Next Generation Air & Heat, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Merritt Island’

How to Keep Your AC Going Strong

Monday, October 11th, 2021

hand-drawing-check-boxSummer is officially over, but we live in Florida so the warm weather conditions are going to last for much longer than this. This means that it’s a great idea to keep your air conditioner going strong. When we’re talking about this, we’re not talking about air conditioning repair in particular. Although this might be necessary if you’re looking to improve your home services, there are many other things you can do to get your home’s air conditioner in top condition.

We’re experts when it comes to air conditioning in Merritt Island, FL. This means that we understand what goes into your air conditioning services and how to help you get the best air conditioning tips possible. Try out these tips and see if they improve your home services. 

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How Scheduling Furnace Maintenance Prevents Repairs

Monday, October 6th, 2014

As you may or may not know, most furnace manufacturers recommend that you get your furnace checked for problems at least once a year. In fact, most warranties require annual maintenance be conducted on the furnace in order for it to remain covered. This is all well and good, but what is the true purpose of scheduled maintenance visits? After all, why not wait until the furnace begins to act strange before calling a professional? Below are some of the ways that regular maintenance actually prevents the need for repairs and saves you money.

Preventing Progressive Decline

Major problems with your furnace rarely spring up out of nowhere. The vast majority of issues that cause your furnace to break down begin as small issues. Maybe you have a bit of carbon buildup on your burner, or a partially blocked gas line. Maybe your exhaust flue isn’t venting as well as it could be. No big deal, right? Actually, any one of these issues could lead to a major problem if left alone long enough. That last one, in particular, could prove dangerous to your health by trapping poisonous combustion gases in your home. These are known as progressive problems, because if left alone they will keep getting worse.

Some issues, like a leaky or partially blocked gas line, may not cause your furnace to stop working right away. They will, however, cause a loss in efficiency for which your furnace will have to work harder to compensate. This can cause an increase in your heating bills, as your furnace runs longer to try and reach the thermostat temperature without enough fuel to do so effectively.

If you schedule regular maintenance, you can catch all of these problems before they get bad enough to force costly repairs or replacements. You’ll also increase the overall efficiency of your system by having it maintained, which saves you money on heating bills. In the end, the benefits of regular furnace maintenance far outweigh the cost.

If you haven’t scheduled your annual heating maintenance yet, call Next Generation Air & Heat Inc. We conduct furnace repair and maintenance throughout the Merritt Island area.

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How to Tell You Need Duct Sealing in Merritt Island

Monday, August 18th, 2014

The AC maintenance process typically focuses on the mechanical parts of the system. However, a truly healthy system requires healthy air ducting as well. Ductwork can often be forgotten because it is not visible and is virtually noiseless. But air ducts need attention, just as any other part of your system, or it can suffer from cracks, holes and broken seals. One of the best ways to keep your ducts healthy for the long run is by scheduling professional duct sealing on Merritt Island. When done correctly, as by a company like Next Generation Air & Heat, Inc., your ductwork can last for years to come.

Signs You May Need Duct Sealing

There are a few common signs that you may need duct sealing for your ductwork:

  • High energy bills – faulty ductwork can account for up to 30% of total air loss. When your system leaks, there can be a significant reduction of cool air reaching your home for which your AC has to compensate. Whenever your air conditioner has to work harder, it needs to use more power, which can result in higher energy bills.
  • Whistling sounds – whistling sounds in your air ducts can indicate that air is escaping through broken seals and holes.
  • Multiple hot and cold spots – it’s normal to experience slight temperature differences throughout your home, but if you are experiencing definitive hot and cold spots, there may be an issue with certain ducts not delivering the right amount of cool air.
  • Extra humidity – are you feeling extra moisture in the air? Faulty ducts can allow the outside humid air into a duct, and the moisture in this air gets delivered directly into your home.
  • Development of mold and mildew – mold and mildew thrive in cold, dark, moist places, making your ductwork a great place to grow. One of the best ways to deter the growth of mold and mildew in air ducts is to seal it properly to reduce moisture levels.

Duct Sealing Is Not a Good Choice for a DIY Project

Ductwork is extensive, and large sections can be in hard-to-reach places such as crawl spaces and attics. It can also be challenging to find all the holes and cracks that need to be repaired. These are just some of the reasons it’s important to call a professional for your duct sealing in Merritt Island.

For more information about how Next Generation Air & Heat, Inc., can help you with any ductwork needs you may have, call us today!

