Monthly Archives: July 2018

Family barbecue outdoors | HVAC Service | Keith Air Conditioning

Schedule HVAC Service Before It’s Too Late

HVAC contractors: our heroes of air conditioning!

Summer – what a bright, playful and yet sweltering time of the year! It’s also more than through your typical May-August months if you’re lucky enough to live in a Southern state like Alabama. Come September, whatever your Labor Day celebrations may be, HVAC service increases chances it’s going to beat the rising thermostat and make it a comfortable event.

As far as heat indexes go, you want to be grilling up some sizzling fare on your outdoor patio, not in your living room!

If your home’s heating and air equipment hasn’t had HVAC service on a regular basis or is 15+ years old, you’re looking at a potential meltdown during the hottest months up ahead.

Or worse, what if your home’s outdated AC decides quit on you in the middle of a holiday gathering? There are few family events capable of tanking as rapidly as ones in poorly-ventilated venues in the blazing summer heat.

Why wait around for an AC emergency to strike you unexpectedly? With Keith Air’s trusted, all-inclusive air conditioning services, you’ll be in the skilled hands of our NATE-certified technicians from the start.

Our all-star team of top quality, factory-trained and field-experienced HVAC techs and installers are always ready to tackle your cooling problems at a run.

To Salute Our Hard Workers for Labor Day, Here are a Few Solid Practices Carried by Our Professionally-licensed HVAC Service Pros at Keith Air:

  • We do regular troubleshooting on your HVAC unit, such as filter replacements or cleanings, checking breakers and connections, and stopping indoor HVAC water leaks. Other common issues we also fix are broken compressors, faulty wiring or thermostats, indoor and outdoor coil malfunctions, and defective or dirty evaporator cores. 
  • Through modern HVAC advances, we offer the convenience of ductless mini-split air conditioning units perfect to retrofit in a rehab or addition when you don’t want to go through the hassle and expense of installing ductwork. 
  • We also provide more difficult, specifically tailored and factory-level repairs on your existing unit than those general fixes above, or we can perform brand new energy-efficient AC installations for you. 
  • As a part of our HVAC service available to all customers, Keith Air has an affordable preventative maintenance plan included alongside a 2-year warranty with all new AC installations and features two complete HVAC inspections per year at one low price. 
  • As far as repairs or emergency situations go, our labor services and parts receive a 15 percent discount as part of the HVAC maintenance plans. Additionally, maintenance plan customers don’t pay overtime rates.

Schedule HVAC Service Now

Don’t wait until time has crawled past late summer to schedule your HVAC service appointment. You’ll want to call Keith Air before the Labor Day holiday rush starts! It’s common for good AC servicing companies to be booked leading up to the holiday.

This Labor Day at Keith Air, Inc., our hats are going off to our amazing HVAC technicians and installers who help residents feel cool, calm and collected during sunny Alabama weather. Without our Keith Air ‘laborers,’ summer around Mobile and the greater Baldwin county area sure would be a lot less fun!

To get your healthy lifetime relationship with your HVAC unit started today, don’t hesitate to contact the air conditioning experts at Keith Air right away. Keith Air is proudly family-owned since 1964 and ready to solve your HVAC issues. We’ll keep your summers light and breezy for this year’s Labor Day and those yet to come.

Woman suffering from allergies | Allergens | Keith Air Conditioning

3 Ways to Reduce Indoor Allergens in 2018

Use Your Heating and Air to Help

Indoor allergens can impact our health in a wide range of ways, from an annoying runny nose to chronic skin conditions to severe, life-threatening emergencies, especially for those with compromised immune systems. Summer beckons us outside, and it’s time to enjoy it. Afterward, are we bringing these annoying health-impacting allergens inside with us when we come into cool off?

While some allergens are inevitably brought inside, there are some ways to reduce the number of contaminants triggering allergies inside the home.

Check out some facts to illustrate the impact of allergens:

  • Conditions of seasonal allergies are typically caused by indoor pollutants such as dust mites, cockroach parts, mold and animal dander.
  • Allergic reaction to indoor allergens can cause conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the lining membranes of the eyes which leads to red, watery, and itching eyes.
  • Direct contact can also cause allergic skin conditions such as eczema, or allergic dermatitis. 

Let’s avoid these health issues and explore how we can lower your risk of allergen exposure with the help of your heating and air system.

3 Ways Your Heating and Air System Can Reduce Allergens:

  • Clean homes begin with clean air.  Simple steps such as banning smoking and regularly changing air filters can keep the air inside your home cleaner. Additionally, keeping humidity at optimal levels with a dehumidifier can contribute to cleaner air and reduce mold, mildew and dust mites.
  • Don’t put off your HVAC tune-up. The perfect schedule for your HVAC tune-up should be once in the spring to get it ready for summer and once in the fall to get it prepped for winter.
  • Ask your HVAC partner about IAQ products. There are many great products to help reduce the presence of allergens in your home. Ask your HVAC service provider about which air purifiers and dehumidifiers are best for your system and needs. They can make recommendations for additional products to help work in tandem with your heating and cooling system to positively impact your indoor air quality.

Use the Expertise of Your HVAC Partner

The team at Keith Air Conditioning can help you improve the indoor air quality in your home as well as reduce the presence of pollutants with a potential to seriously impact your family’s health.

One important way to keep your heating and cooling system working at its best and reduce the presence of indoor allergens is to maintain routine maintenance with the help of a licensed, experienced HVAC service provider like Keith Air.

Contact us to maintain your heating and air systems, including air filter replacement, cleaning and lubricating of all mechanical parts, checking coolant levels, bleaching the condensate line and a complete system inspection – all of which can help prevent allergens from circulating throughout your home.

Contact Keith Air to schedule an appointment today.

