Everyone experiences some degree of issue or damage with their air conditioning system. Whether it’s something small, like a leak in the AC unit, or something major, like a blown compressor, you’ll want to find the perfect company to fix it. Even the most advanced and efficient AC units can have problems. If you’ve been having trouble with your air conditioning unit, you may need assistance in finding a company that can assist you in getting it repaired.

Tips for Selecting a Competent Repair Company

You can do several things to ensure that you find the most competent AC repair service provider. Here are some tips to help you find the best repair.

Look Into the Safety Precautions of the Company

When selecting the right AC repair services provider, consider their safety precautions. Do they have any procedures to keep your home and family safe while performing the repairs? This could include anything from checking that the power is turned off to throwing out any litter that may interfere before they begin working on your AC unit. Accidents can happen, but the best companies have several procedures to prevent injuries and damage.

Ask for References from Previous Customers

Picking a company can be daunting, so it’s always good to ask for some references. Previous customers’ opinions matter because you may end up with a similar experience. Past customer satisfaction indicates high-quality service. If the company has done excellent work before, they can assist you in getting your AC back up and running in no time.

Look at Their License and Insurance

Licensing ensures that companies are reputable and provide quality services. Having insurance also determines the safety level upheld by the company you hire. It protects you from any liability in an accident that may cause injury or property damages. If they don’t have insurance, you should refrain from hiring them.

Determine Whether They’re Experienced with Your Specific AC Unit

Experience allows a specialist to handle several types of AC units. This makes it probable that the specialist is familiar with your system. Your mind also remains at ease, knowing the company knows what should be done. One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott has experienced personnel with skills and expertise to install, repair, and maintain all air conditioning units.

Verify the Work Schedule

A good company should have a flexible schedule that can cater to emergencies. A company like One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott offers great service 24/7. They respond to calls and appointments at any time of the day or night. This ensures that you’re catered to during emergencies.

Location

The location of the repair service provider is important for accessibility. Routine maintenance may require the physical presence of technicians in your home. If the firm is located too far away, the services may be costly due to transport expenditure. Local firms can provide most services at a lower cost. One of the top air conditioning repair companies operating in your area is One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott.

Don’t Take the First Offer You Get

Always do your due diligence when looking into these companies. Only pick an offer after researching. Ensure you’re getting a fair quote and quality service with that price. Sometimes a company’s services can be more expensive but of lower quality. Request several estimates from various firms and compare them to each other to determine which of them is the best.

Signs You Need Repair Services

AC repair services are vital to any home or business that relies on AC for cooling. Your air conditioning system is an expensive necessity, and if it breaks, you can face high costs to fix it. Fortunately, many companies provide affordable services. If the AC unit has stopped working, you may need a new compressor or a few routine maintenance repairs from a licensed company like One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott.

The following signs will prompt the necessity for repair services:

No Cold Air

Air conditioners circulate the cold air to lower the temperature of your home or office. If you notice no cold air circulating, it can be a sign that your compressor or other parts are broken and need attention. You should have the air conditioner serviced right away to avoid major problems.

Low Air Flow

When you notice a lack of airflow, it could be time to call in a professional. A leak in the air ducts under the unit or in the outdoor compressor can cause this. If it’s a problem with the outdoor compressor, then it means that it’s damaged and needs replacement.

Noise Coming from the Unit

Noise coming from your AC unit can signal that your motor is faulty. The unit might also vibrate and make noise when operating at high speed. If the bearings have worn down, the fan works harder to cool your home or business.

Uneven Cooling

When the system works properly, there’s uniform cooling throughout the room. If the temperature varies in one area of a room compared to another, this could be a sign that your system is clogged up and needs cleaning.

Humidity

If your AC unit isn’t working properly, the humidity in your home will not be controlled. Moisture in the air can cause health problems like allergies and asthma. If you notice a lot of moisture in your home, it could be a sign that your unit’s not working correctly and should be checked.

