The Time for Phoenix Maintenance Air Conditioning is Now

Phoenix Maintenance Air Conditioning

Well now the hot season is, mostly, behind us so its time to start thinking about Phoenix maintenance air conditioning. After the work your AC system has been through during this hot summer, it is probably time to give your system a little TLC. Watching out for you air conditioning system will keep it running better for longer. Many of the AC horror stories you hear actually start off with small little problems that someone didn't see or ignored for too long. Take care of your air conditioning system and it will keep you cool and comfortable without costing you a fortune!

Regular maintenance still applies: this mostly means changing filters. Filters should be changed anywhere from 4 times a year to once a month, depending on your home, pets, how clean you need the air to be, and how you keep the area around them clean. Keeping these filters clean keeps your AC system from working harder than it needs to, meaning it will last longer. It also helps prevent harmful particles from making their way around, potentially causing problems in your air conditioner.

Phoenix Maintenance Air Conditioning

Maintenance also includes an inspection by an HVAC technician. technicians will check for leaks, condensate build-up, electrical damage, or anything else that might be an issue. Spotting these issues early is key to preventing expensive repairs later. Take for example, condensate build-up. In the air conditioner, water in the air condenses when the air is cooled, and this water build-up usually drains without an issue. But if the pipe the water drains through gets clogged, it will back up and can cause extensive water damage without you even knowing. By the time you do smell the damage, it can cause hundreds of dollars to repair. Hundreds of dollars that could be saved by a timely HVAC inspection.

Don't forget to take care of your AC system, so that it will take care of you for a long, long time.

The Changing World of Phoenix Recharge A/C

Phoenix Recharge A/C

For a long time, our air conditioning systems have been using Freeon for Phoenix recharge A/C.  But this might be changing soon.  The Environmental Protection Agency has been working to get rid of R-22, also known as Freeon, in order to use a greener refrigerant.  The EPA has been cracking down on the sale and use of Freeon as well as preventing companies from manufacturing systems that need Freeon to work.


Though it is a hard process to make a major shift like this, we can expect that the end will be near.  In about 3 years, 2020, the EPA plans on Freeon not being sold commercially.  This means that we as residential HVAC users have two options: make a stock pile of old/recycled/hoarded Freeon and continue using it even though it isn't good for the environment, or upgrade our system to work with a new Phoenix recharge A/C.

Phoenix Recharge A/C

Changing over a system can be a process in itself.  If you still want to use your HVAC system, you can have it fitted to handle a new pressure and cleaned to get all the old Freeon out.  A simpler but more expensive (at least initially) option is to get a new system.  A new system should come ready to handle the new refrigerant, making less time for work to be done only to be replaced in a few years.

So why bother with the upgrade?  A new refrigerant doesn't give off hydro-chlorofluorocarbons, which are a danger to the environment.  Additionally, as Freeon supplies dwindle, the cost for a can of Freeon will just keep rising, meaning that while it may be a lot of money to switch or upgrade your system, it can actually save you money in a few years.  Hopefully we are making advances in what refrigerants we use too, so the new choices should help our systems to be more efficient and work better to keep us comfortable.


The world's always changing in ways we don't see.  Phoenix recharge A/C is just one of the changing things we don't always see, but it is something we should prepare for and at least know that it is coming up.

The Work of Phoenix Heating & Air Conditioning Repair in the Valley of the Sun

Phoenix Heating & Air Conditioning Repair

Phoenix heating & air conditioning repair is a major business in Arizona.  AC, something legally declared to be a necessity during the hot summers in Phoenix.  So it would make sense that those who install and repair, who make sure we can get this necessary comfort are plenty in the Valley of the Sun.  In the United States there are over 250,000 HVAC technicians, and up to 5,000 of those are in Arizona.  These technicians make more than the national average.  Technicians are responsible for watching after the many HVAC systems all over the state.

Phoenix Heating & Air Conditioning Repair

Phoenix heating & air conditioning repair technicians are responsible for trying to extend the lifetimes of our air conditioning systems.  A properly maintained can last for about 12 years, but it can take a lot of work to keep a system working for that long.  That's where technicians come in.  Cleaning the air ducts, maintaining refrigerant levels, and clearing debris are all important parts of a technician's work.  Keeping a system working optimally can be a big job for the technicians, but the user is also responsible for not pushing the system too hard.  It is recommended to set your thermostat to a comfortable but higher setting in order to extend the life of your system, also to help lower the operating costs.  It is also good to set the unit to a consistent temperature rather than having it change from day to night.  These changes can help extend the life of your HVAC system and give you greater comfort for longer.

