Category: Air Conditioning

Repair Your Air Conditioning to Save Money

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

For most families, the largest part of their utility consumption is the air conditioner, and although this is unavoidable during those hot, humid summers, it can be reduced. An air conditioner that goes year after year without being serviced will perform less efficiently each year – as much as 15% less each year. While this may not seem like a lot of money to save, keep in mind that service will also safeguard the lifetime of the equipment and avoid costly air conditioning repair.

There are some things the homeowner can do to keep the unit operating better. First of all, be sure to change the filter regularly. It is recommended to change the filter at least once a month during operation months. It won’t hurt to do it more often if you have pets or conditions that produce dust and airborne particles. You should also be sure the outdoor equipment does not get clogged with landscaping debris such as fallen leaves and growing ivy.

All air conditioning repair should be done by a professional. An annual or even bi-annual contract is inexpensive in comparison to high utility bills and extra repair costs. A professional will come out and completely check over your system. They will clean the areas such as the evaporator and condenser coils. They will balance the system, oil any parts that need it, and check the filters, which are all things the average homeowner would not have the proper equipment and knowledge to service. They will also let you know when it may be time to give your ductwork some attention. Leaking air ducts can cost you a ton in both cooling and heating costs.

A professional can tell you if your air conditioner is in need of replacement, or give you a timeline as to when it may need to be replaced. Even though the equipment may be working, with the newer systems, you may save so much in utility costs that it makes sense to change it out for a more efficient system. Quite often homes are built by developers looking to put in the least expensive system they can while overlooking energy efficiency. Sometimes the systems they put in are not even the right size for the square footage of the home. In these cases, Acosta can sit down with you and let you know just how much you might save by upgrading your system.

Whether you have your equipment serviced, repaired, or replaced, the bottom line is that you will save money by not neglecting your air conditioning equipment. And you just may feel a whole lot cooler this summer without having to sit right in front of the air duct! To schedule routine maintenance of your system, call Acosta at [phone] or click here to schedule online: https://www.acostainc.com/services/money-saving-agreement/#msa-form.

“Fiscal Cliff” Averted; HVAC and Water Heating Tax Credits Extended

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Good news for tax payers in Charlotte, North Carolina!

Aimed at averting the “fiscal cliff,” the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) has extended numerous energy-efficiency and renewable energy deductions and credits for another year—and that means more savings for you! Energy tax credits from 2011 that expired on January 1, 2012 have been extended to December 31, 2013. Because these tax credits were reinstated retroactively, they can be used on any qualifying equipment installed after December 31, 2011. Any eligible taxpayer (homeowner) can claim a tax credit of up to $500 in qualifying HVAC and water heating equipment. Of course, there are a few limitations. Here are some of the details:

Water Heaters (Tax Credit: $300)

Electric heat pump, propane, natural gas, and oil water heaters may qualify.     Minimum standards apply on the energy factor and the thermal efficiency of the water heater.

Furnaces (Tax Credit: $150)

Propane, natural gas, or oil furnaces may qualify.     Minimum standards apply on the AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) of the furnace.

Boilers (Tax Credit: $150)

Propane, natural gas, or oil boilers may qualify.     Minimum standards apply on the AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) of the boiler.

Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps (Tax Credit: $300)

Split-system central air conditioners, packaged central air conditioners, split-system electric heat pumps, and packaged electric heat pumps may qualify.     Minimum standards apply on the SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio), EER (energy efficiency ratio), and HSPF (heating seasonal performance factor) of the air conditioner or heat pump.

Advanced Main Air Circulating Fans (Tax Credit: $50)

Propane, natural gas, or oil furnace fans may qualify as long as they have a maximum annual electricity use of 2% of the total energy of the furnace.

Details about qualifying equipment can be found in Section 25C of the IRC (Internal Revenue Code). If you already have some of the above-mentioned equipment in your home, don’t forget to claim your tax credits! Consult your tax advisor for additional details and instructions about the 25C tax credit extension.

On the other hand, if you haven’t upgraded your air conditioning and heating system yet, now is the time to do so. If you would like to take advantage of both the energy savings and the $500 tax credit, contact a qualified HVAC company to learn more about product eligibility. Residents of Charlotte, North Carolina can call Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical at [phone]for more information.

Greening Up Your Home Starts With the Sensible Use of Air Conditioning

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

In the Charlotte area of North Carolina, summer is hot and humid with temperatures averaging in the mid to high 90s. Air conditioning in this part of the country is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. That said, however, it’s important to try and “green up” your home and save money by minimizing use of your air conditioner. Here are some ways to do this:

  • Dress lightly if it’s hot, and set the air conditioner to a little higher temperature.
  • Use an indoor fan along with your air conditioning unit to disperse the cooled air through your home more efficiently.
  • Never set the thermostat to a colder setting when first switching the air conditioning unit on. It’s not going to cool your home any quicker. In fact, it will increase energy consumption and could cause the air conditioning unit to freeze over.
  • When it’s cool in the morning and night, open the windows and doors. Your home will stay cool for a while, depending on how well it’s sealed and insulated. When it starts getting hot, turn on the air conditioning until after the sun has gone down. Then open the doors and windows again to let the cool air in.
  • To cut down on extra heat, close the blinds on the west, east and south-facing windows. Better still, install shade screens or exterior shades to block the heat before it even gets into your house.
  • If your air conditioning unit is old, consider purchasing an Energy Star rated model. You can save between 10 and 14 percent of your energy costs.

