FAQ'S
1.) HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO HAVE MY HOME MAINTENANCED?
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND A MAINTENANCE TWO TIMES PER YEAR. OUR SYSTEMS IN THIS CLIMATE MAKE A LOT OF CONDENSATION THAT SLOWLY BUILDS UP IN YOUR DRAIN PAN AND DRAIN LINES. COMBINE THAT WITH EXCESSIVE RUN TIMES AND OUR UNITS GET ABUSED.
2.) HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY FILTER?
DEPENDS. 1 INCH THROW AWAY FILTERS AND WASHABLE FILTERS ARE TO BE CLEANED EVERY MONTH. LARGER 4 INCH FILTERS CAN LAST UP TO 3 TO 6 MONTHS. HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T HURT TO WASH OR CHANGE YOUR FILTERS TOO SOON. IF YOU HAVE AN ACTIVE HOUSEHOLD(ANIMALS, KIDS,CARPET ETC..) WE RECOMMEND YOU CHECK YOUR FILTER MORE OFTEN.
3.) WHAT SHOULD I LEAVE MY THERMOSTAT ON?
FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION 78º. NOW IF THAT IS TOO WARM FOR YOU, ANOTHER COMMON SETTING IS 75º. KEEP IN MIND THAT HIGH EFFICIENCY VARIABLE SPEED SYSTEMS MAY REMOVE MORE HUMIDITY IN THE HOME THUS GIVING YOU A COOLER FEELING.
EXAMPLE: OLD SYSTEM AT 74º WILL FEEL THE SAME AS A NEW SYSTEM SET AT 77º.... LET THE SAVINGS BEGIN! KEEP IN MIND THOSE WHO WANT TO PLAY “FREEZE OUT” IN THE PEEK OF OUR SUMMERS WHEN THE HEAT INDEX IS IN THE 100'S AND THE HUMIDITY IS ABOVE 65%, YOUR SYSTEM IS SIMPLY NOT DESIGNED TO KEEP YOUR HOME AT 75º OR BELOW, IF YOU CAN, YOU ARE VERY LUCKY!
4.) HOW CAN I SAVE ON MY COOLING COST?
TOP 3 ARE REAL EASY:
- 1. CHANGE YOUR FILTERS MONTHLY, RUN STAT ABOVE 77 DEGREES.
- 2. HAVE AIR ADVANTAGE MAINTENANCE YOUR SYSTEMS
- 3. REPLACE YOUR OLD SYSTEM WITH AN ENERGY EFFICIENT ONE.
5.) WHEN IS IT TIME TO CHANGE MY DUCTWORK?
IF YOU HAVE THE DUCTBOARD THAT WAS INSTALLED FROM THE 60'S TO THE MID 80'S IT MAY BE TIME, THE FLEXIBLE DUCT INSTALLED FROM THE MID EIGHTIES TO PRESENT SHOULD JUST NEED TO BE CLEANED. THERE WAS HOWEVER, A BAD BRAND OF FLEXIBLE DUCT THAT WAS INSTALLED IN THAT ERA. IT WAS NOTORIOUS FOR DRY ROTTING AND SPLITTING. YOU WILL KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT. IT WAS DULL GRAY ON THE OUTSIDE WITH PINK INSULATION SHINING THROUGH!.. IF YOU THINK YOU NEED DUCT REPLACEMENT JUST GIVE US A CALL FOR A THOROUGH INSPECTION.
6.) MY AIR CONDITIONING UNITS BREAKER IS TRIPPING INSTANTLY?
THIS MOST OFTEN IS A DIRECT SHORT TO GROUND, DO NOT TRY TO RESET AND CALL US IMMEDIATELY! MOST COMMONLY IT IS THE COMPRESSOR THAT HAS SHORTED ITSELF TO THE EXTERNAL METAL CASING.
7.) MY INSIDE UNIT IS DRIPPING WATER AND ITS GETTING HOTTER IN MY HOME.
SHUT YOUR UNIT OFF AND CALL US. PREPARE AREA WITH BUCKETS OR TOWELS BECAUSE THERE WILL BE MORE WATER TO FOLLOW. THIS MOST LIKELY IS A SYSTEM THAT HAS FROZE UP. YOUR INDOOR COIL WHEN IMPACTED VIA A DIRTY COIL OR FILTER WILL FREEZE SOLID, OR YOU MAY HAVE A LEAK IN YOUR COIL. WE CAN NOT GET GOOD PRESSURES OR VISUALLY INSPECT THE DAMAGE UNTIL THE ICE IS COMPLETELY MELTED.
8.) WHAT CAN I DO TO REMOVE ODORS AND DUST FROM MY HOME?
QUALITY AIR FILTRATION-YOU WILL BE AMAZED WHAT A WHOLE HOUSE CLEANER WILL DO TO IMPROVE YOUR AIR QUALITY AND PROLONG THE LIFE OF YOUR ENTIRE A/C SYSTEM. OUR AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS WILL ACTUALLY SCRUB YOUR AIR!!
9.) WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LIFE SPAN OF MY AIR CONDITIONING UNIT IN SOUTH FLORIDA?
THE SYSTEMS WE REPLACE FALL IN THE 8 TO 12 YEAR FATALITY BRACKET, IF YOU GET MORE THAN 12 YEARS OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM YOU ARE DOING WELL. HOWEVER, BY NOW THAT SYSTEM ISNT EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT SYSTEMS OF TODAY ARE PUTTING DOWN FOR EFFICIENCY NUMBERS. YOU MAY BE OPERATING AROUND 7 TO 8 SEER, TODAYS SYSTEMS CAN ACHIEVE UP TO 22 SEER.
