HVAC Blog by Viccarone Heating and Cooling
The Importance of HVAC Maintenance
We all know the importance of regular maintenance for our cars; you wouldnt go for more than a year without getting an oil change. Similarly, you shouldnt ignore the maintenance needed for your heating and air conditioning equipment! What Does HVAC Maintenance Consist Of? Your HVAC equipment needs a checkup every so often. Usually, we recommend a spring tune-up for your air conditioning unit and a fall tune-up for your heating equipment. This tune-up consists of: Checking the Cooling Equipment For: Thermostat operations Condenser drain Indoor blower motor Condition of the filter Condenser coil AMP draw compressor Refrigerant levels Pressure and super heat Electrical wiring Checking the Heating Equipment For: Thermostat operation Burners and compartment Flame sensor Flue pipe inspection Safety controls Ignition and flame Indoor blower motor (oil if necessary) Combustion motor fan Fall is a great time to get your heating unit checked for optimum
How to Save on Energy with this Heatwave | Cleveland, Ohio
With these hot summer days at an all-time high, it is nice just to sit inside and enjoy the comforts of an air-conditioned home. But, you always find yourself sitting there just thinking about how much money your spending on the energy bill! Sound familiar? Viccarone HVAC is here to give you some useful tips on how to keep your energy costs low while still keeping cool at home. Keep Doors and Windows Closed With kids in an out of the house, it is easy for someone to leave the door open. Even if the door is open just a crack, the cold air will rush out, and the hot air will replace it. This causes your thermostat to use more energy, which costs you money! In order to keep those energy costs low, make sure you keep the doors shut! Proper Insulation in Your Home In the same vein, if your home is not properly insulated, youre going to be spending more money on air conditioning. Keep Wet Feet Outside If you have a pool, hot tub, or if the kids are outside playing in the sprinkler,
How to Save Money on High Summer Electricity Bills
Air conditioning bills can really increase during the summer months! We all like to be cool and comfortable in our homes, but this comes at a price. However, there are many ways you can save on air conditioning during summertime! Helpful Tips to Lower Your Energy Bill in the Summer: Preventative Maintenance Maintenance is key when it comes to keeping your air conditioning bills down. Having dirty coils inside your unit can drastically impact effectiveness, and increase cost in the summer. Before the summer begins, you schould schedule a preventative maintenance appointment to make sure your air conditioning is ready for summer. Doing this before summer starts is really important, because once summer begins, you definitely dont want to have anything wrong with your air conditioning. Its the worst when its the middle of summer, 90 degrees outside, and the air conditioning kicks! Air Conditioning Drains Make sure that air conditioning drain lines are clear and flowing well,
A 2019 Regulation Change Discontinues R22: How it Could Affect Your AC Unit
There are generally two types of air conditioners that we use today: R22 and R410-A. Refrigerant is what makes air cold so that you can enjoy cool air inside your home, but a lot goes on to make that air cold, and you can experience problems with your HVAC unit if just one thing were to go wrong. If you are having problems with your unit, like the refrigerant is failing, it is essential to know what refrigerant you are using so that you can determine what to do to fix or replace your air conditioner. R22 R22 refrigerant is also known as Freon, the older of the two refrigerants. R22 uses mineral oil for self-lubrication, allowing it to remain cold over long periods of time. It does not absorb much heat, meaning it has a good chance of compressor burnout from overheating. This refrigerant is also a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) which is detrimental to the O-zone. R410-A R410-A refrigerant is also known as Puron. Unlike R22, this is a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) which does
Nest Thermostats with Viccarone Heating
Today marks the first day of spring! Which means pretty soon youll be enjoying sunny days and warmer weather. Youll also turn off the heat in your home in favor of the air conditioning to ward off the high temperatures and humidity. Now is the time to make sure your HVAC system is working to optimal performance and find an easy and cost-effective solution to keep your home comfortable and safe all year. The Importance of A/C Service Taking the time to have your air conditioning unit serviced now will ensure everything is working as it should when you need it. Waiting until those peak hot weeks in the summer to realize your A/C service isnt working can end up being unbearable. Regular maintenance ensures your system is ready when you need it, prevents unexpected breakdowns and can extend the life of your equipment. At Viccarone Heating Air Conditioning, our technicians will give your air conditioning system a full tune-up, compressor service and more to make sure everything is in good
