You don’t have to be a professional in air conditioning to do simple upkeep on your A/C unit. With time and patience, you can complete some basic cleaning tasks on your own that will tune-up the unit.

• Filter – Before turning on your air conditioner for the first time each season, replace the air filter and check it every month. Not only does this help your A/C unit run more smoothly, it can improve the air quality in your home.
• Outdoor condenser unit — The outdoor condenser unit is what collects warm air from your home, cools it and then generates colder air to be pushed back inside. Needless to say, it’s important and should be kept in good condition. To care for your outdoor condenser unit, periodically spray it down with a garden hose. In between the times when you hose the condenser down, you should also consistently check for grass, rocks or other yard debris that may block air from flowing freely.
• Indoor vents — Give your indoor vents a once over to ensure that they are not blocked by furniture or debris. It’s always a good idea to keep the vents clean, or the dust they carry will be blown into your home and reduce the air quality.

For more advice about air conditioner tune-ups and other related issues, please feel free to contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’ve been serving northwest Arkansas for more than 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!  

Your heat pump works a lot like your refrigerator. It moves heat from one location to another, rather than producing heat like a furnace. Three primary factors must be met to achieve maximum efficiency: unhindered air flow, efficient ductwork and optimal refrigerant function.

1. Air flow obstructions include dust and debris collecting on the heat-exchanger coils and on the air handler. The air handler pulls air across the coils, inducing heat exchange. The resulting cool air is blown into your duct system. Keep the coils and air handler blades clean by wiping them down periodically, and keep the outdoor unit free of obstructions, like weeds, leaves and anything that blocks air flow. Also, be sure to check your air filter regularly.

• Efficient ductwork means no leaks, disconnections, damage or obstructions in the system. All leaks and poor connections should be repaired with mastic and mesh. If damaged ducts aren’t repairable, they should be replaced. Check for obstructions such as drapes, furniture, debris or anything that restricts free air flow at air-supply registers.
• Refrigerant levels must be kept near exact manufacturer recommendations. Of course, this should be performed by a heating and cooling pro, as should any other steps you don’t feel comfortable doing. Accurate refrigerant levels are only obtained when air flow has been optimized.

Schedule preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance twice a year will help your heat pump deliver maximum comfort and energy savings, while also helping your system last years longer. These are some checks a professional technician will perform:

• Inspect indoor blower and coils
• Inspect ducts and seal leaks
• Measure air flow
• Check coils for refrigerant leaks
• Measure refrigerant and charge
• Inspect electrical components
• Lubricate parts
• Perform thermostat, heating and cooling diagnostics

Interested in having your home’s heat pump checked out? The experts at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal can help. We’ve provided exceptional service and installation to homeowners  in northwest Arkansas for over 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

The Clean Air Act has forced the phase out of all R-22 freon gas production by 2020. This is the type of freon used in almost all air conditioning units made before 2007. The phase out began by limiting the production of freon R-22 to 25 percent of the total production before 2001, and by 2014 the production level will be down to 10 percent. Once the 2020 deadline arrives, HVAC service professionals will have to either reclaim, recycle or destroy any R-22 freon used.

Because of these changes, the demand for R-22 freon has stayed constant while the supply has been radically reduced, driving prices up. The reclamation, recycling and destruction of R-22 also adds to the cost of servicing the air conditioner.

The cost of freon R-22 will continue to rise as supplies decrease, and after 2020 it may be very hard to come by. Replacing your old A/C unit with one that runs on the newer R-422 freon won’t cost much more than servicing your existing unit for the next two years. In addition, with the current cost of energy, the higher efficiency of the new unit may actually allow it to pay for itself in a single summer.

A word of caution: when you are looking at new A/C units, don’t assume that the Energy Star label means that the unit doesn’t use R-22 freon. It only means it meets government standards for the Energy Star certification. If a particular unit is far cheaper than comparable ones, it’s a good indication that it runs on the R-22 freon, and it won’t save you much money in the long run.

Have questions about your current A/C system and whether now’s a good time to consider an upgrade due to the cost of freon? The experts at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal are here to help! Contact us today and we can answer ay questions you may have.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about the cost of freon and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Thermostat options

• Install a programmable thermostat. This device allows you to program your HVAC system according to your family’s routine, allowing you to keep your house cool while you’re home without overusing the air conditioner while you’re out of the house. Programmable thermostats are equally effective in winter, and many homeowners make back their initial investment within a year.
• Even with a manual thermostat, you can save money just by increasing the temperature a few degrees. Keeping the temperature at 78 degrees or higher can save you quite a bit over the course of the summer, and you can manually turn the temperature up a few degrees more any time you leave the house.

