Tag: hvac maintenance

Why Routine HVAC Maintenances Are Important

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why hvac maintenance is important

A good HVAC system ensures better indoor air quality and a comfortable home. But to make sure your HVAC unit is in decent condition, it needs to be well-maintained, either by you or a professional (or both!). HVAC maintenance can prevent malfunctions and pinpoint any deeper problems. For more detail on HVAC care, keep reading this blog by Roman Electric on all the reasons why routine HVAC maintenance is important.

1. It Reduces Heating and Cooling Costs

One of the main reasons why HVAC maintenance is so important is because it can save you a lot of money on your energy bills. According to the Department of Energy, by simply changing your air filter, you can reduce your cooling bills by up to 15 %! Imagine the savings you might see if you maintain other components of your heating and cooling system.

2. It Prevents Malfunction in the Long Run

 If you leave your trusty HVAC unit ignored, you might not notice the leak in your refrigerant lines, the clogged ductwork, or the frozen evaporator coil. Taking the time to inspect various parts of your heating and cooling system such as your vents, indoor handler and outdoor condenser can prevent sudden breakdowns. Bonus points if you have a professional HVAC technician stop by to tune-up your system and pinpoint any issues!

3. It Can Prevent Expensive Repairs

The last thing you need to worry about are your HVAC unit’s expensive repairs. By having consistent tune-ups and maintenance check-ins you can prevent countless repairs in the long run.

4. It Improves HVAC Efficiency

By taking even the smallest step to maintain your HVAC unit (such as changing your air filter monthly), you can improve your unit’s efficiency. Your indoor air quality will improve, and your system won’t have to work harder to provide the heating and cooling you need. Improve HVAC efficiency means more comfort for you, longevity for your system and fewer repair visits.

5. Improvement of Indoor Air Quality

When your HVAC unit is not well-maintained, it won’t be able to dehumidify and condition your indoor air well. This means an increase in excess moisture as well as pollen, allergens, dander, dust etc. A properly functioning HVAC unit that has been consistently taken care of will contribute to healthy indoor air quality and a healthy quality of life!

Looking for Cheaper HVAC Maintenance Services? Join a Membership Club!

Many HVAC companies offer memberships or VIP clubs that customers can be a part of. Membership in such a program will give you access to perks like priority service and discounts on HVAC products and services like maintenance and tune-ups. Check out Roman Electric’s Protection Plan for more details!

If you are located in Wisconsin and are looking for high-quality HVAC services, look no further—the pros at Roman Electric are here to assist you! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website. We are excited to hear from you!

How to Get the Most Out of Your HVAC This Summer

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Like most homeowners, we know you’re trying to ensure your HVAC unit performs to the best of its abilities during the hot summer season. Other than simple HVAC maintenance, there are other tips you can follow to get the most out of your HVAC unit. To help you out, the pros at Roman Electric have prepared a quick guide!

1. Turn Your Thermostat Back

According to the Department of Energy, you can reduce your AC’s energy consumption by 10%, by turning your thermostat 7-10 degrees higher for 8 hours a day. Try this technique out and see if it works. To put this into effect, you’ll need a programmable thermostat—these thermostats come with scheduling features that allow you to set daily and weekly temperature schedules.

Pro tip: If it gets too hot, use fans instead of lowering your temperature setting. Fans create a wind-chill effect and instead of cooling rooms (like ACs do) they cool the occupants of the room.

2. Seal Up Your Home

Air leaks can increase your heating and cooling costs as well as your overall energy costs. They can also reduce indoor air quality and force your air conditioner to work overtime to provide the cooling you need. If you want to make the most of your HVAC unit this summer, seal up any air leaks you find. The most common spots for air leaks are doors and windows. Inspect the weatherstripping in these regions—if it looks worn out, you can easily get an affordable replacement from your nearest home improvement store.

In addition to sealing up air leaks, inspect the insulation in your home, especially your attic. Air has the highest likelihood of escaping from here so make sure your attic is well-insulated!

3. Use Curtains

If you live in a particularly sunny area, you will find that it gets hot indoors quickly even when your AC is working. To prevent this, make the most of the blinds and curtains in your home. You can also get special “blackout” curtains which block the majority of the sunlight entering your room.

