Posts Tagged ‘Palm Beach’

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Why Schedule Professional Air Conditioning Repair in Palm Beach?

Monday, April 8th, 2013

As the temperature begins to rise in Palm Beach, FL, you may already be wondering whether your AC is ready to perform all summer long. Perhaps it’s been awhile since your last service check-up, or you didn’t quite take care of that strange noise that began last cooling season. Whatever the reason, spring is a great time to take care of any air conditioning repairs so that you stay cool and comfortable on even the hottest days. There’s no substitute for professional repair and maintenance. In this post, we’d like to give you a few good reasons to schedule professional air conditioning repair in Palm Beach, FL.

  • Energy efficiency: An air conditioner in good working condition and energy efficiency go hand in hand. Most of the problems that occur with AC units significantly decrease energy efficiency, by making your system work harder for less cooling, or by ineffectually using electrical energy to produce little to no cooling. Professional repair is important because it allows your cooling system to operate at peak operating efficiency so that you get what you pay for.
  • Comfort: There is no substitute for comfort. When it’s hot and humid outside, you need to make sure that its crisp and cool indoors, especially in the Florida heat. Professional repair allows you to take care of what you need to, without worrying about whether your system will work well or not. Comfort also includes the peace of mind knowing that the job will be done correctly the first time.
  • System life: One of the great bonuses of professional repair is improving system life. It’s estimated that neglected air conditioners lose about 5% of their efficiency every year. Delaying even the most minor repairs can negatively impact the working life of your AC, which can often mean premature replacement. Your AC is a big investment in the future of your home. Make sure you make it work as long as possible.

Still unconvinced? Talk to a professional about any concerns you may have with your AC system. For professional air conditioning repair in Palm Beach, FL, call Astro Air today! 

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Air Conditioning Installation in Palm Beach: Why Hire a Professional?

Monday, April 1st, 2013

At Astro Air, we understand that many homeowners like to take on projects around the house themselves. This is a great attitude to have in some situations. Other projects, though, can only be completed by a trained, qualified professional. An air conditioning installation in Palm Beach is one such project. When it comes to your air conditioning installation there is simply no way that you can complete the service on your own. Call the air conditioning installation professionals at Astro Air today to schedule service. We will make sure that your air conditioning installation is a complete success and that you can keep your home comfortable throughout the summer.

One reason that your air conditioning installation requires the services that only a professional can provide is to ensure that it is properly sized for your home. An improperly sized air conditioning system will cost you more to operate and will fail to keep you comfortable. If it is too small then it will struggle to reach target temperatures and will work inefficiently. If your air conditioner is too large then it will cycle on and off frequently, causing it to short cycle and incur unnecessary wear and tear.

A professional installation is also necessary to ensure that your air conditioner will operate safely. Your AC will require an electricity source in order to operate. Anytime any job involving electricity in your home is necessary it must be completed by a trained professional. Our technicians will ensure that your electrical system can handle the demand that your air conditioner puts on it and that all electrical connections are made safely.

Plus, an air conditioning installation also requires an efficient system design. Forced air distribution systems are often used to circulate cooled air throughout a home. If your ductwork system is poorly designed you cannot expect your air conditioner to keep you comfortable in an efficient manner.

For more information about the importance of professional air conditioning installation or to schedule service today, call Astro Air. We can handle any air conditioning installation in Palm Beach. Let us help you keep your home comfortable on the hottest days of the year.

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How to Use AC Most Efficiently in Palm Beach

Monday, August 20th, 2012

Air conditioning is definitely something most of us in Palm Beach wouldn’t want to try and get through the summer without. But just because you need to run your  AC unit all summer doesn’t mean you need to suffer under unnecessarily high cooling costs.

So if you’re interested in ways to save on cooling without sacrificing comfort, here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Get a Programmable Thermostat – When you come home at the end of a long day, you want your home to be cool and comfortable. But if you only have a basic thermostat, you would have to leave your air conditioning on all day in order to make this possible. Paying to cool an empty house is probably the last thing you want to do. But what is the alternative? Programmable thermostats offer the best solution in a case like this. These devices can be easily integrated into just about any home air conditioning system and they allow you to set different temperatures for different times of the day. That means you can have your air conditioning off while you’re not home and set it to come on a half hour or so before you get there. This way, you get the pleasure of walking into a cool, comfortable house without paying extra to keep it that way when you’re not home.
  • Incorporate Passive Cooling – The design of your home and how you use it can also have an effect on how hard your air conditioning system needs to work. Taking steps as simple as closing the blinds to block out the afternoon sun, putting up awnings and making sure that the exterior of your home is painted a lighter color to reflect sunlight rather than a darker one that will absorb it are all excellent ways to reduce the load on your air conditioner.
  • Supplement Your System – You can also take a good chunk out of your cooling bills by using things like ceiling fans in conjunction with your air conditioner. A ceiling fan can effectively lower the indoor temperature several degrees on its own, allowing you to set your thermostat a little higher.

