Top 8 Advantages of Hiring a NATE-Certified HVAC Technician

NATE stands for North American Technical Excellence. It’s a nonprofit trade organization that sets standards for the HVAC industry. That includes technicians who specialize in residential and commercial heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. The organization also educates, trains, coaches, and certifies technicians. Statistics show that technicians with NATE certification remain in the industry longer and are more likely to be successful in their careers. 1. Certification of an HVAC Company Achieving and maintaining NATE certification is neither simple nor inexpensive. Despite that, most HVAC contractors prefer NATE-certified technicians. Many contractors are even willing to help new hires achieve certification as a part of their onboarding. The investment is well worth it. It gives customers peace of mind. NATE certification results in lower turnover and technician-related losses. It can facilitate achieving and maintaining other certifications. Certification can also make it easier to get more robust coverage and insurance premium discounts. 2. Many Manufacturers Require NATE Certification Manufacturers don’t have direct control over who installs and services their systems. They do often exert some control by incentivizing you to choose certain technicians. One way they do this is through tiered warranties. If you purchase a Trane system, for instance, you won’t...

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What You Can Expect During Professional Duct Cleaning

The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends regular duct cleaning. The typical home requires the service every several years, but it varies. Factors include how big the residence is and how many people and pets live there. Many HVAC experts recommend an annual inspection through which you can decide if you need the service at that time. Let’s explore what you should expect during that inspection and, potentially, the duct cleaning. Preparing Your Home On the day of the service, check all the vents in your home. If you have any heavy furniture blocking access to those vents, you should move that furniture before the duct cleaners arrive. Turn the System Off The HVAC system must be off for a technician to inspect and clean it. If it’s currently on, we’ll need to turn it off and wait for it to finish the cycle before proceeding. This is why we often recommend scheduling an inspection in early spring or fall alongside an HVAC tune-up. You won’t be running your HVAC system at that point, so it isn’t an issue. Camera Inspection HVAC technicians used a device called a borescope for duct inspections. These devices have either a hand-held or...

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5 Signs Your AC Evaporator Needs Cleaning

Your air conditioning system is a complex series of components that work together to successfully cool your home. One of the most important components within your AC is the evaporator. An evaporator consists of coils that work to turn the hot air from the outdoors into the cold air that blows into your home. While we could get into the technical process of how this process works, unless you’re a fellow HVAC enthusiast, you’re probably not interested. You likely only care about whether or not your system’s evaporator is functioning properly, not its intricacies. If your AC is malfunctioning, here’s how you can tell that it’s probably an issue with the evaporator specifically. 1. Your AC Isn’t Blowing Cold Air If the air blowing from your AC system feels more lukewarm than it does cold, it’s probably an issue with the evaporator. Specifically, it likely means that your AC is covered with dust or debris. The coils within your evaporator need to be able to convert hot air into cold. When the coils become obstructed, they can’t complete the process efficiently. While it might be tempting to attempt to clean them yourself, these coils can be sensitive, so this task...

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Why Dehumidifiers Are Necessary for Your Texas Home

The humidity levels in Texas are challenging, especially during the summers. Moisture management is vital not only for comfort but also to keep your home and the people living in it healthy. Whole-house dehumidifiers are important appliances used to control problems caused by increased humidity levels. This appliance prevents mold development, allergens, and moisture that may harm wooden furnishings and your home. Prevent Mold Growth A whole-home dehumidifier is a great way to maintain a healthy home environment in Texas. The humidity in this state offers an environment for mold and mildew to grow. Having a dehumidifier helps lower moisture content so that mold and mildew are not as prevalent in the walls, roof, and other areas of your home. A dehumidifier helps you maintain optimal humidity levels, which ensures that there is very little risk of mold growing in your home. Reduce Allergens High humidity levels encourage allergies because of increased mold spores and dust mites. A dehumidifier helps mitigate these allergens by maintaining the recommended level of humidity for your home. A whole-home dehumidifier works to reduce dust mites as well as mold spores by reducing moisture content in the air. This can help provide peace of mind...

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How to Choose the Right Compressor for Your Air Conditioning Unit

Whether your current air compressor has been damaged or is just getting old, it may be time to replace it. Like most of the components in your AC system, there are a handful of options you can select from, which include everything from a rotary compressor to a reciprocating one. Let’s look at how to choose the best compressor for your system. What Is an Air Conditioner Compressor? Your air conditioner runs on a simple but effective process that allows heat to be sent away from your home while cool air is brought in. When refrigerant is moved out of the evaporator coil, it becomes a low-pressure gas. However, it needs to be at a higher pressure to release the heat and keep your home cool. The compressor in your system ensures the refrigerant molecules are packed together, increasing the pressure and temperature of the solution. This pump transfers the heat through the air conditioner and into the condenser. Types of Air Conditioner Compressors There are four types of compressors you can select for your cooling system. Each of these has unique characteristics. Rotary Compressor Rotary models can compress refrigerant without making a lot of noise. If you want your...

