Archive for: #preventivemaintenance

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

Filter Change Time!!

By Arctic Air, Inc.

Monday, December 1st, 2014

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. Staci and I had a great Thanksgiving break with our family and friends. I can honestly say that we our thankful for the people in our lives!

I am also very thankful for getting back to work. With the time off, I decided to do a project that I have been contemplating for a few months. (For some reason, I think about the project, analyze the project, price out the project, and then spend more time researching the project.) This project did not need all of that thought and effort, but I did it anyway.

So what was the project? A small fire pit in the back yard. Our friends Kurt and Cindy have a fire pit in their back yard. We wanted to keep up with the “Jones’s”. (LOL) Whenever we visit them, if it is cold out, we always get together around their fire pit. It is a great way to “unplug” from tv, internet, cell phones and “social media”. In addition, you get to spend time with people that you love, while being outside.

I was able to get some time Saturday to execute the master plan. Lowe’s had the fire pit bowl that I wanted on “Black Friday Sale”, and I decided to pick up up. It was over 50% off. That was all that I was supposed to buy, but then I started looking at the pavers that I needed to make the round enclosure. Well, before I knew it, I was loading up one of those big carts with these bricks.

By the way, I am really out of shape. I realized that after picking up the first load of bricks. Each of these things weighs in at 24 lbs each.

So I loaded the first 20 pavers and the 3′ fire pit bowl into my Toyota Camry. At this time, I thought, I really need a truck!

I went home and unloaded the bricks. The dolly surely helped but it was still a lot of weight to pull. Ugh… Again I say, I am really out of shape.

I unpacked the bowl, spray painted a circle in the grass where the fire pit was going, and made the first layer. Then, I put the last 4 or 5 pavers in position on the second level.

Now it is back to Lowe’s for the second load of pavers. I picked them up, along with some drainage rock and sand. After the second layer, the third layer went on.

I did have to make an adjustment, and I didn’t have the proper tools. So, I took the back of a claw hammer and started pounding away. After about 10 – 15 hits, the paver was split and I had the final piece that I needed. I put that last paver in place then I added the rock and sand to the center, and I was finished.

Now it is time to sit back with Staci, and enjoy the fruits of my labor!

Thank you for reading my little story.

FILTER CHANGE: I would also like to remind you of a little project that you need to take care of soon. It is time to check your air filters to see if they need to be replaced.

Also, if you need to schedule your Winter Tune-up, give us a call at 843-821-0937.

Once that is done, take a moment to sit back and relax.

Categories : Preventive Maintenance

Tags : #firepit, #preventivemaintenance

Need a Winter Tune-Up on Your Heater?… Schedule it today!

By Arctic Air, Inc.

Thursday, October 30th, 2014

Just a quick note to remind everyone that it is time to schedule your winter tune-up (aka, start-up, preventive maintenance).

It has been forecast in the news that Charleston SC is going to experience a big drop in the temperature. They are saying that the low on Saturday is going to be around 37°F.

If you have a preventive maintenance agreement in place with us, you should have already received a reminder postcard and possibly a phone call. We are trying to get as many tune-ups done as possible! We don’t want your families to be cold nor uncomfortable when the weather changes.

For those of you who do not have a preventive maintenance agreement with us, please feel free to call us. You can take advantage of the benefits from our Discount Club today. Just call 843-821-0937 for more details.

Finally, if you have any problems with your heat over the weekend, remember that we do have an answering service and technicians on standby for you. Don’t hesitate to call.

Categories : Furnances, Heat Pumps & Heating

Tags : #heaterrepair, #heatingrepair, #preventivemaintenance

“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

“Preventive Maintenance” … What’s in it for me? Part 3

By Arctic Air, Inc.

Friday, October 17th, 2014

Happy Friday EVERYONE! …. It is definitely 5 o’clock somewhere!

Severely clogged coils!

As we continue through this series, I hope that you will begin to see how important it is to properly maintain your air conditioning and heating system. When I am out helping customers with replacing their old, broken ac equipment, I am often asked, “How often should I have my system serviced?”. Each situation is different depending on levels of dust, pet dander, and other factors. But, generally speaking, we recommend having your system tuned up every 6 months. A good rule of thumb is before summer and before winter.

