Author Archives: matthew.tyner

Troubleshooting Your Heat Pump in the Winter

If you use a heat pump for heating in the winter, you’ve likely seen it ice up. If the heating system is working properly, the heat pump should eventually kick into a defrost cycle to melt the ice on the coil. However, an iced-over system can waste energy and eventually damage your equipment.

Why Is Your Heat Pump Icing Up?

The defrost cycle malfunctioning in some manner is the likely culprit. When air-source heat pumps get an electronic cue to defrost during their heating mode, a reversing valve should switch these appliances into air-conditioning mode, and the outside fan should shut off. Now in A/C mode, the refrigerant in the outside coil should heat up and melt the frost from the coil. After a short period of time, the system should return to normal heating mode, awaiting the next signal to defrost the coil.

This process has several steps and multiple components. If any one of them – whether reversing valve, sensors, refrigerant, timer, etc. – malfunctions, this can result in your heat pump icing up and staying that way.

What Can You Do About It?

In most cases, you’ll want a reliable HVAC technician to look at the system and address the icing issue. However, there’s plenty a homeowner can do to minimize the chances of the heat pump icing up. If the top of the outside unit is covered in ice, turn the system off and carefully remove the ice, but not with sharp objects. Don’t allow leaky rain gutters or melting icicles to drip on the outside unit, and push snow, leaves and other debris away from it. Most importantly, you can prevent icing by ensuring the HVAC system gets an annual maintenance check.

For more information on how to de-ice a heat pump in your Mobile area home, please contact us at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc.

Adequate Attic Insulation Can Reap Some Serious Benefits

insulation roll attic As the weather starts to cool off, the importance of attic insulation becomes more apparent. If you have no idea if your attic insulation is sufficient, take a peek and see what you can see. The entire floor should be covered in a thick, even layer of insulation. If you can see the rafters poking up through the insulation, you could probably benefit from adding more.

Benefits of Adding Attic Insulation

Homes with inadequate insulation often suffer from the same types of problems. By boosting attic insulation, you stand to benefit in a number of ways:

More even temperature throughout the home: If you go upstairs and place your hand on the ceiling, it may be cold to the touch, meaning attic air is infiltrating the ceiling. This creates hot and cold spots, drafts and uneven temperatures from room to room. Rooms feel warmer and more comfortable in homes where attic insulation is up to par.
Lower heating bills: Adding extra insulation requires an investment, but the resulting lower energy bills help pay for the project. Lower heating bills also mean you’re consuming less energy, which is good news for the environment.
Protected structural integrity: In homes where heat and moisture rise up into the attic, issues such as mold growth, rotting wood and ice dams threaten the structural integrity of the attic and roof. By more effectively separating your home from your attic, you help prevent these problems.

Choosing Insulation

The two most common types of insulation are loose fill (often made from cellulose) and batts or rolls (made from fiberglass). Both types are effective at insulating your home against the unconditioned attic air. Consider that you can use either type of insulation, regardless of what’s already installed in your attic.

If you choose loose fill, it’s wise to have the insulation installed by a professional since proper application requires the use of a special blowing machine. If you’re insistent upon doing it yourself, you may be able to rent the equipment you need from your local home improvement store.

Batts and rolls provide the easiest do-it-yourself job. If you install a layer on top of existing insulation, make sure you pick “unfaced” insulation with no paper or foil backing.

Installing the Insulation

Before you begin, gather the necessary safety supplies and installation tools. These include safety glasses, gloves, dust mask, hard hat, flashlight, portable hanging light, boards to walk on, utility knife, sheet metal cutters, tape measure and the insulation you choose to install.

The installation itself is quite straightforward if you opt for fiberglass batts or rolls. If the existing insulation sits between the rafters, install a second layer perpendicular to the beams to help reduce heat loss through the frame. Work from the perimeter inward toward the attic hatch, being careful not to cover the soffit vents that allow for attic ventilation.

To avoid creating a fire hazard, make sure you never install insulation directly over recessed light fixtures unless they are IC rated for insulation contact. If your lights lack this distinction, you need to make a barrier around the light with sheet metal or wire mesh to keep the insulation at least three inches away.