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Insulation Makes a Difference in the Summertime

Monday, June 2nd, 2014

Insulation is something that people tend to think of as a tool for winter and other periods of cold weather. We mentally connect insulation with wrapping a coat around our bodies to keep out the heat, and think of the thick and fluffy fiberglass bats in the walls and ceilings of our homes as serving the same job as a winter coat.

However, this is a basic misunderstanding of what insulation actually does. The coat around your body doesn’t keep the cold out, it keeps heat in. Insulation is a thermal barrier that prevents the movement of heat from an area of concentrated warmth to a cooler area (heat disperses). Because of this property of insulation, it is as important during the summer as it is in winter.

Make sure that your home has a solid thermal barrier against the summer heat (and later the entire cold) with replacement and installation of insulation in Merritt Island, FL: call Next Generation Air & Heat Inc. today and speak to our insulation specialists.

How insulation cools you in the summer

Insulation prevents the movement of heat through convection (movement thorough the air) and conduction (movement through contact). During the winter, this barrier prevents heat in your home that comes from the heating system from escaping and forcing the system to work harder. And during the summer, the barrier keeps out the heat on the outside from leaking in.

It is especially important to have effective insulation in the attic of a home. During the summer, the radiant heat from the sun can beat brutally onto the roof of a home and raise the temperature in the attic up to 130°F! Without thick insulation in the attic floor to block it, this heat will seep down into living spaces and raise the temperature 10°F or more—and that makes for enormous stress on a AC and general discomfort all around a household.

An insulation expert can help you patch up the parts of your home that need insulation replacement or new insulation installation using fiberglass blown insulation that can fit into hard to reach spaces and unusual shapes. This helps ensure that you have no leaks in your home that will allow excess heat a way to sneak in and reduce your comfort and force your AC to put in energy-draining overtime.

Next Generation Air & Heat Inc. offers service for insulation in Merritt Island, FL. Contact us today to cozy up your home for the whole year.

We can install and replace insulation in your home, as well as offer repairs for you current thermal barrier if it has suffered damage from weather or pests and vermin.

 

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3 Causes of Low Air Flow in Your Air Conditioner

Monday, May 12th, 2014

In order to properly cool a home during the heat of summer, an air conditioning system must achieve two goals: an effective reduction in the temperature of the air, and an effective flow of air through the ventilation system. One without the other means reduced comfort. An air conditioner may have no trouble removing heat from the air inside the evaporator unit, but unless it can adequately distribute this conditioned air, the house will suffer from uneven cooling.

If you notice warm spots in your home when the air conditioner is running, check on the vents to see if the airflow is at its expected level. If it feels weak, then you probably have repair needs for the AC. Call Next Generation Air & Heat Inc. for fast and reliable air conditioning repair in Merritt Island, FL.

What causes low airflow? There are a number of possibilities, but here are three of the most common:

1. Clogged air filter

Debris that enters the return air vents of an HVAC system can potentially damage the interior components of an air conditioner. The air filter traps debris to protect the system. But over time, the filter will accumulate so many trapped particles that it will become clogged. This will throttle the airflow into the system, and consequently lower the air coming out of the system. Make sure you change the filter once a month while you have the air conditioner running regularly. If an air filter becomes excessively clogged, you may need to have a repair technician look for additional problems it may have caused.

2. Blower fan troubles

The power behind the airflow coming out of your air conditioner is the blower fan that draws air from the return vents and then sends it through the evaporator coils for cooling and on into the ductwork to the vents that open on your rooms. The blower can malfunction for various reasons: broken belt, burnt-out motor, dead capacitors, failed electric relays. Technicians will investigate to find out what has caused the blower to drop in power and efficiency.

3. Ductwork leaks

This problem doesn’t come from the AC itself, but from the ducts connected to it. The ventilation shafts must maintain an airtight seal from the air handler all the way to the vents, or else air pressure will drop as air escapes through the leaks. Breaks along the ducts from corrosion, construction damage, or poor installation will siphon away the air that should blow out the vents. Duct specialists can handle sealing and repairing the vents.

Next Generation Air & Heat Inc. will take care of any troubles you may encounter with your AC’s airflow.

Along with air conditioning repair in Merritt Island, FL, we also specialize in repairs for ductwork, making us an ideal choice for the work you need to restore your AC, whatever its dilemma.

