Kinzer Air – Heating & Cooling Before you call the professionals, we want you to check:If yes, change it. Does your copper line set have ice? If yes, turn off your air conditioner and run your furnace fan only.Make sure there are no tripped breakers. (If you flip the AC breaker on and it trips immediately, DO NOT TURN IT BACK ON.) Now call Kinzer Air at 208-746-8247. Relax, we’ve got this. Changing your air filter is just as important as getting you car’s oil changed.  Your heating and cooling equipment work day in and day out to keep you comfortable. While no one would drive their car everyday for a year without getting an oil change, the same is true for changing your air filters. Means everything past the filter is dirty too, including the air you breathe. This pumps your home full of dust and allergens. Speaking of allergens, they can cause a number of physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, tightness in your chest, and a mess of cold symptoms you may not be able to shake.

A dirty air filter may be ineffective in controlling them.AC units are designed to work with a certain amount of internal air flow, and if that isn’t being met the AC may malfunction and ultimately fail. It can also raise your energy bill as your system struggles to take in air.Ragdoll Cat Breeders Sacramento CaliforniaWhen dirt gets onto the cooling coils, it lets frost build up on the coils and the fans, which makes it more difficult for the unit to cool your house.Home Depot Cost To Install BathtubBetween the cooling inefficiency and the reduced air flow, a dirty air filter means your A/C has to work much, much harder in order to cool your house, which means it takes more power to fuel it. Balance Me Weight Loss Camp

You may not realize how much money could be saved by simply changing the filter. How often should I change my filter? Here is our rule of thumb- I” thick filters- monthly.  2″ thick filters- every three months, 4″ thick- every 6 months.  However, you may need to change it more frequently if you have indoor pets (they shed) and/or several people (more traffic) living in the house. We do and we’ll sell them to you.  We sell filters individually and we always offer a 10% filter case discount everyday of the year. Okay, I bought a filter.  Which way does the arrow on the filter go?  It goes the same direction the air flows. Not sue what direction that is, briefly turn the fan on to verify the direction the air flows. The answer lies in the way the air filter is built. Manufacturers design furnace filters with the intention that air flows in one direction through the filter material. That way, the filter does its job of preventing dust from accumulating on blowers and motors inside the furnace.

While an occasional backward filter installation is not likely to cause damage to the system, it can cost you money in efficiency. The front side of the filter is the filter media (commonly called “pleats”). The back side consist of metal mesh (or a cardboard frame on some filters).The back of the filter is built as a support system for the front of the filter. You need the air to push the media (front side) into the metal mesh (back side) for proper support .Keep your air-conditioner (AC) maintained and you’ll not only save money on energy, but you’ll also extend its lifespan, saving money on costly early replacement. Dave Moody, HVAC pro from Service Experts, says, “An AC needs regular attention to be sure it’s operating at the highest efficiency.” The best time to use these tips is just before each cooling season begins. Your Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning system (HVAC) will consist of either a furnace and AC or a heat pump, which both heats and cools.

Both types will have an interior unit (evaporator and blower) and an exterior unit (condenser coil and compressor). These instructions apply to a whole-home air-conditioning or heat pump unit. Due to the dangers of working around electricity and the air-conditioner’s moving parts, it’s essential to completely turn off power to the unit. On the exterior condenser/compressor, look for an exterior shut-off box near the unit. Indoors, also turn the power off at the breaker box. On the exterior condenser/compressor, remove the fan cage. Using a screwdriver or wrench, remove the fasteners and lift the cage or fan grill away from the top of the unit. By hand, or with a wet/dry vacuum, clean leaves and other debris from the interior. With a strong stream from a garden hose, spray through the fins from the inside out to blast any built up dirt or debris from between them. Never use a pressure washer, since the pressure can damage the fins. If the fins are particularly dirty, use a commercially available fin cleaning spray (available at home improvement centers; read and follow manufacturer directions).

