The Ultimate Heating And AC Repair Guide For Homeowners | Irving, TX

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Did you know that three-quarters of all homes in the United States have air conditioning units? According to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the systems account for nearly six percent of all the country’s electricity and produce an estimated 117 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

That aside, experts in heating and AC repair claim that air conditioners employ similar components and operational principles as your home’s refrigerator does. Essentially, a refrigerator uses electric energy to transfer cool air from inside the refrigerator to the warm surroundings of your home. Similarly, air conditioners facilitate the movement of heat from inside the house to the relatively warm outside.

Air conditioners, which vary in terms of shape, size, and type, achieve the cooling effect in your home with the help of a cold indoor coil referred to as the evaporator. It also involves action from the condenser, which is a hot outdoor coil that releases the accumulated heat outside. The condenser and evaporator coils consist of a winding tubing network made of copper, covered with aluminum fins.

These components execute the heating and cooling process via a heat transfer fluid that heating and AC repair experts refer to as the refrigerant. The refrigerant moves through the condenser and evaporator coils through pumping action from an element known as the compressor. This liquid is forced through the tubing network and fins.

During the process, the refrigerant evaporates inside the indoor evaporator coil, thus draining the indoor air of its latent heat, thereby leading to a cooling effect. Afterward, the hot refrigerant gas is then pumped outside, where it changes back to liquid form in the condenser by remitting heat to the outside environment via the surface of its tubing and fins.

Earlier air conditioner models utilized chlorofluorocarbons as their refrigerant, but this has changed in recent years due to environmental concerns regarding the chemicals used to make CFC-based refrigerants. Newer AC models work with halogenated chlorofluorocarbons as the refrigerants, which are gradually phasing out as ozone-friendly HCFCs begin to be manufactured.

With working knowledge on how air conditioners cool your home, below are some of the common types of air conditioners that HVAC repair specialists near you can recommend if you contact them for a replacement or installation service.

Portable Air Conditioners

With a striking similarity to window air conditioners, portable air conditioning systems, which heating and AC repair specialists often call windowless air conditioners, are self-contained heating and cooling units.

This means that they come with every heating and cooling component enclosed within a single appliance. Portable air conditioners differ from window air conditioners in that they can be easily moved from room to room, depending on the cooling needs of your Irving, TX home. Ideally, they work best in households with room designs or building specifications that inhibit window unit installation. Once placed on the floor of a room, they discharge heat with the help of an innate window vent kit.

The kit has a condenser coil that facilitates the cooling action and a large exhaust hose, which resembles a dryer vent and connects the entire unit to a window kit, allowing the warm air to reach outdoors. With the condenser and exhaust fan within a single casing, heating and AC repair experts warn that portable conditioners tend to be a bit noisier than other types of air conditioning systems.

This is because of the evaporator fan, which works around the clock to evaporate the condensed moisture that forms within the unit. Moreover, professional heating and AC repair technicians advise homeowners that portable AC units can compromise the aesthetic of the room you place them in, given that they may take up some floor space or impact the appearance and functioning of the existing window units.

Additionally, portable air conditioners may prove ineffective in rooms that surpass the 500-square-foot mark, making them the last resort for homeowners in Irving, TX, with larger homes. On the other hand, some of the benefits of this type of unit include an easy and time-efficient installation process, the presence of wheels that enhance portability, and their ease of storage when not in use.

Through-The-Wall Air Conditioners

Like the window and windowless air conditioners, through-the-wall air conditioning units are unitary systems that carry warm air inward and let it out through an exhaust pipe while moving cool air back into the room. Heating and AC repair specialists in the Irving, TX area recommend this type of air conditioning systems for homes with inaccessible window units. However, they warn homeowners that extensive structural planning may be a prerequisite since once mounted; the windows cannot be removed, unlike window air conditioners.

The installation process requires professional technicians from a heating and AC repair company near you. During installation, they’ll cut a hole into the relevant exterior wall and then install sleeves that will act as a support mechanism for the heavy air conditioning unit. The wall may not have enough strength to do so. Even though the mounting process may cost you a pretty penny, through-the-wall air conditioners are a better option than window AC units because they allow your home to retain its windows. Also, an airtight seal is created during installation, thus improving the unit’s energy efficiency.

Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners

Abbreviated as PTACs, Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners are the types of air conditioners that heating and AC repair technicians install in hospitals, hotels, senior and assisted living facilities, and apartment complexes. If you’ve been to a hotel, you may have noticed the air conditioners above the floor and below a window. Behind it is an exhaust system that plays a vital role in facilitating warm air movement to the building’s outer part. The air conditioning system’s utility is not confined to commercial properties only, meaning that homeowners can use it to cool their households.