Short Cycling

Your AC unit should be able to run for at least 6-8 hours. If it switches on and off more frequently, it needs to be checked by a specialist.

Our company, One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott, offers AC repair services to solve your problems. We have experienced professionals with the expertise required to install, repair and maintain all types of AC units. If you have problems with your AC, contact us to get the necessary help.

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Choosing The Right Air Conditioner For Your Garage With Your Trusted Air Conditioning Service Provider

A garage is a critical part of your home. It is where you keep things like your vehicle and carry out other activities like repairs and carpentry if you like getting your hands dirty. Unfortunately, the garage also can become among the hottest parts of your home, especially during summer, because of poor ventilation, the lack of an air conditioning system, or even little or no insulation against the external heat sources. One of the best ways to cool the garage to ensure you are comfortable is to have an air conditioning service help install a mini-split air conditioner. By controlling the indoor temperatures in the garage, you can protect the mechanical and electrical equipment, preserve the stored goods, and reduce the sources of air pollution, making the garage more comfortable.

Why Might You Need to Install an Air Conditioner in Your Garage?

Your Comfort

A garage is not only a place where you keep hand tools or store your vehicle. For some homeowners, it is a recreation room, a workshop, a place where they sometimes gather with friends, or even where the home gym is set up. The activities above could be impossible or intolerable during summer, especially when the garage is not ventilated properly, insulated against heat, or even air-conditioned. Sporting gear, tools, and exercise equipment stored in the sealed-off garage during the sweltering summer months might become too hot to touch. On the other hand, wooden furniture may expand and contract because of the fluctuating temperatures.

How often do you spend your time in the garage? If most of the working hours are spent there on the restoration of DIY projects or even vehicle maintenance, you will have more productivity in cooler environments. Exercising in your garage-based gym becomes safer when an AC service provider installs a mini split air conditioning system. If the temperatures exceed 90F, you might suffer dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Protecting Your Vehicle

Although you must keep your vehicle from direct sunlight to keep the paintwork intact, rapidly fluctuating temperatures in the garage may wreak havoc on your vehicle’s electrical components and engine. Condensation might arise as temperatures decrease in the evening and throughout the night. Additionally, the heat might accelerate oxidation. Your vehicle’s metal parts might rust with the higher moisture levels in the garage air. Do you drive your truck or vehicle on a sunny hot day? Packing it in a hot garage keeps the temperatures within it high. This high temperature could damage the fabric, evaporate critical engine fluids, and even deteriorate sensitive electronics. Therefore, lowering the indoor garage temperatures by having a professional install a mini-split or another air conditioner can help protect your vehicle.

Extends the Chemicals’ Shelf Life

Some homeowners often use their garages for storing motor oils, paints, chemical solvents, and other automotive, gardening, and industrial supplies. Most of these products might deteriorate because of high temperatures, reducing their useful shelf life. For instance, you can increase the shelf life of your motor oil by storing it under temperatures between 40-85F. Most manufacturers recommend storing chemicals in a cool, dry place. This means that you should have an air conditioning service provider install an air conditioner in your garage where you keep all the items mentioned above. It is only that way that you can regulate indoor temperatures. If the garage space is not ventilated and doesn’t have an air conditioning unit, then temperatures and humidity levels could easily surpass the recommended range. Unfortunately, the chemicals, paints, solvents, and other items stored therein will be spoiled.

Safe Storage

Besides storing mechanical and chemical products and preserving them against heat, there is another reason you should have an air conditioning service install an AC in your garage, the VOCs and their impact on your health. Do you store chemical solvents, paints, hydraulic fluids, lacquers, and gasoline in your garage? These volatile products might emit odorous and harmful gases. The hot garage might hasten the process of vaporization, resulting in indoor air pollution.

