While we’d like to think that most HVAC technicians are friendly and professional, we know that calling for air conditioning repair can be a hassle. First, you have to locate a good technician, and then you must find the time to set aside for the repair. While most repairs are far too difficult to complete without the help of a trained technician, there are a few things you should check before calling for repairs to save yourself a little trouble.
ACI Northwest Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Coeur d’Alene’
What to Check before Calling for AC Repair
Monday, June 1st, 2015Don’t Wait Too Long: Now Is the Time for an Air Conditioning Maintenance Visit
Monday, April 6th, 2015Air conditioning systems contain multiple complex electro-mechanical parts which can run into trouble at any time. But it’s far less likely that you’ll have to deal with the unexpected air conditioning problem this summer if you take preventive action now. Air conditioning maintenance helps to ensure that your AC system is in top shape for the cooling season, and you may not encounter any problems for the rest of the cooling season.
The Steps of a Maintenance Visit
An air conditioning maintenance visit involves several steps, which we’ll sort into three basic categories: cleaning, adjusting, and inspection.
- Cleaning – Some of the parts will gather dirt and debris over time, especially the outside condenser unit since these components are exposed to the elements. And when these parts become too dirty, the air conditioner can no longer efficiently exchange heat. Cleaning essential components such as the condenser coil makes it so that heat can absorb from the air in your home and effectively release outside.
- Adjusting – You probably ran your air conditioner quite a bit last summer, which means that parts may have become worn down, loose, bent, or otherwise damaged. Making a few adjustments can bring your unit back to peak condition. For example, the technician may use a special comb to straighten bent condenser coils, which can make heat exchange more efficient.
- Inspection – A problem with an air conditioning system may not always make itself known, but a technician can use experience and training to determine whether there is a repair that needs to be completed sometime soon.
Why Now Is the Best Time
Once the air conditioning season begins, it will be difficult to go without a reliable AC system for too long. During a maintenance visit, the technician may discover some issues with your unit, but it’s better to schedule service now than to wait for a major breakdown. Scheduling service on your own time means that you will not have to worry about staying home on a busy day to schedule a lengthy repair. Besides, the upcoming energy savings alone is worth the call for maintenance.
Call the AC experts at ACI Northwest for air conditioning maintenance or AC repairs in Coeur d’Alene, ID.
Common Home Electrical Problems
Friday, February 20th, 2015Electrical problems have the potential to get really nasty no matter where they occur. They can be especially troubling, however, when they occur in your home. Not all electrical problems are equal, however. Some are fairly simple to fix, or not all that dangerous. Some, however, present a serious risk to your health and home. Let’s take a look at some of the more common electrical problems that homeowners deal with, and how to fix them.
Overlamping
This is a really common problem, which is also unique in that it is one of the only ones that is 100% user error. Overlamping is when a light socket has a bulb in it with a higher wattage than it can handle. Everyone has seen the warning signs on lightbulb sockets, stating what their maximum wattage is. Those warnings aren’t really guidelines so much as hard and fast safety rules. Overlamping can not only melt the socket, but the insulation in the wires leading to it. This is a huge fire risk, and not something you ever want to have to deal with. The solution for overlamping is simple: don’t use lightbulbs with higher wattage than the socket is rated for. If you don’t know what the socket is rated for, ask an electrician, just to be safe.
Flickering Lights
Another common problem, flickering lights indicates a short somewhere in the electrical circuit. Such short circuits are often caused by damaged insulation allowing wires arc electricity to each other, providing a different (and often dangerous) path for the current to travel down and interfering with the operation of the light. Just like overlamping, exposed wires that are allowed to arc to each other present a high risk of fire, and should be dealt with immediately by a professional electrician.
The most important thing to remember about your home electrical system is that electricity is inherently dangerous, especially in the amounts flowing through the walls of your house. A proper electrical system is designed to channel the current safely from place to place. However, any degradation in that system can drastically increase the risk of fire or electrocution. If you notice any issue that you suspect is related to your electrical system, call a professional immediately.
If your home is experiencing electrical issues, call ACI Northwest. We provide electrical repair services throughout the Coeur d’Alene area.
Why Consider a Geothermal Heating System?