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10 Ways to Make Your HVAC System More Eco-Friendly

Living in San Antonio, TX makes it imperative for you to have a fully functional HVAC system. After all, when the average temperature rises to 96 degrees and above, you do not want to sit in your house without AC. But how can you balance your HVAC needs with your desire to be more environmentally friendly? Your HVAC unit represents a huge part of your carbon footprint, but there really isn’t a way to safely live without it. Fortunately, is here to tell you about your various options for ensuring your HVAC system is the most eco-friendly it can be! Determine the Correct Size Did you know that something as simple as making sure you purchase the right size HVAC system for your home can greatly affect your environmental impact? If you buy one that is too big, it will cycle on and off quite frequently, which is a recipe for environmental disaster. On the other hand, if you purchase an HVAC system that is too small, it won’t be effective enough to keep your indoor air temperature comfortable. When you work with us for your HVAC installation, we’ll make sure you have the right size unit. We will consider...

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Why Experience Matters: Finding a Reputable HVAC Company in San Antonio, TX

The HVAC system is one of the most expensive and important parts of any home. This means that you don’t want to trust your air conditioning or heating to just anyone and should always take time to make sure that whoever you hire is both reputable and experienced. To make this process easier, this article will explain the most important things to look for whenever you need HVAC installation, repair, or maintenance services. Look for a Licensed Company The first thing you need to do when considering hiring any HVAC contractor is to ensure that the company is fully licensed in the State of Texas. Choosing a licensed contractor gives you the added peace of mind that the work will be done correctly and that the company will fulfill the terms of the contract or agreement. All HVAC companies are required to renew their license with the state each year. If a company has numerous complaints from unsatisfied customers or issues where they previously didn’t complete the agreed-upon work, the state licensing board likely won’t renew their license. Another reason it’s essential that you only ever hire a licensed HVAC company is that all licensed companies are required to be...

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How Do Air Purifiers Work?

One large part of ensuring the health and habitability of your San Antonio, TX home is protecting your indoor air quality (IAQ). Although your HVAC air filter offers a helping hand, it can’t extract all allergens, contaminants, and pathogens. In fact, many of the most common and significant pollutants — including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dust mites, and airborne bacteria, fungi, and viruses — pass right through it. The good news is that you can maintain consistently clean indoor air by installing a whole-home air purifier. Read on to find out what whole-house air purifiers are, how they work, and why you might need one. What Are Whole-House Air Purifiers? Whole-house air purifiers are integrated HVAC accessories. These units are installed in HVAC ducting or attached directly to it. When heaters and air conditioners are on, conditioned air passes through integrated air purifiers just before distribution. These units extract the micro-fine particulates that HVAC air filters don’t capture and retain. The Basic Anatomy of a Whole-House Air Purifier Whole-house air purification equipment takes a multi-pronged approach to improving IAQ. Often referred to as air cleaners, air purifiers have thick, dense filters with ultra-fine mesh. Some have electronic filters that use...

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What Are the Signs of a Dirty Furnace Filter You Should Never Ignore?

An imperative aspect of any homeowner’s responsibilities when it comes to their furnace is changing out the filter on a regular basis. Furnace filters are installed to help remove impurities from the air before they reach the inside of the furnace. This helps to protect your heating system and keep your family breathing healthy, clean air. If you notice any of the problems below, then it’s time to change out your dirty furnace filter. Poor Indoor Air Quality As your furnace filter starts to fill up with debris over time, it’s going to make it much harder for air to be forced through it. As the air throughout your house becomes more stagnant due to the lack of circulation, you’re going to notice that the quality of your air significantly suffers. Those who deal with allergies are more likely to notice the problem since they’ll experience more flare-ups than usual. Decreased Airflow When your furnace filter becomes completely full of debris, there’s not going to be as much air flowing throughout your ducting. When you put your hand up against the vent in your room, you may notice that there’s not as much air coming out of it as you’re...

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How to Tell if Your Heating System Needs Replacement or Just Repair

For homeowners in San Antonio, TX, purchasing a new heating system is a big decision. Since we don’t get too many frigid nights here in the winter, it means making a major investment that could take years to pay off. For that reason, it isn’t uncommon for homeowners to try and maximize the useful life of their home’s current heating system whenever possible. However, spending money to repair your heating system isn’t always the best option. Sometimes, investing in a new heating system is the right choice, even if you’re not keen on doing it. Here is how you can tell whether you should repair your existing heating system or replace it. Consider Your Heating System’s Expected Lifespan The first thing you should consider when you’re deciding between repairing and replacing your heating system is to determine the age of the existing system. Different types of heating systems have different expected lifespans. If your heating system is nearing its expected end of life, a repair is almost always the wrong thing to do. It means you’ll spend a significant sum and still need a new heating system anyway. On average, you can expect an electric furnace to last for between...

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