Greenwood Heating & Air

To Repair or Replace: Which Is the Best Option For Your A/C Troubles?

Your air conditioner works hard every year to provide you with the cooled air you need, even during the hottest and most humid days of the year. When your air conditioner experiences a problem, your HVAC contractor may be able to perform repairs or replace your unit entirely. Continue reading to learn about different signs which can indicate that one choice is better than the other.

Repairing Your Air Conditioner
In general, an air conditioner that is under 10 years of age should at least be diagnosed by a professional heating contractor before you make the decision to replace it. While it is true that newer units can be up to 60 percent more efficient, you may find that your existing air conditioner has a bit of life left in it. If your home is already energy efficient, repairing your A/C unit may be the most economical option.

Replacing Your Air Conditioner
A well-maintained air conditioner should not experience recurring issues. A service call or two throughout the lifetime of an air conditioner should not be cause for replacement. However, an air conditioner that experiences frequent problems is not operating at peak efficiency, and this will cost you every month on your utility bill. Air conditioners that are greater than 10 years of age or that have not been maintained throughout their lifetimes are definite candidates for replacement. In addition, if your A/C experiences a major issue, such as condenser failure, then you may want to discuss replacement options with your heating contractor.

If you have concerns about your current air conditioner and would like to know if it is a better choice to repair it or replace it, contact Greenwood Heating & Air at (206) 734-3370. We can help determine if your air conditioner is worth repairing. You can also visit us online to learn about our full range of air conditioning and heating services.

What Greenwood Heating & Air Can Do For You And Your Home

Check out the pages below for more information on the science behind air conditioning and how solar and geothermal power can help provide the energy and climate control you need for an efficient home. Contact Greenwood Heating & Air at (206) 734-3370 for additional information on these topics.

• Learn more about how photovoltaic cells react to solar energy and produce electricity on this page from NASA.gov.
   
• Get more information on the refrigeration cycle that makes air conditioners cool your air on this page from HowStuffWorks.com.
   
• Visit this article from EnergySavers.gov for more information on how modern air conditioners operate.
   
• For more information about the efficiency of geothermal heat pumps, check out this page from EnergyStar.gov.
   
• Find out more about the potential behind geothermal power in this article from The New York Times.

Understanding How Your Air Conditioning Works

During the hot and humid summer months, your air conditioner works hard to keep your home cool and comfortable. With regular visits from your air conditioning and heating contractor, your A/C system will continue to perform efficiently for years to come. How exactly does your air conditioner perform the feats of cooling your air and removing humidity? Read on to find out.

The Refrigeration Cycle
Air conditioners use refrigerant to control the temperature of the air inside your home, and in doing so also control humidity. The refrigeration cycle is the key principle that all air conditioners are built around. Inside your air conditioner, a refrigerant is pumped between two coils. Inside your home is the evaporator coil, and in the exterior air conditioning unit is the condenser coil.

Liquid refrigerant is pumped inside your home to the evaporator coil, where it is allowed to change phase into a gas. This action absorbs heat from the surrounding air, and the warmed refrigerant gas is pumped back outside. Within the condenser coil, refrigerant changes phase back into a liquid and releases the contained heat. The cycle begins again, continuously removing heat from inside your home.

Distributing Cooled Air and Removing Humidity
The air handler inside your home blows air over the evaporator coil, moving the conditioned air throughout your ductwork into every room of your home. Cooler air has a lower dew point than warm air, and relative humidity is lowered when your air conditioner is in operation. This is how air conditioners remove heat from inside your home and blow cool, dehumidified air for your comfort.

You can learn more about the mechanics and principles of air conditioning when you visit Greenwood Heating & Air online. When you are ready to have your air conditioner serviced for continual efficient operation, give us a call at (206) 734-3370 today.

A Short History of Air Conditioning

Air conditioning got its start more than a century ago. Willis Carrier is largely responsible for modern air conditioning. In 1902, Carrier was employed in Brooklyn to help a magazine publisher, where conditions were too hot and humid for their ink to stay on the pages.

Carrier used his expertise as an employee of a fan manufacturing company to remove humidity from the air while cooling it at the same time in order to help the publisher get their magazine printed. This led to innovations where air conditioning was used in the workplace, which in turn increased productivity from happier, cooler workers and greater quality control for textiles.

Enjoy the comforts of highly-efficient air conditioning in your own home by contacting Greenwood Heating & Air at (206) 734-3370. For more information on our services, visit our website today. 

How You Can Harness the Power of Nature for Your Home's Energy Needs

Did you know that your air and heating contractor can help you save even more energy by installing innovative and efficient equipment for heating and cooling your home? There is enough power in the air and ground to provide comfortable climate control to your home, while the energy from the sun can power your electrical appliances.

Geothermal and solar power are renewable, clean, and efficient sources of energy. They can help you reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy more cost-effective comfort throughout the year. Each of these forms of energy has several advantages, and can help you save on your utility bills.

• Geothermal energy is harnessed by heat pumps, which use refrigerant in pipelines laid underground to take advantage of the steady temperatures there. Just a few feet below the surface, the Earth's temperature maintains a steady level of around 58 degrees. Heat pumps exchange energy with this area of the ground either to release heat or to absorb it, depending on the time of year.
   
• Geothermal heat pumps can be used to both heat and cool your home. They are ideal for areas with milder summers, and can be augmented with furnaces in the winter for the absolute coldest days of the year.
   
• Heat pumps can be more than five times as efficient as furnaces alone. While high-efficiency gas furnaces can enjoy efficiency rates of 95 percent, that still means that there is some energy wasted. Heat pumps turn five times the amount of energy they consume into climate controlling power, making them literally 500 percent efficient.
   
• The Earth is bombarded every day with enough solar energy to power the globe many times over for a long period of time. By using solar panels, homeowners can harness this energy and use it to power their appliances.
   
• Photovoltaic cells, which make up solar panels, accept the light from the sun and convert it into electrical energy. Installing solar panels in your home represents an investment, and the way to cleanly harness free energy.

Greenwood Heating & Air can help you understand the further benefits of using these natural resources as sources of energy for your home. Visit us online for more information, or call us at (206) 734-3370 to make an appointment.