Category: air conditioner failure

A Guide to How a New AC System Can Save You Money

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When an AC system is reaching the end of its life, it will struggle to cool your home, raise your energy bills, and make loud noises. An older AC system will also need more frequent repairs, meaning you’ll have to shell out more money to keep your AC running. Typically, AC systems last between 15 to 20 years. As they age, they’ll use more energy and need more repairs.

If your AC is starting to break down or is over 15 years old, it can save you money to replace your old unit with a new system. 

3 Ways a New AC System Can Save You Money

While you might want to delay replacing your old AC due to the costs of a new unit and installation services, keeping an old unit around can cost you more money in the future. By replacing your system, you can reduce AC repair costs, properly size your unit for your home, and increase your home’s energy efficiency. Learn more about how all these factors can save you money when you invest in a new AC installation below:

1. Increased Energy Efficiency

As an air conditioner ages, it often stays on longer to cool your home effectively. This inefficiency increases energy usage, directly impacting your monthly energy bills. In addition, older AC units usually have a lower Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER), meaning the system will consume more energy to cool a home than a system with a higher rating. All residential ACs sold in the U.S. must have a SEER rating of 13 or higher. In the state of California, the minimum SEER rating is 15.

While a SEER rating of 13 is the national requirement, air conditioning systems with higher SEER ratings can help you save money while limiting emissions. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy suggests switching from a SEER 9 AC to a SEER 14 AC could save customers around $35 a month in energy bills. By switching to one of the California-allowed SEER 15 units, you can expect even more money in savings. 

When you reach out to an AC installation specialist for assistance, they can help you find the most energy-efficient model that’s right for your home. A trained specialist should be able to tell you about the best brands available, the AC’s expected increase in energy efficiency, and any other information you’d like to know. After this new AC is installed, the system’s reduced energy consumption will help you save money over time by lowering your energy bills.

2. Reduced Risk of Needing Repairs

Another way a new AC installation can save you money is by reducing the chance your AC will need repairs. Since your old AC will have experienced wear and tear over the years, it’s far more likely to need service than a new model. Some older models may also not be as durable as newer systems. This increased risk of needing a repair can cost you, especially if you constantly have to repair the unit or replace broken parts.

With a new model, you can lower your risk of needing repairs. Updated units tend to be more durable and won’t have experienced wear from years of use. With a fresh AC system, you won’t have to shell out cash for new repairs or replacement parts. You can also extend the life of your unit and lower the chance of needing repairs by investing in regular maintenance, such as Peter Levi’s Complete Comfort Club.

3. Improved Sizing for Your Home

When you have an old AC system in your home, it could be improperly sized. If your air conditioner is too small for your home, it will have to run longer and harder to cool your home properly. An AC that runs longer than necessary will increase your energy bills, resulting in increased costs. An undersized AC will also break down faster and require costly repairs sooner than it should. Even oversized AC systems can cause issues, as they run for shorter cycles that stop adequate dehumidification, which can make your home’s air feel clammy.

As you look for a new HVAC system, a trained technician can inspect your home to find the proper size for your future AC unit. Besides looking at your home’s square footage, a knowledgeable technician will review your home’s interior heat gain, ceiling height, air leakage, layout, and sun exposure. By reviewing all these factors, you can select an appropriately sized AC for your home. As a result, a correctly sized AC will prevent extra costs due to excess energy usage or premature repairs.

Choose Peter Levi for New AC Installation Near You in Novato

If you’re interested in receiving the cost-saving benefits of a new AC system and looking for AC installation near you in Northern California, Peter Levi can help. Our certified HVAC technicians can help you select a new AC system meeting your needs and remove your old AC for you. Next, our team will install the system and be available if you need any AC repair or maintenance services in the future. Additionally, we offer various coupons to ensure our services meet your budget.

Learn more about our AC installation services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us. 

Why Does My Air Conditioning Feel Warm?

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When your air conditioner is working correctly, it should never blow warm air. Warm air from your AC likely indicates a problem with the unit. It’s critical you have an HVAC technician inspect it as soon as possible. If you’re wondering if it’s time to call an HVAC tech, learn more about the five main reasons why your AC is blowing warm air and the leading solutions for each problem.

