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Understanding the ins and outs of your heat pump’s airflow can make a significant difference in maintaining comfort in your Palmetto Bay home. Poor airflow is a common problem many residents face, especially in regions where heat pumps work tirelessly to keep homes at a comfortable temperature. Whether you rely on your heat pump for heating during cooler months or cooling during warmer ones, consistent airflow is crucial for efficient operation.

When your heat pump struggles with airflow, several noticeable signs can emerge. You might feel uneven temperatures throughout your home or experience lingering humidity even when the heat pump is running. Another common symptom is the sound of straining or loud noises, which signal that your heat pump is working harder than necessary. Let’s explore the most common causes of poor airflow in heat pumps, understand the underlying issues, and discuss solutions to restore comfort in your home.

Causes of Poor Airflow in Heat Pumps

Clogged Air Filters

Clogged air filters are often the primary culprits when a heat pump suffers from inadequate airflow. Dust and debris accumulate over time and cause significant blockages, which reduce efficiency. When filters become too dirty, they prevent the smooth passage of air, diminishing the heat pump's capacity to regulate temperature effectively. Regularly replacing or cleaning your air filters is essential for sustaining optimal performance. A fresh filter enables your system to breathe easily, ensuring you enjoy consistent airflow throughout your home.

Obstructed Registers and Vents

Airflow issues can also stem from blocked registers and vents. Furniture or drapes might cover these crucial components, restricting the flow needed for proper heating or cooling. Ensure that vents are free from obstructions by regularly checking your home’s layout. Rearranging furniture or lifting curtains can often resolve these issues, allowing air to circulate freely.

Frozen Evaporator Coils

Frozen evaporator coils can significantly impede airflow, causing your heat pump to lose its efficiency. These coils are responsible for absorbing heat, and when they freeze, they prevent the system from maintaining the desired temperature. Signs of frozen coils include visible frost and ineffective heating or cooling. Properly maintaining humidity levels and changing air filters regularly can help prevent your coils from freezing.

Malfunctioning Blower Motor

The blower motor plays a key role in pushing air through the system, and its malfunction can drastically reduce airflow. You might hear unusual noises or notice that air isn’t coming through the vents as forcefully as before. Addressing blower motor issues promptly with the help of our technicians can prevent more extensive damage and restore your pump’s full functionality.

Leaky Ducts

Leaks in the ductwork can lead to significant airflow loss, causing your heat pump to work harder and less efficiently. These leaks allow conditioned air to escape before it reaches its intended destination, resulting in higher energy costs and decreased comfort. Detecting and sealing duct leaks can improve airflow efficiency, making your system more reliable and effective. In Palmetto Bay, where temperature regulation is crucial for comfort, addressing ductwork issues is particularly important to ensure peak performance of your system.

Solutions to Improve Airflow

Regular Maintenance

Establishing a routine maintenance schedule is one of the most effective ways to ensure your heat pump runs smoothly. Regular checks by our professionals can help identify and resolve issues before they become major problems. These checks typically involve inspecting air filters, cleaning coils, and checking system components for wear and tear. By keeping your heat pump in good condition, you ensure that airflow remains consistent, which enhances the overall efficiency and longevity of the system.

Professional Inspection

Even with diligent maintenance, some problems persist that require a professional touch. Scheduling regular inspections with our technicians can uncover underlying issues that affect airflow. Professional inspections not only diagnose and fix existing issues but also prevent future complications. In Palmetto Bay, where climate control plays a significant role in comfort, engaging with experienced technicians ensures your system operates effectively, keeping your home environment stable year-round.

Upgrading Components

At times, your heat pump might benefit from an upgrade to enhance performance. Consider upgrading components such as air filters or blower motors if they show signs of aging or inefficiency. Newer parts often feature improved designs that support better airflow and energy efficiency. These improvements can make a noticeable difference, especially during peak periods when your system demands the most reliability. By investing in up-to-date components, you equip your heat pump to handle these demands effortlessly.

Preventive Measures for Future Issues

Setting Up a Maintenance Schedule

Creating a maintenance schedule tailored to your heat pump’s needs helps in consistently managing and mitigating potential issues. This might involve seasonal checks, where certain tasks align with the changing demands of each season, ensuring optimal operation when you need it most. Consistent upkeep reduces the likelihood of unexpected breakdowns, providing peace of mind that your system will remain functional and efficient.

Educating Homeowners

Empowering homeowners with basic knowledge about their heat pump systems can greatly improve the long-term health of these systems. Understanding simple maintenance tasks—like identifying unusual noises or checking for blockages—can prompt timely interventions and reduce reliance on emergency repairs. Knowing when to contact professional help is equally important, ensuring that small issues are resolved before evolving into costly repairs.

Restoring Comfort in Your Palmetto Bay Home

Addressing poor airflow in your heat pump not only restores comfort but also enhances the efficiency and lifespan of your system. By understanding the common causes and solutions, you can take proactive steps to maintain your system’s health. Whether through regular maintenance, professional inspections, or component upgrades, ensuring your heat pump functions efficiently is crucial.

Taking action against poor airflow enhances the comfort of your home in Palmetto Bay. Addressing these issues promptly minimizes disruptions, allowing you to enjoy a controlled climate regardless of the season. Prioritizing these solutions protects your investment and ensures year-round comfort for you and your family.

If you are ready to restore comfort in your home with professional heat pump service in Palmetto Bay, our team is here to help. Explore our heat pump service in Palmetto Bay for expert evaluations and repairs that keep your system running smoothly. For a quick estimate or to book a service visit, please contact us today.

Keep Your Pets Cool this Summer Too!

We treat our pets like family, just like you do, but unfortunately your pet is the one family member who can’t really tell you what he needs. Summer can be tough for a dog, who’s covered in fur from head to tail and can become overheated more easily than you might think—and it’s tough on cats and other pets as well.

Follow our tips to help keep your pets cool when temperatures go up and up this summer. And if you need to tune-up your air conditioner to keep you and Fluffy cooler this summer, contact us today!

General Tips for Pets and Extreme Heat

In general, it’s important to be aware that the heat affects your pet just as it affects you. It might affect your pet in a different way, and some animals actually enjoy the warmth, but it affects their bodies nonetheless. Some basic tips for pet safety and comfort in the heat:

• Never leave a pet in an enclosed vehicle in the heat.
• Do not leave your pets outside all day.
• Consider grooming your dog for a lighter fur coat for summer.
• Know the signs of heat exhaustion. Heavy panting and lethargic behavior could be signs of a problem.
• If you have an air conditioner, use it. Remember your pets when you leave the home for a day trip or for work, and reconsider shutting off the AC completely.
• Have a vet’s number available at all times and call right away if you think your pet may be suffering from heat exhaustion.

Outdoor Tips for Dogs and Cats

If you have a pet that goes outdoors periodically, there are some things you need to know. First, remember that, just as you would not want to spend all day outdoors in the heat, neither does your pet. These tips can help your dog or cat stay safe and healthy outside this summer.

• Don’t let cats outdoors between the hours of 10am and 3pm.
• If your dog does need to be outside for prolonged periods, which we always recommend against, ensure there is a shady spot for lounging.
• Always leave water outside for dogs and cats.
• Test the pavement before you take an animal out for a walk. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your dog. We recommend taking your pet for a walk in the early morning or evening hours.
• Purchase dog booties for daytime walks.
• If your dog seems anxious about being stuck inside, let him test the weather for himself. He’s likely to instinctually see that it’s important to go back inside.

Food, Water, and Shelter

As always, it’s important to ensure your pet always has access to food and water, but be sure to keep extra water around in the heat, including on walks. Consider giving your pet an ice cube or refrigerated water and cooler foods. For small animals like rabbits, vegetables can help naturally hydrate. If small pets are kept in outdoor hutches, be sure there’s always shade covering the top.

For air conditioning services in Palmetto Bay, FL from a team that cares about you and your pets, get in touch with Air On Demand.

Miami AC Guide: Why Short Cycling on an AC Unit Can Decrease Efficiency

Your Miami air conditioner’s compressor is more efficient the longer it is on. In fact, anything less than 5 minutes shows a sharp and sudden decrease in efficiency, largely due to how long it takes for the compressor to start cooling the air. It takes time to compress refrigerant and start removing moisture and heat. It takes at least five minutes for condensate to start running down the coil to the drain. If it cannot do this it simply evaporates back into the air supply and the efficiency and comfort level go down.

Generally speaking, an air conditioner is set to run on cycles that are as long as possible. So, if the heat load on a hot day for your air conditioner is only 50%, your system will turn on for 50% of the hour, turning on for 10 minutes, then off for 10 minutes, then on for 10 minutes at so on. However, if your air conditioner is sized to reach a higher percentage – closer to 75% on a particularly hot day – the system will remain on much longer.

On the flip side, if your system is not working properly or if it is too large, it can short cycle, meaning it produces a lot of cold air and then turns off after 5 minutes. That, in turn, means it can’t reach the efficiency levels it should. While part of this has to do with proper design of your HVAC system, another part is related to the operation of that system. Two-stage compression can help with this as well by running the system at a lower level if it is not too hot outside but you still need air conditioning.

If you notice your Miami air conditioner running on short cycles, it is important that you call Air On Demand to inspect it. While it could be a design issue, it could also be related to a bad thermostat, a refrigerant leak or even a problem with your compressor. In some cases, a simple fix and an upgrade to your thermostat can eliminate the issue. In others, replacement may be needed.

Richmond Heights Air Conditioning Repair Tip: Condensate Drain Line

Your Richmond Heights air conditioner has a condensate drain line that removes the excess condensate produced by the system during operation. The moisture and other components extracted from the air are flushed through this line to ensure smooth operation. If a clog occurs in the condensate drain line, your air conditioner can stop working properly or freeze up entirely.

Why Does the Condensate Drain Line Clog?

A clog usually occurs because of the sludge that builds up in the drain line. Because so much of the drain line is horizontal, this is only natural. But with time, that sludge can start to back up in a single part of the line and eventually create a full clog. If the clog is severe enough, the condensate water from the air conditioner can back up from the line, into the drain pan and eventually into the furnace.

Fixing a Clogged Condensate Line

Your condensate line is a very simple component it shouldn’t take too long for a professional to take care of the problem.

First, your tech will start by turning off your air conditioner and then removing the panel on the indoor component of the system – where the evaporator coil is located. Inside is two pipes connecting your condensate drain line (usually a PVC pipe) to the evaporator coil. They will then look to see if your drain pan is backed up at all – and empty it if is full of water.

Next, they will look for the end of the condensate line where it leaves the house and connects to the outside unit. If your pipe ends in the ground or any debris and brush have built up around them, they will clean them away and dig out the area around the pipe to ensure it has clearance when draining. They will then flush the line with water to clear the clog.

For any AC service in the Richmond Heights area, give Air On Demand a call!

Tips For Your Thermostat

Your thermostat is a seemingly minor yet highly vital part of your HVAC system. Aside from occasionally adjusting the temperature or switching between heating and cooling mode, you might not spend much time considering your thermostat’s role in your home comfort.

We want you to know that your thermostat is actually a huge factor in how comfortable your home is. From the way that you use this part of your system, to keeping it well maintained, your thermostat can truly make or break your comfort levels.

With that said, we have some tips that you may want to start to incorporate into your regular habits. These tips will help you optimize your home comfort and we are happy to report they are pretty easy too!

3 Tips For Your Thermostat

So what are some ways that you might be able to improve how you use your thermostat? We have some suggestions:

1. Make sure you never go beyond 20°F less than the outside temperature

All too often, people are tempted to mash the button or crank the dial on their thermostat much further down than it should be. The best rule of thumb to remember when setting the temperature on your thermostat is to remember to never go beyond 20°F less than what the temperature is outside. So, for example, if it is 90°F outside, you don’t want to set the thermostat any lower than 70°–and even that will feel pretty darn cold after a while! This range will both help your comfort and your energy efficiency especially because your AC can’t go any further down without sustaining damage.

2. Shoot for an optimal temperature setting

The Department of Energy advises that setting your thermostat to about 78°F. This will help you save quite a bit on energy costs, up to 10% actually. Keeping your thermostat at this temperature throughout most of the year is also great to help you keep your home optimally comfortable along with maximizing your energy efficiency.

3. Have a professional perform repairs and maintenance

The best thing you can do for any part of your HVAC system is to make sure maintenance is done regularly and repairs are scheduled in a timely manner. This applies to your thermostat as much as it does your AC unit. If your thermostat is miscalibrated or becomes disconnected, it won’t be able to do much for your comfort. However, if you have a professional come by to check your thermostat and provide repairs, there is a big difference.

Trust Our Team with Your Home Comfort

The team at Air On Demand is one that you can rely on. We are known for being a company of trustworthy and professional technicians who include upfront pricing with each service we provide. When you need a technician to help you with your thermostat services or with any other part of your home comfort needs, you can turn to us.

The next time you need someone to turn to for HVAC services in Miami, FL, contact Air On Demand.

The “Fan” Setting on Your Thermostat May Not Be What You Think

Your thermostat is the only part of the air conditioner you really interact with. As such, you may not put much thought into how, exactly, your air conditioner works. The thermostat typically has two options for the fan setting: “on” or “auto.” And some people are not sure of which setting they are to use on a daily basis.

Our advice: the “fan on” setting is almost never the setting you want to use throughout the day. We provide more information below.

A Fan Cannot Cool Down Your Home

Something to always keep in mind is that a fan alone will not cool down your home. In order to cool a home, an air conditioner uses a fan as well as a series of coils and a refrigerant system that removes heat from the air in order to cool down your home.

When you take away the other components, all you have is a fan circulating the same air over and over again. The airflow won’t lower the temperature of your home. You won’t notice much at all unless you’re standing directly in front of a vent.

It comes down to this: leaving the fan on throughout the day is a major energy waste.

It Can Also Create Some Humidity Issues

Some people note that leaving the fan on allows air to be filtered throughout the day. But it can also create some air quality issues. Your air conditioner both cools the home and removes moisture from the air—dehumidifying to keep you more comfortable. This moisture collects on a coil, and should be able to drain when the cooling cycle is complete. But if you keep the fan running, some of that moisture actually returns to the air!

Here’s the Setting You Should Be Using

Here’s how to really save money with your thermostat. Leave the fan in “auto” mode and keep it there! Set the temperature warm enough to save money, but something that all of your family members can be comfortable with. We recommend 78°F.

If you’re in the Pinecrest, FL area, contact the friendly technicians at Air On Demand for your next AC service or with any other questions.

Miami Air Conditioning Guide: Ways to Tell You Have a Refrigerant Leak

Your Miami air conditioner uses a chemical solution known as refrigerant to extract heat from indoor air and cool your house. This refrigerant is potentially harmful to the environment, however, so it is sealed up tightly inside your air conditioner. Under normal operation, your air conditioner should never need to be refilled with refrigerant as another device would be with fuel.

So, if your air conditioner is not cooling your home properly, one possible problem is a refrigerant leak, but how do you find such a leak and have it contained and repaired quickly and affordably?

Finding a Refrigerant Leak

Most refrigerant leaks are very small and therefore hard to detect. This is how they can go overlooked when your technician inspects the system during routine annual tune ups. However, if the leak is large enough to detect, it can be done with a leak detector.

For smaller leaks, pressure may need to be added to the system to force the leak a bit and find it. Then you must find a way to track the refrigerant back to the source of the leak in the coils and patch the job. For all these reasons, leak detection and repair should be handled by a Miami air conditioning professional. If you find an oily spot on your coils, this is a likely leak. You can also use a detergent soap to make these oily spots more apparent.

Calling for Assistance

While finding a leak can be done a homeowner, the actual process of patching the leak is a professional job. Leaks can occur in a number of places in your air conditioner but most often, they need to be soldered or patched in some way and that requires professional equipment and a keen understanding of how your air conditioner works. If you think your air conditioner might have a refrigerant leak, give Air On Demand a call today!

Tips to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

Your home comfort involves more than just the temperature of the air blasting through your ventilation. Your home indoor air quality (IAQ) plays a large role in how comfortable your home is. In fact, your IAQ can actually make or break your cooling system’s ability to keep you comfortable.

We know it might seem strange to think about but it is true. That is why it is so important to make sure that you keep your IAQ in mind throughout the year. And, in turn, if you start noticing that there are signs that your IAQ is on a downturn, refer to our technicians to discover ways to improve it! That is why we offer indoor air quality services in Homestead, FL after all!

Boosting Your IAQ

Improving your IAQ is both an important and a surprisingly easy task. There are some things that you can do yourself and others that are only a quick call away that will help to improve the air quality in your home. Below we have listed a few tips to boost your IAQ that you can use.