Another way to reduce your home’s energy bills? Keep up with air conditioner maintenance. Here are some pointers to help ensure energy savings:

• Have your air conditioner serviced before summer. Annual spring maintenance increases efficiency and insures that your air conditioner is up to the task of keeping you cool in the months ahead.
• Regularly change your air filters. The filters in your air conditioner remove dust and other particles from the air, but when they get dirty, it forces your A/C to work harder, burning up energy. During the parts of year when you use your air conditioner, filters should be changed every one to three months.
• Have your air ducts checked for leaks, and seal them if necessary. All the cool air your air conditioner provides could be wasted if it’s being blown through broken or disconnected ductwork.

Home efficiency

There are several other steps homeowners can take to improve energy costs:

• Make sure your home is well-insulated, especially the attic.
• Install efficient windows and doors to prevent cool air from being lost.
• Shade your windows in summer to prevent the sun from heating up your house. Blinds, drapes and awnings are effective. It also helps to have shade trees planted around your home.

For more information on how you can reduce your summer energy bills, contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’ve been serving Northwest Arkansas for more than 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy bills and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!

Programmable thermostats

There are many different programmable thermostats available with a plethora of features. The first step is to match a compatible thermostat to your home-comfort systems. These include heating, cooling, and other systems you may have, such as a whole-house humidifier, dehumidifier, zoning and ventilation system. These days, “smart thermostats” engage all of your systems, creating a home-comfort network. You control program settings for temperature, humidity, zones and ventilation from a central thermostat.

If there’s a change in your schedule or the weather, you can access your smart thermostat using a smartphone app or access secure software management tools online.

These are more of available features:

• Receive system alerts via display panel, text messages and email.
• Alerts include filter change, battery change and system malfunctions, such as ice buildup, overheating and power outage.
• Program a different schedule for each day of the week with four or more event settings.
• Large interactive touch screen with intuitive menu for easy programming and system status.
• Smart thermostats learn how to most efficiently reach target settings from one event setting to the next.
• Tamper-proof display allows you to lock settings.
• Manually change the current temperature at the touch of a hold button. System resumes normal schedule at next event.

Comfort + savings

The following sample program demonstrates how carefree saving energy can be with a smart thermostat. It lists approximate time of day, degrees to adjust up or down from your normal comfort temperature and the approximate length of time to hold that temperature. According to Energy Savers, this sample program would save about 20 to 24 percent heating and cooling costs.

• Overnight: 8 degrees for 8 hours
• Morning: 4 degrees for 2 hours
• Workdays: 10 degrees for 10 hours
• Evenings: normal comfort temperature for 4 hours

Contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal for more information about smart thermostats. We provide residents in the northwest Arkansas region with top service and care — and we have for more than 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Thermostat image via Shutterstock

The best way to begin an energy audit is by creating a detailed check list. Print out a copy of your list for each room so that you can easily identify the exact problem areas during your repairs. Your list should include:

• Exterior doors (weatherstripping, gaps, caulking, poor fit)
• Windows (loose, gaps, broken panes, missing storm windows, missing caulk, poor fit)
• Baseboards (missing caulk, gaps)
• Electrical plates (lack of insulation around electrical boxes, allowing air to flow inside the walls)
• Holes through walls, ceilings and floors
• Fireplace dampers that are open, don’t work or are broken or ill-fitted
• Registers with poorly attached ductwork
• Doggy doors, mail slots and through wall openings
• Vents that penetrate the wall and have missing insulation, such as dryer and bathroom vents
• Attic hatch or unfinished basement door with missing insulation
• Recessed lights improperly installed or lighting with incorrect bulbs
• Outdated energy-wasting appliances such as water heaters, furnaces, HVAC system, fireplace inserts, stoves and refrigerators
• Exterior siding corners with missing caulk or gaps
• Areas where siding joins other materials
• Attic with squashed or inadequate insulation
• Basement and exterior walls with no insulation or vapor barrier

In order to carry on a thorough and accurate home energy audit, it’s important to pressurize your house to easily check for leaks. Close all windows, doors and fireplace flues, and turn off all gas appliances such as furnaces, water heaters and stoves. Use your bathroom and kitchen fans to suck out the air. Use a lit incense stick and as you walk through each room, watch for wavers in smoke. When the smoke bends, there’s likely a leak nearby.

Feel more comfortable hiring a professional to conduct a home energy audit? Contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal to schedule an appointment, or ask any HVAC-related questions you may have. We’ve been serving Northwest Arkansas for more than 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy audits and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

• Clean the filters: Filters frequently become dirty or blocked when the air conditioner is running continuously. Check the filter, clean it with a mild detergent or replace it if it is old or torn.
• Condenser drain: Examine the drain for blockages. Dirt and dust clog the drain; the excess moisture cannot be removed from the air in your home, which causes humidity to increase in your rooms.
• Condenser coils: The coils are located outside the home and exposed to nature. Leaves, dirt, dead insects and spider webs will accumulate around the coils, hinder the release of heat from the condenser and force your system to work harder. Carefully clean any debris found around the coils.