Top Reasons to Consider a New Air Conditioner

Saying goodbye is often one of the hardest things in life. Sometimes, however, saying goodbye is a good move. For example, if you’ve been putting off replacing your tired, old and inefficient air conditioner year-after-year, it might be time to say goodbye to the old and say hello to a new air conditioner before summer gets any hotter!

Let’s start with a cooling quiz!

Answer these questions to determine if it’s time for you to seriously consider a new air conditioner.

  • How old is your AC unit? If your air conditioner is getting old, it could be costing you serious money each month on your energy bill. Here are some powerful numbers to illustrate why you should consider an upgrade to a new air conditioner:
    • If your air conditioner is from the 1970s, it’s outlived as many as five U.S. presidents. It needs to be replaced.
    • If your air conditioner is from the 1980s, it’s performed nearly nine times longer than “Knight Rider” was on the air. It needs to be replaced.
    • If your air conditioner is from the 1990s, it’s been a source of coolness 26 years longer than line dancing to Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart.” It ought to be replaced.

Energy efficiency has come a remarkably long way just in the last 10-15 years.

  • How much have you invested in AC repair in the last two years? If you are throwing money down the drain two or three times each year to repair your older air conditioner, you might be wasting money better used on a new air conditioner to keep your home more comfortable and save you money on your energy bills.
  • Is your AC still under warranty? It’s Murphy’s Law – things seem to break right after the warranty ends. If your current air conditioner is no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, it might be time to start shopping for a new air conditioner. Be advised, regular maintenance helps preserve most manufacturer warranties.
  • How long are you planning to stay in your home? Are you planning to list your home in the next three years or staying indefinitely? Answers to these questions may impact your decision to purchase a new air conditioner or not. For obvious reasons, if you are planning to stay in your home for the long-term, it makes sense to make the investment in an energy efficient new air conditioner. Additionally, if the AC is in a bad state, it could make your property less desirable once you place it on the market.

So, how did you do on the cooling quiz? A passing score would mean your current air conditioner is working efficiently, keeping you and your family cool, not running up your energy bills unnecessarily and, most importantly, not breaking down!

If you can’t check all the right boxes, it might be time to start shopping for your new air conditioner.

Next Steps to a New Air Conditioner

Keith Air, a trusted leader in heating and air in the Mobile-area for over 50 years, specializes in helping homeowners determine if keeping their existing AC units or exploring the purchase of a new air conditioner is the best decision.

We offer flexible financing options to help offset the initial expense. Homeowners should also check with local utility providers. Some offer rebates for upgrading to new energy efficient appliances like air conditioners or heat pumps.

Contact Keith Air to schedule an appointment today.

Couple looking at a lower energy bill | Air conditioner efficiency | Keith Air Conditioning

Improve Air Conditioner Efficiency This Summer

High energy bills have you down? Unfortunately, those bills may get higher before they get lower again. The coming summer months are often some of the most costly periods of the year for energy bills, making us begin to turn our attention toward our air conditioner efficiency.

The good news is, there are ways to reduce your expenses by increasing your air conditioner efficiency!

4 Steps to Lower Energy Bills with Air Conditioner Efficiency

STEP ONE: Invest in a programmable thermostat.

A small investment in a programmable thermostat allows you to preset your desired AC temps for different times of the day. Some thermostats are Wi-Fi-enabled, allowing you to adjust your settings remotely, whether it’s from the soccer field or the upstairs bedroom.

Raising the temps when you are away at work or, especially when you’re away on vacations can definitely increase your air conditioner efficiency and reduce your energy bills. Just be mindful of pet’s needs. Consult your veterinarian for specifics.

Be sure to consult a local quality HVAC provider, like Keith Air. A professional HVAC contractor is best qualified to help you choose the most appropriate thermostat to pair with your air conditioner or heat pump.

STEP TWO: Schedule your AC tune-up.

Your air conditioner efficiency can be dramatically improved with a routine AC tune-up. The AC tune-up, ideally, happens right before summer heats up and again after the majority of summer weather has passed.

An experienced HVAC technician will do a check of your unit to ensure everything is working properly from cleaning the condenser coils to checking electrical connections and reviewing for signs of unnecessary wear and tear.

STEP THREE: Don’t forget the obvious DIY efforts.

Of course, an experienced HVAC specialist can help you with the heavy lifting when it comes to air conditioner tune-ups, repairs or even replacement if needed. In the interim, there are a few things you can easily do on your own to keep your air conditioner efficiency at peak levels.

During especially hot days, putting on your ceiling fans can take some of the load off your AC unit. Also, routine changes of the filters can help prevent clogging and reduce inefficiency. Regularly changing the filter also improves indoor air quality.

STEP FOUR: Upgrade to a newer model.

Sometimes, the writing is on the wall. Your air conditioner efficiency, in some cases, may only be improved by saying goodbye. If it’s time to upgrade to a more efficient model, the good news is typically you will earn back a significant proportion of the cost of the new unit in no time in the form of energy savings.

Also, check with your energy provider. Some utilities offer rebates when you upgrade to a more efficient model. Finally, quality HVAC service providers will offer financing plans to help you offset the cost.

Help is Here for You in Mobile, Alabama

Keith Air is the go-to HVAC service provider in the Mobile area, and we’re here to help you with every aspect of your heating and cooling needs. We’re locals, so we understand how hot this summer is going to be (and how important your air conditioner efficiency is to you).

From choosing and installing the right thermostat to routine AC tune-ups to indoor air quality audits, we have a team of licensed and experienced technicians ready to get to work for you today.

If a new air conditioner is required, we offer excellent financing options to help you get a cooler home without a huge cash outlay.

Contact Keith Air to schedule an appointment today.