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July 28, 2017

Signs That You May Need Duct Sealing

Duct work is one of the three main components of your home air conditioning system. The other two are the outdoor condensing unit and indoor air handler. The latter two typically share one big thing in common: more often than not, they’re located in the attic.

That means, in turn, that you have to out of your way to see either. This blog is all about encouraging you to do just that. For starters, you should clean or replace your AC filter about every two weeks, there’s one reason to climb those attic stairs.

And now for the other and the main point of this blog: keeping an eye on your ductwork. Your air duct system is probably made of sheet metal (although fiber glass is increasingly being used) and held together by screws. That means it’s a lot like your outdoor gutters, and air ducts and gutters alike are prone to leaks in the joints, fittings, and seams.

While duct leaks aren’t always easy to spot, there are other signs that some amount of separation has occurred causing conditioned air to escape into your attic and outdoors where it does you no good at all.

Here’s what to look out for:

Reduced comfort – If you have to lower the thermostat to enjoy the kind of comfort you’re accustomed to, leaky air ducts are one possible cause.
Increased energy costs – As air escapes through a fitting or seam, more energy is consumed to keep you cool, thus driving up your utility costs.
Poor indoor air quality – Even as conditioned air is escaping to parts unknown, airborne pollutants like dust, dirt, bacteria, mold and mildew are finding their way inside. From there, it’s a short distance to your living spaces and, ultimately, your lungs.
Reduced safety – The fumes from gas furnaces, wood stoves, and other household appliances also can get pulled into your ductwork when not properly sealed. That leads to more health risks and the possibility of a fire.

If “things” just don’t feel right with your air conditioning or forced air heating system, contact Absolute Air so we can accurately diagnose the problem. And that includes inspecting your ductwork for possible air leaks. If that turns out to be the problem, we’ll professionally seal your ducts once you approve our guaranteed upfront price quote.

July 6, 2017

How You Can Benefit from Whole-House Surge Protection

Just for fun – even though it wouldn’t be – let’s say that a lightning strike or an electrical power surge caused some other way were suddenly to damage or destroy one or more of your home electronic systems – things like your AC or heating system, water heater, computers, etc.

If you’re like most people, you’d file a claim with your insurance company. But there’s only one problem: that claim would most likely be declined. You see, most home owners insurance policies don’t cover that kind of damage, and that leaves you liable for the damages. So, unless you have extra thousands of dollars around for a new home comfort system or whatever else needs to be replaced, it’s not going to be the best day of your life.

That’s why Absolute Air encourages you to protect your valuable home electronics – anything with a built-in microprocessor – with a whole-house surge protector. Already have power strips with surge protection? That’s great, but you also should know that each one is capable of absorbing only 6,000 volts of electricity. By comparison, a whole-house surge protector can resist up to 40,000 amps.

That’s much more protection than your power strips can provide, and enough to prevent ruin or damage to your valuable home electronics following most larger power surges.

The installation is fast and surprisingly affordable – especially when you consider how much a whole-house surge protector offers you in potential savings. To learn more or schedule a free on-site proposal and estimate, contact Absolute Air today.

June 27, 2017

USB Wall Outlets Provide Added Convenience & Less Clutter.

Have you every taken the time to add up all the devices in your home that require USB chargers to keep them running?

In today’s higher tech modern household, the list just keeps on growing:

Cell phones and Smart Phones
Digital cameras
iPads and other Tablets
e-Readers
Gaming devices
And more

What’s the point? Well, for one thing, it suggests that in many DFW area homes, there is a trail of spaghetti (aka USB cords) just about everywhere you look, and people arguing over whose turn it is to charge their Smart Phone or iPad.

Sound familiar?

If so, then you’ll be very glad to hear about a relatively new product from Absolute Air: USB wall chargers!

Essentially, they’re wall outlets with 3-prong sockets that also include one or two USB ports. That means you can plug your charge-able electronics into the socket instead of into a USB charger which, in turn, must be plugged into a socket. Taken a step further, that means less clutter, fewer wires to keep track of, and more happy campers (aka family members).

Our USB chargers feature a smart chip that recognizes and optimizes the charging power of your electronic devices for fast and efficient charging. Even better, no new installations are required: we can simply install one or more new USB wall chargers to replace existing outlets.

Absolute Air offers quality air conditioning services in forney tx and crandall . We have other indoor air quality solutions, too. Contact us today for details or to schedule installation.

If that’s the kind of added convenience you’ve been hoping for, contact Absolute Air today to request more information or to schedule installation. We’re your full-service electrical services provider in Kaufman, Forney, Crandall, and other area communities.

June 6, 2017

Home Money-Saving Tips

Do you go through cycles where you spend money one day like it didn’t matter and then a week later start wondering how and where you can cut corners? It’s all-too-common if you do.