3 Reasons to Get a Furnace Checkup Now
As a homeowner, there are so many irons in the fire, so it can be overwhelming to keep up with general maintenance. One part of your home that probably needs more attention during the winter is your furnace. It is easy to ignore this vital piece of equipment when it is purring like a kitten, but what if there are issues you could fix before they get even worse? Dont wait until there is problem; make time for your furnace now! Here are three reasons to get a furnace checkup as soon as possible with Viccarone Heating and Air Conditioning. Furnace Maintenance is Cheaper than Break Down Service Getting a car inspected or going to the doctor are preventative measures to keep your vehicle and your body in top shape. The same logic is true for your furnace. Checkups prevent your furnace from breaking down entirely by catching issues early. Once a broken-down furnace needs repairs, the cost of fixing it is going to skyrocket. Break down services are expensive and your furnace will be out of
Benefits of Custom Duct Work
Creating custom duct work is a science and an art. Custom duct work is important for increasing efficiency and reducing costs in your heating and cooling system. Optimizing Your HVAC System By beginning a custom duct work job with Viccarone Heating and Air Conditioning, youll be well on your way to optimizing your system. To start optimizing your HVAC system, you need to reduce the static pressure. This reduction in static pressure comes from the engineering and utilization of a proper design load calculation and not oversizing the equipment. If you are using equipment that is oversized, you are compensating for the waste from the ductwork, the filter box and other system drags on the total system design. You can improve the HVAC system design and total effectiveness by including: A radius duct design. Increase the duct size. Reduce the right angles. Eliminate the wasted corners. Reduce any leaks, holes or openings in the duct. You can add larger filter box sizes to help with
The Importance of Conducting a Visual Inspection of Your Home's Venting System
As a premier heating and cooling provider in both Ohio and Illinois, some of the calls we receive most often are from homeowners who have noticed a condensation issue within the walls, when an appliance has stopped working properly or their furnace is not venting efficiently during the winter months. When your ventilation gets to the point of causing condensation on your walls, its unfortunate that the likelihood of damage to the appliance or structure of the home has occurred as well. Viccarone Heating and Air Conditioning would like to help homeowners prevent these problems, and the often expensive repairs that result, with a guide on how to conduct a visual ventilation system inspection. How to Conduct a Visual Ventilation System Inspection Visual inspection of all ventilation systems in your home should be conducted semi-annually for the most protection. If you notice any warning signs, contact us right away. Our technicians are available to help fix the ventilation system and protect
Winter is around the corner, Is Your Furnace Ready?
Winters in Northeast Ohio can be long and harsh. The snow is beautiful, but the cold, wet weather can be difficult to get through. As much as we all love snowmen and hot chocolate in the winter, its always a relief when spring comes back around and we can open our homes to fresh air and sunshine again. With the fall season coming to a close, Viccarone Heating and Air Conditioning wants to help your family stay safe for the winter while making sure your furnace is operating at full capacity to keep you warm all season. Many people dont realize it, but your furnace needs annual check-ups and maintenance before use to protect your health and prepare it to provide heat. If this isnt done, you could be putting your family at risk for any of the following: Reduced Indoor Air Quality Dust, dander, mites, mold and other potentially harmful substances can build up in your ducts over the warm summer months. An annual cleaning can remove these items, which can trigger asthma, respiratory problems,
Why Zoning for Your HVAC System is a Good Idea
Are you uncertain whether or not you need zoning for your HVAC system? Here are some possible signs in which your system could use zoning to provide more comfortable living: You are not capable of controlling the temperature on every floor or selected rooms. You are cooling or heating rooms that often go unoccupied. You are looking to find ways to save money on your monthly energy bills. You desire total comfort in climate control within your home. If one of more of these apply to your living situation at the moment, you should consider installing zoning to your HVAC system, courtesy of Viccarone Heating Cooling. Here are a few reasons why. Zoning enables homeowners to control the temperature in every room (otherwise known as a zone) of their home. This is done by installing a thermostat in strategic locations with automatic dampers. This allows homeowners to choose different temperatures throughout selected zones of their home. Usually, the one thermostat you have in your
