Keeping your business in Arlington, VA cooled down through the often hot and humid summers takes a great deal of work from an air conditioning system. During the spring when your AC first starts to work on a regular basis, take the time to look for any signs that might indicate the system is experiencing malfunctions. If you catch these problems early, you’ll have time to arrange for repair work and lower the risk of the system experiencing a catastrophic breakdown during one of the hotter days of the summer—and that is certainly nothing you want to risk with your business!
Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Air Conditioning’
Signs You Need to Call for Commercial Air Conditioning Repairs before Summer
Monday, April 27th, 2015Is Your Air Conditioning Making Your Home’s Air Too Dry?
Monday, April 20th, 2015Air conditioners work through a system of evaporation and condensation of the refrigerant that cycles through them. In the outdoor unit, the refrigerant condenses and releases heat. When the refrigerant goes to the indoor unit, it evaporates and absorbs heat. But this evaporation process also absorbs moisture from the air, where it gathers on the evaporator coil and then drips down into a condensate pan and out a drain. So, even though an air conditioner is not specifically designed to work as a dehumidifier, it has some dehumidifying properties…
3 Things to Check When You Give Your AC a Spring Test-Run
Monday, April 6th, 2015Spring has arrived, and with warmer weather ahead—and summer weather right behind it—you will turn your air conditioning system back on, if you haven’t already. Now is an excellent time to analyze your AC’s performance and check if anything seems wrong with it. You want to schedule any necessary repairs for the system during the spring season, before the serious change in the weather occurs and it becomes more difficult to arrange for a convenient time to have the system repaired.
If you need speedy and effective air conditioning repairs in Washington, DC, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. We have a history of quality service keeping homes comfortable no matter the season.
It’s a good idea to give your AC a test-run during the early spring and pay attention to indications of malfunctions. Turn on the air conditioner for a half-hour during a day when you otherwise don’t need it. Here are 3 things you should check on during this test run:
- Proper airflow: Go to all the vents into the rooms. Make sure none of them are blocked by furniture that was moved during the last few months. Check on the airflow coming from the vents. If it seems sluggish or weak, something may be wrong with the AC.
- Sounds from the AC cabinet: Go to both the indoor and outdoor cabinets of the air conditioner and listen to the sounds from the system as it goes through a standard cooling cycle. Do you hear any unusual noises? These can include hissing, banging, screeching, grinding, and clicking. Anything that sounds unfamiliar should have a professional investigate it.
- Even distribution of cooling: Are all the rooms receiving the level of cooling they should? Although some rooms will probably be naturally warmer than others (such as an upstairs bedroom with widows that receive direct sunlight), you shouldn’t come across any “hot spots.” Such spots are a sign of something wrong with the AC or the ventilation system.
This short DIY diagnostic will help identify serious troubles. But it’s no substitute for arranging for a professional maintenance session. Make sure you call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. and schedule an inspection and tune-up during the spring to find any malfunctions that you may have missed, as well as to adjust and clean the system so that it works its best all summer. Give us a call to find out more about our Preventative Maintenance Agreement.
What is the Condensate Pan in My Air Conditioner?
Monday, July 7th, 2014You know that your air conditioning gives you a cool place to escape the summer heat, but did you know it helps dehumidify as it cools? One of the parts that helps remove moisture from the air in your home is the condensate pan. So how does this part work?
To understand the purpose of the condensate pan, you must first know about the indoor components of your AC. An air conditioner cools your home by collecting the heat from indoors and releasing it outside. The indoor unit absorbs heat with the evaporator coil, which is located in the indoor unit of your AC system. Refrigerant reaches the evaporator as a cool, low-pressure liquid. The evaporator changes the liquid into a low-pressure gas, and heat is absorbed when household air blows across the evaporator coil.
These same components also collect moisture from inside your home via the process of condensation. Picture a glass of ice water on a hot day. The outside of the glass forms water droplets in the same way your evaporator does. Water from the air collects outside of the evaporator coil as the household air blows across the cool refrigerant line.