But let’s say today is cost-cutting vs. spend wildly day, and you’re looking for a little encouragement and a fresh idea or two. Well, you’ve come to exactly the right place:

While they help your laundry feel soft and smell great, single use dryer sheets are not only wasteful but filled with potentially harmful chemicals. Instead, why not make your own. All you need are some old towels or tee shirts. Make sure they’re clean and you always have enough on hand for a week’s worth of laundry. Take a couple of the cut-up pieces, dip them in a mixture of distilled white vinegar and your favorite essential oil, store them in an air tight container, and pop one in the dryer as needed.

Get a few more washes out of your bar soap by collecting the scraps, melting them over the stove, and pouring the mixture into bar molds. Let them dry and voila, brand new bars of soap!

Stop buying costly flower vases and storage containers. Instead, thoroughly wash and dry mason jars, coffee cans, and other food containers, and use them for storing tool bits, pencils, crayons, and art brushes, or as a shabby-chic vase for a bright bouquet of flowers.

Why turn on the hose or fill the watering can to water your garden? Instead, place a rain barrel below the eaves of your roof to collect run-off water. Just be sure to check that rain water collection is permitted in your area.

You might be tempted to surround your central air conditioning unit with lush foliage to make it more visually appealing. However, such vegetation can reduce airflow and make your unit run less efficiently. Trim back shrubbery and remove weeds around your unit to reduce electrical consumption and lower your electricity bill.

You know what else you can do to keep your AC costs under control. Contact Absolute Air today to request our annual preventative maintenance service. With annual AC cleanings and inspections, your system will run better, last longer, and help keep your energy and repair costs down.

Home Money-Saving Tips – You’d be surprised at all the little ways you can cut expenses while keeping more of your paycheck for yourself. Absolute Air can help!

May 21, 2017

Is it Time to Upgrade Your Circuit Breaker Panel?

If you still have a fuse box or 100-amp circuit breaker, you might be a candidate for an electrical system upgrade. What’s the logical next step? A 200-amp circuit breaker panel, one that can provide all the power most families need to run all of their high end electrical systems and electronics.

Here are some specifics to help you determine if now is the right time for you:

100-amp service generally is not an adequate power supply for home with electric heat and central air conditioning.
Older circuits eventually lose their ability to protect themselves during an electrical overload, thus increasing the risk of an electrical fire.
Older, under-powered systems often don’t allow you to run multiple electrical systems or electronic gear at the same time.
When you have too little power, you experience frequent blow fuse and tripped circuit episodes.
It’s also time for an upgraded electrical panel when damage occurs to sensitive electronics like computers or you start experiencing frequent brownouts.

Conversely, upgrading to 200-amp service offers you these fundamental advantages:

The ability to run more electrical equipment, and more powerful equipment, at the same time.
Added home and personal safety.
Increased protection for your electronic equipment, including appliances and home comfort (heating and cooling) systems.
Increased home resale value.

If you’re concerned about the state of your home electrical system or the amount of power it provides, contact Absolute Air today for a free and no-obligation assessment of your home power needs and, at your request, a new system quote.

May 12, 2017

What to Do When Your Air Conditioner Freezes Up!

Imagine you’re having an outdoor cookout in the middle of summer, and two things happen simultaneously, both involving ice. First, you run out of ice to serve your guests, so someone has to dash off to purchase more. But as you’re pulling out of your driveway, something catches an eye. An oddity, if you will. And even though you see it, you don’t believe it. So you put your car in park, get out, and go have a look for yourself.

Sure enough, you’re outdoor central AC unit is caked in ice. If this has happened to you for the very first time, backyard cookout or not, trust the fact it’s not the first time we’ve seen it. More importantly, we know exactly what to do to correct the problem.

Still, this is one you might be able to fix on your own. If your AC unit is still frozen, shut it off and allow it to cool completely. Next, go check out your system’s filter, very likely in your attic since that’s where most air handlers are installed, and the air handler is where you’ll find the filter. If it’s chock full of dirt, dust, and other particles, it immediately needs to be cleaned or replaced. Doing so will once again facilitate the kind of airflow necessary to allow your system to work at peak efficiency without freezing up.

Other than poor airflow, outdoor condensing units can freeze up when operating in cooler temperatures. If that’s happened to your system before, you should consider installing an ambient temperature control that allows the unit to run properly when the temperature drops.

And, when all else fails, we won’t! We’re Absolute Air, your local full-service heating, air conditioning, and electrical service company. When it comes to your central AC system, we repair all makes and models, and every conceivable repair problem, including when it freezes up. Contact us now to learn more or schedule service.

Call Us: (972) 932-5373

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