look for, some obvious and some not, that will signal that the time has come to retire your air conditioning system and install a new one.
You should always look for a professional opinion, however. Call an experienced company, like Intelligent Air Services, for the help you need to make the choice about your air conditioner. Our technicians will determine the best path to take, and then handle whatever work you need to be done to cope with the Texas heat.
- Rising bills with no sign of relief: Always keep a close watch on your electrical bills during times of the year when your air conditioner frequently runs. You should have a good idea of how much you pay a month. If this amount starts to rise steadily, and no amount of maintenance or repairs does anything to reverse it, then your AC is likely past the point where its worn components can work efficiently. Call technicians to help you make a choice about how to proceed.
- Excessive repair needs: Air conditioners require the largest number of repairs during the last two years of their service lives, so when you start calling for technicians on a regular basis to keep your cooling system working, it’s probably time for a new AC. Look over your repair bills for the last year, and if they exceed $500, you are spending too much to keep the air conditioner limping on.
- Noisy operation: As the parts of an air conditioner age, they will start to make more racket doing their job. This is especially true of the motors and the compressor. When you hear grinding, groaning, and shrieking noises from the system every time it runs, has technicians investigate the situation to see if it’s a sign that the AC is too old to work well any more.
Although an air conditioner that is past its prime may continue to provide you with an adequate level of cool air, it will continue to waste energy and cost you money. In these cases, it’s almost always less expensive to replace the aging AC with a new, efficient system.
At Intelligent Air Services, we specialize in replacing air conditioners with new units that will keep homes cooled for many years. Make us your first choice when you need a new air conditioner in Austin, TX
You hear a clunking sound, or smell something a little funny, coming from your air conditioner. But from what you can see, it’s still running fine – until it doesn’t.
Air conditioners, like other mechanical devices, are pretty good at giving signs and signals when problems develop. However, it can be very tempting to ignore these signs when your AC appears to operate normally. Waiting to repair your air conditioning is a bad idea for a few reasons that we’ll explain below, but remember: always call for a professional, like the ones at Intelligent Air Services, whenever you suspect something is wrong with your AC.
Here are a few reasons to consider picking up the phone sooner rather than later when it comes to repairing your air conditioner
IT WON’T GET BETTER ON ITS OWN
We’d love to tell you that air conditioners self-repair; actually, we’d love to invent a self-repairing air conditioner, and then sell it, but neither of these scenarios is going to happen. Typically, a problem not only doesn’t repair itself, but it can also become worse and more costly.
IT MAY CAUSE MORE DAMAGE IF LEFT UNREPAIRED
This is especially true for components that can get loose and bang around your system, like bent or loose fan blades and motor mounts. It’s also true for worn wiring: wiring that is frayed or corroded can interfere with the flow of electricity to certain components, leading to shorts and breakdown.
IT CAN COST YOU MORE AS TIME GOES ON
Malfunctioning parts tend to have a cyclical effect on closed systems like your air conditioner: once one part starts to malfunction, the entire system becomes stressed. This added stress can make other parts malfunction. At some point, you may have a lot more to repair, and as such, a lot more to pay for, by the time a trained technician arrives at your door.
Waiting won’t make a pending repair better, and will most likely make it worse. If you are seeing the signs that your air conditioner may need repair, call the people you can trust: Intelligent Air Services. Call and schedule air conditioning repair service in Lakeway, TX with us today!
Would you want one light switch for all the lighting in your home? Obviously, this is an overstated example, but sometimes a single-set thermostat can start to feel this way. However, it brings up a great point: is there a way to achieve comfort for everyone with your air conditioning while continuing to be energy efficient? The answer is yes – with a zone control system.
A zone control system allows you to divide your home into different “zones” that are established using a system of motorized dampers that are installed into your home’s existing ductwork. Each damper is connected to its own thermostat, allowing for total control of that particular zone.
Being able to control your cooling zone-by-zone has several benefits:
- Reduction and/or elimination of hot/cold spots – if you’ve been experiencing hot and cold spots throughout your home, zone control can help alleviate this by giving you the ability to set different temperatures for areas that gain or lose heat during the day.
- Better energy efficiency – zone control allows you to cool only the spaces you want to be cooled. If there are parts of your home that are unoccupied or empty most of the time, you can turn off the cooling to that area, saving energy.
- Less wear-and-tear – most likely, you will be running your air conditioning less due to the ability to control your cooling. This means your AC will run less, helping to reduce normal wear-and-tear.