Friday, November 14th, 2014You’ve probably heard about heat pumps, and the extremely energy efficient way in which they provide heat to a home. This is done not by creating heat through combustion, but by moving thermal energy in the surrounding air from one place to the other. This saves a great deal on heating costs, but most heat pumps come with some caveats. All of their heating ability depends on the temperature of the air around the exterior unit. As a lower temperature will by definition lower the amount of available thermal energy, a heat pump’s heating efficiency drops with the temperature. So what do you do when you want to have a heat pump for its myriad advantages, but live in a colder climate? That’s where geothermal heating comes in.
What is Geothermal Heating?
A geothermal heating system is another kind of heat pump, which operates on the same principle of moving thermal energy instead of creating it. The difference between it and other heat pumps, however, is how it obtains this thermal energy. A geothermal system uses a loop of subterranean pipe to siphon heat from the ground. This pipe is usually installed in a backyard, approximately ten feet underground, and filled with either water or some kind of refrigerant. This pipe loop is then linked to the heat pump inside the house.
Once you get a few feet underground, the temperature is a fairly constant 55-60 degrees regardless of season. A geothermal heat pump relies on this constant temperature to help it heat a house. Though 55-60 degrees may not seem like a warm temperature, it is likely higher than the temperature outside on many winter days. The heat pump cycles the water, or refrigerant, into the central unit, taking the underground thermal energy with it. It then uses that thermal energy as a boost to reach the desired indoor air temperature. By relying on this constant underground temperature, a geothermal system avoids the sub-zero climates that can prevent most heat pumps from heating a home. Thus, it provides all of the benefits of a heat pump without one of the biggest drawbacks.
If you’re thinking of installing a geothermal heat pump, call ACI Northwest. We provide heating installation services throughout Coeur d’Alene.
Advantages of Radiant Systems
Friday, November 7th, 2014Radiant heating isn’t new, but with the advent of better radiant heating products, radiant systems have become a popular choice among homeowners. You have a few choices when it comes to radiant heating, including the choice of using hot water or electricity.
Types of Radiant Heating
There are three main types of radiant heating, and two of them are for radiant flooring. The choices for radiant flooring are:
- Electric radiant floors
- Hydronic radiant floors (hot water)
Electric Radiant Floors
Electric radiant flooring can be installed in two ways. The first is a wet installation in which electric cables are placed in wet cement; when the cement dries, it becomes a radiant slab. The second option with electric radiant flooring is to install mats of electrically conductive plastic under flooring.
Hydronic Radiant Floors
A hydronic system uses a boiler to provide hot water or steam. Flexible, durable plastic tubing is installed under your flooring and the hot water or steam flows through it, providing the room with heat.
Radiant Panels
Radiant panels are installed in ceilings and walls. Like flooring, radiant panels can heat via hot water or electricity, but electricity is more commonly used. Radiant panels are usually made of aluminum and have a faster response time than radiant flooring. However, radiant panels have a much lower heat capacity than radiant flooring.
Advantages of Radiant Systems
Because of their unique layout, radiant systems have some benefits other heating systems may not:
- Even heating – the heat from radiant systems is gradual and even, which can feel more comfortable as compared to forced hot air.
- No blowing dust – with forced air systems, the blowing air circulates dust and other particles, which can be particularly difficult for allergy sufferers.
- Quiet operation – except for the firing of the boiler, the heat distribution of a radiant system is silent.
- Easily zoned – radiant heating is easy to zone, offering you the potential for customized heating.
Imagine being able to keep your feet warm without socks all winter long; with radiant heating, you can do this and more. Call ACI Northwest for radiant heating repair and maintenance services today!
Upflow vs. Downflow Furnace: What’s the Difference?
Friday, October 31st, 2014There are a lot of choices when it comes to installing a furnace, and one of the choices has to do with how the warm air will flow from your furnace. It may seem like a small detail, but the way the air flows – either up or down – directly affects the placement of your furnace. If you are looking to install a new furnace for this winter’s heating, it’s important to know some basic functions of a furnace so that you can make an informed decision. Working with trained heating professionals in Coeur d’Alene, like the ones at ACI Northwest, helps to ensure that you install a heating system that fits your home and your needs, so call us today.
Upflow Furnace
An upflow furnace takes in air from the bottom of the unit, warms it in the heat exchanger, and then blows it upward into the ductwork of your home. Upflow furnaces need to be placed in a basement or crawlspace to be energy efficient, as they work on the principle that warm air rises. Some of the benefits of an upflow furnace are:
- Better energy efficiency – because heat rises, upflow furnaces tend to be more energy efficient than downflow ones.
