Central Heating and Air Conditioning Suffolk, Virginia

Don't forget to have your Central Heating and Air Conditioning checked out before the extreme cold weather arrives.

We would like to be able to turn our central air conditioning and heating units on and have them deliver the exact temperature from the time they are turned on till the time they are turned off.. Realistically that is not how it works, some systems give us a lot of problems in regard to providing sufficient heating and cooling to meet our needs. Many folks prefer it very hot or very cold and that strains the systems to their limits.  This high level of usage causes the systems to break down more frequently.  This sometimes explains why one household has significantly more maintenance service calls for heating and cooling than other similar households.

Due to these factors, it is important for us to determine whether the heating and air conditioning units HVAC is running efficiently, or running poorly.  Certainly when it is putting out hot or cold air it is working, but is it working too hard. If it is working harder than the design allows, it will fail more frequently and cause extensive repair bills.

Sometimes we compare your heating and cooling unit to your car. When the motor runs efficiently it fails less and gives us more miles per gallon.  A heating and cooling unit is very similar. If we provide the system with regular maintenance and care, it will last longer and operate using less energy. Therefore it costs less to operate and uses less electricity therefore less power costs.

When a central heating and cooling unit (air conditioning or furnace) is properly maintained, it should last between 12 and 15 years with minimum down time.  In some cases the HVAC system will last many more years than this… Some have been known to run for 30 years with absolutley no problems. However this is truly the exception and not the norm. If your HVAc system runs for 30 years, consider yourself blessed.

Later in this article you will find many maintenance tips that will allow your heating and cooling system to run longer with less emergency maintenace requirements.  I would like to offer some suggestions that will keep the unit from running too hard. For example if you keep the intake filter clean the system can get air more easily and the unit will not be required to work as hard. Less hard work for the mechanical systems means less wear and tear and longer life overall. Make sense?  I thought it would.

Pay close attention to make sure that your system is draining properly, and that draining is normal, and is not to be considered to be a leak.. However you must inspect to make sure the draining is not a leak. The first thing is to make sure that your unit is not leaking and is draining as it should. If too much water is allowed to remain in the system, or oppositely that too much is allowed to escape, then your air conditioner is not running as it should.

Check all hose connections for cracks or leaks, and make sure the condensate tube is able to drain without restrictions. Change the filter frequently at least every 4-6 weeks would normally be considered sufficient. If afamily member suffers from allergies either minor or severe, then a clean filter is a must and will be very beneficial to them.

If you have any questions or just simply want someone to check out your system to make sure it is operating efficiently, feel free to call Smiley Heating and Cooling for your every need.  You will find our specially factory trained technicians all over Hampton Roads from Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News and in the North Carolina area we are rapidly expanding into Elizabeth City, Hertford, Edenton, Chowan County, Gates County, and even Camden Courtyard.  Our rapid expansion means that we need more and more technicians.  If you are a top quality technician, please contact us for a confidential interview.

Smiley Heating and Cooling has now expanded into the Suffolk, Va area and is ready to provide unsurpassed service as they always have.

Author
Tom Chambers