This time of year I am often asked why the air in a home sometimes feels heavy or muggy, even when the temperature in the home is at the desired temperature set-point.
In the Hill Country part of Texas (New Braunfels, Seguin, San Marcos, Selma), removing humidity is a major and necessary part of the Air Conditioning Cycle. To remove the humidity, the air has to contact the cold (40 degree+-) evaporator coil long enough for the water to “fall out of the air” and accumulate on the coil fins. This moisture is then supposed to run down the drain.
This process is fairly easy to picture when you place an ice and water filled glass on the table and watch the water drops form on the outside. The longer the glass is allowed to stand, the more water forms and runs onto the table. This is the same moisture we are removing from the air in your home.

The problem is that when it is 85 degrees outside, and 70 degrees inside, with high humidity, the air conditioning system is effectively over sized. The system does not run long enough to remove the moisture in the air. Systems are sized for hot summer weather not mild springtime weather.
In the high humidity climate we live in, this creates a real problem. It is uncomfortable, and this damp air can sometimes aid in the formation of damaging mold and mildew. The single stage systems most people have on their homes are limited in what they are able to do to combat this issue. There are good quality, high efficiency systems today that have variable capacity built in to combat this exact issue.
If you want more information on these systems, how they work and what they cost, call me. I am happy to discuss them over the phone with you.

Are you hearing strange noises from a bathroom sink or from the washing machine drain in the laundry room?

The noise probably is the water in the p-trap of your condensate drain.

During the winter, the drain dries out and you are hearing the final dregs of water moving with the trash in the drain. Since the p-trap prevents sewer gas from getting into the air stream of your air handler, it needs to have fluid added back into it. Either vinegar or bleach will work to kill the stuff growing in the drain. Both work well, but in a pinch, you can add water into the drain to stop the noise.

During the spring, summer, and fall when the air conditioner is working and removing moisture from the air, it is a great idea to add bleach or vinegar monthly to the vent in the p trap to kill the stuff growing there.

Please note: if there is a vent or area to add bleach or vinegar between the p trap and the air handler, it must have a removable cap added so the air handler will drain properly.
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Final note: If you have a tub or shower in the home not being used, often this time of year when it the air in the home is so dry, the p-trap for the sink, tub, or shower will dry out and a horrible stink smell will occur in the bathroom, just run some water in the drain to refill the trap and get rid of the smell.

In 1991, I was living near Ruston, Louisiana and my home burned down. We lived in a rural area about 8 miles out of the city limits and depended on a volunteer fire department. Though they responded rapidly, by the time they got there the home was completely engulfed in flames. We lost everything we accumulated over 10 years of marriage. A month later my 1st son was born. My pregnant wife and I were alerted by working smoke alarms and we got out before we were hurt. I am a firm believer of smoke alarms and what they can do to save lives.
Many things have changed since 1991. Then a smoke alarm was placed in hallways near bedrooms and on each floor. As you can see from the list below, the standards have greatly changed over the years.

Installing smoke alarms:

• Choose smoke alarms that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
• Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• On levels without bedrooms, install alarms in the living room (or den or family room) or near the stairway to the upper level, or in both locations.
• Smoke alarms installed in the basement should be installed on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs leading to the next level.
• Smoke alarms should be installed at least 10 feet (3 meters) from a cooking appliance to minimize false alarms when cooking.
• Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings (remember, smoke rises). Wall-mounted alarms should be installed not more than 12 inches away from the ceiling (to the top of the alarm).
• If you have ceilings that are pitched, install the alarm within 3 feet of the peak but not within the apex of the peak (four inches down from the peak).
• Don't install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.
• Never paint smoke alarms. Paint, stickers, or other decorations could keep the alarms from working.
• For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms. When one smoke alarm sounds they all sound. Interconnection can be done using hard-wiring or wireless technology.
• When interconnected smoke alarms are installed, it is important that all of the alarms are from the same manufacturer. If the alarms are not compatible, they may not sound.
• There are two types of smoke alarms – ionization and photoelectric. An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires, and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, both types of alarms or combination ionization-photoelectric alarms, also known as dual sensor smoke alarms, are recommended.
• Keep manufacturer’s instructions for reference.