When to Call a Professional

If your attic is easily accessible and not too difficult to move around in, you should feel free to make the attic insulation project a DIY task. However, some situations may lead you to call a professional to do the job for you. You know it’s time to call in the pros if the following is true:

The attic is difficult to access and the space to work inside is cramped and dangerous.
The insulation is damp to the touch or smells moldy, problems that indicate a leaky roof.
The attic rafters or floor joists are rotted, another indicator of moisture problems.
You find out that the kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans or dryer vent exhaust air to the attic instead of to the outdoors.
The attic has little to no ventilation.
Knob and tube wiring is installed in the attic of your pre-1930s home, which creates a fire hazard if it comes in contact with insulation.

Whether you install the attic insulation yourself or you choose to call a professional to complete the job, you’ll notice a difference in your comfort level and energy bills with more insulation in the attic. For more useful tips or to schedule service, please contact Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. We’ve been serving Mobile and Baldwin County since 1964.

How Long Can My Furnace Last?

Perhaps more years ago than you care to remember, you invested in a new furnace to keep your Baldwin County home warm. You did all the right things: you signed a maintenance agreement, kept up with annual cleaning and inspection, installed a programmable thermostat and followed suggestions on how to ease its workload while still keeping you comfortable. Every now and again, though, you ask yourself that nagging little question, “How long can my furnace last?”

Perhaps your situation is a little different. More years ago than you can remember, you bought a lovely home in the Mobile area, furnace included. You ignored it completely since you weren’t facing the fierce winters of your northern neighbors. Now you continually ask yourself a terrifying little question: “How long can my furnace last?”

The Short Answer

Your furnace will last longer the better you treat it. Whether “longer” is 10 years or 30 years depends on some variables you control and some you can’t.

Annual maintenance can add years to your heating system. A qualified HVAC technician can keep small troubles from getting out of control, while individual parts can be replaced for less money than you’d pay to put in a whole new furnace.
Making your home as energy efficient as possible also extends the life of your furnace, because calls for heat will be less frequent, air will move easily for recirculation, and you won’t have fluctuations in room temperatures that force your furnace to cycle on and off.
If your furnace came with your existing home, you can’t know how well it was cared for, and earlier neglect by previous owners is beyond your control.

So when you ask “how long can my furnace last?,” the short answer is 25 to 40 percent longer than average—if you treat it well.

The Longer Answer

Today’s furnaces versus those of 40 or 50 years ago will average between 13 and 20 years of useful life. Furnaces installed decades ago could still be in service today, doing a horrible job providing heat and a great job gobbling up your money. Inefficient furnaces of long ago could convert only around 60 percent of the fuel going into them into usable heat. To make up for that inefficiency while still providing heat, those older furnaces had to be much larger than we need today. A modern furnace can achieve up to 98.5 percent efficiency in much less space and with greater reliability than the old clunkers.

So even if your older furnace is still on the job, it may be costing you a lot in excess energy costs to keep it in service. It’s likely too big, it may have outlived its parts cycle, and it converts fuel to heat at an abysmal efficiency rating. You may want to consider replacing it with one of today’s gas or oil models. Be sure to look for the federal Energy Star certification that tells you the new system is energy efficient and helps to conserve diminishing natural resources.

So while your older furnace may last 13 to 20 years, consider the many benefits of replacing an older furnace with a modern, new one.

The Safe Answer

Perhaps you do have an older furnace and you’ve arranged for qualified HVAC technicians to keep it in good shape. One of the parts they’ll examine every year is the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is inside your furnace, a place you should not go. It’s the element that takes the fuel’s heat and transfers it to the air or liquid that circulates through your home to keep you warm. If your heat exchanger is cracked or corroded, it shouldn’t be repaired. It’s a strong sign to replace your system.

The other parts you must have inspected are venting connections. Carbon monoxide (CO) gas, formed when any fuel burns, must be vented out of your home safely through chimney connections, which are constantly expanding and contracting through heating cycles. If CO enters your home, this odorless, colorless gas can sicken family members and even lead to death. An older furnace is more likely to have problems with carbon monoxide escaping. If your furnace has repeated problems with CO emissions, consider replacing it.

For expert advice on how long your furnace may last, contact us at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc.

