Central air conditioners need refrigerant, a chemical blend, in order to move heat around. Heat transfer is essential to the cooling process, because cool air cannot be made without first removing heat. These are the very basics of refrigerant, and there’s not too much more you really need to know about how the refrigeration process works (unless you really want to know or you’re training to be a technician).
Bartels Heating & Cooling Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Air Conditioning Repair’
Refrigerant and AC Systems: What You Should Know
Monday, May 16th, 20163 Common Reasons to Call for Air Conditioning Repair Help
Monday, June 22nd, 2015While you should always leave all work needed for AC to a trained expert, especially repairs, it’s good to know what certain terms mean as well as some of the more common issues that can develop with your air conditioning system in Fairfield, OH. However, should you experience any problems with your air conditioner, be sure to call the experts you can count on: Bartels Heating & Cooling.
How Does an Air Conditioner Remove Humidity?
Monday, May 11th, 2015To the untrained eye, air conditioners cool your home by blowing cool air into it; the truth is that air conditioners remove the heat and humidity from your living spaces while blowing cool air into it. ACs are able to remove heat and humidity due to the refrigerant in the system. Refrigerant can absorb and release heat because it easily changes from a liquid to a gas and back again, allowing it to facilitate heat transfer. But humidity is moisture, and it is removed in a slightly different way. A typical sign of air conditioning issues is excess humidity, so if you are feeling cold and clammy inside your home in Hamilton, it’s time to give the experts at Bartels Heating & Cooling a call.
Why Is There Frost on My Air Conditioner?
Monday, May 4th, 2015Air conditioning systems are designed to keep us cool, which is serious business here in Hamilton, OH. Our Midwest summers can get quite uncomfortable, with high temperatures and higher humidity being the norm. Homeowners who notice frost on their air conditioning system may not think that anything is amiss. In fact, however, the presence of frost or ice signals a significant problem, requiring professional help to address it. “Why is there frost on my air conditioner?” you ask. Simply put, because your air conditioner is malfunctioning.
Does Your Commercial Air Conditioning Need Repair?
Monday, April 6th, 2015We are finally starting to see some warmer weather in our area, and if you have a commercial space, this means you’ll soon be switching from heating to cooling. While you need to be aware of potential problems developing with your commercial HVAC system year-round , the switch between seasons is especially important. Why? Part of your system has been dormant for a few months, and there is the possibility that an issue may have developed during that time. So what kinds of things should you keep an eye out for? Here are some tips from the commercial AC experts at Bartels Heating & Cooling:
Poor Performance
Is your thermostat set to 72 degrees and it feels like it’s almost 80 degrees indoors? Does your AC seem sluggish? Poor performance is a telltale sign of a system in need, so if you are seeing these signs, or are simply questioning whether or not your system is operating as it should, call for an expert.
Sky-High Energy Bills
Have you noticed a significant increase in your business’s monthly energy bills, but haven’t changed how you use your AC? When a part or an assembly in your air conditioning system malfunctions, it will create stress on the system; anytime your system is stressed, it will use more energy to operate. It can be tempting to wait for a full breakdown before calling for help, but this is never advisable. If you are seeing very high, inordinate energy bills, call a professional for assistance.
Strange Sounds
Your commercial AC system is designed to operate with minimal noise, so any kind of loud sound is typically a solid indication that a problem has developed. Examples of abnormal sounds would be clunking, banging, screeching, and anything else that sounds of out of the ordinary in regard to the system’s operation.
It’s critical to the operation of your business to have a cool, comfortable atmosphere in which to work – don’t compromise it by hiring an inexpert or amateur person to repair your commercial air conditioner. The commercial specialists at Bartels Heating & Cooling have been serving southwest Ohio since 1973, so call us today for all of your commercial AC needs!
Air Conditioning Repairs to Schedule before Summer
Friday, May 2nd, 2014Before you start a long car trip, you’ll go out of your way to fix any trouble with the vehicle: motor problems, low tire pressure, weak battery. You should treat your air conditioning system the same way: think of the upcoming summer as a long road trip where your AC travels from coast to coast. To avoid a breakdown along the way, and to make sure your air conditioner doesn’t start “gas guzzling,” you need to schedule repairs before setting out on that summer drive.
