Archive for: Air Conditioning

Name: Arctic Air Inc
Address: 155 Varnfield Dr, Summerville, South Carolina, 29483, United States
Telephone: 843-821-0937

Archive for Air Conditioning – Page 2

Air Conditioner Installation Goes Smoothly

By Admin

Wednesday, October 14th, 2015

We received an urgent call from a librarian in our area. The librarian was very used to indoor weather due to her job. She rarely spent any time outdoors, because her love of reading and, of course, her job kept her indoors. One afternoon when she returned home from work she noticed immediately that her home wasn’t cool at all. She went to the thermostat and lowered the temperature, but within thirty minutes the house was still hot, so when her AC completely broke down she needed to contact the best air conditioner installation Goose Creek SC residents relied on for fast and effective service, which is our company. We assured her that we would be out the following morning, because we understand that everyone needs to have their AC running properly.

The technician arrived the following morning, and looked over her air conditioner unit. Unfortunately, the technician would not be able to repair the unit. The unit was over twenty-five years old, and was beyond repair, but we went over a variety of affordable options for the customer to meet her needs. She selected the system that she wanted, and our professional crew returned to install the system. We were able to have it done for her before she returned home from work. The customer walked in the door, and was giddy, because her home was once cool again. She was impressed with the services provided by Arctic Air Inc.

Categories : Air Conditioning

“Preventive Maintenance” … What’s in it for me? Part 4, the finale!

By Arctic Air, Inc.

Tuesday, October 28th, 2014

We are getting to that point in the season where we have to wear a sweater or jacket in the morning, and shorts in the afternoon. Have you had to turn on your heat yet? We have not, but we have had a few customers that have turned on their heat. Some have already called already about problems with their heat. This is the perfect time to get your “Preventive Maintenance (aka Tune-up) done on your ac and heating system. “But, why?”, you may ask. Well, here are a few reasons to consider doing your winter preventive maintenance now.

The first reason is probably one that most of us can relate to … and it is (insert drum roll here)…. SAVINGS! Preventive maintenance pays for itself by giving you better efficiency, by paying less in utility bills, and you have discounts on parts that are included with our plans. When you combine all of the savings, preventive maintenance is a “no brainer”. It just makes good financial sense.

Secondly, you will have “Peace of Mind“. Let’s face it… nothing is worse that having a house full of people and having your ac and heating system go down. When preventive maintenance is done regularly, you will see fewer system failures and you will increase the life expectancy of your ac and heating equipment. In addition, if your system does fail on the weekend, you can call on the weekend without any overtime charges.

The third reason… “Priority Service“. Who doesn’t like being treated a little special. When you sign a preventive maintenance agreement with Arctic Air, you get priority service. Yes, we will put you ahead of calls that do not have an agreement with us…. and again, no overtime charges.

Finally, you will see “Continuity”. Our technicians become more familiar with your equipment. This allows them to work on your equipment in a highly efficient manner. Instead of trying to find where the air handler and condenser units are located, they can immediately go to the equipment and get started on the work. Let’s be real, time is money. We want to be able to get your equipment running properly, as quickly as possible.

Now is definitely the time to get your winter preventive maintenance scheduled. Please feel free to give us a call at 843-821-0937. We are here to serve you.

Categories : Air Conditioning

Tags : #acmaintenance, #acrepair, #hvacrepair, #preventivemaintenance

Frequently Asked AC and Heating Questions…

By Arctic Air, Inc.

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

Frequently Asked AC and Heating Questions…
I am sure that if you are reading this, and you are sitting in the comfort of your home (or office), you probably don’t have any questions that come to mind about your air conditioner or heater. I mean let’s face it… if it is nice and cool in your home, you really don’t have anything to ask about the ac. It is working, so no worries. As a matter of fact, let’s not even think about it (now is when you look for some wood to knock on…LOL). Sidenote: My adopted “Grandfather”(Sam Counts) would begin to knock on his head.

So, here are some of those questions and the answers…

How much will my ac or heater repair cost? This always the first question that pops up. And, I wish that I could just give a flat amount, however, every system is different. Sometimes, it can be as easy flipping a breaker, other times it could be a bad compressor or leak in an evaporator. BOTTOM LINE – What I do promise is this.. Arctic Air offers competitively priced, QUALITY work. Our goal is to get your equipment running as quick and affordable as possible.

How long will it take? I know that we are in Charleston, SC. It is hot and it is humid. Without an air conditioner running, I know that you are beginning to get cranky and miserable. We don’t want that… neither do the people who are there with you. BOTTOM LINE – Our goal is to get to your home or business on the same day that you call. During peak season, we will work to get to you as soon as possible (usually within 48 hours).

