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Get Ready For Summer With a New System!
May 18th, 2012Keep Your Home Cool and Save Energy in Terrell
May 14th, 2012As the season of hot and long days draws near, it is normal for questions to arise on how to keep your Terrell home cool and save energy. In normal trains of thought, using the air conditioning unit frequently would mean higher utility bills. However, there are some things which are easy to do and can help keep any house cool without overuse of an air conditioner.
Easy Fixes Which Cool the House from the Heat of the Sun
- Provide effective shade for east and west facing windows, including planting shade trees around the exterior of the house
- Delay heat-generating activities until evening
- Keep the house closed tight during the day so that unwanted heat and humidity do not enter the home
- Ventilate at night with open windows and fans
- Use ceiling fans or room fans to increase comfort levels with higher air conditioning thermostat settings
- Seal and insulate all air conditioning ducts, and seal leaky windows with caulk or weather stripping
- Install window shades, blinds, awnings, sunscreens, or apply low-e films to windows to block most solar rays which cause heat gain
- Close south and west-facing curtains during the day on windows which get direct sunlight, and invest in reflective solar curtains
- Upgrade the insulation in the attic
- Perform air conditioner repairs annually, and place it in the shade with proper air flow to ensure it runs efficiently
- Install a house fan to cool the entire home at once as well as cool the attic above
Eliminate Internal Heat Sources
- Lessen stove and oven use during hot days and enjoy a backyard barbeque or cookout, keeping the heat out of the kitchen and in the great outdoors. When cooking inside do so in the evening and employ use of the microwave, toaster-oven or counter-top grill which produces far less heat than the stove or oven.
- Switch to newer, compact fluorescent lights which use less energy and produce far less heat than incandescent lights
- Pass on the hot-drying cycle of the dishwasher and let dishes air dry, or dry them by hand
- Line-dry clothes rather than using the dryer, or use the lowest heat setting on the dryer
- Take shorter showers that are cooler, and turn on exhaust fans and open windows to properly ventilate the area, allowing excess heat to escape
- Turn computers and other electronics off when not in use, and use electronic devices such as TV’s less often throughout the day
Combining the various home fixes while eliminating internal heat sources can turn out to be the best ways to keep your home cool, save energy, and reduce air conditioner maintenance during hot summer months. Just try some and see how that energy bill decreases! Please call Infinity Texas Air Conditioning and Heating when are are ready to save some money on your AC.
Spring Newsletter!
May 11th, 2012Check out our Spring Newsletter for informative articles, Promotions, Testimonials, a Did You Know fact, and a delicious Spring Recipe to enjoy!
AC Problems You Need A Professional to Fix in Forney
May 7th, 2012In a hot climate, it’s great to be cool. Air conditioning in Forney makes life possible for some people. It lets us sleep and helps us be our best through the hottest days.
Air conditioning is a cool blanket that wraps around us like a mother’s arm around a little baby. It’s such a part of our lives that it’s easy to forget that, like a baby, our own air conditioners must be well fed and maintained.
Some things are easy for the home owner. Other repairs are complicated, technical and require a professionally certified HVAC company like Infinity Texas Air Conditioning and Heating to accomplish.
Doing the Basics
For window mounted ductless split systems or the big units on the side of the house, regular cleanings and a filter change should be a part of every season. Even for the most bumbling of hands, it’s not hard to remove the cover and replace the panel of webbing that catches lint and other particles out of your conditioned air.
Some warm water and a good shot of compressed air gently on the exposed fins will help to increase the longevity of the unit. Be careful not to put pressure on the fragile fins and coils or use hot water that could cause corrosion.
Make sure the drain is clear, always cover the unit or store it away when more naturally cool temperatures take over and you’ve got conditioned air and relative peace of mind in the years ahead.
Big Problems
Without the regular service, however, an air conditioner begins to work much harder to produce the same amount (or less) of cool joy and parts begin to break down. With total neglect, the unit itself may need replacement much sooner than was promised when you paid for it. These are repairs that could be avoided and require a professional to make.
The key ingredient to cooling is a chemical called a refrigerant (most often Freon) that is capable of transforming rapidly from gas to liquid and back again at low temperatures. This runs through two intricate tubes, a compressor, and a critical expansion valve that controls the process. It is a delicate and complicated process that calls for expertise and the right tools, especially since the refrigerant is considered hazardous and requires special handling.
When the air gets stuffy, it could be that the fan is the problem. Belts could be worn, loose or broken. The motor may be low on oil and is stained to the breaking point.
