D'Spain Sales and Service Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Air Conditioning’

Why Is Short Cycling a Problem?

Monday, June 6th, 2016

You may have heard the term “short cycling” applied to your heater or air conditioner before. It’s a fairly common problem, though the causes can be quite varied. It’s what happens when your system turns on and runs for a short period of time, then turns off again very suddenly, only to turn on again a few minutes later. It sounds like a very minor problem. Unfortunately, it’s anything but, and the moment you detect it, you need to turn off your air conditioning and call in a trained professional.

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How to Maximize Your Air Conditioner’s Efficiency This Spring

Monday, May 16th, 2016

Spring is here in Fredericksburg, TX and that means the chilly temperatures of winter have given way to warm days and increased use of your air conditioner. You may be feeling the pinch with higher bills this spring, as your system is called upon more and more often. That’s only going to get worse as spring turns to summer and your air conditioner will likely see daily use for months before there’s any let up. In those circumstances, you want your system to function as efficiently as possible, so as not to waste any energy But you still need your home to be kept cool on even the hottest days, and you shouldn’t have to give up on comfort just to save a few bucks in monthly air conditioning expenses. There are ways to do that, however, that it pays to look into.

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Is Your Air Conditioner Telling You It Needs Replacing?

Monday, May 2nd, 2016

It can often come as a shock when your air conditioning system finally gives up the ghost, leading you to replace it with a new one. But few defunct systems simply fall apart without warning, and most of them will let you know well in advance that the time has come to replace them with a new one. Now is the time to look for such warning signs, before summer hits Bandera, TX, and a new system can be ready to go by the time the first heat wave arrives. Here’s a few quick tips to let you know when to put your old system out to pasture for good.

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Are Ductless Cooling Systems Right for You?

Monday, March 21st, 2016

Spring is officially here, and while many of us in the Fredericksburg, TX area are still recovering from the winter, now is an excellent time to consider adding a new air conditioner or swapping out an old one whose time has come. Most people tend to think of air conditioners as centralized units, blowing air through a series of ducts to get to the rooms of your home. There is, however, an alternative for those so interested. Ductless air conditioning systems get rid of those ducts in favor of smaller individual units, each controlled separately from the rest and each charged with cooling a single room or section of your home. Ductless systems cost a little more to install than other kinds of air conditioner, so you need to make sure that the benefits they offer match your specific needs. Here’s a few tips to determine whether ductless cooling systems are right for you.

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3 Signs of a Refrigerant Leak in Your AC System

Monday, March 14th, 2016

With March arriving in its usual fashion, residents of Kerrville, TX are turning their attention towards their air conditioner, which has likely sat unused over the last few months but which will soon be called upon to get your household through another hot Texas summer. Now is the time to have your system checked out for any lingering problems that it may have picked up over the winter: getting them identified and repaired now means it won’t cause you any trouble when you need it.

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Schedule a Maintenance Session for Your Air Conditioner

Monday, March 7th, 2016

Have you scheduled a maintenance session for your air conditioner in the last year? If you haven’t, there’s no time like the present. With spring right around the corner, warm weather is well on its way, and you want to ensure that you have a fully functioning air conditioner to keep comfortable. Air conditioner maintenance is essential to avoiding major AC problems in the future.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Boerne
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Why Do I Have to Change My AC Air Filter?

Monday, June 29th, 2015

For any kind of serious work on your air conditioner, you should always call an expert for help. But one thing you, as the homeowner, can do on your own is change the air filter in your air conditioning system regularly. It may seem like a small thing, but a dirty, clogged air filter can create some pretty big problems. The best way to avoid these problems is to change the air filter every three months. What kind of problems are we talking about? Here are some we see a lot of here at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc.:

Tags: Air Conditioning, Boerne
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When Is the Best Time for New Air Conditioning Installation?

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

Your air conditioner is nearing the end of its life and you know it will soon need replacement. But if you think it may still be able to run for a little while longer, you may worry about spending money unnecessarily on a new unit. This is an understandable concern, and many homeowners are not quite sure when is the right time to say goodbye to their older air conditioner. In this guide, we’ll tell you some of the signs to look for when deciding whether to replace your system, and why these signs mean that now may be the perfect time for air conditioning installation.

