1. Thermostat. Your thermostat monitors your indoor temperature and turns your system on or off as necessary. Most systems don’t have a variable cooling output, so temperature is regulated by cooling the house to a certain point and then turning off the system entirely until it warms enough for the A/C to be needed again.
2. Evaporator. Inside the evaporator coils, liquid refrigerant evaporates into a gas. In order for it to do that, it has to absorb heat from the air around the coils, meaning that the air cools precipitously.
3. Blower. Now that the air has been cooled, the blower fan moves it through the ducts and replaces it with more warm air from various parts of your house. The cool air in the ducts is pushed through the ductwork and emerges from vents in your living areas.
4. Filter. The air coming into your A/C that surrenders heat to the evaporator coil is drawn in through the system’s air filter. Without the air filter, the air might carry dust that would gather on the evaporator, forming an insulating layer – one which would prevent your indoor air from giving up its heat.
5. Compressor. As the cooled air is distributed by the blower, the heated refrigerant is pumped through the refrigerant lines by the compressor.
6. Condenser. Outside, the condenser turns the evaporated refrigerant back into a liquid. This expels the heat that it was carrying so it can go back and pick up more.
7. Fan. The warmed air is blown away from the condenser to disperse in the outdoors.

If you want to learn about the air conditioner parts keeping your Michigan home cool, call Aladdin Heating & Cooling today!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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What Do Evaporator Coils Do?

Air conditioning relies on the unique heat-exchange capabilities of chemical refrigerant, which can evaporate into a gas relatively easily and then condense back into a liquid. In the evaporator coil, usually attached to the furnace plenum, the refrigerant extracts heat energy from the indoor air as the chemical transitions into a gas. This creates indoor cooling.

Dirty A/C Evaporator Coils

Over time, the cool, damp evaporator coils will attract a coating of dust and gunk, which may include mildew, mold and bacteria. These materials will impede the vital heat exchange that occurs when the refrigerant is extracting heat from the inside air. Anything that restricts that process will erode cooling efficiency and performance, and eventually lead to breakdowns in the compressor and other parts.

How to Clean A/C Evaporator Coils

• First turn off the A/C’s power at the breaker box.
• Open the cover of the evaporator coil.
• Take a shop vacuum and/or stiff wire brush to clean out the condensate drain pipe to make sure the A/C can expel the water that accumulates during air conditioning.
• Use a brush with stiff bristles (not wire) to remove gunk from the coil; use a clean cloth to wipe away whatever the brush isn’t removing. Spray the coil with a dedicated foaming agent made specifically for this chore.

Your best bet with any air conditioner maintenance (other than simple filter changes) is to have it done by a trained processional during an annual A/C maintenance tune-up. Call us at Aladdin’s Heating & Cooling to schedule your appointment today. We serve communities in Southeast Michigan, including Birmingham, Oak Park and Grosse Pointe.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about evaporator coils and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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First-Time Costs

This is a combination of the purchase price of your new central air conditioner and the installation charge. It’s basically, the amount of money it takes to put a new working A/C in your home. When the first-time costs are low, this usually means the lifetime costs will be high.

Lifetime Costs

These are the cost of operating your air conditioner year after year, and include the most important cost, energy/utility bills, along with repairs and maintenance. Factors that influence lifetime costs include:

• Energy efficiency. If you purchase a central A/C with the lowest possible energy efficiency (13 or 14 SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio), your air conditioner will require more electricity to provide the same amount of cooling as a higher-SEER model. In just a few years, your energy savings with a SEER 18 central A/C will exceed whatever savings you would have earned on the purchase of a cheaper, low-efficiency A/C.
• Durability and design. A name-brand air conditioning system with a reputation for quality will deliver more efficient and dependable cooling, and last longer with fewer repairs, than a knock-off off-brand A/C.
• Professional installation. If you buy a bargain A/C with a low installation charge, you run a good chance of getting an oversized or undersized cooling system. A professional installation calls for a cooling load calculation, accounting for a variety of factors in your home, before arriving at the right size A/C. Charging refrigerant and airflow adjustment also require skill and know-how.

A/C replacement calls for careful consideration of both first-time costs and lifetime costs. For professional help in this process, please contact us today at Aladdin Heating & Cooling, serving Bloomfield Hills, Grosse Pointe, Madison and other Detroit area communities.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about A/C replacement costs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Calculating A/C Size

Many A/C systems are incorrectly sized because the installer only used the square footage of the home. There are dozens of factors that impact a home’s cooling load, which is what A/C size is based on. Some of the factors that influence the cooling load are insulation values, air sealing, number of occupants and A/C usage. If an installer doesn’t know how to accurately assess the load, he doesn’t know how to size an A/C.