What You Can Do Yourself

These are a few different options of ways that you can help improve your IAQ on your own.

• ‍Check Your Air Filter: In most cases, your HVAC air filter is an accessible part of the system that you can remove to clean or replace. Make sure you double-check that you have a reusable filter before attempting to clean it with a dust rag and water. If you are ever unsure about replacing or cleaning a filter, you can always reach out to a trained technician for assistance.‍
• Keep the Home Clean: As you can probably guess, keeping your home clean prevents dust and debris from making their way into your air system and being circulated throughout your home. Incorporating regular habits such as brushing the pets once a week, dusting on the weekends and vacuuming regularly, go a long way in improving your IAQ.‍
• Find Air-Cleaning Plants: Certain plants can help clean the air within your home and improve your air quality. Do some research on what plants may work best for your home (such as spider plants or snake plants) and pick one or two up from your local gardening store.

What To Call a Professional For

You can’t do it all by yourself! Call the professionals for the following air quality services.

• ‍Cleaning Your Ductwork: Your filter works hard but it can’t catch everything. Over the course of a few years, dirt, dust, fur and other debris can build up inside your ductwork, making their way through your vents when you use your air system. Call a professional for duct cleaning services.‍
• Installing Purifiers and Other Filters: Your easy-to-access air filter isn’t the only filter within your air system. A professional has the ability to install and service additional air filters that can make a big difference in helping your IAQ. What’s more, opting for an air purifier can address additional issues within your air such as bacteria, allergens, viruses and more.

Contact Air On Demand to discover how we can help you improve your IAQ

Should You Lower the Temperature Even More for Holiday Dinners?

Your holiday dinners can get a bit crowded, but that’s why you love them! You have a huge family, and you wouldn’t trade that family-holiday-dinner-pic for the world, but you also want to make sure that everyone is comfortable this holiday season.

If you are hosting a big family dinner this holiday season, you may have some questions about your air conditioning system. We want to answer them, but first we will give you a little bit of information about your AC system so that you can make smarter choices for your home, family, and budget.

Lowering the thermostat won’t cool the home any faster

When the house is particularly hot, you hope the air conditioner can cool it down quickly. You might turn it down a few degrees, or even 10° lower than you’d like, just to give it an extra push.

But when your AC system is attempting to cool your home, it can only move at one speed.

When you lower the thermostat settings to an extreme temperature, your comfort system simply runs for longer, cooling the home past the point of comfort, using excess energy, and wearing down the parts of the air conditioner.

Our recommendation: Choose a temperature and stick with it

We strongly recommend that you find an efficient, comfortable temperature and stick with it.

We know that cooking in a home with a lot of people produces a lot of heat. But if you have the thermostat set to 77°, the air conditioner is going to run until it reaches that temperature. It should not suddenly stop cooling unless something is wrong (and turning down the thermostat won’t fix this).

Instead…

• Use a programmable thermostat to set the thermostat to an efficient, comfortable temperature for everyone—perhaps 77° or 78°.
• Educate family members about the thermostat, and let them know that constant readjustments don’t help the AC system to cool, and will only wear it down.
• Schedule a maintenance session with a trained air conditioning technician if you’re worried about how well your air conditioner will perform this season. In fact, we recommend you do this twice a year every year—no matter what.

Call Air On Demand for more information and helpful advice about your AC system in Miami, FL. We’re here to help!

The Importance of UV Lights for Your Air Conditioning System

Your family’s health and wellbeing is your number one priority. Of course, it’s tough for you to control everything that may affect their health, but you might be surprised that some amount of germs in the air can be stopped.

Adding UV lights to your HVAC system protects you and your family members from illness. Learn more about this important home fixture below, and call qualified local HVAC technicians for installation or service today.

What Does UV Light Protect Your Home From?

UV lights in the HVAC system clean your air of microorganisms. A microorganism is a very small, microscopic living thing, like bacteria or a virus. These germs have a way of multiplying quickly and attacking your immune system.

When your air conditioner or heater is running, it constantly sucks in air from around the home and redistributes that air after it is cooled or heated. And while it passes through a filter first, many germs are just small enough to pass through the filter media and recirculate in your home.

That’s where UV light comes in. Ultraviolet light naturally kills and sterilizes germs. Once they move through the light, bacteria and other microorganisms are no longer harmful for you to breathe in, since they can no longer multiply.

Who Can Install Your UV Lights?

Make sure that you have a qualified air conditioning and heating technician install your indoor air quality equipment. Technicians will ensure that the UV light does not get in the way of airflow and that the bulb is functioning properly. In addition, they can provide you with valuable maintenance information and make sure that you know how to take care of the equipment. After installation, you may notice fewer instances of illness amongst family members—something we all want!

Air On Demand offers AC and indoor air quality equipment service and installation in Pinecrest. Call our friendly team today to learn more about protecting your home from bacteria and other microorganisms.

4 Signs You Have Duct Issues

Your ductwork is the out-of-sight part of your home comfort system that should never be truly out of mind. This is because a problem with your ductwork can undermine your home’s comfort and lead to problems with your HVAC system, even up to the point of a breakdown.

This makes it easy to understand why you’d want to address any and all problems in your ductwork promptly. But we’d advise putting away the duct tape–it won’t help the way you might think.

Issues within your ductwork require professional service. Here are the signs that will warn you about when your ducts need assistance.

How To Tell Something Is Wrong With Your Ducts

So how can you figure out something is wrong with your ducts without trying to access them on your own? Well, you can start by checking to see if you notice any of these warning signs:

• ‍Reduced airflow: Holes, leaks, or cracks in your ducts can allow conditioned air to escape your duct before they reach its final destination. This will lead to reduced airflow in one room or even throughout the house, making it a lot harder to get comfortable.‍
• Increased energy bills: Did you know that even a small duct leak can be a source of a huge amount of energy loss? It’s true! And that means that you will end up paying more money to try to get your home comfort under control even as the air you pay for escapes into the crawlspace or attic.‍
• Hissing or whistling: When you run your HVAC system, do you hear odd sounds above your head? Hissing or whistling can both be indicators of a leak in your ductwork. This is caused by temperature-controlled air exiting the ductwork through these small cracks. If you are hearing either of these noises from your vents then it may be a good idea to have your ducts checked.‍
• Reduced temperature control: Last but not least, duct problems will start to negatively impact the temperature control in your home. This reduced temperature control translates to longer run times for your HVAC system and higher energy bills as a result.

How We Can Solve The Problem

As we said before, you are better off putting the duct tape away. Despite its name, all this kind of tape will do is leave you with an unsolved problem and potentially worsen the damage.

Instead, you are better off coming to a team of professionals like ours for ductwork repair in Cutler Bay, FL, and the surrounding areas. Our team of technicians knows exactly how to assess your ducts to identify where the problem is and how bad it is. From there we can figure out the right solution to address the problem head-on.

When you need help with home comfort, don’t forget the role that your ducts play!

Contact Air On Demand today to have a technician check and repair your ductwork. Proudly serving the Greater Miami area

Your air conditioning system is the main thing in your household protecting you and your family from the searing heat of the summer sun in Kendall. Unfortunately, your AC could potentially be accounting for the majority of your home energy expenses during the summer months.

If you are like most homeowners, you might be searching for ways to improve your air conditioner’s efficiency and cut down on energy bills. While it is easier said than done, we have some tips that can help your AC perform better and cost less through the course of the year.

We’ve created this guide to tell you about three ways you can help your AC perform better so that you can cut down on energy costs without compromising on your comfort.

3 Ways to Help Your AC Perform Better

These three measures can help you improve the overall efficiency of your air conditioning system while reducing the expense of operating it during the hottest months of a Floridan summer.

1. Keep Thermostat Settings Reasonable

We understand that the heat can become unbearable on some days, and you want nothing more than to enjoy the cool breeze coming from your air conditioner when you get home. Unfortunately, many people think turning the thermostat settings to a colder temperature will cool down their home faster. That is never the case.

The thermostat setting determines how often the AC will turn on to regulate the temperature. It does not affect the speed. If you keep the thermostat set to a temperature that is too low, it will only make the AC work harder for much longer than necessary to try to cool things off according to your demands. The Department of Energy advises that 78°F is the ideal temperature setting to balance out power consumption and get you good results.

2. Schedule Prompt Repairs

It is completely normal for air conditioners to develop problems over time due to wear and tear. If there are any pending repairs for your AC, you should make it a point to schedule services to repair it immediately.

We say immediately because delaying repairs can result in the problems becoming worse. This is bad for two reasons. The first is that it can lead to increasingly high energy bills; the second is that the issues can worsen to the point of causing a full breakdown and even lead to a need for an early replacement.

3. Schedule Maintenance Each Year

Just like any other mechanical appliance, air conditioners wear down over time and need a tune-up to help them run well. Regularly scheduling maintenance for your air conditioner can help you ensure that the unit is working efficiently. In addition, the more energy-efficient it is, the less energy it will use while providing you with the cooling you need to make your home feel more comfortable during the summer.

Contact Air On Demand today if you are looking for professionals to handle air conditioning tune-up in Kendall, FL. We’ll keep your AC is working right when you need it most

The Advantages of Professional Sheet Metal Ductwork Design

Your ductwork is an integral part of your HVAC system. As such, it should be designed for maximum efficiency and longevity. One of the best ways to ensure you achieve this, and more, with your ductwork, is to have sheet metal ductwork fabricated for your home. Having ductwork tailored to your home and HVAC system has a number of benefits, but without professional help, you could encounter ongoing problems down the road. For over 13 years, Air On Demand has been fabricating sheet metal ductwork for customers in Homestead, FL and all over the Miami area, and we can make sure you have a ductwork system designed and fabricated to last for years to come.

Why Should I Consider Custom Ductwork?

Here are some reasons custom ductwork can be a good choice for homeowners:

• Helps distribute air to all rooms evenly
• Helps to create a system with neutral air pressure, which is optimal for the operation of your system and your comfort
• Helps your system to achieve its highest level of energy efficiency
• Reduces wear and tear on your system
• Helps improve indoor air quality

It’s All About Correct Calculation

When you hire a professional to create custom ductwork, the following items should be taken into consideration in order to create a ductwork system perfectly suited for your HVAC system and your home:

• Correct heating and cooling calculations: By doing load calculations, your fabricator can correctly size the ductwork to ensure that your home receives the proper air load.
• Creation of ducts that have the straightest route from your air handler to a given room: Ductwork that has many turns can make it harder for your system to deliver the necessary air flow to your living spaces.
• Have a matching return duct for every supply register: Having matching supply and return ducts helps keep the circulation in your home optimal.
• Properly secure seals with metal binding and mastic: Ductwork that is properly sealed has significantly less air loss, which helps increase energy efficiency and indoor air quality, and puts less stress on your system.

Having the right ductwork for your home makes all the difference between being comfortable and energy efficient, and not. Contact Air On Demand and schedule an appointment with one of our fabrication experts to see how custom sheet metal ductwork in Homestead, FL can help your home.

How Neglecting This One Small Thing can Wreak Havoc on Your Air Conditioner

Your air conditioner is probably pretty close to the top of your “things I don’t want breaking down during summer” list. You’ve probably already scheduled preventive maintenance to make sure that any preexisting problems are already dealt with before the days heat up too much. If not, you should. Still, all your best-laid plans can come to naught if you don’t watch out for one specific thing this summer. Let’s take a look below.

The Air Filter

If you weren’t even aware that you had an air filter in your air conditioner, don’t worry. Most homeowners don’t know that. Now that you do know that, though, you should also know that you have a responsibility to take care of the air filter. Ignoring it will make it much more likely that various problems will occur in the air conditioner, some of them serious.

The air filter is designed to protect the air conditioner from the various dust particles and other contaminants that tend to build up in the ductwork of the home. The filter is very good at this, but it has no way to get rid of the contaminants that it collects. The filter needs to be changed out every few months while the air conditioner is being used heavily. If this doesn’t happen, the filter will become clogged.

What Happens When the Filter Clogs

Well, it’s not going to make your air conditioner blow up or anything. However, it’s not good for the system, either. A clogged air filter will block most of the air in the ducts from entering the air conditioner. Less air flowing into the system means less air for the air conditioner to circulate throughout the home. The drop in output isn’t the only problem, though.

The drop in air flowing over the coil in the air conditioner will cause the temperature in the immediate area around that part to drop significantly. Eventually, the temperature will drop below freezing and the condensate on the coil will form ice. An iced-over coil will be unable to siphon any thermal energy at all from the air around it. Your air conditioner will, in effect, break down entirely.

How to Prevent This

If you’ve already had maintenance conducted on your air conditioner this year, your technician will have likely changed the filter during the appointment. Even if that is so, you still need to make sure to change your filter every three months after that appointment until the summer is over. This will keep your filter functioning properly, and prevent it from clogging. If you don’t know how to change your filter, you can always have a technician show you how to do it.

Air On Demand provides a full range of air conditioning repair services in Homestead, FL. If you need help with your air conditioner, no matter what’s going on with it, contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our professional technicians. We will make sure that your system serves you well this summer.

Miami Air Conditioning Repair Guide: Problems Caused by Ducts

You probably don’t often think about the ductwork inside your home because it is usually hidden, doing its job of distributing comforting, cool air. But because your ductwork remains out of sight, when it develops problems they can be difficult to detect and diagnose. In Florida, our wet climate poses a particular hazard to ducts because it can lead to corrosion and the introduction of contaminants.

We’re going to go over some problems that faulty ducts can cause. When you need professional work performed on your ducts, contact the Miami air conditioning repair specialists at Air On Demand.

• ‍Inefficient heating: Ducts that are broken, badly designed, or poorly installed will lower your air conditioner’s ability to keep you cool. Defective ducts will allow in air from parts of the house that are warmer than the rest, raising the temperature.‍
• Inefficient energy use: If your air conditioner must work harder to reach the temperature you want, it will require more energy to run. You might notice an increase in your energy bills because bad or broken ducts are letting in warmer air or allowing dust to clog up the air filter.‍
• Poor air quality: If you notice that your home is always dusty even though you work hard to keep it clean, then the dust may be coming out of the vents in your air conditioning—and you wouldn’t want to be breathing that! Broken ducts will gather more dust, and in turn circulate it around your home.

At first, you may feel tempted to grab the duct tape and try to seal up these breaks yourself. However, no matter its name, duct tape is not sufficient to close up these gaps. It will require a professional with special mastic sealant to do the job. You should also rely on a professional to diagnose the problem, since ducts are only one culprit for the three problems above.

Air On Demand has on-staff ductwork experts who can perform any necessary repairs or replacements you need. We also install air cleaners and purifiers to eliminate contaminants and make certain the air coming through your ducts is the best quality possible. Call us today to set up an appointment for air conditioning repair in Miami that will suit your needs.

Why It’s So Important to Keep Your Air Conditioner Clean

Your air conditioning system is a complex piece of machinery. Every part should be in good working order if you really want it to run smoothly. And sometimes the smallest of things can do a lot of damage.

The tiny particles found in the air of any building could potentially cause a lot of damage to your air conditioning system. Luckily, you have a clean air filter in place to stop them—we hope. Take a look at how a dirt in the air conditioner could do a lot of harm, and why it’s important to keep filters and other components clean.

The Trouble With Particles

If particles in the air were to get into the air conditioner, the blower fan could suck them in, pummeling the AC equipment as they enter. Particles also get into the blower fan, keeping it from running smoothly and preventing That’s actually why the air filter was designed in the first place, engineered to keep particles from decreasing the lifespan of your equipment.

Air Conditioners and Indoor Air Quality

Then, of course, there’s the issue of indoor air quality. Most people associate air filtration in their homes with the amount of allergens in the air. This is another reason to clean or change your filter regularly, and why you should keep the AC clean. You can help keep the air conditioner clean by installing a UV air purifier (with the help of an HVAC technician), which may help to prevent mold and mildew from building up on the indoor unit.

Changing the Air Filter Regularly

You must change your air filter each and every month. Doing so is easy. Simply…

• Locate the filter within your home, typically in a register.
• Turn the AC off completely before removing the filter.
• Check the size before you buy a new one.
• Purchase the right filter for your AC equipment (you may need to consult a technician or your AC system manual).
• Replace the filter carefully, ensuring the arrows are facing in the right direction, and put a reminder in your calendar to replace it in a month.

In addition, keep the outside unit free of yard waste. Trim back branches and keep loose items away from the condenser unit as much as possible. And have technicians maintain and clean your air conditioner each and every year.

