Lew's Reliable Heat & Air Conditioning

Get Your Home Ready for the Summer Heat by Having Your A/C Professionally Serviced

Summer is here, and it is time to make sure your air conditioner is ready with an annual tune-up! Annual A/C maintenance is a vital part of keeping your air conditioner in good condition and ready to take on the highest summer temperatures. Having your air conditioner maintained will keep it at peak efficiency and give your air conditioning repair service a chance to evaluate your system and spot any potential issues that may be lurking.

• Your air conditioner can lose efficiency for every year that it is not maintained. This results in higher utility bills for you, and eventually shortens the life of your air conditioner. Just as you would not neglect an oil change for your vehicle, don't forget to call your air conditioning service and schedule your annual tune-up and inspection before the summer heat really arrives.
   
• A professional air conditioner tune-up includes comprehensive checks and tests that verify the condition and function of your unit. Refrigerant charge levels are checked, which is important because overcharged or undercharged systems will not operate efficiently and can even become damaged. All electronic components will be checked for safe and consistent operation. Moving parts in the motor and other areas will be lubricated and serviced as necessary for smooth, noise-free operation.
   
• You can change your air conditioner's filter on your own. The air filters in your HVAC system not only remove pollutants from the air and make your air healthier to breathe, but they help improve airflow for the entire system. A dirty filter compromises your indoor air quality and also greatly reduces the efficiency of your system and makes it work harder, costing you more and shortening its life.
   
• Consider the installation of a programmable thermostat or have your existing thermostat calibrated by your professional air conditioner technician. This will ensure you have every available tactic on your side for efficient comfort this summer.

Lew’s Reliable Heat & Air Conditioning can tune-up your air conditioner in preparation for the summer! Visit us online to learn about our full range of heating and cooling services, or call us at (440) 210-3748 in Mentor today, to schedule a service appointment!

Conserve 101: HVAC Maintenance

Your HVAC system takes care of you, so it makes sense to take care of it in return. Keeping on top of regular maintenance will help you enjoy improved indoor air quality, a steady comfort level, and reduce your energy costs by ensuring that your system is efficient.

This video offers several tips on what you can do to keep your HVAC system running smoothly. For example, you should check your air filter at least once a month and change it if it is dirty. Have your air conditioner tuned up on an annual basis by professional contractor. This will help it stay efficient and spot any potential problems for the cooling season begins. Regular maintenance will also keep your HVAC system running longer.

Lew's Reliable Heat & Air Conditioning can help get your system ready for the summer, and keep it running great and cool throughout the warmer months. Call us at (440) 210-3748 information.

Zoning Systems: Save Money on Your Utility Bills While Keeping Your Family Comfortable

Your heating and air conditioning system is designed to efficiently cool your entire home, but sometimes older systems aren't able to do that as efficiently as possible. Even a newer system may not be able to handle the heating and cooling load in a multi-story home. If you have experienced warm spots, cold spots and otherwise uneven heating and cooling, your home could likely benefit from zoning.

Zoning systems help control the output of your HVAC system, whether it is your furnace in the winter or your air conditioner in summer. They intelligently route airflow to ensure that all rooms of your home are kept at the desired comfort level, as set by thermostats controlling each individual zone.

Increasing Efficiency

Zoning systems work by using dampers, installed by your air conditioning service, that regulate airflow within your existing ductwork. This way, a room that has been previously too cold due to excessive airflow will instead be maintained at the desired temperature. This works for areas that do not receive enough cooling air as well.

Each zone of your home is controlled by a thermostat that communicates with the central system. Your home can have two or more zones, depending upon how much control you need. For example, many of today's multi-story homes are actually constructed with two air conditioners, one for the top floor and one for the bottom floor. Instead of what is in effect doubled energy consumption, zoning your existing air conditioner can help cool all floors of your home while making the entire system more energy-efficient.

Maximizing Comfort

You can customize your home's new zoning system by adding tailored areas of control. For example, you can keep the sleeping areas at a different temperature from the rest of your active household. You can enjoy a cool or kitchen while you're cooking, or a toasty home office.

Learn more about zoning your home when you contact Lew's Reliable Heat & Air Conditioning at (440) 210-3748. We can help create a comfortable environment throughout your entire home. Visit us online to schedule a consultation with us today.

Tips for Reducing Your Home Cooling Costs this Summer

According to EnergySavers.gov, heating and cooling costs are the largest energy expense for most U.S. homes. This is probably no surprise to anyone who can remember their energy bills from last summer. This year, you can reduce your home cooling costs by following some simple tips:

Take Control of Your Thermostat
During times when no one is in the house, like weekdays when parents are at work and kids are at school, set your thermostat a few degrees above where you like it. For most air conditioners, a setting of 78 degrees is easier to maintain and requires less electricity than lower temperatures. If you come home to a temperature that’s above where you like it, don’t crank the thermostat all the way down thinking it will cool your home faster, because it won’t. Simply set your thermostat to the temperature you desire.

Turn on the Ceiling Fan
Try using the ceiling fan instead of the air conditioner during slightly cooler times of the day like late night and early morning. This is particularly good advice if you have a fan in your bedroom, because there’s no need to cool the entire house while you’re sleeping.

Schedule a Pre-Summer Tune up
For every year your air conditioner doesn’t receive service, it stands to lose five percent of its energy efficiency, according to Angie’s List. An HVAC professional performing a tune up will inspect and clean your coils, refill refrigerant, and calibrate your blower system for optimal airflow.

Change Your Curtains
Lighter colored curtains will reflect solar heat from the sun-facing windows in your home. There are a number of specialized products that you can buy to keep heat from coming in through your windows, including films, screens, mini-blinds, and curtains.

Lew’s Reliable Heat & Air Conditioning has served the Lake and Geauga counties since 1970. We’re proud of our reputation in the community as an honest and experienced heating and cooling service company. Call us today at (440) 210-3748 for more ways to save money on energy bills this summer.

Shopping for a New Air Conditioner? Consider These Tips!

Having a new air conditioner installed is a great way to invest in your home. As you shop around for an air conditioner, consider factors that will affect its ability to cool your home. Here are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for an air conditioner.

Size
The size of the room or rooms you want to cool should have a direct impact on your air conditioner choice. This is especially true for single-room air conditioners. A unit that is too small for a large room won’t cool the space. On the other hand, one that’s too large will cool the room too quickly and shut off, leaving excess humidity in the room. The result is a cold and clammy atmosphere. To determine if an air conditioner is sized correctly for the room you want to cool, look at the Btu per hour rating. A Btu of 15,000 will cool rooms up to 875 sq. ft easily. You can compare your rooms’ square footage with the unit’s Btu capacity with this air conditioning size calculator.

Noise Factor
Some air conditioners operate more noisily than others. If this is a concern for you, ask your contractor or sales representative which models will create the least noise. Your air conditioner should make your house more comfortable, and a unit that is too loud does not accomplish that.

Energy Efficiency
The more energy efficient a model is, the more it will likely cost initially. The tradeoff is, you will save more money on your utility bill than you spent on the AC unit. The EPA developed the SEER rating system to monitor energy efficiency standards and give consumers an idea of how much money they might save on utilities with a new air conditioner when compared to their previous model. Older systems are usually rated at around 6, while newer models are legally required to have a rating of 13 or higher. The most efficient models rank in the mid 20s.

If you’re in the market for a new air conditioning unit, contact Lew’s Reliable Heat & Air Conditioning in Concord today! We are a family-owned and operated business that offers our customers air conditioning sales, repairs, and services. Call us today at (440) 210-3748 for more information!