It’s easier to have repairs for your air conditioner than for your car. You only need to make a single call to Bartels Heating & Cooling to take care of scheduling any necessary air conditioning repair in Fairfield, OH.
Here are a few common repairs that we perform in spring; watch out for these issues in your AC, and don’t hesitate to give us a call—any time of the day or night.
Spring air conditioning repairs
- Recharge refrigerant – One of the most damaging problems that can occur with an AC is leaking refrigerant. The Freon inside your AC doesn’t dissipate during normal operation. But should leaks start because of corrosion on the refrigerant lines or loosened connections, the operation of the system will be in danger. The AC will lose cooling power, frost will form over the outdoor coil, and the change in pressure will start to damage the compressor. A technician can seal up the leaks and then recharge the refrigerant to remedy the problems.
- Replacing electrical relays – The relays on motors control the flow of electrical power. If a relay should become stuck closed or stuck open, a motor will either not run at all or run continuously. This is a common repair for technicians and a simple one to perform.
- Replacing burnt-out motors – If the motors in an AC cabinet gather too much dust or lose lubricant, they can overheat and cause irreparable damage to their wiring. When this happens, there is usually no choice but to have the burnt-out motor replaced. If you hear grinding, groaning, or screeching sounds from the air conditioner cabinet, it usually signals motors on the verge of failing; call for repairs right away.
Remember to schedule a maintenance visit
Even if your air conditioner shows no outward problems, you still need to have a technician pay it a visit before summer for its annual check-up and tune-up. A maintenance session will make sure there are no hidden repair needs, clean and adjust the unit, and generally get the system into the best condition possible for effective cooling and efficient energy use for the whole summer.
Bartels Heating & Cooling not only delivers excellent air conditioning repair in Fairfield, OH, we also offer a comprehensive maintenance program to tune-up your air conditioner in spring and your heater in fall. Call us today to learn more about the benefits of our regular maintenance program.
If My AC Turns On, Why Bother with Air Conditioning Repair?
Monday, August 26th, 2013When it comes to air conditioning systems, people focus on performance, especially in cities like West Chester, OH, where the hot summers necessitate daily use of an AC unit. If cool air is coming out and the house is comfortable, why bother with air conditioning repair? In truth, air conditioning repair services are at their most effective when the issue isn’t pressing. Small problems are much easier to correct than large ones, and jumping on an issue early can save you a lot of money and stress in the future.
Take, for instance, the issue of low refrigerant levels, which is fairly common to a lot of air conditioning units. When a hole develops somewhere in the lines, refrigerant can leak out, and too little refrigerant can cause problems with the cooling cycle. It probably won’t prevent the unit from functioning entirely, but it will force it to work harder and longer to do its job. Ice will likely form on the evaporator coils, leading to water leaks and inadequate cooling. Motors may be put under greater stress. And as the leak continues, the issues will only grow worse .
If, on the other hand, you contact a professional earlier in the process, a lot of that wear and tear can be avoided. A trained technician can pinpoint the leak and then seal it before recharging the refrigerant to its specified levels. That’s a simpler, easier and more cost-effective operation than simply waiting until the AC stops working entirely, and the extra strain of ineffective cooling has caused multiple components to fail.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as the saying goes, and you can prevent a lot of problems with your air conditioning unit with regularly scheduled maintenance calls. Bartels Heating & Cooling handles all kinds of air conditioning issues in the West Chester, OH area, and can help set up a maintenance schedule that works for you. Contact us today to set up an appointment.
Can Poor Indoor Air Quality Indicate a Need for Air Conditioning Repair?
Monday, July 22nd, 2013Your home’s air conditioning system circulates a ton of air throughout your entire home. Because of that, it should come as no surprise that your AC and your home’s indoor air quality are closely related. So what does the quality of your home’s air say about your air conditioner? Here at Bartels Heating and Cooling, we wanted to put together a quick explanation of the correlation between air conditioning and air quality. Call us if you need any kind of air conditioning repair in Fairfield, OH, and our technicians will be able to get your AC back up and working again quickly.