As condensation forms on the evaporator coil, it must drain quickly and continuously so that your system won’t overflow. Before draining, the condensation drips into a condensate pan. The condensate pan is a shallow tray located underneath the evaporator coil. Water collects in the tray before making its way into a hole that sends it through a drainage system.
Sometimes, you may run into problems with this particular portion of your AC unit. The condensate line may be blocked, which means water can’t drain and may overflow, damaging parts of your AC system. The condensate tray may also develop a hole, or there may be a leak in the condensate line that can cause water to leak onto the floor or within the air handler itself. If this happens, call a professional for air conditioning repair.
At Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, we can answer any questions you have about air conditioning in Northern Virginia. For repair, maintenance, installation, and replacement, call us today!
Air Conditioning Basics: The Compressor
Friday, May 2nd, 2014Understanding the basic components of a central air conditioner will help you know why you must schedule maintenance for your system every year. The refrigerant, the evaporator and condenser coils, the blower fan, the capacitors, and the motors are all essential parts of AC operation that must remain in good condition year-round in order for the system to work efficiently and effectively. But perhaps no other component in an air conditioner is as important as the compressor: it’s not only the heart of how an air conditioner runs, it’s the part that needs to stay in the best shape or else the whole system will fail. When a compressor dies, it often means the air conditioner must be replaced.
We’ll take a closer look at the compressor to see how it works—and how it might fail.
For the repairs and maintenance on your air conditioning in Arlington, VA that will keep the compressor healthy, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. today.
Compressor basics
The compressor isn’t the figurative heart of an AC. It’s the literal heart: it pumps refrigerant through the system in order to move heat from the indoors to the outdoors.
The compressor is a large pump that operates similar to a piston motor. It is located in the outdoor cabinet of a central air conditioner and only comes on when the thermostat calls for cooling. When that happens, the compressor (powered by its own motor) squeezes down on the liquid refrigerant inside it. This turns the refrigerant into a hot, high-pressure gas. The refrigerant exits the compressor to move to the nearest area of low pressure, the condenser coil. After the refrigerant completes its full trip through the air conditioner—releasing its heat to the outside, then absorbing heat from the inside—it returns to the compressor where the process begins again.
Like piston motors, compressors can wear down due to dirt and lack of lubrication. This will eventually cause the compressor to become “tight” and eventually “seized,” stopping all motion. Repair technicians can often repair the compressor to get its piston moving once more.
Eventually, an aging compressor will wear down to the point that it will burn-out completely: it will no longer be able to create the proper pressure for the refrigerant. This usually coincides with the end of the life service of the air conditioner itself.
Repairs and maintenance
Although a compressor will fail eventually, you can help it achieve the longest life possible with regular maintenance from a technician. Along with annual visits, make sure you call for repairs when you notice any odd behavior, such as the compressor failing to turn on, or stuttering at start-up and then turning off prematurely. A compressor that fails early in an air conditioner’s lifespan can mean the end of the system and the need to install a new one—the most expensive repair of all!
Since 2001, Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. has helped people stay cool through the summer with repairs for their air conditioning in Arlington, VA. Call us today to sign up for our maintenance program.
3 Benefits to Air Conditioning Maintenance
Wednesday, April 30th, 2014When it comes to air conditioning, Alexandria VA residents can’t afford to take chances. Our summers get hot and muggy, and without a reliable A/C unit, your home could resemble a sauna when the temperatures start to climb. In addition to taking practical steps like keeping outside doors closed and wearing lightweight clothes to stay cool, you should schedule an air conditioning maintenance session before the summer starts in order to keep your system running as smoothly as possible. Air conditioning maintenance is a sort of tune-up session: cleaning up dirt and dust on interior components, recharging refrigerant, and checking for any little issues that may turn into big ones if they’re not addressed. What are the benefits? Here are 3 that you should consider before calling a service professional.
