Climate Masters Blog

New Year’s Traditions Explained

December 31st, 2013

2014 is almost upon us, and with the coming of the New Year, we thought we’d take a brief look at some of the more popular traditions associated with this holiday. It’s been around for at least 4,000 years: as long as we’ve figured out how long it takes for the seasons to come and go. Here’s a quick discussion about some of our more modern traditions and where they started:

  • Auld Lang Syne. The famous song began in Scotland, where it was published by Robert Burns in 1796.  He claims he initially heard it sung by an elderly resident of his hometown, which suggests it has traditional folk origins even before that. It became even more popular when big band leader, Guy Lombardo, started playing it every New Year’s Eve, starting in 1929 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
  • The Dropping of the Ball in Times Square. The tradition of dropping the ball in Times Square started in 1907. It was made out of iron and wood with light bulbs located on the surface, and the ball originally “dropped” over the offices of the New York Times at One Times Square. Dick Clark famously broadcast the event every year from 1972, until his death in 2012.
  • The Rose Parade. The Tournament of Roses Parade has been held in Pasadena every year since 1890; taking advantage of California’s warm weather to present a parade of floats, bands and horses. A football game was eventually added to the festivities in 1902, when Michigan dominated Stanford’s team by a score of 49-0
  • Baby New Year. The use of a baby to signify the New Year dates back to Ancient Greece, where it symbolized the rebirth of Dionysus (the god of wine and parties). Early Christians initially resisted the pagan elements of the story, but soon came to adopt it since it matched the traditional Christmas symbol of baby Jesus in the manger. Today, people of all faiths and traditions refer to the New Year as a baby, representing new beginnings.

Whatever traditions you choose to celebrate, we here at Climate Masters wish you the very safest and happiest of New Years. May 2014 bring you nothing but the best!

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Wishing You a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

December 25th, 2013

It’s the holiday season once again, and everyone at Climate Masters wishes the very best for you, your family, and your friends. We hope that whatever brings you joy fills these last days of the year.

We’d like to thank all of our customers for giving us the opportunity to provide you with services that improve your lives and help you better enjoy this time with your loved ones. You are the reason that we exist as a company, and that’s something we always keep that in mind. We are eager to work with you in the coming year.

Here’s something to remember for the season: many companies in our industry are very busy on service calls during December—it’s one of the most crowded times of the year. If you need service, make sure you schedule it as soon as possible so you can continue to enjoy the pleasures of this time of year.

Lastly, we at Climate Masters want to conclude with a thought from the late Earl Nightingale to help remind us all that we do not need to wait for a holiday to have a reason to enjoy or celebrate ourselves, our lives or our family:

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”

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Why Is My Furnace Breaking Down All the Time?

December 20th, 2013

Furnaces are among the most durable of heating systems. With the proper care, most furnaces can last beyond their manufacturer’s expected lifespan. But what if your furnace begins breaking down frequently? Obviously, this isn’t something that should happen, and when it does start to occur, it requires professional assistance.

Climate Masters can bring you the expert, trained help you need for furnace repair in St. Augustine. All it takes is a phone call, any time of the day or night. We can offer you some help right now with a list of reasons your furnace might start breaking down repeatedly. Even if your furnace is currently working fine, you should look over this list to find ways to avoid troubles in the future.

4 reasons your furnace is breaking down constantly

  1. You’re overworking it: Don’t keep pushing your thermostat up the highest it can go; this will not make your furnace heat up your home faster, it will only make it stay on longer, and that will lead to excess wear and tear that will foster breakdowns. Find a comfortable lower temperature and stick with it.
  2. Repair needs are going without attention: A furnace can sometimes maintain its target temperature even with malfunctions occurring—but the longer a repair issue goes without getting fixed, the more likely the problem will burgeon into a complete shutdown. Make sure that you schedule professional repairs as soon as you detect anything unusual, such as sounds or a drop in airflow.
  3. The system is too old: No matter how well a furnace is cared for, it will eventually reach a point where it is too old to operate correctly, and it will start breaking down even with regular repairs. If your furnace is more than a few years past its expected lifespan, any breakdown should signal to you that the time has arrived for a new installment.
  4. It needs regular maintenance: This is the most common reason for breakdowns. Furnaces need to have annual maintenance check-ups and tune-ups from licensed professionals in order for them to function at their best and not start prematurely aging and developing malfunctions. Make sure you are enrolled in a preventive maintenance program that delivers a check-up once a year.

Keep your furnace in good shape

Although there is not much you can do about an ancient furnace aside from replacing it, the other reasons for a furnace breaking down are preventable. When you need furnace repair in St. Augustine, FL, or want to enroll in a quality maintenance program, contact Climate Masters. We’ve served St. John’s county since 1988.