To learn more about how to use your AC efficiently or to schedule a service, give Astro Air Inc a call!

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Astro Air Inc. Boynton Beach Air Conditioning Specialists

Friday, June 29th, 2012

Customer Service | Boynton Beach | Astro Air Inc.“I think it is time I thanked you for your good advice and good recommendation in helping me select a replacement for my old A/C. 

 The unit I have now is much superior to the old one, keeps a steady temperature (rather than a range of temperatures like my old A/C) and lowers the humidity more than before.  In every respect it was just what I needed.  Your help was key in accomplishing that.

So, thanks,
Ted D.”

 

Astro Air Inc. has been providing air conditioning, heating, indoor air quality, and commercial AC and refrigeration services in Palm Beach and North Broward County, Florida since 1986. We only carry the best air conditioning systems, and our sales staff will recommend the system that is the perfect fit for your home.

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AC Tip from Palm Beach: Cooling Coil or Evaporator Coil Diagnosis & Repair

Monday, June 11th, 2012

Inside the air handler of your Palm Beach home’s air conditioning system is a cooling coil or evaporator coil. From a home cooling perspective, this is where the magic happens: where the actual cooling occurs. So, if there is a problem with the cooling or evaporator coil, you will notice a decrease in the performance of your AC system.

You may notice that the air flow has slowed significantly or even stopped, even though you can hear the air handler running. You may also notice that the air isn’t as cool as it used to be or should be. Aside from having a house that is not cool enough, this can also cause problems like high electricity bills or damage to other parts of the air conditioner. Use this quick guide to start diagnosing and repairing the problem.

 Diagnosis

For starters, just try to get a good look at the cooling coil. Some problems are obvious enough upon visual inspection that no further diagnostics or major repair is necessary. To inspect the cooling coil on your air conditioner, first turn off the electricity at your fuse panel or breaker box. Then, locate the access panel on the air handler that can be removed to at least partially expose the coil. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for help.

Once you are able to see the cooling coil, look for things like:

  • Dirt and debris
  • Mold
  • Staining that indicates a refrigerant leak
  • Ice or frost
  • Damaged fins on the coil

Repair

Any of these could be the culprit that is degrading the performance of your AC system. Some of these you can take care of pretty simply on your own – if there is obvious debris that you can remove safely, do so – but for most repairs you will want to call in a licensed air conditioning technician. Especially if the problem is something potentially hazardous like mold growth or a refrigerant leak, you don’t want to take the risk. Let a professional who is trained in safely and effectively repairing the problem take care of it, so that your home can be comfortable again. Call Astro Air Inc. if you need air conditioning repair on the Palm Beach area!

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Boynton Beach AC Question: Do I Need Surge Protection for My HVAC?

Monday, June 4th, 2012

You probably know that to keep your Boynton Beach HVAC system in good working order you need to keep up with regular maintenance. This includes things like changing air filters, cleaning out air ducts and clearing debris from both inside and outside the system. Surge protection for your system may not be something you think of immediately, but like those maintenance tasks, it’s an important part of keeping your equipment functioning properly over time.

How Surge Protection Works

Surge protection essentially shuts off your system in the event that power levels in the system rise suddenly and unacceptably. When a sudden increase in electricity occurs, any electronic device is at risk. But, unlike your stereo, your HVAC system costs thousands of dollars – no one wants to lose something so valuable to a surge that could have been prevented. That’s why a surge protector is so vital for your system.

The surge protector monitors the levels of electricity coming into your HVAC system. In the event that a surge occurs for any reason (faulty wiring, a lightning strike, etc.), the surge protector will immediately cut off power to the HVAC unit and shut all of the equipment down.

A Sizable Investment

Your Boynton Beach HVAC system was not an impulse buy. This is a collection of equipment that you probably spent a good deal of money on and that you rely on to keep your family comfortable throughout the year. When you look at it that way, it’s easy to see why it’s worth doing anything you can to protect your investment. Installing a surge protector is a relatively minor expense compared to the money and inconvenience it could save you by preventing serious damage to your HVAC equipment.

