Air Conditioning Hurricane Preparedness Tips

Air Conditioning Hurricane Preparedness – Start Your Preparation Now!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is set to predict the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season in a few days.¹ Early indication is that it will be active and storm intensity seems to have increased over the past decades. Residents in coastal communities should take measures to prepare homes and lives for a hurricane event this year. As part of these measures, make sure you follow our Air Conditioning Hurricane Preparedness Tips!

Measures to Take Before a Storm

While NOAA makes predictions for the 6-month hurricane season, The National Hurricane Center actually tracks storms as they develop over the south Atlantic. When a significant storm approaches land, they issue a warning 36 hours in advance to let residents make final Air Conditioning Hurricane Preparedness steps for the storm. However, some preparations should be made well in advance of a hurricane.

Schedule Routine Maintenance

Both your HVAC manufacturer and HVAC professionals recommend annual maintenance to help your system perform efficiently over many years. Preventative maintenance includes cleaning dust buildup in hard-to-reach places, inspection, and testing key electrical components, and paying close attention to the refrigerant gas needed for proper function.

If your system is poorly maintained before a hurricane puts great stress on the air conditioner, it can sustain greater damage from the storm.

Air Conditioning Hurricane Preparedness: Protect your Outdoor AC Unit

If your outdoor condenser unit is in a low-lying area, consider elevating it to avoid water damage. It should be set on a concrete slab as a firm foundation.
Tie-Downs. Make sure your condenser unit is securely fastened to the concrete slab with hurricane tie-downs. While it may appear large, it is constructed of lightweight material and can be moved by violent winds.
Check with the manufacturer for a hurricane weather-proof covering for the AC condenser unit. Local home improvement stores may also carry them. A covering, installed after the AC has been powered off, can prevent water damage from heavy rain. Be sure to remove the cover before restoring power to the air conditioner.

Purchase Emergency Supplies in Advance

State and local governments provide emergency preparedness plans that encourage you to purchase food, water, flashlights, batteries, first aid kits, etc. You are encouraged to make these purchases in advance of a hurricane warning to make sure supplies are available.

Measures During the 36-Hour Warning

Anticipate that hurricane-force winds (+74 mph) will damage the power grid and cause a power outage. In the process, power will blink on and off several times; each time that happens, it creates a power surge. Since even small power surges can damage computers, we plug sensitive equipment into power strips with surge protectors.

Your HVAC system may have a power surge protector installed inline to protect the system.
Whether your system has a power surge protector or not, turn off your HVAC system during a hurricane to protect it from potential damage.
- Turn your thermostat to the Off position
- Flip the breaker at your electrical service panel for both AC and furnace

Cool Down

Knowing that you will turn the AC off for an extended period, use the 36-hour time period to cool your house down. Lower the temperature a few degrees, anticipating the warm and humid air outside will quickly move indoors. Close blinds and curtains, even if your windows are covered. Continue to use ceiling and floor fans for as long you have power.

Measures to Take After a Storm

After the storm has passed and power has been restored, carefully follow the needed steps.

Remove any cover you might have placed on the outdoors AC unit
Check your power surge protector for the HVAC system. If it has tripped, reset it.
Flip the breaker for your system at the electric service panel and wait a few minutes.
Turn the thermostat to the COOL setting and set the temperature to the normal setting.

If your power is not restored, you will need to call an electrician. If your power is restored but the AC does not come on or does not cool properly, give All Cool a call.

Have Questions About Air Conditioning Hurricane Preparedness?

June begins the start of hurricane season on the Texas Gulf Coast. Let us help you with your Air Conditioning Hurricane Preparedness this season by calling AllCool AC & Heating at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.

¹ https://www.noaa.gov/media-advisory/noaa-to-announce-2022-atlantic-hurricane-season-outlook

February 24, 2021February 24, 2021

8 Affordable Air Conditioning Efficiency Tips

Air Conditioning Efficiency Tips to Reduce Utility Bills

According to the Department of Energy, conditioning the air in your home, both heating and cooling takes the largest single percentage of your energy bill—between 48 and 52% of the total bill. With the long cooling months right around the corner, here are 8 no-cost methods of reducing your AC costs.