Protecting Garage Door

Exposure to direct sunlight and consistently high temperatures could result in the electrical parts of the garage door malfunctioning. Due to this, the door might not close or open because it will register an obstruction whenever you want to close it. Reducing heat conductance and keeping indoor temperatures low can help avert the issue from arising. You can achieve this by having an AC repair technician install an air conditioning unit for your garage.

Finding the Right Air Conditioner for the Garage

The capacity of an air conditioning system is measured in BTUs. This is the level of heat required to raise the temperatures of an lb. of water by 1F. In the context of air conditioning, the British Thermal Unit indicates the level at which the air conditioning system can eliminate the heat from the overflowing air and reduce the temperatures. In other words, it determines the cooling power of the air conditioner.

The size of the garage is a critical factor in determining the number of BTUs needed to cool it effectively. If the air conditioning system has a BTU rating that is too high for your garage, it will be cooling too rapidly, resulting in short cycling and an inability to regulate indoor humidity. On the other hand, an AC with a too-low rating has to keep running to cool the area constantly adequately.

But how can you determine the correct BTU rating for your garage space? Consulting and enlisting an air conditioning service provider to measure the square footage of your garage is among the main ways. Generally, you need 20 BTUs per sq. Ft.

Call Us

Do you need to install an air conditioner for your garage? As you can see from the preceding, you should install one for many reasons. Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott today for a professional installation.

See our most recent blog on this topic here.

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Why Should You Hire An AC Repair Company To Install A Building Automation System For Your HVAC?

The main function of any heating and air conditioning system is to make any home or building comfortable to live, work, or learn in. HVAC systems maintain the required humidity, temperature, and air quality to ensure the occupants are comfortable. However, technological advancements have made HVAC systems eco-friendly and more efficient. One of the effective ways of achieving this is by having a heating and AC repair company’s professional install a Building Automation System (BAS), the same as what is used in smart homes.

What’s an HVAC BAS?

You might be asking yourself, what is an HVAC building automation system? Simply put, this system can be installed to ensure efficient and smart control of the heating and cooling system. A smart thermostat is a great example of a BAS. The improvements in HVAC technology have led to the availability of smart controls on both large and small scales. These automation controls are centralized gadgets responsible for managing and controlling the HVAC system in an entire building. After they are installed, the HVAC BAS runs depending on the customized controls of your operator.

How does HVAC BAS Work?

Building automation systems for your HVAC system are generally installed during HVAC retrofits or on new buildings. They feature software and hardware components that connect several systems, including lighting, heating and cooling, and security. Additionally, sensors ensure that data is delivered adequately upon the system’s installation.

Automated heating and air conditioning systems have better flexibility as the building automation system becomes responsible for the functions of the building. Hence, the HVAC unit will run efficiently, minimizing energy loss. Most systems even allow homeowners to manage their heating and cooling systems using a smartphone remotely in the operational and installation stages of HVAC BAS, control of the process variable, device control, direct change sensor, and decision-making controller.

The larger BASs rely on the HVAC system control integration. You must install similar systems for higher energy efficiency if you have two or more buildings. It takes the heating and AC repair company longer to install a larger HVAC BAS. However, even with these complexities, HVAC BAS systems rely on three priority levels. They include logic programming, operator, and weekly schedule. Setting up a building automation system can prove complex. However, its benefits are worth it.

Benefits of an HVAC BAS

There are many benefits of installing a building automation system to control the HVAC usage in your home, office, or rental apartments. The larger buildings are, in most instances, the best fit for the building automation systems for heating and cooling. Below are the main benefits of installing an HVAC BAS:

Monitoring Data in the Building System

Is the high upfront cost of installing an HVAC BAS system worth it? It can help you monitor the system data in your rental houses or buildings. A building automation system is great for data monitoring from the system. Once it is set up, there is easier control and monitoring. Whenever you encounter any problems, the system ensures you can promptly respond. The BAS operator can check for issues and undertake the required steps to resolve them. Hence, the AC repair company will have ample time to respond and resolve the issue before it worsens.

