Signs That You Need a Humidifier in Your Home

May 11th, 2015

It would be great to know that you can just walk into your home and be met with the most comfortable, healthful environment possible. Of course, we know that this is not the case. Attaining and maintaining such an environment can take a considerable amount of work, and will likely require that you invest in certain products and services to ensure not only that your home is comfortable in terms of temperature, but also that the air quality therein is optimal.

A common problem that many homeowners face is a houseful of air that is simply to dry for comfort or for ideal health conditions. Fortunately, a whole-house humidifier is an effective and convenient way in which to resolve such problems.  Contact Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., today if you suspect that you could benefit from the use of a humidifier in your Washington, DC, area home. 

Continue Reading

How a Malfunctioning Thermostat Will Harm Your Air Conditioning This Summer

May 4th, 2015

The thermostat that hangs on the wall of your home is one of the key parts of how you cool down your household during the summer. But it’s also easy to take it for granted and not notice when it starts to malfunction. Problems with your air conditioner may sometimes stem from the thermostat, but you won’t be able to tell unless you have a professional look over the system. (This is one of the reasons that you must always call on trained HVAC technicians when you need air conditioning repairs; 50% of repair work involves diagnosing the source of the problem.)

Continue Reading

Signs You Need to Call for Commercial Air Conditioning Repairs before Summer

April 27th, 2015

Keeping your business in Arlington, VA cooled down through the often hot and humid summers takes a great deal of work from an air conditioning system. During the spring when your AC first starts to work on a regular basis, take the time to look for any signs that might indicate the system is experiencing malfunctions. If you catch these problems early, you’ll have time to arrange for repair work and lower the risk of the system experiencing a catastrophic breakdown during one of the hotter days of the summer—and that is certainly nothing you want to risk with your business!

Continue Reading

Is Your Air Conditioning Making Your Home’s Air Too Dry?

April 20th, 2015

Air conditioners work through a system of evaporation and condensation of the refrigerant that cycles through them. In the outdoor unit, the refrigerant condenses and releases heat. When the refrigerant goes to the indoor unit, it evaporates and absorbs heat. But this evaporation process also absorbs moisture from the air, where it gathers on the evaporator coil and then drips down into a condensate pan and out a drain. So, even though an air conditioner is not specifically designed to work as a dehumidifier, it has some dehumidifying properties…

Continue Reading

Here’s What You Can Expect During Air Conditioning Maintenance

April 13th, 2015

Have you scheduled spring maintenance for your home’s air conditioning system yet? Right now is one of the best times: the weather still hasn’t reached summer heights and HVAC technicians have more open schedules that make it easier to arrange for a convenient appointment. Call a local professional HVAC company and ask about their maintenance programs.

Continue Reading

3 Things to Check When You Give Your AC a Spring Test-Run

April 6th, 2015

Spring has arrived, and with warmer weather ahead—and summer weather right behind it—you will turn your air conditioning system back on, if you haven’t already. Now is an excellent time to analyze your AC’s performance and check if anything seems wrong with it. You want to schedule any necessary repairs for the system during the spring season, before the serious change in the weather occurs and it becomes more difficult to arrange for a convenient time to have the system repaired.

If you need speedy and effective air conditioning repairs in Washington, DC, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. We have a history of quality service keeping homes comfortable no matter the season.

It’s a good idea to give your AC a test-run during the early spring and pay attention to indications of malfunctions. Turn on the air conditioner for a half-hour during a day when you otherwise don’t need it. Here are 3 things you should check on during this test run:

  • Proper airflow: Go to all the vents into the rooms. Make sure none of them are blocked by furniture that was moved during the last few months. Check on the airflow coming from the vents. If it seems sluggish or weak, something may be wrong with the AC.
  • Sounds from the AC cabinet: Go to both the indoor and outdoor cabinets of the air conditioner and listen to the sounds from the system as it goes through a standard cooling cycle. Do you hear any unusual noises? These can include hissing, banging, screeching, grinding, and clicking. Anything that sounds unfamiliar should have a professional investigate it.
  • Even distribution of cooling: Are all the rooms receiving the level of cooling they should? Although some rooms will probably be naturally warmer than others (such as an upstairs bedroom with widows that receive direct sunlight), you shouldn’t come across any “hot spots.” Such spots are a sign of something wrong with the AC or the ventilation system.

