Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category

Why Is There Ice on My Air Conditioner?

Monday, July 8th, 2024
feathery-frost-pattern-in-ice

Your air conditioner’s job is to make things cold. So you might not be shocked or concerned to see that ice has started to build up on the evaporator coils of your indoor AC unit. But we’ve got something important to tell you.

Ice on your air conditioner is bad news. It’s a sign that there’s a problem. Worse, it can cause more problems to occur! What’s going on? We’ll explain.

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AC Problem? Try This Troubleshooting Checklist

Monday, June 10th, 2024
red-pen-marking-items-off-a-checklist

It’s a terrible feeling, panicking and calling for urgent AC repairs only to find out that what you thought was a serious problem was simply that you’d left a switch in the wrong position. Of course, you don’t want to fail to get repairs when they are necessary! That could lead to a problem getting worse and the repair ending up being more costly and inconvenient when you do finally have it done.

So how can you tell whether the AC problem requires the attention of a professional HVAC technician or whether you just have a simple, minor error on your hands that you can remedy yourself? Whenever you seem to have an issue with your air conditioner, go through this quick troubleshooting checklist. Your problem might be resolved in seconds!

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How Your Pets Might Cause Chaos for Your AC

Monday, May 13th, 2024
golden-brown-puppy

Pets bring so much positivity into our lives. Simply having them around decreases people’s levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, and increases levels of oxytocin, a hormone that gives people feelings of love and connection. But of course there are downsides to pet ownership as well.

Pet dander can trigger allergic responses in many people. Pet care is a constant need, and trips to the vet can be very expensive. And of course there’s all the cleanup they require, whether you’re emptying a litter box or following a dog around with a baggie at the ready. Pets can damage our homes and possessions, too. Did you know they can even cause problems for your air conditioner? Here’s the scoop.

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4 Tips to Keep Your Ductless Air Conditioner Running Smoothly

Monday, February 5th, 2024
couple-sitting-on-couch-in-front-of-a-ductless-mini-split-air-handler

Ductless AC systems, or mini splits as they are sometimes called, provide impressive comfort while lowering your utility bills. Once you know how well a system like this can work, you understand that you want to keep it working that well. It would be a shame and a waste to have this amazing system and not reap all the benefits. 

So how do you make sure you keep getting the best possible performance from your system? We’ll give you our four top tips for making sure your ductless air conditioner will run as smoothly as possible. 

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What Happens to Your Energy Bills When Your Ductwork Leaks

Monday, January 22nd, 2024

How would you like to spend an extra four figures a year on your heating and cooling costs? No? We didn’t think so. Your ductwork can cause you to spend more than you plan on cooling costs, which is why you need duct repair in Arlington, VA.

That’s the reality of how much money you could be losing if you have leaky ductwork without a plan in place to get it fixed. The money you lose in heating and cooling inefficiencies is always worse than the money you’ll spend on a repair call.

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What Actually Happens During Air Conditioning Installation

Monday, August 7th, 2023

You need a new air conditioner, but you’re stuck: you don’t want to go through the hassle of an installation, but you also don’t want to broil in the summer heat. Let’s take the stress away by telling you a rough outline of everything that happens during installation.

When you get air conditioning installation in Washington, DC by experienced technicians like us, you get the most stress-free experience possible. Our experienced technicians work tirelessly so you don’t have anything to worry about, and this is the process.

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What It Means When Your Heat Pump Doesn’t Switch Modes

Monday, June 12th, 2023

Your heat pump does a lot of work. It wears two hats after all–heating and cooling your home is a big job. Since you rely on it for both, when it doesn’t switch to its other mode, it’s quite a cause for concern. Let’s talk about what might be causing that issue.

Your heat pump in Washington DC sounds like it needs a repair call. But before we jump into that, let’s talk about what the problem is so you can better understand how to fix it as soon as possible.

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How Smart Thermostats Save You Money on Air Conditioning

Monday, May 1st, 2023
smart-thermostat-on-wall

Is your favorite thing in the world paying extra for your heating and cooling costs? The answer to that is, unequivocally, a huge no. Nobody wants to pay more than they’re supposed to just to control the temperature in their home, but without a smart thermostat, that’s exactly what you’re doing.

Installing a smart thermostat in Arlington, VA means putting more control in your hands, but then something amazing happens–you let the thermostat regulate the temperature once it knows what you like, and you save money while saving time. Let’s explain.

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What to Expect During HVAC Installation in Summer

Monday, April 17th, 2023
Air-conditioner-technician-inspecting-outdoor-ac-cabinet

Your HVAC installation is in the dead center of the busy season, so what does that do to your timeline? What about your comfort and scheduling? It’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into, so let’s take a look at everything you need to know.

HVAC installation in McLean, VA is usually done best in the off-season, such as fall or winter. While it’s easy to think, “I don’t need this right now, I’ll wait until later,” it ends up biting you in the back. This is what you need to know about how summertime HVAC installation works.

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Does Air Conditioner Installation Take a Long Time?

Monday, April 3rd, 2023
technician-working-on-outdoor-AC-cabinet

Installing a new air conditioner comes with some nuance to it. There’s a lot of factors that come into play, and while we can’t give you a definitive answer through a blog post, there is a lot we can tell you so you can accurately judge your own home and installation situation.

Depending on how intricate your air conditioning installation is, the time frame may change. We’ll tell you right now that the ideal situation is one full day, spanning anywhere from four to eight hours. But before you can expect that, let’s talk about some of the roadblocks you might run into.

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