Energy Efficiency

Increased energy efficiency is among the main reasons institutions, companies, and rental property owners install building automation systems for their HVAC systems. With the rising energy costs and the global push for environmentally friendly HVAC solutions, there is a high demand for efficient systems. Automated heating and air conditioning systems will decrease the carbon footprint and energy costs.

Sensors and timers all over a building are essential parts of the building automation system. They collect data that outline the total energy used across a building. The energy usage data highlights energy use and offers insights on ways to lower energy use in the future. The other reason why you also want to install a BAS is that it helps reduce the carbon footprint. The intensified fight against climate change has led to the push for a reduction in energy usage as it is eco-friendly.

Employee Productivity

Imagine working or living in an apartment with an unreliable HVAC system. Large rental apartments and corporate buildings housing many employees must ensure that the indoor climate is comfortable for their employees. If the building is too stuffy, that could impact employee productivity and job satisfaction. A reliable building automation system for your HVAC system can help improve employee productivity. Timers and sensors will ensure even cooling and heating in the apartments or buildings. Hence, the employees can concentrate on their tasks instead of wasting time looking to be comfortable.

Lower Costs of Repair

Larger apartments and buildings often incur maintenance costs since issues go unnoticed for a long period. These minor issues might develop into more complex larger ones over time. The larger the problem, the higher the repair costs. Since building automation systems for the HVAC rely on smart technology, it helps detect and mitigate problems in their initial stages before they worsen. Hence, you can promptly contact an AC repair company to fix the problem before it worsens. The professional will not charge you an arm and leg for repair or maintenance.

Lower Maintenance Costs

Complex commercial heating and air conditioning systems require a group of technicians to ensure everything runs smoothly. Though many hands will make the work lighter, it will cost you more. When you install a BAS, that means you’ll incur lower maintenance costs for your HVAC system. With the efficiency of this system, you don’t need to have the entire team onsite.

Leverage Technology for the Benefits Above

Do you want to enjoy all the benefits above? Install an HVAC BAS. With its superior capabilities in detecting any issues before they worsen. Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott to install automation systems such as smart thermostats.

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What Do Air Conditioner Repair Technicians Do When They Come For Thermostat Calibration?

Do you feel like your thermostat doesn’t reach the set temperatures? Do you have to adjust the indoor temperatures constantly? Maybe you’ve tried all thermostat troubleshooting tricks, but it doesn’t seem to resolve the problem. You might not have considered it, but thermostat calibration can prove a big problem. The thermostat is your heating and air conditioning system’s brain and regulates the home temperatures. Hence, you must ensure its proper calibration. If your thermostat is not adjusted properly, it will be unable to read the home temperatures correctly. Your HVAC system cannot cool your indoor space to your preferred temperatures. This leads to an uncomfortable home environment while at the same time increasing energy costs. But what can an air conditioner repair technician do when they come for thermostat calibration at your home?

Checking Thermostat Calibration

How do you know that your thermostat is properly working? There are many signs, as we shall see below. Before embarking on thermostat calibration, the repair professional will measure the indoor temperature readings. Since they have the right quality equipment, this process is quick and easy. Your heating and air conditioning repair technician will use industry-approved professional-grade tools for measuring the temperature at different points of your home. They will then compare the obtained readings with those of a thermostat. If there is any temperature difference, that is a clear indication that your thermostat requires calibration.

Check the Accuracy of Your Thermostat

The other thing the technician checks before the calibration is the thermostat accuracy. They will let the air conditioning system run for 15 minutes. The professional will then compare the thermostat readings to those of an indoor thermometer. If the thermometer reading is higher than one degree off what the thermostat indicates, they will increase the AC running period to determine by what value the thermostat is off. It is after this that they can calibrate it. If there is no difference, then your thermostat is calibrated properly. Doing this once every month in summer is considered a good practice.