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How a Bad Compressor Can Cause Problems for Your Heat Pump

Monday, March 10th, 2014

The compressor is the “heart” of both air conditioners and heat pumps. This component resembles a piston engine in operation. It places the refrigerant in the system under high pressure by compressing it. This raises the temperature of the refrigerant and turns it into a high-pressure gas. The change in pressure moves the gas along to the condensing coil (which may be either the indoor or outdoor coil in a heat pump depending on whether it’s in heating or cooling mode) to start the heat exchange process.

When the compressor goes bad in a heat pump, it will threaten the whole operation of the system. Heat pumps with bad compressors will need professional repairs, usually to replace the compressor. Call Next Generation Air & Heat Inc., any time of the day or night, when you need repairs for your heat pump in Merritt Island, FL.

Troubles from a bad compressor

A motor runs the compressor, and should this motor fail, the compressor will not work at all: refrigerant won’t run through the coils and the heat pump will not provide heating or cooling. If you don’t hear your compressor coming on at all, a broken compressor motor is probably behind it. (Listen also for screeching or groaning noises, an early warning of a failing motor.)

If the compressor wears down, usually because poor maintenance has gotten it dirty, it can stop working because of bad compressor bearings or contacts. In the former case, the outdoor fan will still start, but the rest of the heat pump won’t work. In the latter case, the heat pump will probably not start at all, although you may hear a humming noise from the cabinet. The compressor can also become overloaded from a bad relay, which will also cause the heat pump to fail to turn on.

Another problem that a failing compressor can cause is leaking refrigerant. Loose or broken connections to the compressor are one of the main places where a heat pump can lose refrigerant, which leads to icing over of the coils and a drop in power. Sometimes a technician can repair this without having to replace the compressor, but the refrigerant will need to be recharged to its regular level.

Seek professional diagnosis

All of the above heat pump problems—failing to turn on, no heat or cooling, only the outdoor fan runs, leaking refrigerant—can stem from malfunctions other than a bad compressor. To find out what is causing the trouble, you’ll need a technician trained in heat pump repair. Don’t try to troubleshoot the problem on your own.

Next Generation Air & Heat Inc. has extensive experience with repairs for heat pumps, so for your heat pump in Merritt Island, FL, call us—any time of the day or night—for quality service.

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Methods Professionals Use to Seal Leaks in Ducts

Monday, January 20th, 2014

Breaks and gaps in the ductwork of your home can lead to serious problems that will affect both the performance of your HVAC system and the quality of your indoor air. Dust enters through these gaps, and air pressure escapes from them, making your heater and air conditioner work harder and the air in your home dirtier. These leaks need professionals to seal them as soon as possible. Call Next Generation Air & Heat Inc. for duct sealing, as well as duct cleaning in Merritt Island, FL.

But wait… what about duct tape? Won’t that take care of the problem?

Usually, no. For one thing, the original name of duct tape was duck tape (the reasons for this are obscure): it has nothing to do with ducts—it was designed in World War I to seal ammo boxes—and only became associated with duct work later. The actual industry name for this tape is cloth-backed rubber-adhesive tape. Duct tape has many great applications, but it has difficultly withstanding the temperature changes in ductwork, and controlled tests have shown its not a reliable duct seal.

Professionals use two principle tools to perform duct sealing that take care of the job. Some professionals favor one or the other, but both are very effective:

  • Mastic sealant: This is a resin-based sealant which duct technicians apply using a special mastic sealing gun. This sealant is used in a variety of repair projects because of its excellent durability, lightness, and flexibility. Flexibility is important for ductwork, because ducts expand and contract as they heat and cool. Mastic sealant can last for many years without losing its hold or starting to flake. It is one of the best ways of sealing metal ductwork because the contact with metal does not cause corrosion, which many other adhesives do.
  • Metallic tape: Actually, there is a form of “duct tape” that works, but it’s nothing like the duct tape you can buy at a store. Metallic duct tape is usually made from foil and can last for many years. Some duct sealing professionals prefer using these metal adhesive tapes over mastic sealant because they find mastic too messy to apply. Others prefer mastic because tape doesn’t have the same flexibility.

Have professionals seal your ducts

Something else to keep in mind when it comes to sealing ducts: it’s often difficult to access much of your ductwork. Professionals are trained to get to your ducts without causing damage to your home. Trust to the local experts to handle duct sealing and duct cleaning in Merritt Island, FL: Next Generation Air & Heat Inc.

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Is One Type of Insulation Better Than the Others?

