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Why Is a Thermostatic Expansion Valve Important?

October 20, 2021

Inside your cooling system are many parts and devices designed to help it operate safely. The thermostatic expansion valve is one of those parts. Its care and maintenance are vital for keeping your indoor air cool and comfortable. What Does the Valve Do? This part is also referred to as the thermal expansion valve and the thermal valve. The valve is a metering device that regulates the movement of refrigerant to the evaporator. By providing a steady flow of refrigerant, the system can safely deliver consistent cold air. Effects of Wear and Tear Valves can fail over time. There are signs that indicate that the valve needs to be inspected by a knowledgeable technician. These signals include lukewarm air flowing from the AC system and an AC unit that runs continually and doesn’t cycle. A unit that freezes also indicates that the thermal valve isn’t regulating the refrigerant correctly. Are you looking for a trusted AC technician to help you with cooling maintenance and AC repairs in Solon? has a qualified team ready to assist you on all makes and models. Let us know how we can make your indoor cooling experience better. The Way to Prevent Valve Failures To...

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3 Signs Your Furnace Is Ready to Be Replaced

September 20, 2021

The average furnace is rated to last up to 20 years. Despite this fact, many furnaces offer about 15 years of reliable performance, and most lose nearly half of their efficiency after just one decade. Being able to identify the signs of a heater that’s on its last legs is essential for keeping the interior of your Solon, OH, home consistently warm. If you haven’t replaced your heating equipment in some time, be on the lookout for these three common signs of an impending breakdown. 1. Loud Noises and Unpleasant Odors Just because a heater still turns on and produces warm air, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s in good condition. This is especially true if you have a furnace that is well past its 15-year mark and has become increasingly noisy. Furnaces that make loud popping, clanging or whistling sounds while they work are often quite close to the end of their lifespans. This is also true of furnaces that constantly emit burnt, dry or extremely dusty smells during operation regardless of how often they’re serviced or cleaned. 2. Hot and Cold Spots An efficient furnace should be able to heat your home consistently and evenly. Hot and cold spots...

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AC Installation Process Explained

August 16, 2021

The summers in Cleveland are sweltering, so it’s essential to have a good air conditioning unit. Window units can provide comfort only to a specific room, but a central AC system can keep the entire home at the same temperature. Do you know how the professionals install these units? It’s a challenging process that can take anywhere from 8-14 hours to complete. Installing an AC Unit Before the installation process begins, an evaluation is conducted. The current system will be assessed, and a load calculation will be determined to ensure the new system can handle the home’s cooling needs. You should always receive a written quote before the project commences. Next, it’s time to remove the old unit. There may need to be some ductwork modifications to ensure that the new system works efficiently. Installing the system requires work to be done both on the inside and outside of your home. The inside air handler/evaporator and the outside compressor/condensing unit work together to make your home comfortable. The refrigerant supply lines and condensate drain lines are put into place. It’s also necessary to check and inspect the wiring and circuit breakers to ensure they can meet the needs of the...

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Noisy Air Conditioner? Try These Helpful Tips

July 26, 2021

When the hot weather hits, you need to run your air conditioner to be able to stay comfortable in your home. But if you’re frustrated because your air conditioner is too loud when you use it, you’ll be happy to know that there are several things that you can do to dampen the sounds. First, you need to determine whether or not there’s something wrong with a particular component of your air conditioner. Later, if there’s nothing wrong and the model is simply loud or in a bad place for noise, there are a couple of tricks that you can use to reduce the noise that you actually hear. Sounds That Indicate a Problem If you hear sounds that don’t seem quite right, you should look into whether or not there might be something wrong with your air conditioner. There are a number of sounds that your model might make if you have something broken on your unit, and each one will make a different sound. For instance, you might hear banging, screeching, bubbling, or ticking sounds. If you’re even just a little uncertain about whether or not there’s something wrong with your air conditioner, you need an experienced technician...

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How To Clean Air Conditioning Unit

June 12, 2021

Cleaning an air conditioner can be daunting, but it is very important. There are a lot of small, fragile parts that you don’t want to accidentally loosen, break, or spray with water or other cleaning fluids. However, cleaning an AC unit doesn’t have to be rocket science, either. Here are a few tips to help you keep your air conditioning unit in tip-top shape. 1. Switch the Power Off This is a no-brainer, but since you only really clean your AC unit every few months, it can also be easy to forget that it’s still running when you start to wipe or spray it. Air conditioners have a lot of moving mechanical parts, including the motor and fan blades. Not only do you risk damaging these parts if you try to clean the unit while it’s operating, but you also risk injuring yourself in the process. 2. Clean the Evaporator Coil Open your AC unit’s door to access the evaporator coil. Depending on the AC model you have, you may have to strip off foil duct tape. You may also need a screwdriver to remove the bolts or screws holding the door in place. You can then use a soft...

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What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need for My Home?

