Will I Save Money If I Close the AC/Heating Vent to a Room I Don’t Use Much?

September 18, 2020

While it seems logical that closing vents in unused rooms will save you money, it’s a bad idea. Doing this can cause serious problems and cost you money instead of saving it. Blocked Airflow The blower in your heating and cooling system is designed to push against a maximum pressure difference. If you close vents, the blower motor will work harder to maintain proper airflow. This causes a loss in efficiency in your system, which could increase your energy bills. Leaks in Ductwork Since closing vents increases air pressure in your heating and cooling system, duct leaks can result. If there are already holes in the ductwork, they may get wider. This results in conditioned air blowing into your attic or crawlspace. GVEC Home® is a heating and cooling company with offices in the Texas communities of Gonzales, Seguin, Schertz, Cuero, and La Vernia. We can make your heating and cooling system operate more efficiently by performing maintenance checks and tune-ups of your AC/heating system. Cracked Heat Exchanger Your HVAC system needs to work harder when vents are closed. This can result in your furnace’s heat exchanger cracking. This is expensive to fix and may even require you to buy...

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Why is it Always Hotter Upstairs in my Home?

July 10, 2020

A common problem for some two-story homes is the upstairs being hotter than the downstairs. You feel nice and comfortable downstairs, but when you go upstairs you feel noticeably warmer. Here are a few of the reasons this occurs. Warm Air Rises As you may remember learning in school, warm air rises while cool air sinks. Your home will naturally be warmer upstairs simply due to physics. Hot Roof Your roof collects a lot of heat in the summer as the sun beats down on it for hours every day. The heat moves into your attic and then into the top floor of your home. Insulation helps prevent this, but it can’t stop all heat from transferring. However, insulation can wear down after time, so sometimes replacing or adding more insulation is needed. This can help keep the upstairs cooler and help with energy efficiency as well. Your Air Conditioner Is Old Most AC units last about 15 to 20 years. Aging air condition systems may not cool as well as they used to. If your upstairs is significantly hotter than your downstairs, it’s entirely possible your old AC unit just can’t push enough cool air throughout your home. GVEC...

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Why Is My AC Freezing Up?

June 10, 2020

It can be pretty stressful to come home on a hot day and find your air conditioning unit frozen over. There are a few common reasons why this occurs. Here are some some of the issues you can watch for that may lead to freezing over. AC Airflow Problem The condenser coil in your AC unit needs proper airflow or else it can freeze over. The most common reason airflow becomes restricted or blocked is because the air filter is dirty. Manufacturers recommend changing the air filter anywhere between every one to every six months depending on the filter type, size and materials used. However, at GVEC Home we recommend checking your air filter monthly and replacing or cleaning at least every 3 months. Air Conditioner Refrigerant Leak A leak in your refrigerant lines can lead to reduced pressure. This results in the refrigerant not being able to absorb heat, which leads to the condenser coil freezing over. You will need to contact a professional HVAC technician like those at GVEC Home to solve this problem. If you have an AC system made before 2010 and it’s leaking, you will likely need to replace the entire system because it probably...

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Why It’s a Bad Idea to Turn Your AC/Heating Completely Off When You’re Away from Home

March 18, 2020

Everyone wants to try to save on their home’s utility bills. So, whenever there’s an opportunity to cut down on using your heat or air conditioning significantly, you might be tempted to take it. One such opportunity is when you’re away from home for an extended length of time. However, this isn’t as great of an idea as it sounds. Here are three reasons why you shouldn’t completely turn off your AC/heating system while you’re away. 1. Running the Risk of Frozen or Bursting Pipes Completely turning off your heat during freezing temperatures increases the risk of your pipes freezing. Because water expands when it freezes, stress is put on your pipes that can cause them to burst and flood your home. 2. Excess Wear and Tear on Your Appliances Appliances like your refrigerator are designed to respond to their ambient environments. If the inside of your house becomes too hot, your refrigerator will go into overdrive to keep its contents cool. When the temperature is too cold indoors, the freezer compartment of your refrigerator may shut off, thinking it has done its job. The problem is that your frozen food will defrost. 3. Elevated Humidity Levels Your air conditioner...

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What is a Zoned AC/Heating System and How to Decide if Your Home Needs Zoning

February 29, 2020

Keeping your home comfortable can be a big task—the bigger home home, the bigger the job. Maintaining a comfortable indoor environment without draining your bank account can seem like a never-ending pursuit in any size home, without the right equipment, but in larger houses, the challenge is amplified. If it seems as though your current HVAC system can’t keep your home consistently comfortable across all its rooms and spaces, a zoned system may be the answer. Here is some information on zoned systems to help determine if one of these systems is the right solution for your home. What Is AC/Heating Zoning? Unlike a typical AC/heating setup that uses a single HVAC system to heat and cool the entire home, a zoned system uses two or more separate sets of AC/heating equipment, each responsible for cooling/heating a specific area or “zone.” Although these zones are often split by floor, they can be divided in many ways and customized to meet the needs of each individual home. The different sets of equipment in a zoned AC/heating system feed separate ducts and have separate return vents. A zoned system typically uses a central or “master” control system to manage all the zones...

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