- Works great with unique architecture – if you have vaulted ceilings or floor-to-ceiling windows, you know it can be challenging to keep these areas as cool as other parts of your home. With a zone control system, issues with specialized architecture can be eliminated.
Installing a zone control system can be a complex endeavor; if you are considering the addition of a zone control system to your air conditioning, it should be handled by a professional. Call Intelligent Air Services today and schedule local Austin, TX air conditioning service with one of our professionals!
Posted in Air Conditioning
Geothermal power consists of harnessing the heat generated from the Earth’s core that moves toward the surface. Only ten feet below the ground, the temperature of the earth stabilizes around 50°F, regardless of the temperature top-side. Finding ways to use this geo-warmth results in energy that is clean, renewable, inexpensive, and without the fluctuations that can result from solar energy.
Geothermal power for your house is available right now: you can have an installation of geothermal air conditioning in Austin, TX through Intelligent Air Services. We offer services for geothermal heat pumps that will help you save money and save the environment at the same time.
Here are the reasons why we think you should invest in geothermal air conditioning:
- Reliable heating and cooling – Geothermal systems are not only for air conditioning. As heat pumps, they also work for heating your home as well. The ground loops the circulating water can both remove heat from your home to put in the ground (cooling mode), or remove heat from the ground and put it into your home (heating mode). The stability of temperature below the ground means that the heat pump will not lose efficiency no matter the weather, so you’ll have reliable comfort throughout the year.
- Energy efficiency –The steady temperature of the Earth means that your heat pump will work more efficiently than other cooling and heating systems. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, ground-source heat pumps can reach efficiencies of 300% to 600% on the coldest of winter nights, compared to 175% to 250% for air-source heat pumps. Although geothermal systems cost more to install than other heat pumps, the Department of Energy estimates that with the savings they supply, they will pay back their installation cost in 5–10 years… and they can last more than 50 years.
- Better for the environment –Geothermal heat pumps create no dangerous emission such as ozone-depleting or greenhouse gases. They use renewable energy and reduce dependence on limited energy resources. Going geothermal is an investment in the health of the planet.
Will geothermal work for you?
Geothermal systems are not ideal for all homes: they have space requirements for the ground loops, and the soil must be the right type for the proper exchange of heat. You will need to consult with geothermal experts to find out if a ground-source heat pump is the best option for your home. Thanks to some flexible loop configurations, it is now easier to fit geothermal for many smaller properties.
Call Intelligent Air Services today to speak to our specialists in geothermal air conditioning in Austin, TX. They will arrange an appointment to see how best to set you up to harness the clean and efficient energy of the earth to cool and warm your home.
As we climb into the 90s for another hot summer season, you may start to hear something odd coming from your air conditioner. You know your air conditioner best, so you know what sounds normal and what doesn’t. When you start to hear something not normal, but your AC is still running ok, it can be tempting to ignore it. But in our experience, noises don’t usually go away on their own, and can often lead to a bigger problem. Your air conditioner in Austin isn’t a luxury at this time of year; it’s a necessity, so if you think you may be hearing something odd with your air conditioner, call the technicians you can trust: Intelligent Air Services.
Not all sounds coming from your air conditioner means something is wrong, but there are normal working sounds and sounds that mean trouble is brewing. Here are some of the common noises your AC can make when something is off:
- Clunking or Banging – clunking and/or banging can indicate that a fan blade has become bent or loose, and is banging into parts of your air conditioner as it spins. It’s important to repair a bent or loose fan blade because it can cause damage to other parts of the system.
- Hissing Noise – a hissing noise can indicate the presence of a refrigerant leak. The refrigerant in your system is under pressure through much of the heating and cooling process, so if a leak has developed, you may hear a hissing noise and see bubbling around the area in which the leak has emanated.
- Screeching Noise – a screeching noise can mean that the pressure in your compressor is too high. This can be a potentially dangerous situation, so if you hear screeching coming from your air conditioner, turn it off immediately and call an expert for help.
- Whistling Sounds from Vents – while it’s normal to hear a “whoosh” sound from your vents, a whistling sound can indicate that the seals in your ductwork have begun to fail and that air is escaping. Faulty ductwork can be responsible for up to 30% of air loss in an air conditioning system, so if you are hearing a whistling sound, it is best to have your ductwork inspected.
