Understand the Link Between AC and Plumbing in Your Home

AC and plumbing share an important connection that many homeowners may be unaware of. Reducing indoor humidity by condensing water vapor from the air makes an air conditioner function more efficiently and cools the house more effectively.  A central air conditioner may generate up to 20 gallons of condensate daily. If anything goes wrong in that process, the relationship between AC and plumbing quickly becomes very obvious.  

All that condensate has got to go somewhere. Your air conditioner typically handles it like this:

• Warm humid indoor air passes through the frigid, indoor AC evaporator coil. The sudden temperature drop causes humidity present in the air to condense into water.

• Condensation generated by the evaporator coil drips down into a drain pan that's typically located underneath the coil.  

• As the drain pan fills, condensate flows out of the pan through a drain pipe. The drain pipe may extend through an exterior wall and release condensate outside. Alternatively, the condensate drain pipe may connect to the main household plumbing drain.   

As long as nothing goes wrong, this process continues without incident. However, if algae or mold growth forms in the condensate drain pan, or other objects fall into the pan, the drain line may become clogged, creating a problematic issue between AC and plumbing. As the air conditioner cycles on and off and more water enters the drain pan, eventually the pan overflows. By the time this is noticed, substantial indoor water damage may have occurred. 

Prevention is the best recourse to avoid potential water damage due to AC condensate overflow.  

• Schedule annual preventative maintenance on your air-conditioning system by a certified HVAC technician. This provides a systemwide inspection, as well as preventative maintenance procedures, including inspecting the condensate drain system for clogs or other malfunctions.

• Treatment includes cleaning the drain pan to kill algae and mold, as well as verifying that the drain line is clear.

• Another available option is installing a float safety switch that prevents overflow by shutting down the air conditioner if the drain pan fills up.

For more information about potential problems with the connection between AC and plumbing, talk to the experts at Air Assurance.

How to Test the Refrigerant Levels in Your HVAC Unit

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You probably don't think much about the refrigerant in your AC or heat pump unless there's something wrong. If the refrigerant charge in your system is incorrect, it can cause damage. How do you know if your refrigerant levels are off? Here are signs to look for, as well as how to test the refrigerant levels yourself.

Signs of an Incorrect Refrigerant Charge

There are several signs of low refrigerant. First, if your energy bills suddenly increase, that could be the reason. Without enough refrigerant, your system has to run longer to heat or cool your home. Likewise, you may notice that the air coming from your vents isn't as cold as it should be.

If you hear hissing or bubbling noises from your unit, that could also indicate a leak, as the coolant escapes in either gas or liquid form. Finally, if your evaporator coil ices over, it may be a sign of low refrigerant.

It's also possible to have too much refrigerant. If the coolant line is overfilled, it prevents the switch from gas to liquid. This in turn floods your compressor, causing serious damage.

Testing Refrigerant

Many of the symptoms of low refrigerant can also be signs of other things. If you want to know for sure, you'll need to test your refrigerant levels. There are several tests that require specialized equipment. However, there's also a much simpler way to get a quick reading.

First, while your system is running, look for two copper pipes covered in insulation that are connected to your condenser coil on the outdoor unit. These are your refrigerant lines. Peel back the insulation from the larger line and check the temperature. It should feel cool to the touch.

You can also measure with a thermometer. If the temperature of the pipe's surface is between 50 and 60 degrees, your refrigerant is fine. If it's colder or warmer, your levels are low. Don't try to resolve refrigerant problems yourself. Call your HVAC technician to recharge your refrigerant.

If your refrigerant levels need charging, contact us at Air Assurance. We're Broken Arrow's trusted source for quality home-comfort solutions.

How to Handle AC Water Leaks

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What should you do if you suddenly find water on the floor next to the air conditioner cabinet? Don't panic; this can happen to HVAC units occasionally, especially if you don't get regular maintenance. Read on and learn how to deal with AC water leaks.