If mysterious signs of water or mold are showing up on the inside of the house near the unit, there could be a problem with the condensate that is released with the heat when air is cooled. This could be a simple or complicated fix, but should be checked out professionally to ensure all is well.
With love and care, an air conditioner should provide us with a decade or two of wonderful sleep and cool times. Call Infinity Texas Air Conditioning and Heating to schedule a air conditioning service session to increase the comfort of your home.
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
May 5th, 2012In honor of the Cinco de Mayo holiday, try this fun family craft!
Mexican Flag Pinata:
What you’ll need:
- 1 brown paper grocery bag
- Tissue paper in red, white and green
- Crepe paper streamers in red, green and white
- 24” green yarn
- Hole punch
- Stapler
- Newspaper or other lightweight filler
- Small trinkets and candies
- Scissors
- White glue
How to make it:
- Open the grocery bag and put treats and trinkets inside. Fill about ¼ full.
- Fill remaining space with crumpled up newspaper. Leave a small amount of space at the top of the bag so it can be folded over and closed.
- Fold top over and secure with staples.
- Poke or punch a hole in the middle of the bag in the fold. Be sure it’s low enough that the hole won’t rip.
- Cut strips of tissue paper (in each color) about 3” x 5”. The easiest way to do this is to cut a strip of tissue paper 5” wide the full length of the sheet. Next fold the tissue paper in half, cut. Hold those two together and fold both in half, cut. Repeat until you have rectangles that are approximately 3” x 5”.
- Fringe the ends of the tissue paper by cutting slits about halfway up.
- Starting at the bottom of the bag, glue the tissue paper onto the bag by the solid edge only, do not glue the fringe down. Start with red on the left, then white in the middle, and green on the right.
- Repeat these steps, working your way upward toward the top of the bag.
- Cover the right side of the bag with green and the left side of the bag with red. Repeat the process on the other side, lining up the colors so that they match the side colors (green will be at the left and red at the right).
- Thread string or yarn through hole at the top and tie a knot.
- Gently lay the bag on its side.
- Cut 12 strips of crepe paper streamers (12 of each color) and glue to the bottom of the bag.
- Set aside to dry completely.
- Hang by your string and hit with a waffle bat or rolled up newspaper until it breaks.
Tips:
- Shop for Mexican candies to put in your pinata.
- Instead of crepe paper streamers, you can cut long thing strips of tissue paper.
- To reinforce your hanger, add a few staples through the yarn and the bag.
Saving Money in Seagoville on Energy Bills with Landscaping
April 30th, 2012Did you know that proper landscaping of your home could reduce the energy you use, and save you money on air conditioning in Seagoville? It’s true! Soon enough those hot, summer months will blaze through making us sweat in the heat of the midday sun. All we want is respite from that heat, and maybe a cool drink to sip. But our air conditioners will work harder and more frequently than we would ever want to in such direct heat and blinding light. Since those hot summer days are still on the horizon and the beauty of spring is in full-swing, this is the time to prepare for the inevitable by giving the AC a break while at the same time saving money on utility bills.
Inspect, prune, and pay attention! Get out in that garden and have a look at that AC unit!
- Cut back any overgrown bushes or plants nearby, and remove any weeds growing near or over the AC unit, in order to ensure proper air circulation is maintained in the space immediately surrounding the AC unit. It might even be prudent to place stepping stones or cement in the foot of space immediately surrounding the AC unit, to keep a good barrier between the unit and surrounding foliage.
- Pull out that green thumb and plant some flowers or greenery surrounding but not too close to the AC unit, making it a part of the yard’s landscaping, rather than an eye-sore which stands out.
- Air conditioner installations should be done under the shade. This can be done simply by adding trees or tall bushes near the AC unit, protecting it from the blazing sun. AC units can also be moved to the North side of a house or other building, making sure they are under the shade during the heat of the day. Ensuring an AC unit is in the shade can mean not only saving approximately 5% on cooling bills, but can also increase the energy efficiency of the air conditioning unit by upwards of 10%.
- Add trees or tall foliage all around a property to provide shade directly on the home or building, which can additionally contribute to overall cooling of the yard and buildings being cooled.
Proper landscape maintenance near, upkeep of, and airflow to an air conditioning unit ensures that there is reduced wear and tear on the AC unit, helping it to run more efficiently for a much longer period of time. Pay attention to your AC unit and it will provide a great service for many years. If you have any questions about how your landscaping can improve the efficiency of your energy consumption please call Infinity Texas Air Conditioning & Heating.
$250 Off New System!