- Increased efficiency. Low refrigerant levels result in reduced cooling capacity. Dirt and dust increased friction on moving parts. These and countless other issues all conspire to rob your air conditioner of efficiency, costing you additional money in higher monthly cooling bills. Regular maintenance sessions can take care of all of that, helping your A/C perform at its best.
- Longer life. Regular maintenance sessions help reduce wear and tear on your air conditioner, which in turn will extend its lifetime well past its warranty. This works best when you schedule at least one or two sessions a year, instead of just one every now and again.
- Reduced repair bills. A big part of a maintenance session is catching potential issues before they get too large. It may involve an additional repair session, but replacing one faulty component is infinitely preferable (and less expensive) than waiting for it to fail and damage several additional components in the process.
The benefits to air conditioner maintenance work best if you hire a high quality technician to perform it. And when it comes to air conditioner, Alexandria VA has a top-notch service in Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.
We handle air conditioning maintenance services with quality and care, and we think you’ll be very happy with the results. Pick up the phone and give us a call today!
Problems with the Condensate Drain in an Air Conditioner
Monday, April 21st, 2014If you listen to the indoor cabinet of your air conditioning system while it is operating this spring and summer, you will occasionally hear the sound of water dripping and then draining away. This happens because of the condensation of water vapor along the indoor coil during the evaporation stage. The moisture from the coil drips down into a shallow pan, and then a pump moves the water through a condensate drain and away from the air conditioner. This prevents the excess water moisture from overflowing out of the pan and entering your house where it can cause damage and raise humidity levels, or possibly harm the operation of other parts of your HVAC system. (If you have a furnace positioned below your AC, leaking can cause potentially harmful corrosion across the heater.) If you notice water leaking out of your air conditioner, or if you see water damage around the cabinet, call for repairs right away.
For fast and accurate work on air conditioning systems in Northern Virginia, contact the team at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.
What might go wrong with the condensate drain
The leading cause of leaking from the condensate pan is trouble that occurs with the drain or the drain line. There are two principle issues that can afflict the drain and lead to water leakage:
- Organic clogging: Humid climates encourage the growth of a number of organisms that can clog or close off the condensate drain. These include mold, fungus, algae, and even small plants and weeds. (There’s also a small chance of non-organic debris, such as rocks and grit, entering the drain.) Even a slow drain will cause leaking to occur quickly because of how shallow the condensate pan is. To repair this, a technician will need to remove the pan from the unit, disconnect the drain, inspect it and the pipeline to find and remove the contamination using special wet/dry vacuum equipment.
- Drain or drain line breaks: The drain might break off from the pan entirely, which will cause the water condensation to leak directly out of the pan. A break along the connection between the drain and the line will also start leaking. Usually, this problem will require a technician to completely replace the drain and/or line.
Water leaking from an AC is something you should stop as soon as you notice it—especially if you have a furnace beneath it. Although leaking will rarely harm the air conditioner itself, it will lead to damage to your house and discomfort from humidity. Don’t try to tamper with the drain line on your own. Call the Northern Virginia air conditioning specialists at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., and we’ll solve your troubles.
Arlington, VA Air Conditioning Repair: Not Enough Cooling
Monday, September 23rd, 2013The convenience of air conditioners is something we often take for granted. Their soothing white noise is part of the unnoticed backdrop of daily life. But you will notice if your air conditioner starts to lose its ability to lower the temperature. If the air from the vents in your home feels warmer than it once did, you might have an AC malfunction that requires repair. When you need work done on your air conditioning system in Arlington, VA, the right place to turn is Polar Bear. Our more than 10 years of experience means we are well equipped to care for home comfort systems.
Here are three common culprits that can impair your AC’s cooling ability and will require repairs:
- Thermostat issues: The first step to take when you notice a weakening of cooling power in your AC is to inspect the thermostat to see that it is set correctly. A faulty thermostat can cause your air conditioner to turn off at the wrong times or to raise its temperature rather than lowering it. If simply changing the settings doesn’t help, then your thermostat will need repair or replacement.