Phoenix Heating & Air Conditioning Repair

Those working in the Phoenix heating & air conditioning repair industry can find certification, an important factor in making sure the work you are getting is quality and done correctly.  Those seeking certification can apply, and they must pass a couple tests as well as demonstrate adequate knowledge and experience doing Phoenix heating & air conditioning repair

Falling Demand for Phoenix A/C Repair

Phoenix A/C Repair

Demand for Phoenix A/C repair is on the decline with the end of summer.  We won't need our AC comfort near as much in the winter, so it seems fitting that demand has gone down.  But it may be a great time to get ready for heating demand you may have during the winter.  If you've got a heating system, Fall is a great time to get it checked out.  It isn't cold enough to be really bad yet, not that it every gets that bad but still, and its not summer anymore so it doesn't feel like you have a death wish if you heat your home a little to test it out. 

Spring is a great time for Phoenix A/C repair, just like Fall is a great time to have your heating system checked out.  Why?  Because it fixes the system right before the moment of highest demand.  That way your HVAC gives you the best performance when you need it the most.

Phoenix A/C Repair

As always, be careful who you ask to service your AC units.  It's important to have a reputable and qualified business serving you, so that you end up with reliable comfort, no matter the conditions.  Making the right choice and not cutting any corners will save you tons of  trouble, headache, and regret in the long run!  Be careful when considering those offers that are too good to be true, or those that promise to do work for way below what competitors are offering.  These can be signs of scams that may leave you worse off than when you started.  Also, know what kind of issues you may have and what symptoms of these issues are.  This way you can have an idea of what is happening and what kind of repairs or maintenance to expect.  As always, good luck!

Phoenix Home AC Repair Lessons from the Past Summer

Phoenix Home AC Repair

Phoenix home AC repair has been crazy this summer.  Again, companies were swamped with repair requests and worked tirelessly to get everyone's AC back online and working optimally.  Hopefully you were prepared and made it through the summer without mishap, but maybe you didn't.  What can you do next year to prepare for the summer heat and ride it out in comfort in your home?

Phoenix Home AC Repair

 One of the best things you can do is to have your AC system inspected during spring.  Getting early inspections is a great way to detect potential issues and to get any problems fixed before the rush in summer.  Schedule an appointment with a qualified service technician to have you system inspected and serviced.

Another lesson for the summer months is to be careful with the people you ask to fix your AC.  The summer rush is a big chance for scammers to make a move on the market.  This means you as the consumer have to be extra careful about the people you reach out to for help.  During this busy season, companies are much less likely to offer free inspections or servicing.  Be sure to thoroughly review the company you are using, and be aware that people may try to take advantage of you.

Phoenix Home AC Repair

Another thing to consider next summer is  what kind of maintenance you may need.  Some of the people that try to scam you may provide work, but they may provide a service that you don't need.  If you have questions, qualified service technicians will be more than happy to keep you updated through the maintenance process, telling you what they're doing, why they need to and showing you any of the parts that they may have needed to replace.  Good luck and be ready for all your Phoenix home AC repair this next year.

Some Tools for Phoenix AC Repair

Phoenix AC Repair

When your business is Phoenix AC Repair you need a lot of tools to get the job done.  Especially when you deal with some pretty specific needs. One of these needs is checking for refrigerant leaks.  Refrigerant leaks are some pretty expensive repairs, and are fairly common, so its no surprise that AC technicians have a few tools in their belts to help them identify leaks.

One of the first tools is an electronic sniffer.  This device basically sniffs out refrigerant.  When it smells it, it beeps at you.  This is a pretty easy and cheap way to look for leaks, but its hard to get the sniffer everywhere, so there might be some spots overlooked or that plain just can't be reached.

Another way to look for a leak is to put some soapy water around the coils or anywhere the leak might be.  If bubbles start forming, it might be a pretty good indication of a leak.  This can be helped by putting a higher pressure gas inside the system, which helps blow up bubbles faster.

Phoenix AC Repair

Yet another tool that AC technicians have for Phoenix AC Repair is a dye that they can put into your system with the Freon.  This dye is going to blow out just like the Freon if there's a leak, and all they need to do is look for it.  Sometimes this might mean a black light because the dyes are often ultra-violet.  
Those are just some of the many tools your qualified AC repairmen may use to help you fix your AC!

