Benefits of a Whole-House Air Cleaner

While modern home sealing technology has advanced, it can keep harmful pollutants in your home and reduce your indoor air quality.

Increased dust levels, trouble breathing, and long-term health issues are common problems when your indoor air quality is poor. That’s why it’s crucial to be aware of indoor air quality. The best way to do that is by using a whole-home air purifier.

Don’t leave your home and family at risk for harmful pollutants.

Call Rick’s Heating & Cooling at (513) 899-6005 or contact us online.

Continue reading “Benefits of a Whole-House Air Cleaner” »

What To Do If Your Furnace’s Pilot Light Goes Out

Pilot lights are commonly found on older model furnaces, and while they serve an important purpose, they also pose a safety hazard if they go out. Instructions on how to relight the pilot light are typically affixed to the appliance or in the original owner’s manual.

Knowing what to do if your pilot light goes out, and when to call for service or repair, can help keep your home and family safe and comfortable throughout fall and winter.

If you still have issues, it may be time to schedule heating or furnace repair.

Continue reading “What To Do If Your Furnace’s Pilot Light Goes Out” »

How To Fix Uneven Cooling in a Two-Story Home

Summers in Cincinnati, OH, can be surprisingly warm. Unfortunately, many local homes struggle to enjoy even cooling on upper and lower floors. HVAC systems can have difficulty keeping upper floors as cool as lower floors without making the lower floors colder than necessary.

There are many different reasons for uneven cooling in a multi-story home. Fortunately, there are also many solutions. In this article, we’ll cover the causes and solutions to uneven cooling problems.

Continue reading “How To Fix Uneven Cooling in a Two-Story Home” »

Do I Need an End-of-Season AC Tune-Up?

It may seem as if summer just began, but in a few months, the kids will be back in school and summer will officially be transitioning into fall. During this time, when your AC use drops dramatically, it’s good to schedule an end-of-season tune-up, especially if you missed your spring maintenance this year.

The experienced professionals at Rick’s Heating & Cooling can inspect and clean your system to keep everything working well all year.

Mark your calendar today for end-of-summer tasks, and call Rick’s Heating & Cooling to schedule your tune-up.

DIY Air Conditioning Maintenance

You can address some aspects of end-of-season air conditioning maintenance yourself. Before switching from cool to heat, take these steps to retire your air conditioner for the winter:

Clean or change your air filter.
Use your hose to flush the outdoor unit of debris and dirt. Just make sure the unit is off when cleaning it.
Vacuum all air vents and returns.
Never cover the air conditioner, even in the off-season, as condensation could build up and create rust.

Professional End-of-Season Air Conditioning Tune-Up

In addition to the tips above, it’s important to schedule a professional tune-up in the fall, when you’re ready to transition from cooling to heating, especially if you didn’t have it done in the spring.

With Rick’s Heating & Cooling, you can expect the following to take place during your tune-up:

Air filters are replaced (unless already taken care of by the homeowner)
Thermostat is calibrated
Refrigerant levels are checked and adjusted as necessary
Electrical connections are tightened
Motor voltages and currents are measured
Evaporator coil is inspected
Condenser coil is cleaned
Moving parts are lubricated
Airflow is tested and corrected if necessary
Condensate drain is inspected and cleaned
Difference in temperature between supply air and return air is assessed
Safety controls are checked
Clearances around equipment are inspected

Why Tune Your Air Conditioner at the End of the Season?

It’s always good to tune your AC before the summer heat, but it’s not too late if you missed this year’s spring tune-up. By tuning up your system at the end of the season, you can still reap these benefits:

Extend the life span of your HVAC system.
Prevent costly breakdowns.
Tune the air conditioner and furnace at the same time, so your heating system is ready for winter as well.
Keep your warranty valid.

Schedule Your End-of-Season AC Tune-Up With Rick’s Heating & Cooling

August and September are great months to schedule your fall end-of-season air conditioning tune-up, but Rick’s Heating & Cooling is here for you all year. With our preventative maintenance inspections and services, you can protect your HVAC system and extend the life of your investment.

We’re proud to continue delivering excellent cooling and heating services to the residents and businesses of Cincinnati, and we’ll work hard to ensure your complete satisfaction.

Don’t miss out on your end-of-season tune-up. Schedule your services for August or September today.

Call 513-899-6005 or contact us online to get started.

Why Is My AC Making a Loud Buzzing Noise?

When you hear unusual sounds from your central air conditioning unit, it’s always worth paying attention. While some amount of noise is inevitable, there’s always a reason for a change in noise level — even if it doesn’t ultimately indicate a problem.

Today, we’ll discuss the reasons your AC unit might be making a loud buzzing or humming noise, and whether it might mean there’s a problem.

Be cautious if you have any reason to suspect the noise you’re hearing is electrical in nature, as electrical shock or damage to your home can result. If that’s the case, or you have any doubts, you should immediately contact an expert for air conditioner repair.

7 Reasons Your Air Conditioner Is Making a Buzzing Sound

While these aren’t the only possible causes, these are the most common problems with your air conditioner that would cause a buzzing sound;

The contactor relay switch: This low-voltage switch in your exterior unit is controlled by the thermostat in your home. It can cause a buzzing noise when malfunctioning, but fortunately, it’s an easy component for a technician to replace.
Circuit breakers: Problems with the circuit breakers of your home or system can lead to a buzzing sound in your AC. This becomes far more likely if you find yourself frequently flipping breakers back. The solution might involve an electrician replacing your panel rather than HVAC work.
Fan problems: There are several fans throughout any AC system, both on the exterior and interior systems, as part of the process of moving heat. A malfunction that causes any of these fans to work improperly can result in a buzzing or humming noise.
Electrical connections: Problems with electrical connections throughout your system can lead to arcing, which can make a humming noise. Regular AC maintenance helps keep these connections tight and will detect degradation early. Even if they don’t reach the point of arcing and dangerous shorts, you’ll be wasting electricity on poor connections.
Frozen unit: Frozen evaporator coils, in combination with the moving parts of fans and motors, can lead to a humming or buzzing sound. You can resolve this in the short term by turning your AC off and letting it thaw completely and dry out. You’ll want to clean it and replace your filter to prevent a recurrence — if it keeps happening, you’ll need an expert to help.
Resonance and vibrations: Your AC has moving parts like the fan, especially the large one on your exterior unit, which can cause vibrations and resonance with ductwork or the surface the system rests on under some circumstances. This becomes far more likely if something shifts out of place or a fan starts malfunctioning.
Duct obstruction: If airflow gets obstructed at your AC filter or elsewhere in your ducts or registers, it can cause vibrations or buzzing noises from air passing through smaller areas with more force. Change your filter, open registers, and check for blockages.

What To Do if You Hear a Buzzing Sound Coming from Your AC Unit

When you hear any buzzing noise, you’ll want to act immediately to resolve the problem — or at least identify the root cause, if it’s something innocuous like vibrations. Running an AC that’s malfunctioning, even if it still works correctly, can damage it substantially or expose you to safety hazards.

If your AC is making a buzzing or humming sound and you need professional AC repair in the Cincinnati area, contact Rick’s Heating & Cooling at (513) 899-6005.

We’ve been repairing air conditioners throughout the Morrow and Cincinnati metro areas for over 30 years!