So what are the signs that your home’s air quality is suffering? Here are just a few of them:
- Humidity issues – You can probably tell very easily if your home’s air is too dry or too humid. If you have humid air, you will likely notice a stuffy and muggy feeling in your home. If your home’s air is too dry, you may feel itchy because of dry skin; you may also experience more nose bleeds or dry, scratchy throat. If your home is having problems with humidity, particularly if your home gets humid this summer, it could be a sign that your air conditioning system isn’t working well. Your AC will naturally dehumidify the air in your home be extracting moisture out of it in the form of condensation. If your air conditioner has low refrigerant, a clogged air filter, frozen coils or a broken compressor, it might not be able to properly cool your air or dehumidify it.
- Allergies – If you or someone in your families suffers from allergies, you might start to notice that they’re sneezing more often or that their eyes are itchy and red. Allergies can be triggered by dust and other indoor air pollutants in your home. If you notice excess dust or strange odors coming from your home AC system, it could meant that you need duct repair. Holes or leaks in your ducts can allow outside contaminants to get into your home’s air supply. Problems with your condensate drain can also cause some allergens to form on the AC unit itself.
Maintaining your air conditioning system, including occasional duct cleaning, can help keep the air in your home clean. If you need Fairfield, OH that you need, make sure that you call the specialists at Bartels Heating & Cooling.
Air Conditioning Tip: Why You Shouldn’t Put Off Repair Services
Tuesday, July 9th, 2013It’s the case for most things in life that if you put off dealing with problems that they will only get worse. Your air conditioning system is no exception. It is usually best to call for professional air conditioning repair in Fairfield, OH as soon as you suspect that you’re having any AC problems. Call the friendly experts at Bartels Heating & Cooling today to talk with us about any services that you need. Here is a quick explanation of why you should never put off necessary air conditioning repair services.
- Comfort – If your air conditioning system isn’t working well, it likely means that your hose isn’t as comfortable as it should be. Whether your air conditioner isn’t producing enough cooling or if it is making a strange noise, call early so that your house can return to normal.
- Avoid larger issues – If your AC unit is having problems, you might be able to keep those problems from developing into even more complex issues by calling for repair as soon as you notice something is wrong.
- Avoid long-term damage – Often, your air conditioning system can suffer severe damage from very small issues. Even something as seemingly insignificant as an air filter can actually cause tremendous damage if it is allowed to persist. Not only cause these types of problems cause immediate repairs, but they could also impact the life expectancy of your air conditioning system.
One of the best ways to avoid repairs is to get your system regularly maintained by a professional. During regular maintenance visits, your technician will thoroughly inspect, clean and repair every component of your system. This will allow them to find any small problems that could be developing and fix them early. Not only could this potentially help you avoid repairs, but it could also increase the efficiency of your system and extend the life of your equipment.
If you need air conditioning repair in Fairfield, OH, make sure that you call Bartels Heating & Cooling.
Air Conditioning Repair Question: My Compressor Won’t Start
Thursday, June 27th, 2013Modern air conditioning systems are more efficient and reliable than ever before. That does not mean that you will never experience any problems with your AC, though. All mechanical systems can fail in a variety of different ways, and your air conditioner is no exception. If you notice any issues with the operation of your AC, or if it fails on you completely, contact the West Chester, OH air conditioning repair technicians you can really count on at Bartel’s Heating & Cooling. We thought it would help our customers if we provided some information on common reasons why your compressor won’t start.
Your compressor is a vital part of your air conditioning system, and if it will not start up you are in for some discomfort. Having the problem repaired as soon as possible is absolutely necessary. One reason this issue may come up is faulty wiring. Your compressor needs a constant supply of electricity in order to get running and stay on. If the power source feeding the compressor is not able to feed it that power, it will fail. The start capacitor, which transfers power to the compressor to get it going, may also be at fault.
Simple mechanical issues can also be to blame. If you have not had your system properly maintained it is possible that the motor is not properly oiled. The bearings may also be broken or damaged, or the motor itself may have some issue. Only a qualified professional can determine if a mechanical failure is causing your compressor to let you down.
Finally, a refrigerant leak may cause the level to drop enough that the compressor will not turn on. Refrigerant is recycled over and over, rather than being consumed, so a low refrigerant charge is most likely the result of a leak somewhere in the system. Contact your AC technician to have the leak repaired and your refrigerant properly charged.
To learn more about why your compressor may have failed, contact Bartel’s Heating & Cooling today. We can answer any questions you may have. Our West Chester, OH air conditioning repair technicians have the information you need to get your AC back up and running.