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Why Does a Heat Pump Need Refrigerant?

December 15th, 2013

Living in St. Augustine means long, humid summers and mild but occasionally stormy winters. In this climate, a heat pump offers many advantages as a solution to your year-round comfort requirements: it provides effective air conditioning during the hot weather, and energy-efficient heat for the shorter cold weather season.

If you know something about how a heat pump operates, then you’ll know that it uses a chemical compound known as refrigerant. We’ll explain in this post why a heat pump needs something called “refrigerant” even when it is in heating mode.

If you are thinking of having a heat pump installed, or if you need heat pump maintenance and repairs in St. Augustine, FL, contact Climate Masters for quality service today.

Refrigerant and your heat pump

Refrigerant is a generic term for the mixture of chemicals that allows for the heat pump to move heat from one location to another, which is called heat exchange. In the earliest days of air conditioners, refrigerant was often a toxic or combustible chemical like ammonia or methyl chloride. Modern heat pumps and ACs use safer compounds (known as “blends”); the most common blend in use today is R401A, which has no ozone depletion issues.

Refrigerant changes easily between being a liquid and a gas, which is why it is useful for heat exchange in a heat pump. As the refrigerant flows through a heat pump, moving from the outdoor to the indoor coils, it absorbs and releases heat as it switches from a liquid to a gas. During heating mode for a heat pump, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outdoors (evaporation) and then releases it indoors (condensation). A compressor serves as the “motor” for the refrigerant, compressing it into a high temperature gas at the beginning of the heat exchange cycle.

Refrigerant remains at a fixed level inside a heat pump. The process of evaporation and condensation does not use it up. However, leaks can develop in the compressor or along the refrigerant line, causing the level of refrigerant (its “charge”) to drop. This will adversely affect the heating and cooling capability of the heat pump. It requires a professional to seal the leak and recharge the refrigerant.

If you have trouble with a heat pump that is either struggling with heating or cooling, than a refrigerant leak may be the issue. Call on repair experts like Climate Masters to handle it. We can attend to any troubles that might pop up in your heat pump in St. Augustine, FL, anyS time of the day or night.

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What Causes Duct Problems?

December 6th, 2013

Your ductwork, although hidden from your sight over most of its length, is a crucial part of the comfort you receive from your HVAC system. Unless you have a ductless system in your home, your air conditioner requires ducts to work, and most likely your heater does as well. If you want to get the most comfort from your AC and heater, you need to have ducts free from serious problems.

When you need duct repairs or cleaning, contact Climate Masters, where we offer comprehensive duct cleaning services.

We will help you keep good care of your ductwork in St. Augustine, FL.

Common causes of ductwork problems:

  • Corrosion: Corrosion occurs because of metal comes into contact with air and water. Unfortunately, the wet Florida climate means that moisture can enter ductwork and start the spread of corrosion. The biggest threat from corrosion is that it eats away and the metal of the ducts and causes it to begin to flake apart, leading to breaks. Breaks will cause an increase in dust, as well as a drop in air pressure that will have a large negative impact on your heater and air conditioner.
  • Microbacteria: Another common problem in Florida’s climate is moisture that leads to the growth of molds, fungus, and other bacteria on the inside of ductwork. These biological pollutants can weaken the ducts, and also pose a threat to your indoor air quality. You will need professionals to use mold remediation techniques, such as UV germicidal lights, to eliminate such infestations.
  • Other construction work/amateur repairs: Ducts often receive damage during construction work unrelated to the ductwork. Remodeling and whole-house rewiring are just two home improvement projects that can accidentally lead to your ducts developing breaks. In a similar way, if you rely on amateur repairs for your ductwork, or you attempt the repairs yourself, you can end up with ducts that are misaligned or poorly connected.

Call ductwork professionals

Your ducts are both difficult to access and arduous to clean and repair. It requires trained duct specialists to handle the task of sealing cracks (no, duct tape won’t do the job) and getting out deeply ingrained dirt, corrosion, and bacterial pollutants.

If you think you have problems with your ducts, get on the phone right away and contact Climate Masters. We will inspect your ductwork and zero in on what issues need to be addressed. Whether you need replacement duct installation, UV germicidal lights, or just a cleaning, Climate Masters can give your ductwork in St. Augustine the care it needs. Make sure to ask us about the FPL (Florida Power & Lighting Company) rebate that you may qualify for.

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Thanksgiving, 2013: A Brief History

November 28th, 2013

Thanksgiving is upon us: a time to get together with relatives, eat some great food, watch a little football and/or parades, and stop to appreciate the good things we have in life. There’s a fascinating history to the holiday that goes beyond the traditional Pilgrims-and-Indians party we read about in school.

