Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category

What to Do if Your AC Hasn’t Been Used in Months

Monday, March 20th, 2023
dirty-AC-condenser-unit

We’ve had an extended season of sweater weather here in Orange County. You’re probably looking forward to the time when you’ll switch to using your air conditioner instead of your heater. That is, unless you’re dubious about how your AC will perform after not using it for so long.

Homeowners may be wondering if there’s anything they should be on the lookout for after not using their air conditioners for several months. Most air conditioners usually aren’t affected by a long hiatus from being used. However, there are some precautions that you can take before you turn your AC on after three to four months of inactivity.

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Signs of a Failing Compressor in an Air Conditioner

Monday, August 8th, 2022

Southern Californians all know the importance of reliable air conditioning — and many are all too familiar with the signs of trouble. One of the biggest issues you might face is a failing compressor. This is the part of your AC that handles all the heat transference. Without it, you’ll get nothing but hot air blowing throughout your home. 

Most compressors don’t just give out all at once. They’ll give some warning signs that they’re failing, which an HVAC tech can correct. 

Whenever you need air conditioning repair in Mission Viejo, CA, or anywhere else in Orange County, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Getting service as soon as possible can save you money and, in some cases, save your entire HVAC.

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You Don’t Want to See Ice on Your AC

Monday, July 25th, 2022
ice-on-an-ac

During a hot summer day in Southern California, few things feel more appealing than ice. Ice means cool drinks, ice means refreshment, ice means cool.

So when your air conditioning system is running during those hot summer days, doesn’t it just seem right to see ice forming on it?

Well, no matter how it seems, ice isn’t supposed to form on any part of an AC. If you notice ice on your air conditioner—most likely on its indoor evaporator coil—something is wrong. Don’t delay calling us for AC repair in Laguna Niguel, CA or elsewhere in Orange County.

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Electrical Failures in Your AC System

Monday, June 27th, 2022
wires

An air conditioning system is an electrical device. This probably isn’t news to you, because you know that your electrical bills rise during the summer as the air conditioner starts to put in more work. You may not realize just how much electricity an AC uses, however. It’s one of the highest consumers of electricity in most households, consuming 3,500 watts per hour on average. (For comparison, the air conditioner in “fan only” mode consumes 750 watts per hour). Only an electric water heater has a higher average electrical usage, and you may not even have one of those.

So you can understand why electrical failures in an air conditioning system are among the most common a unit can face. We’ll look at several of the electrical malfunctions from your AC that may lead to you calling us for air conditioning service in Orange County, CA in the future.

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Can a Ductless AC System Really Benefit My Home?

Monday, June 13th, 2022
ductless

Ductless technology has become more popular with homes in the US over the last decade. You might be one of the many homeowners who has wondered if using a ductless mini split system to cool your home is a good idea. Making the change from a familiar central HVAC system that uses ducts can seem intimidating, but our technicians can help you with deciding about a ductless AC installation in Orange County.

So … is a ductless AC a good choice for your home? How can you benefit from one? 

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What Will Intense Heat Do to an AC?

Monday, May 2nd, 2022
sunlight

We can expect another intense, hot summer ahead. The spring has already thrown a few 90+ days at us. This kind of heat may make you worry about whether your AC can stand up to it. After all, it’s a Southern Californian’s nightmare to have a home air conditioning system suddenly fail during one of the hottest days of the season.

The best weapon you have against AC failure during the coming heat is professional maintenance. We recommend calling us to schedule the service at your earliest convenience: spring is the ideal time to have the job done, and the summer is approaching fast. If you have this service, you can feel better about your AC’s performance for the season.

But we do want to address the issue of intense heat vs. an air conditioner and talk about what kind of effect heatwaves have on cooling systems. This can help you understand when you need to call us for air conditioning repair in Orange County. 

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Planning for the Heat With AC Money-Saving Tips

Monday, March 21st, 2022
air-conditioner

We’re already enjoying warm weather here in Southern California as spring starts, which is exactly what we expect. We can also expect this summer to be another hot one when we need our air conditioners putting in serious work to keep us cool and happy.

Running an AC is expensive. The only electrical appliance in a house that uses more electricity is an electric water heater (if you have one). The compressor of an air conditioner draws on large amounts of power to run when the AC switches into cooling mode, from 3,000 to 5,000 watts per usage hour. For a comparison, most electrical appliances in a house only use watts per usage hour measured in the low hundreds.

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Welcome March With AC Maintenance

Monday, March 7th, 2022
air-conditioner

Wouldn’t you like to get started on summer early? We can’t change the weather outside for you, but we can help start making an important preparation for another season of hot weather. March is the time when people start to think about the coming warmer months, and it’s the time we recommend our customers arrange for regular air conditioning maintenance. 

We want to stress how important annual air conditioning maintenance is for a home. It isn’t a job you want to skip for a year or two, no matter how tempting it might seem. The air conditioner for your house is vital during the summer—you wouldn’t want to have it fail on you during one of the hottest days of the year, but without maintenance that becomes a much stronger possibility. 

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How to Prevent AC Overheat at the End of Summer

Monday, August 23rd, 2021
sunlight

We’re in for some serious heat here at the end of August and into September. This is when your air conditioning really earns its keep. But the heat, consistent operation, and the general wear from the rest of summer can lead to your AC overheating and shutting down.

“Overheating” can refer to several different occurrences in an air conditioner: tripped circuit breakers, burnt-out fan motors, even a dead compressor. They all have in common an AC overworked and overstrained to the point it ceases to work.

Although you can always trust us for fast air conditioning repair in Laguna Niguel, CA and elsewhere in Orange County, we know you’d rather not have the AC overheat in the first place. We’ll go over ways to avoid this problem during the end of the season.

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Why Water Might Leak From Your AC

Monday, July 26th, 2021
water-droplets

You may expect to see water leaks coming from places like beneath your sink or around the edges of your shower. These are places where there’s plumbing, and where there’s plumbing there can be leaks.

But water leaking out of your air conditioner? You might not have thought about that occurring. Yet you can see the water starting to puddle around the inside cabinet of your central AC. Why is this happening? Where is the water coming from? Do you need it repaired?

We’re going to look at why water might start to leak from your air conditioner and what to do about it. In most cases, you’ll need professional air conditioning repair in Irvine, CA. Our team is here, ready to help you solve whatever cooling system troubles you have.

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