Category Archives: AC

Learn about your HVAC System

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HVAC system componentsSystems that are at home in any home

Your drapes, fabrics and paint colors were all chosen with care to suit your home and tastes. Your heating and cooling system should be just the same. That’s why we offer our innovative products in four configurations. One is sure to meet your needs perfectly.

Split systems

A split system simply means your solution has products that reside both inside and outside your home. In many cases, a split system consists of:

  • Furnace―provides heating and the fan used year round to circulate air
  • Evaporator coil―the indoor component of your outdoor cooling unit
  • Air conditioner or heat pump―works in tandem with the evaporator coil
  • Ducts―carry the conditioned air throughout your home
  • Control or thermostat―your interface for controlling your system
  • Optional air quality accessories―clean, humidify, and freshen air before it circulates throughout your home

Some split systems consist only of an outdoor unit―such as a heat pump or air conditioner―and an inside fan coil. If that’s the case, there’s usually another heat source in the home like baseboard heat or a boiler.

Your expert ALRO technician will be happy to show you how your HVAC system works.

Why not cut your energy cost and make your home more comfortable in the bargain. Call us at Alro HVAC (314) 427-9932 for a FREE estimate and complete details.

Your home is home to more than you think.

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air-filters-01Chances are you have billions of unwanted guests living in your home. Dust mites. Mold. Mildew. It’s an even surer bet that they’ve overstayed their welcome. This doesn’t even include all the little air pollutant inhabitants you can’t see like pet dander, bacteria, viruses, skin flakes, chemical fumes, pollen and more. And there are plenty more outside waiting to get in. It’s time to take control of your home’s air quality.

Indoor air quality is one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s top 5 environmental health concerns1

Incredible as it sounds, the Environmental Protection Agency concludes that the air inside your home can be 2-5 times dirtier than the air outside1. And ironically, today’s tightly-sealed, well-insulated homes only make the problem worse, as the same stale, contaminated indoor air is circulated and re-circulated.

If you haven’t already run screaming from the house, there is good news: We offer a wide range of air-quality solutions, including humidifiers, ventilators, UV lamps and air purifiers. Working together, they can clear the air by eliminating pollutants and even killing the living intruders in your home’s air.

1 http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pdfs/hbhp_report.pdf

 Your expert ALRO technician will be happy to show you how you can benefit from these new systems.

Why not cut your energy cost and make your home more comfortable in the bargain. Call us at Alro HVAC (314) 427-9932 for a FREE estimate and complete details.

Improve the health of the air in your home without even breaking a sweat

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Today, it’s all about being healthy. We exercise and watch what we eat. But what about the air in our homes? Is it healthy? Probably not. Dust, dirt, pollen, mold spores, etc., make untreated indoor air up to 100 times worse than outdoor air. And since we spend 90% of our time indoors, here are some tips to consider….

Having an air cleaner cleans air effectively by removing bacteria, pollen, animal dander and pollutants as small as 0.01 microns.

Another great tip to increase indoor air quality is to use a humidifier to control moisture.

Plus, consider installing a ventilator. It brings fresh air into your home year-round with minimal energy loss.

All of these products are energy efficient ways to make your home more comfortable.

Can my AC realy handle this extreme summer heat?

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The simple answer is yes your AC can probably handle this summer’s extreme heat. However, it may need a little help in doing so. All air conditioners are certainly working overtime and not just during the day. With temperatures still hovering around 90 by 10pm, your ac is working hard.

Here are three simple things to help your air conditioner when the heat battle.

1. Make sure your outside unit has plenty of air flow. The heat from inside your house is being release through the coils outside. The fan is pulling fresh air in and pushing it through the coils to remove all that heat. Make sure the inlet for the fan is open and free for the air to move in. Next make sure the coils are clean and not filled with grass clippings, vines, dust, or anything else. Make sure your plantings  are far enough away from the unit to let the air move away from the coils. An extra help is to shade the unit to prevent the sun from hitting it directly.

2 When is the last time the air filter was cleaned or replaced inside your ac?  Restricted the air flow in your duct work is very inefficient and causes your system to run much longer and harder to cool your home.

