Conditioned Air Company of Naples, LLC Blog: Archive for the ‘HVAC Tips’ Category

Why Do Some Homeowners Prefer Ductless HVAC?

Saturday, February 25th, 2023

Are you looking for a convenient, minimally invasive climate control solution that won’t blow up your energy budget? If so, it’s time to discover why homeowners are increasingly choosing ductless HVAC systems for their Naples, FL homes.

What are the benefits of ductless systems for heating and cooling repair?

  • Easy, compact installation with minimal or no ductwork required
  • Improved energy efficiency and comfort control thanks to reduced air-loss and room-by-room settings
  • Enhanced indoor air quality by eliminating polluted ducts and integrating advanced filtration

Simple, Space-Saving Installation

The air ducts required for conventional HVAC systems occupy considerable space, which can be problematic in smaller homes. If your house doesn’t already have ductwork, it can also be messy and labor-intensive to install. By contrast, ductless HVAC systems need only small conduits to connect indoor and outdoor units, requiring little space and no disruptive demolition. Ductless air handlers can also be placed almost anywhere, giving you maximum freedom to design a system that works specifically for you.

High Efficiency and Zoned Comfort Control

With traditional forced-air designs, even the most efficient HVAC systems can be undermined by sketchy ductwork. Leaky, inadequately insulated air ducts waste a lot of energy, costing you money and making your home less comfortable. Dirty air filters and blocked vents only make the problem worse. Since they don’t need to distribute air around your home, ductless HVAC systems effectively eliminate these issues. Instead, they provide precise, energy-efficient heating and cooling right where you need it. With a ductless multi-split system, your family can even control their own air handlers independently to suit their preferences.

Cleaner Indoor Air with Ductless HVAC

In addition to minimizing wasted energy, eliminating air ducts also eliminates a major source of indoor air pollution. Ordinary HVAC ducts tend to collect a lot of dust and other particulates, especially if they aren’t cleaned periodically. As air flows through the ductwork, these pollutants can become airborne and spread all throughout your living space. That’s simply not a problem with ductless HVAC systems. What’s more, many high-quality ductless units incorporate advanced filtration to further improve air quality.

If this all sounds a little too good to be true, why not call Conditioned Air and see for yourself? With premium equipment and professional installation services, we’re equipped to deliver the best that ductless HVAC systems have to offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What makes ductless HVAC systems appealing to homeowners?
 Answer: Many homeowners choose ductless systems because they require minimal installation disruption, save space since no large ductwork is needed, and can often be placed in rooms with limited layout flexibility.

Question: How do ductless systems improve efficiency and comfort compared to traditional systems?
 Answer: Ductless systems avoid the energy losses common in ductwork, offer targeted heating or cooling for each zone, and enable independent temperature control in different rooms for better comfort.

Question: Do ductless systems affect indoor air quality differently than traditional HVAC systems?
 Answer: Yes, because they eliminate ductwork, there’s less buildup of dust and allergens traveling through hidden vents, and many models include advanced filtration to further support cleaner indoor air.

Question: Are ductless systems a good option for homes without existing ductwork?
 Answer: Absolutely. Ductless systems often make more sense in homes that lack ductwork, have room additions, or need independent zone heating and cooling without major remodeling.

 

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Tips For Combating Seasonal Allergies with Your Air Conditioner 

Wednesday, October 5th, 2022

It is lovely to be able to breathe in the fresh air, but for so many, spring or fall comes with suffering in the form of seasonal allergies. For most, this means buttoning up their home and turning on the air conditioner to process out the allergens. However, if that alone doesn’t help, here are a few tips to help your air conditioning unit soothe your seasonal allergy suffering.

Clean Your Vents

Often when turning on the air conditioner isn’t enough to soothe allergies, it is because the allergens are still blowing around. While there are other things people will check first, they forget the simplest cause — the vents. These gather dust and allergens that blow up each time the air conditioner turns on. Wiping down the slats monthly can do wonders for the air.