Condensate Line

Your central air conditioner not only cools the air but also removes humidity from your home. After the moisture condenses on the indoor evaporator coils, it runs through the condensate line to a pan. From there, is drains away to the outdoors. Sometimes this line becomes clogged with dirt and debris which, when mixed with condensation, becomes sludge. When this happens, moisture can't flow outdoors, but it can overflow the condensate pan, and depending on where it is located, it can end up as water on your floor or, if upstairs, the ceiling. One telltale sign is dripping sounds inside your AC as it struggles to dehumidify the air.

If you have your air conditioner serviced every spring, your tech would likely pour bleach into the line to ensure that moisture flows freely. But if your line becomes clogged, it's a fairly simple repair. Your HVAC tech can also unblock the line with a wet/dry vac so there aren't any AC water leaks.

Dirty Air Filter

Another reason you may have AC water leaks is due to a dirty air filter. Dirty air filters impede the flow of air in the unit so that they may fail to properly remove moisture on the evaporator coils. When this happens, you may hear dripping sounds or see some flooding on the floor. Also, your air will not be cool. Always change the air filter according to the manufacturer's specifications.

Refrigerant Leak

A refrigerant leak will also keep your air conditioner from properly cooling the air. When there's a leak, the pressure inside the unit is lower, causing the evaporator coil to freeze. Once again, the AC is not able to cool or remove moisture, so that condensation may leak from the unit.

To learn more about AC water leaks, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

What is the Right Kind of AC Coolant to Use?

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AC coolant is the lifeblood of your air-conditioning system. Also known as refrigerant, coolant in your air conditioner is the substance that moves the heat in your house outdoors. It plays such a vital part in efficient, effective air conditioning that the system's refrigerant level is usually one of the very first things a qualified HVAC technician will check when diagnosing a problem.

The Refrigerant Cycle

Here's how your air conditioner makes a hot house cool:

• Cold, vaporous coolant flowing through the AC evaporator coil in the indoor air handler absorbs heat from the household airflow.

• The warming coolant flows through a conduit to the outdoor unit, where it is pressurized by the system compressor, converting it into a very hot gas.

• Entering the outdoor condenser coil, the hot coolant rapidly releases its heat load. The system fan disperses this heat into outdoor air.

• The coolant circles back indoors, transforming into a cold vapor again to absorb more heat in the evaporator coil.

What Can Go Wrong?

Problems with coolant are mostly related to leakage. Because the system is under pressure at all times, there are numerous points in the flow of refrigerant where leaks may occur. Signs of low AC coolant levels include:

• Poor AC cooling performance

• Increasing electric bills

• Ice formation on the indoor evaporator coil

• The system shuts down automatically and will not restart.

What Type of AC Coolant to Use?

For many years, the most common type of AC coolant was designated R-22. However, in the 1970s, R-22 was discovered to damage the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere. As of Jan. 1, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency has phased-out R-22 refrigerant.

The more environmentally friendly replacement for R-22 is R-410A. All air conditioners manufactured today can only utilize R-410A. Older R-22 AC units still in use cannot be converted to the new refrigerant. Therefore, if an R-22 air conditioner requires added refrigerant, it cannot be repaired and must be discarded and replaced by a new, R-410A unit.

For more information about the right AC coolant for your home, contact the cooling professionals at Air Assurance.

The Three Most Important AC Parts

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All components of an air conditioner are necessary to ensure summer comfort, but three important AC parts are particularly critical. At its most basic level, air conditioning is actually the process of moving heat. The system extracts heat inside and disperses it outside. The result is cool, efficient indoor comfort day and night.

Here’s how three important AC parts do the heavy lifting to keep you comfortable all summer long.

Evaporator Coil

Located inside the indoor air handler, the evaporator coil is one of the most important AC parts because it extracts indoor heat from the air flowing through the home’s return ductwork. The coil incorporates copper tubing that circulates cold liquid refrigerant — typically about 40 degrees — under pressure. Coil materials are designed to transfer heat efficiently, and the refrigerant flowing through the coil passageways is formulated to absorb heat and carry it away.

After refrigerant passing through the evaporator coil extracts heat from the airflow, the cooled air is pulled into supply ductwork by the system blower and then dispersed to all rooms.