Looking to Reduce Heating Costs This Winter? Here Are 4 Steps to Get Started on Now

sofa couch home comfort Before you know it, winter will arrive and you’ll need to start worrying about heating bills. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to reduce heating costs in your Mobile area home. You can start with these four steps:

Check Your Thermostat

First off, if you don’t have either a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat, you’re behind the times. These types of devices allow you to gain better control over the heating of your home and will save you money immediately. Also, lower the temperature to 68 degrees or lower. For each degree you dial it down, you’ll save approximately 2-3 percent.

Find and Seal Air Leaks

A home energy audit conducted by a professional HVAC technician will help identify problem areas in your home, but there are obvious places you can’t miss. Start by sealing the gaps around your doors and windows with either caulk or weatherstripping. One source of air leakage that’s often missed is your electrical outlets. You can seal those by using child-proof plastic plugs.

Add Insulation, if Needed

If you lack insulation in your attic, basement or exterior walls, heat will escape from your home while the cold weather to infiltrate, forcing your heating equipment to work harder than it should. Insulation can sometimes be tricky, so call a trusted technician if you need assistance.

Lower Water Heater Temperature

Who takes showers in 140-degree water? The answer: no one. Yet most water heaters have a factory default setting of 140 degrees. Instead, turn it down to 120 degrees, which will represent its warm or medium setting. You’ll save money and avoid accidental scalding, and your clothes and dishes will still get clean. To prevent heat loss, wrap your older water heater in a thick blanket. (Newer water heaters usually come pre-insulated.)

For more expert advice on how you can reduce heating costs this winter, or if you have other concerns related to home comfort, please contact us at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. We’ve been serving the HVAC needs of Mobile, Baldwin County and the surrounding area since 1964.

Troubleshoot Your Home Heating System

Problems with your heating system can make life uncomfortable during the winter months. Not every issue requires a professional intervention, though. Troubleshooting heating system issues isn’t difficult, and many common problems can be easily fixed if you know what to look for. Before calling your HVAC contractor for help, try these troubleshooting tips.

Start at the Thermostat

First, make sure the thermostat is in “heat” mode, then set it above the displayed room temperature to see if the furnace cycles on. If the heater doesn’t kick on, look for a tripped breaker or blown fuse in the main electrical panel. Next, check that the furnace blower compartment cover is closed properly so it engages the small power switch behind it. If the thermostat is battery-operated and the display won’t light up at all, replacing the battery may solve the problem.

Examine the Air Filter

A dirty air filter can reduce the amount of warmth that arrives at the registers, but it can also cause a system shutdown or even shorten the HVAC equipment life span. To prevent these issues, check the filter once a month and replace it when it starts to look dirty. The filter may be located behind a cold air return grille or inside the blower compartment of the furnace. If you don’t check it regularly and the filter becomes badly clogged with dust, dirt and debris, the furnace can overheat and trigger the high limit switch that shuts it down and leaves you without heat.

Check the Pilot Light or Electronic Ignitor

If the pilot light has gone out on your older furnace, follow the manufacturer’s instructions in the owner’s manual to relight it. For a newer model with an electronic ignitor, resetting the gas valve inside the furnace is one simple fix you can try yourself. Locate the reset valve, shut it off, wait about five minutes, then turn it on again. If the furnace still doesn’t start, it’s time to get a professional diagnosis.

If you need expert help with troubleshooting heating issues in your Baldwin County home, contact us today at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc.

A Comprehensive Approach to Whole-House Energy Efficiency

Whole-house energy efficiency is a systematic approach, recognizing that each part of your home environment affects the efficient functioning of the other parts and the house overall. Viewing each part’s efficiency in isolation is like seeing your body’s health that way, and it doesn’t really work. If you have a heart condition, for example, and you ignore it because the rest of your organs are healthy, you’re in trouble. Of course, you’d soon learn that the unhealthy part can bring everything else down with it.

Similarly, your home’s cooling equipment may be rated as highly efficient, but it may not be functioning that way if ductwork is leaking and insulation is lacking. Both problems are quite common, but they’re invisible if you don’t look for them.