Cleaning and Sealing Your Ducts

When the air in your home still has you sniffling, this is likely your first thought. In some cases, it may be a solid thought. If your ducts are properly sealed, they won’t accumulate much in the way of allergens. However, if your ducts are old or damaged, they may form leaks in which outside air can make its way inside. Once that happens, allergens can build up, blow in, and the ducts will need to be resealed and cleaned.

Changing Your Air Filter

If you have not changed your air filter this season or are simply not using one, this is the major cause of your indoor woes. Your air filter, providing you are using a filter with an appropriate MERV rating, can filter allergens from the incoming air. If your filter is dirty, it becomes less effective. If you aren’t using a filter at all, well, you mind as well be breathing the air from the outdoors. It would cost less. For more information or to schedule service, contact Conditioned Air today!

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Why a Fall Air Conditioning Tune-up is a Good Idea

Friday, September 2nd, 2022

Why a Fall Air Conditioning Tune-up is a Good Idea

The hottest days of the year are behind you. So, why should you schedule an air conditioning tune-up now? Though it may seem counter-productive, there are several reasons fall is an excellent time for AC maintenance. 

Your AC just put in a lot of work: The hot summer months represent the period of heaviest use for your AC. It’s been running for hours on end. The motor and other essential components have undergone a great deal of stress. Plus, many of its moving parts may be coated with pollen, dirt, dust, and other pollutants. A tune-up can remove this buildup, rather than leaving it to sit and adhere over the next several months.

Fall AC tune-up scheduling beats extreme weather rushes: When the heat is on, AC problems and breakdowns are plentiful. It’s often difficult to find an available tech, let alone get someone to accommodate your busy schedule. Springtime can be somewhat hectic, too. Proactive property owners are having their HVAC equipment serviced in anticipation of the upcoming hot temperatures. During the chilly months, your HVAC technicians may be busy keeping up with furnace issues and other heating equipment repairs. But during the lull between the end of summer and the onset of cooler weather, HVAC techs are apt to have more time to schedule tune-ups – for both AC units and furnaces. You have a better chance of getting a top-rated company to service your AC. You’re also likely to get more flexible scheduling options for your convenience.  

Off-season savings or discounts are often available: Smart shoppers know that the off-season is a great time to reap extra savings. The same holds with service professionals. Keep your eyes peeled for discounts and deals to save even more money when you make the economical choice to schedule an air conditioning tune-up in the fall.

Tune-ups are smart at any time of the year: Whether you choose to schedule a tune-up in the fall or during any other season routine HVAC maintenance is important. It helps ensure that your equipment continues working well. Regular tune-ups can help prevent expensive repairs. A professional tech also recognizes when your cooling equipment is putting an abnormal strain on your energy consumption.

To learn more about the benefits of an air conditioning tune-up, reach out to our knowledgeable team at Conditioned Air today.

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Should I Repair or Replace My Aging Air Conditioner?

Saturday, February 19th, 2022

If you turn on your air conditioner and it doesn’t seem to be working right, or it won’t run at all, you may be wondering if you should have your air conditioner repaired, or if it is finally time to have your aging HVAC system replaced. While a variety of factors will influence whether it is worth it to have your AC system repaired, here are a few things that you should consider when trying to decide whether to repair or replace your home’s air conditioner.

Your System’s Age

When trying to decide whether to repair or replace your ailing AC system, the first thing that you should consider is your unit’s age. The average life expectancy of a residential air conditioner is around 10-15 years. This means that if you are experiencing problems with your air conditioner and it is 15 years old (or older), then it likely doesn’t make financial sense to have it repaired. You will likely only continue to experience problems with it, and it could end up costing you more money in the long-run to maintain an aging system.

