The HEAT is back! But… your A/C could still freeze up!

pzmija air conditioning, JJ McLellan August 26, 2014air conditioning, Cooling, heat of the summer, HVAC, HVAC maintenance, hvac service, HVAC Technician, is your furnace filter clean, JJ McLellan, preventative maintenance, why does my air conditioner freeze up 0 Comment

The heat of the summer is back and in full force!

The hydro grid will be feeling the force today with all the air conditioners being turned back on to cool the homes after the fall-like weather we have had.

Even with this hot humid weather, your air conditioner can still freeze up!

Why?

If you only turn on your air conditioner when its very hot out or if your system is dirty. Both can cause the system to run continuous or cycle on and off too quickly and could over work the system which would eventually freeze up or a part could burn out within the furnace.

How?

When the air moves over the A-Coil, which is located above the furnace, the A-Coil cools the air with the freon from the condenser. When the system does not get a chance to rest and is continuously running the A-Coil will eventually ice up causing the system to not work properly.

This is an A-Coil. The freon runs through the copper tubes. It really does have an A shape!

Looking down on the case A-Coil.

What Should I Do?

To avoid the air conditioner system freezing up there are a few suggestions.
1. Keep the temperature in your home set at a consistent temperature all the time. If the home requires cooling, the air conditioner will turn on.
2. If you only use your air conditioner when it gets very hot – begin by setting the thermostat just 2-3 degress less than what the current temperature is in the room. Once the house reaches that temperature, let it sit for 30 min and then lower it again by 2 degrees. By allowing your home to slowly be brought down to a comfortable temperature your equipment has a chance to rest and will avoid freezing up that constant operation can cause.
3. Set a realistic cooling temperature. On very hot humid days, your system will have a very hard time cooling your entire home or business after not being on for a day or more.
4. Ensure your filter is clean! A dirty filter will block air flow causing the system to over work.Filters are not expensive. Buy a few at a time and have them on hand ready to change!
5. Is your heating system clean? If your furnace and air conditioner are dirty this can cause your system to over work.

If you are doing all the correct things and its still not working properly, it could be low on freon or there could be a more serious issue. In which case you should call a professional!

Stay cool 🙂

A Visual.
An A-Coil and Furnace ready for installation in a customer’s home. The A-Coil is cased so it comes like this with the coil inside. The front of the case comes off to check or clean. A-Coils which do not come in a case have duct work built around them.

“Spring cleaning”, what about Summer, Fall and Winter?

pzmija JJ McLellan August 20, 2012ac service, cleaning and service, furnace filters, furnace service, hvac service, JJ McLellan, local business, mount forest, Spring Cleaning, when should I clean and service my furnace 0 Comment

When is the last time you pulled out all your furniture to vacuum behind and clean under?

We did just that tonight. Thankfully my husband is very understanding and used to my rearranging urges and ideas, tonight while doing so he flipped the couch and lazy boy’s over so I could clean under – WOW! Its hard to believe that we did this exact same cleaning in the Spring and how much dog hair, dust and “stuff” (oh stuffing too from dog toys) we found behind the couch and under it as well as the chairs.

Pulling out the furniture also gave me another chance to vacuum out the cold air return – which remember isn’t supposed to be behind any furniture, ours is behind a side table and has room for air flow yet still gets dog hair and dust all over it!

Just think… what we find behind and under our furniture is only a portion of the dust, hair and dirt that doesn’t make it through the vents and into the heating and cooling system! Unfortunately cleaning behind this furniture even 4 times a year, or more, still won’t stop dust, dirt etc from going into and through your system.

So when is the last time you cleaned or changed your filters? When is the last time you even checked your filters? Or how about the last time you had your heating and cooling system cleaned and serviced? Did you know that many manufacturers do specify that the equipment must be serviced yearly or if it isn’t it could void some or all of your warranty! Car manufacturers do this too, if you’vd never had an oil change on your vehicle and something happens, why should they cover equipment that was never properly maintained. Your home or business heating and cooling system is very much the same! Some insurance companies also state the equipment must be maintained yearly by a trained professional.

Did you know a dirty filter could even choke out the heating system, yup even your furnace has to breathe!

I’m sure many of you, like us, enjoy opening the windows and doors to let the fresh air in, especially on these gorgeous cool nights! Living in a small rural town dusty roads are common, even on roads that are paved, with doors and windows open we let in not only the gorgeous fresh air but also dust and dirt. Some of this dust and dirt you will not even see, unless you change or clean your filters!

I bet I could guess what pops into your mind, yeah I’ve thought of it, I know we need to do it but we are busy, I haven’t had time to call, I’ll get around to it, I’m sure its fine, it can wait. Unfortunately for some of our customers this is what they thought, and when does the furnace or heating system break down… when its cold or when its a holiday! Christmas 2011 we had a customer with 4 young children without heat, with a “builder standard” furnace in their almost brand new home and sick of “dealing with it”, we rounded up a bunch of heaters for them to get them through the afternoon and evening until the very next morning, bright and early a new (and much quieter) Lennox Furnace was being installed.
Of course $h*t happens, we all know that. But if you could decrease your chances of having a break down in the middle of heating season and perhaps prevent a very costly repair or even replacement, its worth it!

Help your family breathe a little easier and help your heating system run much more efficiently and economically! Always use a licensed gas technician (or properly trained electrical hvac technician for your electric furnace) to clean and service your equipment. Remember, you as the home owner have a right to know that the gas technician is licensed and works for a reputable and insured company!

Give us a call at 1-866-565-5513 to book your annual cleaning and servicing. OR don’t wait until business hours, drop an Email For Service, Repair or New Install email to Pam or Mike, if you are thinking of a new install, and we would be happy to accommodate your needs and requirements!

At JJ McLellan & Son Plumbing & Heating We Are The Home Comfort People Who Service What We Sell & More!

A locally owned & operated business for over 60 years and 4 generations of family!