“Prevention Is Better Than Cure” Certainly Holds True for Air Conditioning Repair

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Indeed it’s true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This holds true if you want to prevent identity or auto theft, and it’s also true if you want to reduce the amount of air conditioning repair that your unit needs. By regularly cleaning your air conditioner, you will minimize the need for future repairs.

Here are some cleaning tips to avoid air conditioning repair:

  • Before cleaning it, turn the unit off: This is critical to prevent a shocking experience – literally. Switch off the circuit breaker that powers the air conditioning unit.
  • The coils: With an ordinary garden hose, wet the coils. Then spray with a commercial air conditioner product. Leave the cleaner on the coils for the time indicated on the instructions. Next, rinse off the cleaner. If you have a wall air conditioning unit, you can use the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean the coil fins. Keeping the coils clean is an essential step in preventing air conditioning repair.
  • Replace the filter: In the height of summer when the air conditioner is being used often, the filter should be replaced once a month, or at least every other month, depending on how high usage is. Although the filter is the most basic part of an air conditioning unit, it’s the first line of defense in preventing a buildup of dirt and, ultimately, reducing unnecessary air conditioning repair.IMPORTANT: You can take these simple steps to keep your air conditioner clean, but it is equally important to have a trained professional perform preventative maintenance once or twice a year.

If Space Is a Priority in Your Home, Mini-Split Air Conditioning May Be the Way to Go

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Having the correct air conditioning system in your home greatly improves your quality of life. However, when you’re in the market to buy one, there are many variables to be taken into account. Because buying an air conditioner isn’t something you do every day, the procedure can be quite daunting.

You might think that one air conditioning system is exactly like the next, but there are significant differences between the various systems. When making a choice, you’ll want to be sure that the system you buy is large enough for your home, but not so large that it inflates your energy costs unnecessarily.

If space in your home is at a premium, or if you have a fairly small area to cool, a ductless split air conditioning system may be the best choice. Known as mini-splits, they comprise an indoor unit that can be placed on the wall of an individual room, and an outdoor compressor.

The indoor unit is linked to the compressor by a refrigerant line that supplies it with coolant. Installation is a lot less invasive than the ducted systems utilized by other larger types of air conditioning set-ups. This means that mini-splits can fit into smaller spaces than a lot of traditional air conditioners.

In addition, the indoor units of mini-split air conditioners each have their own thermostat, so the temperature can be controlled in each individual room. The different people in your household can choose the temperature they prefer. Mini-split air conditioning is also cost-effective because you do not have to cool the entire home.

A Solar Heating System That Breaks New Ground in Home Comfort

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

The SunSource solar heating energy system from Lennox brings a new dimension to home comfort that goes way beyond obtaining power from the sun. Helped by roof-mounted modules, it converts sunlight into actual electricity, which can be used to run your air conditioner or heat pump while reducing your cooling and heating costs by up to half.

This solar heating system uses abundant, free solar energy to not only generate electricity to heat and cool your home, but it can even provide sufficient electricity to power your appliances, lights and more. The system is affordable, expandable and incredibly uncomplicated. This illustration shows how it works:

Innovative features of the SunSource solar heating system:

  • Select heat pumps and air conditioners from the Lennox collection can be modified with simple upgrades to act as platforms.
  • The condensing units meet or surpass the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for energy efficiency. When used in conjunction with just 4 solar panels in a whole-home energy system, they can lower cooling and heating bills by up to 82% percent.
  • Up to 15 solar heating modules can be added in the future or at the time of installation.
  • You can use your broadband connection to send online performance information for each module to a 3rd party website where you can see how the system is working.
  • You get 24/7 access to real time data that shows the system’s status, environmental benefits, energy production, and carbon offsets. This monitoring system is free for five yearsVisit our Solar Solutions page for in-depth information about the SunSource system. If you live in the Charlotte area of North Carolina and would like to find out more, contact us to speak with a solar specialist today.

Air Conditioning Repair and Maintenance: Have You Heard About Our MSA Program?

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Our MSA (Money Saving Agreement) is a preventative maintenance initiative for heating and cooling systems. Our highly skilled technicians will inspect, clean and tune up your system to ensure it’s in good working condition for the upcoming season. You’ll find that the MSA will pay for itself many times in the reduction of heating and air conditioning repair costs, while extending the life of your system.

The cost depends on the type of equipment you have. If you have both heating and air conditioning, we suggest two annual service calls. If you have a heating system only, one annual service call will suffice.

