Know the Signs of Air Conditioner Failure - . - NJ

June has arrived, marking the beginning of summer and air conditioning season; your air conditioner can fail at any time if you do not know the signs that it's on its last legs. If so, have a professional give your air conditioner a thorough check-up so you have fair warning and can stop any major problems before they start. The first decision that you need to make is how much cooling power you need. Wipe clean the blades of the fan with a damp sponge or cloth. And to figure out what all the other numbers listed on the condenser data plate mean, go to our blog post How do I understand the air conditioner or heat pump condenser label (data plate)? Why has the thermostat screen gone blank? • Well we have some bigger numbers we are about to throw in the equation.

June has arrived, marking the beginning of summer and air conditioning season; your air conditioner can fail at any time if you do not know the signs that it's on its last legs. Take a few minutes now to consider what you should be looking for... The first thing you should think about is the age of your equipment. A typical air conditioner will last about 10 years; if your unit is older than that, call a service technician to give it a thorough check for any potential problems. A technician can also give you an idea of the unit's remaining life. Of course, these are things a technician will discuss with you during your annual maintenance as well. Next, consider whether your home is as cool as it has been in the past. If your air conditioner is running but your house is not as cool, it can be a sign of: Now, go look at your air conditioner-both inside and outside the house. If you touch the copper line of the condenser and it's warm, that's compressor failure or lack of Freon. Alternatively, if there is a layer of frost or ice on the two pipes leading to the outdoor condenser, there is not enough Freon or there is blockage in the main air supply duct. Both situations require a professional to fix. Look for any oil spray or splatters on the air conditioner's components. If you see them, it indicates that a major seal gasket has blown and caused the unit's Freon to leak. A Freon leak should be fixed immediately; if the unit's Freon is allowed to go dry the compressor will sustain major damage. Is your air conditioner making any strange noises? The only noise you should hear is the quiet hum of it working smoothly; if you are hearing bangs, buzzes, or rattles, it's not functioning properly. A technician can identify these noises and their root problems. Last, consider your utility bills. Have you been blaming the rising cost of energy? That may not actually be the case. If your bills have risen dramatically and quickly, look no further than your air conditioner. A failing compressor will not be running efficiently and will cause your utility bills to rise. Air conditioner failure does not need to be a surprise when it happens. Take a few minutes now to think about whether you've noticed any of the signs listed above. If so, have a professional give your air conditioner a thorough check-up so you have fair warning and can stop any major problems before they start.

How to find the best energy-efficient portable air conditioner for the summer

The news have reached our office in California that the rest of the country is finally getting higher temperatures too and we do not want you to be unprepared for the summer months: Time to buy a new portable air conditioner!Portable air conditioners are perfect for cooling down rooms and apartments quickly, but they are known to consume a lot of energy and energy costs can add up fast if you run your AC for several hours a day. Here are some tips on how to find an energy-efficient AC that does not make your electricity bill skyrocket!Which portable air conditioner is right for you? The first decision that you need to make is how much cooling power you need. That depends mostly on the size of the room that you want to cool down. There are some other factors that come into play: if the room is shaded, you should go 10% lower, if it's a very sunny room, 10% higher. If you want to cool down your kitchen, you will need about 4,000 BTUs more.It is important that you get the right sized unit. If your AC is too small, it wo not properly cool down your room. If it is too big, the unit wo not be able to get rid of the humidity and you are left with a damp room.Depending on the BTUs, prices for portable ACs range from about $100 up to several thousand dollars, but that's not the only numbers you will want to look at. There are big differences when it comes to energy efficiency and by making a smart decision when buying an AC, you can save a lot of money in the long run.Let's take a look at two AC units that have the same cooling power of 12,000 BTU (that's enough to cool down an area of 450-550 square feet) but a big difference in energy efficiency:The highly energy efficient gets an Enervee Score of 90 and costs you $114 to run per year; the only gets an Enervee Score of 39 and costs $182 to run per year. Over 15 years, the more energy-efficient device will save you almost $1000!If you still think that's nothing to write home about, consider these numbers: If all 7 million air conditioners sold in the US this year were the energy-efficient LG unit from our example, we would save 17. 7 Billion tons of CO2 which equals the electricity use of 2.2 million homes and $4.4 billion in electricity cost.Originally published at blog.enervee.com on June 16, 2014

