Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Air Conditioning Installation’

3 Factors of Your Home to Consider With Air Conditioning Installation in Alexandria

Friday, May 16th, 2014

Whether you are purchasing an air conditioning system for the first time, or are upgrading your existing system to a new model, there are several important factors to consider when determining what air conditioner will best fit with your home. With almost 15 years’ experience with air conditioning installation in Alexandria, Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc., can help you to determine what type and size air conditioner would fit best with your home. Call us today to schedule an appointment or request an estimate.

Factors to Consider When Installing Your New Air Conditioner

You may hear that the only thing you really need to consider when installing a new air conditioner is the square footage of your home. While square footage is part of the considerations, , it is not the only factor that determines how much cooling you need for your property.

Factor 1: Insulation

Insulation plays a key role in determining how much cooling you need. Why? Less insulation means your home will retain less of the cool air, and more insulation means your home will retain more cool air. If you have less insulation, you may need a bigger system to adequately cool your home. Conversely, if you have plenty of insulation, you may not need as much cooling to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Factor 2: Orientation

The direction your home faces is important to calculating something known as heat gain. Heat gain refers to the amount of heat your property gains throughout the daytime from the sun and rising temperatures. Orientation – or the direction in which your home faces – plays a strong role in this. For instance, if your home faces west, your home can get a great deal of exposure to the sun from midday to sunset; this can increase your daytime heat gain versus a property that faces east. Knowing things like this are important to understand exactly how much cooling you’ll need.

Factor 3: Existing Ductwork

If you have an older home, it is important to have your technician review the ductwork for efficiency. Things like cracks, broken seals and disconnections can contribute to something known as air loss. It is estimated that air loss from faulty ductwork can result in cooling losses as high as 30%. Tackling existing ductwork problems before installing your new air conditioner can help you save money down the road.

Review Before Installation

Understanding how your home cools is an important step with your air conditioning installation in Alexandria.

With help from your Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. specialist, the system you install will give you the comfort and efficiency that fits best with your property.

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Arlington, VA Air Conditioning Installation Tips: Choosing the Right System

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

Are you tired of paying to repair your old AC on a regular basis? Do you need a new cooling solution for your new home? Whatever your reasons for needing an air conditioning installation, you need to ensure that you get the right system for your home. This depends on numerous factors, some of which we’d like to explore in today’s post. But the most important factor is the quality of the installation itself, which should always be performed by a qualified technician. If you’re in need of air conditioning installation in Arlington, VA, call Polar Bear today!

  • Size. Bigger is not better when it comes to air conditioning. Installing the largest system you can get your hands irrespective of the size of your home will not give you even more or better performance. In fact, a system that is too large can lead to inefficient cooling, uncontrollable temperatures, and even system damage because of all the short cycling. On the other hand, a system that is too small leads to inadequate cooling performance and a system that is constantly overworking itself to get by, which can also lead to system damage. Make sure your AC fits your home.
  • Type. You’ll need to decide what type of system you want to have in your home. The central air split system is the most popular throughout the country. It involves the installation of an outdoor compressor/condenser and an indoor air handler/evaporator. These units are connects to each by a lineset, and the cooling circuit uses the temperature changes of a circulating refrigerant to remove thermal energy from your home and send cool air into your home. There is also the option of a packaged system, which house all of the components in one outdoor unit. This allows for easy access during maintenance and repairs.
  • Other considerations. Installing a digital, programmable thermostat and enrolling in a preventive maintenance program at the time of installation are both great ways to ensure that your system does not go neglected.

If you need a professional, quality air conditioning installation in Arlington, VA, look no further than the experts at Polar Bear. Call us today! 