Can you come charge up my unit? I cannot tell you how many times that I have been asked this question. The answer is YES, but …. Why the “but”? Because, in most cases, there is some other problem. Refrigerant (Freon) does not evaporate. When we get requests like this, this is what we will do… We will come out and do a diagnosis on your system. Once we have found the problem, we will inform you of the exact problem, and we will give you the cost of making the repairs. In addition, if there are options, we will give you those too. Some of our competitors have quotas that each service tech is required to make on each service call they go. We do NOT give our technicians any quotas to reach. They are only to make legitimate recommendations and repairs. We have been blessed with a great customer base and work. We never have to “make” work for ourselves.

Could this have been prevented? Yes, it is possible that this could have been prevented. Your air conditioner and heater should be given some TLC throughout the year. It is recommended that you have preventive maintenance done on your air conditioner and heater at least twice a year (once in the spring, once in the fall). Many emergency calls could have been prevented by simple maintenance.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions. If not, please feel free to contact us at 843-821-0937.

Categories : Air Conditioning

Tags : #ac, #acquestions, #airconditionerquestions, #faqacquestions, #hvac, #hvaccharelston

Honeywell & Apple Watch

By Arctic Air, Inc.

Tuesday, September 9th, 2014

Just a quick note … Did you hear on the Apple Keynote that Honeywell is going to partner with Apple to integrate our homes into the new Apple Watch? Honeywell is one of the largest thermostat and hvac parts providers in the US.

It will be interesting to see how Apple begins to integrate with our comfort levels in our homes. The Apple Watch is definitely the most interesting product that they have delivered in a few years.

Honeywell currently has a thermostat called the Lyric. This thermostat currently uses your smartphone’s gps position to figure out when it should turn on the ac or heat depending on how close you are to your home.

As products and new technology begins to come out, I will be sure to keep you up to date.

What do you think of the new iPhone 6, the Apple Watch and the Keynote Address with Tim Cook out of Cupertino, CA?

Categories : Air Conditioning

Why is Indoor Air Quality Important? 5 Steps to Improve it! Part 2

By Admin

Tuesday, August 12th, 2014

Why is Indoor Air Quality Important? 5 Steps to Improve it! Part 2

This is the next installment in our Air Quality Series. This article will focus on two additional steps to help improve your overall air quality.

If you missed the first step, be sure to click below and see the first part of this series.

Why is Indoor Air Quality Important? 5 Steps to Improve it! Part 1

As you read in part 1 of this series, air pollution is not something that is just outside. The air inside our homes, offices and other buildings can be more polluted (or polluteder <====LOL, just kidding) than the air outside. This series is designed to give you the power to make your living area less polluted.

The first step was to keep your floors mopped and vacuumed (with a HEPA filter vacuum). In addition, be sure to have a large floor mat put at your entrance ways to your home or business.

Now, on to step 2…

Control Humidity – The next step is something that most of us don’t think about. What is that you ask? The humidity level in your home. Many people don’t realize that the humidity in our homes is partially controlled by the air conditioning (ac) unit. The ac unit is responsible for lowering the temperature in our homes.

The other part of equation is that when the ac lowers the temperature of your home, it is also pulling moisture out of the air that is being conditioned. That is the reason that we have pipes (condensate lines) routed outside. This is where the water removed from the air goes.

Keeping the humidity in the 30 – 50% range is ideal. It helps keep the allergens, like mold and dust mites, under control.

In addition to helping keep the humidity in check, the ac is able to filter out some of the indoor pollen. This is a major plus for those of us with allergies.

Sometimes, the addition of a dehumidifier is necessary to help with humidity control. If you are finding that you are having issues with mold or you are feeling “sticky or clammy” in your home, it may be time to consider adding a dehumidifier.

New thermostats can also help control humidity by allowing the ac unit to run longer, thereby, removing more moisture from the air.

Here are a few more ways to dehumidify your home…

1. When you are cooking, bathing or even running the dishwasher, use an exhaust fan or crack open a window,

2. Be sure that you are not over watering any plants in your home,

3. Fix any dripping pipes or leaking plumbing,

4. Empty condensate pans (drip pans) from any window ac units or dehumidifiers,

5. Be sure that your clothes dryer is properly vented to the outside.

Here is step 3. This may not be popular, however, it is a factor to improving your indoor air quality

Smoke Outside – Back in the day, it wasn’t uncommon to go into a smoke filled home. With all of the recent findings, we now know how unhealthy it is to smoke. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals. These chemicals pollute the indoor air. Research has shown that this second hand smoke increases a child’s risk of getting ear and respiratory infections, cancer, asthma and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

Kicking the smoking habit is easier said than done. However, just because it is hard, doesn’t mean that it cannot be done. There are many options out there to help kick the habit.