• Test smoke alarms regularly
• Smoke alarms should be maintained according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button.
• Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning to keep smoke alarms working well. The instructions are included in the package or can be found on the internet.
• Smoke alarms with non-replaceable 10-year batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years. If the alarm chirps, warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away.
• Smoke alarms with any other type of battery need a new battery at least once a year. If that alarm chirps, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
• When replacing a battery, follow manufacturer’s list of batteries on the back of the alarm or manufacturer’s instructions. Manufacturer’s instructions are specific to the batteries (brand and model) that must be used. The smoke alarm may not work properly if a different kind of battery is used.

The NFPA, as well as Consumers Reports, recommends that smoke alarms be tested each month, batteries changed yearly, and smoke alarms be changed at least every 10 years.

After living through that fire 26 years ago, I recommend:

1. Check every alarm monthly, and remember to use ear plugs when you test them
2. Change batteries in each and every alarm at least every year, and if one alarm starts chirping early before the year is up change all batteries in all alarms at that time. 
3. Instead of replacing the alarms every 10 years, I recommend alarm replacement every 8 years. Alarms do not cost that much, and the lives saved may be yours if the alarm is ever needed.

Final note: Make a plan of action before it is needed. Practice it with your family. Figure out what you will do if there is ever a fire in your home before it happens. If you hear the alarm go off scream and yell to everyone to get out of the home and GET OUT OF THE HOME! After you are out call 911.

If you have any questions about your alarms, how to maintain them, where to install them, or how to test them, call us at Clear Springs Air Conditioning and Electric. We are here for you.

Mother Nature Wrecks Havoc on Air Conditioning Systems in Many Ways!

Forget the anticipated 100 + Degree Days Coming, forget the kid’s running back and forth leaving the doors wide open and the AC System running constantly.

These can kill the system too, but look out for the little buggers that bite!

This video is from a house that had no cooling with house temperatures upstairs reaching over 85 degrees in a matter of hours - and we weren't even in the heat of summer.

Upon inspection of the air handler, I found ants crawling in and around the coil. Upon further investigation, I found the ants were traveling up the thermostat wire into the air handler from the condenser unit.

The contactor in the condenser would not close due to literally hundreds of ants balled up dead underneath the contactor points. Many more ants were alive and well trying to do more damage!

If your air conditioning system is not operating correctly, have Clear Springs Air Conditioning & Electric out to diagnose and repair your situation so you can keep your home nice and cool through this spring and summer!

When your Air Conditioning Company does your spring tuneup or inspection, do they pull your blower assembly out from your furnace, separate the motor from the blower wheel, and clean the wheel, the motor, and the housing?

If not, they are very possibly leaving the motor full of dirt and dust that will make the motor run hot, often leading to an early failure of your fan motor.

When Clear Springs Air Conditioning and Electric does a Spring Tuneup we pull the blower assembly and tear it down for cleaning.

This gives us the opportunity to clean the motor and oil it if it has oil ports. We also electrically check the motor and the run capacitor if it has one. The capacitor has to be within 6% of its manufacturers ratings or it can damage the motor winding's and cause the motor ultimately to fail to start. While we have the blower assembly apart, we clean the blower housing and wheel, thus ensuring the full air flow required for proper air conditioning.

Clear Springs Air Conditioning and Electric will do a complete checkup on your AC System. We believe it should take a couple of hours or ore to complete a thorough air conditioning tune up. We do not charge more to be thorough, we believe this is the correct way to do an Air Conditioning Tuneup. We do everything we can to leave your system in great shape to deliver clean, comfortable, and safe air to you.

This is why our complete Spring Air Conditioning Tuneup is not priced as a $25.00, $30.00, $45.00, or even a $60.00 so called tuneup or inspection. No company can afford do this high quality work for those prices.

You know the old adage...if it sounds to good to be true, it must not be true.