- Comfort – upflow furnaces heat from the floor up, and many people find this a little more comfortable than from the ceiling down.
- No need for extra flooring – upflow furnaces can rest directly on the concrete of your basement; with a downflow system, flooring needs to be reinforced, as downflow systems are typically placed in attics.
Downflow Furnace
As you may have guessed, a downflow furnace takes in air at the top of the cabinet, warms it, and then disperses it down into your home’s ductwork. As such, the placement of a downflow furnace is commonly in attic space, although it can also be placed in a garage or on the main level of a home. Some of the challenges with a downflow furnace are that installation can be more complicated, as there are stricter requirements for downflow furnaces (they also need reinforced subflooring), and they fight the natural tendency of hot air to rise. However, not all homes have a basement or crawlspace, so the benefit of a downflow furnace is that it fits with every kind of home.
Understanding your choices can help you choose a heating system that best fits your home. Call ACI Northwest today and schedule an appointment with one of our installation experts.
Gas Furnaces vs. Electric Furnaces: Which Is Better?
Friday, October 17th, 2014A furnace is an efficient, reliable way to heat a home. When choosing a new heater, the first step is deciding which type of system is best for your house: a boiler, furnace, or heat pump. And if you’ve already decided that you want a furnace installed in your home, the next question involves which type of power source to use: gas or electric?
Many homeowners wonder whether a gas furnace or an electric furnace is a “better” choice. Often, however, the question is not this simple. In many homes, a gas furnace may be the best option, but in some cases an electric unit may be a better choice, or possibly the only option available.
Making the Decision
Gas and electric furnaces both distribute heat in the same way. A blower moves the warm air through the ducts and into your home. However, the two generate heat much differently. A gas furnace uses an igniter to create heat in a combustion chamber. An electric model instead generates heat with a current that runs through series of electric heating coils which heat the air as it moves past.
In general, people choose gas furnaces over electric furnaces because they are less expensive to run. In most areas, the cost of electricity is simply too high to justify purchasing an electric model, and operating a gas furnace will save a lot of money over time. However, there are some homeowners who don’t have access to a gas line. And there are a few more advantages to electric models. The initial cost of electric units is usually lower, and they are safer to run since they pose no risk of gas leaks.
Other Considerations
Deciding whether to purchase a gas or electric model is not the only choice you will need to make. You should look into the AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) of your unit to find out how much energy your unit uses to heat your home and how much is lost during operation. Proper sizing is also key to ensuring an efficient system. Talk over your concerns with an expert, like the folks at ACI Northwest. To find out more about professional heating services in Coeur d’Alene, call us today!
What Is the Difference Between a Furnace and a Boiler?
Friday, October 10th, 2014The most common types of heating systems—both of which have warmed homes and businesses for well over a century and a half—are furnaces and boilers. Chances are high that you have one or the other working to keep your home cozy during the winter. The two systems have little in common, however, except that they can use similar energy sources. Otherwise, they have completely different methods of providing heat for a building, and each requires specialists to install, repair, and maintain it.
If you are looking to have new heating system in installation, your choice may come down to a boiler or furnace. The one that will work best for your home heating will depend on many factors, and you should always rely on professionals to handle the installation so you end up with the right heater for your needs. Call ACI Northwest and put your trust in our many years of experience finding heating solutions for the greater Coeur d’Alene and Spokane area.
Furnace: Forced-Air Heating
The principle of a furnace is “forced-air heating,” which means that the system heats up air and then distributes it with a blower through a ventilation system. How the furnace heats up the air in its cabinet depends on its fuel source. The most common furnace type uses natural gas piped into the home. The furnace burns the natural gas to create a hot combustion gas. This gas enters a metal heat exchanger, which then heats the air blown past it and into the ductwork. The cooled-down combustion gas safely vents outside through a flue.
A popular alternative to gas is electricity. In these units, electric coils in a series of heating elements glow hot as current runs through them. The heating elements raise the temperature of the air through resistance heating, and the blower sends the air into the ventilation system.