This short DIY diagnostic will help identify serious troubles. But it’s no substitute for arranging for a professional maintenance session. Make sure you call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. and schedule an inspection and tune-up during the spring to find any malfunctions that you may have missed, as well as to adjust and clean the system so that it works its best all summer. Give us a call to find out more about our Preventative Maintenance Agreement.

Continue Reading

When Is It Time to Call for Air Conditioning Services in Alexandria?

March 27th, 2015

We are inching toward warmer weather, and as such, it’s good for homeowners to know when it’s time to call for AC services in Alexandria. Nothing is more frustrating than turning on your AC the first hot day of the season only to find that it isn’t working, or that it’s working poorly. It may seem sometimes as if problems come out of the blue, but if you are aware of the signs, you’ll know when it’s time to call for help, and better yet, you’ll know who to call that you can count on: Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.

When Is It Time to Call?

Here are some signs that it’s time to call for air conditioning services for your Alexandria home:

  • When there is low or no cooling – there can be many reasons for this, so it’s best let an expert find the problem and repair it
  • When lots of dust and dirt are blowing through your vents – this is usually indicative of dirty ductwork, and it can also indicate faulty ductwork
  • When you smell strange odors coming through your vents – your AC shouldn’t have any kind of odor, so it’s time to call for an expert when you smell something
  • When you hear strange sounds while your air conditioner cycles – there are some basic, operational sounds that your AC should make; if there are more sounds than that, it’s time to call for a specialist
  • When it’s time for replacement – replacing an air conditioner is great opportunity to increase your energy efficiency and comfort, but only when you work with an expert
  • When you need repair – all AC repairs should always be handled by trained professionals
  • When it’s time for maintenance – it’s strongly recommended that you schedule your AC for maintenance every 12 months
  • When you need new air conditioner installation – new AC installation takes knowledge and experience, otherwise you could be stuck with an air conditioner that is too large or too small for your home or problems from poor installation

Expert Help Is the Key

That’s quite a list above, but when you call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., you can rest assured that you are calling a company that has the trained and certified staff to handle all of it and more.

Need air conditioning services in Alexandria? Look no further than the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.

Continue Reading

Types of Air Treatment Products for Your Home

March 20th, 2015

According to the EPA, indoor air can be anywhere from 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air, not including allergens.  So, if you have concerns about the quality of your home’s indoor air, it may be time to consider the installation of an air treatment product. But which one do you choose? There are a number of IAQ products available to homeowners, but knowing which one(s) will help improve your air in the best way can be a challenge. This is where the indoor air quality experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., come in. Our specialists will help you determine which products will meet your indoor air quality needs and install them. Understanding what the products are and how they work will help you decide which products will be best for your home, so here is a quick overview of the types of indoor air quality products we offer:

Air Filtration Systems

These types of systems clean your air using a mechanical filter, which is a type of air filter contained in a square frame. Filter media, the material inside the frame, traps contaminants in the weave of the material. Mechanical air filters have different strengths and capabilities as denoted by MERV ratings; your IAQ specialist can help you determine what type of air filter will be best for your needs.

Air Purification Systems

Air purifiers typically refer to air cleaners that use ionization to clean the air, but this category also include UV germicidal lighting. Electronic air purifiers trap contaminants and particles in the air by negatively charging them and capturing them on either surfaces or metal collection plates. UV germicidal lighting eradicates biological contaminants only, and does so by destroying the DNA of the contaminant’s cell.

Humidifiers/Dehumidifiers

The EPA states that healthy humidity levels are between 30%-60%. When you have humidity levels above 60% or below 30%, your home can become uncomfortable. Whole home humidifiers and dehumidifiers work with your HVAC system to help achieve balanced humidity by either removing excess moisture or adding the appropriate amount of moisture to the air.