Old Age: Unfortunately, any AC will fail at some point, and the best predictor is sometimes the age of the unit. Check with your manufacturer for the most accurate estimate of how long your unit is meant to last. In general, units over ten years old are far more likely to fail.
Frequent Repairs: If it seems like you’ve called a technician for repairs again and again, there is a chance that the components of your system are simply too worn to function as they should. This means you may end up replacing part after part, which will be more expensive than replacing your entire unit now.
High Energy Bills: A final indicator that it’s time for your unit to go is high bills. When your energy bills spike unexpectedly, it could mean wear and tear on your system is causing it to fail, particularly if you have an older unit.

If any of these signs lead you to believe it’s time for replacement, don’t wait to call a technician. Older air conditioners are inefficient and at a much higher risk of repairs and breakdowns. Besides, broken down units are often more costly to replace, and you don’t want to risk a sudden failure when you need it most.

The best way to determine whether or not your unit needs replacement is by talking to a specialist, like the friendly technicians at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. When you have questions about air conditioning in Helotes, TX don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and talk to one of our experts today!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Helotes
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How Air Conditioners Work

Monday, August 25th, 2014

Whether you own a heat pump, central air unit or ductless mini split, they all share a common purpose: to cool your indoor space. When you adjust the thermostat on a hot afternoon, you want to make sure that your cooling system responds. But how does it respond? Although you may have long enjoyed the comfort and convenience of your air conditioner, you may be wondering at where that cool air comes from, if not from a block of ice. The process is complicated but having a basic understanding of how air conditioners work is useful. It may help you catch a problem before it becomes a major issue.

The fundamental process behind many of the most popular refrigeration systems, from central air to walk-in coolers is more or less the same. It involves the transfer of thermal energy by means of a refrigerant cycle. Let’s start with a standard central air split system, so-called because it splits the system into an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. Packaged units (wherein all components are housed in the same quarters) are more popular in commercial applications. Let’s begin with the compressor, which is a pump located in the outdoor unit along with the condenser coil. It takes the low temperature, low pressure gas fresh from its interaction with your warm air in the evaporator coil and it pressurizes it. This radically increases the temperature and pressure of the gas so that it can disperse this thermal energy as it goes through the condenser.

As its name suggests, the condenser coil and blower fan work in tandem to cool this gas, thus turning it into a liquid. It has lost a significant amount of thermal energy originally taken out of your indoor air, but not enough to cool your air. In order to drop the temperature further, your liquid refrigerant enters an expansion valve where it is depressurized and cooled dramatically. It is now primed for cooling purposes. It heads indoors where it circulates through the evaporator coil. The interaction between the cold refrigerant in these coils and your warm indoor air extracted from your living space is the key to the cooling. The refrigerant absorbs the thermal energy of your air and cools the air in the process. Your cooled air is then distributed throughout your home.

If you’d like some more information about our air conditioning services in Boerne, TX, then don’t hesitate to give us a call today.

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Choosing the Right Air Conditioner for Your Home in Boerne, TX

Monday, July 28th, 2014

Well, what’s it going to be? Do you want energy efficiency or performance? Year-round heating and cooling or a powerful dedicating cooling machine? Ducts or no ducts? Ground-source or air-source heat pump? If you’ve already begun the process of researching the various systems that are available for installation in your home, then you may be aware of the sheer diversity of systems on the residential market. While it’s good to have options, it can also make the process of selection stressful as you’re apt to want the best possible system for the size and layout of your home as well as for your budget. It’s best to consult with a professional early on, so you can eliminate those systems that would be too expensive, not powerful enough, or impossible to install on your property.

Choosing the right air conditioner for your home means weighing your options carefully. You have to decide what’s most important to you and you absolutely must make sure that your new system is appropriately sized. Here are some things to think about.

Cooling capacity. All air conditioners, no matter what make or model, have a cooling capacity that gives you a sense of what they’re capable of. This is often given in British Thermal Units (BTUs), and it’s imperative that your living space be properly matched to an air conditioner. While you definitely don’t want a system that is too small, you also don’t want a system that is overly large. Improperly sized systems lead to inefficient cooling, poor performance, and even increased risk of repairs as your system short-cycles or struggles to cool your home.
Ductwork. If you’re at all hesitant about ductwork in the home, whether for reasons of indoor air quality or energy efficiency, then you don’t have to compromise. Ductless mini splits are quickly gaining in popularity for their efficiency ratings and versatile cooling capacity.
Cooling and heating? Another consideration that you may want to keep in mind is that several cooling systems can also handle your heating duties during the winter. Considering our relatively mild winters, this is often a great benefit. Heat pumps as well as ductless mini splits work this way.

Let our expert technicians find a system that’s right for your home. We offer professional air conditioning service in Boerne, TX and the surrounding area. Call us today.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Boerne
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