Odd sounds are one of the signs that something in your air conditioning system may be in need of repair, so it’s best not to ignore it. Your air conditioner has already started working for the busy summer season, and if it’s stressed, it could lead to problems. If you are hearing something that just doesn’t seem right, call Intelligent Air Services today and schedule service for your air conditioner in Buda, TX
As we climb into the 90s for another hot summer season, you may start to hear something odd coming from your air conditioner. You know your air conditioner best, so you know what sounds normal and what doesn’t. When you start to hear something not normal, but your AC is still running ok, it can be tempting to ignore it. But in our experience, noises don’t usually go away on their own, and can often lead to a bigger problem. Your air conditioner in Austin isn’t a luxury at this time of year; it’s a necessity, so if you think you may be hearing something odd with your air conditioner, call the technicians you can trust: Intelligent Air Services.
Not all sounds coming from your air conditioner mean something is wrong, but there are normal working sounds, and sounds that mean trouble is brewing. Here are some of the common noises your AC can make when something is off:
- Clunking or Banging – clunking and/or banging can indicate that a fan blade has become bent or loose, and is banging into parts of your air conditioner as it spins. It’s important to repair a bent or loose fan blade because it can cause damage to other parts of the system.
- Hissing Noise – a hissing noise can indicate the presence of a refrigerant leak. The refrigerant in your system is under pressure through much of the heating and cooling process, so if a leak has developed, you may hear a hissing noise and see bubbling around the area in which the leak has emanated.
- Screeching Noise – a screeching noise can mean that the pressure in your compressor is too high. This can be a potentially dangerous situation, so if you hear screeching coming from your air conditioner, turn it off immediately and call an expert for help.
- Whistling Sounds from Vents – while it’s normal to hear a “whoosh” sound from your vents, a whistling sound can indicate that the seals in your ductwork have begun to fail and that air is escaping. Faulty ductwork can be responsible for up to 30% of air loss in an air conditioning system, so if you are hearing a whistling sound, it is best to have your ductwork inspected.
Odd sounds are one of the signs that something in your air conditioning system may be in need of repair, so it’s best not to ignore it. Your air conditioner has already started working for the busy summer season, and if it’s stressed, it could lead to problems. If you are hearing something that just doesn’t seem right, call Intelligent Air Services today and schedule service for your air conditioner in Cedar Park, TX or the surrounding areas.
Among the many technical stats available for an air conditioning system, one of the most important for a potential owner to understand is SEER, which stands for “seasonal energy efficiency rating.” Looking at the SEER for a model will give you a sense of how well the unit converts electrical energy into cooling power, and consequently, how much you might expect to pay on your utility bills to run it.
There are many factors that are important when it comes to choosing a new system for air conditioning installation in Georgetown, TX, but SEER is among the most crucial to grasp. We’ll give a rundown on how SEER is calculated and what you need to know about it. For further help, you’ll need for AC installation, contact intelligent Air Services today and speak to our air conditioning experts.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SEER
The seasonal energy efficiency rating of an air conditioner is a ratio (expressed as a whole number or number with a decimal point) of cooling power to the energy consumed. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the AC, and the less expensive it will be to run:
- SEER = BTUs of cooling / watt-hours of energy… averaged over a season
That SEER is determined over a whole season differentiates it from the single-test EER, energy efficiency rating, which is usually found next to SEER in an air conditioner’s stat list. EER is usually a few numbers lower than SEER.
In order for an air conditioning system to earn the EPA’s ENERGY STAR label for efficiency and environmentally safe operation, it must have 14.5 SEER or more. This is a good lower limit to use when you are searching for a new air conditioner. Some high-efficiency models can score SEER in the low 20s.
SEER ISN’T EVERYTHING
Although SEER is important to know when you are in the market for a new AC, it should never be your sole criterion. An air conditioner can have an astonishing 22 SEER, but that only means it is efficient, not how well it will provide you with cooling. If you end up with an undersized system, poorly installed, the highest SEER rating in the world will go to waste.
For this reason, make sure you have professional installers involved from the start. They will help you find the right unit that balances out SEER with other features. Because the higher SEER air conditioners will cost more, the installers will help you find the most economical way to receive the right comfort for you. Sometimes a lower SEER AC will be the best choice.
To get started with air conditioning installation in Georgetown, TX, contact Intelligent Air Services. We stay on the cutting edge of the HVAC world and bring benefits to you.