Winter Haven Air Conditioning

Smart HVAC Systems – What Do They Do Exactly?

Wed, 10 May 2017 00:17:01 +0000

There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about so-called “smart” HVAC systems. So, you may be wondering what exactly is a smart HVAC system? When it comes to superior energy efficiency and home comfort matched to your lifestyle, the answers are yes and yes.

Conventional HVAC Systems vs. Smart HVAC Systems

HVAC systems are an expensive necessity, which may account for nearly half of your home’s energy bills. There are ways you can cut cooling and heating costs, such as tightening up your home with air sealing and insulation. Though standard and mid-efficiency HVAC systems simply cost a lot of energy dollars to run.

Moreover, older HVAC systems lack the digital features and technologies needed to provide superior comfort compared to smart HVAC systems.

For example, with your standard HVAC system, you set the thermostat to your desired temperature, such as 78 degrees for cooling. Your AC unit engages and sends cool airflow to your entire home. As far as efficiency and comfort go, this would be fine if all of the rooms of your home were always occupied. Otherwise, you are using energy to cool perhaps several rooms of your home that aren’t being used.

Smart Upgrades

Smart HVAC systems incorporate digital features used in home automation. WiFi comfort controls replace standard thermostats. Motion sensors and other technologies monitor and control indoor temperatures, lighting, and more according to occupancy and your habits. So, basically, a smart HVAC system “learns” your comfort and lifestyle habits, and adjusts for maximum home comfort and energy savings.

You may even monitor, manage, and change indoor environmental conditions from your smartphone app or online computer. That’s smart! So, if it’s time for you to upgrade, be smart and talk to your Winter Haven Air Conditioning specialist about installing a smart HVAC system.

How to Save Money on Your AC Unit Without Losing Your Cool

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 13:45:23 +0000

Here are some smart money-saving tips to help keep you cool as a cucumber this summer.

Regardless of how much or how little you use your air conditioning, it’s going to save you money, and be more efficient, if you pay attention to maintenance. Like any machine, it will run better if it’s clean, and use less power to do its job.
Ceiling fans make a home feel cooler, whether you’re running the AC or not. Use a ceiling fan with 2 rotating directions; one way pulls cool air up, and the other pushes hot air down (great for winter).
Those heat-producing chores…baking, running the dishwasher or dryer, hot water washing, etc. Can’t they wait until the sun goes down?
Unless you need tons of natural light for indoor orchids or something else, drawing the blinds against the scorching sun helps keep the temperature down and takes some pressure off the air conditioning.
If no-one is at home, don’t cool the house. However, keep your pets in mind. While the goldfish will be okay, birds, cats and dogs are susceptible to heat exhaustion, just like humans.
If you’re in the market for a new air conditioning unit, look at the latest high-efficiency models, and be sure they carry the Energy Star label – you could save up to 30% on your cooling bill.

Our team at Winter Haven Air Conditioning has been serving Polk County, FL for 25 years. Family-owned and operated, our company’s services include air conditioning and heating installation, repairs and maintenance. We’ve built up a reputation of honesty and reliability, and when it comes to prices, we know we’ll beat the rest! Contact us today for more information.

Most of the Sounds That Your Daikin AC Makes are Perfectly Normal!

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 14:00:43 +0000

It’s true; most of the sounds that your Daikin air conditioner makes are not a sign of malfunction. Let’s go through them, so you can be absolutely sure.

Sound of water flowing happens when the refrigerant flows in the air conditioner.
Clicking sound occurs when the electrical parts are engaged, or the valve is controlling the refrigerant.
Pinging sound occurs when the AC is slightly shrinking or expanding due to temperature change.
Whooshing sound happens when the refrigerant flow changes in the air conditioner.
Bubbling sound occurs when air from the outside flows into a room through the drain hose when a strong wind blows or when the ventilation fan runs in a closed room. This sound is often heard in draft-free apartments or houses due to varying pressures between the outdoors and indoors. You could have an air-cut drain plug installed on the drain hose to stop the flow of outdoor air. This job can be done by the Daikin dealer where you purchased your air conditioner.
AC Emits a Noise during Humidifying: The sound changes because the humidifier fan starts and stops the operation repeatedly. The fan will continue rotating for three minutes after operation stops to protect the AC.