how to keep your air conditioner running efficiently

Turn off power to the air conditioner. Many units have shutoff boxes outside near the outside condenser units or separate switches on the indoor circuit breaker panel. Rake away any leaves and other yard debris around the outside condenser unit. The condenser is a large round or square metal unit with a metal grill around the outside. It is located next to a house wall. Undo the screws, nuts or clips holding the protective grille in place and remove the grille to expose the condenser coil.2Dislodge and suck debris from the condenser coil fins with the soft-bristle brush attachment on a shop vacuum. Take care not to bend the delicate metal fins. Unscrew the top grid covering the condenser circulating fan and lift it out. On some units, the fan is attached to the grid and comes out with it. Wipe clean the blades of the fan with a damp sponge or cloth. If the fan motor has oil ports, apply five drops of electric motor oil to each port. Replace the top grid and the protective grille around the condenser unit.3Change the inside air filter. The air filter is normally located inside the house in a slot at the point where the return air duct from the house enters the furnace blower chamber. In most homes, the central air conditioner uses the same air blower and ductwork as the furnace. Pull out the old filter from the slot and replace it with a new matching air filter. On some furnaces, the filter is located in the blower chamber and held in place by clips. Undo the clips, remove the old filter, insert a new filter and refasten the clips.4Inspect the condensate drain tube that runs from the evaporator coil to a drain and rinse it out with clean water if necessary. Most condensate drains have a cleanout plug at an elbow near the evaporator. If you can get to the evaporator coil inside the ductwork, vacuum its fins with the shop vacuum and soft-bristle brush attachment.5Reconnect the electric power, restart the air conditioner and check for correct operation. If the unit has been disconnected from the power for more than four hours, do not restart the air conditioner right away. Turn the thermostat to "off," switch the power back on and wait 24 hours before restarting the air conditioner. This allows an internal heating element to warm the compressor's internal lubricating oil back to operating temperature.Things You Will NeedSpring rakeShop vacuumSoft-bristle brush vacuum attachmentSpongeFurnace/AC air filterartcile by: preet singh.

How can I tell the age of a FHP (Florida Heat Pump) geothermal heat pump for the serial number?

The first letter of the serial number indicates the year of manufacture, starting in alphabetical order with "A" for 1971, but eliminating I, O, and Q, then recycling the letter code over again in 1994. For the age of another brand or manufacturer, go to our blog post How do I determine the age of my air conditioner? C = 1973 and 1996 P = 1984 and 2007 So the serial number shown below indicates the heat pump was manufactured 1998, based on the letter "E" and the condition of the unit. Go to our blog post What size in tons is a FHP (Florida Heat Pump) geothermal het pump from the model number? for unit size. And to figure out what all the other numbers listed on the condenser data plate mean, go to our blog post How do I understand the air conditioner or heat pump condenser label (data plate)? To determine other key specs of your HVAC system, see one of these other blog posts: • How can I find out the SEER of my air conditioner? • How can I tell whether the condenser (outdoor unit) is an air conditioner or heat pump? To find the age of other home components, go to How can I find out the age of a roof? and How do I determine the age of an electrical panel? and How do I determine the age of my water heater? For life expectancies, visit What is the average life expectancy of the components of a house? To learn more about heating and air conditioning systems, see these other blog posts: • Where is the air filter for my central air conditioner and furnace? I can not find it? • Does an old air conditioner use more electricity as it ages? • How did homes stay cool in Florida before air conditioning? • What is wrong with an air conditioner when the air flow out of the vents is low? • Why has the thermostat screen gone blank? • Why does it take so long to cool a house when an air conditioner has been off for a while? • Why is my air conditioner not cooling enough? • What are the most common problems with wall/window air conditioners? • Will closing doors reduce my heating and cooling costs? Visit our HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.

How Much Does It Cost To Run an AC? | Sears Heating & Cooling

Although costs can vary, you can generally predict the cost of running your air conditioner by doing a little math! Disclaimer: the following is based on costs for Ohio homes and average electricity costs. If you live in a different state you may need to research your individual costs. Let's assume that you live here in Columbus, Ohio and you want to predict what it will cost to run your air conditioner. Let's say that it's REALLY hot out and your air conditioner runs for 10 hours per day (during a 24 hour period). Right now, the average cost per kilowatt hour of electricity in Columbus, Ohio is about 12.65 cents. Sounds cheap right? Well we have some bigger numbers we are about to throw in the equation. Air conditioners are powered based on a measure of total amperage. Here's a basic breakdown: Also, we need to note that the standard power plug for an air conditioner is a standard 240 volts. If yours is different, adjust accordingly. Now, we need to calculate the total wattage utilized based on these numbers. So, let's do some math! We will use a standard 3 ton AC as an example. Divided this by 1,000 to get your kilowatt per hour usage. So 4,320 is now 4.32 kilowatts used per hour. Now, let's throw the electricity costs in! 4.32 killowats used per hour x 12.65 cents (cost per kilowatt hour in Columbus) = 54.65 cents an hour. Yep, a standard 3 ton AC will cost you a whopping 55 cents an hour to run assuming the previous numbers. This may not sound like much but it can add up quick. Let's keep calculating. 55 cents (cost to run AC for 1 hour) x 10 hours per day = $5.50 per day to run air conditioner Let's say it's hot every day of the month and you run it for 30 days. So: $5.50 per day x 30 days = $165 per month to run your air conditioner for 10 hours per day. Add this onto your other electrical charges and your electric bill can get pretty big! If you live in a different state or your cost per kilowatt hour is not 12.65 cents per hour, just change the numbers above to calculate your cost to run your air conditioner. Keep in mind, if you have a high-efficiency air conditioner, your costs may be lower due to it not using as much power.