Bottom line is, if you cannot quit smoking, please do it outside. This will help with the air quality inside of your home.

Please watch for the next 2 steps in Why is Air Quality Important?

If you find that your home is too humid, please give us a call (843-821-0937). There are several solutions that we can offer.

Categories : Air Conditioning

Tags : #acrepair, #airquality, #dehumidifier, #dehumidifierinstallation, #humiditycontrol

A Thermostat that Adapts to YOU? Check this out!

By Admin

Friday, July 18th, 2014

A thermostat that adapts to you? Check this out!

I am sure that we can all remember the old style thermostat. These thermostats are iconic. It seemed like everyone had either the circular or the rectangular model. These are the thermostats that used good ole fashioned mercury (you know, the stuff that isn’t very “green” today). Would you believe that these thermostats are still being sold by designers? They are using them to give the “vintage feel” to homes.

After these models, came the digital models, and after that the digital programmable models. The programmable models were so hard to program, that most people just kept them in “permanent hold” mode. Basically, using them as a non-programmable thermostat.

Now, we have something that is quite technologically advanced, yet SUPER easy to set up and use. Honeywell has come out with a thermostat that not only controls the temperature, but will do so much more. It even can sense whether someone is in the home through its geo-fencing technology (it will sense how close you are to your home based on your cell phones gps system). Of course, with something this fancy, you have to give it a name. That name is the LYRIC.

The Lyric is a round design in a glossy white with chrome trim. The design is one of simplicity. The chome ring around the Lyric turns to set the temperature. Everything else is controlled by touch. If you tap the upper display, it switches between heating and cooling modes. Another interesting feature is the weather forecast button. This will give you the current forecast plus the forecast for the next 6 and 12 hours. The home button allows the Lyric to switch between occupied and away modes, unless you have activated geofencing.

What is geofencing? Basically, this is a allows the thermostat to know when you cross a certain distance threshold. You can set it for either 7 miles or 500 feet. If you work close to your home (like I do) then you would select the 500 feet. For those that travel a good distance from home, a selection on 7 miles is more appropriate. When you cross the threshold that has been set, the thermostat will begin to cool or heat your home while you are on the way home. When you leave your home, the thermostat will go into away mode, and start saving you money. It is all about comfort and savings!

honeywell lyric Since the LYRIC’s app is on your cell phone, adjustments to the temperature can be made remotely. This is a feature that Honeywell does have on its other wifi thermostats.

For example, Staci and I were on vacation for a couple of days in Myrtle Beach. We set the temperature at 82°F when we left. On our way home, I pulled up the app on my phone, and set the temperature to a cool 74°F. When we got home, the house was nice and cool. While away, we were able to save money by not having the a/c running as much.

This thermostat not only gives basic temperature settings, but has some comfort programs running in the background. These programs take into account the outdoor temperature, the indoor temperature, as well as humidity and weather conditions. Then, based on the results, the thermostat will regulate the a/c or heat accordingly. For example, here in SC the humidity is usually very high. Combine the humidity and the heat of the day, the thermostat might run a little longer to help pull humidity out of the home, thereby making you feel more comfortable.

There are more features to this thermostat, so give us a call if you would like to know more, or if you have any questions.

Are you ready to upgrade your thermostat or purchase a LYRIC? Give me a call at 843-821-0937, so that we can discuss which thermostat will best suit you and your family.

Categories : Air Conditioning

Tags : #honeywell, #honeywelllyric, #hvac, #lyric, #thermostat

How to prevent damaging your ac unit?

By Admin

Friday, July 11th, 2014

How to prevent damaging your ac unit?

Ok, let’s face it. We have all at one time or another abused the ac system in our homes. We didn’t mean to do that, but we did! If we continue to do these things, we could cause damage that may cost a significant amount of money in repair fees or it could mean the replacement of the entire ac system.

Keep reading to find out how you can implement changes that will help prolong the life and increase the efficiency of your ac system.