Note: If any sounds or noises other than these occur, contact your local Daikin dealer right away.

Is Your AC Unit Ready to Keep You Comfortable All Summer Long?

Thu, 21 May 2015 14:00:38 +0000

At Winter Haven Air Conditioning we can help you create the most energy efficient climate for your indoor living environment. We can help you stay comfortable all summer long by servicing, maintaining or repairing your existing air conditioning unit. If you air conditioning unit is old or inefficient, we can help with the selection and installation of a unit that will work for the needs of your family.

Although air conditioning is on your mind during the heat of the summer, we also provide many other services. In addition to our air conditioning services, we can also assist you with furnace maintenance or repairs, heat pumps, humidity control, air quality control, allergy testing, and much, much more.

When you call us at Winter Haven Air Conditioning you don’t need to worry about being saddled with an inexperienced dealer or technician. We have years of experience that have kept us in business. Throughout this time, we have learned the value of keeping you, our customer, happy with our services. It’s simple with our polite and professional staff, high-quality equipment, superior customer service, and competitive pricing. For all of your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) needs, please consider calling Winter Haven Air Conditioning at (863)-293-3660.

Extend the Life of Your Cooling & Heating System with Professional Maintenance.

Mon, 04 May 2015 14:00:27 +0000

One of the best things that homeowners in Polk County, FL, can do is to keep their cooling and heating systems healthy by having regular preventative maintenance performed by a professional technician. Ideally, this should be done twice a year – once before the cooling season and once before the heating season.

While performing preventative maintenance, the technician will evaluate and inspect your system and make any needed repairs or adjustments. Below are the top 3 benefits of having this done:

Avoid Unnecessary Repairs: With preventative maintenance twice a year, problems can be nipped in the bud before they escalate into large, expensive issues. This will also minimize the number of times the technician will have to come to your home to do repairs.

Save Energy: Over time, a lot can happen to your cooling and heating system that prevents it working efficiently. When the technician inspects your system, he will make sure it’s running as effectively and smoothly as possible, which will reduce the amount of energy you use.

Prolong the Life of Your System: One of the major benefits of preventive maintenance is that it will prolong the life of your cooling and heating system. Just like tune-ups and oil changes keep your car in good shape, regular maintenance keeps your HVAC equipment healthy.

An HVAC Energy Audit Only Takes a Couple of Hours, and it’s Worth Every Penny.

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 14:00:34 +0000

Given the amount of money that you’ve spent on your cooling and heating system, isn’t it important for you to know whether it’s performing on a par with its price tag?

You might give your home an once-over periodically to check if your HVAC system is working well, but only a proper energy audit will make certain of that. The process only takes a couple of hours, but it’s extremely detailed in that it covers many aspects of a cooling and heating system, as well as the overall efficiency of your home.

Energy audit professionals are certified and highly trained in their field. By checking everything from indoor pollution and air quality, to leaky electrical equipment, or the presence of toxic and harmful gases, they can also tell you if your home is safe to live in. You will be advised if any equipment needs to be serviced or replaced.

Your cooling and heating system might not be performing optimally for a variety of reasons. Age-related troubles, faulty parts, issues with ducts and filters, or lack of maintenance all contribute to diminished performance. An energy audit will reveal the specific issues, allowing you to concentrate your finances on the relevant areas to ensure the ultimate performance of your HVAC equipment.

Lennox Unveils Brand New Technology for Commercial HVAC Systems

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 14:00:45 +0000

January, 2015: Lennox showcased its new VRF (variable refrigerant flow) technology and Ultra Innovation to 62,000 engineers, contractors, facility managers, manufacturers and distributors at the AHR Expo in Chicago.

VRF – the company’s latest launch – offers commercial HVAC systems that require less energy, less space and less structural modification than competing systems, while providing a versatile, flexible solution that’s perfect for a wide range of offices, workplaces, buildings, and retail environments.

By giving a building the ability to create independent temperature control and localized comfort, VRF is able to help every occupant enjoy an ideally cooled or heated and humidified area, making commercial HVAC customization efficient and easy. Moreover, due to its ability to spread the load throughout an entire structure, VRF provides cost and power saving advantages.

