AC Tips Archives - North Point Air Conditioning & Heating

7 Ways to Stay Cool While Waiting for Your AC Repairs

Posted on June 13, 2023 | by North Point Air Conditioning & Heating | Leave a Comment

When your AC suddenly stops working or becomes problematic, the first step should be contacting a reliable and professional HVAC company like North Point Air Conditioning & Heating. However, some repairs can take longer than others, so you should be prepared to wait just in case your repair requires extensive work. There are numerous things you can do to keep yourself and your home cool and comfortable as you wait.

1. Keep Your Windows Open

When your AC decides to give up on you, you could use as much air flowing in and out of your home as possible. Opening windows allows a cooler breeze to enter your house as the hotter air escapes outside. However, you may have to consider how cooler the outdoor temperatures are compared to your indoor temperature. Sometimes opening the windows may worsen the situation by allowing even more heat into the rooms. Also, consider the direction of the cool breeze. Keep the windows on the opposite side of your home open to ensure the cool air moves through the entire space.

2. Stay Hydrated

Cool drinks can be exceptionally refreshing on a hot day. Drinking more water than usual is wise to replace all the water lost through sweat. If you do not like plain water, adding fruit or cucumber slices could help you drink more. It is common for people to rush for sugary or cold energy drinks when it gets too hot. However, the sugar in these drinks can increase your metabolism, making your body heat up. Water is the best choice when you want to stay cool and hydrated.

3. Wear Light and Breathable Clothes

The heat can significantly slow you down and make you feel heat sick. Switching to lighter clothes should help you feel better and greatly impact how you go about your day. Think of how you would dress while at the beach. Common fabrics you might want to include are light cotton, linen, silk, chiffon, and rayon. These fabrics are made of very breathable fiber, which allows your body to expel more heat.

4. Adjust Your Fan

Fans are perfect additions to homes located in very high-temperate regions. Their movement promotes air circulation throughout the room, pushing away heat while introducing cooler air. You can promote their functionality by ensuring the fan rotates faster and counterclockwise to force cooler air downwards. If you have a portable fan, change its position to where there is more heat.

5. Go for a Swim

A hot day presents a perfect excuse to go for a long swim. The best part about swimming is getting the best of both worlds. You can lay in the sun for a while, get the much-needed vitamin D, and get in the water to cool off. Alternatively, you could take a cold shower or constantly spray your body with cold water.

6. Avoid Cooking Indoors

Much of the heat around the home is generated from the kitchen. If you love to cook, it is wise to ensure your kitchen is well-ventilated to ensure all the heat escapes out of the house. When your AC stops working, avoid cooking or stick to no-cook meals like salads and beverages. Alternatively, you can slow-cook your meals until the problem is fixed.

Cooking outside is another practical way to enjoy a meal without making the home unbearable. Outdoor kitchens and grills often create great conversation areas, especially if you have people over. Keep the conversations going while ensuring everyone stays cool.

7. Keep the Lights Off

Regular incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs can generate up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit of heat, depending on their wattage. All that heat can make the room feel warm and uncomfortable, especially on a hot day. Keeping the lights off will keep the room cooler and save you a lot of energy costs. If the lights must stay on, switching to lower-heat LED or CFL lights is advisable.

At North Point Air Conditioning & Heating, we’ve proudly served the Spring, TX area since 1978. You can count on us for your AC and heating repairs, installations, and maintenance jobs. We also handle indoor air quality and insulation projects. Our business is built on a foundation of integrity, trust, and customer satisfaction, and we’ll always strive to exceed your expectations with the quality of our work. Contact North Point Air Conditioning & Heating today to learn more.

Will Closing the Upstairs Vents Save You Money?

Posted on May 20, 2022 | by North Point Air Conditioning & Heating | Leave a Comment

The HVAC system plays an essential role in maintaining favorable temperatures in your home through the seasons. However, the convenience and comfort of this equipment comes with additional expenses. It contributes to a significant amount of your energy bills. With such demands, residents of Montgomery, TX attempt to look for ways to reduce costs.

While there are various ways to reduce the energy consumption of your HVAC system, closing the upstairs vents is not one of them. North Point Air Conditioning & Heating gives the following reasons why closing upstairs vents is not a wise money-saving technique.

Encourages Rapid Mold Growth

Mold is a type of fungi that thrives in stale and moist spaces. You are likely to find mold on the dark corners of the wall, furniture fabrics, and on the surface of the ceiling. Having mold in your house can cause you severe health complications. It is also hard to clean up the mold, especially if it attaches itself to the walls, furniture, and fabric. As a result, it wrecks the appearance of your home.

Locking the air vents in your upstairs rooms reduces or stops air from circulating. With time, humidity in those spaces increases due to a decrease in temperature. These conditions cause the room to be stuffy, making it easy for mold to grow and rapidly multiply. Consequently, you will spend a lot of money for cleaning, restoring your home’s aesthetics and mold removal. Although you may be lucky to control mold within the home, you need an HVAC technician from North Point Air Conditioning & Heating to dispel mold from the HVAC unit.