April 27th, 2012Infinity Texas Air Conditioning & Heating is offering $250 Off ALL New Systems! Call us today to take advantage of this outstanding deal!
Terrell Heating Tips: What To Do If Your Furnace Keeps Turning On or Off?
April 23rd, 2012Furnaces repairs in Terrell are very uncommon in the first decade you have it as long as they are regularly maintained. They typically work so well, in fact, there is a danger of taking our comfort for granted and skipping the annual service for a year or two as time rushes by, waking up suddenly and brutally to a dark night and no heat.
In retrospect, a preliminary indication of trouble could have been the furnace continually turning off and on in short bursts, something that was tugging at your senses, but not strongly enough to really catch your attention.
Possible Problems
A heating system that constantly turns on and off could often be a direct result of poor airflow. Heat builds up and the detectors sense the proper temperatures have been reached and automatically shut down. In the room, the thermostat calls for more heat and starts the cycle over again.
A relay switch or control valve may also be worn and working improperly. A crack in the heat exchanger might fuel the flame to burn too hotly and cause the sensor to misinterpret the information and shut down.
These problems not only impede the distribution of heat to the living spaces, decreasing comfort, but also create intense wear on the motor and controls, threatening the very life of the appliance.
Simple Solutions
Restricted airflow can be caused most often by a dirty or clogged filter. At the furnace, there is usually a panel that can be removed to check, clean or replace the filter. It is typically a single or series of cardboard and screen panels approximately 1′ by 2′, but varies by manufacturer and furnace output.
A vacuum to pull lint free or compressor to blow it clean are the recommended tools to use a few times each year. It is a good idea to change the filters at the beginning of each heating season. The belts are also easily replaced.
The fan belts for the blower may also be worn loose and not pushing the air hard enough to get through the filters. It is a good idea to check them regularly as well.
The Calvary Charge
When in doubt, call the experts out. Call Infinity Texas Air Conditioning & Heating to Schedule an annual inspection and service and take the worry out of living in a furnace heated home. Besides the rite of safe passage for your peace of mind, trained mechanics can spot the defects and give you the best assurance of a long life of comfort and warmth.
When contracting with the same HVAC company over time, a relationship is built whereby they care nearly as much as you.
Remember to Change Your Filter!
April 20th, 2012Infinity Texas Air Conditioning wants to remind you to take change your filter in your Heating and Air Conditioning system. Do not let your filter end up looking like this:
Call us today to schedule a maintenance check to ensure proper performance of your system!
Crandall Heat Pump Q&A: What is a Heat Pump Reversing Valve?
April 16th, 2012The cost of energy is climbing because there is a higher global demand for a the finite resources we use for energy. This increase in price is driving homeowners to alternative options for heating and cooling. Heat pump installations in Crandall, are a solution that many Texas residents are considering because they do not use as much energy, and can keep a home at a comfortable temperature all year round.
Tapping the stored energy of the greatest solar collector in existence, ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are electrically powered systems that tap the earth’s relatively constant temperature to provide cooling, heating, and hot water for homes and commercial buildings. Simple, efficient and abundant, heat pumps are best used in moderate to hot climates where the differential of temperatures is not extreme.
In General
Functioning on the same principle as refrigerators, the heat pump uses a liquid to absorb heat as it turns into a gas and release heat as it returns to a liquid state. During the summer, the heat pump operates as a standard central air conditioner, removing heat from the house and venting it to the outside.
In the winter, the heat pump reverses this process, extracting heat from the cold air outside and releasing it inside the house. The heat pump is very efficient when the outside temperature is around 45 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but it becomes less efficient as the temperature drops.
The Heart of the Matter
The reversing valve in the heat pump switches the process from absorbing heat from the inside to evacuate outdoors like an air conditioner to extracting heat from cold temperatures outside and redistributing it indoors. The thermal energy at play is the natural force of heat to move toward cooler temperatures, releasing energy in the shift. Heat pumps take care of both and the reversing valve controls the direction of the flow.
The reversing valve has two states of operation: relaxed and energized. In the relaxed state, the heat pump can be programmed to introduce either heated or cooled temperatures into the conditioned space, depending on the direction of the flow of refrigerant through the closed loop.
By applying a 24 volt charge of AC current (a low voltage typically used in HVAC systems), the valve becomes energized and reverses the flow, producing the opposite conditioning. The reversing valve may be driven by the heat pump through the use of a control board or directly by a thermostat.
As energy resources rapidly change in cost and supply, heat pumps utilizing geothermal energy are looking like a viable alternative in today’s market. If you have any additional questions please call Infinity Texas Air Conditioning & Heating.
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