Lennox’s Energence ultra high-efficiency rooftop units are the lightest, quietest and most efficient in their class, offering unrivaled intelligence. They combine the newly enhanced Prodigy Control System with the highest efficiency on the market to achieve a low cost of ownership. Having been designed to help buildings qualify for local utility rebates and LEED points, these ultra-efficient rooftop commercial HVAC units are rated up to 13.9 EER and 21.5 IEER. In addition, they help reduce structural engineering expenses by being up to 42 percent lighter than competitive units in the same class.

The Importance of Indoor Air Quality

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 08:39:34 +0000

Did You Know?

Biological pollutants promote poor indoor air quality and may be a major cause of days lost from work or school and of doctor and hospital visits. (U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission)

Germicidal ultraviolet light is one of three engineering controls to prevent the transmission of Tuberculosis in healthcare facilities. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The Environmental Protection Agency ranks poor indoor air quality among the top five environmental risks to public health. Interestingly, five out of 10 Americans are not aware of this fact. (American Lung Association)

Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced years after exposure. (Environmental Protection Agency) Asthma accounts for 14 million missed school days annually. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Bio-Fighter® Germicidal UV Light is easily installed in your heating & cooling system by your Winter Haven Air Conditioning.

You Benefit From Ultraviolet Light

Germicidal UV light has long been used to combat biological contaminants in hospital settings. Now you can have those same benefits for your home.

Installing a Bio-Fighter® Germicidal UV Light system is one of the most effective measures against harmful airborne pathogens in your home.

Don’t Suffer From Your Heating and Cooling System

Contaminated heating and cooling systems can become a breeding ground for biological contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses, and mold.The heating & cooling system can then distribute these contaminants throughout your home. Some diseases, such as humidifier fever, are associated with toxins from biological contaminants that grow in ventilation systems.

The Bio-Fighter® Germicidal UV Light can help protect your

family from these harmful airborne contaminants.

1 out of 6 people who suffer from
allergies do so because of the direct
relationship to fungi and bacteria in
air duct systems. (Health Magazine)

Levels of air pollution inside the
home can be two to five times higher,
and occasionally 100 times higher,
than outdoor levels. (Environmental
Protection Agency)

Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced years after exposure. These include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. (Environmental Protection Agency)

Tips on Selecting Your Next Air Conditioning Unit

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 21:20:09 +0000

While it’s natural to focus on the upfront cost when shopping around for new HVAC equipment, it’s important not to overlook the lifetime cost. With proper care, the air conditioning system in a Winter Haven home should last a minimum of 12 years and up to 20. That is a lot of time to rack up expenses if you pick the wrong system.

A lot of air conditioning systems that are lower priced also are lower quality. While they might save money in the short term, the cheaper systems could end up draining your wallet even more in the long run through maintenance repairs. Therefore, it’s often better to spend money up front on a higher-priced, higher-quality system that is more durable and requires less maintenance.

Energy efficiency

It’s not the only factor to consider, but an air conditioning system’s energy efficiency is an important indicator of a unit’s lifetime cost. The best way to judge a system’s efficiency is by its SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio), which measures the amount of cooling it provides against the electricity it uses to provide that energy. The higher the SEER is, the more expensive the unit. The minimum SEER in A/C units is 13, but the better ones have SEERs of 20 or more.

The higher the SEER, the less maintenance and repair a system will have over its lifetime. While it might cost you more out the door, those costs will be made up by the lack of maintenance and the overall quality of the product.

Routine maintenance

A typical air conditioning system requires an annual maintenance check to make sure everything is running smoothly and correctly. Not only does a technician use these check-ups to make sure the unit is working at its optimal efficiency, these check-ups allow technicians to catch minor problems early before they turn into major ones.

The amount of maintenance necessary is dependent on the type of system being examined. Systems with older technology and lower-quality parts cost less out the door initially but require more maintenance and hands-on care through the life of the unit. These more frequent service calls, which are caused by issues such as a coil freezing up, costs the unit’s owner more money down the road than they would have spent if they had gone with a higher-quality system. While that high-quality system might have a high initial price, the less maintenance calls and the less work done during those calls make up for it down the road.