Contact Air On Demand for all of your air conditioning needs in Miami, FL

Air Conditioning Repair FAQ: Is It the Thermostat

Your air conditioner should continue to run until the temperature in the room meets the temperature displayed on the thermostat. Once this goal is achieved, the air conditioner shuts off until the temperature in the room begins to rise again. So when the air conditioner does not switch on automatically, what’s the first thing most homeowners check? The thermostat.

The thermostat has an immense responsibility in keeping your home cool. However, the thermostat is not always the reason for your home air conditioning problems. Whether turning the temperature down a few more notches helps to kick it back into gear, or if the AC won’t turn on whatsoever, something is keeping the air conditioning system from performing properly—and you should always have a professional come check it out.

Common Thermostat Issues

While reduced cooling, short cycling or a broken-down system could result from a number of internal problems with the system itself, the following are some common thermostat issues.

• ‍Miscalibration: Over time, an older thermostat may become miscalibrated. A professional may be able to correct this, or you may simply need a replacement.‍
• Dirt: Dirt on the thermostat can prevent it from getting an accurate reading, leading to a lack of cooling power and frequent starting and stopping of the air conditioner, which can wear down key parts and use up a lot of energy.‍
• Faulty Wiring: Faulty thermostat wiring may lead the air conditioning system to short cycle. This extra wear and tear can force the compressor—one of the most important parts of your AC—to fail much sooner than expected.‍
• Inaccuracy: Inaccurate readings especially affect older manual thermostats, since it is very difficult to tell whether the dial or slider is set to the desired temperature. This causes family members to readjust the thermostat often, raising your energy bills—not to mention the energy wasted when you are unable to take advantage of advanced programming options. Consider a new digital thermostat for greater accuracy.

Contact the professional technicians at Air On Demand to assess your system and determine whether the thermostat is at fault, or if you are in need of immediate AC repair in Miami, FL

Do You Have a Clogged Condensate Drain?

Your air conditioner needs to release water through the condensate line to function correctly. However, with time, dirt, dust, and other airborne particles get stuck in the condensate line as they are carried along with the airborne moisture in the home. A clogged condensate drain may not seem too problematic. However, if you leave it untreated for long, your HVAC malfunctions lead to more significant air conditioning problems.

Therefore, you must learn the common signs for instantly spotting a clogged condensate drain. This way you will know when to contact us for HVAC system repair in Miami to clean your condensate drain.

5 Signs of a Clogged Condensate Drain

If you observe any of these signs from your HVAC system, it means your condensate drain is blocked.

1. Pooling Water

Standard HVAC systems in Miami collect moisture from the room only to let it drip from the condensate pan and out the condensate line. But if the drain is blocked, the shallow pan can’t hold all the liquid resulting in unusual leaks. These leaks pool water on your floor and cause damage to your home.

2. Automatic Shutdown

Recent HVAC models come with a drip pan sensor which automatically shuts down the HVAC system if the condensate pan is overflowing. That is why, if your air conditioning shuts off without any reason, it is best to get a professional to check your condensate drain and other parts of your AC immediately.

3. Mold Growth

The water leaking from your HVAC seeps inside the walls and floorboards, creating a friendly environment for mold and bacteria. Both of these are your house’s enemies as they rot the woods and make your home unsafe. When mold starts to grow, you will notice a stale and pungent odor coming from the spot your HVAC system is fixed.

4. Frozen Cooling Lines

If your condensate drain line clogs, it may increase the chances of your refrigerant lines freezing. If a layer of ice is forming on your system, make sure to call an HVAC repair company to keep your system running smoothly.

5. Damp Walls

Another sign of blocked condensate drain is dampness or wetness in walls near the HVAC system. When water leaks from the air conditioning system, it goes straight into the walls. Due to excessive moisture, your walls appear damp to the touch and discolored. As a result, you can see the mold growing beside your HVAC system.

If you observe any of these signs, you need to get your condensate drain fixed. If you ignore this situation, it will spread and damage your walls and ceilings.

Contact the Professionals For Your HVAC Problems

Having a blocked HVAC condensate drain system is dangerous for you and your home. Leaving it untreated for long can severely damage your home, making it vulnerable to mold and rot. To keep your home safe from these elements, check your system for signs of blockage.

So, don’t wait for an AC issue to ruin your home and comfort. Call Air On Demand today for expert HVAC services!

Factors That Mess With Your IAQ

Your air conditioner has a tall task on its plate: it has to keep your home cool and comfortable throughout the many months of heat that we get around here. Chances are your system itself is up to the task. The question is are you providing it with the materials it needs to really do its job well?

Imagine being given a faulty pen and told to write an essay with it. That is what it is like to have an AC that is expected to provide optimal comfort in a home with poor indoor air quality. The team at Air On Demand wants you to have reliable comfort for your whole home. That is why we make sure to provide helpful indoor air quality services to address any issues with your comfort level.

Common IAQ Issues That Might Mess With Your Home Comfort

Too few people realize what an important role their indoor air quality plays in their home comfort. To give you an example how comfortable would you feel if you were in an older home that had cool air but was dusty in every way imaginable? It is factors like these that can help or hinder your comfort levels in your house. Here are some of the key factors that we encounter in homes around Homestead that mess with residents’ ability to stay cool.

Too much dust and debris

As we just mentioned above dusty air does nothing to improve your home comfort. High levels of dust in the house don’t just dirty things up. Dusty air can also make your air conditioner’s job a lot harder. All that airborne debris is going to clog your AC filter a lot more quickly and can even create problems for your evaporator coil and other parts of your system. We provide air filtration systems that can clean up the air in your home and reduce the amount of dust floating around.

Allergens, mold, and more

Dust and dirt aren’t the only airborne contaminants that you need to be aware of. There are of course plenty of other allergens and particles that you want to try to keep out of your home. Contaminants such as pollen mold spores etc. are going to negatively impact your air conditioner’s operation. On top of this, they are likely to make you feel more uncomfortable in the long run by irritating nasal passages and your respiratory system. No one can get comfortable when they are having a sneezing fit! Our air purification systems are a great solution to this issue.

High heat transfer

Last but not least, it is important to take note of how long your home holds cool air in. A home with poor insulation in the walls and attic will allow for an increased level of heat transfer, meaning that your AC will have to work harder to keep you cool as the cold air leaks out of your home far too quickly. We can address this by helping improve the insulation in your home.

When you need help with your home comfort, come to the HVAC company in Homestead, FL that takes every factor into account. Our team of professionals will leave no stone unturned to ensure you get the best comfort and efficiency possible.

Schedule an appointment with Air On Demand today

Is It Too Early to Plan for Air Conditioning Installation?

You’ve decided that you’ll need a new air conditioning system for the new year. This is an important step towards improved efficiency and performance from your system for greater energy savings, as well as comfort and peace of mind that your new system will last for many years to come. It may seem a bit early in the year to think about it now, but here in Florida, weather is fairly unpredictable throughout the year, and most experts would say it’s better to replace an older AC now than later on.

When you need air conditioning installation in Homestead, FL, call the experts at Air On Demand for quality service from a name you can trust.

It may be the case that your air conditioning system still runs, just not quite as well as you’d hope. It’s certainly expected that an air conditioning system will struggle later in its life, offering noticeably decreased performance and taking longer to cool a home. And this means that you’re spending far more every month on your energy bills than you need to. An air conditioning system that takes longer to cool your home will use far too much energy to get the job done as the worn-down parts must fight to keep up with demands.

Besides, if you delay air conditioning installation for too long, you risk a broken down system. Installing a new air conditioner is not a process you’ll want to rush through, and it’s never ideal to be without air conditioning for any period of time when it’s warm and humid outside. A broken down system may even be more costly to replace, and it’s likely that you’ll end up paying more to replace a failed unit than you would have otherwise.

You should allow yourself plenty of time to plan for air conditioning installation, which generally means going through the process sooner rather than later. Give yourself some time to choose a quality contractor with years of experience and a variety of options to choose from. And remember that the install itself may take the entire day or more depending on the circumstances.

Contact Air On Demand today to speak with contractors who will detail your options and provide quality service for air conditioning installation in Homestead, FL.

5 Energy Saving Tips for the Holiday Season

You’ve spent enough money this holiday season. Why spend any more on your energy bills than you have to? You’re happy to have friends and family near for the holidays, but this can mean a bigger bill at the end of the month after all that cooking, air conditioning and heating, and holiday lighting. We want to help you keep these costs under control.

Follow these tips to save energy over the holidays, without sacrificing any of the joy and cheer.

#1: Trade Up to LED Lights

You shouldn’t have to use a ton of energy spreading holiday cheer—and thankfully, you don’t have to! LED Christmas lights can use 90% less energy than other lights, and they are not much more expensive. In fact, you’ll find that LED Christmas lights take up a large portion of the holiday decoration section at your local home goods store!

#2: Use Timers for Lighting

To get the most out of your holiday lights without using more energy than is necessary, you should turn the lights on only once it gets dark and turn them off before you go to bed. Of course, this can be easy to forget after a long day. Plug the lights into a timer so that they automatically turn on and shut off, preferably staying on for no more than about 6 hours.

#3: Gifting Electronics? Look for the ENERGY STAR Seal

Everything from dishwashers to ceiling fans to televisions can be ENERGY STAR certified, meaning that they have earned the label given by the EPA to products that use a minimal amount of energy for the same performance as comparable products. You may pay a little more upfront but your loved ones will thank you for the monthly savings!

#4: Cook Smarter, Not Harder

When you cook at home, you waste a lot of energy and fuel when you cook dishes separately at different times. Plan holiday meals out ahead of time so that you’re using the oven for 2 or 3 dishes at a time. If possible, use smaller appliances for certain meals. If it can go in the microwave or the toaster oven, for example, instead of the oven, this will cut back on cooking time and save energy, killing two birds with one stone!

#5: Use a Programmable Thermostat

Finally, one of the best ways to save during the holiday season—and all year round—is to make efficient use of your programmable thermostat. This means ensuring that you keep it locked at an efficient temperature most of the day while people are home (and trying to prevent family members from constantly changing the temperature up and down).

When you leave the home, you should turn up the temperature by about 5-10° on the thermostat, so as not to waste energy. A smart thermostat makes this easier, allowing you to check on the temperature in the home even when you are away at work or on that well-earned vacation. For more information, contact our heating and cooling experts!

Contact Air On Demand for heating and cooling services in Miami, FL. Happy holidays from our family to yours!

5 Tips for Trying To Keep Cool While Waiting On AC Repairs

You’ve noticed something is definitely wrong with your air conditioner. You already had maintenance done on this system so you’ve made the smart decision to call a professional technician about getting an air conditioner repair in Miami. Well done!

The catch here is that you likely aren’t the only one in need of repairs. Miami sees plenty of high temperatures which means our air conditioners see a lot of use, leading to plenty of overlap for repair appointments. It may be a little while until your technician arrives to service your AC unit.

While you wait for your expert AC repair technician to arrive you may be trying to figure out how to stay cool. This is something we can help with too!

1. Use the fans to keep yourself cool

Let’s be clear, running a fan won’t lower the temperature in the room. What these appliances do is help increase the evaporation of sweat which is your body’s natural cooling process. This allows you to feel much cooler even if your AC isn’t running.

2. Avoid using the stove or the oven

Staying cooler isn’t just about removing heat, it also involves reducing the addition of heat in your home. Using the kitchen stove or the oven on a hot day can raise the temperature throughout the house. This is why, when your AC is out of commission, it may be a good day to enjoy cold cuts, fruit, raw veggies, and other cool foods to avoid turning on these heated appliances.

3. Drink plenty of cold fluids

Hydration is extremely important to keep yourself cool. Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of cool water can help your body sweat more easily and helps you vent more heat. Just make sure to keep things in balance by eating food or drinking fluids that provide electrolytes too!

4. Keep the interior of the house shaded

We love the sun here in Florida but if you are waiting for your air conditioner to be repaired is it better to keep the interior of your home as shady as possible. Find ay windows getting direct sunlight and close the blinds or curtains to block out that sunlight. While this may make things a little gloomy it also keeps the house much cooler by blocking the radiant heat that sunlight would bring in,

5. Enjoy some time poolside or on the beach (if you can)

If you have a pool on your property or in your community, or you like near the ocean or a beach, this is the time to spend near the water. This can help you cool off while you wait for your technician. Just make sure to keep your phone on so you know when your technician is headed your way so you can be home to let them it.

When you need AC repairs, it helps to know that the people who will show up at your door are reliable and worth the wait! That’s exactly what you’ll get with our team.

Air On Demand is proud to provide simple, affordable comfort solutions throughout the greater Miami area. Contact us today to schedule your next AC repair

Why You Should Consider Replacing Your AC Before a Breakdown

You’ve depended on your air conditioner for many years, and so far, it’s served you well. However, it’s a tough fact to face, but eventually, your air conditioning system will break down. Many homeowners do not ever consider replacing their air conditioning systems until a total system breakdown occurs. But this can end up being a costly and inconvenient mistake.

At Air On Demand, we recommend replacing your air conditioner before it breaks down. When an air conditioner reaches a certain age, it’s often worth it to take the plunge and find an efficient replacement to last you another several years. Give us a call today for air conditioning installation and replacement in Homestead and the surrounding areas.

Older Air Conditioners Cost a Lot to Run

Is your air conditioner over 10 years old? If so, you’re probably paying quite a bit on your monthly cooling costs. An air conditioner already takes up a large portion of your bills during the cooling season. And when you have an older air conditioning system, it likely occupies an even larger portion of your energy spending. This is because older air conditioners have worn-down components and are simply not designed to run as efficiently as newer models.

Besides, your old unit may require repairs frequently. It actually costs a lot less to replace an entire system than it does to replace each component individually. Choosing a quality contractor to replace your unit now means fewer service calls, lower energy costs, and better performance so that your family members feel more comfortable.

A Sudden AC Breakdown May Be Costly

If your air conditioning system were to break down suddenly on a very hot day, you would have a lot of unexpected expenses to worry about. You may have to take a day off of work to deal with the problem, or find another place for your family members to go during the day. And replacing a broken unit is often more expensive than replacing one that works. But when you schedule replacement ahead of time, you can plan for the cost, decide on any potential financing options, take the time to choose a new unit, and feel more prepared for the entire experience.

Call the friendly people at Air On Demand today for professional air conditioning installation in Homestead, FL.

Choose Experienced Technicians to Install Your New Air Conditioner

You’re in the market for a new air conditioning system, but you’re trying to save as much money as possible. So you decide to start looking around on your own, comparing prices and doing some research on local handymen.

But your typical “handyman” does not have the proper certifications to install a new air conditioning system. There’s a lot at risk when you allow an amateur to install your new system; just take a look!

The Problem with Improper Sizing

It may seem like selecting the proper air conditioning system for your home is the easiest part of the process, but it really isn’t. You shouldn’t simply look at the old system as a guide to selecting a new one. Your older system may not have been sized correctly either, and it could cost you quite a bit to have the wrong one.

A system that is too small will have trouble cooling down your home, leading to overworked parts and a potential failure of your system far sooner than expected. A large system will run for short period of time and start up frequently, which takes its toll on the components and uses up a whole lot of energy.

Only one size of air conditioner is right for your living space, and you cannot simply measure square feet to find out which. The calculation for the “heat load” of your system involves factors like insulation, shading, and the direction of windows, factors an amateur won’t know to take into account.

Selecting a Technician

When you are looking for a technician to install your new air conditioner, you want to make sure that they have the proper level of experience and skill. Only choose someone with positive online reviews and a long history in the industry. This way, you can feel confident that your air conditioner is installed safely and securely, and that it runs as efficiently as possible. This means you’ll save more money in the long run, which can be a significant amount, and this is more important than saving money on the initial installation.

Contact Air On Demand for air conditioning system installation in Pinecrest and the surrounding areas

What to Look for in a New Air Conditioning System

You’re in the market for a new air conditioning system. Chances are, you’ll notice an improvement in the power and performance of your cooling system right away if your technician installs the system properly and ensures that it is exactly the right size for your home. But we think you should spend a little time looking for the right system, one with all of the features you want to keep your family members healthy and to save money on your energy bills. Here are some features you can look for when selecting a new cooling system.

Energy Efficiency

Saving money on the installation of the system is not as important as saving money each month if you’re looking at overall cost. The price of operating an inefficient AC can easily exceed the total cost of operation and price of a high-efficiency unit. These are the marks of an efficient air conditioner.