Since any reduction in air-flow through the fins can reduce efficiency, carefully straighten bent fins using a butter knife or commercially available fin-straightening tool. Be gentle so that the tubing embedded within the fins is not damaged. Once finished with the cleaning, replace the fan cage. Rake back leaves and debris outside the condenser and cut back branches and vegetation at least 2 feet in all directions to ensure proper airflow around the unit. During winter months when the condenser is not in use, it’s good to cover the top of the unit with a piece of plywood or plastic to keep debris from falling in. However, don’t completely cover the unit’s sides, since moisture can build up inside and cause corrosion. Also, a completely covered unit encourages vermin to build nests inside. Remove any cover when the unit is operating. Over time, the pad upon which the condenser unit sits can begin to tip as the soil settles beneath it. An out-of-level condenser unit can cause the compressor within to fail early.

Check the condenser for level and use rot-resistant shims to bring it back to level. Service Experts’ Moody adds this exception: “If you have a heat pump system, it’s okay for the pad to be slightly sloped away from the home’s foundation to allow for defrost run-off during the winter.” Now it’s time to move inside. On the inside blower/furnace unit, find the evaporator coil door. You may need to remove some foil duct tape and take out a few screws or bolts. Inside, use a soft brush to dust off the coil, then spray the coil with commercially available no-rinse coil cleaner (available at home improvement stores). The spray will foam up and then drip into the drain pan. Clean out the drain pan with soap, hot water, and a little bleach. Then, pour a cup of 50% bleach/50% water down the drain. To keep the drain clear longer-term, place a commercially available drain pan tablet in the pan. This will inhibit future algae growth. If the bleach solution drains easily, skip the next step.

If not, move on to next step. Replace the evaporator coil door and use foil duct tape to re-seal, if necessary. On the interior, warm, humid air from your home’s interior is blown through the evaporator coil. The cold coil absorbs heat from the air, cooling it, before the air is circulated back into your home. The humidity in the air condenses on the cool surface of the evaporator coil as liquid water, dripping into a pan below. From the pan, the water flows into a drain tube which is typically routed into a basement floor drain, utility sink, or outdoors. Over time, algae and mold can build up and potentially plug the drain, so if the drain is either not flowing or flowing very slowly, it will need to be unplugged. A plugged drain can either cause damage by flooding onto the floor or, if the system is equipped with a drain float, cause the system to stop cooling in order to avoid flooding. First, find the drain line where it leaves the evaporator coil enclosure. The drain is usually a one-inch PVC pipe (white, grey, or black).

Follow it to the end where it drains. Often the line drains outside near the condenser unit, but it can also drain into a utility sink or basement floor drain or, in the case of attic units, down an outside wall. Once located, use a wet/dry vacuum to clear the drain. It’s best to remove the paper filter from the wet/dry vacuum so as not to ruin the filter. Hold the hose of the wet/dry vacuum to the end of the drain line. You can use duct tape or simply hold a rag around the gap. Turn on the vacuum for 2-3 minutes then turn off. This will clear the drain of any growing biological matter. The filter in your HVAC system should be changed at least twice a year – once just before the heating season begins and once before the cooling season begins. If you live in a particularly dusty area, you may want to change it more often. Always replace the filter with a new filter that has the same airflow rating. Again, Moody cautions, “Be careful with ‘air purifying’ or HEPA filters,” he says, “because they can dramatically reduce airflow in your system.

That can cause the indoor coil to freeze because of the reduced airflow.” Locate the filter enclosure on the indoor furnace/AC where the large fresh air return duct enters the unit. You may need a screwdriver to turn the latch to open the door to the filter enclosure. Remove the old filter and install the new filter, matching the air-flow direction arrows on the filter to the arrows on the unit. Close and latch the door. While these steps will help to keep your AC system in top shape, be aware that there are maintenance items that only a trained HVAC technician will be able to do. For example, a slow refrigerant leak in your AC system can lead to expensive compressor failure, but a homeowner doesn’t have the tools or skills necessary to check refrigerant levels. Also, clean ducts and proper airflow are essential to a well-functioning system, but homeowners lack the necessary equipment for the job. While some AC maintenance can be done by a savvy homeowner, it’s still necessary to have an expert technician check the system periodically.