Another great question about preventive maintenance is, “What is done?” I am not going to lay out in detail each item, but I will give you a general overview. This way, you will know what to expect.

• Inspect the condenser coil

• Test and adjust operating pressures

• Test starting capabilities

• Inspect the blower assembly

• Test and check safety controls

• Clean the condensate drain

• Test the voltage of the motors

• Test the amp draws on the motors

• Lubricate necessary moving parts

• Check thermostat for proper operation

• Check for proper air flow

• Measure the temperature difference at the return vs. the supply

• Check the expansion valve

• Inspect and spray evaporator with cleaner (when accessible)

• Test in a/c and/or heat mode

• Check all electrical connections

• Check all capacitors

• Clean the air handler coil

• Check mechanical components for vibration or rubbing

• Winter – check heat exchangers or electric heat strips and amps – (depending on equipment)

In addition to these items, our service technicians may recommend additional services to keep your unit running at its maximum efficiency. This can include cleaning the blower wheel, cleaning the condenser coil with a chemical, and adding condensate treatments to reduce algae growth.

Loose connections were the cause of this electrical fire.

All of these items are important to the overall care of your air conditioning and heating system. Two of these items really stands out to me. The reason is because it is a matter of life and death. The first one is “Check all electrical connections.” If the electrical connections are not tight, it is possible for an electrical fire to occur. The second one is if you have a furnace, “Check heat exchangers (for those with furnances). If you have any holes or cracks in the heat exchanger, your family could be in serious danger from carbon monoxide poisoning.

On a side note, carbon monoxide detectors are relatively inexpensive. In doing a Google search, I found that these can be purchased from $15.49 – $49.99. If you have one already, be sure that your batteries have not died.

So, what does a “PM” (aka, preventive maintenance, tune-up, winter start-up, summer start-up) cost? Right now, if you want to have us to a winter start-up, it costs $89.00 per unit (residential customers only). If you would like to join our “Discount Club”, you get a winter start-up, and a summer start-up for $159 for the first unit and $129 for each additional unit. (SPOILER ALERT …. lock in your price now, because there is a rumor going around that this is going to have to be increased next year.)

It looks like we are going to have some great weather this weekend. If you get a chance, go out and enjoy Charleston SC. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful area that has so much to do.

TGIF!!

Categories : Preventive Maintenance

Tags : #acrepair, #airconditioningtips, #heatermaintenance, #heaterrepair, #heatertips, #hvac, #hvacrepair, #preventivemaintenance

“PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE”…What’s in it for me? Part 1

By Arctic Air, Inc.

Friday, September 26th, 2014

Why should we spend money on preventive maintenance for our air conditioning and heating systems? What’s in it for me?

So often, we forget the metal boxes on the outsides of our homes. Let’s face it…. as long as we are comfortable in our homes, we don’t think about it. It is hard enough to remember to check and/or replace the air filters every month. So, why is “preventive maintenance” on your air conditioning and heating unit important?

Let me start by showing you a couple of problems that could have been prevented with some preventive maintenance.

On the left you can see a typical condensate line for an air conditioner. This line is typical of most in the attic of our homes, especially if your house is built on a slab. Whenever proper preventive maintenance is done, these lines are checked to be sure they are clear. No clogs. If they do have a clog, we will blow them out with CO2 or another device used to clear the clog. If you are not having preventive maintenance done, a clog can easily develop over time. On the right, you can see the inside of the pipe on the left. This pipe had to be cut out and replaced (it looks like a rodent ate through the pipe also.) This is a very solid clump of dirt, dust, algae etc.

So, whats the big deal with a clogged condensate line? Well, when your air conditioner is pulling moisture out of the air, that vapor turns to liquid. Yep, it turns to H2O… aka, water. If that water cannot leave through these pipes, it begins to back up. It begins to back up into the “overflow” pan under the unit. Hopefully, this pan has not rusted through AND it has a device called a float sensor. If these two items are in good working order, your ac will shut off and you will be calling someone (hopefully Arctic Air) to come to the rescue. If there is not a float switch installed, then you could start seeing water flowing through your ceiling. If the pan is rusted through….YIKES, water damage! Ugh, this could result in an expensive water damage claim and/or mold remediation claim, and this is a major inconvenience.