Call Clear Springs Air Conditioning for a real bargain in a spring Air Conditioning tuneup; a complete thorough tuneup, where everything is checked and you end up with a well functioning system - instead of you paying another company just to get into your home so they have the chance to constantly pitch you a new system or try to sell you expensive add on's every time they come to do work, which is the only reason they offer these very low, unrealistic prices.
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Remember, if you live in New Braunfels, and use NBU as your energy provider; New Braunfels Utilities offers a $40.00 energy rebate for a complete and properly documented Air Conditioning Tuneup.

​Evaporator Coil Failures and Refrigerant (Freon) Leaks

The common problem of refrigerant leaks often stems from the evaporator coil section of the home air conditioning system.

Historically, most evaporator coils were made of copper tubes inside of aluminum fins that were sandwiched between galvanized steel tube sheets. These surfaces stay wet when functioning correctly during the cooling cycle.

Formicary Corrosion, caused by the Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC’s often found in today’s home environment (often from the building materials of the home, furniture, carpet, hair sprays, etc.), cause the copper and steel to corrode creating many small leaks (this is sometimes called Ant Nest Corrosion) in the refrigerant system.

Galvanic Action, the corrosion of 2 dissimilar metals touching can also play a significant factor in coil failures.

Today, to help prevent these failures, many coils are made with aluminum tubes and tube sheets instead of copper and galvanized steel. Aluminum Coils are much less susceptible to Formicary Corrosion than Copper Coils are.

Clear Springs can help you with these and other problems you face from your Home Air Conditioning System and Electrical Systems. Call us!

When you notice water around your condenser unit (outside unit) during the winter, it is normal. The outdoor unit operates as the evaporator coil in the heating mode. As such it removes water from the surrounding air as the air temperature drops. Occasionally the unit will go into defrost to thaw out this water that has frozen on the coils. That is where the water comes from.

Another common heat pump question: What is the sudden air noise, like a busted tire, that occurs at the outdoor unit? The heat pump has a valve in it that switches the flow of refrigerant between the indoor coil and the outdoor coil. This valve is operated by electricity as well as the pressure differential between the high pressure and low pressure sides of the unit. When the valve is energized, it will shift the pilot-piston and the pressures push the main piston/valve and the pressures equalize briefly. When the valve is de-energized it shifts back, making the noise again. Most manufactures have the valve energized in cooling mode; Rheem/Ruud energizes their reversing valves in heating mode.

In years past, we've gotten multiple calls from customers telling us their Heat Pump Condensing units were on fire. When the heat pump goes into defrost mode, it will often make vapor of the water accumulated on the coil. It may look like smoke, it is not. When it is in defrost, the outdoor fan does not run. This is to make the defrost cycle as short as possible. When it goes out of the defrost cycle, the fan will come back on. By the way, when it goes into and out of the defrost cycles, the reversing valve will operate, making the air whooshing noise we spoke about above.

When we have freezing rain ice will form on your heat pump. This is normal and the defrost should take care of it unless we get lots of precipitation...The big concern is if enough ice forms so the fan blade hits it as it runs. If this happens, turn off the breaker to your Heat pump and leave your Air Handler on. Put your system to "Emergency Heat Mode" and you should be comfortable. If you leave the thermostat in heat pump mode instead of emergency heat mode, the heat strips will still come on just 3 degrees lower than you want the heat setting on for.

Dogs and Air Conditioning

Dogs kept in the same areas as the outdoor Air Conditioning Condenser Unit often pose threats to system function and longevity of the outdoor unit useful life. I often see 2 types of problems:

1. Chewing of parts of the unit. This includes chewed up thermostat wires, copper line sets, and the deadly 240 volt electrical voltage wires. These often show up in the spring when the air conditioning is first turned on. Fuses are blown and the thermostat often will not operate the system.
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2. Constant urination by the dogs on the units. Copper is prone to damage, but aluminum is highly susceptible to these problems. We run into this damage (see image above) throughout the year, especially in yards with male dogs.

Fences or other similar barriers seem to be the easiest and most cost effective measure to protect the unit.

Some of this damage - like the urine damage above - leaves a homeowner with no choic but to replace their Condenser.

Are you looking for a trusted Air Conditioning and Heating Company?  Give us a call today to perform a complete A/C Tune Up in time for Spring!