New Home Owner Suggestions

If you are in a new property and not familiar with the equipment in your home have us come out. We will check over the equipment, review it with you and explain a few things. Our people will be able to show you things you should be doing that you may not know about.

As a new home owner there is a list if the things you need to be familiar with and need to do to get the best performance from your home comfort equipment.

Replacing the filter in your furnace regularly is important. If the filters are dirty the furnace will not run efficiently and your air conditioner may not run at all. We can show you how to check and change your filters. This is an easy job that most home owners can do themselves.

Thermostats come in a wide range of vintages and styles. You need to know how your thermostat works, its features and limitations. In an older home it may even be beneficial to replace your thermostat. We find many people do not understand that with most thermostats, you need to switch between the heating program and the cooling program.

To maximize your comfort levels, you want to ensure that your humidifier is working properly and that you know how to use it. Optimal settings differ depending on the time of year. Your humidity levels within the home have a major impact on how you feel in the home.

You need to know how to shut down your air conditioner for the winter. While not difficult it is important to ensure this is done correctly to protect the unit and make sure it is functional in the spring.
Prior to temperatures getting cold you need to start up the furnace to ensure that it is running properly. The first chilly day is not a fun time to find out that your furnace needs service.

Optimal air conditioning and heating is dependent in part, on how your vents are set up. Most people do not understand the science behind airflow, and the experts at Salmons can review this with you.

Check the condition of your water heater. The age of the unit is one indicator of potential issues. The colour and temperature of the water that comes out of your tap can also indicate the status of your heater.

Make sure you know where the various shutoff valves are for the water lines inside and outside the house. If you should spring a leak every minute counts to minimize damage.

People sometimes will notice that something is a little different but, will ignore it, hoping it will correct itself. Quite often equipment will put off different warnings before it fails. Addressing warning signs early is the best practice. If you are not sure, give us a call.

Changing Furnace Filters

How Often Should You Change Your Furnace Filter?

The frequency at which you change your filter depends on two main factors.

The first consideration are factors that contribute to a dirty filter. The number of people in the house, pets, carpets, how often you vacuum and the age of the house all contribute to the amount of dust and particles in the air. If you have a couple of kids and a dog, you’ll probably need to change your filter more frequently than a retired couple with no pets.

The second consideration is the size and type of the filter. Generally, older furnaces will have a filter that’s 1" thick. These filters can be flat or pleated. Pleated filters have more surface area and tend to last longer than flat filters. A 1" thick filter should be checked every 6 weeks and the frequency adjusted according to what you find. If it is really dirty you will want to replace it more frequently. If it still appears clean then wait a couple more weeks. At a minimum, 1" filters should be changed twice in the cooling season and twice during the heating season.

Newer furnaces may have a 4" thick filter that has an accordion (pleated) design. This provide much more surface area for catching dust and does not have to be changed as frequently. The minimum replacement schedule would be annually. We recommend that you check it before the air conditioner goes on in the spring and again when the furnace is going to start up in the fall. As with the 1" filter you may have to increase the replacement frequency if you have a busier household.

Checking Your Furnace Filter

4" Pleated Furnace Filter

It is important to note that your air conditioner requires a clean filter so that it does not freeze up. Air has to be moving freely to prevent that from happening. Clean filters allow your equipment to run more efficiently, and to maintain a healthy environment.

Checking and changing filters is an easy task that most homeowners can do themselves. If you are not sure how to change your furnace filter, just ask our serviceman when you are having your annual maintenance done.

Salmon Plumbing & Heating, serving London, Ontario since 1955.

Reasons for an AC Service Call

If your air conditioner is no longer cooling, you are probably going to need a service call. When we visit your home, we'll look at a number of factors that could contribute to poor performance.

A common problem is small leaks in the system that result in the loss of refrigerant. Refrigerant levels only need to be off by a little bit to reduce the efficiency and capacity of the air conditioner. When the system charge is low the AC will run longer in an effort to maintain the demands on it and on warm days it may not be able to maintain the set temperature.

In the past it was common practice to simply "top up" the refrigerant charge but present environmental regulations require us to find the leak and repair it before adding refrigerant to the system.