Destroys Ductwork

As time goes by, your ducts will corrode due to constant moisture and frequent temperature differences. The wear and tear process can cause holes, thus allowing air leaks from the surrounding areas. Closing the vents upstairs interferes with air circulation. With time, there is a buildup of pressure within the ducts that results in a loose connection. Further, the intense pressure causes cracks or enlarges the existing holes, further ruining your ducts. It is essential to note that ductwork damages can significantly increase energy usage.

Disrupts Your Homes Comfort

Adjusting the temperature in your home ensures that your space is comfortable. The components of your HVAC system need to work in synchrony to achieve the desired temperature in every room. When the air vents close for a long time, it affects the volume balancing dampers and the blowers. What follows is an imbalance of temperature in the various rooms. Some become hotter or cooler depending on their proximity to these components and the thermostat settings. The discomfort that comes with temperature inconsistencies will force you to find alternative ways of insulation. This process can also become an additional expense.

High Risk of Carbon Monoxide Circulation

The quality of the air you breathe contributes to your overall health. Clean air allows your organs to function correctly, helping you to lead a better life. The air vents are responsible for circulating air in and out of your HVAC unit.

When you close the registers in your upper rooms, it decreases the necessary factors for combustion. The heat exchanger begins to crack, and it emits carbon monoxide. When the polluted air seeps into your home, it causes headaches, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, it may lead to loss of life. Closing your upstairs registers is not worth the increased health risks.

Increases Energy Bills

Your HVAC system has an optimum level of operation. Allowing it to operate within its limits ensures that it remains efficient. However, shutting the air vents increases the internal pressure. The system works to expel the excess air and maintain average balance. During this process, more energy is used which increases your bills and strain on the unit. In worst cases, the pressure destroys your system, forcing you to repair or purchase a new one.

Conclusion

Shutting your air vents may seem economical if you have a storied house. However, it is a temporary solution to your energy bill concerns. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit is more effective when its vents are open. If you want to save some money, consider installing a zoning system.

It is essential to understand your HVAC system and get it to work correctly. Seeking expert advice allows you to operate your unit better. If you have a hard time with your HVAC unit, you can get professional help from North Point Air Conditioning & Heating. Our highly trained personnel offer AC repairs, installation, and maintenance services in Montgomery and its surrounding areas. Call us today for bookings and expert advice!

Maintenance for Your AC for the End of Summer

Posted on August 3, 2021 | by North Point Air Conditioning & Heating | Leave a Comment

It seems like you just got to really enjoy the summer and the warm weather, and now fall is rapidly approaching again. As you wrap up the season, you’re certainly working on preparing your home for the coming winter. Here are some critical maintenance tips to ensure your system is ready to wind down the season.

Clear Around Your Condensing Unit

The condensing unit transfers heat the refrigerant absorbed from inside to the air outside by drawing air in from around it. It is common for debris to collect around the condensing unit and inhibit airflow into the system.

Clear out any grass or weeds that have grown up, along with any clippings that may have gotten caught. Additionally, trim back any brush, branches, or shrubs to give at least a 12-inch clearance around the unit.

Check for Storm Damage

Storms commonly cause some minor cosmetic damage to the condensing unit housing. However, what you want to look for is more significant damage that indicates possible internal problems.

First, inspect the housing for major dents or cracks. These likely indicate a significant enough impact to cause the damage, which likely has jarred the components inside.

While you’re inspecting your unit, look at the fins on the condensing coil if you can see them without disassembling anything. Flying debris can damage these fins, causing them to bend and causing an airflow restriction.

Change Your Filter

Your system must circulate air inside, regardless of whether you’re using your air conditioner or your heating. If your air filter is too dirty, the system cannot draw enough air through it. Plan to change it if you haven’t changed your filter recently.

The average 1-inch filter needs replacing about every 90 days. If it’s been changed recently, pull it out and inspect it to make sure it can still pass air. Consider vacuuming off the intake side, which is the dirty side, to help extend its useful life.

Test the System’s Temperature

You should check the temperature of the air coming from your vents occasionally. Initially, you can simply feel the temperature with your bare hand or foot. If the air doesn’t feel cold, then you may want to go to a more accurate method of checking.

The air coming from your vents should be between 15 and 20 degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature. It is easy enough to check this with a meat thermometer. Start by allowing the thermometer to acclimate to the air temperature and record it.

Next, carefully insert the probe end into an output vent and give it a minute or two to acclimate. Then record the temperature and confirm it is at least 15 degrees different. A smaller differential likely indicates either low refrigerant or a dirty evaporator coil.

Check Your Air Output

In addition to the temperature, be sure to check the amount of air output. Simply use your bare hand or foot to feel the air coming out. You should feel significant air movement while your system runs.