The Cost of Repairs

The next thing that you will want to consider is how much it will cost to repair your air conditioner. If your air conditioner is fairly new, it may make sense to put $800 into having it repaired. However, if the cost of repairs approaches 50% the value of your unit, then repairs likely no longer make sense. You should also consider how much money you have already put into having it repaired if this is not the first time that you have encountered problems with your air conditioner. If you have had it repaired multiple times in recent years, this may be a sign that your system is failing and needs to be replaced.

Energy-Efficiency

Has your air conditioner gotten more expensive to run in the last year? As air conditioners age, they lose their energy efficiency. Ultimately, you will want to consider how expensive it has gotten to run your air conditioner, and how much it will cost to have your system repaired, as it may end up being more cost-effective to invest in a new energy-efficient HVAC system.


If you are unsure whether your ailing HVAC system needs to be repaired or replaced, contact us at Conditioned Air to schedule a consultation. One of our skilled HVAC technicians can inspect your unit and help you to decide whether to have your air conditioner repaired or replaced.
You can call us toll-free in Southwest Florida (888) COLD-AIR valid in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, & Sarasota Counties. Service Available 24 Hours a Day!

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Prevent Your Commercial Air Conditioner from Freezing with These Tips

Monday, December 27th, 2021

Commercial air conditioners are usually larger, unlike their residential counterparts. That means they are costlier, not just upfront but in repairs as well. Therefore, keeping your commercial air conditioning system in a good functional condition will always go a long way into reducing your business expenses. One of the common problems you’re likely to face with your commercial air conditioning is freezing. This can happen even during hot months. Freezing reduces the efficiency of your air conditioning system, and in most cases, you’ll need to shut it down until you fix the problem to prevent high energy bills. Below are tips on what to do when your commercial air conditioner freezes up.

Inspect Your Air Filters and Clean/Replace If Necessary

Airflow problems are the most common culprits when it comes to frozen air conditioners. That’s because proper airflow is imperative for keeping the cold air warm and preventing freezing. Therefore, check the air filters for dirt and other debris and clean or replace them depending on the model of the filters. Keep in mind that sometimes an air filter that isn’t the right size can also cause airflow issues. If your air filters aren’t the problem, schedule a ductwork inspection too. Blocked ducts can also prevent proper flow of air through your air conditioning system.

Check Your Refrigerant Lines for Leaks

If you have recently replaced your air filters or ductwork inspection doesn’t reveal any blockages, consider scheduling an inspection of your refrigerant lines. That’s because you could be dealing with low refrigerant or coolant levels. The refrigerant plays a crucial role in the cooling process. Usually, the refrigerant operates at a certain level of pressure. A drop in this pressure resulting from refrigerant leaks can facilitate the condensation of moisture on the refrigerant lines. While refilling the refrigerant may seem like a viable solution here, leaky refrigerant lines should be repaired. Refilling will only cost you more since the refrigerant will continue leaking.

Inspect Your Blower Fan

The blower fan is a crucial component of your commercial air conditioning system whose function is to aid the movement of the warmer indoor air outside your home to allow the cold air to settle inside. A defective blower fan will allow the cold and denser air to settle on the coils instead, resulting in condensation and freezing. Some of the things to watch out for when inspecting your blower fan for damage include breakages and cracks.

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Signs That You Should Call an HVAC Contractor

Wednesday, October 13th, 2021

Few things are more frustrating than having to deal with a malfunctioning heater in the dead of winter or a fickle air conditioner during a blazing summer. When worst comes to worst, all you can really do is call the professionals and have them either fix the problem or replace the appliance entirely. However, you can save a lot of stress and money if you catch these issues before they bloom into complete catastrophes. In order to give you the most comfortable home possible, here are some key signs that you should call out an HVAC contractor ASAP.

Your Air Quality Is Low

There are a variety of ways that low air quality can manifest, ranging from increased sickness in the house to a noticeable scent when the air conditioner or heater are turned on. In some cases (and especially if cash is tight), this may seem like a temporary problem and mild inconvenience that will soon pass, but that’s not always true. Poor air quality is often a warning sign that things will be getting much worse in the future. The filters could be clogged, which can lead to overheating and damage in the appliances themselves. Mold can grow quickly and spread throughout the home via ventilation, leading to severe health risks.

