When the days begin to grow warmer, most Seattle residents begin using their air conditioning more frequently. If you want to keep your air conditioning system operating at top capacity, it’s important to invest in routine maintenance. Here are some of the most critical reasons to have your air conditioner serviced by an HVAC professional on a regular basis.

You’ll need fewer repairs. The longer your system goes without a professional inspection, the more time it has to malfunction. All too often, these minor issues go neglected—and turn into major issues. When a qualified HVAC technician looks at your air conditioning system, he or she will be able to look for signs of trouble and prevent them from turning into expensive repairs for you. Routine maintenance is an investment that can pay off in the form of fewer calls for emergency AC repair.

Your system will be more efficient. When your air conditioning system goes without a professional checkup for too long, it will inevitably begin to operate less efficiently. This will translate into subpar performance, which means that you’ll need to run your air conditioner more often to keep your house cool. Eventually, your AC system may not provide you with good service at all. You can dodge this problem by having your system professionally serviced from time to time.

You’ll enjoy better performance. The best reason to have your air conditioning system routinely serviced is that it will result in a more comfortable home for you and your family. If any element of your air conditioner is failing, it is bound to affect the performance of the entire system. If this happens during the warmer months, you could be left without a fully functional air conditioner—which is something that no homeowner wants to contemplate. Fortunately, you can reduce your chances of a malfunction by investing in routine professional HVAC service.

Is your air conditioner as efficient as it could be? Most Seattle homeowners may not be sure whether their air conditioning system is up to modern standards of efficiency. If you’re concerned that your bills are too high or that you are needing to run your air conditioner for long hours to keep your house cool, it may be time to contact an HVAC professional to talk about having your system replaced with a new one. If you want to better understand how air conditioner efficiency is measured, here is a guide to some of the most commonly used terms.

BTU. BTU is a term that stands for British Thermal Unit, and it represents the amount of heat that is required to increase the temperature of a pound of water by exactly 1 degree Fahrenheit. If you strike a single match and let it burn down, you have used up approximately 1 BTU.

Horsepower. This is a common unit of power with a number of distinct meanings. In terms of your air conditioner’s efficiency, horsepower is used to measure cooling capacity—or the amount of heat your air conditioner is able to remove from a room.

COP. COP stands for Coefficient of Performance. In terms of your HVAC system, the COP is the ratio of the amount of work you put into your system to the amount of heating or cooling you get out of it. The higher your COP is, the more reasonable your utility bills will be.

EER. EER stands for energy efficiency ratio. For the purposes of your air conditioner, it is the ratio of every BTU of energy your system uses to every watt of electrical energy it produces. The EER is used to measure the efficiency of room air conditioners, while a different ratio called the SEER—the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio—is used to describe central air conditioners.

Energy Star. Energy Star is a program in the United States that certifies the most energy-efficient products on the market, helping consumers to make the best decisions for their budget and the environment. In order to be labeled with the Energy Star symbol, a product such as an air conditioner must meet the minimum requirements of the EPA.

According to The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, more than 120,000 annual deaths in the United States are attributed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a term used to describe a group of health conditions characterized by breathing difficulty. These include severe asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Unfortunately, many people who have COPD do not even realize that they have it. COPD can be worsened by a number of invisible pollutants in the air inside a home, including mold spores, dust mites, chemical fumes, and pollen. The quality of your indoor air has a significant effect on your quality of life, particularly if you have COPD. If you’re concerned about your indoor air quality, a professional air duct cleaning by an HVAC company in Seattle is the perfect place to start.

You never can tell when an electrical emergency will happen, which is why it’s important to be ready for a crisis. Olson Energy Service offers emergency electrical service to homeowners in the Seattle area, troubleshooting everything from HVAC control malfunctions to your indoor wiring. If your service panel is hot to the touch, you notice a burning odor coming from any of your electrical outlets or appliances, or you’re experiencing unexplained power outages, it’s a sign that you need to contact an electrical professional as soon as possible. Our team of skilled technicians offers a wide array of emergency services, including expedited electrical repairs, replacement of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and safety inspections. To ensure that you’re never at a loss when it comes to electrical emergencies, we offer our services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you have any questions for our team, contact us today.

There are numerous reasons why you might want to buy a tankless water heater for your home. Tankless water heaters require less space than traditional water heaters, and they can provide you with hot water on demand. As this video explains, there are some things you should know before you make the decision to switch to a tankless water heater for your home. If you live in an area with hard water, your tankless water heater will probably require more maintenance in order to prevent mineral buildup. Tankless water heaters also run on electricity, so a power outage will deprive you of hot water. To learn more about tankless water heaters, watch the full clip.

When the weather starts to get warm, you’ll probably find yourself using your air conditioning more often so you can keep your home comfortable. Simply relying on your air conditioner, however, can be an expensive proposition. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help rein in your energy expenses when you need to cool down your home. Having your air conditioner serviced by a Seattle HVAC professional is a must for ensuring that your system is running as efficiently as possible—and that you aren’t wasting money. Here are some additional tips for saving energy in your home:

Use fans. Ceiling fans cost much less to operate than air conditioning, so they’re an excellent choice for keeping individual rooms cool. Make sure that your ceiling fans are spinning counterclockwise, which means that they’re blowing air down. Even a simple portable fan in your bedroom can help keep you cool while you’re asleep, reducing your need to run your air conditioning all night long.