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Alexandria, VA Air Conditioning Tip: How Your Air Conditioning Installation Affects its Performance

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

Are you in the market for a new air conditioner? If so, then you have an unprecedented amount of choices to make. Considering all of the different brands and types of systems that are available these days, the selection of equipment can seem like a daunting prospect. Yet, you shouldn’t overlook the importance of professional installation. No matter what type of equipment you get, if it’s not properly installed, then it simply won’t perform well. Since this is such a major investment, you would do well to ensure that your installation is carried out by an AC technician. In this post, we’d like to look at how the quality of your Alexandria, VA air conditioning installation affects performance.

  • Size: Simply put, your air conditioner needs to be appropriately sized if it is to perform well. During professional installation, your technician will perform a load calculation, which measures the potential volume of air in your home that needs to be cooled, as well as other factors. This is then compared with the BTU and tonnage ratings of the air conditioners in your budget and the process of selection begins. Even before the installation gets started, there are important decisions to be made.
  • Quality: A professional AC technician has the equipment, tools, and technical expertise to ensure that all aspects of your installation run smoothly. In order to perform satisfactorily, your AC needs to have the correct “charge,” which is the level of refrigerant that circulates throughout the coils and compressor. Moreover, all of the piping connections need to be correctly joined together so that no refrigerant leaks occur.
  • Reliability: A professionally installed air conditioner followed up with routine maintenance will churn out years of solid cooling, no matter what the outside temperature is. There’s simply no other way to rely on consistent performance from your AC than by hiring a professional.

If you have any further questions about the importance of professional air conditioning installation, then do not hesitate to get in touch with us. For comprehensive Alexandria, VA air conditioning services, call Polar Bear today!

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Why Install a New AC System in the Spring in Arlington, VA

Monday, March 18th, 2013

Spring is a popular time of year for cleaning, organizing, and renovating, but it’s also a great time to improve your cooling system. While many homeowners will schedule inspection and tune-ups, as well as enroll in preventive maintenance plans, other may be in the market for a new AC system before the summer heat hits. It’s a great idea. Now is the ideal time to switch to that high-efficiency system you’ve always wanted. For air conditioning installation in Arlington, VA, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning today!

There are some good reasons why you should consider installing an air conditioning system now before the summer:

  • Energy efficiency. Depending on the type and size of the system you install, you will in general improve the energy efficiency of your home with a new installation, especially if your existing system is over 10 years old. With technology always advancing, the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating of today’s units are often much better. As the standards of manufacturing quality have risen, so will your energy savings.
  • Timing. Why now? While we try to make air conditioning system installation a smooth process with no disruptions, any system replacement is going to take some time to be done properly. During the summer heat, that means cooling downtime. The cooling pre-season is a great way to get ready for summer and ensure that you enjoy your new AC on even the hottest days of the year.

Don’t wait until the summer heat begins to make your old system work overtime, consider a new AC system today. For air conditioning installation in Arlington, VA, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning today! 

 

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Washington DC Air Conditioning Tip: Programmable Thermostats and Your AC

Monday, August 20th, 2012

Air conditioning makes our Washington DC homes comfortable during a hot summer day. However, air conditioners need electricity to run, and most of us are trying to reduce our home’s energy consumption. There are a number of ways you can make your air conditioning system more efficient, including upgrading to an ENERGY STAR rated unit and scheduling regular maintenance, but one of the easiest steps to implement is installing a programmable thermostat.

Programmable thermostats automatically adjust the temperature in your home depending on the time of day. You can save up to 10 percent a year by turning down your thermostat back ten degrees for eight hours a day! Most models allow you to store multiple daily settings, so you can turn you air conditioner down during the day when you are at work and while you are sleeping, and still have the temperature cooler when you need it. You can also still manually adjust the temperature without affecting the normal settings, giving you complete control and helping you save energy.

Programmable thermostats are not all made the same, and there are many different makes and models. An HVAC contractor will go over the different features available to you so you can decide which best fits your needs. Different thermostats work better with different systems, for instance some heat pumps need thermostats that have multi-stage functions, so it is best to consult with a Washington DC air conditioning and heating professional before deciding what to purchase.