Your Appliance Is Making Strange Noises

If you hear strange noises coming from your heater or air conditioner while they’re running, then those may be indicators of much worse problems. If pieces are loose inside, then they may break entirely. This isn’t necessarily a common problem in state-of-the-art models, but it can be a serious issue for older appliances. In the worst-case scenario, this could potentially lead to an electrical or gas hazard that could become a fire.

How a Contractor Can Help

Getting a contractor to your home as soon as possible is one of the best ways to nip these problems in the bud. They can identify what’s causing the problem, how serious it is, and determine the best way to go about fixing it. Of course, they can also help you in other ways that people don’t often think about. Your air conditioner may be working fine, and the problem may be minor, but it may also be an extremely old model that simply doesn’t have the efficiency of modern air conditioners. A contractor can help you decide if an upgrade is worth it and how much you stand to save.

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How to Tell If an Air Conditioner Fuse is Blown

Monday, October 26th, 2020

A number of different problems can occur in an air conditioner that can cause it to stop functioning. However, if you notice that your air conditioner just up and dies on you during some of the hottest days of the year, it may actually be caused by a blown fuse.

What happens when an air conditioner blows a fuse is that fuse was preventing damage to the air conditioning unit and the electrical system. A common example is during a heat wave when the air conditioner needs to run itself almost constantly. At this time, it may heat up beyond the normal levels. If it gets too hot, a fuse will blow in order to stop any damage or potential fires from happening. While this keeps your home safe, it does stop the AC from functioning.

If a fuse has blown, most commonly you will still hear a humming coming from the outdoor unit. This is the unit still asking for a current, but not getting anything. If you have a voltmeter and know how to use it, you can concretely test to see if a fuse has blown.

Is it Safe to Check for a Blown Fuse?

As this is an electrical issue, if you are ever unsure of what to do next, you will want to call a professional air conditioner technician. In most cases just because the fuse was blown doesn’t mean the current has stopped flowing. This means that while you are investigating your blown fuse and happen to find something like wire damage as the cause, you will want to avoid touching it for your own safety.

As is the case with most electrical issues, it is often safer and quicker to just call a professional. As this issue often happens when the temperatures are at their hottest, speed can be a huge deciding factor.

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5 Types of Air Conditioning Contractors to Stay Away From

Tuesday, September 1st, 2020

You have to be careful when you get an air conditioning contractor. Make sure that the person you contact is well-known in their field and has good reviews. A good air conditioning contractor is someone who will be punctual, professional and courteous.

They’ll be forthright about how much your air conditioning installation, repair or service is going to cost. They won’t quote one price and then charge you a different price later. And, of course, they’ll get the work done in time.

But where do you find someone like this? Well, here are certain things to stay away from:

  1. A Contractor Who Has Bad Reviews: Sometimes, you see that someone has bad reviews online but you decide to go with them anyway, either because they are located closeby or you can’t get anyone else to come at the time you want. It’s better not to do this. There’s a reason why that contractor has bad reviews and it’s better to avoid them altogether.
  2. A Contractor Whose Reviews All Sound Similar: It’s very easy to fake reviews online nowadays. And if a contractor is desperate to get some good reviews, they might register under several different names and write reviews for themselves. Or they might ask friends to do so. So if all the reviews are sounding the same, stay away.
  3. A Contractor Who Is Quoting an Absurdly Low Price: You’re thinking there’s nothing wrong with a low price. But if someone is quoting a price which is half the market price and they’re not giving you any good reason for doing so, then something’s not quite right. When it comes to air conditioning, you get what you pay for.
  4. A Contractor Who Doesn’t Know What You’re Talking About: Maybe you are getting a strange smell from your AC and you tell your contractor this. But they say that they’ve never heard of such a problem. Most good contractors have come across every problem you are likely to have. So, if it’s taking a while to explain what’s wrong, just go with someone else.
  5. A Contractor Who Can Fix Anything: Sure, there are handymen who will fix many little things for you around the house. But they are not terribly specialized. If you come across a contractor who insists that he can solve each and every problem in your home, from carpentry to plumbing to electrical, well they may be legit – but they may not. Just make sure you look into their credentials before hiring them.