If you never performed maintenance on your unit and are unsure what to do, contact a professional technician for a comprehensive examination of your cooling system. Preventive maintenance will fix most problems before they become bigger concerns. A certified technician will examine additional areas including:

• Refrigerant: The levels evaluated and adjusted to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Evaporator coils: Excess dirt or dust removed from the coils.
• Duct leakage: Leaks will be located in the ducts and repaired.
• Coil fins: Collected dust removed and bends in the fins repaired.
• Electrical components: Corrosion and loose wires fixed.

For more information on maintaining your air conditioner or annual service maintenance on your system, contact the trained energy specialists at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We have served all of northwest Arkansas and the surrounding communities for more than 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

AC repair man image via Shutterstock 

Installation is the first step to a functional thermostat and an efficient heating system, so be sure to carefully consider how and where you install your programmable thermostat. Carefully follow all instructions on the packaging, and remember these installation guidelines:

• You can install your new thermostat in the same place as your old thermostat, assuming your old one was in a proper location. If you had heating problems with your previous thermostat, you might want to take the opportunity to find a better location for the new one.
• Choose a non-drafty location on an interior wall for best results. On an exterior wall, the outdoor temperature can throw off the thermostat’s sensor. Drafts have a similar effect.
• Avoid installing a thermostat anywhere near doors, windows, heat-producing appliances, direct sunlight, heating vents and registers.

Settings are the other key component to saving energy with your new thermostat. Programmable thermostats offer much greater flexibility than manual thermostats, with the ability to automatically adjust your home’s temperature according to your needs at different times of the day and different days of the week. Be sure to take advantage of all your new thermostat has to offer.

• Winter settings: You can maximize your savings by setting your thermostat no higher than 70 degrees when you’re home, like in the morning and evening. You can program your thermostat to automatically lower the temperature by an additional five, 10 or even 15 degrees when there’s no one home or everyone is asleep.
• Summer settings: Keep your thermostat set no lower than 78 degrees while you’re home. While you’re out of the house, you can set it 10 degrees higher.

To find out more about how you can benefit from a programmable thermostat, contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’ve been providing expert service in northwest Arkansas for more than 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Simple Lifestyle Adjustments

Some bill-lowering strategies require only simple lifestyle adjustments, rather than more intensive home maintenance. Here are some easy things to do to lower your energy costs:

• Take shorter showers.
• Lower your heater’s thermostat settings during winter and wear warmer clothes to increase heating efficiency.
• Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when they have full loads.
• Turn down the heat or air conditioning before leaving the house.
• Turn off lights before leaving a room.

Maintenance Adjustments

An inefficiently designed home uses much more energy than an efficient home. While some home improvements may cost money upfront, the costs are usually worth the long term energy savings. Here are some home adjustments to consider when you’re trying to lower your energy costs:

• If your furnace and air conditioner are old and inefficient, consider upgrading to newer, more efficient models. For example, a dual-fuel heating and air conditioning system uses as little energy as possible.
• Install draft-stoppers on outside doors.
• Don’t forget to schedule preventive maintenance to keep your HVAC system running as efficiently as possible.
• Install a programmable thermostat so that you can have your heat or air conditioning turn down automatically during times when you’re normally out of the house.
• Consider installing a zoning system, so that you never pay to heat or air condition rooms you aren’t using.
• Install a whole-house humidification system to reduce your need for heat during winter.
• Consider having a contractor seal your attic to prevent warm air from entering your house during summer.

If you’re unsure of the best ways to lower your energy costs, consider having a professional take a look at your house and recommend energy-saving solutions. For help evaluating your home in Northwest Arkansas, contact the experts at Paschal Heat, Air and Geothermal.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy costs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Save Energy image via Shutterstock 

• Ducts are located too closely to wood framework, pipes or other objects.
• Inadequate connection at the duct trunk and the plenum.
• Loose or disconnected ducts.
• A house has settled/shifted over time which causes stress to ducts.

How To Fix Duct-System Noise

You have a few options to fix noisy ducts. For duct noise caused by contact or friction between the ducts and other objects, you may try the following:

• Install padding or insulation at the point of contact. This may reduce the noise enough so that it’s not an annoyance.
• Ducts should be installed one to two inches away from framework, pipes, and other objects. If your duct-system noise is from contact at multiple points because of poor installation, a heating and cooling professional will need to assess the best remedy for this problem, which may be either cutting away at framework, or readjusting ductwork.

For duct noise caused by expansion and contraction without contact, try the following:

• A common place for duct noise (“booms” and “bangs”) is at the duct trunk and plenum connection. This is near the heat exchanger, so there is great expansion and contraction in the ductwork. Install an expansion joint collar to reduce the stress.
• Duct stress and noises can be located anywhere in the system, often from a house settling and shifting over time. Acoustic duct liners may fix or muffle sounds of duct branches.
• Rattling and clattering is a sign of loose or disconnected ducts that should be sealed immediately with aluminum tape, or mastic.

If you would like a heating and cooling pro to inspect your ducts, call Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We provide residents in the northwest Arkansas region with top service and care — and we have for 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about duct-system noises and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!