Residential & Commercial HVAC and Refrigeration Tips Blog | Atlantic Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc.

3 Common Problems with Heat Pumps

December 14th, 2015

Heat pumps – which use the principles of air conditioning to both cool your home in the summer and keep it warm in the winter – are rapidly becoming a popular alternative to more traditional forms of heating and air conditioning. Our cold Dover, DE winters used to be prohibitive towards heat pumps, since older models couldn’t handle our cold fronts, but recent advances have made them reliable no matter what the temperature. Like any system, though, they still suffer breakdowns from time to time, and when they do, you need a qualified service to fix them. Here are 3 common problems with heat pumps that you should watch out for.

What are the most common heat pump problems that need repair?

The most common heat pump issues needing repair include low refrigerant levels, reduced airflow due to fan or blockage problems, and a malfunctioning reversing valve that prevents switching between heating and cooling. Addressing these problems early can restore comfort and prevent system failure.

Geothermal Systems May Be Just What Your Home Needs

December 7th, 2015

Here in Dover, DE, we kind of get the worst of both ends on the heating and cooling spectrum, with hot, muggy summers and freezing cold winters. The solution to that dilemma may be a geothermal system, which draws upon the ambient power of the earth itself to warm and cool your home. There’s an initial up-front cost to such a system, but the long-term savings and overall efficiency often make the purchase worth it. Here’s a breakdown of how it all works: to show why geothermal systems may be just what your home needs.

Avoid High Heating Bills This Christmas

November 30th, 2015

Dover, DE gets its share of snow and ice every Christmas, and with relatives coming over for the holiday season, your heater is apt to see a lot more use than it might otherwise. You never want to deal with faulty heating systems when you’re preparing a Christmas dinner or welcoming friends and family into your home, which is why now is the perfect time to cut down on those high heating bills. The steps you take today could make a big difference tomorrow, and ensure that high bills won’t put a pinch on your holiday cheer. Here’s a few tips on how to avoid high heating bills this Christmas.

Common Issues with Radiant Heating Systems

November 23rd, 2015

Many homes in Dover, DE use alternative means of heating trying to escape the issues and problems associated with traditional furnaces and boilers. Radiant heating systems, which warm your home through heater coils planted beneath the floorboards, are an excellent way of doing this. They cost less to run than other types of heating and their reliability means that repair issues are rarely a problem. Sometimes issues do crop up, however, as much as we might like them not to, and you can do yourself a favor by watching closely for some of the common issues with radiant heating systems. When you spot them, shut your system down and call in a repair service immediately.

Energy Recovery Ventilators Improve Your Home’s Efficiency

November 16th, 2015

With winter on the way in Dover, DE, homeowners needs to consider every option in keeping their houses as energy efficient as possible. The better your home can retain its warm air – or cool air in the summertime – the more money you save on monthly energy bills and the less strain you put your heater and air conditioner under. There’s plenty of simple steps to improve your home’s energy efficiency, but one you might not have considered is an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) placed in your attic. We’re provided a quick outline of how it all works.

Ventilation without Loss of Temperature

The central purpose of an energy recovery ventilator is to swap out the stale air in your home with fresh air from outside, without losing the warmth (or coolness) your heater or air conditioner have worked so hard to provide. This is true year ‘round, but bears especial importance in the winter, when we shut out homes up tight to retain the heat. All of that stale air can force your heater to work harder to do its job – lowering humidity to unacceptable levels and forming a breeding ground for germs and bacteria to circulate endlessly. An ERV fixes that by linking two vents – one blowing fresh air in and the other blowing stale air out – to a heat exchanger in your attic. The air doesn’t co-mingle, but the heat exchanger pulls the heat out of the outgoing air and into the ingoing air.

What You Can Expect

As a result of this exchange, your air is refreshed and yet your household temperature remains the same. Even better the load on your heating system is reduced considerably, which means it doesn’t need to run as long to retain the warm temperatures in your home. Your monthly rates go down and your system doesn’t suffer from as much of a risk of a breakdown.

Atlantic Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Inc. installs and services energy recovery ventilators.

3 Advantages of Heating Maintenance

November 9th, 2015

Fall has arrived in Dover, DE and that means winter will be on its way soon. Your heating system will be called upon to perform at its peak each and every day, and even if there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it, now is the time to schedule a service session from a trained technician. The benefits to a heating maintenance session performed now, before the snows begin falling in earnest. Some homeowners may question the benefits of paying for heating maintenance if there’s nothing wrong with the heater, but in fact, it can provide a number of tangible benefits. Here are 3 of them listed below.

When Should I Call an Emergency Service?

November 2nd, 2015

Quality HVAC companies know that repairs don’t always fall during normal working hours, and given the hot summer and cold winters here in Dover, DE, a qualified technician needs to be on call 24/7. That’s invaluable when you have an emergency to deal with… but how can you tell when that moment arrives? What qualifies as an emergency service, and what can wait until normal operating hours (and a lower expense)? Only you can answer that question for sure, but here’s a few suggestions to help guide you in the right direction.

Common Signs of Heater Trouble

October 26th, 2015

With the cool days of fall here in Dover, DE, you’ve likely had an opportunity to run your heater and keep your household comfortable in the face of falling temperatures. You may also have noticed signs that something is amiss, which may require a repair technician to take a look. If your heater is experiencing problems, then now is the time to treat them, before the snows of winter start to fall and you need your system to function without trouble every day. By spotting common signs of heater trouble – even those that don’t shut down your heater – you can get a jump on any trouble and head it off before it results in a complete breakdown.

What are the Benefits of a Radiant Heating System?

October 19th, 2015

If you’re looking at replacing the heating system in your home, then now is an excellent time to do it. Fall has arrived, and with our chilly Dover, DE winters just a few short weeks away, you’ll want to equip your home with the best system you can to combat those low temperatures. And if more traditional forms of heating aren’t quite what you need, you might want to consider an alternative, specifically a radiant heating system. It involves placing tubes of coils beneath the floorboards in your home, then pumping heated liquid through them to warm your room directly through your feet of the furnishings. It sounds wild, but it actually provides a number of tangible benefits.

Benefits of a New Thermostat

October 12th, 2015

With fall here in Dover, DE and winter on its way before too long, now is the time to install a new thermostat. Thermostats can last for many years, and we often have some homes with units that are decades old. Functionality is less of a concern than the updates available with new thermostats. And like any other form of technology, thermostats have undergone some amazing upgrades in the last few years. If you haven’t seen the benefits of a new one, especially if your existing one is a decade old or longer, now is a good time to consider an upgrade for this winter.