• ‍High SEER rating: The SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) helps you determine how efficient your system is compared to others on the market. While the minimum SEER is 14, a unit is considered high efficiency when it has a SEER of 16 or higher.‍
• ENERGY STAR seal: This is the EPA’s seal of approval that the system is both efficient and high-performance.‍
• Variable speed fan: The fan automatically readjusts speeds to keep the temperature as close as possible to the thermostat setting.

Optional Upgrades

You can also make a few optional upgrades if you want your system to perform to your liking. A zone control system, for example, allows you to control the temperature in different rooms or zones separately from other parts of the house. An add-on air filtration system can help to keep your air cleaner and healthier.

Contact the Homestead, FL area technicians at Air On Demand for professional, courteous service and a job done right the first time. We’ll work with you to find the air conditioner that meets your family’s every need

Air Conditioning Basics: What You Should Know about Refrigerant Types

You probably don’t give your air conditioning in South Miami, FL more thought than necessary: as long as you schedule regular maintenance, change the air filter once a month during the warm months, and have professionals do prompt repairs when it malfunctions, your AC should continue to work for you for many years.

However, you can benefit from some extra knowledge about how an air conditioner operates, since it can help you understand why certain malfunctions occur. A key part of understanding AC operation is knowledge of the refrigerant inside it, the chemical blend that allows the system to move heat from inside your home to outside your home. Here’s what you should know about refrigerant types, courtesy of our AC specialists at Air On Demand.

The Development of Refrigerant

Willis Carrier invented the first electromechanical air conditioning unit in 1902, and it used water as refrigerant. However, water has too high a boiling point for energy efficient performance, so other chemical soon replaced it. The early air conditioners used ammonia, methyl chloride, or propane. All of these worked more efficiently at changing from liquid to gas and back again, but they had serious drawbacks: they were either flammable or toxic, and leaks could lead to dangerous accidents. This made ACs unsuitable for home use.

In 1928, the first non-flammable, non-toxic refrigerant blend was created, R-22.

The dominant blend across the globe is R-22 (the name refers to the molecular composition of the chemical), a hydrochlorofluorocarbon. However, R-22 is a greenhouse gas and contributes to ozone depletion, so in the United States it is being gradually phased out with the goal of 99.5% elimination by 2020. The main replacement blend—most likely the blend cycling through your air conditioner right now—is R-410A, also known as Puron and EcoFluor R410—is a mix of difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane. Because R-410A contains no fluorocarbons, it does not deplete the ozone layer.

Refrigerant Leaks and Recharging

Whatever refrigerant flows through your AC, it has a fixed level—called the refrigerant’s “charge”—that cycles in a closed loop through the system. The process of evaporation and condensation that provides you with cooling does not use up the refrigerant charge. However, leaks can occur: punctures in the coils, loose connections, breaks in the compressor. Leaking refrigerant will cause ice to develop along the indoor coils, and when this happens you need to call for professional repairs. Not only do you need an expert to seal the leaks, but the expert must use the proper refrigerant blend to replace the lost charge.

For all your repair needs for your air conditioning in South Miami, FL, trust to Air On Demand

Exploring Your Miami Air Conditioning Options

You need to have efficient and consistent air conditioning in Miami. We all love the heat and the sunshine, but we also want to be able to enjoy the cool air inside our homes. There are a few different types of systems that are available to homeowners who want to replace their current air conditioning system or install a new one in their new home.  For over a decade, the friendly air conditioning experts in Miami at Air On Demand have provided quality services for all different makes and models of AC systems. We love helping our customers find efficient alternatives to their current systems. Check out some of the different kinds of air conditioning systems that you can choose from.

Central Air Conditioning

The most common type of air conditioning system is the traditional central AC unit. This type of system is also referred to as a “split system” because it uses an indoor evaporator unit and an outdoor condensing unit. They are a very effective way of cooling your home.

Heat Pumps

Heating pumps are another option for homeowners. Heat pumps operate exactly like a central AC system with one major difference—they can reverse the process and provide heating for your home as well. They are able to absorb heat from the outside air and bring it into your home to provide highly efficient heating.

Ductless Mini Split Systems

Ductless mini split air conditioning systems are a terrific option for many homeowners because they have a few unique benefits. Not only do they provide both heating and cooling, they also allow homeowners to avoid the energy loss that results when your cooled air moves through your ductwork. Ductless mini split systems consist of several wall-mounted units located in each room or zone of your home. They naturally offer zone control because homeowners can adjust the temperature of different zones in their home independently of each other.

Make sure that you get good air conditioning in Miami with professional services from Air On Demand. We have over a decade of experience working with all different types and brands of systems. One of the best things that you can do for your home’s new air conditioning system is to get it installed by a professional. Contact Us Today.

Save Big When You Upgrade to a Daikin FIT

You need an air conditioner that works well but you also want one that doesn’t cost you an excessive amount of money. An air conditioning replacement in Homestead, FL is already a pretty cost-intensive service, especially since you’ll be getting a whole new system. Why invest in anything that wouldn’t save you money over the coming years?

A new AC system may be a big investment but that investment can pay you back once it is in use! That is exactly what a Daikin FIT air conditioner is going to do. These systems aren’t just effective–they’re also highly efficient.

Let’s dive into the reasons that the Daikin FIT may be the best fit for your next cooling system.

What You Should Know About the Daikin FIT

This is a home comfort system produced by Daikin that serves your home as a smart HVAC system. The Daikin FIT air conditioner provides great comfort without skimping on energy efficiency. Let us explain what you should know about this wonderful system.

• ‍An inverter system: Inverter systems are capable of operating at variable speeds. The variable speed fan in the Daikin FIT allows it to more effectively control the temperature in the house, without allowing extreme swings from cold to hot and back again. It also means it provides better comfort without using an excessive amount of energy to do so.‍
• Helps you save space: The Daikin FIT takes up less square footage than other larger systems. The compact size of this system allows it to fit in more spaces and work with your space, even if you don’t have much to spare.‍
• Operates quietly at all times: The Daikin FIT is made with a high-density foam sound blanket for the compressor unit. This means that it will emit as little as 57 decibels while in operation.‍
• Highly energy-efficient operation: This system doesn’t just claim to be energy efficient, it performs that way no matter what. The Daikin FIT can offer a SEER rating of up to 18.‍
• Better humidity control: Air conditioners provide a moderate level of dehumidification. The Daikin FIT does this too but takes things a step further. Because it is an inverter system, it is able to balance the humidity level on a more consistent basis.

Is the Daikin FIT Right for You?

Choosing a good air conditioner for your home is no small decision. That’s why we want to make sure you get the best one to suit your comfort needs. The Daikin FIT may be a great option for your next AC unit if:

• You need to save some space.
• You are looking for fewer temperature swings.
• You need a system that performs more quietly.
• You enjoy an investment that pays you back each month on your energy bills.
• You are looking for a reliable home comfort system that fits your budget.

When the time comes to choose your next AC unit, come to our team. We can pair you with a Daikin FIT or whichever system helps you the most.

Contact Air On Demand to learn more or schedule your AC replacement

Do You Have Dirty Ducts? How to Find Out

You might not know too much about the air ducts in your home. They’re behind the walls, after all, and up in the attic or in crawlspaces. And most of the time, you probably don’t have too many concerns about the state of your air ducts.

Dirt and Debris in the Ducts

But if there is too much dirt and debris in the ducts, you should be concerned, for a couple of reasons. First, it’s possible that dirty ducts can affect your health. Family members with asthma and allergies may feel it the most if the blower fans force debris from the ducts back into your living space. Second, ducts that are too clogged with debris have limited space, which means airflow into your home may be restricted. This results in an overworked system in many cases, and higher energy bills if the problem is severe enough.

So How Do I Know If They’re Dirty?

Of course, it’s tough to get a good look at the ducts when they are so well concealed. But there are some things you can do.

• ‍Try a flashlight: You might be able to get a look at the opening of the ducts if you lift off the vent or peer inside with a flashlight. Of course, this might not give you a good overall representation of the entirety of the ducts.‍
• Look for other signs: Any signs of mold growth in or near the air vents or air conditioning and heating unit mean you should call a professional for air duct cleaning. Smells from the vents and any reduction in your air quality may call for an inspection of your ducts as well.‍
• Call for duct cleaning services anyway: Maybe you don’t notice any signs like mold growth or smells from the vents. But if it’s been several years since you’ve had the ducts cleaned, or if you’ve made any major changes to your home in recent years, we recommend getting it done soon to prevent dust and debris from building up too much.

Contact Air On Demand to get expert duct cleaning service in Miami, FL

Benefits of a High Quality Air Filter in Cutler Bay

You may not realize it, but on average most people spend the majority of their time indoors. That’s why indoor air quality in your home is so critical. The EPA estimates that poor indoor air quality is one of the top five leading threats to respiratory health in the United States. Having a good indoor air filtration system can have many positive benefits for your home. At Air On Demand, we provide complete indoor air quality services throughout the Cutler Bay area. We wanted to help out our customers in the area by putting together a quick list of some of the benefits to having a good indoor air filter for your Cutler Bay home.

Reduced Contaminants in Your Air

Obviously, the main reason for you to get a whole home air filtering system in Cutler Bay is to improve the quality of the air. Whole home air filtration systems use mechanical filters or electronic filters to remove pollutants like pet dander, dust, dust mite droppings, bacteria and mold spores from your air supply. This can potentially have a positive impact on the comfort of people in your home who may have allergies or asthma.

Reduced Dust Collection

With a whole home air filter, you’ll be able to remove much of the dust in your air before it has a chance to settle on your floors or furniture. Not only is this helpful for the quality of air in your home, it also may be able to help keep your home cleaner.

Particulate Destruction

There are also products available on the market that rather than removing particles from your air: they destroy them. Ultra-violet germicidal lights are designed to sit in your ducts and destroy organic contaminants like viruses, bacteria and mold spores. While ultra-violet light is only slightly damaging to humans, it is lethal to microorganisms. UV germicidal lights are great for homeowners in Cutler Bay that are interested in taking the next step in their home’s air filtration process.

If you’re interested in home air quality control in Cutler Bay, contact Air On Demand. We have many years of experience offering complete home air filtration services throughout the Cutler Bay area.

The Fashion of Wearing White and Labor Day

You may have heard about the fashion faux pas of wearing white after Labor Day. In the present, this tradition is usually treated as old fashioned and a joke. Few people will criticize you for wearing white articles of clothing after the first Monday in September, or even take notice of it except to wonder why it was ever a major concern at all.

Where did this tradition of white clothing going out of fashion after Labor Day come from, and why did it fade away like colorful fabric washed in a hot load in the washing machine?

In general, white makes sense for the heat of summer. Light-colored clothing reflects away the radiant heat of the sun, instead of absorbing it the way dark colors do, so for thousands of years of human history people have preferred to wear white clothing during the hotter months.

However, the idea of white as strictly fashionable during the summer season only emerged in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—the time when the very concept of “fashion” began to spread across the Western Hemisphere.

It was only the highest level of post-Civil War society in the U.S. that strict and often bizarre rules for fashion controlled whether someone was in with the “in” crowd. Compared to our ideas of what’s fashionable today, the Czars of Style in the 1880s were true despots. Things as trivial as sleeve length could determine whether a woman in high society—no matter her level of wealth—was fashionable or a pariah.

Wearing white during the only summer, when it was common for weddings and outdoor parties, was only of these restrictive society rules. When the U.S. government made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894, the Fashion Czars gained a definite cut-off point for when wearing white was no longer “acceptable” in the upper echelons of wealthy society.

For many decades, this rule only applied to a small number of millionaire socialites in a few big cities, but in the 1950s it reached general fashion magazines that were read around the country and started to affect more people.

But time eventually broke apart this odd rule, and during the 1970s fashion became more individual. Some fashion legends, like Coco Chanel, also purposely rejected the restriction and wore white throughout the year. Today, the “no white after Labor Day rule” is little more than an amusing gag to tease friends, and almost nobody takes it seriously.

Whatever you choose to wear after Labor Day (and if it’s white, we won’t tease!), everyone here at Air On Demand hopes you have a happy end of the summer and great plans for the fall!

Answering Your AC Maintenance FAQs

You may have heard that air conditioning maintenance is a beneficial service but you might not be sure how or why. These are queries that we are happy to help with. Not only can we answer your questions about AC maintenance and its benefits, but we can also provide the yearly tune-ups that your system needs to keep working effectively and efficiently.

We want you to be able to schedule the services for your air conditioner that will help keep you cool. In the interest of this goal, we want to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that people often post about yearly AC maintenance services. All you need to do is read on and then reach out to us when you are ready to schedule your appointment.

The Answers to Your Air Conditioning Maintenance FAQs

You aren’t the only one with questions about the services that are needed for your air conditioner. We are glad to answer those questions and help you understand exactly how maintenance aids your system.

Q. Does Maintenance Replace Repairs?

Regular maintenance for your air conditioner is going to help address problems in your system that would otherwise turn into repairs. While this does not stop the need for repairs, it does keep them fewer and further between.

Q. How Does Maintenance Help My System?

We just touched on the fact that maintenance helps reduce the number of AC repairs you may need. There is more than just that one benefit that comes with this service though. By addressing all those “small” problems, maintenance helps to improve your system’s energy efficiency and operational effectiveness. That means it helps your air conditioner do a better job overall.

Q. Does a Heat Pump Require Anything Different for a Tune-up?

Every type of air conditioning system requires maintenance, central AC units and heat pumps alike. With that said, if you have a heat pump mini split, you will need to schedule maintenance for this system twice a year, once before cooling season and again before the heating season. A heat pump provides twice the comfort so it needs twice the number of tune-ups.

Q. Can Maintenance Only Be Done in Spring?

Most professionals are going to suggest that air conditioning maintenance be taken care of in spring (and fall if you have a heat pump). This doesn’t mean that this is the only time of year that you can get this service taken care of though. It is never too late for AC maintenance as long as your system is still in working condition. It is always better to schedule maintenance later in the season than to skip it altogether.

Air On Demand Can Provide AC Tune-Ups That Make a Difference

Air conditioning maintenance is always a good idea for your home comfort system, that is why our team of professionals are happy to offer this service to the residents in the greater Miami area. If you haven’t scheduled this service yet, we would love to be the ones to ensure your system is tuned-up for the year.

Contact Air On Demand today to get started

Is an AC Upgrade Worth It?

You may be dealing with an internal battle. The deal is that you have an air conditioner that is breaking down or, worse, has already given out completely. You need a new air conditioner. But here is where the struggle pops up. You are debating whether it is worth it.

You wouldn’t be the first to encounter this back and forth. We often end up talking to residents in Miami who find themselves caught between how much it costs to replace an AC versus being without any AC at all. We want you to know that an upgrade is well worth it and may end up being less of an issue for your budget than you might think.

Upgrading Now Is Always Best

Let’s say you are 110% sure that you need an upgrade–it’s been confirmed by a technician and everything! We get that the cost of a replacement can feel like a reason to hold off for a while. The reality is however that the sooner you upgrade your AC the most you’ll benefit. Here’s why:

• ‍Better comfort: This one might seem obvious. A new air conditioner is going to be able to cool your home much more effectively and efficiently than an older system would. What’s more, a new system is always going to operate better than one that is in the process of breaking down or no longer works at all.‍
• Less energy use: A new air conditioner is likely to have a better efficiency rating than a system that is 10 years older or older. Depending on your use of the system a more efficient AC can be a great investment because it will help reduce your overall electricity use.‍
• A system that pays for itself: New systems are going to help you save money in the long run. Because they will improve your comfort and use less energy to do so they will keep your bills lower. With the newer system, you are likely to save up the same amount of money that you spent on an upgrade within a shorter amount of years
• ‍Fewer repair needs: A newer system won’t have the same wear and tear that an aged air conditioner might. This of course will mean that you’ll enjoy it for a good long while without any repair needs…as long as you have a professional install your new system at least.‍
• No unnecessary wait times: An upgrade will benefit you pretty quickly but getting this job done soon will also help you avoid having to wait a longer period of time later on this summer to have it done. Due to the trouble caused by COVID, there are shortages and price hikes coming for different materials, systems, and parts. This means getting your system upgraded now will help you avoid the hassle that comes from those shortages.

An upgrade is a great idea if your AC is on its way into retirement. As we mentioned before, we understand that the cost of a replacement can feel prohibitive. That is exactly why we offer financing options to help ensure that you can get the system upgrade you need without destroying your budget for the year.

Contact Air On Demand today to get started

How Dust and Dirt Affect Your Air Conditioner

You do your best to keep dust and dirt out of your home. A clean home is a happy home, after all, and you’ve got plenty of good reasons to regularly do the laundry and dishes, clean your living room, and scrub the bathroom. But why would you be concerned about your air conditioner?