Basic benefits of the whole-house energy efficiency approach include:

Lower utility and maintenance bills
Reduction in equipment noise due to less cycling on and off
A healthier, more comfortable indoor environment
Saving natural resources and lowering pollution levels
Improved HVAC equipment life span

Take action to lower your home’s energy needs with the following list of home repairs and improvements, listed in order of priority:

Air Sealing – Tightening Your Home’s Envelope

Making the house more airtight helps keep conditioned air in and uncomfortable outdoor air out. Begin your whole home efficiency effort by sealing drafts and cracks around doors and windows with weather-stripping or caulk. Also seal up/caulk wall openings around plumbing pipes, electrical outlets and vents. This reduces your heating and cooling load, doing wonders for your whole-house energy efficiency.

Ductwork – Sealing the Biggest Potential Energy-Waster in Your Home

Stop paying to heat and cool the outdoors and sucking unconditioned outdoor air in, which is what happens with leaky ducts. Big leaks or even disconnected ductwork can exist in your duct system without you realizing it, so regular inspections are a good idea. A pro can reconnect ducts with mechanical fasteners and seal leaks with duct mastic, as well as add insulation to improve whole-house energy efficiency.

Insulation – Your Attic is Easiest and Most Effective

Roof temperatures can skyrocket and radiate heat right into the house. Save
wall and floor insulation projects for later, since they bring a lower return on investment (ROI). However, if you have elevated wood floors that feel cold or drafty in wintertime, consider adding insulation. For the Mobile area, the Department of Energy (DOE) recommends attic insulation from R-30 to R-60. R-30 is equivalent to 11 inches of rock wool or fiberglass or 8 in. cellulose. If you have that amount or less, consider adding insulation. Also insulate attic hatches, around knee walls and the attic floor.

Windows – Work From the Outside in

After air sealing around windows, add exterior shade on the east, west and south side of the house by planting trees and adding window awnings or tinted window film. The exterior options are most effective, but also use interior shading like blinds and drapery. Energy-efficient windows can be pricey, but consider them if you’re already replacing windows for another reason. Replace windows before getting a new HVAC system, since the efficient windows could lower your heating and cooling load enough to allow you to get a smaller HVAC system.

HVAC – Improving the Performance of Heating and Cooling Systems

Keep your home comfort system running like new by scheduling annual professional maintenance. This will help catch minor problems before they cause a breakdown and keep your system tuned up, properly cleaned and oiled to work at its best. Be sure to replace air filters often, clean condenser coils, straighten coil fins and clean condensate drain lines.

Your HVAC technician should check the refrigerant level and pressure test for A/C leaks. He or she should also measure the home’s airflow and verify proper function of electrical controls. If your heating and cooling system is old or undependable, think about an upgrade to a new, more efficient system.

Appliances and Lighting

Replace 60-watt incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents to reduce lighting energy use by almost 80 percent and wasted heat by nearly as much. When replacing lighting and appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers or water heaters, choose energy-efficient models that display the Energy Star logo.

When you need HVAC or whole-house energy efficiency advice, repairs, maintenance or installation, contact the experts at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. We proudly serve homeowners throughout Mobile and Baldwin County.

NATE-Certified HVAC Technicians Offer Serious Benefits for Baldwin County Homeowners

Hvac contractor handy man Congratulations! You’ve just bought a brand new HVAC system! It’s state-of-the-art and energy-efficient – everything you need for your Baldwin County home. Now all you need is someone to install it. Making sure your system is installed properly is essential. So how do you ensure the technician you hire is qualified to do the job? Hire one who has been certified by North American Technician Excellence (NATE).

Benefits of Using a NATE-Certified Technician

NATE is an organization that sets rigorous qualification standards specifically for HVAC and refrigeration technicians. They test those technicians on the knowledge they need in their field and provide certification to show that the technicians meet those standards and qualifications.

NATE certification is a voluntary process for HVAC professionals. There currently is no mandatory certification for HVAC technicians in the U.S., and thus no guarantee of the qualifications of the technician working on your home’s heating or cooling system. In fact, nearly half of the HVAC system installations in the U.S. are performed incorrectly, leading to higher utility bills and more frequent service calls, and ultimately making HVAC systems wear out more quickly. This is why it’s important to insist on getting the best, most qualified technicians out there.