Boiler: Hydronic Radiant Heating
Boilers do not use forced air or ductwork to provide warmth. Instead, they use heated water—and in some cases, steam—distributed through pipes to various terminal points in a home that then radiate heat waves into rooms. Boilers often use natural gas to create the heat to raise the temperature of the water in their water tanks, although some rely on electrical heating elements within the tank itself. Radiant heating in general is cleaner than forced-air heating because it does not require ductwork that can contain dust and dirt that will mix into the air stream.
Which One Is Best For My Home?
Both systems have advantages and disadvantages: furnaces can achieve high levels of heating, while boilers tend to use energy more efficiently and can last longer. If your home already has a set of ducts, it’s probably easiest to install a furnace. For a newer home without ducts, a boiler is an attractive possibility. The best way to know for certain is to work with a heating professional, who can measure the best way to efficiently and effectively provide comfort for your home.
ACI Northwest has a team ready to help with your needs for heating services in Coeur d’Alene, WA. Call us today to help choose between a furnace and a boiler.
How Does a Gas Furnace Work?
Friday, October 3rd, 2014One of the most popular and common types of heating systems is the furnace. If you use a gas furnace for your heating, you are in good company: approximately 60% of homes have a gas furnace heating system. Understanding how your system works is important, so our ACI Northwest technicians have taken some time to explain below how your gas furnace brings warm air into your home.
How Does a Gas Furnace Work?
In a gas furnace, air is heated and blown into your home through ductwork. The process starts with ignition: the thermostat senses that the temperature in your home has dropped and cues the furnace to begin the ignition cycle. A component called the draft fan inducer motor draws air into the burner assembly; the burners are ignited and the heat from the burners warms the heat exchanger. The air from inside the burner assembly is exhausted to the outside while a second fan, known as the blower fan, turns on. The blower fan is attached to the return duct, and as such, brings in the return air from your living spaces and blows it over the hot heat exchanger. This blown air is warmed, and continues its way into the supply ducts where it is delivered, warmed up, back into your living spaces. This process continues until the set temperature has been achieved.
What Are the Benefits of a Gas Furnace?
Here are some benefits of gas furnaces worth considering:
- Convenience – natural gas is piped into homes, eliminating the management of deliveries.
- Clean burning – natural gas burns cleanly, unlike other fossil fuels.
- Gas heat is very warm – the heat given off by gas-fueled heating systems is anywhere between 25 and 35 degrees warmer than other systems. This means your home will heat up quickly.
- Good energy efficiency – the average gas furnace has an efficiency rating of 90% , and can go as high as 98%.
If you have questions about your gas furnace heating system, or need repair, call ACI Northwest today and schedule heating service in Coeur d’Alene with one of our HVAC experts.
Common Causes of Heating Problems
Friday, September 26th, 2014Our temperatures are starting to cool, which brings our attention to heating in Coeur d’Alene. Fall is a great time to test your heating system for problems and repair them before the cold weather sets in. There can be a number of reasons your heater experiences problems, and knowing what to look for can help expedite repairs to your system. It’s important to always call a trained specialist for your heating repairs, as a heating system shouldn’t be handled by anyone who doesn’t have training. ACI Northwest has helped customers in Coeur d’Alene with heating repair for over two decades, so if you need heating repair, call us today!
Common Causes of Heating Problems
Here are some common causes of heating problems:
- Clogged/dirty components – clogged and/or dirty components do not work as they should. Parts that commonly become dirty in a heating system are the burner, the air filter, the coils (in a heat pump system), etc.
- Faulty ductwork (in forced-air systems) – faulty ductwork can account for uneven heating or hot and cold spots. Common problems with ductwork are obstructions, holes and cracks, broken seals and damaged sections.
- Ignition problems (for combustible systems) – when your combustible heating system doesn’t light, it can’t provide heat. Several things can require repair with a burner assembly, including a faulty igniter, a malfunctioning or cracked thermocouple or dirt in the burner or pilot area.
- Thermostat issues – your thermostat controls when your heating system cycles on and off, so if it is malfunctioning, it can cause problems with your whole system. Thermostats can get dirty, wires can loosen or corrode, or the unit can be mounted in a poor location. Thermostat problems can be tricky, so it’s best to call for a professional’s help.
If you are concerned about your heating system, now is a great time to test your system for problems. Even if your system appears to be running fine, fall offers a great time to schedule maintenance, which can help reduce the incidence of repairs. No matter your heating needs, ACI Northwest has the technicians who can help, so call us today and schedule your heating service in Coeur d’Alene!