4. Regular Maintenance

Performing regular maintenance on your air conditioner is good for your unit, for your comfort and for your energy bill! Make sure you handle the DIY maintenance tasks such as clearing away the vegetation near your outdoor condenser, changing your air filter and cleaning your vents. In addition to that, schedule an appointment for an annual maintenance check up with an HVAC technician you trust. Consistent HVAC maintenance can prevent bigger problems in the future!

Want more tips on how you can get the most out of your HVAC this summer? Get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us online. Our team of dedicated and trusted experts will be more than happy to help you out!

DIY Maintenance Tips for Your HVAC System

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diy maintenance tips for hvac

With summer nearly here, it’s important to inspect your HVAC unit to ensure it’s ready for the new season. To help you out, the pros at Roman Electric  have prepared a list of DIY maintenance tips for your trusty HVAC unit!

1. Change Your Air Filter

You have probably heard this one before, but that’s because it’s so important. Changing your HVAC unit’s air filter is one of the easiest and quickest ways you can ensure proper maintenance for your system. All you must do is get the right size filter (be sure to compare it to the one you have so you get the right one), put it in place of the old one, and viola, you have a clean air filter! It takes a few minutes and can drastically improve indoor air quality, put less pressure on your unit and reduce energy consumption by 5 to 15%.

2. Clean Your Registers

Dust build-up on your vents and registers is common but can increase dust particles in your indoor air. It can also lead to dust particles making their way into your ductwork, worsening your indoor air quality and the performance of your unit. Before the new season arrives, do a quick clean up your registers. Remove the grille and vacuum it as well as the vent opening with an extendable brush attachment. Follow that up with a quick wipe from a damp cloth to ensure proper dust removal.

3. Clear Up Your Condenser

The outdoor condenser is an important part of your HVAC unit because it contains your unit’s compressor and condenser coils. That’s why it’s important to keep it in top-notch condition. If you want to take the DIY route, start by carefully trimming the vegetation around the condenser—be sure to maintain a clearance of 2ft around the outdoor unit. Then, use the brush attachment on your vacuum and remove any dust, dirt or debris stuck on the condenser. If you want a more thorough cleaning, apply coil cleaner on the condenser and rinse it off gently—don’t bend the fins or the exterior of the condenser.

4. Seal up Your Home

Inspect the edges of your windows and doors and ensure they are sealed properly. If the weatherstripping, which is the sealing material underneath or around your doors and windows, is worn-out, you will need to replace it. If you ignore it, you will develop air leaks which can increase your energy bill, worsen indoor air quality and force your unit to work harder to provide the cooling you need. For new weatherstripping materials, simply check out your nearest home improvement store. There are various materials you can use such as vinyl, foam and even metal!

Want more maintenance tips for your HVAC unit? Contact the pros at Roman Electric! Whether you need repair, maintenance, installation services or you simply have questions about our business, our team of professionals would be more than happy to assist you! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service online!

Why is HVAC Maintenance So Important?

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why is hvac maintenance so important

Your HVAC system is one of the most frequently used appliances in your home, which is why it is important to keep it up to date and well-maintained. However, sometimes homeowners might not always understand the importance of consistently keeping their HVAC system well-maintained. Don’t worry though, because the pros at Roman Electric are here to offer some facts on why HVAC maintenance is so important!

1. Better Indoor Air Quality

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend around 90% of their time indoors. Some allergens and pollutants such as mold and ozone might have a higher concentration indoors than they do outdoors. That is why it’s so important to find ways to maintain good indoor air quality – and one of the most effective ways you can do this is by maintaining your HVAC system. By taking small easy steps such as changing your air filter or cleaning out your vents, you will be ensuring your indoor air is allergen-free!

2. Save Money

Simply by changing your air filter once or twice a month you can reduce your unit’s energy consumption by up to 15%, ultimately reducing your energy bill. Maintaining your system can also prevent bigger problems in the future such as a frozen evaporator coil, a damaged outdoor condenser or leaking refrigerant. These problems might require costly repairs, which can be prevented by having your system professionally inspected yearly or inspecting it yourself occasionally.

3. Peace of Mind

By dedicating a few hours to HVAC maintenance, whether it is professional or DIY, you will be avoiding sudden breakdowns sending you into panic-mode and taking time out of your daily plans. HVAC emergency repairs are no fun because they are so exhausting to deal with. However, they can most definitely be avoided with the help of HVAC tune-ups earlier on.