Designing Ductwork

Ductwork is sized based on the output of the A/C (and furnace). Following are the basic elements of good duct design:

• Only approved materials are used for duct fabrication.
• Ideally, ducts are located inside the conditioned spaces.
• Ducts should be installed in straight lines and smooth turns.
• Supply airflow and return airflow should be equal.
• Ducts are sealed using approved materials, such as screws, collars, compression straps, mastic and metal tape.
• Ducts outside conditioned spaces should be insulated.
• A blower door test is used to test duct efficiency.

Calibrating Airflow

Airflow calibration is an important step to maximize cooling comfort and efficiency. Moreover, the blower motor capacity affects duct sizing. New A/C systems with higher SEER ratings utilize two-stage and multi-stage blower motors. Advanced blower motors save energy and last longer since there is less wear.

Cooling Efficiency

A/Cs cool by extracting heat from airflow at the evaporator coil. Refrigerant is placed under alternating low and high pressures between coils, and needs free airflow to maximize home cooling. The coils and lines should be checked for tiny leaks, and refrigerant charge should be measured at installation.

For professional A/C installation in your Southeast Michigan home, check out Aladdin Heating & Cooling

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about A/C installation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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What Air Conditioning Coils Do

Air conditioning coils are located in the evaporator and the condenser in the system. These coils are both essential in the proper function of a cooling system.

• The indoor evaporator works to absorb heat from inside the home and transfer it to the condenser.
• The outdoor condenser that changes heated gas to a liquid and thus releases the heat from the home to the outdoors.

The Problem With Dirty A/C Coils

Clean air conditioning coils are needed to ensure that your system is able to maintain maximum efficiency. Here are the reasons that you should make it a priority to keep your coils clean.

• Dirty A/C coils hold heat instead of transferring it as intended. This causes the coils to consume more energy to provide cooling.
• Coils that are dirty are less able to keep your home cool. You may notice that certain rooms throughout your home are warm, or you may notice that your air conditioner is not able to cool to the temperature that you prefer.
• Neglecting dirty A/C coils can lead to permanent damage in your system. If you do not maintain your system to prevent this problem, you will be faced with the high cost of a total replacement.

Get Help With All Your HVAC Needs

Whether your problem is dirty A/C coils or a completely broken HVAC system, Aladdin Heating & Cooling can help. The HVAC specialist has been providing services to people in Royal Oak and the surrounding areas for more than 65 years. Contact Aladdin Heating & Cooling today to request more information or to schedule an appointment.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about A/C coils and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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That being said, there are things to look for besides the age of your unit when trying to determine if A/C replacement is warranted. Look for these tell-tale signs so you can react quickly and avoid a breakdown that leaves your home in Oak Park, Madison Heights, Grosse Point Park or elsewhere hot and humid during the summer season.

Signs Your A/C Unit Needs Replacement

• As mentioned above, if the age of your equipment is more than 10 years old, it is probably not worth it to make repairs. You could actually be saving money with a more efficient, modern unit.
• If your air conditioner requires frequent repairs, or you find that bills for cooling begin rising, these are signs that the unit is becoming less efficient and that performance has been degraded.
• If your system has become very noisy, this could be a sign of problems with the indoor coil of your A/C unit. If your unit is older, it is probably a better idea to replace the entire unit.
• If you experience excessive dust in rooms, this could be attributable to a leaky duct system, and replacement of the ductwork may be indicated rather than the A/C unit. Also, if certain rooms are cooling and others aren’t, this could be due to localized ductwork issues. Excessive humidity can be another symptom of leaky ductwork. If any of these are symptoms you are experiencing, check the ductwork first. A new unit will not improve leaky ductwork.

Contact Us

If you need any kind of expert advice on home comfort systems, please contact us through our website, or call us at Aladdin Heating & Cooling. We’ve been serving the southeastern Michigan area for more than 65 years, and we’d like to extend that service to include your household.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about A/C replacements and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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How It Works

Standard air conditioners are good at one thing: blasting as much cold air into your home as possible. The problem with this system comes when you don’t need as much cooling power as your system is producing, wasting a lot of energy. A two-stage cooling unit has a compressor with both high and low settings. This allows the air conditioner to produce a little or a lot of cold air depending on your current needs.

Due to Southeast Michigan’s mild summers, the unit’s low setting is enough to keep your home or business cool on most days. This type of system also has a variable speed air handler which controls the flow of cool air into your home. This allows you to have more precise control over the temperature.

What Are the Benefits

While saving money on your electric bill might be the most attractive part about owning a two-stage cooling system, there are many more benefits to get excited about. If you’re like most people, high humidity can lead to a lot of discomfort. This system’s continuous operation at low speeds gives the coils a chance to burn off most water vapor in the air. Continual motion is also good for the longevity of parts in the air conditioner. Wear and tear will be less of an issue relative to standard systems.

