Some rain, some cloudy weather, some warm temperatures … we’re already starting to feel a bit of fall creep in, even though the official start of fall is (as of this writing) a bit over a week away. Could you stand for a bit of fall planning now? It’s always a smart idea to get started on something you may procrastinate on later. And it’s pretty easy to procrastinate on taking care of your household heating system when you’re deep in the middle of other fall activities and home winterizing.
Bob Mims Heating & Air Conditioning Blog
Schedule a Tune-Up for Your Heater Early!
September 11th, 2017Short-Cycling Air Conditioner: What It Is, Why It’s Bad
August 28th, 2017
Among the more common malfunctions that can occur with a residential air conditioning system is something called short-cycling. The brief definition of short-cycling is that it’s when the compressor of an air conditioner turns on and off rapidly—too rapidly to do much good and too rapidly for the good of the air conditioner.
We’re going to delve deeper into this common repair situation so you’ll have a better idea of when to call us for air conditioning service in Staten Island, NY.
What’s in the Future of Air Conditioning and Heating?
August 14th, 2017
We have a long history as an HVAC company: we’ve been serving the comfort needs of homes in Staten Island for more than 60 years. When we first started in business in the mid-1950s, the window air conditioning unit was the newest innovation in cooling, and many homes still lacked ventilation systems. Today, we work with central air conditioners, high efficiency cooling systems, flexible ductless mini split heat pumps, computerized zone control systems, smart thermostats, and more. The development of air conditioning technology over the past few decades is tremendous—and we’ve not only stayed current with it, we’re always looking ahead to the future.
We’re going to use the HVAC crystal ball to look forward to what we can expect in the future when it comes to heating and air conditioning. The technology for many of these developments is already in place. It’s only a question of finding the best way to implement them affordably for residential systems.
Why Newer Air Conditioners Are More Energy Efficient
July 31st, 2017
At the start of the summer, we took a look at the energy efficiency rating for air conditioners (SEER) to help you understand how modern ACs are rated and compared. We encourage customers who have an air conditioner that’s more than 15 years old to replace it with a new system—even if the current system still seems to be working adequately—because it means superior energy efficiency right from the start. That’s not only because a newer system will be in better shape. It’s also because the current crop of air conditioners are more energy efficient in general.
Why is that the case? What technological developments have allowed the current line of air conditioners (as well as heat pumps) to use less energy to run while providing the same cooling power? There are a couple of reasons:
Not Too Small, Not Too Large: Why AC’s Must Be Just the Right Size
July 17th, 2017
When it comes to the size of an air conditioner in a house, the “Goldilocks Rule” applies: you don’t want an air conditioner that’s too small or too large, but one that’s just right. Finding the right size of air conditioner is a tricky job, however, and it’s not something you want to make a guess at. You must have skilled professionals handle the job of sizing a new central air conditioning installation so you don’t end up with either an AC that can’t keep your home cool enough or an AC that drains energy because it’s too powerful.
How High and Low Humidity Can Be Problems for Your Household
July 3rd, 2017
“It’s not so much the heat, it’s the humidity.” Everybody has heard a version of this saying before. People know that when humidity is high, a hot day feels worse. But why does it feel worse? And is an extremely dry day much better? Is there an ideal between too humid and too dry? And what can you do to achieve that ideal in your house?
Okay, that’s already a lot of questions to ask, and we’d better get to the answers before even more questions pile up. (And if you still have further questions, contact our experts. We’re here to see that you have the best possible help for your air conditioning in Staten Island, NY during the summer.)
Keep a Watch for These Early Season AC Repair Warnings
June 19th, 2017
As the summer weather gets going here in New York City, you’ll begin to use your air conditioner for steady periods for the first time in the year. If you’ve arranged for its spring maintenance already, the system will be off to the best possible start. (However, it’s never too late to contact us about our maintenance agreement so you can have the AC tuned-up and inspected.)
But there’s no magical service that can make an AC immune to problems. If there were, believe me, we’d offer it! Maintenance is as close as it comes. During these opening summer weather days, it pays to attend closely to how your air conditioner is operating. This way you can catch any early troubles and have them fixed before the temperatures soar in July and August. Our AC repair experts are ready to help you!
Fixing That Hot Upstairs in Your Home with AC Solutions
June 5th, 2017
Every region has particular comfort problems that HVAC specialists have to deal with. Here in Staten Island, a trouble we often find our customers experience is uneven home cooling during the summer. Usually the ground floor is comfortably cool when the air conditioner is running, but the upstairs remains stiflingly hot.
You might think there isn’t anything to be done about this. Heat rises, so the most heat will collect in the second floor. But this isn’t true! Our professionals have ways to help evenly cool homes with excellent air conditioning service in Staten Island, NY. If you have an unpleasantly hot upstairs in your home, contact us and we’ll find a way to provide even cooling comfort through the summers.
Taking a Close Look at Energy Efficiency for Air Conditioners
May 22nd, 2017
Spring is the best time of year to install a new air conditioning system, something we talked about at the beginning of the season. But making the choice to replace an old air conditioner with a new system is only the start of the installation process. There are many more choices you must make when it comes to a new air conditioner in Staten Island, NY, and you’ll require the assistance of HVAC experts for each of them. These choices include deciding on the type of AC to have installed (perhaps you want to try out a ductless system) and how powerful the cooling system needs to be (under-powered or over-powered are equally bad).
In this post, we’re going to look at the question of efficiency: how well does an air conditioning system convert electrical power into cooling output?
Thermostat Tips for Hot Weather
May 8th, 2017
May is planning time for hot weather. This is when we recommend our customers schedule their air conditioning maintenance: our technicians will provide a thorough inspection and tune-up for an air conditioning system to help it work with as few problems as possible through the summer. A tune-up also keeps an air conditioner operating at its maximum energy efficiency, helping to save money. (And we’re offering a great deal on an AC tune-up right now!)
However, people often allow their energy savings of air conditioning maintenance in Staten Island, NY go to waste over the summer by forcing their cooling systems to work harder than necessary. It might surprise you to find out that some basic errors in setting the thermostat can lead to a significant bump in your utility bills. These errors are common, and we’d like to offer advice for how you can change your thermostat habits to start saving money with your AC when the summer heat arrives.