What is Your Right to Phoenix AC Repair Service

Phoenix AC Repair Service

Have you ever found yourself in this situation needing Phoenix AC repair service?: you're living in an apartment, staying comfortable in the coolness at home during the another hot Phoenix summer, and suddenly your AC stops working?  And after you reach out to your landlord, nothing happens?  Now, it might not be the landlords fault, but what rights do you as the tenant have to protect you when you need Phoenix AC repair service?

Phoenix AC Repair Service

In Arizona, AC is considered an essential need.  That being said, you have a right to it when you are a tenant.  If you have an issue, follow the normal procedure.  Getting a request in writing is the best, because it can be used in court later.  If the problem is fixed, then all is well.  If several days go by before your landlord fixes the problem, you should send notification to your landlord telling them that you plan on taking care of the problem yourself.  If the problem remains unfixed for 10 more days, you can call a licensed contractor to fix the problem.  The cost can be either $300 or up to 1 1/2 times your monthly rent, which ever is greater.  After this, you can deduct the cost from your next months rent, not from the month you are currently in.

Phoenix AC Repair Service

Another option that you have is to find temporary housing. If this is your course of action, you shouldn't have to pay rent as long as the landlord hasn't gotten Phoenix AC repair service.  If you have questions or to confirm this information, you can check with the Phoenix Landlord/Tenant office for all questions related to Phoenix AC repair service.

If an issue arises with your landlord, contact the Phoenix Landlord/Tenant office to find your rights and what options you may have to resolve the issue.

Phoenix Air Conditioning Service: Air Handler Basics Explained

Phoenix Air Conditioning Service

Understanding how your A/C unit works not only comes in handy when getting Phoenix air conditioning service but also helps you know the importance of having your HVAC system checked and maintained routinely to keep it functioning properly.

There are so many parts and pieces that go into a HAVC system that it can easily become overwhelming. Each component plays an important part in ensuring that your house is at top comfort levels. Your air handler is a part of this important system of components.

An air handler possesses the components that force the air throughout your house, known as the blower. It is typically set inside the house and operates with both the heating and cooling aspects of your HVAC system. If you take a look at an air handler, it might seem to resemble a furnace. Air handlers can work with both an A/C unit or a heat pump and contains the indoor coil, utilized when cooling and heating your house, depending on which system it’s running with.

Phoenix Air Conditioning Service

Truthfully, if you’re looking for a typical Phoenix air conditioning service, a furnace or an air conditioner, the chances are you’ll never need to know what an air handler is because it’s probable you won’t need one. However, if you’re looking for an electric heat pump, it’s useful to be aware that an air handler will most likely be a part of your house’s HVAC system.

Because your air handler will usually possess heat strips that give additional heating power, it is occasionally mistakenly referred to as an 'electric furnace.' However, there are different HVAC systems that work as actual electric furnaces that function differently than an air handler. The heat strips in your air handler are there to provide enough heat when it gets a little cooler outdoors but not cool enough to call for having a furnace.

Phoenix Repair Air Conditioning: Filtering Out Unnecessary Costs

Phoenix Repair Air Conditioning

An A/C unit’s filters, coils, and fins require routine maintenance to operate effectively and efficiently throughout its lifetime. Not attending to necessary maintenance ensures a steady reduction in A/C performance while energy use gradually increases. 

The crucial maintenance task that will guarantee the efficiency of your unit is to regularly replace or clean its filters.

Living in Arizona and dealing with Phoenix repair air conditioning, you may know you need to change your unit’s filter. But why is it so important?

First of all, a clogged air filter can result in extensive damage to your unit. Therefore, if you check your air filter regularly, you ensure a longer life for your system. This saves yourself thousands in potential repair and replacement costs. Dirt and neglect are two of the leading causes of HAVC systems failing even though they are easy to prevent.

Phoenix Repair Air Conditioning

A dirty filter cannot do its job and prevent contaminants from building up on your unit’s parts, resulting in an expensive maintenance and/or early system failure. A few important parts that are especially bad to get dirt on are the unit’s evaporator and condenser coils.

Dusty, dirty filters block normal airflow and reduce a system's efficiency greatly. With regular airflow blocked, air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt straight into the evaporator coil and reduce the coil's heat-absorbing capacity. Replacing an older filter with a clean one can lower you’re A/C energy usage by up to 15%.

There is no prescription time for Phoenix repair air conditioning other than when it reaches the point of being needed. How quickly it reaches that point is dependent upon the season.

During Arizona’s dry, hot summer, filters should be checked once a month. This is even more the case if you use the common fiberglass type of air filter.

What Puts the Chill in Your Phoenix Heating & Air Conditioning Service?

