Heating, Air Conditioning and Indoor Air Quality Blog

Signs You Need to Seal Your Home’s Air Ducts

August 1st, 2022

The air ducts in your home are responsible for carrying air from the air conditioner or heater to the various rooms. It’s one of the easier parts of the HVAC system to take for granted because it stays hidden from sight behind walls and in the attic. But damage to the ductwork can put a serious dent in your comfort, whether it’s winter or summer.

Right now, you rely heavily on your AC. If your ductwork has air leaks anywhere, you’ll end up with a much less effective air conditioner and one that is more expensive to operate. Fixing this problem requires professional duct sealing services—you can’t seal the ducts on your own with duct tape! (Duct tape isn’t even designed for use on ducts, but that’s a story for another post…)

We recently wrote about the problems with leaky air ducts, but this leads to a another question: How can you tell you need duct sealing if you can’t see your ducts? There are several signs to look out for that will warn you, and we’ll go into greater detail about them here. When you notice these problems, call us to see if you need duct sealing in Yakima, WA.

Don’t Push an Old AC Over Its Limits!

July 18th, 2022

People want to get their money’s worth from home appliances and keep them running for as long as possible before they invest in a replacement. This makes sense for some appliances, and we certainly don’t advocate replacing an expensive piece of equipment too early when repairs will keep it working in excellent condition.

When it comes to a central air conditioning system—a large and vital investment for a home—trying to push an aging one to keep working year after year is not the best approach. In fact, it will cost far more to do this than to replace the AC a few years earlier. We’ll explain more below why you shouldn’t push your home’s AC for the maximum number of years you can get out of it.

The Troubles With Leaky Ducts

July 4th, 2022

You may have a thief lurking in your attic or between the walls. No, you’re not in a horror film. This is an everyday type of thief who quietly steals money from your energy budget. It’s still a thief however, one you want to put a stop to—leaky air ducts.

Most of the ductwork in a residential HVAC system is hidden from sight. It’s in the attic and disguised behind walls. That makes it easy not to think about it, which is how air leaks can be so sneaky and avoid detection. But make no mistake, these leaks can create plenty of problems. We’ll look at why air leaks are trouble and how you can detect them and get them repaired.

Is a Ductless AC Right for Your House?

June 20th, 2022

Ductless HVAC systems, also known as ductless mini split heat pumps, have been around for decades. But it wasn’t until recently that ductless systems started to make a major impact on homes in the US. Before then, ductless mini splits were popular in Japan and Europe. Their many benefits finally allowed them to break through in this country, and now many of our customers are looking for ductless systems in Yakima, WA.

If you’re wondering whether a ductless HVAC system is right for your home, this post can help. We’ll look at a few considerations that will get you started thinking about ductless mini split heat pumps and their uses.

The Best Summer Thermostat Settings for Savings

June 6th, 2022

In a recent blog post, we talked about the benefits of having a smart thermostat installed for your HVAC system. We highly recommend making this upgrade to your home comfort, but we can help you right now with advice on “smarter” settings for the thermostat during summer.

Many homeowners play fast and loose with thermostat settings in hot weather, raising and lowering them based on momentary comfort. This wastes energy and won’t lead to optimal cooling. We’ll tell you how best to set your thermostat this season and why these techniques will help save money while keeping your household comfortable.

Does a Dead Compressor Mean a Dead AC?

May 23rd, 2022

This is a major question that sometimes confronts homeowners. The compressor is the most powerful component in an air conditioning system, the part that consumes the most energy. It’s also essential for the AC to cool the air: without a working compressor, an air conditioning system is nothing more than a large fan.

Because of the high cost of putting in a replacement compressor, the conventional wisdom is that a dead compressor means the entire AC must be replaced. But is this always true? We’ll investigate deeper in this post and help you with the choice about whether to replace the compressor or the air conditioning system.

Save Energy With Smart Thermostat Settings This Summer

May 9th, 2022

Most homes have a thermostat to control their HVAC system, but we’ve found that people often don’t understand the best way to use it. If your normal way of using the thermostat is just to lower it whenever you feel hot during the summer and then raise it when it gets too cool, then you’ve probably been wasting energy running your AC too often.

The good news is that learning energy-saving techniques with your thermostat is straightforward. Once you know a bit more about how the thermostat controls the air conditioner, you’ll see how to set it for the best comfort and ideal energy conservation.

Important Facts About Leaking Refrigerant in an AC

April 25th, 2022

Refrigerant is one of the vital components in an air conditioning system. Without refrigerant circulating through an AC, it can’t carry out heat exchange, the method it uses to cool down a space. Losing refrigerant will not only restrict an air conditioner’s ability to provide cooling, it will eventually cause the entire system to fail.

Unfortunately, people often have misconceptions about what refrigerant is and how it works, and this can lead to serious AC problems. Refrigerant leaks are a common AC malfunction, and understanding why that is and how refrigerant affects the air conditioner can help you catch trouble early and know what to do.

Leaking refrigerant is a serious problem that calls for fast and professional air conditioning repair in Yakima, WA. Below we’ll explain the basic facts of this problem.

What to Consider When Getting a New Air Conditioning System

April 11th, 2022

Your home’s current central air conditioning system has come to the end of the line. It costs too much to run, it needs repairs too often, its cooling can’t keep up with the summer heat, and you can’t trust that it will make it through the summer without fail. Any one of these problems is a good reason to consider an air conditioning replacement in Yakima, WA, and our team is ready to help you make the decision and then handle the new installation.

Getting a new AC isn’t as simple as looking over shopping choices online and picking one that “seems good.” You’ll need to work with our experts to ensure you have the right system to meet your needs without rapidly wearing down or wasting power. Here are some important considerations for when you’re ready to have a new central AC installed.

Are You Ready for a New AC?

March 28th, 2022

No air conditioning system will last forever, although many homeowners often treat theirs as if it will. If you want to enjoy each summer in cool comfort in your home, you’ll need to recognize when it’s time to get rid of a central AC that can no longer do its job.

We know it’s difficult to make a big choice like installing a new air conditioner, but our team at ThermAll can make it much easier. We offer great air conditioning installation in Yakima, WA, and we’re glad to assist you with making the decision about getting a new one. We’ll start with this post where we’ll offer some general guidelines to help you know when you’re ready for a new AC.