May 15, 2021

Air conditioners usually need replacing after they’re about 12 years old. When you get a new one, it’s important that you get one for the right size for your home. But how do you know what is the right size? British Thermal Units The cooling industry uses British Thermal Units, or BTUs, to rate the cooling capacity of air conditioners. One BTU will raise the heat of one pound of water by 1 degree. Therefore, each BTU an air conditioner produces translates into how much warm air it can remove from your home per hour. Determine Your Home’s Square Footage If you don’t know how many square feet your home is, there are online sources to help. Try your county’s assessor’s webpage. You can also find this information on Zillow. Failing those options, you will need to measure each room of your home and add them together. Multiply by 20 One good rule of thumb is to multiply the square footage of your home by 20. This will give you a general sense of how many BTUs an air conditioner needs to have to properly cool your home. Load Calculation Heating and cooling companies perform a load calculation to determine...

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Energy-Efficient Curtains: Maximize Savings and Comfort

April 5, 2021

Energy-efficient curtains are something that saves you money on heating and cooling your home. Since heating and cooling your home accounts for half of your energy costs, these curtains are an effective way to save money. Understanding Energy-Efficient Curtains Energy-efficient curtains, often referred to as drapes, feature a specialized backing material that is dense and sponge-like. This unique lining serves a dual purpose by effectively blocking sunlight during summer months and preventing heat loss through windows during winter. These curtains provide an extra layer of insulation for your windows, enhancing their ability to regulate indoor temperatures. Additionally, for added efficiency, you can opt for a secondary curtain placed between the drapes and the window, serving the same function of preserving indoor temperatures and bolstering energy conservation. Summer Choose a curtain with a light color to prevent the sun from warming your home in the summer. Light colors reflect sunlight rather than absorbing it. You should keep your windows closed when it’s sunny out to reduce the cost of cooling your home. Winter Open your curtains in the winter when it’s sunny out. This will allow the sun to heat your home for free. Close the curtains when it’s not sunny...

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What Are Indoor Air Quality Monitors?

March 19, 2021

If you suffer from allergies, you may be wondering if the air inside your Cleveland home is contributing to your runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, and other symptoms. Unfortunately, the answer is yes, indoor air quality can trigger allergies. Airborne pollutants inside the typical Cleveland home also affect people with chronic health conditions. Does Indoor Air Quality Cause Allergies? People who live with asthma understand that they need to minimize airborne particles inside their homes, but allergies often get overlooked as a reason to improve the quality of indoor air. The same practices that keep you comfortable outdoors should be applied to the time you spend at home. You can reduce your allergy symptoms by: Minimizing contact with substances that trigger symptoms Purifying the air in your home Maintaining proper ventilation How Can an Indoor Air Quality Monitor Help? The first step for reducing allergy symptoms inside your home is to know the extent of the problem. This is where an indoor air quality monitor can help. The device has sensors for different types of airborne pollutants, and you should choose one that can detect substances that trigger your allergies. If you aren’t sure what type of monitor to get,...

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How To Test Indoor Air Quality For Mold

February 18, 2021

Mold spores are a dangerous contaminant that can cause numerous health issues, including things like asthma attacks and severe allergic reactions. You should not take this invisible threat to your family’s health lightly. If you worry about the possibility of mold spores impacting your home’s indoor air quality, you should take action at once to detect and eliminate mold spores. How to Detect Mold Testing for mold is a relatively simple process. Many retailers sell home mold testing kits, which allow homeowners to conduct their own testing. While this may seem like a good DIY project, calling in a pro is a better alternative. Home testing can be tricky as you move from one location to another. Once you test in an environment that is likely to have mold, such as a basement bathroom, it is easy to transfer mold spores from that area to every other area tested, leading to false positives in other locations. can ensure your testing is valid and provide you tailored solutions for your Solon, OH, home. Areas likely to contain mold include: Inside basement walls (behind drywall) Behind your refrigerator Below sinks Inside walls with plumbing lines Inside ventilation ducts Under any flooring that...

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Variable Refrigerant Volume Systems Explained

January 5, 2021

While most people have a basic understanding of how heating and air conditioning systems work, few have heard of variable refrigerant volume systems. This type of heating and cooling system is highly efficient and can allow you to set various rooms in your building to different temperatures. The technology behind the system is complex and has been around since 1982. Understanding VRV Technology Most heating and cooling systems have a simple on and off switch and will produce the same amount of warm or cool air, regardless of the conditions. VRV systems work by having several individual units installed in various zones of a building. They are all hooked up to a main outdoor unit. When one of the indoor units needs to heat or cool, it will request refrigerant from the main unit. By having all of the indoor units running individually, it’s possible to fine-tune the temperature of a space. Cool a Building Efficiently VRV systems are much more energy-efficient than traditional heating and cooling systems. Because you won’t heat or cool spaces that don’t need attention, you’ll be able to reduce the overall energy use in a building. Some VRV systems can detect if a room is...

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