 

Since our beginnings in 1962, Conditioned Air has stood the test of time as the area’s leading AC contractor. We know what it takes to offer quality service at a fair price, which allows us to stand out from the less than reputable companies. Give us a call today to find out how we can help you with your HVAC needs!

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Summer is back in Southwest Florida!

Monday, May 6th, 2019

Summer in Southwest Florida can be brutal. Are you ready? Most importantly, is your AC Unit ready?

Don’t be surprised and left out in the heat this summer. We can come out and make sure your unit is ready for summer. Manufacturers suggest getting your unit checked twice per year to keep your unit under warranty.

In case you didn’t know, we offer maintenance agreements where we come make a house call twice per year to keep your HVAC unit cleaned and running properly. It’s just like your car, it needs love too.

If you have any questions about just what our maintenance agreements are all about, please feel free to live chat with us here on our website or by calling us anywhere in southwest Florida at 1-888-COLD-AIR.

We are proud to serve from Bradenton to Naples so let us keep you cool all summer long!

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4 DIY Maintenance Tips for Your AC Unit

Monday, January 7th, 2019

Our air conditioning units in Southwest Florida run more than anywhere else in the United States. The average lifespan of a HVAC unit in Southwest Florida is 10-12 years which means it is very important to make sure your unit has proper care and preventative maintenance. We recommend our maintenance plans for proper and professional cleaning twice per year but in the meantime here is some do-it-yourself tips to help get the most out of your hvac unit all year long.

 

  1. Clean and unblock all vents and register : Make sure your airflow is consistent throughout the home
  2. Program your thermostat: Saves money and saves you time
  3. Clean your drain line with hot water and vinegar : This makes sure your unit doesn’t get clogged up
  4. Clean or replace your air filters: Because no one likes a dirty air filter 

What are simple DIY heating and cooling maintenance tips?

To maintain your home’s heating and cooling system, start by keeping all air vents and registers clean and clear for steady airflow. Adjust your thermostat to run efficiently when you’re away or asleep. Replace or clean air filters monthly to keep your system running smoothly, and remove debris around outdoor units while cleaning condensate drain lines to prevent blockages.

Keep your ac unit running year round and make sure you follow these tips and more on our website

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What are easy DIY tasks I can do to maintain my AC unit?
Answer: You can clean and unblock all vents and registers, program your thermostat for efficient cooling, flush the drain line with hot water and vinegar, and clean or replace the air filters. These tasks help keep your system running smoothly between professional visits.

Question: Why is cleaning or replacing the air filter important for AC maintenance?
Answer: A dirty or clogged filter restricts airflow, forcing the system to work harder, raising energy bills, and shortening the unit’s lifespan. Regular filter maintenance improves efficiency and helps preserve the system.

Question: How does the condensate drain line affect my AC system?
Answer: The drain line removes moisture from the indoor coil area. If it gets blocked, water may back up, causing leakage, damage or mold. Flushing it regularly with hot water and vinegar helps prevent clogs and maintain proper drainage.

Question: Why should I program my thermostat and keep vents/registers clear?
Answer: Proper thermostat programming ensures your AC isn’t over‑cooling when it’s not needed, saving energy. Keeping vents and registers unblocked allows consistent airflow, so your system can cool effectively without strain.

Question: When should I call a professional instead of doing DIY maintenance?
Answer: When you notice signs like strange noises, refrigerant leaks, major airflow issues, or if the system hasn’t been professionally serviced in over a year, it’s time to call an HVAC technician. DIY is great for basic upkeep, but professional check‑ups catch deeper issues.

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