The first Thanksgiving was indeed celebrated in 1621 in the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. Records are spotty at the time, but indicate that the harvest was particularly good that year due to help from the local Native Americans. The meal was probably much different than current times, with venison and fish more likely than turkey, but the general principle was unchanged. (Critics have pointed out that the popular image glosses over the suffering endured by Native Americans, but we prefer to see it as a symbol of brotherhood and a call to rise above our differences to find common ground.)

It wasn’t a few centuries later, however, that Thanksgiving became an annual tradition. George Washington called for a “national day of Thanksgiving” in 1789, and again in 1795, but they were both “one shot” declarations, rather than a call for an annual tradition. Individual cities and states picked up the ball, but it wasn’t until 1863 that Thanksgiving became a national once-a-year event. President Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November to be a Thanksgiving “to heal the wounds of the nation and restore it.” (Lincoln was not speaking in reference to the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving, but to the divisions of the Civil War, which he hoped to heal.)

From there, it remained a tradition until Franklin Roosevelt signed a law in December of 1941, making it a federal holiday. The law also changed the date from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday in November, making it a little earlier in some cases (which Roosevelt hoped would give the country an economic boost).

Wherever you celebrate the holiday and whoever you choose to celebrate it with, we wish you nothing but happiness and joy this Thanksgiving.

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3 Ways to Tell That Your Heater Needs Professional Service

November 22nd, 2013

Florida isn’t known for its cruel winters, but the climate can still hurl surprises at us, especially during the evenings. Your heating system will experience some periods when it needs to work hard to keep you warm. If your heater starts to malfunction, you need to know what signs to look out for so you can get it timely repairs.

Here are three ways to tell that you need to schedule professional repairs for your heater. And we stress professional, because trying to handle repairs yourself can end up costing you much more. When you need heating repair in St. Augustine, FL, contact Climate Masters. We’re now moving into our third decade of business providing quality heating and cooling to St. Johns County.

Watch out for these 3 signs of impending repairs

  • An unexplained jump in your heating bills: If you’ve already lived with your heater through a previous winter season, you’ll know what to expect to see on your bills during the time of the year when it does the most work. Pay close attention to these bills, because if you notice an unexplained spike in price, it usually means that a malfunction is occurring somewhere in the heater that is making it work harder than it should.
  • Unexpected and unusual sounds: Even the quietest heaters, like geothermal systems, make some noise when they operate. These sounds should be consistent, so if anything unusual starts echoing from a furnace or heat pump cabinet, you should have it looked into. If you have a gas-powered furnace, some of these strange sounds may indicate a potential gas leak, so get professional technicians on the job as soon as you can. (You should also shut off the gas as a precaution.)
  • Heater coming on and off at the wrong times: If your heater is turning on when it shouldn’t, or shutting off before the house gets warm enough, there could be a number of culprits behind it. A common reason for this is a malfunction in the thermostat, which causes it to sense the temperature incorrectly and turn the heater on and off when you don’t want it to. You’ll need to have professionals investigate this to find out what is causing your heater to behave this way.

Whatever your problem with your heating system, Climate Master will have the solution for it. Contact us any time of the day or night for heating repair in St. Augustine, FL.

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I’ve Heard of Ductless Mini Split Heating: Is It Really That Good?

November 15th, 2013

For years, you probably accepted ductwork as a necessary part of home life. Even if you used a boiler to keep you warm during the occasional cold Florida nights, you still needed ducts for your air conditioner to send cooled air throughout your house. But you’ve heard about something called “ductless” mini split heating. That sounds like a good idea. However, things that sound too good to be true often are. Is that the case with ductless mini split heating?

No, not at all. Ductless mini splits offer tremendous advantages to homeowners, especially in places with less need for heating, like St. Augustine, FL. Ductless mini splits can provide you with sufficient heat and superb air conditioning, all without the need for ducts. If you are interested in getting one of these ductless systems installed, contact our specialists at Climate Masters. Let us handle your concerns from step one.

What’s so great about a ductless mini split?

First, ductless mini splits are heat pumps, which work as both air conditioners and heaters. You solve two comfort problems at once. Heat pumps draw heat out of your home during the summer, and put it into your home during the winter, simply reversing the direction of their operation. Because heat pumps do not burn fuel to generate heat, instead using only a small amount of electricity to move heat, they are among the most energy-efficient and cost-reducing ways to provide heat for your home.