Durability

The components of a system affect their lifetime costs no matter the quality of the system. Lower-cost systems tend to have easy-to-find PSC (permanent-split capacitor) motors that are affordable to replace, but these motors tend to be inefficient in equalizing cooling and will wear out faster than higher priced motors, meaning that a customer might have to purchase several in their lifetime.

The higher-end systems have an ECM (electronically commutated motor). These motors are more expensive to replace, but they are more efficient and need to be replaced less than PSC motors, making ECMs more cost-effective in the long run.

This same relationship is seen when comparing compressors. Lower-end units have reciprocating compressors, which contain a lot more moving parts than the scroll compressors found in newer systems. With less moving parts needed to keep the operation going, scroll compressors can work more efficiently and need less day-to-day supervision than the reciprocating ones. That makes scroll compressors, though more expensive initially, an economical choice over time.

Repairs

All of the above factors contribute to less repair costs. The more efficient the system runs and the higher quality the parts, the less one has to spend on repairs. Is it better to pay a little now and a lot down the road in repairs, or more now and less down the road? For most people, the extra initial cost is worth it to save the headaches (and cost) of repair and maintenance down the road.

The design of an air conditioning unit is important in how it runs, but how a customer uses the unit is important as well. For the most accurate estimate of how much a system will cost over its life span, consult a contractor and let him or her know how many hours a day and how many days a year you are planning to use the system.

For expert guidance on choosing an air conditioner and estimating lifetime costs, contact us at Winter Haven Air Conditioning. Open since 1977, Winter Haven Air Conditioning has provided the Winter Haven/Lakeland/Haines City area with reliable HVAC services.

Weatherproofing Your Home to Save Money

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:40:53 +0000

These days, utility costs are extremely expensive. It’s even worse if your home is not properly weatherized to deal with the ever changing climate. If your heating and air conditioning units are running longer than they should or your power bills are out of control, it’s likely that you need to look into weatherizing your home. By weatherproofing your home, you can increase the energy efficiency of your home to ensure that you aren’t spending more than you should for heating and cooling your home.

What is Weatherization?

Weatherization involves both sealing your home and then insulating it from additional weather concerns. If your home is not properly weatherized, you’re literally leaking money from your home. Running your heating and air conditioning without ensuring that your home is weatherproofed Sealing your home provides a physical barrier at cracks and other entryways where air might enter or leave your home. These areas are commonly referred to as “drafty” areas because there is air flow involved. Insulation provides a layer of protection against heated or cooled air escaping from the house. By properly weatherizing your home, you’re ensuring that the air you heat or cool stays where you want it to stay. Proper energy efficiency keeps your home’s heating and air units from working overtime to try to keep up.

Testing Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

One of the ways to determine how energy efficient your home is involves contacting a local company to perform an energy audit for you. The person performing the audit examines both the interior and the exterior of your home. He is looking for areas that are unsealed, or locations which might be compromised. The inspector then investigates your HVAC system to ensure that it is working properly. This includes not only the heating and cooling units, but also the ductwork as well. Thorough tests of all of the systems involved ensures that you have a full picture of your home’s current status. Testing your home’s energy efficiency is not a one time action. You’ll need to perform this task at least annually to make sure that you keep up with any problems that develop in your home. By staying on top of any problems, you can correct them before they become large issues.

Sealing Your Home

Once your home energy audit determines where the weaknesses lie in your home weatherization plan, the next step is to seal those leaks. This involves processes such as using caulk to seal door and window leaks. You should also install weather stripping if it is not already in place. Areas such as attic entry points and basement doors should also be weatherproofed in order to attain the maximum energy efficiency for your home. In recent years, lots of different types of insulation have come along. You can still get the traditional fiberglass insulation, but there are others also, such as foam insulation that expands to fit the area you need to fill. Look into these other options to finish your weatherproofing.

Air Conditioning Ductwork Repair for Greater Efficiency

During your energy audit, it’s likely that you might find ductwork that needs to be repaired. This is important because even if you properly seal the rest of the house, leaking ductwork allows heated or cooled air to escape your home’s interior. To properly fix the problem, your HVAC repair team will need to locate all of the faulty ductwork and replace individual pieces with sealed ducts. Once repaired, your heating and air conditioning units will again be able to function at peak efficiency, which means they will run less often and save you additional money.