4. Longer Equipment Life

By scheduling annual HVAC maintenance, you can extend the life span of your HVAC unit. Your system is generally wearing out due to continuous usage. But frequent breakdowns caused by carelessness can worsen your unit’s performance quickly. Before you know it, you’ll have to start looking for a replacement which takes a great deal of time, effort and research. If that’s not something you want to deal with right now, try to take care of the HVAC system you have by scheduling annual maintenance, changing your filter and having your coils cleaned.

5. Safety

Dealing with HVAC equipment that is on the brink of failure can be dangerous. For example, if your heat exchanger develops a crack, it might release harmful carbon monoxide in the air. If your refrigerant lines are worn out, refrigerant might leak through gaps in the lines. These are potentially dangerous substances and by inspecting your unit, you can prevent them from harming you.

Maintain Your HVAC System with Roman Electric!

We hope this guide clarified why HVAC maintenance is so important. If you want to learn more about HVAC maintenance, get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service on our website!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why You Should Get a Summer Tune-Up for Your AC Unit

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Nothing’s more crucial to keeping your home cool and comfortable in the summer than having an AC unit that provides a steady stream of clean, refreshing air. You might take it for granted, but the second it goes out you suddenly realize how important this equipment is.

Now that we’re roughly halfway through the summer, your unit has already been putting in plenty of hard work pumping cool air throughout your home. Although you might not think a tune-up is what your home needs right now, it’ll help quite a bit. Let the experts at Roman Electric help tell you why you should get a summer tune-up for your AC unit!

It Resets and Recalibrates Your Unit 

As we mentioned, your AC unit has already been hard at work performing cycle after cycle of cooling your home. All that work adds up and takes a toll! Minor misalignments and issues can grow and become serious issues if you’re not careful – and because the AC is going most of the time anyway, these things get worse in a hurry.

A summer tune-up for your AC unit will reset anything that has gotten knocked off-course. It will also help recalibrate its efficiency to ensure that it lasts all through the summer.

You Avoid Expensive Repairs

Another side effect of ignoring small issues is that they can quickly grow into much more serious and costly problems. If you don’t take care of minor things while they’re still manageable, then they have the potential to spread into major repairs before you know it.

Simple Ways to Reduce HVAC Costs

When you enlist the services of a professional to come perform a summer tune-up on your AC unit, you’ll get the trusty help of a trained expert to identify and correct these problems while they’re still correctable. They’ll even fix and restore things you wouldn’t have noticed without their help, saving you lots of money down the road.

It Freshens the Air for Fall and Winter

A cool, crisp fall is one of the most enjoyable times of year, and it’s a nice reprieve from the harsh summer as you get a break before winter arrives. One of the benefits of a summer tune-up is that it’ll help your AC unit perform with higher efficiency, which means your home’s indoor air quality will be at its highest. This way you’ll enjoy clean air during the fall and avoid the myriad health problems that are associated with dry winter air.

Is Your Furnace Ready for Fall?

One Less Thing to Check Off Before Winter

Speaking of winter — you’ve already got a long list of home-related conditions to adjust and check to make sure you’re ready for the colder weather, and priming your AC unit to handle it shouldn’t be a hassle. When you get a tune-up now, you’ll avoid having to keep track of it as your mind is trying to juggle a million other things in preparation for the end of the year and the weather conditions that those months carry.

Roman Electric: Your Milwaukee Tune-Up Experts

With the watchful eye and steady hand of technicians who have decades of experience like the ones at Roman Electric, your home will be good to go for the upcoming seasonal change. Our team has the tools and knowledge to turn your home’s air system into a comfortable environment that will last, and we won’t rest until we’re sure you’re satisfied.

For the best service in the Milwaukee area, give Roman Electric a call at 414-369-3798!

3 Causes for Ice on Your AC

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A working air conditioner is one of life’s greatest pleasures, especially when you’re trying to survive the hotter temperatures of the summer. Even though the middle months aren’t as intense here in Milwaukee as they may be in other parts of the country, we still encounter some pretty hot times.