The next photo is of the inside of a condensing unit (the outside part of an air conditioning system). This photo shows the results of an electrical fire. This could have been prevented with proper preventive maintenance also. Our air conditioning units produce a lot of vibrations. These vibrations can cause screws to come loose. That is not a big deal, right? WRONG! It is a big deal. The screws on the electrical connections came loose and caused a fire inside of this unit. Luckily, the fire was contained and there wasn’t a catastrophic loss. The entire unit had to be rewired though. Again, an expensive repair that could have been prevented with some basic, quality preventive maintenance.

Preventive maintenance could have prevented these costly repairs.

When was the last time your air conditioner and heater had any preventive maintenance? If you cannot remember, it is time… now. For a winter tune-up (preventive maintenance), it costs $89. For two inspections, one in the spring and one in the fall, the cost is $159 or $13.25 per month (which can be paid monthly).

Over the next few posts, I will give you more reasons that it is important to have preventive maintenance performed on your air conditioner and heater.

Categories : Preventive Maintenance

Tags : #hvacpreventivemaintenance, #preventivemaintenance

A/C Tips … Spring is right around the corner!

By Admin

Thursday, February 20th, 2014

A/C Tips … Spring is right around the corner!

Hello Everyone,

charleston spring Our weather in South Carolina is always hit or miss when it comes to the winter months. Last week, we had a terrible winter storm. Some South Carolinians still do not have electricity. And a week later, we are hitting record high temperatures. Go figure!

This week has definitely given us “Spring Fever!” The beautiful mild days with warm sunshine beaming down… I know that I love spring time in Charleston SC.

With that in mind, before you know it, the 80°- 90°F temperatures will be here. One thing that most people don’t think about is when the temperatures heat up, the A/C (air conditioner) is coming on. It is real easy to flip that switch on the thermostat, and to get that air conditioner cranking out the cool air. But, is your A/C ready to get to work?

All cars need preventive maintenance, and your a/c is no different. Your heating and air conditioning system needs some TLC (tender loving care) also. It has worked hard to keep you warm and cozy this winter. Now it is time to change gears for the warm to hot days to come.

Your A/C is in need of preventive maintenance. “Why?”, you might ask. To keep it in tip top shape and running most efficiently. One thing that Staci and I cannot stand is a high electric bill. What is worse… a high electric bill AND not being comfortable in our home! When your unit is not running efficiently, you being to pay for it … in your electric bill (ouch!)

In addition, these inspections detect potential problems before they become expensive problems. When repairs are caught early, you can avoid costly repairs, and possibly, keep your unit from having to be replaced.

A few weeks ago, Arctic Air had a customer that cal us because their heating unit was not working. When we got there, we did our usual diagnostic. This is what our service technician found. There was an electrical fire inside their unit. All of the wiring had to be fixed. If this unit had preventive maintenance done by Arctic Air, we would have found a loose electrical connection. This loose electrical connection caused the fire! This is one of the items that is on our check list to be inspected.

burnt up wires

I am not sure if you can see it in this picture, but you may notice all of the burnt wires on the lower right side of the unit. Because of the vibration from the fans and other parts, connections are bound to come loose. This is NOT what you want to see, especially at your home.

Here is what our inspections consist of:

Inspect condenser coil
Test and adjust operating pressures
Test starting capabilities
Inspect blower assembly
Test amp draws on motors
Test voltage on motors
Test and check safety controls
Clean condensate drain
Lubricate necessary moving parts
Calibrate thermostat
Check for proper air flow
Measure temperature difference
Check expansion valve
Inspect and spray evaporator coil with cleaner (accessible only)
Test in a/c cycle
Check all electrical connections and capacitors

If you join our Discount Club, you receive a Summer Tune-up and a Winter Tune-up, no overtime charges ever, priority customer service, preferred pricing on repairs. This is an affordable way to keep your unit properly maintain. We even offer a monthly payment plan… as low as $13.25/mo!

Call today to get your Air Conditioner running in tip-top shape! 843-821-0937 or submit a service request online.

Categories : Preventive Maintenance

Tags : #ac, #acrepair, #ArcticAirInc, #charlestonsc, #preventivemaintenance

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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

Jerome Farris

Special thanks to Allen and the folks at Arctic Air for coming to the rescue. Called this morning and had my AC up and running by lunch. Really…

Jerome Farris