Many times it takes a combination of IAQ products to achieve the indoor air quality you want in your home, and working with a Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., can get you there.

Contact us today and schedule an appointment for air treatment services for your Washington, DC home.

Continue Reading

Is Your AC Ready for Summer?

March 13th, 2015

It may be hard to think about summer after the snowy, cold winter we’ve had, but spring is just around the corner and summer isn’t far behind. There is nothing more frustrating than turning on your air conditioner on the first hot day of the year only to find that it isn’t working, or is working poorly. But, the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., have a great solution for that: spring maintenance for your air conditioning system in Arlington, VA. And now is a great time to schedule it!

What Happens During a Maintenance Visit?

Maintenance isn’t a simple check of your air conditioning system; it is a full tune-up, complete with a thorough inspection and testing. Here is a general overview of what happens during a routine maintenance appointment:

 

  • Inspection and cleaning of evaporator and condenser coils – dusty, dirty coils can reduce a system’s ability to properly operate, so your technician will inspect them and clean them if needed.
  • Check of the thermostat – your thermostat is the control center for your air conditioning system, so it’s important to make sure it is in good working order.
  • Lubrication of moving parts – ball joints and other moving parts need to be properly lubricated in order to work correctly because friction can cause resistance in motors, which can lead to an increase of energy usage and poor operation.
  • Inspection the condensate array – faulty condensate trays can leak water, and clogged condensate drains can cause overflows and water damage. These items will be inspected during your maintenance appointment to ensure that all is working as it should.
  • Check of the system’s cycling – multiple checks to ensure that the system cycles properly.
  • Checking and adjusting the refrigerant level of your central air conditioner – too much or too little refrigerant can adversely affect the heat release/cooling process in your AC, so it’s important to make sure your AC’s refrigerant levels are exactly as they should be.
  • Check all fans – the condenser and evaporator fans are key components in the heat release/cooling process, and as such, need to be reviewed.
  • Check of electrical connections – loose connections are tightened, and voltages and currents on motors are measured. Poorly maintained electrical connections can reduce the life of your components.

As you can see, maintenance involves a number of tasks, all designed to make your AC more energy efficient and work optimally.

Get ready for summer this year by calling Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., and scheduling spring air conditioning system maintenance in Arlington, VA!

Continue Reading

Can’t I Wait to Schedule My Commercial Heating for Maintenance?

March 6th, 2015

Your commercial heating system works hard around the clock to keep your business’s indoor temperature comfortable.  Being without heat, or having poor heating in your business space simply isn’t an option, but there is a great way to ensure that your commercial heating stays on track: schedule a maintenance appointment for your commercial heating in Alexandria.

What’s So Important About Maintenance?

Did you know that for every year you don’t schedule maintenance for your heating system, it loses 5% of its overall efficiency? This means that if you don’t schedule maintenance for three years, your system can lose up to 15% of its normal efficiency. Not only will you lose efficiency, but operating a commercial heating system season after season with accumulating wear and tear means you run the risk of having an uncomfortable commercial space. Why? Excessive wear and tear affects how your heating system operates, and it may become difficult for your system to achieve your set temperature. This leads us to our next reason why maintenance is so important: prevention of repairs. Carrying the wear and tear of each season into the next makes your system more prone to malfunction and potential breakdown. The cleaning, adjusting and lubrication that occurs during a maintenance appointment removes the excess dust and dirt, and allows your components and system to work as they should. And when you keep your commercial HVAC system in good working order year after year, you can actually help extend the life of your system.

When Should I Schedule Maintenance?

Because commercial HVAC systems do a tremendous amount of work, it is recommended that you schedule maintenance for your commercial heating system twice a year – once in the fall and again in mid- or end of winter. To gain the benefits of maintenance, it is always important to hire commercial HVAC experts to do any work to your commercial system, whether you need maintenance, repair, installation or replacement.

The commercial professionals at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., are here to assist with all of your commercial heating needs, so call us today!

Continue Reading