Air Conditioning FAQ

Air Conditioning FAQ

Q  My air conditioner periodically needs to have refrigerant (freon) added.  Is this normal.

A  No, it is not normal.  If you periodically need refrigerant added, your air conditioner, has a leak.

Q  I had an air conditioning contractor tell me that freon could not legally be added to my air conditioner prior to fixing a leak,  and I need a new air conditioner or an expensive leak repair.  Is this really the law?

A  There is no such law concerning residential air conditioners.  In the case of lager refrigerant leaks,  Singer Heating and Cooling still recommends repair or replacement of the system.  We just want you to make an informed decision.

Q  What temperature should I set my thermostat to?

A   We recommend setting your thermostat to the warmest temperature at which you are comfortable.  As a rule, raising the thermostat setting just two degrees will reduce cooling costs by five percent.  If you are going to be away from home for 8 hours or more,  consider raising the set point a few degrees.  Do not raise the set point too hi as your system may take a long time to pull the temp down to a comfortable level.   A wi-fi thermostat will allow you to control your thermostat from a computer or smart phone.  This can be of great benefit for people on an irregular scheduled.

Q  My air conditioner is not cooling well. What should I check before calling for service?

A  First make sure that the thermostat is in the cooling mode and that the set point is is a comfortable temperature.  Make sure that your air filter is clean.  Make sure that you do not have a tripped CB.  If none of the above appears to be the problem,  please call us.

Q My air conditioner is freezing up.  What causes this?

A  Freeze ups can be caused by:  dirty air filters,  dirty evaporator coils,  low refrigerant (freon) charge,  refrigeration restriction,  poor duct design,  an inoperable indoor fan,  incorrect indoor fan speed setting, or and combination of these conditions.

Q  How often should I have a professional service my air conditioner?

A  Any time that it is making usual noises,  is not maintain a reasonable thermostat set point,  or your utility bill is higher than normal for the weather conditions.  In addition,  most manufactures recommend that air conditioners have a preventive maintenance service once a year.  It is best to have the air conditioner preventive maintenance service preformed at an outdoor temperature above 75 degrees F.  This is because it is difficult to accurately analyze system performance in low ambient conditions.  Some heating and cooling contractors  encourage customers to have their ac systems serviced in the early spring when outdoor temps are too cool to do the job right.  This benefits the contractor by giving them work when things are slow, but it is counter to the customer’s interest.

A  Does Singer Heating and Cooling offer service agreements?

Q  No.  Service agreements are gimmicks designed to lock in customers.  We retain customers by simply providing quality service at a fair price.

Q  What is EER

A  (EER) The Energy Efficiency Ratio  of a particular air conditioner/heat pump is the ratio of output cooling energy (in BTUH) to input electrical energy (in KWH)  calculated using a 95 °F outside temp and an return air temp of 80 °F and 50% relative humidity.   It is the best available metric to determine the efficiency of an air conditioner on a very hot sunny summer day when loads are the greatest.  Historically many utilities have choose EER ratings to base rebate qualifications on rather than SEER.

Q What is SEER?

A (SEER) Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio,  is also a ratio of output cooling energy (in BTUH) to input electrical energy (in KWH),  based on a return air temp of 80 °F and 50% relative humidity,  BUT  the outdoor conditions are varied mimic a fictional cooling season as follows in percent of run time used for the rating.  

67F (21.4%)
72F (23.1%)
77F (21.6%)
82F (16.1%)
87F (10.4%)
92F (5.2%)
97F (1.8%)
102F (.4%)

Total = 100%

Note that 66.1% of the conditions are at 77 degrees or cooler when not a lot of energy is going to be consumed for cooling.   Often times lower rated SEER equipment will have higher rated EER.  To make things even more complicated the AHRI test conditions for SEER/EER ratings do not account for the blower load that is typical in nearly all field installed applications.

Q Hi SEER rated systems will cost less to operate than a base model.

A  In many cases the return on investment is not very favorable due to the higher up front costs. On the other hand, an often overlooked advantage of a higher end system, is enhanced comfort. Deluxe systems tend to be quieter, dehumidify better and have less temperature swings between off cycles. As you can see overall cost is not the only factor.

Q  Should I set my thermostat to run the indoor fan continuously (fan on)?

A  In most case no. During the cooling season,  running the fan in the off ac off cycle will re-evaporate water from the evaporator coil and raise the humidity in your home.  This is undesirable in our East Tennessee climate.  The indoor fan uses a significant amount of energy (this is less true with ECM motors on hi SEER systems).   The exception is in the case of a bi level home with one system that is not zone controlled.   In this case the benefit of balancing out hot and cold spots can be worth the trade off.

Q  What is the typical life expectancy of an air conditioner?

A  The average lifespan for an air conditioner is 10 to 15 years. Some air conditioners last up to 20 years,  but that would be exceptional.

Q  What should I know about new system warranties?

A  Typically residential heating and cooling equipment,  regardless of brand,   comes with a minimum of a base 5 year part warranty and a 1 year labor warranty.  In most cases,  if the equipment is registered on line,  the part warranty extends to 10 years at no additional cost.   

Q  Who administers new equipment warranties?

A  The part warranty is generally administered though the local distributor that originally sold the equipment.  The warranty will not cover shipping or the time involved in obtaining the parts and processing the warranty.  Some distributors will charge a fee for processing the warranty.  These costs will be the customer’s responsibility.  The standard 1 year labor warranty is primarily through your installer. 

Q  My Air Conditioner’s compressor hums and dims the lights in my house but does seem to be running.  What causes this.

A  Your compressor may be hopelessly locked up, but more commonly this is the caused of a bad capacitor or starting component.  There are other potential causes that an experienced technician can diagnose.