Thermostats - What You Should Know
There are many types of thermostats on the market today, and Digital is taking over where the old “Mercury Bulb” type is becoming obsolete. The Mercury type was great in its time, but was a slower responding stat. this caused longer off times, and longer on times as well. The swap over to digital can be very complicated, as many digital stats say they work with all types, when in fact, they may, but not correctly. If you have replaced your stat yourself, and your power consumption has increased, it is suggested that you have a trained service tech check out the wiring, and or programming.
If you are planning on purchasing a stat at your local home improvement store, make certain that they will take the old mercury stat from you and dispose of it properly. DO NOT THROW THE MERCURY THERMOSTAT IN THE HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE. IT IS A HAZARDOUS WASTE, AND MUST BE DISPOSED OF PROPERLY. A service company will be responsible for this for you if you have them install a stat you purchase from them.
If you live in the Orlando, Florida area please contact Cool Rite for more information.
Condenser Coil Cleaning
The condenser coil, is the outside unit coil. As you see, it does not have a filter as the indoor coil does. It gets cleaned, in theory, when the rains come. Well, that is not good enough, and needs a yearly cleaning also. The best way to do this is hire a licensed professional. But for the “do it yourselfer”, if you shut off the breaker for the outside unit, (breaker usually next to outside unit), take a garden hose with a spray nozzle, and standing back about a foot, spray top to bottom to remove any loose dirt, grass, etc. this should take about 20 minutes to do completely. Allow the water about 10 minutes to drain away, restore power to the unit, and all should be good for another year.
What is a Drain Line Back-up?
Your central systems drain line needs serviced more than most people realize. This drain line does not have the shower or sink type of water pressure assisting it to drain properly. A backed up drain line, without a safety shut off switch, can cause severe damage to your home. Wood floors tend to buckle and warp. Carpets start growing mold, dry wall goes bad, and if the unit is in the attic, it gets much worse. There are several things you can do yourself, as the home owner. First, if you have a shop vac, you can draw the drain line contents to the vacuum by getting to the outlet end of the drain line, usually next to the condenser unit (outside unit), where the Freon lines are, wrap a rag around the hose after placing it over the pipe, and leave it there until you see the vacuum hose stop jumping. It is not recommended to flush out the drain line with water pressure, as it could make the situation worse.
It is recommended to have a drain line safety switch installed that will shut down the unit if the drain line backs up, prior to overflowing into the home. The idea of pouring bleach, ( 1 cup mixed 50/50 with water) is a good idea, and is usually best about a month after the cooling season starts, and a month before the cooling season ends.
Cool Rite - Orlando Air Conditioning Services and Repair
What is the Freon 22 Deadline for replacement?
There has been a lot of call asking if the home owner is going to be required to replace their central a/c system by January 2010, due to the Freon phase out. The phase out law is for the manufacturers, not the home owners. The phase out law states that the manufacturers can not manufacture new equipment after January 2010 that requires Freon 22. it also is the date that Freon manufacturers must start reducing the production of Freon 22, and over several years, reduce production even more. This date does not require the home owner to replace their system if it is not defective. However, if you are replacing the system, it is recommended to purchase the new r410a refrigerant, as due to the reduced production date, parts may not be available for systems that may still be in warranty in 8 years. So please be cautious.
Cool Rite - Orlando Air Conditioning Services and Repair
What is An Air Conditioning Tune-Up?
The purpose of a system tune up is to have your system at peak performance when the weather gets either hot or cool. Tune ups are recommended no less than once per year, and sometimes twice, depending on the type of system you may have. An oil or gas furnace being serviced for its annual service in the spring is not as wise as late in the fall, prior to being needed. A heat pump, however, can be tuned up any time, as it is a reverse cycle system, and the Freon characteristics remain the same, the temperatures vary, but a trained technician will know this.