Compressor

After the evaporator coil, the refrigerant is now a warm, low-pressure gas that flows through a conduit to the outdoor unit housing the system compressor. The compressor incorporates a powerful, 220-volt electric motor to compress the refrigerant gas. The process pressurizes molecules of refrigerant very tightly, raising the refrigerant temperature up to between 120 and 140 degrees. This high-pressure gas releases its load of extracted heat very efficiently as it enters the condenser coil.

Condenser Coil

Hot, pressurized gas pumped by the compressor passes into the copper tubing of the condenser coil and rapidly depressurizes, releasing the load of heat energy. A fan blowing through the condenser coil disperses the radiated heat into outdoor air. As the heat is being released, the flow of refrigerant converts from a hot gas to a liquid state, then circulates to the evaporator coil to extract more heat.

The cooling experts at Air Assurance are ready to provide advice and professional service for the important AC parts that keep you comfortable this summer.

What AC Wattage Should Your Unit Use to Be Safe and Effective?

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Understanding the ins and outs of AC wattage is essential, because the watts of power your air-conditioning system uses significantly affects your electricity bill and your carbon footprint. Here's a quick primer on AC wattage.

How Much AC Wattage Does Your System Use?

Your air conditioner uses electricity to move indoor heat outside. A watt is a rate of electricity consumption. Generally, a central air conditioner is expected to use between 3,000 and 3,500 watts of electricity per hour during the summer months. On the "fan only" mode, its energy usage reduces to 750 watts per hour.

Portable air conditioners require between 2,900 and 4,100 watts per hour to cool your home. A small window unit uses 500 watts per hour, a medium-sized unit uses 900 watts per hour, and a large unit uses about 1,400 watts per hour.

The Importance of Wattage Used by Air Conditioners

Watt usage is important because the billing amount on your electricity bill is for your kilowatts-per-hour usage. The more the watts your air conditioner uses, the higher your electricity bill will be. Watt usage also matters if you're looking to lessen your home's carbon footprint.

There are several ways to track your air conditioner's watt usage. You can use a smart electrical meter or a smart thermostat and its companion app. Comparing your electric bills to the corresponding bills of the same period last year can also help you establish whether your air conditioner is losing efficiency and increasing its watt usage.

Factors that could make your air conditioner increase its watt usage include:

• Lack of maintenance. Skipping annual maintenance makes your air conditioner lose efficiency, increasing its watt usage.

• Short-cycling. A properly sized AC unit won't need to run consistently to cool your home. Instead, it can do its job in just two cycles of around 15 minutes per hour. If your unit is short-cycling, it will consume more electricity at the startup of each short cooling cycle, leading to increased watt usage.

• Dirty air filter. A dirty filter may cause higher watt usage. Make sure you check your AC filter once a month and replace it if it's dirty.

Keeping up with AC maintenance helps you prevent increased AC wattage use. Contact Air Assurance if you need professional maintenance or help tackling short cycling or other AC issues in the Broken Arrow area.

How Do You Know When to Replace Your AC Vent Covers?

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You may not pay much attention to your air-conditioning vents, but they play a significant role in your HVAC system. They also need proper care and maintenance to keep them working correctly. Here's more on AC vent covers.

How AC Vent Covers Work

Your home has supply and return vents. Supply vents deliver cooled air from your AC unit to different parts of your home. Return vents allow your air conditioner to pull air back to it for cooling and recirculation.

Each vent has a vent cover that prevents dust and foreign objects from being sucked into the vent and causing damage to HVAC components. Vent covers also optimize airflow and can help you blend the vents with your decor.

Replacing AC Vent Covers

New vent covers can help you cool your house more effectively. Additionally, they help you prevent the accumulation and spread of indoor pollutants in your AC system. There are several factors that may make it necessary to replace your AC vent covers. For instance, your vents may have suffered considerable damage over time, such as significant rust, dents, and broken parts.

You can replace your vent covers with something more decorative to add flair to your space. You could also replace your existing covers during a renovation project to achieve a cleaner and more efficient look. Modern vent covers come with benefits like antimicrobial and self-cleaning features, more streamlined designs, and better-quality dust guards. As a result, you could upgrade your existing AC vent covers to enjoy the latest features and better performance.