- Damaged ducts: If you have a standard air conditioner that relies on ductwork for air distribution, breaks and kinks in the ducts can lead to warmer air seeping inside. If a gap opens in a place where the air temperature is higher than the rest of your home (e.g. the attic or a crawlspace), your AC will draw in this warm air and blow it through the vents. Sealing the ducts with duct tape won’t solve this problem. It requires an expert using mastic sealant or other techniques to properly fix the damage.
- Icing on the coils: Although you might think getting frost across the indoor coils would help with lowering the temperature, it seriously interferes with the important heat exchange across the evaporator coils and will mean less cool air. Icing often happens because of a leak in the refrigerant, although dirt on the coils can also trigger it. You will need an HVAC technician to diagnose the cause and make the repairs that will get the heat exchange back to normal.
Whatever your problem with getting proper cooling, trust the Polar Bear for reliable air conditioning repairs in Arlington, VA. Call us today to set up an appointment, and we’ll get the job done right the first time.
Alexandria, VA Air Conditioning Tip: Fan Only Mode
Monday, September 9th, 2013Your air conditioner allows you to feel comfortable in your home, especially in a humid climate. But you don’t want to see your electricity bills climb too high, so you may want to find options to give your air conditioning in Alexandria, VA an occasional break. This can mean a longer life for your system, and that is also long-term major money-saver.
People are often unsure about what the “fan only mode” on their air conditioner actually does. The air that comes out is no longer cool, but is the system using less energy because of it?
The fan only mode means air is still getting pulled into the front of the unit, and the fan then blows it back out into your home. This circulates the air and keeps it from becoming stagnant with the heavy humidity. And yes, it is more energy-efficient and less expensive to run only the fan, since no power is sent to the compressor pump, which is responsible for moving the refrigerant around the air conditioner.
If you are in fan only mode, you still getting the benefit of filtered air. The air passes through the same filters as it does when the cooling elements are operating, and that means higher air quality for you.
Your fan is still subject to damage whether the cooling elements of your AC are turned on or not. The fan blades can incur dents, and the fan belt and motor can also suffer wear. Even if you’re making the effort to conserve energy with the fan only mode, you will still need preventive maintenance. A technician who comes to provide a check-up for your air conditioner examines all the components in it to make sure they receive the care they need to give the unit a long life.
Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating offers maintenance programs to help you keep your AC in shape to cool you off—or just circulate your air. Polar Bear has a wide range: we offer repairs on air conditioning in Alexandria, VA, as well as the general Northern Virginia area. With over 10 years of experience giving our customers the satisfying service they need, we are the people to call to keep your air conditioning system in good health.
Getting Your AC Ready for Fall
Thursday, August 29th, 2013McLean, VA experiences a lot of heat and humidity in the summertime, and residents learn to appreciate the value of a good air conditioning system. As summer turns to fall and the temperatures drop, however, you probably find yourself using your air conditioning less and less. A little fall maintenance is a good idea, both to keep your air conditioning unit functioning at its best and to prevent any nasty surprises when you fire it up again next spring.
For starters, perform a visual inspection of your outdoor air conditioning unit. Clear any leaves, twigs and other debris, and trim back any shrubs or tree branches that may be too close to its vents. If you’re certain that warm weather won’t return, shut off the breaker switch connected to your air conditioning unit. It saves on electricity and can protect the unit from any unexpected surge or electrical malfunction.
The fall is also a good time to schedule a maintenance check from a qualified professional. A service technician can come to you home, check the system for any potential problems, clean the coils, replace the air filters and perform similar operations to keep your air conditioner functioning at top capacity. The fall is an especially good time to do this because there will be plenty of time to conduct any larger repairs without worrying about the next heat wave barreling down on you.
A qualified McLean, VA air conditioning service technician can be a great partner when getting your AC ready for the fall. Not only can he or she perform quality maintenance on your unit, but also schedule any larger servicing issues and recommend any changes to your system that might reduce your monthly energy costs. The professionals at Polar Bear have years of experience at their disposal and conduct operations with the utmost concern for your satisfaction. Call us today if you need air conditioning service in McLean, VA.