If the air movement is barely perceptible, you likely have an airflow restriction of some form. Something simple like a dirty air filter could be the cause. It may also be a little more involved, like a dirty circulating fan or evaporator coil.

Whatever the underlying cause, you’ll want to find the problem and resolve it quickly. This will not only affect your AC through the rest of the season but also the efficiency of your heating.

Get Your Maintenance Up-to-Date

Your system requires routine maintenance to continue functioning well. If you skipped the maintenance in the spring, now is a great time to ensure your system continues operating efficiently. You also want to make sure you keep your manufacture’s warranty valid, which often requires maintenance.

Maintenance now will ensure better efficiency for the remainder of the hot weather. Additionally, it will also uncover any minor problems that could lead to major repairs later if left unresolved.

A major problem with HVAC repairs is they are often a surprise, leaving you stressed about the cost. Finding out now gives you some extra time to plan for the repair before depending on your system next summer.

People around Spring have trusted North Point Air Conditioning & Heating to keep their families safe from extreme temperatures since 1977. Our customers depend on our expert technicians for heating and air conditioning installation, maintenance, and repair. Call to schedule your routine air conditioning maintenance with one of the area’s most talented technicians today.

Going on Vacation? Don’t Forget To Set Your AC

Posted on July 27, 2021 | by North Point Air Conditioning & Heating | Leave a Comment

Are you planning to go on a vacation and don’t know what to do with your air conditioner? When you leave your home for a vacation, you will want to ensure that your air conditioner uses as little electrical energy as possible. This will be critical in saving you extra dollars that you would have otherwise had to pay to the electricity company. Here are a few tips to help you plan for your time away.

1. Set the Temperature to 85 Degrees

When leaving for vacation, you don’t want your air conditioner to run on cool mode because you might have to pay extremely high bills when you come back. Typically, when your air conditioning system runs on cool mode, it engages all the components, leading to high power consumption. On the other hand, when your air conditioner runs on heat mode, it does not have to run components such as the compressor or the blower fan.

The cooler the temperatures you get from your AC, the high the bills. With that out of the way, setting your air conditioner at 85 degrees allows your AC to run on heat mode, consuming very little energy. Additionally, this mode drives out the humidity in your house and keeps your environment free from damage.

2. Set the Fan to Auto

Setting the air conditioning fan to auto promotes intelligent running of the fan. However, you should ensure that you do not set the fan to “on.” When you have your fan on auto mode, it operates through a set of sensors that emit on and off signals based on what your house needs to maintain its temperature. Essentially, your fan can run and stop on commands from your thermostat.

Typically, a running fan will ensure that air circulation is excellent in your house. Like with the high temperatures, your fan is also critical in eliminating the humidity in the air. When the air is heated, the fan rotates, and the moist air is dehumidified, redistributed, and balanced. This way, your house is protected from the effects of humidity, such as damaged electrical appliances, growth of mildew, growth of mold, and structural damage.

3. Let Your Thermostat Do the Heavy Lifting

It is not always that particular air conditioner settings work for your home. For this specific reason, you can invest in a programmable thermostat. Usually, a programmable thermostat is a simple device that allows you to have a preset configuration that can be run when you are away on vacation or travel. With this device, your air conditioner runs per the particular environment in your home.

The programmable thermostat can switch your air conditioning into various modes according to temperature requirements. For instance, when on vacation, you can set the programmable thermostat to run at relatively higher temperatures when the outdoor environment is also warm. In addition, you can raise or lower the temperatures remotely using remote control interfaces such as smartphones or computers.

4. Lower Temperatures for Pets

Leaving your thermostat running at 85 degrees is excellent if you don’t have any pets left behind. However, if you do, talk to a veterinarian about the best temperature.

Why Do I Need to Keep the Air Conditioner Running?

It may be tempting to switch off the air conditioner when you are going on a vacation. Who needs air conditioning anyway? Though this might seem like a good course of action to take, it is not always the best. Instead of unplugging your air conditioner, consider unplugging other appliances, such as the television, computers, gaming systems, and extra heating equipment that is not run by your air conditioner.

Without proper air conditioning, your house can suffer from the excessive heat of summer or humidity. For instance, high levels of moisture and heat can destroy your dry walls due to moisture accumulation. Additionally, if your house has more than 55% humidity levels, your home will attract more dust, mold, mites, and other invasive insects. With your air conditioner running during your vacation, the humidity problem is eliminated.

The last thing you want is to get home from a vacation and find peeling paint, mold, and damaged drywall. You can keep your house environment controlled and protected from any harmful conditions with an air conditioner. At North Point Air Conditioning & Heating, we offer AC installation, furnace replacement AC repair, heating maintenance, and more. We can handle any service for your heating, cooling, and air circulation equipment. For more information on setting your AC in Spring, contact North Point Air Conditioning & Heating experts today.

Contact North Point Air Conditioning & Heating today