Clean around the AC condenser unit outside. Since the fan is pulling air through the aluminum fins, it is suctioning leaves, grass clippings, and debris between the fins. Use a hose and clean the fins thoroughly to keep the unit from overheating.
Vacuum clean the indoor vents and move anything that might cover the vents. Open vents allow the free flow of that “oh so nice” air right where you need it. Covered vents restrict airflow and create hot spots.
Program your thermostat if possible. It might take a little time for you to program, but it can make a big difference. Here’s how:
1. Department of Energy estimates a 1% savings per degree for an 8-hour span. If you turn the AC temp UP 5 degrees for eight hours, you will save 5% of the cooling cost for the day.
2. If you program your thermostat to increase the temperature in your home while it is vacant during work hours, you can achieve these cost savings without feeling it at all. Schedule the AC to cool it off on your drive home. (The same savings holds true during heating months as well.)
Keep lamps, TVs, and other heat-producing appliances 3’ away from your thermostat. The heat of the device will give the thermostat a false reading, keeping the AC unit on longer.
Close your blinds and curtains during the heat of each summer day. The summer sun warms the house and drives the AC cost way up. When you arrive home from work, open the curtains and enjoy the less harsh evening rays.
Clear the drain lines coming from the evaporator coil and pan. This is on the inside, at the AC/furnace unit, a hose or PVC line running to a drain. Pour a cup of bleach in the line and chase it with a gallon of water to remove debris and organic matter. This avoids the water overflowing from the pan and leaking from the unit.
Avoid using heating-producing appliances, such as the dryer, oven, and dishwasher during the heat of the day. Wait until the evening hours, when the AC unit has less of a load and can handle the rise in temperature.
If your home has uninsulated ductwork in unconditioned spaces, such as attics or crawlspaces, insulating the ducts will be a very low-cost/very effective cost-saving measure.

Money-saving tips don’t always require spending a lot of money when it comes to your HVAC system.

Want more information about Air Conditioning Efficiency? We Can Help!

If you are considering to better your Air Conditioning Efficiency, call us at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.

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October 15, 2020October 15, 2020

Benefits of HVAC Financing

HVAC Financing Benefits for Homeowners

Purchasing a new HVAC system is a significant purchase. Our HVAC financing options can help provide stress release when it’s time to replace your air conditioning and heating system. Available financing options like low or no-interest financing allow you to make large purchases that fit into your budget without any life-altering changes.

Replacing your HVAC system can be a distraction to everyday life. Depending on the time of year, an HVAC system on the brink can be extremely uncomfortable. It could mean that your family is sweating during the heat of summer or freezing during a cold winter night. That is not the right time to be pressured into making an expensive purchase.

Available financing towards the purchase of a new HVAC system is the fresh air needed by many homeowners. Providing financing for this big-ticket item will allow you to make a more informed decision without rushing. The option of financing also eliminates the purchase of a subpar system that will be more expensive on utility bills in the future.

Do Not Settle on an HVAC System

When selecting an HVAC system, there are many components to consider while considering HVAC financing options. Performance, energy efficiency, noise levels, and brand integrity are major considerations.

Taking advantage of our HVAC financing options will enable you to afford the system that your home needs, rather than a basic system. Using financing to purchase a more energy-efficient HVAC system can also leverage your budget by reducing utility bills. The more efficient systems will begin to save you money immediately by using less energy.

Annualized these savings will begin to add up and can help pay the difference in up-front costs, so not only will you be getting a more modern and more effective HVAC unit, but you’re also reducing your carbon footprint.

Improved Indoor Air Quality

Financing a new HVAC installation project allows you to select upgraded features that can improve the quality of your home’s air, which can result in improved health, especially for allergy sufferers.

Financing an HVAC system that improves indoor air quality can improve the lives of family members that suffer from allergies and respiratory issues like asthma, or more serious issues like COPD or chronic respiratory infections. Indoor air quality can be up to ten times more polluted than outdoor air according to the EPA.

Reduced indoor air quality can lead to headaches, dizziness, red and puffy eyes, skin irritations, and even flu-like symptoms. Adding components to your HVAC system like whole-home humidifiers, UV-C systems, air purification systems, and smart home thermostats are great options to improve air quality.

It Might Be Time for HVAC Financing

There are many reasons that can contribute to financing your new HVAC system. Childbirth, loss of work, time of year, or other recent large purchases are just a few of the reasons that financing may be right for you. HVAC financing means that there is not any out-of-pocket expense when it is installed, and that saves you from having to put large amounts of cash towards the purchase.

