The weather can be crazy in Grand Prarie, Texas, which means your home needs year-round heating and cooling. Finding a solution to keep your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems running great can be overwhelming. Choosing a company with 24-hour service is a must-have, as well as excellent customer reviews and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
The best way to ensure trouble-free air conditioning in Texas is with routine HVAC maintenance twice a year. Seasonal maintenance includes replacing the filters, verifying the refrigerant levels are correct, cleaning and inspecting the condenser coils, calibrating the thermostat, ensuring no air leaks from the ductwork, and tightening the electrical connections.
A lot of issues with an HVAC system can be fixed by a trained professional without having to replace the entire unit. If the repair costs less than half the cost of a replacement, choosing to repair your air conditioner and then have regular maintenance on an existing system can be a more affordable option and help the system last for years to come.
Indoor air quality is always a concern, not just in the Grand Prarie and Red Oak areas, especially since everyone is spending more time than ever indoors. Common indoor irritants like dust, dirt, bacteria and pet dander can lead to headaches, fatigue, dry eyes, sneezing, congestion, and could even lead to asthma. While using a high-quality indoor air filter can undoubtedly help keep the air inside your home clean, having a licensed A/C professional clean your air ducts is also highly recommended.
When To Replace Your Home’s Air Conditioner
New air conditioning installation occurs for many reasons, usually when building a home or when the old HVAC system has broken beyond repair. It can often make sense to upgrade the entire air conditioning system when the repair cost is nearly 50% of the cost of a replacement or if the system is approaching 15 years old.
The decision makes sense when considering that A/C systems often lose efficiency over time, and installing a more efficient system can save the homeowner money over time. You may consider installing a more efficient system if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- There is a burning smell when the system begins to run.
- The electric bill is unusually high for the season.
- You have to schedule multiple repairs in the same year.
- Your home is not cooling properly.
- The system constantly runs instead of cycling on and off.
- The humidity level of a room changes frequently.
Types of Air Conditioner Units
Here are a few of the new HVAC systems available in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- Mini-splits are ductless air conditioning systems. They involve a small outdoor unit that compresses and condenses and an indoor wall mount unit that evaporates. Mini-splits work well for small spaces that do not have room for ducts or are otherwise not affected by the central system.
Mini-splits can also be a solution for homes with room additions where extending the existing ductwork is impossible. Mini-splits often increase efficiency because losses through traditional ducts can make up 30% or more of the energy consumption of an HVAC system.
- Packaged units are all-in-one HVAC systems. They can combine an air conditioner and an air handler. There are also gas pack versions that incorporate an air conditioner and a gas furnace. Another type of packaged unit is a dual-fuel system that has the benefits of a heat pump but can run as a furnace if temperatures drop too low.
Packaged units can be reasonable solutions for homes without crawl spaces or basements. Verifying that the existing ductwork is a good match for a packaged unit system is crucial.
- Heat pumps are electrical devices that extract heat and transfer it to another area through evaporation and condensation of a liquid refrigerant. Because heat pumps can cycle heat in both directions, they are effective for year-round climate control in a home.
Even in frigid weather, the outside air and ground contain heat. This means that a heat pump can absorb heat from the outdoor air in the winter and cycle it throughout the home. In the summer, the same heat pump can reverse the process and expel excess heat outside, cooling the house.
- Furnaces aren’t usually the topic of HVAC discussions in Texas but an energy-efficient furnace can keep a home comfortably warm in colder weather without resulting in high energy bills. New furnaces are generally more efficient than older models, saving on heating costs, and come in gas, electric, and propane varieties.
Contact Dial One Johnson for Air Conditioner Repairs in Dallas, TX
At Dial One Johnson Plumbing, Cooling & Heating, our experienced air quality and HVAC technicians are ready to help make your home more comfortable. Based in Cedar Hill, we provide HVAC maintenance, repairs, installations, and 24/7 emergency service to the Dallas, Grand Prarie, and Red Oak areas.
Author Bio:
Sherrie Johnson-Hartsock
Dial One Johnson Plumbing, Cooling & Heating is now owned and operated by Sherrie Johnson-Hartsock, with his grandson, Daniel Johnson, a third-generation plumber who is also the Service Manager.