Replace the air filters on a regular basis – The air filter is an extremely important part of the entire ac system. These filters help keep contaminants out of your ac system. Things such as dust, dirt, animal fur and dander are kept from collecting inside the duct work, air conditioner and/or furnace. When the air filter is clogged, it reduces the air flow. This reduced air flow makes your air conditioner less efficient, work harder, and your unit become more susceptible to breaking down.
Schedule a precision tune-up (aka preventive maintenance, winter/summer start up) – Your a/c should be considered the engine of your home. Just like you would take your car in for an oil change, your a/c system should be tuned up at least once a year (we recommend twice…. once before winter, and once before summer). Our techs will test your system for potential problems, and can replace worn/broken parts. The life of your home’s engine can be dramatically reduced by allowing dirty or damaged parts to cause further problems.
Deal with problems upfront – No one wants to replace their a/c unit. If you are having trouble with your a/c unit, address the problem head-on and as soon as possible. If you ignore the problem, it could cause more widespread damage to your unit. In addition, it could cost more on your electric bill also (ouch!). Certain problems, if not dealt with, could cause permanent damage to your a/c unit. Like I mentioned before, no one want to replace their a/c unit. A new unit can run from $4,000 – $12,000.
Proper thermostat use – What does the thermostat do? It controls the temperature inside your home, right? Yes. You are correct, but it also does more than that! The thermostat plays an important part in protecting your HVAC system. With a digital thermostat, a 3 minute delay can be set to protect your compressor. If you a/c doesn’t seem to be cooling, lowering the thermostat will not help. Call Arctic Air (843-821-0937). If you are continually “adjusting” your thermostat while your unit is on, you cause the system to not run properly. Set your thermostat to a comfortable setting, and leave it set there.
Make duct work repairs – The a/c is a two part system. You have the equipment, then you have the duct work. The duct work is a MAJOR component of the entire system. If there are leaks in the duct work, this can lead to extreme inefficiencies. Not only do you loose the cool air that you just paid to get the right temperature, but it could also cause problems with the equipment. You definitely don’t want to cool unused areas of your home; ie, your attic, the basement, crawl spaces or walls.

Having a tune-up done on your a/c unit is not very expensive. I would say it is the best deal in the HVAC industry. Give us a call to schedule yours! Keep your a/c in tip-top shape!

Categories : Air Conditioning

Tags : #actips, #airconditioning, #hvactips, #staycool

It’s FRIDAYYYYYY!! and it’s “Filter Change Time”!!!

By Admin

Friday, June 27th, 2014

TGIF!!! It’s Fridayyyyyy!!! and it’s “Filter Change Time” Too!!

Yaabaadabadoo! It is Friday, and almost quitin’ time! Once again, we have had a very busy week, and we are very thankful for it! We were able to help a lot of people get their air conditioner running. When it is this hot and humid, you certainly begin to appreciate that ac.

air filter air conditioning heating charleston sc I know that this is a few days early, but next weekend is the 4th of July weekend, and I know that no one is going to want to do this. So, take care of it this weekend. Change that filter! It is so important to the efficiency and life of your ac unit.

If your ac is not working and your house is getting hotter by the minute, give us a call. We have a technician on call throughout the entire weekend! 843-821-0937.

Well, I am going to keep this short. So, we hope that everyone has a great weekend.

Categories : Air Conditioning

Tags : #airconditioning, #filterchange, #hvac

A Cheap A/C!

By Admin

Wednesday, June 25th, 2014

A cheap a/c!

Ok, this is not an original idea by any means or stretch of the imagination. I saw this idea on either Facebook or Youtube. It was such an interesting (and easy) project, that I decided to try it.

This is what happened. I was planning to do a simple 5 gallon bucket with a fan and pvc pipe. Well I went to Lowe’s to get my supplies. I picked up the first item on my list… a 5 gallon bucket. Easy pee-zee. Then I move on to my next item… a styro-foam bucket to go inside. This was supposed to provide insulation. Ugh! No luck!

(By the way, if you want to do the 5 gallon bucket cheap a/c, go to HomeDepot.com. You can order most everything there…including the styrofoam bucket.)

Then, I decided that I would try to improvise. I looked at all kinds of foam insulation to fit inside my 5 gallon buck. Nothing seemed to be flexible enough. Plus, I had to remember that I needed to cut holes in the side of the bucket and whatever insulation that I chose. As I pondered and wandered the aisles, nothing was going to work.

I thought to myself… Wally-world will have it! They have everything! So, I put back my bucket and headed to Wal-mart. When I got to Wal-mart, I started walking the aisles. And, to no avail, they didn’t have what I needed. What am I going to do. I thought to myself, I am going to make this thing tonight.

I then picked up my phone and started watching Youtube. After I watched the video on how to make my home made a/c unit, other variations started popping up. OK, change in plans. I am going to just by a cheap plastic cooler, a fan and a 3″ 90° pvc elbow.