3. Set your thermostat higher when you are not home. AC is designed to lower the temperature inside 15 – 20 degrees compared to outside. On days those 100+ do not ask your system to keep your house at 68 when you are at work all day. It is not designed to accomplish this but will work is guts out trying. Set your thermostat higher when you are gone so your system keeps working. This is easy to remember when you have a programmable thermostat to remember for you.

 Call Alro today at (314) 427-9932 or (636) 947-7072 to receive a
FREE in-home consultation.

Are you confused by heating and cooling ratings for your furnace and AC?

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Heating and Cooling Efficiency Ratings Explained

In your quest to find the ideal Carrier system, you will encounter several important industry-standard efficiency ratings. The higher efficiency your product, the lower your long-term energy costs will be. And as always, your expert Carrier HVAC dealer can also help you choose the heating and cooling products that are right for you.

SEER

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the measure of efficiency by which the cooling process of air conditioners and heat pumps is rated. The higher the SEER number, the greater the efficiency—and therefore greater energy savings. Today, U.S. regulatory agencies require all new products to have a 13.0 SEER rating or better. Carrier’s full line of air conditioners offers SEER ratings of 13.0 to 21.

AFUE

AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is the standard measurement of efficiency for gas and oil-fired furnaces. Given in percentages, this number tells you how much of your fuel is used to heat your home and how much fuel is wasted. The higher the AFUE rating, the greater the efficiency. Carrier offers a full line of furnaces with AFUE ratings ranging from the minimum industry requirement of 78% to more than 96%.

Cost Savings: If you have an older furnace (with an AFUE of approximately 60%), you could save up to 40% on your heating bills by replacing it with a new high efficiency furnace! The cost to replace your old, inefficient furnace is paid back through lower utility bills.

HSPF

HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) is the efficiency measurement used to gauge the efficiency of the heating mode of heat pumps. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency and cost-savings. Today’s models are required to have a 6.8 HSPF. Carrier offers heat pumps with HSPF ratings ranging from 6.8 to 9.5.

Cost Savings. Higher efficiency in heat pumps and air conditioners usually means higher equipment cost but lower utility bills. If you live in a warm and/or humid climate, you will probably see the higher cost of a high efficiency air conditioner or heat pump paid back (through lower utility bills) in a few short years. Ask your expert Carrier HVAC dealer to help you determine about how long it would take you to recover the additional cost in energy savings. Of course, after the payback, you continue to save on your energy bills.

Matching Your System for Optimum Efficiency

One additional factor that affects the efficiency of your air conditioning or heat pump system is your indoor coil. If your condensing unit is not matched with the proper indoor coil, it may not give you the stated SEER and/or HSPF ratings and could even develop performance problems. When you replace an existing system, make sure you replace both units so your new condensing unit will give you optimal performance, efficiency and comfort.

The best method is to call us at ALRO (314) 427-9932.  Our expert technicians will be happy to correctly size a unit for your home.

 

Did you know your current AC refrigerant is being phased out?

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Puron Refrigerant
The environmentally sound refrigerant of the future

Environmentally sound, chlorine-free Puron® Refrigerant is the refrigerant of the future. And it’s no surprise that Carrier was the only manufacturer to develop indoor cooling products using Puron Refrigerant. As companies worldwide race to upgrade to chlorine-free refrigerants, Carrier offers the experience of having introduced the first air conditioners with an alternative refrigerant in 1996—6 years before other manufacturers caught up.

Today, Carrier has engineered an entire line of heating and cooling products with Puron Refrigerant, available right now to make your home more comfortable.

Why Puron Refrigerant?

The 1990 Clean Air Act identified refrigerant R-22—the longtime industry standard refrigerant used in most air conditioning and heat pump systems—must be phased out.

Carrier’s extensive testing in hundreds of thousands of homes has proven that Puron Refrigerant is superior to R-22 not only in environmental safety, but in performance and energy efficiency. These outstanding results have made Puron Refrigerant the universally accepted, long-term refrigerant for the heating and cooling industry.

Is Puron Refrigerant Right For You?