Just because your air conditioner is hidden from view, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t worry about keeping that clean, too. It’s a major investment you’ve made in your home comfort. Dirt and debris could cause problems for those with allergies and asthma, but it can also interfere with the function of your AC system.

Debris in the Indoor Air Unit

The indoor components of your air conditioner include a coil with refrigerant running through it and an indoor blower fan that sucks in warm air from the home, over the cooled coil, and through the rest of the home as it cools. As it sucks in air, it could also suck in dust and debris—if not for your air filter.

If debris were to pummel the indoor air handler as it sucked in air, it could do some serious damage. The air filter helps to prevent this, although some debris could still make its way into the motor. Occasionally, a technician may find that debris is lodged in the fan motor and needs to be cleaned out to run efficiently.

A Clogged Filter

The reason we tell you to change the air filter each month may not be what you think. Yes, it’s important for your health to have a clean filter that can help to filter out allergens.

But also, a dirty filter can prevent air from moving over the indoor coil, meaning your air conditioner won’t work properly, you won’t feel comfortable, and your air conditioner can malfunction. A clogged filter prevents air from moving throughout the unit, so be sure to clean or replace your filter regularly.

Dirt on the Outside Coil

The outside coil of your air conditioner is where heat releases from refrigerant into the air around the unit. That’s how your air conditioner cools your home—by removing heat! So when there is dirt on the outside coil of the air conditioner, it can interfere with the entire process of cooling. Heat may have trouble dissipating into the air, which means your air conditioner cannot properly cool your home.

Schedule annual maintenance with an air conditioning technician, and they can take care of this for you. Routine maintenance typically includes cleaning the outside coil, removing debris from the indoor components, and much more.

Dust in the Air Ducts

When your air ducts are full of dust and other allergens, you’re more likely to breathe them in as air moves through the ventilation system. In addition, dirty ductwork can slow the flow of air, making your system work less efficiently with time. Regular duct cleaning, once every few years or so, helps to keep your air conditioner in better condition and keep your air cleaner.

Air On Demand offers air conditioning maintenance and duct cleaning services in Pinecrest, FL. Contact our friendly technicians today!

Is Your Miami Home Environmentally Friendly

Air On Demand is an environmental leader in the residential air conditioning industry. Our mission is to become recognized as the most environmentally oriented, customer friendly, air-conditioning company in the Miami area. Our values include unwavering excellence and quality in the products and services we provide.

Nothing feels better than coming home to a house which is environmentally friendly. Many companies have been slow in adopting environmental or “green” alternatives. At Air On Demand, we’ve embraced this challenge. We have started by converting five trucks in our service fleet from gas to fuel-efficient diesel trucks. We aren’t just a service company. We try our best to look at every aspect of an air-conditioning system to be sure we are helping our customers achieve the best energy efficiency possible. Many times we are able to help homeowners save up to 30% on their monthly utility bills. This not only helps our customers, but the energy savings reduces the impact on the environment as well. We’re a dedicated and reliable resource to help homeowners in reducing their carbon imprint on the environment. This is not just wishful thinking. Air On Demand is here to demonstrate how to take the first steps to achieve a “green” home.

Shannon Blaylock, Air On Demand owner, is passionate about the “green” movement. She notes that, “If we can reach just a hundred people a year imagine what changes can begin to happen.” If you are interested in learning about ways to make your air-conditioning system more environmentally friendly please give us a call.

5 Must-Know Money-Saving Tips for the Holidays

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays in full swing, it can seem like your money flies away as quickly as Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve. While there are always expenses associated with the holidays, we want to help you reduce costs and spend less time stressing about your budget. These must-know holiday money-saving tips can help!

Save Money with these Holiday Tips

#1: Schedule an AC Maintenance Session

Schedule air conditioner maintenance now with qualified professional technicians, and you can save money throughout the season and all year long. Here’s why you should schedule a visit before the holidays are in full swing.

• AC technicians have more availability to assist you during the off-season.
• Maintenance service includes an AC inspection. You have time to make repairs if parts are failing so that your air conditioner won’t break down during a large family gathering.
• The blower components are cleaned to improve airflow, which can reduce energy consumption by up to 15%.

#2: Exercise Restraint with the Thermostat

During the winter in Florida, you can often get away with opening up windows (if it’s not raining) and using fans to cool you off. Otherwise, exercise restraint when you are using the thermostat. If it’s warm out, keep the temperature at no less than 78°. And if it’s cold where you live, try setting the heating to 68° or lower.

If you don’t already have a smart thermostat, this may be a great investment for the holiday season. You can control the thermostat remotely and make sure you’ve shut off the heater and AC before that big holiday trip.

#3: Cook Cautiously

Turning on the oven adds a lot of heat to a home, especially when the sun is shining and the house is full of friends and family. We know that holiday meals are a tradition in many homes. Still, if you live somewhere warm like Miami, Florida, we recommend that you plan to cook during the cooler parts of the day such as early morning or late evening when the sun isn’t blazing down, especially if you are baking something that takes hours to complete.

Our ideas for avoiding overusing the oven this holiday season?

• Assign potluck dishes.
• Consider the microwave as a backup plan for reheating dishes.
• Make sure pots and pans fit the burner on the stove top so that it doesn’t generate too much heat.
• Use a slow cooker.

#4: Set Lights on a Timer

Christmas lights are a lot of fun, but your festive display can use a whole lot of energy, too. Put the lights on a timer so that the lights turn on when it’s dark, but only for a period of a few hours—when people will be awake to see them.

Use LED Christmas lights if you have them. If not, consider it an investment in future holiday savings. LED lights can use 25% less energy than incandescent lighting. Although it costs more upfront, the savings are worth it.

#5: Don’t Wait to Finish Your Shopping

Finally, do not wait for too long to finish up your holiday shopping. When you wait until the last minute to purchase gifts, you may end up spending more than you initially planned. It’s almost like going grocery shopping when you’re hungry, we go for toilet paper but come out with a rump roast and 5 bags of chips.  Give yourself enough time to compare costs online and in stores.

Contact Air On Demand for air conditioning services in Miami, FL

Miami Air Conditioning Guide: Signs of a Damaged AC Compressor

Without a good compressor, your Miami AC system simply won’t work properly. That’s because the compressor is where the actual cooling takes place. Without a working compressor, your air conditioner is really little more than a complicated, oversized fan that uses a lot of energy to run.

There are any number of reasons that compressors can break down. While it can be hard to determine on your own whether the compressor is really the problem, there are some warning signs that can let you know it’s time to call in a professional to repair your Miami AC system.

What to Look For

• Inadequate Cooling: If the air coming from your vents is warm, it’s likely your compressor isn’t working properly. Air being blown through the system means that your air conditioner is doing everything it normally does except for cool the air before it delivers it to your living space, and that cooling is the job of the compressor.
• Strange Sounds: Any type of rattling, growling or squealing coming from your air conditioner can indicate a compressor problem.
• Short Circuits: An air conditioner with a bad compressor will trip the circuit breaker with some regularity. If you notice this happening with your system, you should call a professional immediately.
• Hard Starting: When we say an air conditioner has a hard start it means that different parts of the system seem to turn on independently of each other, preventing the system from starting smoothly. This is usually the first thing you’ll notice if you have a problem with your compressor.

While you can’t know for sure that your compressor is broken, you should always call for professional repairs whenever you notice any of the signs listed above. Only a properly trained technician can correctly diagnose the problem and make the necessary repairs.

For air conditioning repair in the Miami area, give Air On Demand a call!

No Cooling Issue Is Too Small to Call a Professional for AC Repair

When your air conditioner breaks down on a hot summer day, you probably pick up the phone within minutes to talk to an air conditioning technician. But when the issue is not so severe, you may decide to wait until the problem becomes more troublesome. We’ve created this guide as a way to advise strongly against this practice, which can lead to a number of issues for your AC and for your wallet.

AC Issues Cannot Improve on Their Own

There are a few reasons people choose not to call for air conditioning repair right away. Perhaps the noise that the system is making is only a minor inconvenience. Or maybe temperatures in the home are still bearable, despite being a little higher than average. The potential cost of a repair is another concern, but how can you know the price if you don’t call?

An air conditioning issue cannot be fixed on its own, but a professional air conditioning technician can assess your system completely and let you know the best course of action to take. If anything, this process will save you some money, as a broken-down air conditioner costs much more to fix and the issue can only get worse.

Running That Broken Air Conditioner Is Costing You

Even if the issue with your air conditioner seems small, it can force your system to work a lot harder than is usually required. This wears down additional parts as well, so that by the time you do get around to repairs, it can cost even more. Your energy bills can also skyrocket until you have someone check out the problem.

When you notice any issue at all with your air conditioner, from a hissing noise to a temperature issue to a full breakdown, call an experienced technician ASAP.

Contact the fast, friendly professional technicians at Air On Demand as soon as you notice that you need air conditioning repair in Miami, FL

The Importance of Duct Cleaning

With summer not far off now, it’s important that you take the time to properly prepare your home for the summer heat. That means scheduling preventive maintenance for your air conditioner, but it also means taking some other steps to get the rest of your HVAC system in shape. One really beneficial step that far too few people take is to schedule duct cleaning. Let’s go over why duct cleaning is such a good idea for your home, especially before summer begins.

It Improves Indoor Air Quality

The temperature of the air in your home isn’t the only thing you need to be worrying about when it comes to summer. Indoor air quality tends to suffer in the summer and winter seasons, as people close all of their doors and windows in an attempt to more easily maintain climate control. The problem with doing that is that it causes the indoor air quality in the home to plummet. The air becomes stale, humidity levels become unbalanced, and contaminants tend to become trapped in the home without fresh air to cycle them out.

Dust, pollen, dander, mold spores, and the like collect in the highest numbers in the ducts, since the ducts aren’t usually cleaned. This has a number of negative effects, as we’ll get to below, but one of the most obnoxious is that it can expose you to higher concentrations of contaminants. When you turn on your air conditioner, you blow all of those contaminants around your home. Inhaling that much dust and other junk can cause you to have more allergy attacks, exacerbate conditions like asthma, or even make you sick with the flu. Duct cleaning removes those contaminants, so your air quality remains high.

It Increases Air Conditioner Efficiency

The other issue with having all of that junk in your ductwork is that it actually serves to insulate the flow of air through the ducts. The more dust, the harder time the air conditioner will have circulating air throughout the home. This will cause your air conditioner to take longer to cool your home, which will cost you more money in monthly costs and decrease your comfort levels. Air duct cleaning will improve your air conditioner’s energy efficiency, saving you money and making it easier for you to stay cool.

How Often to Schedule It

Generally speaking, you don’t need to have your ducts cleaned out every single year. This depends very much on your individual location and circumstances, though. We recommend having them cleaned every other year if you want them to remain as clear as possible. You should also consult with your technician during your first duct cleaning appointment, and see if they have a more specific recommendation to fit your home’s needs.

Air On Demand offers comprehensive duct cleaning services throughout Pinecrest, FL. If you need to have your ducts cleaned out before summer arrives, contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our expert technicians. We’ll make sure that your ducts are in the best possible shape for summer

You Know What Can Withstand a Hurricane? Your Ductless System!

With hurricane season on its way, you want to be absolutely sure that you’ve done everything you can to protect your home and your comfort. Therefore, it is quite important that the HVAC system you’ve got in place is one that is going to be able to withstand the severe weather conditions.

Fortunately, owning a ductless system gives you quite a bit of an advantage over homeowners who don’t. Why? Because these systems are able to keep you and your family cool and comfortable, no matter the weather outside. With one of these systems, you won’t have to worry so much about what happens when a hurricane blows through your area. Keep reading below to find out more!

How a Ductless System Can Help You Brave the Storm

Owning a ductless system certainly comes at an advantage during hurricane season. Why? Because utilizing just one or two of your indoor air handlers can keep you relatively comfortable! You see, a major power outage can end up wiping out your air conditioning system. And sure, while you may be thinking that your generator will be able to keep your AC running at full capacity, odds are, you are going to want to conserve power for the things that matter — like keeping your food fresh and your lights on.

But when you own a ductless system, you’ll be able to operate it using minimal power from your generator. This is because you can run just one or two air handlers at a time, allowing for comfort, even during the toughest tropical storms!

Any Other Benefits of a Ductless System?

Why, yes! There are plenty of benefits of installing a ductless system in your home, including:

• ‍Versatility: A ductless system is able to both heat and cool your home, allowing for year-round comfort. All you’ve got to do is flip a switch to take your system from “heating mode” in the winter to “cooling mode” in the summer!‍
• Convenient Installation: Installing ductwork can be a difficult and expensive process depending on the layout of your home. Some homes might not have the space for ductwork, so a ductwork system can be a great alternative. Installing a ductless system is less invasive, cheaper, and can be completed in as little as one day.‍
• Cost: Why worry about servicing two different HVAC systems? When you go ductless, you will no longer have to worry about costly repairs and untimely replacements for both a heater and an air conditioner.‍
• Energy Efficiency: Because ductless systems do not utilize a network of ducts, they avoid the energy losses associated with duct leaks. A breach in a forced-air system’s ducts can account for more than 30% of energy waste. A ductless system can save you a ton of money on your utility bills.‍
• Call in a Professional: If you are interested in learning more about how ductless air conditioning can benefit your home, be sure to speak with a certified HVAC contractor in Miami, FL!

Schedule all your air conditioning services with the team at Air On Demand

5 Signs You Need AC Repairs

With everyone spending extended amounts of time in their homes, your home comfort levels are going to be even more important than usual. Staying at home is certainly going to be a lot harder if your air conditioning system isn’t working. That is why you want to make sure that you are keeping your AC unit in the best possible shape it can be in.

Whether you have a central air conditioner or a heat pump AC system, maintenance and repairs are going to be the services that you should always be on top of scheduling to keep your home cool and comfortable. And while maintenance does make a hugely positive difference, it won’t stop every potential AC repair in Homestead, FL. That is where our trained and experienced HVAC technicians are ready and willing to help.

Being able to discern if and when you air conditioner needs a repair service is going to be more beneficial than you might realize. So, let’s take a look at five signs that will warn you that your air conditioner needs service from a professional technician.

1. Your air conditioner emits loud, strange noises

Your central air conditioner shouldn’t make much noise and a heat pump should run silently. If you are hearing any odd noises coming from your air conditioning system, such as screeching, squealing, hissing, clanging, or any other sounds, don’t brush it off! Noises like these are all indicators of a problem that needs to be fixed.

2. The air in your home is dusty

When you turn on your air conditioner, can you see the air as it flows out of your vents? This isn’t normal and is likely a sign that there is a large amount of dust and debris built up within your ductwork. If your ductwork is over-filled with dust and dirt, it can impact your airflow and your home comfort but decreasing your indoor air quality. Having your ducts cleaned and checked for any leaks is best to deal with this issue.

3. The airflow from your vents is weak or barely there

This may be caused by a couple different issues. Weak or nonexistent airflow can be caused by leaky ductwork or by a blower fan that is no longer operating. In either case, running your AC system and never having the conditioned air reach you is a huge waste of money, and can be harmful to your AC unit too.

4.  Your energy bills skyrocket when you run your AC unit

The last time you checked your utility bill at the end of the month was it far higher than it should have been? If so, it is likely an indicator that your air conditioner is struggling to do its job. Don’t just grit your teeth and bear the higher costs; have a technician come by to identify the issue.

5. Your air conditioner is short cycling

Does your air conditioner turn on and start a cooling cycle, only to shut down a few minutes later? This doesn’t mean that it is cooling your home faster than normal; instead it means that your AC unit is short-cycling. Short-cycling is a problematic pattern that reduces your comfort, costs you money, and harms your AC in the long run.

When your air conditioner isn’t working right, contact Air On Demand to get the comfort you need

Get The Most From Your AC With These Best Practices

When it gets hot around here it gets really hot. Those high temperatures and high humidity levels are going to be formidable opponents for your air conditioner. It makes sense that you would want to do as much as possible to help your AC keep your home cool. Hello if you’re not sure where to start we can provide some helpful tips.

We want you to enjoy an air conditioner that functions efficiently and effectively, but to get the best of both of those qualities here are some pointers. Using these best practices can ensure that your air conditioning in Palmetto Bay, FL will offer the best level of cooling possible when it counts the most.

Tips to Get the Most From Your AC System

Use these best practices to help keep your home cool.

