air conditioning services in Waterloo Archives

Waterloo HVAC Services: Save Money On Air Conditioning Costs This Summer

If you run your air conditioning nonstop during the summer, you may also be running up your electrical bill. Energy prices don’t seem to be coming down anytime soon, so homeowners need to try creative solutions to give their wallets some relief. There are many different ways you can make your home more efficient and lower your energy costs. CJ Brubacher offers air conditioning services in Waterloo that are designed to make life more convenient. Here are some expert air conditioning tips to help you save your cash this summer.

Cover Your Windows

An easy way you can help prevent heat gain is to cover your windows. Energy loss from your home is more common from doors and windows, so using barriers, like window coverings, can help residential air conditioning be more efficient. One option is to install outdoor awnings above your windows. Awnings can reflect the heat away from your windows and your home. Indoors, use window coverings, such as shades, blinds or curtains to keep the heat from coming inside. Keep shades, blinds and curtains shut during the day to keep your home cooler.

Install Ceiling Fans

Another economical way you can make your air conditioning feel cooler and run more efficiently is to install ceiling fans throughout your home. Get ceiling fans for bedrooms and large living spaces, such as the living room or kitchen. Ceiling fans can help circulate the air inside of your home and make it feel cooler. You can try setting your thermostat to a higher temperature and switching on your ceiling fans to save some energy costs. Make sure you switch your ceiling fans to run counterclockwise in the summer.

Schedule HVAC Service

Before the summer season officially begins, homeowners and commercial air conditioning customers should also schedule a yearly maintenance check on their HVAC system. Hire the pro technicians at CJ Brubacher to do seasonal maintenance on your HVAC and detect any potential problems. Our team can inspect your unit, clear off debris, replace filters and clean the mechanical components, such as the coils and drain pans. This can help extend the life of your HVAC system and prevent emergency situations where your unit breaks down in the middle of the summer.

Make Your Basement a Living Space

Your basement can also give you some relief from the high temperatures in the summer. Because the basement is the lowest level and underground, it naturally feels cooler in this space. If you don’t already use the basement as a living space, consider spending more time there. Another option is to close off your basement HVAC vents to get the air to circulate more on the first and second floors.

Seal Air Leaks

Homeowners can also have an HVAC pro go through their property and seal any gaps or leaks that may be adding to the heat gain in the summer. Our technicians can carefully inspect and seal all doors, windows and other spaces of your home where leaks may be present.

Affordable Air Conditioning Services in Waterloo

Your HVAC unit is only one part of your home’s ability to keep everyone cool in the summer. CJ Brubacher works with homeowners to help them improve their HVAC unit’s performance and their home’s energy efficiency. Our team has been working with homeowners in this area since 1923, with a commitment to customers and emergency services available every day of the week, 24 hours a day.

If you want to schedule air conditioning services and learn what other ways could help you save more money on your utility bill this summer, contact us today. We look forward to helping you and your family stay cool.

Waterloo HVAC Services: Summer Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips

Early summer is the time to do a full checkup on your HVAC system. If you wait until it’s truly hot in the late summer, you may find that your system is already overworked and in need of repair. Technicians are often booked and fully scheduled by the time that you really need a service. Don’t wait until an emergency happens. Use these proactive precautions recommended by expert air conditioning services in Waterloo.

1. Check Your Air Filter

Over time, an air filter becomes clogged with dust and debris that the HVAC system sucks out of the air. After all, its job is to trap the fine particulate matter before recirculating it into your home where you breathe. Because of this, your air filter needs to be routinely cleaned or replaced. Failing to do this can cause your air conditioner to work extra hard, especially when it pulls the outside air into the system to be cooled.

This can lead to a higher energy bill, and create additional wear and tear on the HVAC mechanisms. Pet dander, dust, pollen, and pollution can also get trapped in your air filter. Remove your air filter from its secure location, to get a better look at it. If it is thick with caked-on junk like the lint filter of a dryer, it needs to be replaced.

2. Have a Professional Clean Your Air Ducts

This task will best be done by a professional who’s qualified in residential air conditioning maintenance. They will come equipped with the personal protective equipment necessary for investigating your crawlspace, attic, and other tight locations of ductwork. They will know how to avoid damage to the ducts and delicate flooring that is often found in hollow spaces. Professionals can also readily identify where the ducts are suffering from damage such as rodent holes and disconnected fasteners.

3. Keep Vents Unobstructed

The homeowner can usually do this aspect of HVAC maintenance. If you have floor vents, make sure that there are no bookcases, beds, couches, recliners, or other furniture that may be blocking the airflow. A common cause of ineffective cooling is vents that are unintentionally blocked. Fortunately, this is an easy fix.

If you have ceiling vents, make sure their slider bars are in the open position so that the air is actually flowing down into the room. Otherwise, the vents are closed and the cold air is being rerouted to another room. Also make sure that are no shelves, curtains, or decorations that are impeding the flow of the ceiling vents.

4. Check Your Electrical Wiring

Visually inspect the wiring inside your HVAC furnace. Call a residential or commercial air conditioning expert if you notice any fraying, char, or scorching. Ineffective or broken wiring may not only impact the effectiveness of your air conditioning. It may also be a fire risk, especially during the hot summer months.

Faulty wiring may also be affecting your thermostat, which in turn could impact the effectiveness of your cooling system. Ask a technician to verify that the wiring from the furnace to the thermostat is still fully intact and installed correctly.

