Harnessing Comfort

When your AC freezes up, either inside or at the outdoor unit, you have a problem. When your AC is frozen, you could subject your system to serious damage if it isn’t addressed promptly.

Why is my air conditioner frozen? It’s a question many homeowners have every summer. There are two main reasons an AC system would freeze up—either there is low air flow or there is a low refrigerant charge.

Low air flow – low air flow can be related to a very dirty air filter or a filter that is too small. Both of these things reduce the amount of air that flows across your indoor air conditioner coil, which can cause condensation to build up and freeze instead of draining properly. Also, a bad or worn out blower motor or dirty blower wheel can reduce air flow, which makes your system operate inefficiently.

Low refrigerant charge – All AC systems need a proper refrigerant charge in order to operate at an optimum level and meet manufacturer’s specifications. Your air conditioner will be charged with refrigerant prior to installation, and since it doesn’t consume any during operation, the only reasons you would be low are if you have a leak or it wasn’t installed properly the first time.

Whether your frozen AC is due to either of these problems, our suggestion at Arctic Air Conditioning is to have a certified professional technician service your air conditioner. We can find out what is contributing to your frozen system and provide exceptional air conditioning repair services.

Many homeowners have a difficult time deciding whether to keep pouring money into their aging air conditioning system for costly repairs or to upgrade to a new, more efficient AC.

Sometimes it’s easy to make the case for an AC replacement—your AC is completely broken, for example. However, if your air conditioner isn’t in immediate danger of failure, there are a couple of things you should consider when thinking about AC replacement:

Energy costs – air conditioners made 10 years ago are less than half as efficient as current air conditioners. In fact, the minimum SEER for any ACs manufactured now is 13 and many systems exceed that.

Return on investment – when you’re improving your home’s energy efficiency with an AC replacement, you can help lower your utility payments—it can even start creating a healthy return on investment over time.

Your current AC is too noisy – you can spring for AC repairs to fix the noise or you can invest in an AC replacement to fix it forever.

Your AC breaks down at inconvenient times – if your air conditioner seems to break down every time you run it hard (such as when it’s really hot out), this could be a sign that it’s not cut out to work properly whenever you need it.

Keeping up with regular HVAC maintenance by having an annual inspection or tune-up will save you time, money, and energy in the long run. It’s always better to catch a problem when it starts, rather than finding out after it’s too late. Here are some of the benefits that come with having regular HVAC maintenance:

Increased energy efficiency – When you have annual HVAC maintenance for your heating and cooling systems, it can significantly improve their performance and energy efficiency.

Lower utility bills – Going along with the point above, if your heating and cooling systems are operating more efficiently, it can mean greater savings for you! Systems that function more efficiently require less energy and, therefore, are better for the environment and for your bank account.

Improved system performance – When you schedule annual HVAC maintenance with Arctic Air Conditioning, we will thoroughly inspect and tune-up your system, leading to improved performance. We will change air filters, lubricate any moving parts, and more. Each of the steps our technicians take are essential for making sure that your heating and cooling systems are running properly and smoothly.

Longer lifespan – With regular HVAC maintenance performed by Arctic Air Conditioning, your heating and cooling systems should last for years to come. Rather than having to replace them every few years due to poor upkeep, you can have the reassurance of knowing that your systems could last anywhere between 10 – 25 years.

Fewer costly breakdowns and repairs – Your heating and cooling systems are less likely to break down or require repairs when you have annual HVAC maintenance performed. That’s because we will take care of any minor issues before they have the chance to become major problems. Fixing minor problems on occasion saves the huge hassle of repairing or replacing your heating and cooling systems later on.

Sizing the equipment load requires the consideration of several factors. Ceiling height, construction, window size and placement and dozens of other variables all need to be considered to properly size a heating and/or cooling system. A professionally conducted load calculation is the foundation of an effective system.

Standard furnace filters work well to keep your system and its duct work clean, but they don’t really improve indoor air quality. To do that you need a media filter. The media filter rests between the main return duct and the blower cabinet and will improve dust and particle removal by seven times that of a standard furnace filter. However, upgrading to a pleated media filter will remove everything from insecticide dust to airborne viruses from the filtered air.

A media filter can have a life exceeding two years, and its only drawback is that its tight fiber weave can cause your furnace to have to work harder to blow air through the house. Always choose a filter that matches your blower’s capacity.

Installing a programmable thermostat in your home helps you take control of how much energy you use for heating and cooling. If used effectively, a programmable thermostat can help you improve energy efficiency and save money on your utility bills.

First things first, you shouldn’t attempt to fix your noisy air conditioner on your own! Unless you have professional knowledge of HVAC electrical system layouts and the proper meters to test all the working components of your AC, you are putting yourself and your air conditioner at a significant risk for harm.

If your AC is humming, it could be a couple of different things, such as a turned off breaker at the panel box or a blown high voltage fuse at your outdoor disconnect box. Another (very likely) possibility is that the humming sound is due to a bad start capacitor for both the compressor and the condenser fan motor.

The capacitor’s job is to provide a boost of energy to both the components at start-up, so when the capacitor fails, the fan motor will not run and the compressor will try to start for a few seconds and hum very loudly—resulting in a very noisy air conditioner! It’s incredibly important to have a trained professional diagnose the humming sound coming from your air conditioner before the problem gets worse.