FAQ

Air conditioners and refrigerators work the same way. Instead of cooling just the small, insulated space inside of a refrigerator, an air conditioner cools a room, whole house, or an entire business. Air conditioners use chemicals that easily convert from a gas to a liquid and back again. This chemical is used to transfer heat from the air inside of a home to the outside air. The machine has three main parts. They are a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator. The compressor and condenser are usually located on the outside air portion of the air conditioner. The evaporator is located on the inside the house. The working fluid arrives at the compressor as a cool, low-pressure gas. The
compressor squeezes the fluid. This packs the molecule of the fluid closer together. The closer the molecules are together, the higher its energy and its temperature.

The working fluid leaves the compressor as a hot, high pressure gas and flows into the condenser. If you looked at the air conditioner part outside a house, look for the part that has metal fins all around. The fins act just like a radiator in a car and helps the heat go away, or dissipate, more quickly. When the working fluid leaves the condenser, its temperature is much cooler and it has changed from a gas to a liquid under high pressure. The liquid goes into the evaporator through a very tiny, narrow hole. On the other side, the liquid’s pressure drops. When it does it begins to evaporate into a gas. As the liquid changes to gas and evaporates, it extracts heat from the air around it. The heat in the air is needed to separate the molecules of the fluid from a liquid to a gas. The evaporator also has metal fins to help in exchange the thermal energy with the surrounding air. By the time the working fluid leaves the evaporator, it is a low pressure gas carrying the heath out of the home. It then returns to the compressor to begin its trip all over again.
This continues over and over and over until the room reaches the temperature you want the room cooled to. The thermostat senses that the temperature has reached the right setting and turns off the air conditioner. As the room warms up, the thermostat turns the air conditioner back on until the room reaches the temperature.

Imagine that you took an air conditioner and flipped it around so that the hot coils were on the inside and the cold coils were on the outside. Then you would have a heater. It turns out that this heater works extremely well. Rather than burning a fuel, what it is doing is “moving heat.” A heat pump is an air conditioner that contains a valve that lets it switch between “air conditioner” and “heater.” When the valve is switched one way, the heat pump acts like an air conditioner, and when it is switched the other way it reverses the flow of the liquid inside the heat pump and acts like a heater. Heat pumps can be extremely efficient in their use of energy. But one problem with most heat pumps is that the coils in the outside air collect ice. The heat pump has to melt this ice periodically, so it switches itself back to air conditioner mode to heat up the coils. To avoid pumping cold air into the house in air conditioner mode, the heat pump also lights up electric strip heaters to heat the cold air that the air conditioner is pumping out. Once the ice is melted, the heat pump switches back to heating mode and turns off the heat strips.

With the word “affordable” in our name, customers sometimes think we are “the cheapest”. This is not the case. Our goal at Affordable Heating & Air is to give our customers the best possible value for the money they are spending to heat and cool their homes. Our prices are fair, and, well, affordable. Our experience has shown that cheap pricing tends to reflect workmanship that attempts to cut corners and attempt to accomplish installations in ways that are not always good for the home or business owner. On the other hand, our representatives are more than happy to discuss any questions that you might have in a clear and friendly manner.

SEER (or S.E.E.R.) Rating stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. It is the rating and performance standards that have been developed by the U.S. government and equipment manufacturer’s to produce an energy consumption rating that is easy to understand by consumers. It has a universal formula and conditioning that can be applied to all units and compensates for varying weather conditions.

Basically, the lower the S.E.E.R. rating, the more energy (electricity) is required to produce the desired effect.

EXAMPLE:
S.E.E.R. of “6” produces about 6 BTU/hr of cooling, per watt of electricity.

S.E.E.R. OF “12” produces about 12 BTU/hr of cooling per watt of electricity. This would be about double the cooling effect of a 6 S.E.E.R. Unit.

Nowadays, energy consumption is a very, very important issue and is sure to remain so for a long time into the future. This increased efficiency has become more and more important as electricity rates continue to rise.

Modern air conditioning systems are designed with a focus on energy efficiency and sustainability, making them more environmentally friendly compared to older models. One of the key benefits is the reduction in energy consumption, which directly translates to fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Many newer units come with high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings, meaning they can cool your home using less energy. Additionally, modern AC systems often use more eco-friendly refrigerants, such as R-410A, which have less of an impact on the ozone layer compared to older refrigerants like R-22. Some systems also incorporate smart technology, allowing users to control the temperature remotely and program the system to operate only when necessary, further reducing energy waste. Finally, with regular maintenance, these systems can run optimally for many years, preventing the frequent disposal and replacement of units that contribute to electronic waste. By investing in a high-efficiency air conditioning system, you’re not only reducing your carbon footprint but also contributing to long-term environmental conservation.

It’s recommended to have your air conditioner serviced at least once a year, ideally in the spring before the hot summer months arrive. Regular maintenance ensures that your AC unit operates efficiently, which can help reduce energy consumption and extend the lifespan of the system. During the service, a technician will clean the filters, check for refrigerant levels, inspect the coils, and ensure the system is running at peak performance. Regular servicing can prevent small issues from becoming costly repairs later on.

Several signs may indicate that your air conditioner requires repair. If you notice that the airflow coming from your vents is weaker than usual or if warm air is blowing instead of cool, these could be signs of a system issue. Unusual noises such as grinding, rattling, or squealing can also be a sign of a mechanical problem. Additionally, if you observe water pooling near the unit or notice a sudden spike in your energy bills, it’s possible that your AC is working harder than it should and may need repair. Addressing these issues early can prevent more serious breakdowns and expensive repairs.

A zoning system allows you to divide your home into different areas or “zones” that can be heated or cooled independently of one another. This offers a variety of benefits in terms of both comfort and efficiency. For example, if you have rooms that are rarely used, such as guest bedrooms or a home office, you can adjust the temperature in those areas separately, reducing energy consumption by not heating or cooling spaces unnecessarily. This not only leads to significant savings on your utility bills but also reduces wear and tear on your HVAC system by preventing it from working harder than it needs to. From a comfort perspective, zoning allows you to customize the climate in different parts of the house. If one family member prefers a cooler bedroom for sleeping while others prefer warmer living spaces, zoning makes it possible to meet everyone’s needs without overworking the system. Additionally, zoning can eliminate the problem of hot or cold spots that can occur in homes with multi-story layouts or areas exposed to more sunlight. In essence, a zoning system offers a tailored climate control solution that increases efficiency and enhances the overall comfort of your living space.