Just like any other typical air conditioner, packaged terminal air conditioning units cool your home by moving the refrigerant through a compressor and redirecting it back to the house or room being cooled. Compared to central air conditioners, they differ in that they are ductless, making them relatively inexpensive to mount than centralized air conditioners. Besides that, the upfront cost of buying PTACs is significantly lower than that of central air systems, and they also double as heating systems.

Experienced heating and AC repair technicians around Irving, TX, recommend using these systems as a solution to specific problems since they’re ideally designed to heat or cool a single room. For instance, homeowners can install a PTAC in rooms that lie directly in the sunlight path, making them get warmer than other rooms in the home. Additionally, it can be mounted in rooms that aren’t connected to the home’s central ductwork. In both scenarios, PTACs offer an energy-efficient heating and cooling option that prevents the straining of the central system for the sake of a single room.

Ductless Split System Air Conditioners

Ductless split system air conditioners are the type of AC units that homeowners in Irving, TX, and beyond can use to cool different zones within their homes. Contrary to the window and portable air conditioning units, split systems are not self-contained since they’re made up of a two-part interface. Heating and AC repair specialists recommend using these systems as add-ons to residential properties with non-ducted units such as radiant panels and space heaters.

Specifically, they can be an ideal heating and cooling option for room additions, especially when extending a central air conditioner’s distribution ductwork isn’t possible. Ductless split system air conditioners consist of two key components. There’s an outdoor condenser and compressor as well as an indoor unit that handles air movement. Additionally, they have a conduit that connects the outdoor and indoor components, and it consists of refrigerant tubing, a condensate drain, suction tubing, and the power cable.

According to experts in heating and AC repair, split systems’ main advantage is that they can cool different rooms at different temperatures, which is made possible by each compact unit having its thermostat. Also, due to the lack of a duct network, these air conditioners can help you prevent the energy loss associated with central air conditioning systems’ ductwork. Duct losses, especially when the duct network is in an unconditioned area such as the attic, account for about 30 percent of the total energy consumption during the heating and cooling process.

Central Air Conditioners

Central air conditioners, which heating and AC repair experts commonly refer to as central air, can be an effective air conditioning alternative in large homes that require indoor air quality control in many rooms. In terms of operation, the systems start the heating and cooling process after the temperature in your Irving, TX home has risen above what’s indicated in the thermostat.

At this point, a signal is automatically sent to the circuit board of your home’s furnace. Afterward, the unit turns on the blower motor inside your home and the externally-placed condenser. Warm air then begins getting drawn into the ductwork, where it’s cooled as it passes over the evaporator coil located just above your home’s furnace.

Once the air cools, it then passes through the return air vents, eventually reaching the areas in your home that require conditioning. All the while, your AC’s refrigerant will continue to absorb heat from the air as it passes over the evaporator coil. The heated refrigerant then moves to the condenser, which sits on the outside of your home. At this stage, the condenser works to remove the absorbed heat by blowing outside air across a different set of coils before the refrigerant moves back into your home. From then on, the process will recur until your home achieves the required indoor air quality.

Most central air conditioning systems operate using a similar duct network as your home’s heating interface to facilitate air movement from the furnace. Central air conditioner installations require in-depth planning since the heating and AC repair expert who’ll be handling the mounting process will be working on the insides of your house. Beware that, due to this fact, installing central air systems can be an expensive endeavor.

Window Air Conditioning Systems

Experts in heating and AC repair claim that window air conditioning units are the most common types of air conditioners. You can identify them during the summer mounted on windows while walking down the street. In due process, you may even come into contact with a few drops of water emanating from the condensation therein.

As the name suggests, heating and AC repair specialists mount window air conditioning systems in a window. The systems consist of a refrigerant cooling system located indoors and an exhaust system that pushes the hot air outside via the back and sides.

Ideally, these units are designed to condition a single living space at a time. As such, they can’t be considered as a suitable option for large homes lest you decide to fit the units in every room. Their inexpensive nature also makes them a preferable alternative for individuals residing in small homes or apartments. Another vital perk of using window air conditioning systems is that they’re relatively easy to mount, but only with certified heating and AC repair technicians. Additionally, they’re quite portable, allowing you to move them with ease between rooms and remove them without much hassle during colder seasons.

However, some of the disadvantages include the loss of the use of the window it’s installed in, which can significantly affect your access to fresh air or the amount of light entering the subject room. Also, though uncommon, window units located close to the ground can easily be compromised by burglars.

Get the Job Done Right with One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas – Irving, TX.

With unrivaled experience in handling heating and AC repair as well as installation and maintenance, One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas – Irving, TX has been a one-stop-shop for all HVAC-related services since 1988. Our technicians provide a full line of services that involve working on all heating and air conditioning equipment models, conducting preventive maintenance, handling energy efficiency assessments, and offering round-the-clock emergency heating and AC repairs. Contact the pros at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas to book an appointment for your heating and AC repair.