Proper installation of your HVAC system is just one of the benefits of using a NATE-certified technician. Other benefits include thorough annual maintenance, leading to lower utility bills and a longer lifespan for your system, as well as fewer service calls in the future. This provides simple peace of mind, knowing that your HVAC system is in the very best hands. If you want to ensure that you’re getting the best in the business, ask your HVAC company if they use NATE-certified technicians before having them work on your system.

For more benefits of using a NATE-certified technician, or to find one to install or service your Mobile area HVAC system, please contact our experts at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc.

How Mobile Area Homeowners Can Extend the Life of Their HVAC Systems

older woman HVAC help A reliable HVAC system is important in the Mobile area, to make sure your home stays comfortable all year long. But a lot of people don’t know how to treat their HVAC system properly. They don’t take care of it, and as a result, it wears out more quickly than it should, costing a lot of extra money. How can you make your furnace or A/C last as long as possible and continue to operate efficiently?

Tips for Extending the Life of Your HVAC System

Air filters. Your forced-air heating and cooling system’s air filter does more than just remove contaminants from the air in your home. It also keeps those contaminants out of the system itself, where they can damage sensitive components. If your filter isn’t changed regularly, dust can build around the components, shortening the system’s life. Additionally, a clogged air filter restricts system airflow, forcing your system to work harder to heat or cool your home properly. This wastes energy and ultimately wears out an HVAC system more quickly. Check the filter every month and replace it when it looks dirty. Additionally, check the manufacturer’s recommendation of your furnace or A/C, and be aware that every home has specific characteristics that can affect the needed frequency of air filter changes.
Maintenance. Even with a proper air filter, there are plenty of places where dirt and contaminants can build up if you’re not careful. With your split-system A/C or heat pump, clean the outside coil off with a hose occasionally to remove collected dirt and grime. It’s also important to clean off your register and vent covers once a year. Remove them and wipe them down to remove dust buildup before replacing.
Airflow. Extending the life of an HVAC system can be done by reducing its workload. Therefore, maintain good airflow throughout the house, so your system doesn’t have to work so hard to distribute conditioned air. Make sure all vents stay open at all times. Also leave rooms open as much as possible, particularly ones that don’t see much use, rather than shutting their doors. That way, air can flow freely through them.

For more tips on extending the life of an HVAC system, please contact our experts at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. We provide quality cooling and heating services to the Mobile and Baldwin County areas.

Fall HVAC System Maintenance Checklist: Here’s How It Should Look

furnace maintenance As the warmth of summer wanes and fall approaches, it’s time to get your home ready for the cooler weather that lies ahead. You should clear out the gutters, check the condition of the roof, re-caulk the windows, and clean and put away yard and garden equipment. Scheduling fall HVAC system maintenance is essential too, so you can enjoy a warm, cozy home throughout the winter months.

What to Expect From a Fall HVAC Maintenance Appointment

Twice-yearly tune-ups are critical to keep your HVAC system running at optimal efficiency, ensure your comfort, and extend the equipment’s service life. Here are some of the tasks you can expect to have covered during a professional fall HVAC checkup:

Verifying the thermostat’s functionality and accuracy. If you don’t already have one, your HVAC technician may recommend installing a programmable thermostat to enhance your energy savings.
Checking and tightening electrical connections, and testing the motor’s voltage and current. Loose or faulty electrical connections and voltage and current issues can make the system unreliable and more likely to fail, and they pose a serious safety risk.
Testing the start-up cycle and safety controls. This ensures that the system starts up, runs and shuts down as expected, and that the equipment operates safely.
Lubricating all moving parts. The friction that results from a lack of lubrication increases energy consumption and the risk of overheating and a fire or failure.
Inspecting the vent system. If the chimney or exhaust vent is damaged or blocked, deadly carbon monoxide (CO) can back-draft into the home’s air supply.
Checking the furnace fuel lines/connections, burners and heat exchanger. A cracked/corroded heat exchanger, dirty burners, and fuel-line leaks not only reduce the system’s energy efficiency, they compromise safety.
Changing the air filter. In between professional tune-ups, check the filter monthly, and replace or clean it as needed to keep the system operating efficiently, and to protect your comfort equipment.