As a member, you will receive preferential scheduling plus a 15 percent discount on heating or air conditioning repair work that goes beyond regular maintenance. You also accumulate $50 a year of consecutive coverage which goes toward equipment replacement.

Some Benefits of our MSA Program

  • You can save as much as 20 percent on heating and cooling bills.
  • As a member, you’ll be making a positive impact on the environment by conserving energy because routine maintenance ensures the highest level of energy efficiency.
  • Minor heating and air conditioning repair work and adjustments can prevent catastrophic failures and major repairs that could result in premature replacement of your system.
  • For warranty protection and better equipment management, we keep accurate service records. In order for a manufacturer’s warranty to remain valid, most of the major brands require a licensed contractor to perform annual maintenance.

Visit our Money Saving Agreement page to read more about our MSA program.

Avoiding the Inevitable: Air Conditioning Repair

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Air conditioning repair is an unfortunate possibility for most of us living anywhere south of, let’s say, the taiga. But this harrowing experience may be avoided, if the air conditioning unit is given proper care and maintenance. Of course, not all of us are certified, experienced air conditioning repair technicians; while it’s always a good idea to have one regularly inspect your air conditioning system before each change of season, there are still minor details to which a homeowner can attend.

The first and easiest step in the maintenance of your air conditioning is to clean or replace the filters regularly. The filters will collect dust quickly when the air conditioning is in constant and regular use, so change them frequently. Check them minimally every two months; more frequent cleanings are recommended if you are using your air conditioning constantly or in dusty conditions.

The condenser coils are another part of the air conditioning unit to maintain. The condenser coils are located on the outdoor unit, and have metal fins through which the hot air is dispersed. You will want to make sure these metal fins are clear of debris, in order to let the air pass unrestricted and efficiently. Simply wipe any large debris away, and then clean with water and a brush. Our certified technicians have chemical cleaning agents to do a more thorough cleaning of the outdoor condensing coils. An efficient flow of air will let the unit function properly as well as help to prevent the need for air conditioning repair.

Is Air Conditioning Repair Really Something to Get So “Heated Up” Over?

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Anyone who has experienced a problem requiring air conditioning repair, residential or commercial, during the more brutal months of the summer knows how frustrating and uncomfortable it can be. Whether or not you have had this awful experience, everyone dreads the day when either the vents stop blowing cool air or stop blowing air at all. But is the situation really so terrible as to warrant such feelings? The answer is: sometimes but not always! Here is a list of some of the more common problems associated with air conditioning repair, and it turns out not all of them are indeed so dire. Problems do, however, usually require the attention of a qualified technician.

A large portion of problems requiring air conditioning repair start at the initial installation of the air conditioner. The air conditioner is a complex machine combining several mechanical and chemical processes to function correctly, and therefore, it is no surprise that errors are possible during installation. Faulty wiring is one of the more common mistakes and can be dangerous as well as inconvenient. If your air conditioner stops turning on, the fault could lie in the wiring. For this reason, it is important to make sure to have a competent and qualified air conditioning repair technician service your system.

Bad wiring is undoubtedly bad, but another reason your air conditioner may have stopped turning on could be due to a problem with the compressor; and these problems can quickly become much more expensive. The compressor is one of the main components of your air conditioning system. You can help prevent restriction problems with the compressor by regularly cleaning the air filter, which, if clogged, can put a huge strain on the whole air conditioning system.

If your vents are blowing air, but the air is either not cooled sufficiently or not at all, the culprit is very possibly the coolant. Freon (prior to 2010) is the chemical usually used to cool the air going into a structure; if you are low on Freon, the air will not be cooled as you wish. However, a low level of coolant means you have a leak, which, while usually not the most serious of problems requiring a repair, must certainly be attended to by a qualified air conditioning technician.

Why You Should Call Us for Air Conditioning Repair and All Other HVAC Needs

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

We have been the leading cooling and heating company in the Carolinas for over 40 years. Our installers and technicians are factory-trained and certified to carry out all HVAC procedures.

But, that’s not all. We also ensure that your equipment operates safely, so that you have peace of mind. We’ll also tell you how you can save money on your energy costs. And, more importantly, we can improve the quality of the air that you breathe to prevent you and your family being exposed to airborne allergens.

We guarantee:

  • Outstanding Customer Service: Whether you’re reviewing payment options, scheduling an appointment or following up on a service already provided.
  • Highly Trained Technicians: We provide continuing training and certification for our technicians. They are all NATE-certified and qualified to work on all brands of HVAC equipment. And, before we hire anyone, we check that they have a drug-free background.
  • Professionalism and Punctuality: From air conditioning repair to routine service and maintenance calls, we arrive on time and get the job done in an efficient and timely manner.
  • Cleanliness, Security and Safety: Our highest priority is the security and safety of your family and your possessions. Our installers and technicians carry vacuums and shoe covers to ensure your home stays clean.
  • 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed: All services and installations come with a written 100% satisfaction guarantee.