Why Should You Not Repair Heating Elements by Soldering

01/02/2012

Why Should You Not Repair Heating Elements by Soldering

If you have problems with the elements of your heating unit, you may be tempted to try and fix this yourself. Though it seems like a simple job, it can actually be quite in-depth so contact a heating and air Sacramento professional before getting started. One way that many people try to fix things around their home, especially electrical items, is by soldering. However, it can actually be quite detrimental to try and fix the elements in a heating unit ac repair 150x150 Why Should You Not Repair Heating Elements by Solderingby soldering. Read on to find out why this is almost universally discouraged by professionals.

The part of the device you fix with solder does not actually conduct electrical current. In some cases this isn’t a big deal, but if you are repairing certain parts this can cause your machinery to work at less than optimal rates.

The joints you create with solder are normally just strong enough to stay together for a while, but not going to last through heavy use. The machinery is likely to break apart again in the near future.

The temperature the heater will reach is often high enough that it can cause the solder to fail. This means all your work that went into soldering the joint will be wasted as soon as the heater kicks into its high temperature mode, which can also lead to more serious problems.

There may be other reasons also, but these three should be enough to convince you that repairing elements of your heater by soldering is a quick way to wind up with an even bigger problem. If you find yourself in the position where this seems to be a problem call an expert heating repair Sacramento service and and let us do the work for you.

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Common Causes for Pipes Freezing on an Air Conditioner

15/01/2012

Common Causes for Pipes Freezing on an Air Conditioner

One of the most common questions asked of our Sacramento HVAC specialists during the summer months is: “does anybody know why my pipes on my air conditioning unit have frozen up?” This is not a question that has a simple answer, there are actually several reasons this can happen. Read on to discover a couple of the most common causes for this problem.

One of the most common causes for this problem is a low Freon level in your unit. When the Freon is low, the unit is struggling to keep cool, despite the lack of Freon, so it runs continuously and eventually leads to the pipes becoming frozen. This is something that any HVAC specialist can diagnose and easily fix for you.

Another cause for this problem is an air conditioner that is dirty, or the filters are clogged. This causes pretty much the same problem, the unit has to work extra hard to pump the air out, despite the excessive amount of dust and dirt in the filter, and it keeps running until eventually the unit freezes up. This may be something you can clean yourself but it is always recommended to have a professional air conditioning repair Sacramento specialist come out. Look into what needs to be done to clean your unit and hopefully solve the problem.

When you have a fully functioning unit, you shouldn’t run into these problems. Try to keep your unit in good repair, and have it checked out often by an expert and perhaps you can avoid this situation reoccurring in the future.  If this was helpful tweet about it and contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Duct Cleaning, Is it Necessary?

22/12/2011

Duct Cleaning, Is it Necessary?

You have probably seen the advertisements for air duct cleaning Sacramento services and wondered, is it necessary? There is much debate in the worldiStock 000011043737XSmall 300x199 150x150 Duct Cleaning, Is it Necessary? of HVAC over whether air duct cleaning is a necessity; however, much research is pointing towards duct cleaning services as one of the best ways to improve the reliability and performance of your HVAC system. Read on to learn about the controversy surrounding this service and decide if it is something that may benefit you.

The benefits of air duct cleaning

Duct cleaning is one way to help remove contaminates like dust from the air in your home. Those who suffer from asthma or severe allergies often find that their symptoms subside when the ducts are cleaned on a regular basis. Even people without these severe problems may find they have less seasonal allergy symptoms.

Air ducts can also be a breeding ground for mold, bacteria and other issues. If you have your ducts cleaned regularly, the chance of these contaminates causing problems for you will be greatly reduced. This is an important way to protect the health of you and your family.

Clean air ducts also improve the performance of your HVAC system. You will find that the energy savings are substantial. In many cases your utility bills may be reduced by 5% or more, which over time more than pays for the cost of the cleaning service.

Air duct cleaning is a necessity for those who are looking to keep their family safe and healthy. Depending on the amount of dust in your area, you may wish to clean your ducts once a year or even more often. The benefits are well worth the cost.  Whether it is air duct cleaning or Sacramento air conditioning repair Alley Heating and Air has you covered.  Contact us today to book an appointment.

Indoor Air Quality

07/06/2011

Indoor Air Quality: How clean is the air in your home?

Did you know that the air inside your home is often up to 100 times more polluted than even the most contaminated outdoor air? This means, that every day, your family is breathing in numerous toxins that most of us are unaware even existed. I’m sure you are unaware that; mold, asbestos, ozone, VOCs, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, pet dander, radon and pesticides are just some of the particles found in your indoor air. Which is another reason why air duct cleaning Sacramento professionals are good to know.

This sounds scary doesn’t it? I didn’t even know what half of these things were, and to hear that they are found in the air in my home that I breathe as I sleep, eat and lounge around, I suddenly was dreading going home and I even thought about reporting my own home as a safety hazard. This indoor air quality problem is becoming very serious throughout America because most people are unaware of how this could be affecting your daily quality of life and even your quality of life in the long run.

This is such a big deal that The U.S. Surgeon General issued a Call to Action in June of 2009 to generate healthy indoor air quality in the home. I wasn’t too surprised how serious the U.S. Surgeon General is handling this issue after finding out that these various indoor air contaminants are the cause and triggers of 50% of human illnesses and diseases; such as allergies, flu, colds, and asthma.

I don’t blame you if you are itching to stop reading to grab the nearest bleach bottle and fan, but there are way more effective solutions.
The surgeon general recommends four ways to improve the quality of air you breathe in your home.

First of all, your home should be a smoke-free environment. That’s an easy one, even cutting down on smoking inside your home, or even just stepping outside before you light-up will drastically increase the indoor air quality of your home. The second recommendation is to become aware and active in preventing carbon monoxide poisoning inside your home.

Carbon monoxide can be avoided so easily, by just having any gas burning appliances in or around your home checked out by a Sacramento HVAC expert on yearly and repaired if they aren’t running properly. Also having carbon monoxide detectors in your home is important. These are two simple and more commonly known ways to improve your indoor air quality.

Now to the important and most thorough solution to this indoor air quality mess; ventilation and filtration. Makes sense right? If the air is bad, bring in ‘good’ air, and make sure it’s ‘good’ air before it comes anywhere inside your home. According to the California Environmental Protection Agency, adults spend more than 60% of each day in their home, breathing polluted air. Most new homes feature mechanical systems that bring outdoor air into the home using all energy efficiency equipment.

There are many types and sizes of air cleaners available and all are so worth it, and has been the best solution to improving the air inside houses with various levels of pollutants. Who can put a price on the health and safety of your family? Right? Well that goes to a certain point. Of course you want the best for your family, but it is hard to determine on your own what the best is. Until just recently I had no idea the air inside my home is the main cause of my child’s allergies, asthma and sicknesses.

Now that I know this, I want the best, but researching the best is the key. You should first test the air inside your home, find out just how bad it is. Call a qualified indoor air quality technician, they have these nifty little devices that measure all indoor contaminates. By having the air in your home tested, you can then determine the best plan that is specific to your home and family’s needs.

Since this is a national call to action there are so many resources out there to help you make your home a healthy environment. I would recommend contacting a local Indoor Air Quality specialist, like Alley Heating and Air to help you find a plan that works best for you and your family.

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