10.) WHAT SHOULD I LEAVE MY THERMOSTAT ON WHEN I GO UP NORTH FOR THE SUMMER?
IF YOU HAVE A STAT ONLY, LEAVE IT ON OR AROUND 82º. IF YOU HAVE A THERMOSTAT AND HUMIDISTAT SET THE THERMOSTAT TO 75º COOL AND AUTO. AND THE HUMIDISTAT TO 60% TO 65%. ONLY IF THE SYSTEM IS WIRED IN SERIES! IF YOU NEED TO KNOW WHICH ONE YOU MAY HAVE CALL US OR SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
11.) WHY IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HAVE A HOME WATCH OR SOMEONE MONITORING MY HOME WHEN NO ONE IS THERE?
A/C SYSTEMS CAN FAIL AT ANY TIME, WE HAVE SEEN IT ALL, FROM A LIZARD TO A FROG IN A DRAIN LINE TO ANTS CRAMMED INTO A CONTACTOR. ALL OF THESE AND MANY OTHERS CAN CAUSE “NO COOL”. TRUST US A GOOD HOME-WATCH SERVICE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NO COOL AND JUST A NORMAL AWAY SETTING. REMEMBER YOUR HOME IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ASSET YOU HAVE. YOUR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS THE MOST CRUCIAL COMPONENT IN KEEPING IT PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS.
12.)WHY ARE MY CHILDREN CONTINUOUSLY SICK?
MORE THAN LIKELY YOU HAVE A SICK HOME, NO JOKE, THE AIR INSIDE YOUR HOME UNLESS YOU HAVE A HIGH QUALITY AIR CLEANER IS UP TO 10 TIMES WORSE THAT POLLUTED AIR OUTSIDE. WE HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS TO ERADICATE YOUR ISSUES, THE RESULTS WILL SAVE YOU HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS ON MEDICAL EXPENSES, AND YOUR CHILDREN WILL GET BETTER!!
13.) WHAT IS CHINESE DRYWALL?
NO THIS COIL WAS NOT IN A FIRE, IT WAS HOWEVER A VICTIM OF CHINESE DRYWALL... THE STATUE OF LIBERTY IS GREEN..... THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO MOST COPPER AS ITS INTRODUCED TO WATER.... NOT THIS COPPER, BLACK AS NIGHT ANOTHER VICTIM OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HIGH SULFUR IS INTRODUCED...
14.)WHAT IS A HUMIDSTAT? AND HOW DOES IT PERTAIN TO MY HOME?
HUMIDITY, HUMIDISTAT AND HOME WATCH: WHY THE 3 “H’S” GO HAND IN HAND.
Whether you are a permanent or seasonal resident to S.W. Florida you are aware of our sub-tropic heat and humidity. With that being said, keeping the humidity under control is a constant battle. Technically, our central Air Conditioning systems do a pretty good job at keeping excessive humidity at bay, but when we leave for a period of time.... what are we to do to insure the dreaded “mold” from coming into play and Wrecking havoc on our home and belongings? I have compiled some facts and helpful insight to keep you safe and worry free when you are away from your tropical paradise.
Some Facts...
Excess humidity can damage machines, furniture, art and hundreds of other important things. A humidity sensor (humidistat) made of hair, (or a synthetic fabric that reacts to humidity) acts upon a spring. When the relative humidity of the surrounding air increases, the length of the hair increases, and vice versa. The change in length is transferred to a micro-switch or a slide-wire potentiometer. Simply put, the humidistat becomes an on / off switch which controls the actions of the thermostat and turns the A/C on. This action as we all know wrings out the humidity in the home to safe levels. In residence humidity levels are in the 35% to 60% range. When away generally the safe levels in a home are in the 60% to 65% relative humidity range. Those living in a single family home of around 1,500 sq. feet can expect electric bills in the $25 to $50 range per month while away. Pool pumps and other electric devices can add to this amount, as well as the home owner setting the humidstat lower Tthan recommended. (No two homes are ever the exact, due also to efficiency of the A/C system).
Recommendations...
The key to safe and worry free conditions from the dreaded mold caused by poor climate conditions can be solved by two very important entities. First and foremost is a quality working and maintained A/C system. Mind you the humidistat is simply a control that turns the A/C system on to get humidity levels down to a proper range. A system that is functioning poorly while in residence may have mechanical failure while you are not present. This action which does happen, whether It be a deceased frog stuck in a drain line, to a breaker tripping or a part failure in the system itself. All these actions and many more can and do happen, so what’s a person to do? This leads me to the most important “H” of all the HOME WATCH! Whether a relative, neighbor or a contracted company this is a necessity. Whomever you select needs to be educated on the system and have some mechanical sense to know the difference between a “no cool” and a system set up on humidistat operation. Being “safe than sorry” can pay huge dividends when making sure your home and belongings are in a satisfactory environment. I have personally witnessed many cases where system failure and or suspect home watch personnel have led to a lot of damage and homeowner aggravation. Air Advantage installs this simple control for $129, we also will be glad to install this humidistat in either parallel or series wiring. Both have their different advantages. Some of you already have a humidstat and understand the importance of this control. The final piece to the puzzle remains in the hands of trustworthy and knowledgeable people to insure the safety of your home.