Monday, November 18th, 2013

Insulation comes in many types, from traditional fiberglass to foam board. Here on Merritt Island, insulation plays a huge role not only in keeping your house warm in the winter, but cool in the summer as well. (The latter is likely more important here on the steamy Florida coast.) The type of insulation you choose will have a considerable impact on that. Is one type of insulation better than the others? It depends on your circumstances; each one offers its share of advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a list of some of the most prominent ones:

  • Fiberglass. Fiberglass is considered very efficient and cost effective. It’s noncombustible, and it doesn’t retain water, meaning that it can retain its ability to hold in heat very well. This of no small concern considering our humidity issues in Florida.
  • Cellulose installation. This type is much less expensive than other forms of insulation, but has its share of issues. It’s made from shredded newspaper, which means it doesn’t retain heat especially well: requiring more insulation to achieve the same effect. It’s also more vulnerable to fire and retains moisture more than it should.
  • Foam board insulation. Foam board is usually made from various types of chemicals, and is extremely efficient in both the summer and the winter.  It’s not as eco-friendly as some other types of insulation, however, and it can be more expensive depending on which type you buy.

The right kind of insulation for you depends on your home, your budget and what kind of energy saving you hope to achieve. On Merritt Island, insulation choices are made easier by advice from a trained service technician like the kind on staff at Next Generation Air & Heat Inc.. We can help answer the question “is one type of insulation better than the others?” matched to your particular circumstances and with an eye on the best deal for your home. Pick up the phone and give us a call today!

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Air Conditioning Installation: When Ductwork is Not an Option

Monday, July 8th, 2013

Most air conditioning systems are referred to “forced air” systems because they force air through a series of ducts in order to provide cooling to your home. Central air conditioning systems and heat pumps both fall into this category. But what about homes that simply don’t have space for ductwork? This is fairly common in older homes and also in historic buildings that were built before ductwork was common. In those situations, a different kind of solution exists: ductless mini split air conditioners.  Read on below to learn more about these terrific home comfort systems.

Ductless mini split air conditioning systems have actually been around for a very long time. As their name implies, they don’t use ductwork to move cool air through your home. Instead, they use wall-mounted units inside your home that are placed in different sections of your house. The wall-mounted units circulate the air in those areas and provide cooling or heating.

The installation process for ductless mini split AC systems is very easy for any Melbourne, FL air conditioning installation technician. The indoor unit need to be installed on your wall or ceiling. A small hole needs to be drilled in the wall behind the wall-mounted unit to allow for electrical wires, refrigerant tubes and condensation drains. The refrigerant tubes and electrical wires run outside to a central condensing unit.

Ductless mini split air conditioners have several very attractive benefits over central air conditioning systems.

  • First, as cool air travels through ductwork it can absorb heat through the walls of the ducts which reduces the efficiency of central AC systems and heat pumps. Ductless mini split AC systems don’t use ducts which allows them to avoid that energy loss.
  • Second, ductless mini split AC systems provide natural zone control for homeowners because each wall-mounted unit can be controlled independently of each other.

If you need air conditioning installation in Melbourne, FL, just call the friendly experts at Next Generation. 

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Tips for a Successful Air Conditioning Installation

Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

Next Generation Air and Heat offers fast, reliable and good quality installation services for all different types and brands of AC systems. There are a few things that homeowners can do to make sure that their new air conditioning system is installed properly to maximize performance and energy efficiency.

Energy Efficiency Rating

One of the most important things to look at in a new air conditioning system is the efficiency rating. Most air conditioning systems are given a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating. This rating is a measurement of how much cooling the unit provides over a season divided by the amount of energy used. The higher the SEER rating the more efficient the equipment is. Typically, a SEER rating of 14 is required in order to receive an Energy Star seal. Finding an air conditioning system that meets your home’s energy goals is a huge priority for homeowners.

Cooling Capacity

Another very important component of your new air conditioning system will be how much cooing it will provide. If you get an AC system that is too small or too large it could cause serious issues for your home. Make sure that you get have your air conditioning installed by a qualified contractor. AC technician will help you find the perfect-sized system of your home.

Good Installation

Finally, the most important things that you can do for your new air conditioning system is to get it actually installed in your home by a professional technician. Bad installation is a very common cause of air conditioning problems. If your air conditioning system isn’t installed properly it can cause problems for years in your home. Call the air conditioning installation in Melbourne, FL pros at Next Generation Air & Heat Inc. today to get an estimate.

If your air conditioning system has started to need more frequent repair, or if you need a new AC for your new home, call Next Generation Heat and Air today. We’ll work with you to find a good system for your home. 

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