Residential Air Conditioning Services in Waterloo

When you schedule a service with CJ Brubacher, you will get a timely and thorough response. We have conducted business with integrity since 1923, and we take pride in our work. Our affordable prices, long-term employees, and highly educated staff are at your service.

We especially want your experience to be convenient and affordable. Take advantage of our financing options, up to $100,000. The application process is fast, and monthly installments can be easily arranged.

3 Common Problems with Commercial HVAC Systems

If you own any type of commercial building, you want it to maintain a comfortable temperature for your employees and customers. Having a functioning air conditioning system is vital. If the unit starts to malfunction, you need to take quick action to make sure everyone in the building stays comfortable regardless of the outside temperature. Here are three of the most common problems with commercial HVAC systems and how you can resolve them.

1. Lack of Cooling or Heating

The biggest indicator of a problem with your commercial HVAC system is a lack of heating and cooling. If your company building stays hot or cold at the wrong times of the year, it needs to be examined. You should also watch for spots of the building that are hotter or colder than others because uneven heating and cooling is a sign of a problem with the unit.

Your HVAC system likely needs to be repaired if it isn’t heating and cooling appropriately. The technicians at CJ Brubacher can repair any malfunctioning components to return the system to top performance. However, you should also know that HVAC units have various capacities. One possible reason that your unit isn’t heating or cooling appropriately is that the system isn’t large enough to maintain the temperature of your building. We can determine whether your unit is the right size for your building’s square footage and replace the system with a larger one if necessary.

2. Reduced Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is important for both homes and businesses. Poor air quality can lead to many health problems, leading to a decrease in productivity and sales. Many types of pollutants build up on your air ducts, and when they circulate air through your company building, they can diminish the quality of the air in your building.

A reputable HVAC company such as CJ Brubacher can work with you to improve the quality of the air in the building. We have trusted professionals we work with to figure out a solution to improve your building’s air quality.

3. Unusual Noises

Sometimes, HVAC systems start to make strange noises. If your commercial unit is louder than usual or is making strange banging noises, it could indicate a serious problem. You should examine the unit to make sure that the banging is not caused by loose components. If you don’t see any obvious problems, you need to contact a professional immediately. The longer you wait to get help, the more significant the problem may become. Quick intervention is the best way to keep from having expensive repairs.

Trust CJ Brubacher To Help

Commercial HVAC systems can malfunction for many reasons. If you want to avoid expensive repairs, it is best to call a professional immediately when you start to notice signs of a problem. The faster you get the issue resolved, the more quickly you can resume your normal routine and maintain a comfortable environment for everyone in your company building.

If you are experiencing problems with your commercial HVAC system, it is time to contact a professional for air conditioning services in Waterloo. CJ Brubacher is proud to offer both residential and commercial air conditioning services. For residential air conditioning units, we help homes stay at a comfortable temperature so that the inhabitants can relax. We keep company buildings comfortable so that your employees can be more productive and your customers can have a better experience while shopping. If you are interested in fixing your commercial air conditioner, contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Waterloo HVAC Services: When to Change the Air Conditioning Filter

Your air conditioning system can run more efficiently if you regularly change the filter. Filters help improve your indoor air quality by keeping your HVAC system’s components functioning the way they should be. Our contractors and technicians at CJ Brubacher can help with an HVAC inspection so you can get recommendations about when to change your filter and which kind would be best for your system. Our air conditioning services in Waterloo can help keep you cool this summer.

How Often To Change Your Filter

Homeowners should ask their HVAC technicians about how often to change their residential air conditioning filter. Your filter changing frequency will be dependent on several factors including your lifestyle, habits, household residents and HVAC system specifications.

If you have a system that uses a standard-sized filter, you should change it every 30 to 60 days. If there are people with allergies in your house, you should change the filter more often. Pet owners may also have to change their filters more often than usual, sometimes as frequently as every 20 days.

Signs You Need To Change Your Filter

If you aren’t sure if your filter needs changing, there are some clear signs that you need to replace it with a new one. First, check your air filter. If it looks dirty and dusty, it may need to be changed. If your home is also dusty, you should change the filter.

Another reason to change your air filter for your air conditioning unit is if you notice an increase in allergy symptoms. A dirty HVAC filter can also emit a strange smell from your air conditioning unit and cause it to leak. Additionally, if you aren’t sure when you changed your filter, you should probably replace it.

Picking the Right Filter for Your HVAC

It’s also important to understand which air filter works with your air conditioning system. Our team can give you suggestions on filter brands and sizes that will fit in your HVAC system. First, you’ll need to determine the filter size for your unit. The most common sizes are filters that are from one to four inches wide.

You also need to choose a filter that has an appropriate MERV rating for your unit. MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value. Residential customers should choose filters with a MERV rating of less than 16. Higher MERV ratings are for filters in a commercial air conditioning system.

How To Replace the Filter

When you’re ready to change your filter, the first thing you should do is turn the air conditioning and fan off. Locate where the filter slides into your HVAC unit and check to make sure your replacement filter is the correct size. Your old filter should be labelled with the specifications for size.

Then, remove the access panel to your HVAC unit and take out the old filter. Place the new filter and use the arrows on the packaging to make sure it is positioned correctly. Then you can turn your HVAC system back on.