If you have wall vents of standard sizes, it's a good idea to replace them once or twice a year. These covers are easily available and affordable. If your ceiling vent covers have already lasted 15 to 20 years, it's recommended that you replace them for better HVAC performance and air quality.

When looking to replace vent covers, make sure you get the correct measurements for the duct opening. For more information on AC vent covers, contact Air Assurance. We've helped homeowners in the Broken Arrow area meet all their home-comfort needs since 1985.

What to Do If You Have a Dripping AC This Summer

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A dripping AC need not be a part of your summer cooling experience. Yes, the evaporator coil in a residential central air conditioner condenses as much as 25 gallons of water out of the air every day as part of the cooling process. However, in a properly functioning unit, every drop is collected and then properly drained away.

Except when it isn’t. A dripping AC can inflict water damage on a house before it’s even noted by residents. Continuous moisture from air-conditioner leaks can also spawn the growth of toxic mold and mildew. Here are some basic facts about how a dripping AC happens.

Cracks in the drain pan. Located beneath the indoor air handler, the drain pan catches condensation generated by the evaporator coil. Many drain pans are plastic and may crack and leak after years of use. Replacing the AC condensate drain pan isn’t out of the range of a determined do-it-yourselfer. Alternatively, your HVAC contractor can handle the task for you.

Pan overflows. A drain line connected to the drain pan conveys the water into the house drain system. Clogs in the drain line can result from mold growth or other fungus inside the drain pan. Overflow and water damage occur quickly if the drain line is obstructed. Annual AC preventative maintenance typically includes checking the condensate drain flow and cleaning the drain pan when necessary. In addition, biocide tablets placed in the pan help prevent mold growth.

Coil issues. This is another source of potential water damage. Insufficient refrigerant charge or low airflow due to an obstructed air filter may cause the evaporator coil temperature to drop below freezing. Condensation turns to ice that often extends outside the limits of the drain pan. Every time the system cycles off, the ice melts and forms, enlarging puddles on the floor. Monthly air-filter changes, plus professional service to detect and repair refrigerant leaks, help keep the immediate area dry.

For more information about preventing and/or repairing dripping AC issues in Broken Arrow, contact the HVAC professionals at Air Assurance.

What Is the Relationship Between Your AC and Your Circuit Breakers?

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Circuit breakers protect your home from excessive electrical current that could damage wiring and other components and even pose safety issues like a fire hazard. Any device or combination of devices that draw excessive current may cause a breaker to automatically “trip” and shut off the flow of electricity to that circuit. If it’s the circuit for the air conditioner, that means cool comfort inside your house shuts off too.

The Biggest Draw

In most homes, the central air conditioner compressor motor draws more electrical current than any single device in the house. Therefore, circuit breaker protection is vital for the AC circuit. Each time the HVAC thermostat signals the AC to cycle on, the powerful compressor draws up to four times more wattage during startup than it consumes once it's running. For that reason, the central air conditioner usually occupies a separate household circuit, including a dedicated circuit breaker rated for extreme use.

Why Circuit Breakers Trip

Circuit breakers may trip due to a number of conditions. Here’s a list of potential scenarios.

• Dirty air filter. A clogged AC air filter strangles system airflow. The compressor runs extended cycles and overheats, tripping the circuit breaker.

• Low refrigerant. Usually due to a leak, insufficient refrigerant may cause ice that obstructs the evaporator coil. The unit may run almost nonstop and trip the circuit breaker.

• Obstructed air vents. The outdoor AC unit requires adequate air circulation to prevent compressor overheating that may trip a circuit breaker. For maximum ventilation, don’t store anything on top of the unit and cut back vegetation to maintain 3 feet of clear space on all sides of the unit.

• A worn, aging circuit breaker trips for no reason. A qualified HVAC technician can make the needed replacement for you.

• A short or another internal compressor defect. The compressor’s the most expensive single component in the AC system. If it’s out of warranty, upgrading now to a new, more efficient air conditioner may be the preferable option.

If AC circuit breakers are an issue, the service professionals at Air Assurance are ready to respond.