If you are considering upgrading your air conditioner or heat pump, keep in mind that Carrier’s Puron Refrigerant-based products offer several homeowner benefits, including:

  • Energy Efficiency — Most of our Puron Refrigerant air conditioners and heat pumps offer higher efficiency ratings. Puron Refrigerant’s heat-transfer properties lend themselves to higher-efficiency performance.
  • Future Cost Of Service Savings — Because of U.S. government restrictions on future production, refrigerants with ozone-harming CFCs, the refrigerant used in most of today’s heat pumps and air conditioners, will become harder to find and, eventually, more expensive. Upgrading to Puron Refrigerant now can help you avoid the potential rising cost of servicing most of today’s air conditioners and heat pumps.
  • Reliability — Carrier air conditioners and heat pumps with Puron Refrigerant have become the most reliable products in our entire line.
  • Quiet Operation — many of the air conditioners and heat pumps with Puron Refrigerant also offer Carrier’s Silencer System technology for quieter operation.

 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us at ALRO.

Do you know how to save money on your summer AC bill?

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Your summer electric bill can be a real eye opener. However, here are some steps that will help you keep it under control.

1. Check your room register settings.Are you air conditioning rooms that are not used? Do you have rooms that are cold when others are comfortable. Change the settings on the registers to help balance the system.

2. Check the system air filter on a monthly basis. You may be surprised many particles are floating around your house. A dirty air filter will make your system work much harder and therefore cost more money.

3. Simply raise the temperature setting on your thermostat. There is no reason to keep your home as cool when no one is home. Consider a programmable thermostat to raise the temperature when you are at work and school. It only takes about 30 minutes to cool your home back to your comfort level.

4. Have your air conditioning system cleaned and check by a professional. There are parts of the system that collect dirt and need to be cleaned by trained technician. In addition, if the coolant is not sufficiently filled, the system will run longer than ideal. Both of these require extra electric to cool your home.

Call Alro today at (314) 427-9932 or (636) 947-7072 to receive a
FREE in-home consultation.

How often should I change my air filter?

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How often to change your air filters can depend on several factors:

  • the type of air filter you are using
  • the overall air quality of your home
  • pets, pets, pets..
  • occupancy of the home, and
  • the level of air pollution and construction around the home

For your standard 1″-3″ air filters, the manufacturers basically tell you to change them every 30-60 days, which is actually a great rule of thumb. But general rules aren’t always for everybody. If you suffer from light to moderate allergies, you could upgrade the air filter or change them even more often. Or, if you’re in a more remote area, less occupied home (like a vacation home) and there are fewer cars around, annually may be quite sufficient. Why do pets matter so much? They have a tendency to shed, which can clog your air filter quick and with great success. Of course the air filter is just doing its job by capturing pet hair and dander, but extremely dirty filters can cause extremely weak HVAC performance.

Here is a quick and short guideline:

  • Vacation home or single occupant w/o pets or allergies: 6-12 months
  • “Average” suburban home w/o pets: every 90 days
  • Add a dog or cat: every 60 days
  • Add more than one pet or have allergies: 30-45 days

Can replacing my furnace filter really save money on the cost of heating my home?

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ABSOLUTELY!  Your furnace’s biggest enemy is dirt.  Furnace filters are designed to keep dirt from circulating in your home and from clogging up your heating system.  A very good friend once told me to imagine placing a 10 pound bag of flour in my furnace and think of it being blown around the house by your furnace.  This is not an exaggeration!  Replacing your furnace filter will prevent this flour (or in actuality dirt) from clogging up your air handler, your ducts and your vents.   A clean system requires less energy to circulate the warm air that you are paying for.  REPLACE YOUR FILTER!!!

If you have a question about which type of filter is best for your particular furnace, call ALRO at (314) 427-9932 and we can advise you.

How do I reduce the amount of dust in my home?

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It is relatively easy to decrease the amount of dust that is in your home.  Three actions that you can take are:

  1.  Change your air filters—I can’t tell you how many people don’t do this on a regular basis.
  2. Add an electronic air cleaner to your HVAC system—this will remove finer dust particles from the air in your home
  3. Have your air ducts cleaned—dust builds up in your air ducts over time and must be cleaned.

Find our more from our video about the differences in furnace/air conditioning filters:

Click here to view video

For more information, don’t hesitate to call me at Alro Heating and Cooling, (314) 427-9932.  The Old Sarge thanks you.