• ‍Keep things on the darker side: We understand that natural light is enjoyable. However natural light also carries a lot of heat with it. During summer it is best to keep the blinds closed and the curtains drawn throughout most of the day to keep out the heat. This makes things a lot easier on your AC.‍
• Use those fans: Fans don’t cool the air off but they do help you feel cooler. Using a fan can help you feel cooler because it helps your body evaporate sweat more quickly. When you feel cooler you can reduce the demand on your air conditioner.
• ‍Make sure there are no air leaks: Have an older window or door that has poor sailing around it? This is likely to be the source of an air leak. Issues like these allow the hot dirty humid air from outside your home to get in making it harder to cool things off and stressing out your air conditioner. If you have air leaks around your home make sure to get them sealed up.‍
• Adjust the thermostat: This may sound counterintuitive but keeping the setting on your thermostat a little higher can help improve your air conditioner’s function. The Department of Energy specifically advises keeping it around 75 to 78° degrees during the summer to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
• ‍Change the filter: Changing the filter for your AC regularly will make a huge difference over the course of the summer. Clean filters are better able to capture airborne debris without hindering the flow of air into your AC. Make sure to change out your disposable filter every one to three months depending on how heavily you are using your AC.‍
• Be prompt with AC services: Last but not least don’t forget to get your air conditioner the service it needs when it needs it. When spring and early summer roll around make sure to schedule that maintenance appointment. Likewise, if your air conditioner is acting up don’t delay in scheduling a repair.

Using every trick in the book and still not able to keep cool? That is a problem we can help with. Contact Air On Demand to schedule an appointment with a pro to get your AC running right again

Common Heating Mistakes People Make in Miami

With a proper installation and regular, professional maintenance service you can keep the heating system in your Miami home operating as effectively and efficiently as it was designed to. Of course, if you are not using your heating system in an efficient way then that performance will suffer. Simply purchasing and maintaining a high quality heater is not enough to guarantee the level of performance that you deserve from it. You must heat your home in a thoughtful way, considering your individual heating habits and needs to get the most out of your heater. Air On Demand has some tips to help you avoid some of the most common heating mistakes that people make, reducing the efficiency of their heating system and driving up their heating costs.

One of the most consistent misconceptions that people have is that they should set their thermostat for a comfortable temperature and just leave it that way. Sure, back when thermostats gave you no options or features to work with that may have made sense. Changing the temperature in your home frequently from the one control point may be inefficient. Modern thermostats, though, are more accurate than ever before and give you great programmable options to heat your home more efficiently. Be sure to familiarize yourself with your thermostat, create a heating program that fits your lifestyle, and enjoy affordable, efficient comfort this winter.

Many people will close off the heating vents in unused rooms, but this can actually affect the pressure of the heating system throughout your home and disrupt airflow efficiency. You may have a room that you never heat and always keep the vents closed. If this is going to be the case it is actually more efficient to have a professional service provider seal off that section of the ductwork to maintain proper pressure in the system.

Some homeowners keep heavy drapes drawn over their windows to prevent cold air drafts from coming in. If draftiness is a problem with your windows, fix the drafts; don’t pull the drapes. Allowing sunlight to come through your windows also allows the heat from the sun to radiate in, adding warmth to the room. Keep the cold air out, not the natural warmth of the sun.

Probably the biggest mistake that is most commonly made when heating a home is yielding to the temptation to jack the heat up when you come home to a cold house. The fact is that your heater is going to provide heat at the same rate no matter where you set the temperature. Turning the thermostat up to 80 will not heat your home faster, it will just keep your heater running longer. If you want to come home to a warm, cozy house, upgrade to a programmable thermostat and use it.

Avoid these common heating mistakes and enjoy the savings on heating bills this winter. If you have more questions about heating your Miami home efficiently, contact Air On Demand for more advice.

Is Your Central AC in Need of Repairs?

With current events progressing as they are, chances are that our months of spending extra time at home isn’t coming to an end anytime soon. Maybe this is good news for your budget but bad news for your FOMO. We get it and while we can’t help with the FOMO, we can help make sure that your home is at least a comfortable place to spend the next couple of months in.

Our central air conditioning services may end up being the best gift you give yourself this year. Why? Because with our help, you’ll enjoy a central AC that operates better and lasts longer than it would otherwise. Here are some ways to tell that it is time to call in the elves, er, technicians, to give your AC a helping hand this season.

Is Something Wrong With Your Central Air Conditioner?

We don’t want to suggest you schedule a service you don’t need. We also don’t want you to try to ignore any issues you are having with your central AC system either. This is why we want to make sure you know what the signs are that something is up with your system so you know when to call us for assistance.

5 Warning Signs You Should Know

Indicators of trouble in your central air conditioner include:

• ‍Odd new noises: No central AC is going to run silently. This doesn’t mean that every noise your system makes is normal though. If you start hearing sounds you haven’t heard your system make before like hissing, bubbling, screeching, or ratting, you should schedule repairs to get the causes of the ruckus addressed.‍
• Lukewarm or warm air: Your central AC has one job and that is to produce cool air for your home. If your system is acting as a heater instead, it isn’t something to brush off. An AC that isn’t producing cool air is one that needs repairs. If you put it off too long, this issue may even lead to an early replacement.‍
• Weak airflow: Sometimes the temperature of the air your AC makes is fine but you still can’t get cool. It could be because the flow of air from your system is too weak to make any kind of a difference. It might be caused by a clogged filter or a broken fan. Whatever is the reason for the issue, make sure to address it ASAP.‍
• High energy bills: Your energy bills shouldn’t show any major spikes in your use of your AC unless someone is seriously messing with the thermostat. Aside from that, high energy bills are going to be an indicator of a problem with your system.‍
• Short cycling: Does your AC turn on and off within a couple of minutes’ time, only to start back up again shortly after? This is known as short cycling and it is terrible for your system and your home comfort. Schedule repairs ASAP if you notice this warning sign.

Need help with your home comfort? Contact the pros at Air On Demand to get the job done

Tips to Optimize Your AC Usage

While some parts of the country are still trying to keep warm, here in Florida, it feels like the heat has been turned up too high. With temperatures that are getting closer to the triple digits than anything else, we are all depending on our air conditioners a lot more.

With all that extra use, your air conditioner is going to be accruing some mileage and that can impact its ability to efficiently cool your home. Thankfully, there are some things that you can do to help your AC out. We have some best practices that you can use to keep your home cool without driving up your bills.

3 Ways to Optimize Your AC Operation This Spring

A system for air conditioning in Coral Gables, FL is going to get a lot of use throughout most of the year. With that said, there are things you can do to help optimize the use of your AC system, keeping you cool and keeping your bills reasonable.

1. Set Your Thermostat to a Reasonable Temperature

When it gets to be sweltering around Coral Gables, all too many people feel tempted to drive down the temperature on the thermostat as much as they can. While this might have a nice placebo effect, all it will actually do is harm your cooling system. The Department of Energy recommends keeping your AC set to around 78°F when you are home to allow for optimal comfort without a sky-high bill.

2. Make Sure Things Are Sealed Up

Checking your home for air leakages is going to be one of the best ways to help your air conditioning system. If you have doors or windows that allow hot, humid air to enter your home and cold air to leak out, it can hinder your comfort and make things a lot harder on your AC unit. Check for air leaks and get them addressed through the use of weatherstripping or caulking.

3. Make Sure to Remember to Schedule Maintenance

Maintenance may not seem overly necessary when you could just save your money and get repairs as they pop up, right? Contrary to popular belief, maintenance is a service that is going to help you save money in the long run. Rather than being just another service to pay for, it is a once-a-year tune-up that will improve your air conditioner’s operation and energy efficiency. Maintenance will also reduce the impact of the usual wear and tear your system encounters, reducing the need for and severity of repairs, while helping it last longer too.

Enjoy a Cool, Comfortable Season With Our Help

Even with the best practices being used when you operate your air conditioning system, consistent use for months on end will add up. Thankfully our team can help you. We can provide not just tips to help you keep cool, but also air conditioning system services that will keep your unit running. Don't sweat through the season, reach out to the team at Air On Demand for your AC services.

Contact Air On Demand to save your money and your comfort

Strange AC Noises? Don’t Be Afraid!

While other parts of the county are hearing the hum of their heaters, we are still hearing activity from our air conditioners. That’s just one of the unique things that come with living in Florida. But let’s talk about the noises that you’ve been hearing. There are plenty of sounds that shouldn’t phase you to hear from your AC unit. But there are also plenty of sounds that you don’t want to hear from your system.

If and when you hear something problematic coming from your system, it may mean that you need air conditioning repair in South Miami, FL. If you aren’t sure whether the sounds your AC is making justify the need for repairs, we’d like to help. Here are some of the noises that you don’t want coming from your system.

Strange Noises You Don’t Want Your AC to Make

If you hear any of these sounds coming from your air conditioner, it means it is time to reach out to a professional team like ours to get it back into optimal working order.

• Rattling: If you hear rattling coming from your AC unit, it may be due to the fact that there is a loose part in it. Having a technician find and tighten any loose parts is the best way to resolve this. The longer a loose part goes unaddressed, the higher the chance that it comes completely free of its housing to cause more damage.‍
• Screeching: This is a hard noise to deal with because it is pretty unpleasant. Hopefully, that means that the call for repairs to address it will be quick. Screeching may be caused by a motor belt that needs lubrication or a fan blade that is broken or loose and scraping around its housing. Whenever you hear this noise it means there is metal scraping against metal somewhere in the system.
• ‍Hissing: That higher-pitch whistle of air escaping your system isn’t to be mistaken for the whoosh of air from a properly functioning air conditioner. Hissing is going to be caused by air leaking out of your ducts or by a refrigerant leak in the system.
• ‍Bubbling: Your air conditioner uses refrigerant cycled in a closed-loop system to cool the air. It doesn’t use water to do its job. This should make it pretty obvious that bubbling isn’t a good noise to hear. Bubbling may be another sign of a refrigerant leak or even a clog in your condensate drain.‍
• Dripping: Dripping may also be a sign that there is something hindering the drainage of the condensate from your AC unit. A clogged condensate drain leads to the build-up on that water which can leak out of the pan and, well, drip!‍
• Buzzing: Last but not least, buzzing is another noise you don’t want to hear from your AC unit. Buzzing may be caused by a vibrating air filter clogged by debris or it may be due to a problem with one or more electrical components in the system.

At the end of the day, you know what the norm is for your air conditioner. If your system starts to sound off, it is best to reach out to a professional for repairs.

Contact Air On Demand to schedule your AC repair needs

What the ENERGY STAR Means for Your Air Conditioning

While cost is an important consideration for most homeowners when shopping for a new air conditioner, the price tag should not be your sole consideration when searching for a system that will save you money. Air conditioning accounts for a large portion of energy bills in the summer, so you should look for an energy-efficient system that will save money over time.

The U.S. government requires all air conditioning manufacturers to provide information about the efficiency of the unit. The rating system used to identify this is known as SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). The SEER is calculated by determining the cooling capacity of an air conditioner in a standard cooling season and dividing this number by its total energy consumption. While the government only requires air conditioners to have a SEER of 13 or higher in order to be sold in the U.S., systems must have a SEER of 14 or greater to earn the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA has established a set of guidelines that air conditioners must meet to earn the ENERGY STAR. While a high SEER is an important consideration when purchasing a new air conditioner, you should also pay attention to whether or not your new system has received this distinguished symbol. ENERGY STAR systems meet strict guidelines of both performance and efficiency and release fewer pollutants into the air than conventional models.

While the ENERGY STAR label can help you determine energy efficiency, a high number alone will not save you money year after year. First, the system must be installed properly so that it doesn’t run into problems early on. Second, proper maintenance is necessary to ensure that your system remains efficient throughout its life. Be sure to clean or replace air filters about once a month and schedule maintenance every year. Scheduling maintenance with an AC technician helps restore some efficiency and improve performance.

An AC technician can help you find a system with the ENERGY STAR label, calculate the proper size, and professionally install the unit. For professional air conditioning service in South Dade, pick up the phone and call Air On Demand today to speak with a qualified technician about your AC needs.

DIY Thermostat Troubleshooting: Try This First

When your air conditioning system doesn’t work properly, the first thing you check is probably the thermostat. This is a good start. While the issue often does not originate in the thermostat, it’s important to rule out any obvious issues. But do you really know what to check for?

Before you contact a technician, you may want to try these tips. Often, we show up to “fix” something the homeowner could have done with relative ease.

Settings to Double-Check

Digital, programmable thermostats can be difficult to understand. According to the Washington Post, a lot of people do not understand how to use the thermostat settings correctly. If someone has changed the settings by accident, you may be unsure of how to get them back to normal. Here are a few things you can look for:

• ‍Fan Only: If you see these words on your thermostat screen, it means the fan in your blower unit is on, but no cooling is taking place. A fan alone cannot cool down a home, and this setting should be used rarely if at all.
• ‍On/Off: We know this may be the first thing you check. But people in new homes or with new thermostats may not realize there is likely an on/off switch on the side of the thermostat.‍
• Heat/Cool: It’s also possible that someone has accidentally changed the system to heating mode, so check to be sure this isn’t the case.‍
• Unoccupied: Your thermostat may have the ability to temporarily suspend preprogrammed settings if the building is believed to be unoccupied. Switch to an “automatic” mode instead.

When all else fails, you can call a technician, or we recommend checking the thermostat manual. You may even be able to locate a guide online to the particular thermostat model you are using.

Problems with the Thermostat

Often, the real trouble is elsewhere in the system. Your thermostat is not a very complicated device, and it’s rare that the thermostat is the reason an air conditioner has shut down or started cooling insufficiently. However, when the thermostat is at fault, it’s often due to these issues:

• ‍Poor Placement: If the thermostat is in a location of your home that is unusually cool or warm (like too close to the kitchen), it may not get an accurate reading. This can cause temperatures to fluctuate drastically, or it may lead to short cycling (shutting off and turning back on again frequently).
• ‍Old Batteries: No display on the thermostat? It may just need new batteries.‍
• Electrical Issues: If there are electrical problems within your thermostat, it’s best to let a trained technician handle it.

Other Ways to Troubleshoot an AC System

When the thermostat is not at fault for your lack of cool air, there may be other ways you can troubleshoot the system. Check it out, but call in a technician if the problem is not so easily resolved.

• ‍Resetting a Circuit Breaker: For an air conditioner that has completely stopped working, this may do the trick.‍
• Changing the Air Filter: This may be all you need for an air conditioner that is short cycling or providing insufficient airflow.

Air On Demand provides services for your air conditioning in Miami, FL. Call us today!

When your air conditioner is running well you will enjoy a nicely cooled home. This is especially true when you run your air conditioner when it is well-maintained and it is operating efficiently. If your system isn’t working well though, it is going to impact your comfort and your energy bills.

One of the problems that you might encounter with your AC system if it has a problem that needs to be fixed is short cycling. Short cycling will hinder your system’s ability to cool your home and will require Kendall AC repair services. Short cycling should not be ignored! Make sure you reach out to us as soon as you notice this issue so we can get your AC unit working right again.

What is Short Cycling?

Short cycling is a term that refers to when your air conditioner produces shortened cooling cycles. This isn’t a sign that your AC unit is just cooling your home extremely quickly. Short cycling is actually an indicator that your system is having a problem that is hindering its ability to complete its cooling cycle which will negatively impact your home comfort.

Why is Short Cycling So Bad?

We gave you a brief idea of why short cycling is a bad thing–it hinders your comfort in your home. However, we want to dive a little deeper into why you should be quick to get a short cycling air conditioner fixed. This issue is one that can lead to some serious problems for your system.

Short cycling is extremely hard on your AC system to start with. It forces your unit to use extra energy, work harder for shorter periods, and overall operate for longer amounts of time before it is able to truly cool your home.

What this means is that your system uses more energy despite taking longer to cool things off. That’s bad for your bills and your air conditioner’s well-being.

Can Short Cycling Be Prevented?

Now that you know why short cycling is bad news, you may want to figure out if there is anything that you can do to prevent this issue from developing. Thankfully, there is.

Short cycling can be created by more than one problem in your air conditioner. For example, a dirty air filter can hinder airflow in your AC unit which can lead to short cycling. Likewise, low refrigerant levels will create this problem as well. So how do you prevent it?

Take a few simple and easy steps to help your AC out and try to circumvent the development of short cycling. Clean or change out your AC filter every one to three months to keep airflow steady. Schedule regular yearly maintenance to keep your evaporator coil clean and to catch refrigerant leaks before they seriously hinder your system’s job. And, of course, if your AC unit does start to short cycle, don’t delay those repairs! The sooner you get them taken care of the better.