Cleaning the Interior of the Thermostat

The other thing the air conditioner repair technician can do during thermostat calibration is clean its inner components. If the thermostat isn’t giving accurate readings, that could be because the internal parts, such as the dial, are dirty. The professional will remove the thermostat’s cover and clean the inner parts. Since thermostats differ based on the manufacturer or model, leaving this to a professional is only sensible. The technician cautiously uses soft brushes to clean the parts, especially the delicate coils and between the magnet connections. Contrary to what you might have thought that using a vacuum cleaner could hasten the process, it could do more harm than good.

Straightening the Mercury Vial

If the thermostat continues having issues even after cleaning, the technician will check the mercury vial to see if your thermostat has one. If it is kinked or bent, they will straighten it. Unlike you, who might eyeball the vial to ensure it is straight, the technicians have standard tools like levels. The other reason to allow a professional to do the job is that mercury is inside the vial. Adjusting the vial with fingers could prove dangerous.

Tightening the Calibration Screw

There are those thermostats that don’t have a mercury vial. It means that they have another means of achieving the same, the calibration screw. The air conditioner repair technician will tighten the calibration screw if none of the above works. It is located within a curled metal piece of your thermostat. The air conditioning repair professional will use a screwdriver of the right size to turn the screw to tighten it. Sounds simple, right? Well, you shouldn’t do it yourself. Professional will use the right-sized screwdriver to turn the calibration screw forth and back slowly until the contacts open. They will leave them open momentarily and then turn on the calibration screw until the contacts close. This is the process of resetting the contacts.

Checking All Wiring Connections

All the above didn’t work? The technician now turns to the electrical wiring in the thermostat. Is the electrical wiring properly connected? Is the insulation in place, or has it been eaten out? Are the wires connected securely to their respective terminals? Are the connections clean? Improperly connected wiring can also result in the thermostat not sending the right signal to the air conditioner. Coupled with naked or uninsulated wiring sections, that could result in electrical short-circuiting, a particularly dangerous phenomenon for your thermostat. Corrosion and dirt are particularly huge issues for connections and wiring. The technician will clean the wiring and other internal components of the thermostat to ensure that they allow a proper voltage and current flow between different thermostat parts.

Thermostat Replacement

If the thermostat can’t be recalibrated to reflect the temperatures in your home accurately, then, as mentioned above, a more significant underlying issue might be needed, and a replacement is needed. Besides fixing your thermostat calibration issues, replacing the device allows a homeowner to leverage the latest features. This might be the appropriate time to upgrade the thermostat to an energy-efficient one. You can even install a smart thermostat with many exciting features, including compatibility with digital assistants and smartphones.

Installing a smart or Programmable thermostat might be initially expensive, but these devices pay for themselves down the line. As per the DoE (Department of Energy), adjusting the programmable thermostat by 7-10F when you aren’t at home could save you up to 10% on your cooling and heating costs. Hence, if your thermostat constantly needs calibration, you can have an air conditioner repair technician upgrade it by installing a programmable or smart thermostat. Within time, you will reap the benefits of this change.

For professional thermostat calibration services, call us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott today.

See our most recent blog on this topic here.

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What Can An AC Repair Company Diagnose As The Causes For The AC Unit Not Shutting Off

Have you recently determined that your air conditioner is continuously running? That the cooling cycles aren’t as regular as they should be? This could increase your heart rate, knowing that you will part with more money to pay electricity utility bills. Fortunately, there are known reasons for this, and your AC repair company can address each to ensure that your unit cools your home effectively. So, what are the reasons why the air conditioner is continuously running?

Wrong Thermostat Settings

If only the system fan is running, your air conditioner might appear to be constantly running. Selecting the “ON” fan setting on your thermostat powers the AC blower motor and the fan continuously rather than only during the cooling cycle. You’ll feel hot air blowing from the vents or hear the indoor components running because the air conditioning unit cannot cool the air. Additionally, it might seem like your air conditioning unit is constantly running when the thermostat-set temperatures are different than expected based on the outdoor temperature levels. In homes with other people requiring air to be cooled differently, you can set the temperature levels lower than usual. This ensures that your air conditioning system keeps running to attain the set temperatures, although you should expect them to turn off sooner. Alternatively, you should have a repair company institute an AC zoning system to ensure every room is sufficiently and effectively cooled.