For all the details about fall HVAC system maintenance, contact us today at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. We’ve been dedicated to the home comfort of Mobile and Baldwin County residents since 1964.

Seal, Insulate and Save in Your Baldwin County Home

insulation If you’ve noticed your furnace and A/C can’t keep your home comfortable in Mobile’s sometimes difficult weather, upgrading your equipment isn’t your only option. With a free weekend and some low-cost material, you can seal, insulate and save on heating and air conditioning while also making your home more comfortable.

The exterior of your home, formed in part by the walls and roof, is known as the building envelope. Upgrading your home’s envelope with better air sealing and insulation can cut your heating and cooling costs by as much as 20 percent.

Air Sealing Keeps Conditioned Air Where it Belongs

Many home envelopes are plagued with gaps and cracks that let conditioned air escape while allowing unfiltered, unconditioned outdoor air to seep in. A crack of just 1/16th inch around an average-size window lets as much air out as if you’d left that window open several inches. Stopping these leaks has multiple benefits:

Lower energy bills – Keeping more of your conditioned air inside reduces your heating and cooling systems’ demand for energy.

Better indoor air quality – Sealing air leaks stops dust, pollen, mold spores and other air contaminants, as well as humid air in summer from getting into your home.

Fewer drafts – Air sealing will stop those chilly drafts that whirl around your home in winter.

Wasteful air leaks are most likely to form around:

Windows and doors
Baseboards
Electrical outlets
Penetrations for plumbing and gas lines
Penetrations for wiring
Appliance vent penetrations
Furnace flues
Ventilation fans
Cracks in your siding, bricks or other exterior

Your attic is particularly vulnerable to costly air leakage. Leaks there occur primarily around the attic hatch, recessed lights and dropped soffits, and plumbing vents stacks. Your basement or crawl space should also be inspected for leaks.

To seal the leaks and save on your energy bills, you’ll need two different sealing materials.

Caulk – Caulk seals leaks around window and door frames, appliance vents, and other non-moving parts. Choose your caulk based on the material you plan to seal. For instance, acrylic caulk works well for many interior uses, but polyurethane is preferable for exterior siding. Use expanding spray foam for larger gaps.

Weatherstripping – This material blocks leaks around movable parts such as window sashes and the tops and sides of exterior doors. Different types are available for different applications. You might use V-strip (tension seal) for the tops and sides of your doors and foam tape for the insides of the frames.

Insulation Maintains Your Home’s Comfort

Once you seal air leaks, you may want to further insulate your home to save even more energy. Optimizing attic insulation should be your first priority because the insulation here strongly affects your home’s temperature.

In winter, attic insulation prevents warmth from your heated rooms from entering your attic. That keeps your rooms warmer, reducing the furnace’s demand for energy. It also reduces the risk of damaging condensation forming in your attic. In summer, insulation holds back the heat that builds up in your attic, easing the load on your air conditioner.

At a minimum, the insulation in your attic should cover the floor joists. If you already have 3 to 4 inches, add another layer of R25 to R38 insulation, the level U.S. Department of Energy officials recommend for Southern Alabama. That’s between 8 1/2 to 12 inches of fiberglass batt insulation, which is relatively easy to install by yourself.

Alternatively, consider insulating with loose-fill (blown-in) fiberglass or cellulose. Although you’ll need a blower machine to lay this insulation, it fills small gaps better than batts and therefore insulates more efficiently.

Protect Your Basement or Crawl Space

Sufficient insulation in the basement not only helps save on your energy bills, but also minimizes the risk of moisture damage. Avoid using batts, which can trap moisture. Instead, install rigid foam boards along the basement walls. If you’re planning to finish the basement for use as an extra room, consult a professional about your best insulation options.

If you have a crawl space, seal it without ventilation and line it with 6-mm polyethylene sheeting, then install rigid foam insulation against the foundation walls. Leave a band uncovered for termite inspection.

Before you begin your sealing and insulation upgrades, consider consulting a heating and cooling professional about an energy audit, which will show you where your home is losing energy.

For help deciding where to seal and insulate so you can save on heating and cooling, contact us at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. wherever you are in Baldwin County.