Month: May 2017

Outdoor AC units are extremely functional, and living in Gladewater, Texas, would be much less pleasant during the summer if we didn’t have them. But they don’t exactly look amazing in our backyards or beside our houses. When you landscape around your AC unit, you have three main goals: to give it air flow, protect it from debris, and help your yard look better. Find out if your current landscaping is up to snuff.

Create Clearance

The first thing to remember about landscaping around your outdoor unit is clearance. For proper air flow, your unit needs a few feet of space on all sides. If you think it was installed too close to the side of your house, ask our technicians about it during your next maintenance appointment, since you can’t move the unit yourself.

Otherwise, we recommend at least two to three feet of clearance for a fence or for hedges that encircle your unit. If anything grows over the unit, trim it frequently so you always give the top of the AC five feet or more. These dimensions are important: if the air flow becomes too restricted, your AC unit uses up more energy trying to cool your home.

Provide Shade

Speaking of trees growing over the unit, as long as branches are high enough not to impede the air flow, trees are a good way to provide shade. Consider installing netting above the unit so no leaves fall directly into the fans. Shade keeps the AC unit cooler, giving it a little boost of efficiency.

If your unit sits beside your house, you can connect a small sun shade from the house to about five feet above it. An added benefit? Protection from the elements, like rain and snow.

Keep Debris Clear

When deciding between putting a fence around your AC unit, or putting plants there instead, remember that you want the system clear of debris. Every bit of dirt, every leaf, and every twig that gets inside it slowly runs it down. It will require more maintenance the more stuff falls inside. While we think hedges or trees look very pretty in backyards and gardens, we can’t deny that a wood or stone fence won’t drop nearly as much debris around and inside your AC unit.

Regardless of what you choose to install around your unit, use a rake to clear the area around it. Turn it off, and look in the fins and the fans for anything stuck there.

Dampen Noise

Nobody wants to hear the AC running from outside, especially if your unit is older and rattles a lot. (By the way, we can help with a noisy unit if you have one.) Installing a fence or hedges around your outdoor unit adds a level of noise dampening. Some fences are designed specifically to cancel noise in homes near high-traffic areas, like highways. If you’re especially sensitive to sound, try one of these stone fences. Otherwise, plants or a wood fence will provide a little relief, enough to help you forget the AC is out there.

Get creative with your look. A trellis with vines is an attractive garden addition and will block some of the noise. A stone wall is an even better noise dampener, and you can always place potted plants or garden accessories on top to spruce it up. Trimmed hedges or a low fence are both classic looks for a backyard garden and will help your AC blend into the background.

Get some help from the pros at JD’s AirNow by booking a maintenance appointment with us. We’ll look at your landscaping and tell you if any component sits too close. During our maintenance and repairs, we clean out the inside of your unit, so leaves and twigs don’t get in the way of it running correctly. We can also give you some landscaping pointers specific to your AC unit if you’d like. Give us a call at (903) 759-7483 to learn more or to schedule with one of our technicians.

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As an eco-conscious homeowner, you’re constantly looking for ways to save energy in your Kilgore, Texas, home. If you haven’t scheduled HVAC maintenance recently, however, you could be overlooking an important way to cut household energy consumption. From improving airflow to changing air filters, find out how HVAC maintenance increases energy efficiency.

Replace Air Filters

When you schedule a preventive maintenance appointment with JD’s A/C, one of the first things our technicians do is change your HVAC system’s air filter. This task may seem simple, but replacing a clogged filter can cut your cooling system’s energy consumption by up to 15 percent.

When your air conditioner is running at full speed during the summer months, this can mean big savings. To keep saving money on your energy bill year round, replace the air filter every one to three months.

Improve Airflow

Poor airflow and inconsistent indoor temperatures are clear signs that your cooling system isn’t running as efficiently as it should. While an air filter change can help boost airflow, you need professional maintenance to tackle internal issues.

When you call our team for maintenance, we remove buildup and obstructions from your HVAC system. We also clean and comb the air conditioner’s evaporator and condenser coils to reduce blockages and improve efficiency.

Adjust the Thermostat

You can change your thermostat settings any time you like, but sometimes it takes a professional to zero in on the most efficient settings for your HVAC system. This is especially true if you have a smart thermostat or a Wi-Fi-enabled model.

During a standard preventive maintenance appointment, our knowledgeable technicians assess your thermostat settings and make recommendations to improve efficiency. From dialing back the temperature while the family is out of the house or asleep to using vacation mode options, our team helps you realize your thermostat’s energy efficiency potential.

If you haven’t scheduled preventive maintenance for your cooling system this season, there’s still time. Call JD’s A/C today at (903) 759-7483.

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When you live in Gilmer, Texas, you rely on your HVAC system to keep you comfortable year round. If you skip a preventive maintenance session or two, you’re likely to notice a few signs that your cooling system needs attention. Watch for signs like poor indoor air quality and high utility bills, which signal that you need HVAC maintenance.

Unusually High Utility Bills

At JD’s A/C, we know that most Gilmer homeowners experience higher utility bills in the summer when most air conditioners run at full blast. If your bills are higher than normal for the season, however, hot weather may not be the culprit.

High bills and excessive energy usage signal that your HVAC system isn’t running efficiently. Call our team to take a closer look at your cooling system, and we’ll make the adjustments necessary to get it back up to speed.

Poor Indoor Air Quality

Whether your family has experienced an increase in allergy and asthma attacks recently or you’ve just noticed some musty smells in the house, your HVAC system may be to blame. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with poor indoor air quality or unhealthy air.

When our experienced technicians maintain your HVAC system, they clean dust and dirt from the system and replace the air filter to prevent airborne contaminants from entering your home’s air supply. Our team can also recommend advanced solutions like whole-house air cleaners, which give your indoor air quality a major boost.

Frequent Repairs

Frequent repairs signal that your HVAC system isn’t running properly. There’s no need to dread the next emergency visit from your HVAC tech, though.

Rather than calling only when a breakdown happens, take a proactive approach to your cooling system instead. Scheduling HVAC maintenance can save you time, money and hassle since this kind of preventive appointment gives you the chance to discuss minor cooling system issues before they escalate.

Are you overdue for preventive maintenance for your air conditioner? Call JD’s A/C at (903) 759-7483 to lower your utility bills, improve indoor air quality, and avoid expensive repairs.

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