Then there’s the difference in going ductless. Instead of using duct work to distribute heated or cooled air, a ductless mini split uses individual blower units mounted in different room (or “regions”), each of which has a refrigerant line running to the outdoor unit. You no longer have to worry about dust or breaks in the ducts, and you have zone control over the heating and cooling in different rooms.

So why doesn’t everybody install a ductless mini split?

Although ductless mini splits sound fantastic, they will not work ideally for every home. For houses that already have ductwork installed, it might be better to go with a standard heat pump that uses ducts. (You’ll still get all of the regular advantages of a heat pump.) For some houses, the heating function on the heat pump won’t supply a sufficient level of warmth, and a furnace will work better, or a hybrid system that hooks up a heat pump to a back-up furnace.

The best way to know if you should go with a ductless mini split for your heating in St. Augustine, FL is to consult with HVAC installation experts. They can survey your home and deduce its heating and cooling requirements, then provide you with a solid idea of how to get the maximum comfort. Trust Climate Masters to help you with the important decisions about heating your home.

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Why Winter Is a Good Time to Get Air Conditioning Maintenance

November 8th, 2013

We’re always concerned about air conditioning in St. Augustine, where temperatures run high and the humidity is quite beastly. That can make it tricky to schedule any maintenance or repair, since we need our air conditioners to keep our homes comfortable in the face of outdoor heat. At the same time, however, it’s important to schedule regular maintenance sessions for your HVAC system, in order to keep it functioning as efficiently as possible. It’s usually best to plan for such things in the winter months: from around Thanksgiving until the end of March.

Here’s why winter is a good time to get air conditioning maintenance.

  • You’ll have less need of the unit. We get our share of warm days in the winter – certainly more than cities further north – but they’re comparatively few and far between. Most temperatures average in the high 50s, which is enough to do without an air conditioner for the time it takes to perform maintenance on it. Winter tends to be drier than summer too, which means the repairman won’t have to deal with rain while trying to do his job.
  • Less demand. When an air conditioning unit breaks down in the summertime, service technicians need to deal with it immediately lest their clients’ homes turn into furnaces. That puts a high demand on their services, which means you may need to wait for a while before a technician can schedule a maintenance session for you. Demand is much less high in the winter, and you can likely find service technician much more readily.
  • Summertime takes its toll. With your air conditioner running all day every day during the summer months, it’s bound to generate a lot of wear and tear. A maintenance session in the winter can take stock of all that, and plan to address it in a timely fashion well before next summer rolls around. This helps extend the air conditioner’s lifespan and reduce the risk of more extensive repairs.

If you know why winter is a good time to get air conditioning maintenance, call upon Climate Masters for help. We can repair and maintain all kinds of air conditioning in St. Augustine, so don’t hesitate to contact us today!

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Common Heat Pump Noises to Listen For

November 1st, 2013

Heat pumps offer tremendous benefits for homeowners in Florida, where they supply superlative cooling during the long hot and humid season, and the right amount of heating during the short winter season. Because heat pumps will work for us around the year, whether helping beat the heat or tolerate the cold, they can wear down quickly and begin to develop repair needs.

Heat pumps often make unusual noises when they need repairs. Here are a few to listen for that may indicate you have to call in an HVAC specialists to look over your system. For quality heat pump repair in St. Augustine, FL, contact the experts at Climate Masters. Since 1988, people have looked to us for dependable service for all their comfort systems. You can learn more about Climate Masters here, or feel free to give us a call for more information.

Pay attention to these heat pump noises:

Grinding during start-up: If you hear a harsh grinding sound when your heat pump comes on, then it could be “hard starting” because of a problem in the compressors—a heat pump uses two different compressors, so you will need a professional to find out which one is having difficulty.

Clanging and striking: The likely culprit here is a loose blower fan belt. A heat pump uses different fans to move air for the condensation and evaporation processes; if the fan belt develops damage or cracks, it could come loose and start hitting against other components. This needs to be addressed immediately, before the belt starts to cause more damage. The noise could also come from loose motor mounts.

Hissing: This usually indicates a leak in the refrigerant, which is responsible for the heat exchange that allows your heat pump to heat and cool your home. If you can hear it, it is probably a large leak and you won’t have a working heat pump for long. Get a professional to seal the leaks and recharge the lost refrigerant.

Humming and buzzing: There are a few reasons for hearing this sound (usually within the outdoor unit). One is that the run capacitor which keeps the motors operating has developed a fault. It could also indicate a stuck relay or a motor on the verge of a burnout.

Regardless of the noise, if you think it means that your heat pump requires repair, don’t try to get the work done yourself with a standard toolkit and an online DIY guide. Get a professional to diagnose the problem and offer a remedy. Contact Climate Masters for heat pump repair in St. Augustine, FL—any time of the day or night.

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