Want more information about HVAC financing? We Can Help!

If you are considering replacing your HVAC system and need financing, call us at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.

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September 25, 2020September 28, 2020

All Cool A/C’s Vice President Honored as Top Forty Under 40!

Residential Air Conditioning and Heating Specialist

Cody Bellamy, Vice President

Cody Bellamy’s career HVAC goals can be summed up into three items: happy employees, superior customer service, and community outreach. The vice president of All Cool A/C & Heating takes those items very seriously. “I am a firm believer that happy employees are productive employees, which is why I strive to create and maintain a culture in our company that makes our employees excited to come to work each day,” Bellamy said.

“I also want to change the negative preconceived stigma customers have with HVAC contractors by providing exceptional customer service. This means timely service by well-trained technicians at an affordable price as well as being sympathetic to their needs and providing honest evaluations of a customer’s options to see what makes the most sense for them and their family.”

“It is also very important to me to give back to the community, not only monetarily but also with our time as a company,” he continued.

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Bellamy received his Texas Class A State contractor’s license on his very first attempt at the young age of As the company’s vice president, he oversees sales, accounting, customer service, equipment purchasing, software implementation, and advertising. He has helped grow the company from five employees to 17 while doubling the annual revenue.

“As a father of three, I hope to inspire my children with my hard work, honesty, and dedication to my craft, just as my father did for me,” he said.

September 15, 2015February 17, 2020

When Is It Time to Replace My HVAC System?

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Several factors come into play when it comes to determining if you should contact a Katy air conditioning service company to repair or replace your HVAC system. Obviously, the simplest way to tell is if you are sweltering during a Houston summer – or spring or fall – because it will not turn on. However, there are a number of less straightforward issues that you should look out for too.

Your Summer Electric Bills Keep Increasing

Unless Houston has been experiencing much hotter than usual summers lately, this may indicate that your cooling equipment is not as efficient at cooling your house as it used to be and that you should contact a Sugar Land air conditioning service professional. In fact, what you notice first is that your electric bill increases or surpasses by 50 percent even when using an efficient system.

Uneven Cooling of Your House

If some of your rooms tend to be cooler and more comfortable than others even though they are all directly connected with the cooling system, this likely indicates that you are having issues with your ducts or that the insulation in those rooms is not up to the standards that it should be.

There Is Too Much Dust

The rooms in your home being covered with more dust than used to be the case is likely the cause of leaky ducts as holes in the duct system can pull air from places that it should have no access to and then spread dust found there throughout the house. Of course, leaky ducts will also decrease the efficiency of your system and increase your cooling costs.

There is Too Much Noise

If your HVAC system is noisier than it used to be, this could be the result of something as simple as a loose screw or something more significant like a damaged blower motor or fan blades.

Your HVAC System Needs Frequent Repairs

If the number of times that you need to either call a professional or fix simpler issues yourself has increased in recent times, this may also indicate that your cooling system is just not that efficient anymore and that it may make more sense to replace it instead of continuing to get it fixed.

You Have Had Your Air Conditioning System for at Least 10 Years

Since HVAC systems tend to last about 12 years on average, once yours has passed the 10-year mark, it may be time to seriously consider getting it replaced. Even if it does not have any major issues now, it is likely that some will surface in the near future.

It Will Not Turn On

Now, if it actually will not turn on at all, first check that the issue is not simply related to a blown fuse or tripped circuit. Also make sure that your thermostat is set to a “cool” setting. Oftentimes, a fix for what appears to be a completely broken HVAC system is a simple one. However, this obviously could also indicate a much more serious issue such as the compressor being burnt out or the entire system needing to be replaced.

Your Home Energy Yardstick Score is Low

Using the Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick and discovering that your score is lower than five means you should get a more efficient system or your current one is damaged and you should contact Sugar Land air conditioning repair experts. This handy Energy Star tool also tells you other ways you can increase your score and decrease your bills.

When you do decide to replace your air conditioning system, consider getting one installed that has an Energy Star label as these units are highly efficient and can cut your cooling costs by about 20 percent. Of course, these electric bill savings also indicate that you are using a cooling system that is not putting out as many greenhouse gas emissions and is helping protect the environment.

Make sure that when you do get your air conditioning system looked at or replaced, contact the professionals at All Cool A/C & Heating. We are a locally owned company that has been serving homeowners in Katy, Sugar Land and nearby communities since 1989.