Whether you’re responsible for residential, industrial, or commercial cooling needs, a two-stage system may be the superior option for your climate control needs. If you’re interested in installing a two-stage cooling system or want more expert advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Aladdin Heating & Cooling. We’ve been serving Sterling Heights, Southfield and the surrounding areas since 1945.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about two-stage cooling and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Overwhelming humidity

Humidity generally results from air passing over the evaporator coils in your air conditioner, where moisture condenses and is disposed of through a drain line. High humidity levels will increase the work load, making it seem like your A/C is not working properly because it is working so hard to remove moisture. Controlling humidity will not only improve home comfort and prevent damage to your home, but will also lighten the load and improve energy efficiency for your cooling system. Preventing high humidity also prevents damage from mildew growth and improves indoor air quality by decreasing mold, dust mites, and other allergens.

What to do about high humidity

Since your A/C can only keep up with the humidity it was designed to control, it’s essential to maintain ideal humidity levels between 30 and 50 percent. Here are some tips for doing so:

• Avoid lowering the thermostat to reduce humidity, as it may be a size of improper sizing.
• Use bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans to minimize extra indoor humidity from cooking and bathing.
• Use shades or blinds on windows with direct sunlight to reduce radiant heat.
• Look for and seal any air or ductwork leaks to maintain your home envelope.
• Maintain cooling system drip pans and drain lines through regular cleaning.
• Consider a dehumidifier for your home or an air conditioning unit with a variable-speed air handler.

For more expert advice and high quality customer service in addressing high humidity in your home, contact Aladdin Heating and Cooling. With a long history of honesty and hard work, we look forward to serving your Novi, Southfield, or other Southeast Michigan area home today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about A/Cs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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1. Cranking the thermostat down will cool the house faster. Most often not true. Some companies do make great variable speed air handlers that can adjust output to meet demand. However, most Farmington Hills homes have units with a single fan speed: on. Cranking the thermostat to 60 to get to 70 faster won’t make a difference, your hot air will move at the same speed rate.
2. Turn the A/C off while you’re gone. While this can be a money-saving option in less torrid temperatures, you probably don’t want to turn the unit off completely during a heat waves. However, it’s also wasteful to keep the A/C on at full blast. The best option is to either install a programmable thermostat or manually adjust the thermostat to 7-10 degrees higher while you’re gone.
3. Ceiling fans keep empty rooms cool. Ceiling fans generate a wind chill effect that makes us feel cooler, but that does not lower the temperature of a room. Like your household lights, you should turn off ceiling fans when you leave.
4. Closing air vents will boost efficiency. This myth can wind up costing you a lot. If you have a modern central air system, randomly closing a register won’t stop your system from cooling air. Instead, the cool air will just expensively circulate throughout your ductwork.
5. A/C is the only way to keep cool. A/Cs are not a worldwide norm. If you find yourself with a system shortage, you can hunker down in the basement to keep cool. Or use those handy wind-chill effect ceiling fans.

For more debunking of myths about cooling your home, contact Southeast Michigan experts at Aladdin Heating & Cooling.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about home cooling myths and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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1. Turn the A/C on and the thermostat up. If you have a programmable thermostat installed, you can set your temperature programming to an energy-saving 85 degrees while you’re away and a comfortable 72 degrees for the day before you plan on coming home. If yours is a manual thermostat, you will likely still want to turn it up to save energy, and just deal with a hot house when you return. Either way, it is critical to leave your air conditioner on, whether you’re gone for a weekend or a month. Your air conditioner will keep the inside air circulating and prevent high temperatures from having damaging impacts on sensitive surfaces such as wooden floors.
2. Inspect your sump pump. Give your sump pump a test run to be sure it is correctly working. If a bad storm comes while you are gone, a broken sump pump can lead to a flooded basement.
3. Turn the main water supply off. This will prevent major leaking while the house is unattended.
4. Install a soaker hose. If you love your plants, a soaker hose set on an automatic timer will keep your garden alive and thriving during the heat.
5. Unplug electronics. Your plugged-in electronic devices use power whether they are being used or not. Unplug them to save on energy costs and prevent them from being damaged during a power surge.
6. Use light room timers. Timers on your lights allow you to set lights to be automatically turned on and off at night. This gives the impression that the house is occupied to thwart would-be burglars.
7. Add antifreeze to the toilet. Antifreeze will protect your toilet from freezing and cracking during the winter.

To learn more about preparing for your summer getaway, contact Southeast Michigan HVAC experts at Aladdin Heating and Cooling.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about getaway savings tips and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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