Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog : Archive for March, 2015

Ways to Reduce Commercial AC Repair

Friday, March 27th, 2015

The spring air has finally arrived and if you haven’t already switched your commercial HVAC from heating to cooling, you will be soon. As the business owner, it is in your best interest to know some simple ways that can help reduce the potential for repair with your commercial AC system in Falcon, CO. Here are some tips from our commercial AC experts:

Don’t DIY

Many business owners are pretty handy or have someone on staff who is, but unless you or that person are trained commercial air conditioning experts, it’s best to always call a specialist for help. Commercial air conditioning systems are large and complex, and attempting to make repairs on your own when you don’t have the necessary knowledge can lead to more problems and potential safety issues for you and your system.

Don’t Ignore Strange Sounds

Your commercial AC will make some basic operational noises, but anything other than these noises should be considered a reason to call for an expert. Sounds like banging, buzzing, screeching and clunking are typically indicative of a problem, so it’s best to have an expert look at your system as soon possible.

Don’t Miss Annual Maintenance

Annual maintenance for your commercial air conditioning is a full tune-up of the system. Maintenance helps increase energy efficiency, improve comfort, extend the life of the system and prevents repair. It’s estimated that for each year your system isn’t scheduled for maintenance it loses 5% of its overall efficiency – something you’ll start to see in your business’s energy bills.

Don’t Let the System Run with a Known Problem

Problems don’t work themselves out, and once a problem has developed with your commercial AC, it will likely become worse over time. If you are aware of an existing problem with your AC, try to fix it as soon as possible to avoid further cost to your system.

There is no way to guarantee that your commercial air conditioning system will never need repair, but taking these simple steps can help you reduce and/or avoid problems.

Have questions? Call the experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today and schedule an appointment for commercial AC repair services in Falcon, CO.

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What Types of Products Improve Indoor Air Quality?

Friday, March 20th, 2015

The job of your home’s HVAC system is to keep your indoor temperature regulated, but the system can do so much more when indoor air quality products are integrated with it. Many HVAC system come with a standard air filter, but this air filter is not designed to help with indoor air quality. As such, if you are looking to improve your home’s indoor air quality, it’s time to schedule an Indoor Air Quality Services appointment with a Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning expert for your Larkspur, CO home.

IAQ Product Choices

Choosing the right indoor air quality products for your home will depend largely on what your needs are. Some households need to focus on removing allergens while others may want to focus on biological contaminants. Knowing what the products are and their capabilities plays a big role in your decision-making, so here is an overview of the types of IAQ products available:

Air Cleaning Products

“Air cleaning” is a general term that applies to both air filters and air purifiers. The main difference between air filters and air purifiers is that the word “filters” refers to mechanical air filters and the word “air purifiers” refers to electronic air cleaners and UV germicidal lighting. Air filters vary in strength and effectiveness, and the way to know how effective a particular air filter will be is by reviewing its MERV number. Air filters capture contaminants in their filter media while electronic air cleaners use ionization to charge particles and then capture the particles electronically. Both air filters and electronic air cleaners can capture allergens, but each can capture only some biological contaminants. This is where UV lighting comes in.

UV germicidal lighting destroys and eradicates biological contaminants by destroying the cell’s DNA; this disables the cells from reproducing. However, UV germicidal lights do not have an effect on non-biological contaminants like dust, so they are often paired with air cleaners or air filtration systems.

Humidifiers

We can have very low humidity in our area, which can lead to both property and health issues. One of the best ways to help balance the low humidity in your home is with the installation of a whole-home humidifier. These devices become part of your home’s HVAC system, so all you have to do is set your humidistat at the percentage you want and the humidifier does the rest.

Ventilation Devices

Maintaining good ventilation and indoor air quality can be a challenge for homeowners, especially during the very cold or very hot weather. But with an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or heat recovery ventilator (HRV), you can have the benefit of pre-treated, fresh air flowing into your home while also reducing your energy usage.

A trained professional from Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning can help you determine which products will meet your needs and install them. Call us today and schedule an appointment!

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Why Inspection Is an Important Part of Heat Pump Maintenance

Friday, March 13th, 2015

Spring is just about here, and while it will likely be a few more weeks before we switch from heating to cooling, it’s always a good idea to get your heat pump ahead with a spring maintenance appointment. There are a lot of different tasks performed during a maintenance visit, but one of the first and very important ones is the thorough inspection of your heat pump system in Peyton, CO. Many people equate maintenance with a quick once-over, but that is not the case when you hire professionals to perform maintenance on your heat pump, like the ones at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning.

The Purpose of Inspection

The first step your technician will take during a maintenance appointment is to thoroughly inspect your heat pump system. This includes the entire unit, the valves, electrical connections and connection to ductwork, if there are any. The reason for this is simple: thorough inspection helps the technician to detect any existing or developing problems with your heat pump system. One of the benefits of a maintenance appointment is to help prevent repair, and a thorough inspection can reveal such things as loose, frayed or corroded wiring, dirty air filters, low refrigerant levels and problems with your fan. Small things, like the wiring and a loose fan belt, will be repaired during the appointment. If there is a larger issues, such as a refrigerant leak, you’ll be alerted so that you can make additional plans to have the problem repaired. This kind of attention to detail helps you get ahead of potential repairs and manage existing ones before they can lead to malfunction or even shutdown of your heat pump.

Without inspection, your technician can’t get a clear idea of what’s happening with your heat pump system. The inspection process also allows the technician to see what has to be cleaned, adjusted and lubricated during the maintenance appointment. Your heat pump runs year-round, so it’s recommended that you schedule your heat pump for maintenance bi-annually.

If it’s been more than 6 months since your last maintenance appointment, call the experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today!

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Common Problems That Can Develop with Home Automation Systems

Friday, March 6th, 2015

Home automation systems can put the control of your house’s operation literally at your fingertips. To achieve this, a combination of hardware, software and application-based interfaces is used to create your entire home automation system. Sometimes combining these systems can be challenging, and there may be bugs in the system that need some time to be worked out. Should you start experiencing problems with your home automation system in Colorado Springs, call the experts who can help you successfully troubleshoot: Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning.

Common Issues

Here are some of the more common issues that can develop with a home automation system:

Problems with Integration

It would be nice if all home systems were brand new for every home automation job, but this is rarely the case. As such, integrating older electronic systems with the new one of your home automation system can be a challenge, and it may take a while to see where the integration problems exist. Problems with integration can present as limited functionality or non-response. Experts know how to repair these issues, so it’s important to call for a professional if you are seeing these types of problems emerge.

Electrical Issues

Your home automation system relies heavily on wiring as the system is completely interconnected and connected to your home’s main electrical system. As such, any kind of short, poor wiring or faulty wiring can result in malfunction in the system. The electrical layout for a home automation system can be complex, so it’s important to hire a professional to manage any kind of electrical problem with your automation system.

Physical Damage

Should physical components of your home automation system sustain any kind of physical damage, it’s important to allow an expert to replace the component(s) to ensure that your system regains full functionality.

Home automation systems can be great tools for your home, but they do require expert handling.

If you are in need of troubleshooting for your home automation system in Colorado Springs, contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today!

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