Where does the cold in your Phoenix Heating & Air Conditioning Service come from?  An AC system works by sucking the heat out of one environment and pushing it into another.  This key process of pumping heat is the responsibility of a piece of equipment known as the "chiller".  A very super technical name. So how might you ask, does a chiller work?  Well, there's tons of different ways the chiller can work.  We'll look at a couple of the more basic and common ones.

Phoenix Heating & Air Conditioning Service

In residential HVAC systems, the most common chiller works on vapor-compression.  This name is truthfully a little more technical, but the principle it works on is pretty simple.  All things have heat energy, how fast their particles are moving.  If you get the particles moving faster, the substance changes from a solid to a liquid to a gas.  This relationship between temperature and states of matter is at the heart of a vapor-compression chiller.  The chiller pumps out a refrigerant, usually Freon, in the form of a liquid.  This liquid travels through some piping that brings it to a fan inside your home.  Here the Freon picks up a lot of heat and changes into a gas.  The gas continues down the pipe until it gets back to the chiller.  The chiller takes the gaseous Freon and pushes it back into a liquid.  When it does this, it takes heat out from the Freon.  Cold liquid Freon then again leaves the chiller to go collect more of the hot from your house and leave you in a comfortable cool.  That's the most common form of chiller for most of your Phoenix heating & air conditioning service.

Phoenix Heating & Air Conditioning Service

Another basic chiller works very similarly.  The refrigerant evaporates to suck out heat, but this time the gas is absorbed into another liquid.  This liquid is later heated, which releases the refrigerant again as a hot gas.  Finally, the gas refrigerant cools down and condenses into a liquid, starting the cycle anew. This one is different from the last chiller because it uses the second liquid to help move the refrigerant and because it depends on another heat source. This kind of system is usually paired with a gas engine or other hot machine so that it can benefit from the waste heat of the other machine.

So that's a couple of the chiller you might hear about if you ask someone about Phoenix heating & air conditioning service.  Now you know.

What Happens During a Phoenix Service HVAC

Phoenix Service HVAC

Have you had someone come by in the last year to help with help with Phoenix service HVAC? Experts recommend that you have a professional technician come in at least once a year to help make sure things are running smoothly.  When your technician comes next, maybe it will be nice to have an idea of what they are doing.  There are a few hotspots that the technician will be looking at during his check-up: electrical connections, system controls, refrigerant, condenser coils, fans, and the condensate drain.

Phoenix Service HVAC

One of the first things a technician can do is to check the electrical controls and connections of your system. Any loose connections will need to be tightened and protected, helping to protect the system from electrical damage or short-circuiting.  Inside the house, it is important to examine the controls.  A technician will check the controls to make sure they are calibrated correctly.  If the thermostat has become inaccurate or is off in another way, they will reset it.  The technician can also check the system and help to optimize its usage to save you money by setting the system to run during needed hours and to limit use during off hours.

Phoenix Service HVAC

Another feature of Phoenix service HVAC is checking the fans and other moving parts.  All moving parts need to be oiled and kept moving smoothly in order to prevent damage. Technicians will also check the condenser coils for debris and help to clean them so they can operate at peak efficiency.  While checking the coils, they will often clean the condensate drain, a tube that can clog and cause expensive water damage to the system and your home.

Phoenix Service HVAC

Of course, the technician needs to check refrigerant levels.  Refrigerant is one of the most important elements of an HVAC system, so a refrigerant leak can take away a lot of the comfort your system gives you.  So it is a crucial part of any Phoenix service HVAC.

Phoenix Air Conditioning Repair: How Much Will It Cost?

Phoenix Air Conditioning Repair

Phoenix air conditioning repair, little seems worse than having your A/C unit break in the during a long, hot summer. However, you can guarantee your A/C unit properly works all year long with regular service. Occasionally, though, repairs are crucial whether it’s fixing the evaporator, capacitor, or condenser or even recharging the refrigerant. 

Most Phoenix air conditioning repair jobs cost between $165 and $507 with the majority of customers reporting that they spend around $326. If you do need something fixed, here is some basic information to help you get it done quickly, professionally, and economically. 

A basic troubleshooting call for a Phoenix air conditioning repair can be anything from $75 to $180, depending mostly on your home’s location and the season in which the call occurs. The time of HVAC professionals is at a premium is during the hot summer months.

Phoenix Air Conditioning Repair

Your HVAC technician can conduct a yearly tune-up of your unit for around $80-$100. This annual routine can go far toward heading off major repairs to your system, and ensure peace of mind and considerable savings in the long term. 