Proper Restart

Once a surge protector shuts off your HVAC system, you’ll need to restart it properly. The best thing to do is talk to the contractor who installs your system. They can walk you through the restart process step by step to ensure you know exactly what to do. After going through all that trouble installing a surge protector, the last thing you want is to make a mistake when turning it back on.

If you don’t already have a surge protector in place, call Astro Air Inc. today and learn what your system needs to be fully protected.

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Keep Your Home Cool

Friday, June 1st, 2012

Did you know that keeping your home cool is more about than just turning up the AC? The air conditioned air can leak out of your home, which will make it less comfortable and raise your energy bills. AC Maintenance | Palm Beach | Astro AirAdd weather stripping to your doors and windows, and fix any air leaks you might find. You made an investment in your central air system to keep your home cool and comfortable. Make sure you are not loosing that cooled air through leaks in you duct system, unsealed doors and windows, and other areas. Read our AC Tips for more information!

Call Astro Air today to find out how you can increase the efficiency of your AC and keep the cool air inside your home. Annual maintenance of your air conditioning system will help it run more efficiently – all of these things together will help cut down on your energy bills! With our annual maintenance plan you will get two 19 point AC check-ups per year, as well as a 15% discount on parts and repairs, and 24/7 service with no travel or overtime charges. We have proudly served Palm Beach and North Broward County since 1986.

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Boca Raton HVAC Tip: Things Your Air Filter Can’t Filter

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Air filters are great to have in your home. Many people who own air filters, especially those who suffer from allergies or asthma, swear by them as being very beneficial to their health and general well-being. They help you feel comfortable knowing that your air is clean and fresh.

But how confident should you be in your Boca Raton home’s air filter? Is there anything your air filter is missing? Can you be sure that your air is as clean as can be?

Well, all air filters have limitations, and many do particularly well at trapping and removing certain types of air pollutants, but at the expense of letting others pass. What your air filter can and cannot do depends on what kind of equipment you have.

A conventional air filter, like the pleated kind you may have in your air conditioner, is designed to trap particles in the air. Pollen, dust, dander and other small but solid pollutants and irritants get trapped in their close-knit fibers. The thing to pay attention here is the filter’s HEPA rating—the higher it is, the smaller the particles it can trap. So, if you are using a lower rated filter, you may be trapping pollen but still breathing in smoke particles. Also, sometimes large, heavy particles settle before reaching the filter and can’t be trapped.

In addition to filters, there are other air cleaning options like ultraviolet germicidal (UVG) lights and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) cleaners. PCOs are meant to filter out harmful gases, but have limited use in homes. UVG lights use radiation that is harmless to people but deadly to microorganisms to pure air of bacteria and other pathogens.

In sum, if you are concerned about the quality of the air in your home, the best strategy is probably to use multiple solutions, such as a combination of an air filter and UVG lights, in order to get rid of as many pollutants as possible. Keep in mind, though, that no system is perfect in keeping everything out of your air. For more information about how to maintain your Boca Raton home’s indoor air quality, give Astro Air Inc. a call today!

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Air Conditioning Tip from a Palm Beach Contractor: Causes of AC Short Cycling

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Air conditioning short cycling is a common problem wherein an air conditioning unit will have either short run times or short off times.  This type of quick movement back and forth between being on and off–or rather starting and stopping rapidly–can be detrimental to the overall life of your Palm Beach home’s AC unit, and is also not energy efficient.

AC short cycling can have many causes, and many fixes.  Below are the main causes for air conditioning short cycling, which can be checked, diagnosed, and fixed quite easily.

