LEAF GUARD

What is a leaf guard? Very simple. The leaf guard is a protective material placed over the outdoor condensing unit top grate. The material should have openings large enough to let air escape so as not to damage the unit. The material we use has a 1/4" opening and is an ultraviolet rated mesh (polyethylene resin). We cut it to fit the size of your grate on the outdoor condensing unit. This leaf guard protects the components in your outdoor condensing unit by stopping twigs, rocks, leaves, etc. from entering. Leaves can sit in the bottom of the unit and cause rust, twigs can get stuck in the fan blade, and rocks can do considerable damage. When the leaves collect in the bottom of your condensing unit, it enable small rodents to nest and cause damage to the wiring. This is a very inexpensive product to help protect your condensing unit. Give us a call and we can quote you.

ZONING YOUR CENTRAL SYSTEM

If you are thinking about building a new home or upgrading your existing home with central heating and cooling, consider adding a zone system to improve your comfort levels.
A zone is an area of the home with independent heating and cooling controls. Consider the fact that you have an upstairs bedroom area that is only used when the children come home from college and you do not want to keep the temperature of this area the same as the downstairs living area. Well, you can add a zone. By adding a zone, this means that there will be a separate thermostat to control the upstairs area and a separate thermostat for the downstairs area. This is called a 2-zone system. If in the downstairs area, you want to control the master bedroom from the rest of the living area, you would add another zone with a separate thermostat; i.e. a 3-zone system. Comfort for all three portions of the home. You do not have to heat or cool the entire home at one time. Each zone can be set for different temperatures.
Zoning systems, also known as automatic balancing systems, are a great solution for solving comfort problems. With multiple thermostats and duct dampers serving a single heating and cooling system, zoning systems can eliminate annoying and uncomfortable hot and cold spots.
The main benefits of residential zoning are:
• Comfort - meets the specific temperature and airflow requirements of one area, without affecting other areas
• Efficiency - a well designed zoning system can save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs each year
• Control - divides the house into multiple areas with adjustable comfort levels
• Quiet Performance - delivers peak performance and efficiency without continually operating at peak capacity; less noise generated at lower speeds
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It is easy to see how zoning systems save energy. Areas not used can be deeply setback for maximum energy savings, while occupied areas have perfect temperature control from a nearby thermostat.
Call us at Action Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., to get more information on zoning your home.

ANTS & CONTACTORS

The contactor in the outdoor condensing unit is a switch that brings on your outdoor condensing unit and is controlled by the thermostat. When you call for cooling a 24 volt signal is sent to the contactor and a small magnetic coil closes a set of contacts/points to which the high voltage, 240 volts, can travel across and energize the unit.

It is normal for these contacts to wear out over time and it will be necessary to replace the contactor. However, you can get insects, usually ants, in between these contacts. If the ant is in there when the unit comes on, it is instantly smashed and cooked at the same time leaving a crust on the contact points that electricty can no longer flow across.

It is very important to make sure that the bugs do not get back in there (because it it more money out of your pocket) and burn the contactor up again. You can use an insecticide on the ground that leaves a barrier to keep this from happening again.

SURGE PROTECTORS

Being a Florida homeowner, in the heat of the summer, you surely do not want to be without air conditioning. Lightning strikes can damage televisions, computers, and even air conditioners. The outdoor condensing unit is like having an electrical conductor waiting for a strike. If your home is unprotected, the cost of one lighting strike could be upwards of $10,000 or more.

Homeowners tend to think Surge Protectors are only for indoor electronics. But Surge Protectors are also available for your air conditioning and heating unit.

Protect your heating and air conditioning system from an electrical surge with a Surge Protector. Call us today for a Surge Protector Assessment on your heating and air conditioner unit.

SPRING CLEANING

As spring is quickly approaching, most people have in their mind to do a good spring cleaning at their home, indoors and outdoors. Well, DO NOT forget your central heating and cooling system. Call the experts at Action Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., and find out about our Maintenance Program.

Maintaining your system can keep your utility bill at a constant, prolong the life of your system, and give you peace of mind.

Sealing Your Ducts Can Significantly Reduce Energy Loss

Ducts distribute cooled or warmed air from your Heat Pump, Air conditioner and Air Handler throughout your house. When your ducts are leaky, a significant amount of this conditioned air is lost. In fact, leaky ducts lose as much as 20 percent of the air that flows through them in a typical U.S. home. Properly sealing your ducts reduces this energy loss significantly, saving you money and reducing waste.

Signs of improperly sealed ducts include:

•Excessively high energy bills, especially when you use your air conditioner during hot Northeast Florida summers

•Difficulty keeping your home comfortable with your existing HVAC system
•Stuffy rooms

•Extra difficulty heating or cooling some rooms in the house but not others
Sealing your ducts will often go a long way toward solving these problems, making your home much more comfortable. Sealed ducts also can significantly increase your energy savings, which is great for the environment and your wallet.

If you try sealing your ducts yourself, look for leaks where the ducts attach to vents at the floors, walls or ceiling. It’s also relatively easy to inspect exposed ducts in attics and basements yourself. Perhaps surprisingly, duct tape shouldn’t be used to seal ducts — it isn’t a long-lasting solution. Instead, use mastic sealant or metal tape.

Rather than sealing ducts themselves, many homeowners choose to hire professionals to find and repair duct leaks. Some HVAC ducts are in difficult-to-reach places, such as inside the walls and ceilings. A certified professional will have the tools and experience to assess airflow throughout the house and locate leaky or kinked ducts.

For help finding and repairing duct leaks in the Northeast Florida area, contact the experts at Action Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ll be glad to help you identify and resolve your home’s ductwork problems.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).For more information about your sealing ducts ,Indoor Comfort and other HVAC topics,click here to visit our website

SEER

The efficiency of air conditioners is often rated by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) which is defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute in its standard ARI 210/240, Performance Rating of Unitary Air-Conditioning and Air-Source Heat Pump Equipment.

The SEER rating of a unit is the cooling output in Btu (British thermal unit) during a typical cooling-season divided by the total electric energy input in watt-hours during the same period. The higher the unit's SEER rating the more energy efficient it is.