Air On Demand provides prompt and effective AC services throughout Kendall and the surrounding areas. Contact us to schedule your appointment

A Guide to Preventing AC Repair

When your air conditioner breaks down, you need to scramble to get a technician to your home and get your house back to a comfortable state, especially in the middle of summer. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could feel more confident that your air conditioner would not break down when you need it most?

Take preventative measures with the help of our experts and this quick guide to keeping your system in top shape. You can drastically reduce the chances of an AC system breakdown and keep your equipment in better condition for a long time to come.

Use the Thermostat Wisely

One of the easiest things you can do to protect your air conditioning system is to use it less. The EPA recommends a summertime temperature of about 78° for maximum efficiency. In addition, you should turn the temperature up about 5-10° when you leave the home or while you are asleep.

If you don’t already have a programmable thermostat, consider an upgrade. This can help you make smarter energy choices and manage your AC system. With a Wi-Fi thermostat you can even control the temperature from wherever you are via a smart phone.

Maintain Your Air Conditioner

Proper air conditioning maintenance is key to a longer lasting system and a low chance of failure in the summer. Schedule professional AC maintenance once a year in the early spring, if possible. And be sure to change your air filter each month to maintain proper airflow through the system and to keep it from becoming overworked.

Schedule Duct Services

Your air ducts may be full of holes that prevent air from reaching the home and force your air conditioner to become overworked. Or, there could be a thick buildup of dirt in the air ducts reducing efficiency by creating friction as air moves through. Schedule duct services today to get your HVAC system into shape for better comfort and less stress year round.

For quality AC repair in Miami, contact the experts at Air On Demand

Leaky Refrigerant Is a Bigger Problem Than You Might Think

When your air conditioner breaks or begins to do a poor job of cooling down the house, you hope there’s only a small problem. We get this question a lot, in some form or another: “Do I just need to add refrigerant?” You might assume that adding refrigerant (you may have heard it called “Freon™”) is a simple fix. But this usually isn’t the case.

You Must Seal the Leaks

If a technician tells you that you only need to have refrigerant added to your AC system, you should ask some questions. One thing you should know: Refrigerant is not meant to leave the AC system. It doesn’t dissipate naturally, and it’s quite problematic if it does leave the unit.

Refrigerant is designed to remove heat from the system and release it at the outside condenser unit. While heat dissipates from the system, refrigerant does not, and it continues on its path to absorb heat from the indoor air again.

Since it doesn’t leave the system naturally, low levels of refrigerant typically mean that there is a leak. And it’s important that technicians seal this leak in order for the system to perform smoothly and efficiently.

Call Technicians Early On

Call technicians as early on as possible when you notice problems with your AC system. Common signs of a refrigerant leak include:

• High Temperatures
• High Energy Bills
• Short Cycling
• Frozen AC Coil

If the problem goes on for too long, it may cause the entire AC system to break down, since it won’t work without heat transfer. Any of these issues might indicate a different type of problem within the air conditioning system, so you must have qualified air conditioning technicians check on the problem in order to prevent it from getting any worse.

Contact Air On Demand for AC repair in Miami and Pinecrest, FL. We treat our customers right!

AC Installation Tip: Efficiency Ratings

When you start looking for a new central air conditioning system to replace your current one, you’ll encounter numerous statistics and a sometimes befuddling array of acronyms. This is one of many reasons you should have HVAC professionals assist you with installation from the start of the process. They can help you navigate through the maze of ratings and specifications toward the AC that will give your home the cooling matched ideally to a humid Florida summer.

There is one air conditioning rating we’d like to offer some additional information about, since it will help you understand how efficiently a system operates, and therefore how much you can expect to pay to run it each year. Professionals will help you determine the efficiency rating that will suit your needs.

Make sure you have a knowledgeable team working on your air conditioning installation in Miami, FL: contact Air On Demand and speak to our qualified AC specialists.

The Efficiency Rating: SEER

The rating used to list the efficiency of an air conditioning system is SEER, which stands for “seasonal energy efficiency rating.” SEER is a ratio of the amount of cooling power produced to the amount of energy consumed. This is measured over a whole season, which makes SEER different from EER, which measures only a single test.

The cooling power is measured in British Thermal Units, which is the amount of energy needed to change the temperature of a gallon of water one degree. For air conditioning, BTUs measure the amount of heat removed from air to cool it down. The units of electrical energy are in kilowatt hours (kWh). SEER is the ratio of BTUs/kWh. The higher the number, the more efficient the cooling system is at changing electrical power into the power to remove heat from the air.

In order for an air conditioner to qualify for the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR label for efficiency in Florida, it must have 14.5 SEER or greater. Most central ACs score in the 14–20 SEER range, with special high-efficiency models rating even higher.

Keep in mind that SEER rates efficiency, not the actual cooling capability of an air conditioner. Just because a unit has high SEER does not mean it will keep your home’s temperature at the level you need; SEER indicates instead how well the system uses electricity to cool. Don’t rely on SEER as your sole criteria when choosing a new system. Your installation expert will assist you with balancing out all the important factors.

Air On Demand handles air conditioning installation in Miami, FL with the highest quality equipment. With us backing you, rest assured that you’ll receive the air conditioning system that will keep you comfortable, and your power bills in check, for many years to come.

Can You Afford a New Air Conditioning System?

When you’re shopping around for a new air conditioner, you might become discouraged by the prices you find. Sometimes, homeowners compromise and find a low-efficiency unit or even a used air conditioning system, just to try to cut down the initial cost. However, the cost of maintenance and the higher monthly bills are not worth the one-time savings.

But can you afford a new high-efficiency air conditioner? We think so!

Can You Afford Not to Replace Your AC?

Of course, when your air conditioner is completely broken down, you’ll have to replace it. But even if your air conditioner has not stopped working for good, it’s probably costing you a lot if it’s in a state of disrepair. An air conditioning system that is decades old, with worn-down components and longer run times, uses a lot of energy to try to compensate for its shortcomings. The drop in your monthly bills might be worth the early system replacement.

High-Efficiency Saves Money Over Time

Choosing a system with a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) of 16 or higher means lower bills. And don’t worry, you won’t sacrifice anything in terms of quality and performance. In fact, it will likely perform better than a system with a lower efficiency rating! The overall savings can offset that initial cost, and it gives you ongoing savings so that your monthly maintenance and operational costs are less frustrating.

Easy Financing Options

Often, you can finance your air conditioning system through your contractor so that a high-efficiency system is more affordable. The monthly payments, combined with the lower energy bills, may be less than your previous cost of ownership! Contact a qualified technician to learn more!

Air On Demand has teamed up with Wells Fargo to provide you with special interest financing options with approved credit. Call us today for air conditioning and heating installation in Homestead, FL.

Save Money on Air Conditioning by Stopping this Habit

When you’ve been outside for a prolonged period, or when the outside air is hot, humid, and gloomy, you look forward to an air conditioned home. You may even hope that your home is like an icebox when you arrive. So you set the temperature to an extremely low one, perhaps as low as your thermostat can go, the moment you get home.

But there are many problems with this common habit. Setting the thermostat too low can really affect your budget and your air conditioner in the long run. Here’s why we think you should quit setting your thermostat very low when it’s hot outside and start planning ahead with a quality thermostat.

Your Air Conditioner Cools at One Speed

Setting the temperature very low is not going to help it cool your home any faster. Your AC system really only cools at one speed. If it’s 83°, and you set the thermostat to 65°, it will just cool the home beyond a comfortable setting. Most people are still comfortable with a temperature of about 78° and you’re not doing your system or your bills any favors.

The System Was Not Designed for a Continuous Cycle

Your air conditioner was not meant to run non-stop. Typically, it cycles on when the temperature goes above a certain point and then shuts off when it reaches a target range. If your air conditioner is running all the time, you’re setting the AC too low, quickly wearing out the system and making it so that your monthly energy bills are much higher than they need to be.

Get a Programmable Thermostat and Learn How to Use It

Many people with programmable thermostats still aren’t sure how to use them effectively. It’s time to break out the manual, or call in a technician for help if you really need it. Schedule your thermostat ahead of time to turn off the AC or raise the temperature by 5-10° when you’re away. And have it reset to about 78°, or not much lower than this, about 20 minutes before you plan to arrive home.

Contact Air On Demand for AC repair services, thermostat installation, and more in Pinecrest, FL and the surrounding areas

Make a Heat Pump Your Next AC Installation

When you’re in the market for a new heating and air conditioning system, you could go with the conventional units. Many people in our area go for the conventional split-system air conditioner, which has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. For heating, Florida residents might have a furnace or wall unit, but many resolve to use space heaters in lieu of installing central heating in such a warm climate.

The problem is that electric heating systems typically consume a lot of energy, and they cannot warm the whole room in the same way as a central heater. A whole-home heater is a great investment, and when you install a heat pump, you won’t even need a separate air conditioning system.

What’s a Heat Pump?

A heat pump is a system that uses the same components as a standard central air conditioner, but with a few extra added in. In the typical AC unit, refrigerant travels throughout the system, cycling from the inside of your home, where it absorbs heat from the air, to the outside unit, where heat releases. This heat removal process is refrigeration. That’s what keeps you cool, and that’s the reason for the excess heat around your outdoor unit.

A heat pump takes this process—taking heat from the inside air and moving it outside—and reverses it. Heat is absorbed from the air outside—yes, even in very cold weather—and it is released inside your home.

Why Choose a Heat Pump This Spring?

It’s getting warmer, and few homeowners are thinking about their home heating right now. But a heat pump is primarily an air conditioning system. Making an investment in a heat pump means saving on your monthly AC bills now and heating costs in the winter.

Heat pumps are highly efficient for air conditioning, as long as you choose one with a high SEER (and have an expert install it. And a heat pump is a more efficient system than many other heaters because it doesn’t need to generate heat—only to move it. That means it’s not putting so much energy into the heat production process, the reason most electric heaters are so costly to run.

Contact Air On Demand for heat pump installation in Homestead, FL

5 Efficiency Boosting Habits to Adopt

When you run your HVAC system in Miami you want to be able to achieve optimal comfort without high bills. We have some tough weather, especially in the summer, so it is worthwhile to make sure that you can stay comfortable at a reasonable cost.

While having a high-efficiency system is the first step to accomplish this, there are additional ways to boost your efficiency too. By adopting some additional best practices like these, you can achieve improved energy efficiency without having to sacrifice your comfort.

5 Ways To Improve Your Home Energy Efficiency

If you aren’t doing these things already, try working them into your regular routines to help yourself save money and get the most from your HVAC system.

1. Make sure to change your filter regularly

Your air filter is highly important to the well-being of your HVAC systems. This is why we always remind people to check and change their filters regularly. It is advisable to do this once every one to three months to ensure that your filter doesn’t become overly dirty and start to obstruct airflow. Clean air filters keep airflow clean and strong which helps your system efficiency.

2. Check that all vents/ air handlers are clean and clear of obstructions

When your HVAC system is trying to cool your home, it needs a clear path to deliver that cold air. Dirty vents or air handlers may not seem like a big deal but they can hamper your comfort and drive up your bills. When you dust around the home next time, make sure to wipe down your vents!

In addition to this, check to make sure that there isn’t any furniture, decor, or foliage in front of your vents or air handlers as this can create comfort and efficiency issues too.

3. Have a professional check your insulation

The insulation in your home helps to create a thermal barrier that keeps the Florida heat out so it stays cooler in your home. If you have worn-out insulation, however, it won’t be as effective at offering protection for your home comfort. Have a professional check out your insulation to ensure that it is in good condition. Optimal insulation can give you a huge boost in energy efficiency.

4. Get regular maintenance and prompt repairs

Professional maintenance and repairs are going to be a fantastic choice for keeping your system running efficiently. Regular yearly maintenance helps reduce repair needs and improves system efficiency. On top of this, prompt repairs done by an expert when your heater runs into trouble can help restore its efficiency level and perform optimally again.

5. Do what you can to keep the heat out

Let’s be honest, keeping the heat out of our homes is pretty much always a primary concern. You have an air conditioner that handles most of this but there are some things you can do to keep extra heat out of the house. These tasks include:

• Addressing air leaks
• Keeping blinds and curtains closed in sunny areas of the house
• Reducing the use of the stove or oven if possible

Need help with your HVAC system’s efficiency? Contact Air On Demand to get the service you need

The Right Questions to Ask an AC Company before Hiring Them

When you own a home, it’s important to have a company you can trust to perform any necessary cooling and heating services. With the right company on your side, you’ll know that heating and cooling repairs will be taken care of in a timely manner. You’ll be in contact with a company that’s familiar with your AC equipment and can ensure any issues are addressed properly.

Here’s how to find a great company to perform air conditioning service in your area, whatever your needs may be. Ask these questions, check credentials, and you’ll know there’s always a reputable contractor you can call if you need AC service.

Do You Provide Upfront Pricing?

This is an important one. Sometimes, a contractor’s hourly pricing may seem reasonable, but the hours add up quickly. You might end up paying way more for the service than you thought you would when a technician takes much longer than expected on the job. Look for a company that offers upfront pricing, and you’ll know you’ve picked an honest contractor.

Can I Finance a New System?

Many quality contractors allow you to apply for financing. Easy payments make any installations or replacements you need in the future a lot more affordable.

Are You Licensed and Insured?

If not, you could potentially be liable for injuries a technician incurs on your property! Check that the company is licensed and insured, and know that the technicians on your property are actually certified to be there. We recommend hiring NATE-certified technicians, as these will be more likely to know the ins and outs of any system.

What Sort of Maintenance Plans Do You Offer?

We would recommend signing up for an HVAC maintenance program to any homeowner with air conditioning or heating equipment on the property. With annual maintenance visits, your systems are protected from damage, may operate more efficiently, and might not need repair for the most extreme temperatures. In addition, many maintenance plans allow homeowners to take discounts on service and repair work.

Contact Air On Demand for quality service from technicians you can trust in Miami, FL

Replacing an Air Conditioner? Replace that Older Thermostat Too!

When you replace your old broken down air conditioning system, your technician may offer you the chance to replace your thermostat as well. Your thermostat may not be failing yet, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t replace it. Switching to a new programmable thermostat or a digital model can save you money each year as well as a lot of hassle. See why you should upgrade in today’s post.

Don’t Bother With That Old Manual Thermostat

If you have to control your thermostat by moving over a slider or turning a dial to the proper temperature, you’re missing out on an opportunity to save. Often, it’s difficult to ensure that the dial or slider is really set to the temperature you want. If the temperature is even only a couple of degrees lower than what you wanted, you may end up spending a lot more on your energy bills for the month. Choosing a thermostat with a clear display and programmable settings helps you to achieve maximum efficiency and comfort. Set a weekly schedule that changes the temperature through the day turns the air conditioner off when you don’t need it and back on again when you return home from work or an outing.

Try a Smart Thermostat for Ultimate Comfort Control

One of the most recent developments in HVAC technology is the smart thermostat. Smart thermostats are able to remember your preferred settings after only a week of ownership. And the biggest benefit is that you can control the thermostat while you are at work, school or traveling anywhere with internet access from your phone or tablet. We recommend replacing your outdated thermostat when it comes time to replace your AC system. But you don’t have to wait for air conditioning replacement to install a brand new thermostat. Call a professional any time you decide you want more control over your HVAC system.

Get in touch with our team of trained professionals for quality air conditioning services in the Miami area. Call Air On Demand today!

Why Choose Electric Heat Strips in Miami

When you live in Miami, Florida, the heating system in your home is not really a priority. You’re probably more concerned about how you’re going to keep yourself cool during the heat. Because we rarely need heat in Florida, having a large heating system, like a furnace, is not strictly necessary or cost effective. One popular alternative is a heat strip system. Here we explore some of the reasons why a heat strip might be a good idea for your home.

What is a Heat Strip

For those who are unfamiliar with heat strips, they operate in a similar fashion to portable electric space heaters that you plug into your wall. Heat strips have coils of wires that heat up the air around them. They are typically installed in your central AC unit. When needed, they heat up and your air conditioning system’s fan blows air over them. The heated air is carried through your normal air conditioning ducting and delivered to the rooms in your house.

Benefits of a Heat Strip

• Few moving parts: The heat strip pretty much just sits in your air conditioning system waiting to be used. All it needs is a power source and a connection to your thermostat so there really aren’t any moving parts. This makes them durable and low maintenance.
• Heat up quickly: The heat strip using electric resistance to create heat. This is a very fast process. If you’ve used a portable electric heater, or a toaster, the coils get red and generate heat quickly.
• Easy to maintain: Heat strips, because they are comprised of few parts, are very easy to clean and maintain.
• Easy to Install: With compatible units, the heat strip is almost a plug-and-play component. Professional installation is usually quick and less expensive than some traditional systems.