  • AC Refrigerant Leak:  There could be a refrigerant leak somewhere within the AC unit.  A temporary fix might be to add refrigerant and recharge the air conditioning unit, but long-term, a Palm Beach HVAC specialist will need to be contacted in order to find and fix the leak properly, ensuring excess money is not paid to continually add an unnecessary amount of refrigerant.
  • AC Coil Icing: This means that the evaporator coil or cooling coil has become encrusted with ice or frost and is causing the unit to malfunction by turning on and off in short bursts.  Turning off the unit completely and letting the ice melt, then checking and replacing dirty filters can oftentimes fix this problem.
  • AC is Oversized:  The amount of power needed (or the BTUs needed) to cool a space is directly proportional to the size of the space or room which is being cooled.
    • If AC short cycling has been a constant problem since day one of an AC system installation, it is entirely possible that the A/C unit is too large for the space which it is cooling.  This could mean contacting an HVAC technician to have the unit analyzed and a new, smaller unit put in.
    • If A/C short cycling is a relatively new problem, some possible causes could be: closing or opening doors which previously were not closed or opened frequently, or the addition of partitions within rooms which effectively makes the room size smaller.  This could mean simply adjusting the thermostat, or the blower fan to a lower speed to compensate for the change, or opening interior doors to increase the size of the space which is being cooled by the AC unit.
  • AC Control Board Problem:  While less likely, the problem could be in a control board or control switch which has been damaged, thus causing erratic and rapid starting and stopping cycles.  In this case an HVAC technician would need to be contacted in order to replace the broken control switch.
  • AC Compressor Damage or Start-Up Issues:  Some AC systems have hard-starting compressors which take time to re-pressurize properly after shutting down.  If the AC system is being turned on or off manually on a frequent basis, the compressor might have a hard time restarting because the high pressure which had built up on the previous on-cycle had not had a chance to come down to normal levels again.  An easy way to diagnose this problem is if after leaving the AC unit shut off for thirty minutes, the unit works properly after being turned on again.  To help this compressor issue, an HVAC service technician can add a starter capacitor to the AC unit.

These and other AC short cycling causes can be checked, diagnosed, and fixed quite easily by an experienced Palm Beach HVAC professional.

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AC Guide from Palm Beach: Save Energy and Save Money This Summer

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Though we hate to admit it, we all do it without thinking: turn the AC higher instead of turning on a fan, or forget about the thermostat settings which are set to full-blast when we are not at home.  Oftentimes it is the simple things which can have the most impact, and with saving energy this is true as well.

Households throughout the US will spend somewhere between $1,200 and $2,200 per year on energy costs.  With the cost of living in many areas of life skyrocketing, it’s nice to know there are some easy ways to lower at least one household bill: the energy bill.  Of course, some of these fixes are free, and some cost a little time and energy, while others must be paid for as long-term investments.

Free, Do-It-Yourself Energy Solutions

These quick and easy, do-it-yourself, no cost solutions produce energy saving results almost immediately!

  • Adjust your Palm Beach  home’s air conditioner‘s thermostat to higher numbers, such as 78 while at home and 85 or higher when away.  Supplement AC usage with a ceiling or room fan, as moving air feels cooler on the skin.
  • Eliminate wasted energy by turning off appliances, lights, and equipment when not in use, unplug electronic chargers when not in use, and get rid of spare appliances such as refrigerators which are plugged in but not in use.
  • Put those dishwashing gloves away and let the dishwasher do the dirty-work!  Dishwashers use less water than washing by hand.  In addition, let the dishes air-dry rather than running through the heat-cycle to save even more.
  • Do laundry more efficiently by washing and rinsing in only cold water, and line dry instead of using the dryer.
  • Use the microwave to cook and not only speed up the cooking process, but use two-thirds less energy than a stove or conventional oven.

 Low-Cost, Economical Energy Solutions

Most of these energy saving options can be procured at the local hardware store, are fairly inexpensive, and can be easily done by any competent home-owner.

  • Replace HVAC filters regularly, according to manufacturer’s specifications.
  • Weather-proof your home by plugging air leaks on doors and windows with weather stripping, sealant, or caulk where applicable.
  • Purchase and install ENERGY STAR® certified products such as porch lights, floor and table lamps, pocket lights, and even programmable thermostats to ensure energy using items are using as little energy as possible.

 Invest in Energy Solutions

If it is important to you to save energy and money long-term and on a larger scale, there are a number of durable energy-saving investments to consider.

  • Purchase new windows, a new air-conditioning unit, refrigerator, or other household appliances which use less energy than older units
  • Install window and house shading such as patio covers, or strategically plant trees to shade the home during peak times of heat
  • Install a whole house fan which can suck cool air into the home after sundown or in the early morning in order to cool the entire house thus reducing air conditioning usage
  • Seal and insulate all household ducts in crawl spaces and attics
  • Increase or upgrade attic insulation to higher than the standard grade to keep housing temperatures more constant

To save energy also means to save money, and by following any of the simple steps listed above the average consumer can save energy and save money almost immediately. For more tips on how to save on your air conditioning in Palm Beach, give Astro Air Inc. a call!

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