Additionally, regular maintenance of your air conditioner can help a home inspector certify that your unit is working correctly in the event you wish to sell your house.

The specific bill to repair a non-functional A/C unit can vary depending on the exact problem and the brand of the unit being repaired. However, the average cost for unit repairs, according to thousands of projects, is $300. Nonetheless, there are certain A/C repair services run as low as $53 or as high as $900.

Of course, with routine check-ups and quick resolution for the most common repairs, your air conditioner should last a very long time, up to twenty years in some cases.

Phoenix Recharge AC, When is Best to Do?

Phoenix Recharge AC

Phoenix Recharge AC. Have questions about when you need to recharge AC in Phoenix?  For being something we might consider to be “routine maintenance” recharging air conditioning is a bit of a black box.  So let’s go through a quick run-down on what exactly happens when you need to recharge your AC.

To understand what recharging an air conditioning system means, let’s review how the system works in a whole.  An AC system can basically be two fans and a copper tube with something inside.  That thing is a refrigerant, which absorbs the heat from the area to be cooled and releases it at the other fan.  Because of how this refrigerant is handled, the copper tube has to be completely sealed.  That’s easy if it’s just one tube, but a real system has a few connections and joints and the tubes themselves aren’t impervious to damage.  If one of these joints isn’t completely sealed, or if the joint or tube gets damaged, it is likely that a leak will develop.  As refrigerant leaks out, the AC system isn’t able to cool air as well, which makes it hotter in your home.  This is when you need a “recharge.”  Really an AC recharge just means refilling the refrigerant.

Phoenix Recharge AC

When you get a Phoenix Recharge AC for your air conditioning system, it is very important to try to find the leak that made it necessary in the first place.  Your AC maintenance worker should take care of this and seal any leaks.  But waiting until your system truly needs a recharge can be an expensive choice.  If you keep an eye out, you may be able to detect when there is a leak and address the problem early.  The earlier to problem is detected the easier it will be to resolve.  One thing that you can do to watch for leaks is to check your unit for any signs of frost or freezing.  If there is a leak, the escaping refrigerant will cool the things around it, and you may be able to finds areas that are very cold or frozen.

Phoenix Recharge AC

When you do end up having to recharge AC, you might want to think about modifying your system.  For years most of the AC systems out there have run on a refrigerant we call Freon.  But now the EPA is trying to get people to use other refrigerants.  Because each refrigerant has different properties, changing from one to another may mean modifying or even replacing an existing system.  But this may still be cost effective, as Freon prices are sky-rocketing as the EPA encourages use of other refrigerants.  Keep this in mind the next time you find yourself in Phoenix needing to recharge AC.

Phoenix Air Conditioning Problems: Issues Residences Commonly Face and the Simple Solutions

Phoenix Air Conditioning Problems

Phoenix air conditioning problems always hit sooner or later. A/C manufacturers generally make durable, high performing units, but sometimes things stop working correctly. If your A/C unit stops working, begin by checking any fuses or circuit breakers. Before resetting any breakers, let the unit cool down for a few minutes. If a central air conditioner's compressor fails on a warm day, the high-pressure limit switch may have tripped; restart it by pressing the button, found in the compressor's access panel.

Common Phoenix air conditioning problems residents suffer from is incorrect operation. If your unit is on, make sure your home's windows and outside doors are closed. For room units, isolate the area or group of connected rooms from the rest of your house as much as you can.

Additional issues with existing air conditioners may result from improper installation, poor maintenance procedures, and inadequate upkeep. Improper installation of a central A/C unit can cause leaky ducts and poor airflow.

Many times, the amount of refrigerant put into the system does not match the unit's specifications. If correct refrigerant charging is not done during the initial set-up, the performance and efficiency of the unit is lowered. Inexperienced service technicians often do not find refrigerant charging problems. Some may even worsen existing problems by adding refrigerant when a system is already overfilled.

Phoenix Air Conditioning Problems

Best practices say that the best way for a city area homeowner to prevent these common issues is by participating in a preventive maintenance routine. Bad wiring, low refrigerant and airflow problems can be found during regular maintenance tune-ups. For all these common issues, a professionally qualified, certified technician can easily analyze the problem area and take care of the necessary repairs.

Cleaning your A/C unit is something you can do by yourself, given you have a basic knowledge of the parts in the unit. But any time you need to do anything with the coolant, you need the help of a professional HVAC contractor. If you've already done some basic troubleshooting and the problem persists, you need to call an HVAC contractor.