5 Reasons Why Your Air Conditioner Is Blowing Warm Air

Your air conditioner could be blowing warm air due to thermostat issues, low refrigerant levels, frozen evaporator coils, or a variety of other problems. When you know the primary reasons why an AC might be blowing warm air, you can more quickly spot when your AC is having issues and take action before a problem spirals out of control. Review the five reasons why your AC might feel warm and how to solve them below:

1: Thermostat Issues

Sometimes, an AC that isn’t blowing cool air is due to a malfunctioning thermostat or an improper setting. Before you spring for a full HVAC inspection, ensure your thermostat hasn’t been accidentally set to heat. If it’s not on its heating setting, your thermostat could be malfunctioning. 

Typically, the chance of a thermostat issue being to blame is increased if the thermostat is older or hasn’t been calibrated correctly. You can always check your thermostat manual to ensure all your settings are correct. Still, you’ll probably need to contact an HVAC specialist to review your thermostat and the rest of your HVAC system to determine if the thermostat is to blame.

2: Low Refrigerant

When your thermostat isn’t to blame, there’s a high chance low refrigerant levels are causing the warm air. Your AC’s refrigerant absorbs the humidity and heat in your air. If your AC doesn’t have enough refrigerant, it won’t be able to effectively remove heat from your air, resulting in warm airflow.

AC refrigerant circulates within a sealed system. While some components require regular maintenance, air conditioner refrigerant rarely needs service—unless there is a problem. In these cases, your AC is likely leaking refrigerant from a hole or crack.

Usually, you can tell your AC has low refrigerant if ice is building up in your exterior unit or if you can hear bubbling or hissing noises. Without quick service, the leaking refrigerant could damage your compressor motor. As a result, you must have an HVAC technician inspect your system, repair any leaks, and refill your refrigerant. 

3: Dirty Condenser Coils

When your condenser coils work correctly, they’ll remove heat from your home’s air and transport it outdoors. However, these coils are in your outdoor condenser and can be exposed to the elements. Due to their location outdoors, grime, dirt, and other debris can sometimes accumulate on them, resulting in reduced heat transfer. Without proper heat transfer, your AC will start blowing warm air. The dirty coils can even put greater strain on your AC, causing early breakdowns.

To solve dirty condenser coils, a trained HVAC technician must turn off your condenser, open up your unit, and clean the coils. You can reduce the chance of your condenser coils getting dirty by regularly removing debris around the condenser and using a hose to wash off any dirt build-up.

4: Frozen Evaporator Coils

Another reason your AC might be blowing warm air is frozen evaporator coils. Your evaporator coils contain your AC’s refrigerant and will help absorb heat from your air. Ice can build up on these coils when you have low refrigerant levels or when air can’t flow properly through your unit. Though the evaporator coils will be cold, they won’t be able to absorb warm air. In these cases, your AC will either blow warm air or no air at all.

Since frozen evaporator coils usually indicate a problem with your AC, you’ll need an HVAC technician to inspect your unit to find the source of the problem. Usually, dirty air filters or refrigerant levels will have caused the freezing, so an HVAC technician may need to repair or replace a filter before cleaning the evaporator coils.

5: Dirty Air Filters

Your AC’s air filters prevent dust and debris from entering your HVAC system. Over time, these filters will get clogged. If you don’t change them, air can’t flow through your system easily, and your AC might blow warm air. Fortunately, solving a dirty air filter is easy!

You can simply swap out the old filter for a clean one that fits your system. To prevent dirty filters in the future, you might also want to sign up for a maintenance plan where an HVAC technician will regularly swap out your filters and inspect your system.

Choose Peter Levi for AC Repair Near You in Novato, CA

If you’re looking for AC repair, replacement, or maintenance services near you in Novato or the surrounding areas, Peter Levi has you covered. When your AC is blowing warm air, you can trust our HVAC technicians to thoroughly inspect your system, share our results with you, and provide any repairs your AC needs to start working again. We can also replace your AC with a more energy-efficient model if it’s damaged beyond repair or on its last legs. Additionally, we offer multiple coupons to ensure you receive the best deal possible on our services.

We welcome you to learn more about our air conditioning services to get started. Please contact us if you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment today!