Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘AC Repair’

The Dreaded Short Cycling: What It Is and Why It’s Happening

Monday, May 13th, 2024

Nobody wants to find out that their air conditioner is short cycling. And for all you heat pump owners out there–this problem could affect you as well! It’s not just reserved for central AC units and other standard cooling equipment, short cycling can impact any refrigerant-based HVAC system in use today.

First of all, don’t panic. If you suspect your air conditioner or heat pump is short cycling, then right off the bat you can call our team to get things fixed. We provide effective AC repair in Cedar Rapids, IA that’s designed to quickly diagnose problems and get them alleviated at the source.

But with a short cycling air conditioner, the tricky part can be detecting that the problem exists in the first place. That’s what this blog will hopefully help us achieve.

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No Cooling? A Step By Step Guide of What to Do

Monday, April 15th, 2024

People are used to immediate results when it comes to an appliance. You flip the switch and it should start working right away. Think about the lights in your home or your television, when you press the button or flip the switch, you can probably imagine how it’s supposed to react. This instant gratification is important because when a system doesn’t operate exactly as it should, you might start getting worried.

This is normal, but it can be stressful when it has to do with your cooling system. Air conditioning in Cedar Rapids, IA is pretty important, especially when hot temperatures are right around the corner. It feels like heatwaves are coming earlier and earlier each year, which means time is running out.

If you turn your system on and don’t feel any cooling, then be sure to follow our guide to alleviate any panic. It’s going to be okay!

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Why Is It Hotter Upstairs Than Downstairs?

Monday, August 14th, 2023

Well, this is an interesting question, but one that would be irresponsible to just answer in a simple few words. While it might sound like your air conditioner is encountering problems that require AC repair in Cedar Rapids, IA, that might not necessarily be the case.

For instance, the laws of thermodynamics dictate that heat rises, no matter what. So, on a hot day, your upstairs rooms are just more likely to get hotter than the downstairs ones. But if your home is well insulated and your AC is in good shape, that might not necessarily be the case.

Sound confusing? Don’t worry, we’ll cover this naturally occurring phenomenon and more down below. Just be sure to call our team if you think the problem stems from the fact that your air conditioner is running incorrectly.

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Big Tips: Saving Money During a Heatwave

Monday, July 31st, 2023

You’ve probably seen the news over the past few days or weeks. Half of the country is encountering record-breaking heat and, in some cases, extreme weather warning. This is causing some serious strain on the power grid as everyone begins running their air conditioners throughout the days and nights.

There’s no escaping this heat if you live where we do. Air conditioning in Cedar Rapids, IA is necessary at this point, and while we’ve just made it to August, there’s likely a lot more heat to come.

So, how can you get through a heatwave and record-breaking temperatures without breaking the bank? We’ll go over some tested tips and best practices that can help you tremendously over the next few weeks–and some of these tips are free!

Just be sure to call a team of professionals if you encounter any problems, from blown-out compressors to ice forming on your coil. We can be the technicians to help you.

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5 Common DIY AC Repair Mistakes

Monday, June 26th, 2023

We’d like to start this blog post with a handy PSA: Air conditioning repair should never be done DIY. It’s not like other repairs where you can try your hand at a few fixes yourself. An AC is complex and usually covered by a dealer’s or manufacturer’s warranty that can be immediately voided if you’re not careful.

That being said, we’d like to talk about the other main reason why we advise homeowners to steer clear of DIY AC repair in Cedar Rapids, IA. We’re talking about mistakes.

It’s incredibly easy to mess something up, break something, or even forget something when you try to fix your AC yourself. And since these systems are large, expensive, and extremely complicated, that chance is very likely and can lead to some unintended results.

From broken parts to a completely botched unit, we’re going to highlight some of the most common mistakes we see when customers try to fix their AC units themselves.

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Why Short Cycling Is Not Good

Tuesday, June 6th, 2023

Your ears have perked up at the fact that your air conditioner has started running more frequently. You can tell when it starts up and shuts down multiple times, and it’s piqued your interest. It can’t be that bad right? After all, it’s natural for the system to do this.

Well, not exactly. The only thing natural about your air conditioner is the fact that it turns on, cools air, and turns back off again. The amount of time it spends doing this should be a very specific duration, known as a cycle. If it runs this cycle in quicker succession, you’re going to see the results in broken components, higher energy bills, and even an early AC replacement.

Keep reading to learn more about the causes of a short cycling AC, and why this is never a good sign. And don’t forget to call us for AC repair in Evansdale, IA.

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It’s Time to Talk About Your Filter

Monday, May 22nd, 2023

Ah, the air filter. Every air conditioner has one, and so many customers have no idea how important they are. We don’t blame them, it’s not like it’s easy to find this kind of information unless you’re following a blog like ours.

AC systems routinely go through massive amounts of air circulated through your home. They cool this air as it passes through the system, and they do so regularly in cycles. That means that all of the dust, dirt, and pet dander that’s existing in your home’s air will get cycled through the system. Or at least it all would if it weren’t for the air filter!

The air filter is a protective component that keeps the sensitive area inside your AC from being damaged by contaminants. If it’s not changed out regularly, then you could see AC repair in Waterloo, IA sooner rather than later.

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Our Guide to a Refrigerant Leak

Monday, April 10th, 2023

Air conditioners use refrigerant in a closed-loop system. What this means is that by the time the system is fully installed, it’s been set up with all the refrigerant it will ever need for the rest of its lifespan.

Refrigerant in an air conditioner is not like gasoline in a car, it shouldn’t need to be refilled and it should have the same amount next year that it has this year.

However, as you can clearly tell by your system leaking refrigerant, and other people needing a refrigerant “recharge” for their systems, this isn’t how it works out in real life. Air conditioners can leak refrigerant. So, what do you do?

First of all, the problem needs to be diagnosed before we can recharge the refrigerant. AC repair in Cedar Rapids, IA is going to be necessary to have the issue diagnosed and fixed. Then we can worry about replacing the refrigerant and getting you back to normal.

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5 Signs You Need Expert AC Repairs

Monday, March 27th, 2023
air-conditioner-being-repaired

So, you’re frustrated with your air conditioner. We get it! Most of the time, when customers or other readers get to this blog, it’s after a long and complicated ordeal with their air conditioning systems.

Perhaps it’s not cooling certain rooms, it’s making noises, or worse, it’s shutting down completely. What gives?

Well, many things can give. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to diagnose an air conditioning system via blog post, or even on the phone. A professional HVAC technician will almost always need to take a closer look at the system and check under the hood.

With that in mind, there’s no problem with informing our customers about some of the potential problems that could be happening, and giving them a few strategies to help deal with them.

Here’s a hint though, the best strategy you could do right now is invest in repairs for your central air conditioning in Cedar Rapids, IA.

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Why Is My Air Conditioner Freezing Up?

Monday, June 6th, 2022
ice-on-coil-of-ac-unit

Air conditioners cool down indoor environments. This is an irrefutable fact. What’s less well known, however, is how an air conditioner actually does this. It will depend on the type of system–for example, an evaporative cooler uses a much different process than a central air conditioner–but for the sake of this blog post, we’re going to make the assumption that you have a refrigerant-based air conditioner like a central air conditioner or heat pump system.

This being the case, you might, at some point, notice ice development on your air conditioner. We hope this is never the case because it’s actually bad news for the system. That’s right, an air conditioner cools, but ice is never part of the process. So then, if you do see ice forming on your air conditioner, why is it a problem? And, what causes the problem? These are questions we’re going to answer below. Read on!

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