A Damaged Fan Limit Switch

The fan motor might continue to run even after you’ve selected the correct fan setting. This might arise even after the air conditioning system completes the cooling cycle. This may happen if a fan limit switch is stuck in an override position. Resetting the limit switch closer to the AC blower fan might stop the fan from running unless the thermostat signals it to. You can avert this issue by having the AC repair company regularly inspect and service the air conditioner. Air conditioning unit maintenance costs are significantly lower than repairing or replacing the fan limit switch. Take a proactive approach to ensure your air conditioner works efficiently by enlisting an air conditioning repair professional for regular maintenance.

Dirty Air Filter

How often do you change the air filters in your air conditioner? Or if you have a washable filter, how regularly do you clean it? A dirty air filter prevents the movement of air through the system. This causes several problems that could result in the air conditioner not shutting off. Whenever the air filters become clogged with dirt, pet dander, pollen, and other pollutants, the AC has to continue cycling to cool your home sufficiently. Besides increasing your home’s cooling bills, this potentially exposes parts of your air conditioning system to wear and tear. Thus, you should ensure that you change or clean the air filter as regularly as after every 2-3 months. This period could be less if you have pets or kids at your home. Remember, a dirty air filter harms indoor air quality.

Low Fan Speed

If the speed of the blower fan is too low, then the entire air conditioning system won’t be able to circulate the conditioned air throughout your home. Should this happen, the AC unit continues cycling to cool the air to the thermostat’s set temperatures. As mentioned above, this results in excessive use of electrical energy, reflecting increased electrical utility bills. But what could make the blower fan run at a low speed? The main reason is the accumulation of dirt around the fan blade.

Additionally, rusting of the fan blade motor, loss of lubrication, and power issues could also make the fan run at such a slow speed. Therefore, an AC repair company must inspect the fans and motors whenever they come for maintenance. If the motor or fan has lost lubrication, the professional will apply a lubricant, and if it is dirty, they will clean it to ensure a seamless operation.

Extreme Weather Conditions

Not every AC issue requires a repair. It is not uncommon for heat waves to result in triple digits. Even the best air conditioners can struggle to cool your home from high temperatures whenever this happens. Have you had a recent air conditioning service, and the outside is scorching while your AC seems not to turn off? That shouldn’t be a cause for panic. Focus on the cooler parts of the day and see whether the air conditioning system cuts off normally. If indoor temperatures keep increasing, you should have professionals conduct further checks on your air conditioning unit.

Dirty Condenser

Most air conditioning units feature two main components: indoor and outdoor. The outdoor component of the air conditioner is called the condenser. Unfortunately, it is exposed to elements that increase the rate of wear and tear. Additionally, the condenser can be blocked by debris, shrubs, leaves, and other blockages that inhibit sufficient air movement into or through the unit to release heat into the atmosphere. Bits of mulch, grass clippings, tall weeds, and other obstacles make the condenser fins dirty and make the condenser clogged.

This issue prevents enough air from flowing over the fins properly. Thus, the air conditioner continues running as it tries to generate sufficient cooling for your home. Invest in air conditioning service to ensure your unit is free of this debris and blockages. During the maintenance visit, the AC repair company will, among other things, clear the debris and bushes, clean the condenser unit and even rodent-proof it. This ensures that it can perform as required, eliminating the problem of a continuously running air conditioner.

Is Your AC Not Turning Off?

Have you noticed that your air conditioning system continuously runs without shutting off? That could be a cause for concern. As explained above, there are many reasons for this behavior. Do you need professional services to determine the exact cause of the AC not turning off? Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Prescott.

See our most recent blog on this topic here.

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