Keep your windows open. Opening a window during the day can circulate a breeze inside your home and help you stay cool. This method works especially well during spring, when the weather is just warm enough to be comfortable. If you want to ensure that your indoor air stays clean, you can use a screen to filter out the pollen and other pollutants while still bringing in the fresh air.

Use a programmable thermostat. Think of all the times you’ve left your air conditioning running at full blast when nobody was home—or when everybody was asleep. Having a programmable thermostat fixes that problem by allowing you to put your air conditioning on a daily schedule, using it only as much as you need to. You can even adjust your programmable thermostat remotely, using your mobile device.

Maintaining good indoor air quality is essential for your health, and keeping your air ducts clean is key to ensuring that the air inside your house stays clean. Your HVAC system’s ducts are traps for numerous pollutants, including dust, pollen, mold spores, and even bacteria and viruses. If you’re concerned about your indoor air quality, you might consider scheduling professional duct cleaning at your Seattle home. An HVAC expert can thoroughly clean out your air ducts, ensuring that the air circulating through your home will be clean and safe for you to breathe. This is especially important if you or anybody else in your household suffers from allergies. In addition to improving your home air quality, having your ducts cleaned can help to make your HVAC system run more efficiently, which in turn can help to reduce your energy expenses. To keep your air ducts as clean as possible, you may want to have them professionally cleaned every few years.

Your air conditioning needs cleaning and a checkup from time to time in order to stay in excellent condition. Professional air conditioning maintenance is the perfect way to ensure that your HVAC system is ready for the summer. An experienced technician can provide you with the services you need to enjoy fully functional air conditioning during the warm months. If you’re wondering what you can expect during a routine air conditioning maintenance visit to your Seattle home, keep reading.

Checking the outside components. The first step of air conditioning maintenance is to inspect the outdoor unit. Its accuracy will be tested, its wiring will be checked, and any dirt or debris that has gathered will be removed.

Inspecting for mold. Mold growth can be a serious health hazard anywhere in your home, but it is particularly dangerous when it happens inside your air conditioning vents, where it can contaminate the air that you breathe. An HVAC technician can check to ensure that your system hasn’t become infiltrated by mold.

Changing the air filter. If your air conditioning has been running less efficiently than usual, it may be the result of a clogged filter. During your air conditioning maintenance, your HVAC technician will usually change out your old air filter for a new one.

Checking the thermostat. Checking your thermostat is another important part of routine maintenance. If your thermostat has lost calibration over time, your HVAC technician can recalibrate it in order to ensure that it provides you with accurate temperatures.

Inspecting the system components. Your HVAC technician will also take a look at the internal components of your central air conditioning system to ensure that they’re all working properly. This includes checking the condensate drain, any moving parts, and all electrical components.

Doing a safety check. Finally, a routine maintenance service will include a safety check to make sure that your air conditioning system is safe for you to use. If there is any rust in your system, for example, your technician will remove it.

Upgrading your air conditioner serving Seattle can be a great investment , and now might be the time to pull the trigger. Your heating and cooling appliances contribute to a bulk of your energy bills, and today’s units tend to be more efficient than older models. In addition to saving you money and reducing your carbon footprint, this will make your home more comfortable and more valuable. Keep reading for more on the reasons to make this the summer you get new air conditioning.

Save Energy and Money

The longer you wait to upgrade your air conditioner, the longer you’ll spend more than you have to on your energy bills. A new air conditioning installation will improve the efficiency of your home, so you can expect your energy bills to drop. If you care for your HVAC units and follow the right steps, you can even make your money back in savings over time. More efficient air conditioners require less energy, which also lessens your carbon footprint. If you’re looking for a way to go green and save some money at the same time, make this the summer you get a new air conditioner.

Stay Comfortable

Efficiency isn’t just about expending energy. Efficient heating and cooling units will also do a better job of keeping you comfortable in your home. A high quality air conditioner will cool down your living space evenly and thoroughly, and you’ll have plenty of control over the temperature. Older air conditioners tend to cool the house unevenly, do an inadequate job of keeping you comfortable, or simply fail to cool your air at all. You won’t have to worry about these issues when you upgrade to a new unit.

Make Your Home More Valuable

Even if you don’t know how long you’ll be staying at your current house, a new air conditioner still might be a worthwhile investment. A modern, high quality air conditioning system can increase the value of your home. This means you can raise your listing price, and it might be easier to find a buyer who is interested. Consider upgrading your air conditioner this summer.

You need hot water for appliances like your dishwasher and washing machine, and you’ll also need it to properly wash your hands or take a shower. While traditional hot water heaters serving Seattle come with large tanks, tankless hot water heaters are a bit more versatile. Tankless water heaters offer a wide variety of benefits that their older counterparts cannot, making them a great investment for the home. If you are thinking about upgrading your home, feel free to read on and find out how you can save space with a tankless water heater.

A tankless water heater stands to be much more efficient than a traditional hot water heater. One of the reasons is that tankless water heaters aren’t susceptible to the standby heat loss that older models are. Rather than constantly using energy to keep a basin of water heated, a tankless heater simply heats the water when it’s needed. This means there’s no need for a tank, so you’ll have more freedom when deciding where to install your unit. You can even have your tankless water heater installed on a wall or inside a cabinet to save space and maintain your aesthetic design.