Damaged or loose wiring can also be an issue. Often over the winter months, mice and other small rodents will build nests within the AC unit that's outside. Some older AC models have little heaters in the compressors that run during the winter. The warm environment inside the unit is very attractive to small rodents. They can disturb the wiring, or chew on the wires, causing a short.

As the unit gets older there is a greater probability that there will be a failure of the contactor, capacitor, condensing fan motor or even the compressor.

A dirty condenser coil (the outside unit) can negatively affect your air conditioner's performance. Dirt, dust, weed and tree pollen, and leaves can all build up on the coil reducing the transfer of heat from the refrigerant to the outside air. Since the unit is outside in the elements it is necessary to clean it periodically. Don't allow nearby bushes to grow around your air conditioner. The unit needs space for good air flow to operate correctly.

Don't forget to change your furnace filter before the cooling season and check it regularly. The blower in your furnace is required to circulate the cool air produced by your air conditioner throughout your home and maintain a sufficient flow of air over the coil installed in the ductwork (evaporator coil). A plugged furnace filter can result in reduced performance of your AC and lead to coil icing.

Don't forget to change your furnace filter.

There are other causes and remedies for icing that you can read about on our blog about icing.

If your unit is older than 15 years, depending on its' condition and the cost of repair, purchasing a new unit may make more sense, although our first priority is to repair your equipment, if this is your best option. Like any piece of equipment, it's not going to last forever.

Today's air conditioners are quite a bit more efficient than an older unit, so the savings in energy costs will help take the sting out of the cost of a new unit. The government also has attractive rebates on air conditioners. Rebates on new units currently vary from $250 to $400, depending on how efficient the new equipment is.

New units are more efficient and carry attractive warranties.

Warranties on new equipment are also very attractive. Daikin offers a limited full replacement warranty for up to six years and a limited parts warranty up to twelve years. You can learn more about new equipment on our website.

Listen to our answers to many common AC questions.

What Causes Air Conditioner Icing?

Icing is a condition where the evaporator coil for the air conditioner ices over and your unit no longer can cool the home properly. The evaporator coil is located in the ductwork, usually just above your furnace. Your furnace fan moves air over the coil and distributes the cool air throughout your home.

Often if an air conditioner is icing, it can be traced to improper use. This is a common problem for new home owners and it is easy to fix.

If you set the thermostat too low, it can cause the unit to ice. Many people think that by setting a lower temperature it will help to cool down the home faster. That is not how your air conditioner works. If you set the temperature too low, your air conditioner will run continuously trying to get your house to the temperature you set.

Do Not Set Thermostat Too Low

The volume and temperature of the air flowing through the coil affects the surface temperature of the coil. As the temperature in the home drops the lower temperature of the air flowing over the coil is not sufficient to keep the surface temperature of the coil, which is being cooled by the refrigerant, above freezing. As a result, the water on the coil (condensate) freezes and air can no longer flow through the coil. Evaporator coil freezing can also occur if the outside temperature drops quickly and the air conditioner is left running to cool down the home. We often see this if the thermostat is set too low or the AC was left off all day and turned on in the evening to cool the house down. If there is a change in the weather and the outside temperature drops quickly the refrigerant temperature at the evaporator coil is so low, it can cause the moisture on the coil to freeze.

Your air conditioner coil will ice if there is not proper air flow over the coil. Some people close too many vents in an effort to drive cool air to the second floor of their home. Closing vents restricts air flow, which can cause your unit to ice.

A dirty furnace filter can also cause your unit to ice. Dirty filters are another cause of restricted air flow.

Change Furnace Filters Regularly

What To Do When Your AC Ices:

1. Turn off the air conditioner. It has to thaw out and cannot do this while it is running.
2. Make sure all your vents are open.
3. Make sure you have a clean furnace filter installed.
4. Change your furnace fan setting from ‘auto’ to ‘on’. This will thaw the coil faster.
5. Wait a few hours for the ice to thaw from the coil. Set the temperature at a reasonable level (72-75° F) (22-24°C) and start up your air conditioner again.

If these steps don't solve the problem, it's time for a service call.

A low refrigerant charge can also cause icing or frosting but it will require a mechanic to check the system pressures to confirm this.

Listen to our answers to many common air conditioning questions.