Programmable thermostats allow you to save energy without sacrificing comfort, which is something that all of us are looking for. If you are looking for a simple, affordable way to improve your HVAC system, a programmable thermostat is a great choice. Most are easy to read and easy to use, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning today to learn more about having a programmable thermostat installed in your home!

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Washington DC Air Conditioning Question: What is a Matched HVAC System?

Monday, July 16th, 2012

It has been about 200 years since the arrival of interchangeable parts during the Industrial Revolution. Today, we laud being able to take a malfunctioning part from a car, computer or vacuum cleaner, replace it with a newly minted part from any number of manufacturers, then keep right on plugging along.

Although this is a blessing in most arenas, when it comes to your Washington DC air conditioning system, it is not necessarily a good practice. Heating and cooling systems work best when they are matched – but what does that mean? And why does it matter?

 Why Matched Parts Matter in HVAC Systems

When referring to HVAC systems, a matched system is one in which various components are designed to work together. For example, an air conditioner and furnace made by the same manufacturer can be matched, as can a furnace and a heat pump.

Typically, the matching is done in such a way that the “outdoor” components, such as air conditioners and heat pumps are designed to work best with their “indoor” partners, like air handlers and furnaces. There are also matched systems in which every component is matched to every other.

Efficiency Boosts

While this may seem to make maintenance and repairs a pain, the practice provides a big boost to the efficiency of the system. Because the components were designed and manufactured by the same team to work in harmony, the system performs optimally. Although you can often replace one component of a matched system with one from another manufacturer and have it work fine, the system can lose efficiency, often to a significant and noticeable extent.

For these reasons, it is best to make use of matched systems in your home whenever possible. This means choosing a new matched system to install, replacing broken parts with ones that match the rest of the system and even replacing older systems with newer ones to properly match, when necessary.

It may seem like a hassle at first, but it saves money in the long run by adding increased efficiency over unmatched systems. For more information about installing new heating and air conditioning systems in Washington DC, give Polar Bear a call today!

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Washington DC Air Conditioning Tip: Why Replace Your Indoor and Outdoor AC Components at the Same Time

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Do you need to replace one of the main components of your Washington DC split AC system? If so, you are probably tempted to just replace whichever unit is failing in order to fix the problem quickly and cheaply. This is not always the best way to go, however. Here are six reasons why you should replace both the indoor and outdoor units at the same time.

#1: Cost

Although replacing just the failing component – whether indoor or outdoor – will be less expensive up front, that choice often proves more costly overall. You will see just what that means in the rest of these reasons.

#2: Advances in design

Heating and cooling technology is always advancing, so since you purchased your Washington DC air conditioning system, the products on the market have gotten quieter, more efficient and better overall. By replacing just the failing indoor component, you won’t reap all the benefits of this new technology, as the older outdoor component will still lag behind the times.

#3: Higher efficiency

When both units are replaced at the same time, and with models that have the same technology, they work together more efficiently. That means more savings on your bills and a more comfortable home.

#4: Matched system

Split AC systems are designed such that the indoor units are engineered to work best with a matching outdoor unit. When the system is matched, you get optimum performance and efficiency. By replacing just one component, you lose the benefits of that matching, meaning degraded efficiency and performance.

#5: Warranty considerations

A new system means new warranty coverage. Replacing both units at once means a whole new warranty that covers your whole cooling system, so you won’t have to worry about paying for any more replacements jobs for a long time.

#6: Wear and tear

Finally, think about the wear and tear your Washington DC air conditioning system has undergone since it was installed. Maybe only your outdoor unit needs to be replaced now, but since your indoor unit has tolerated the same number of hours of use, it may be on its way out sooner than later. It’s like when you buy new tires for your car– you don’t buy one or two, you buy a whole set of four so that the whole system starts fresh. That way you only do it once, and not again in six months or a year.

For all these reasons, replacing both components of a split system is often the best and least expensive route to choose when facing a replacement. For more information about Washington DC air conditioning installation, give Polar Bear Air Conditioning a call today!

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