The Annual A/C Inspection: Why You Shouldn't Skip It

HVAC industry experts recommend that air conditioning systems be inspected by a professional prior to Oklahoma’s hot summer weather. While there are some tasks a homeowner can take care of, the A/C inspection includes tasks only a professional is qualified to complete. Providing proper annual maintenance before the air conditioning is actually needed ensures the system will operate properly during the hottest weather. Skipping annual maintenance, on the other hand, puts the air conditioning system at risk for failure when you need it most.

The best time to schedule an annual inspection is while the weather is still cool, as once hot weather settles in scheduling service can be more difficult. The A/C inspection is your best protection against damage to the system from improperly functioning components. Your A/C technician checks the operation of all components, allowing minor problems to be resolved before they evolve into major repair issues.

Proper maintenance, beginning with the annual A/C inspection, saves money throughout the cooling season. First, it ensures the system is operating properly before the hot weather begins. Second, maintenance minimizes the odds of an A/C system failure during the hot weather, eliminating unnecessary emergency service calls. Third, proper service can significantly reduce the daily cost of operating your air conditioning. The Department of Energy reports that simply cleaning or replacing filters can reduce energy use by up to 15 percent. Industry figures suggest that correcting a refrigerant charge saves much more. An extended HVAC service plan can help greatly with controlling costs and minimizing emergency service calls.

To prepare for Oklahoma’s hottest months, contact Air Assurance for a complete A/C inspection. Our qualified technicians will carefully prepare your air conditioning system and provide advice on how to best minimize your air conditioning expenses during our hottest months.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Get Central Air In Tough-To-Reach Spots Through A Ductless Mini-Split

When adding air conditioning to a new space, such as an addition to your home or a building that was not designed with central air conditioning in mind, you may find it difficult to reach some rooms with traditional air ducts. A central air conditioning system does have its limitations, especially when you are dealing with limited space available for the bulky air handler and ducts. In those cases, ductless mini-splits may provide a solution. From the outside, ductless mini-splits look like any other air conditioning system, as they utilize a single outdoor heat pump or compressor unit. And, on the inside, they also use air-handler units to cool and blow the air, just like in a central air system. The big difference is that instead of one large, central air handler, a ductless mini-split system uses multiple "mini" ones. Instead of being centrally located and distributing the air through ducts, each mini air handler is physically located at the room or rooms it is designed to cool. Since each unit can blow cooled air directly into the room, they are "ductless".The main benefit to this is that ductless mini-splits are easier to install, especially in those tough-to-reach spots. Instead of bulky ducts, mini-splits require only a thin conduit be installed to carry the refrigerant to and from the outdoor unit. The conduits can be as long as 50 feet, allowing you to reach the more distant parts of your house.Ductless mini-splits also provide better comfort, and more control. Since each room or zone has its own independently-controlled cooling unit, with its own thermostat, you can ensure there are no rooms that are too hot or too cold. This also saves energy, as you can adjust the thermostat for rooms that are not currently in use. The lack of ducts also aids in efficiency.In fact, many of these units are 30-50% more efficient than standard central units.These are great for bonus rooms, garages, patio rooms, etc.To learn more about ductless mini-splits, and whether they may be right for your home, contact the Tulsa/Broken Arrow mini-split experts at Air Assurance. We would be happy to answer whatever questions you may have.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

Will Your Air Conditioning Last All Summer? Ways To Tell

Coming home to a hot home is not a pleasant experience.  In Oklahoma, where temperatures can easily reach 100+ degrees in the summer and the average summertime temperature can be in the 90s, failing air conditioning systems can be especially annoying. Will your air conditioning system last for this season?  Here are a few tips to help you find out:

1. How old is it? If your system is over ten years old, it is a good time to have it checked and possibly replaced. Note that replacing systems that old can actually save you a lot of money on energy bills.

2. Have you had your system checked every year? Having a professional like Air Assurance review your system each year is a good practice – and keeps your system running longer.

3. How bad are your energy bills? If you have unusually high electrical costs when running your air conditioner, this could be a good indicator that it is using far more energy than it should.

4. Have you regularly replaced your filters? Replacing your filters every 2-4 months (depending on the type of home and amount of dirt/dust) is very important and could prevent damage to your system caused by the internal components working harder than they should. Make sure and not buy the cheapest filter!

5. How did it do last year? If you had problems cooling your home last year, the situation will not improve this summer unless the system is thoroughly checked.

The safest and easiest way to determine if your air conditioning system will make it through the summer is to have a professional inspect your system before the season begins.  In Oklahoma, Air Assurance  is available to help you with an inspection before trouble begins.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here.Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.