One of the most frustrating things that can happen, though, is when the AC gets a little *too* cold and it ices over. Figuring out how this even happened in the first place can be stressful and difficult, and often you’re left irritated and still stuck with an icy AC. The AC experts at Roman Electric have compiled a few of the reasons why this might be happening so that you can get a better handle on why you’re dealing with this problem!

Not Enough Airflow

One of the key parts of your air conditioner is the evaporator coil. As the final stop in the air-cooling cycle in your home’s air system, it’s responsible for holding the cooled liquid refrigerant that has been circulating. Air blows over the evaporator coil, absorbing the cool gas and carrying it through your vents.

When the evaporator coil can’t get rid of the cool air, though, the temperature around it steadily drops. When it gets too cold, the air condenses, creating liquid. And when the liquid continues to get colder, it freezes. Inadequate airflow prevents your AC system from moving the cool air through your home, leading to a buildup of ice.

Make sure your home’s airflow has enough power behind it so this doesn’t happen!

Low Refrigerant

As we touched on earlier, refrigerant is key to your home’s air conditioning. It’s a liquid that changes states into a gas and back again as it travels through the AC system, and without it you wouldn’t have any cold air at all! So when you’ve got leaky refrigerant, your AC system isn’t going to know how to handle it.

When there’s a leak, the mixture moves through the various tubes and coils at the wrong speed, and this throws the whole cycle out of whack. The chemical will flow incorrectly, and it will start to clog up at various points through the system. As the cold air blows over this stagnant refrigerant, it’ll freeze and cause a buildup of ice.

Finding a refrigerant leak can be tough since it may be small, but an expert will find it for you in no time!

Broken Components

Of course, there’s a chance you could have a broken piece of machinery somewhere. Whether it’s a blocked drain, a broken blower motor or a cracked/tangled refrigerant line, there are a lot of potential issues that could result in excess ice forming.

All that is a long-winded way of saying that there are more than one or two possible reasons why there might be ice forming on your air conditioner. If you’ve noticed some and aren’t sure why it’s there — or if you do know why and just want someone to fix it — let Roman Electric make it go away!

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to speak to our AC experts today!

Spring HVAC Checklist for Your Milwaukee Home

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It’s that time of year again. The seasons are changing, which means your beloved HVAC unit is about to have to deal with a lot of adjustments all at once. The air will get a little hotter – even here in Milwaukee – and you’ll have to compensate for your own lifestyle accordingly.

But what should you specifically be doing to your HVAC unit to ensure this transition goes off without a hitch? That’s what we’re here to find out. The pros at Roman Electric have a few handy tips that will hopefully make this spring season a comfortable and enjoyable one for you and your family.

Change Your Air Filter

Although you should be changing out the air filter in your home about every 30 days anyway, it helps to go ahead and change it now regardless. When your HVAC unit starts filtering the springtime air, it has to deal with a brand-new adjustment out of nowhere.

This can actually expedite the clogging in your air filter even if you already replaced it recently. To help ease the burden on your air circulation, go ahead and swap out the filter just to give it a clean slate to work with as spring arrives.

Remove Debris from the Exterior

It might’ve been a while since you took a stroll around your home to take a look at the outdoor condenser. When you inspect it, see if there are any loose branches, leaves or other pieces of debris around it. These things can get stuck in the condenser and hamper its ability to work properly, and your system will suffer a pretty noticeable drop in efficiency.

Clear out anything you find and make sure the condenser has a few feet of clearance in every direction around it to ensure you’ll be operating at maximum efficiency as spring hits.

Seal Windows and Doors

As you adjust the usage of your HVAC unit in the coming months, you want to make sure none of your valuable air escapes into the outdoors. Invest in a few sealing materials to shore up the doors and windows of your home to prevent any significant energy loss from occurring. You can do this by purchasing weather stripping and placing it under the door and by using some caulk or over-the-counter sealants for the windows.

Schedule Spring Maintenance

You can always perform some handy DIY methods to make sure your home’s HVAC unit will work at peak performance, but there’s nothing like having an expert reassure you that everything’s looking good.

When you schedule spring maintenance with a trusted technician from Roman Electric, you’re investing in your home’s future. Our technicians are trained and as experienced as they come in this industry, and our mission is to provide our Milwaukee neighbors with ultimate peace-of-mind.

Get in touch with us, and let the technicians at Roman Electric take a look at your HVAC unit to get ready for spring! Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to speak with a trusted team member today!