Staci text (or texted, I guess) me, and asked what I was doing. I let her know that I was on my way home. I was out of the house and looking for parts for about 2 hours. But, now, I have everything I need.

Troy, my co-worker, let me borrow a really cool tool for cutting holes. In addition to that, I had my Dremel.

As soon as I got home, I started my project. I put the pvc pipe on the top of the cooler and traced around it. Then, I did the same thing with my fan. I grabbed the tool that Troy let me borrow, and I attached it to my drill and started cutting. I cut as much as I could with this handy hole cutter, and then I broke out my Dremel tool for the final cuts.

I put the pvc pipe in the smaller hole… perfect fit! I put the fan in the second hole… perfect (or, at least, close enough). I went to the freezer and broke out some ice packs and threw them into the cooler. I plugged in the fan, and turned it on.

Holy cow! It worked! So, for about $50, I now have a portable, a/c unit.

I am going to freeze gallon jugs of water to put inside my cooler. Instant a/c, and a fun little project.

UPDATE

A couple of days ago, I brought this in and showed everyone what I made. Troy, decided to take it with him and make some improvements. (That being said, this will work fine in a home environment with a regular fan. We are planning to use it in an attic with temperatures around 120°-140°F.)

So, Troy added this mac-daddy fan to it that he had at his house. He also reinforced the top with a little sheet metal. This cooler (1/3 full of ice) is putting out 55°F air! It is sooooo cool! Here is what the Island Breeze looks like now.

If you have any a/c problems, feel free to give us a call at 843-821-0937.

Categories : Air Conditioning

Tags : #ac, #accharlestonsc, #airconditioning, #cheapac, #homemadeac

Energy Savings Tips … part 5

By Admin

Friday, June 13th, 2014

Energy Savings Tips … part 5!

What happened to spring? Summer is in full effect!

I cannot remember the day (this week) that this video was taken, however, the “light show” was fantastic! Staci had just taken the dogs out. She came back in and said that I had to see this. I got out of the recliner, and I didn’t notice anything different at the front of the house. She then directed me to the back of our home. I have seen “heat lightning” before, but this was special. The lightning was behind some really dark clouds. Take a look at this video.

I think this went on for about an hour… maybe more! What an amazing light show!

Now, on with the Energy Savings tips … part 5.

I guess you could say that the main gist of these tips is to avoid heating your home with lighting and appliances. Here is how you can unintentionally heat up your home without realizing it.

Try to not use the oven on hot days. When you are ready to cook, use the stove top, use a microwave, or (my favorite) break out the grill!
Install those weird looking bulbs in your lighting fixtures. Those bulbs, in most cases, use less electricity and produce less heat! Energy efficient bulbs also use about 10 – 15% of the electricity that incandescent (regular) bulbs use.
Use the daylight instead of artificial lighting. Just be sure to avoid the direct sunlight.
When washing clothing and dishes, only wash full loads. Air drying both will help reduce heat and save on your electric bill.
Try to minimize activities that produce heat. For example, using computers, burning candles (or other open flame items), running the dishwasher, clothes dryer, hair dryer, or curling irons. Televisions and stereos can also add to the heat load of your home.

TGIF! The weekend is here. Father’s Day is Sunday… I cannot wait to have my dad and father-in-law over for a feast. I hope those whose father have passed on, can look back with fond memories and remember the good things about your dads!

Enjoy the weekend!

Mike

Categories : Air Conditioning

Tags : #accharlestonsc, #ArcticAir, #energysavings, #energysavingstips, #savemoney

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Dustin R.

Hey Guys! Just wanted to say our AC has been doing great in this heat wave. I appreciate everything y’all do. Y’all also have an amazing crew of…

David C.

I wanted to extend my sincere appreciation for the service provided by Allen today. His professionalism and efficiency to do our annual maintenance on our A/C System was…

Josephine L.

My heat pump was making loud noises, so I called Arctic Air, and they sent out a Technician by the name of Allen. He was professional, polite, and…

Josephine L.

Michael was awesome

Michael was awesome when he came to our house to complete our routine maintenance and check out why our ac kept kicking on and off. Not only did…

Good afternoon Staci and Michael

Good afternoon Staci and Michael, I just wanted to let you know that Alan did an outstanding job yesterday. I loved that his attention to detail was off…

Ted

Archive for: Air Conditioning

Archive for Air Conditioning – Page 2

A thermostat that adapts to you? Check this out!

How to prevent damaging your ac unit?

A cheap a/c!

UPDATE

Dustin R.

David C.

Josephine L.

Michael was awesome

Good afternoon Staci and Michael

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