If you have any questions about your heat strip or if you’d like to know if a heat strip is a good option for your home in Miami, call Air On Demand today

The Benefits of an Air On Demand AC Unit

When you have to purchase a new air conditioning unit, whether for a brand new install or to replace an old system, you want to make sure that your new one is worth your investment. After all, purchasing a cheaper unit that doesn’t work as well or is less energy efficient will simply ending up costing you more cash in the long run (but you already knew that).

The current problem you may be facing is which one to choose. There really are a lot of brands and types of air conditioners to select from and it can make a lot of consumers feel overloaded by the plethora of options.

We might be able to give you some clarity in this arena because we know the benefits that come with an Air On Demand American-made unit! If you would like to learn more about these units being offered by our Miami air conditioning company, read on (and, should the urge strike you, reach out to us to schedule an appointment for an installation).

What Benefits Come With an Air On Demand AC Unit?

There are several benefits that come with opting for one of our top-of-the-line air conditioning units. We want you to know about them to help you decide what you should look for in your next (or new) AC system.

• ‍Sizing That Fits Your Home: Whether you have a small home with small demands or a large home that needs an AC unit that can really deliver on those hot Miami days, we have an AC system that will work for you. With a wide range of options for sizing, you can rest assured that an Air On Demand unit can be found that will meet your cooling needs.‍
• Great Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is important when it comes to keeping your home cool because higher efficiency helps you save cash. That is why our systems all come with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of up to 19. This rating measures the ratio of a unit’s cooling output compared to how much energy it consumes so the higher the number is, the better!‍
• Split or Packaged for Optimal Home Comfort: Not only are Air On Demand units able to fit whatever home cooling needs you have, but they can also be sold split or packaged to ensure you get the system you want.‍
• Comes With a Lifetime Warranty: Yes, you read that right. The units that we offer come with a lifetime warranty so your AC system will be taken care of no matter what.

The units that we offer are a step above the rest. Even better, they are all American-Made meaning that when you opt to install an Air On Demand unit, you are supporting the good USA. If you are still having trouble deciding what system would be best for you, an Air On Demand air conditioning dealer will be happy to help you.

Schedule an appointment for an AC unit installation or replacement today. Air On Demand makes sure you have cool air whenever you need it

Which Air Conditioner Is the Most Efficient?

When you are purchasing a new air conditioner, the cost of installation may seem like one of the biggest factors in your decision. However, an air conditioner’s efficiency deserves some more consideration. High levels of efficiency indicate that an air conditioner will, with proper maintenance, use less energy over time.

Eventually, the overall savings of choosing more efficient equipment may offset what you have paid for your system upfront. High-efficiency air conditioners are better for your home, better for your wallet, and better for the environment. But how can you tell which AC system will work most efficiently in your house?

Air Conditioner Sizing

The most efficient air conditioner is one that’s already properly sized for your home. When an air conditioner is undersized, it has to run almost constantly to cool the house down. In a place where air conditioners get so much work, this can cause it to wear down quickly. You may have to replace your air conditioner in a couple of short years, and you’ll use up a ton of energy while it is around.

That doesn’t mean you should pick the largest system you can afford. This won’t work out either, since a larger air conditioner can continuously short cycle, starting up and shutting off frequently enough to wear down the compressor. Call a technician to size up your home’s requirements and make sure you get the system that is just right for your home.

Efficiency Ratings

The efficiency rating of your air conditioner is where you can really start to narrow down the prospects and find one that will save you the most money over time. Picking the most efficient air conditioner within your budget means that you save the most money over time. This starts with the SEER.

The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a number that represents AC efficiency in an average cooling season. While the minimum SEER for air conditioners installed in Miami is 14, you should look for a SEER closer to 20.

Ductless Mini Splits

What’s the best way to cool down a home that doesn’t have the ventilation system to install a central air conditioner? A ductless mini split system. Ductless mini splits are not like other room air conditioners that stick out the window or a wall of your home.

They work just like central air conditioners, with several blower units mounted high on the walls attached to a single outdoor unit to cool the whole home with a central thermostat. Ductless mini-splits have similar efficiencies to standard split systems so you’ll save over the years on this convenient installation.

Our Air On Demand Air Conditioning Units

Air On Demand brand air conditioning systems are designed for South Florida’s weather. They are available in SEER ratings of up to 19, feature outstanding warranty protections, and have multi-speed blowers for greater efficiency. These are available exclusively from our team, so call us today for your AC installation.

Contact the Air On Demand team today to learn more about our air conditioners in Miami, FL

When Do I Need Duct Replacement?

When you first had your air conditioner installed, you may not have thought much about the ducts. After all, not many homeowners do. The ducts are the conduits that transport cooled air through to every room of the home, but it’s easy to take them for granted when you’re staring at a big shiny new air conditioning unit.

After a few years of faithful service from your AC, it will be wise to start considering service for the ducts. Just because they don’t have moving parts doesn’t mean that they won’t need some service. If things are particularly bad, they might even need replacement.

Your Ducts Aren’t Invincible

Since the ducts are out of sight and out of mind, you’d assume they’d be out of harm’s way, as well. We wish it could be that way, but the fact is that there are various things that can cause your ducts to fall into disrepair.

Poor Installation

If you’ve moved into a home with an air conditioner, it’s wise to have the ducts inspected just to ensure that your system is up to par. That includes looking at the ducts.

Installing ductwork is a science and an art: you want to choose the right duct materials, use the right size, insulate them properly, and run them through the available spaces without any significant crimps or bends. Laying the ductwork in limited space can be a challenge.

It’s not surprising, then, that some ductwork jobs are just plain bad. Improperly sized ducts installed haphazardly can be a big drain on efficiency, but a replacement can easily fix it.

Mold and Mildew

It’s no secret that we live in one of the most humid states in the nation. Now imagine the ducts, full of moist summer air and condensation, and then sprinkle in some dust and dirt. That’s a formula for mold!

Ducts in Miami, FL do collect dust and dirt, and they’ll need to be cleaned out occasionally. But if the right conditions end up creating mold, you’ll want to have that cleaning scheduled much sooner. If the mold is especially bad, we might deem that replacing the affected ducts is the better option.

Tears and Disconnects

We saved it for last: one of the most common reasons for duct replacement is from tears and disconnects.

The problem will be vary depending on what the ducts are made of, but the problem is the same for all of them: the sealants keeping the ducts together can deteriorate due to the constant fluctuations in temperature.

It’s also not uncommon for pests like rodents to make their way in the ducts and chew out holes. Flexible duct material is especially susceptible to this since they’re made of insulation rather than metal.

Regardless of how it happens, tears and disconnects are a huge problem. It’s estimated that nearly 30% of your air can be completely lost from leaks—that’s nearly one-third of your energy bill wasted.

Sometimes, leaks can easily be patched up or sealed, but there are some cases where the best option is just to replace.

If you haven’t had your ducts inspected lately, get in touch with us before the spring and summer return. Contact Air On Demand today for a free consultation

How Insulation Helps You Keep Cool

When the temperature gets to be unbearable most of us are going to be holed up at home trying to stay comfortable and dry. As long as your air conditioner is working well, your home should be able to provide a comfortable environment during those swelteringly hot days, right? Not necessarily. Yes, your air conditioner is going to be a main component to your comfort but there are other factors, like your Miami attic insulation, that will affect your home environment too.

We know that may sound strange but it is true. Your attic insulation plays a big role in keeping your home comfortable all year long actually. How? By reducing heat exchange in and out of the house. Insulation helps with your air quality too! It helps with a lot of things to be honest. Let’s take a quick look at why your insulation is so important to your comfort this summer and beyond.

How Your Attic Insulation Helps

The insulation in your home is going to help you stay comfortable in a few different ways which we have listed here:

Attic insulation helps keep cool air in and hot air out

When you have good attic insulation it is going to help hold the cool air that your air conditioner produces in your home. This means that it will keep your home cooler for a longer amount of time with a little less effort. Even better, insulation will keep the hot air and humidity out.

Attic insulation helps boost the quality of the air in your home

Insulation helps to keep the indoor air quality in your home a lot more comfortable than it would be otherwise. This is because insulation helps to protect your home from the entry of dust, debris, and other allergens, and helps prevent unwanted moisture from entering the house as well. With cleaner, less humid air, the environment inside your home is going to feel a lot more pleasant than it would otherwise.

Attic insulation helps your AC operate more efficiently

Remember how we talked about the reduction in heat exchange thanks to your AC system? Because your attic insulation is going to keep the cool air in and the hot air out of your home, it means that it is going to make your unit’s job a lot easier. It does this by extending the amount of time a cooling cycle keeps your home effectively cool. It also helps by keeping the air drier which makes it easier to cool down. Altogether this means that your energy efficiency is going to improve too.

Our Insulation Services Help You Too

If you need to install insulation in an older home that doesn’t have any, repair the worn insulation in your home, or you want to give your insulation an extra boost, we can help. Our insulation services are performed by professionals who know how important this part of your home is to your comfort. When you need help keeping your home cool during summer, you can rely on us to help you out.

Contact Air On Demand today to schedule an appointment

Off-Season Maintenance: The Best Time to Get Your AC in Shape

When temperatures start to level out, you feel more comfortable shutting the AC off, and maybe opening up the windows for a while. But that doesn’t mean you should forget about your air conditioner altogether.

In the off-season, when it’s not too warm and your air conditioner is off for longer periods of time, it’s time to get your system into shape. We recommend twice-annual tune-ups for air conditioners in Florida, since they get so much use throughout the year.

Why Schedule a Professional Maintenance Visit?

Professional air conditioning maintenance helps to get your air conditioner in peak condition. After a tune-up, you may notice that your air conditioner:

• Works better and more efficiently.
• Costs less to run.
• Doesn’t break down when it’s working its hardest.

Plus, if you schedule heating maintenance each and every year, you may notice that your air conditioner works more efficiently for longer! A longer lifespan is to be expected with routine maintenance completed twice a year. Call your local technicians today to get an inspection and tune-up for your equipment.

Other Things You Can Do

You should also take this time to take on a few other tasks that may help your AC to run more efficiently throughout the year.

• ‍Consider upgrades: You may want to add on a zone control system to your home or replace your old, ineffective thermostat with a Wi-Fi thermostat.‍
• Change the filter: You should be doing this task each and every month. Set a schedule in your phone or on a wall calendar, so that you never forget.‍
• Clear the outside unit: Make sure there is no debris or branches blocking the outside unit, as this can keep it from working properly.

Call Air On Demand for air conditioning services in Palmetto Bay, FL. We want to help you see that your air conditioner is in the best shape possible. Ask us about our maintenance plan!

Ductwork and Your Pinecrest Air Conditioner

When temperatures start to soar central air conditioning makes our homes much more comfortable. Unfortunately, the system of ductwork that it these systems use can be responsible for a lot of efficiency loss. There are a few ways in which your ductwork may be wasting cooling power generated by your Pinecrest air conditioner. Here’s a list of some of the worst offenders.

• Leakage on the return or supply sides of your ducts is a serious problem. Your home may still be cool but there is a lot of energy being wasted. Properly sealed ducts are a must if you want an efficiently operating cooling system.
• Improper sizing of ducts is also a serious detriment to the efficiency of your cooling system. Remember, it is important to purchase an air conditioner that is appropriately sized for your home, but improperly sized ducts are just as inefficient. Be sure that you are working with a contractor to ensure that your ducts are properly sized and connected.
• An undersized or restrictive register or return grill can also cost you money when you run your air conditioner. There’s no point in cooling air if it can’t get through the ductwork to your rooms. A restrictive register or return grill will trap and waste your cooled air.
• Sizing and air flow aren’t the only issues that your ductwork may have. Efficiency can also be adversely affected by poor layout of your ducts. Any dead ends or narrow turns are going to affect the distribution of your air. If your ductwork was installed hastily and was not meticulously planned out, it’s more than likely that there are a few spots wasting energy.
• Finally, a little insulation on your ducts can go a long way. If your ducts are not properly insulated and they are too warm then the cool air intended for your home will wind up cooling your ducts instead. Have a professional inspect the insulation on your ducts, and see if you can get a better performance out of them.

Hopefully this list has given you an idea of the importance that lies behind your Pinecrest air conditioner’s ductwork. When properly installed, insulated and maintained, forced air duct systems deliver strong cooling power and good efficiency. However, when the job is rushed and improperly done, your ductwork can account for a huge amount of lost energy. When you want air conditioning installed, or if you want to improve on your existing system, call Air On Demand. We’ll make sure that you’re getting the most out of your system, ducts and all.

Miami Air Conditioning Tip: Thermostat Settings

When temperatures rise, a good air conditioning unit can be your best friend, turning your home into a cool refuge from the sweltering conditions outside. Your air conditioner is controlled by a thermostat which lets you adjust the settings to your liking and otherwise dictate when and how the air conditioner operates. Here’s a Miami air conditioning tip: thermostat settings, when properly adjusted, can save you a great deal of money in your monthly bills.

For starters, tailor your air conditioning settings to fit your daily schedule. A programmable thermostat can make this easy – some units even let you program your thermostat remotely – but even if you have an older manual thermostat, you can make adjustments during the day to reflect the local conditions. In the evening, you can turn the temperature up, open the windows and/or start a fan when temperatures are lower. You should also adjust your thermostat when the seasons change, changing it in the wintertime when Mother Nature is more apt to give us a break.

Adding programmable thermostat if you don’t already heavy one makes an excellent way to increase your flexibility in this arena. You can program it to make all of these adjustments automatically so you don’t have to think about it. It also lets you automatically turn the air conditioning off when you go to work, then back on again ten minutes before you arrive home. (You can always do this manually too, but the programmable thermostat eliminates the need to wait while the AC unit cools down your house.)

If you still have a manual thermostat, or your thermostat is having problems with inaccurate settings, it can impact your ability to maximize AC efficiency. For more tips on air conditioning settings or to install a new thermostat in your home, contact Air On Demand. We handle air conditioning issues of all varieties and our trained staff is dedicated to your complete satisfaction. Call us today to set up an appointment.

AC Hacks: Save Energy and Money This Summer

When summer comes, so does the challenge of keeping your home cool without breaking the bank. As temperatures rise, so do energy bills, especially if your air conditioner is working overtime. But don’t worry, there are plenty of simple and effective ways to give your air conditioning system a break while still maintaining a comfortable indoor environment.

In this guide, we’ll explore 4 practical tips and tricks to help you save energy and money this summer. From optimizing your thermostat settings to making the most of ceiling fans, these strategies will not only keep your home cool but also reduce your energy consumption. Let’s dive in and discover how you can stay comfortable and cost-efficient all season long!

#1 Use the Programming Options on Your Thermostat

Your thermostat is programmable for a reason (and if not, you should schedule a thermostat upgrade!). However, many people don’t know how to use the programmable settings on their thermostats properly. This is an invaluable skill.

Consult your thermostat manual, do an online search, or call a technician to be sure you are using your programmable thermostat properly. You can typically make a couple of automatic adjustments throughout the day and perhaps set a separate schedule on weekends or even throughout the week. Our suggestions?

• Keep the thermostat at 77-78 degrees throughout the day when people are home (unless you have to adjust for seniors or small children).
• Set the AC to raise its temperature by 10 degrees when people are away or asleep.
• Have the settings automatically readjust to your preferences 20-30 minutes before you plan to arrive home.

#2 Utilize Fans and Ventilation

When the summer heat hits, especially during the sweltering Florida weather, using fans and proper ventilation can significantly reduce the strain on your air conditioner. Here are some practical tips to make the most of these cooling aids:

• ‍Ceiling Fans: Ensure your ceiling fans are rotating counterclockwise during the summer. This direction creates a wind-chill effect, making you feel cooler without lowering the thermostat.‍
• Portable Fans: Use portable fans to direct cool air where you need it most. Placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan can also help circulate cooler air.‍
• Exhaust Fans: Utilize exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom to remove heat and humidity. This can prevent your AC from working harder to cool down these areas.‍
• Cross Ventilation: Open windows on opposite sides of your home to create a cross breeze. This natural ventilation can help cool your home without relying solely on your AC.‍
• Attic Ventilation: Ensure your attic is well-ventilated. Proper attic ventilation can reduce the overall temperature of your home, easing the load on your air conditioner.

By incorporating these fan and ventilation strategies, you can keep your home comfortable even during the hottest days of Florida weather. Not only will this help you stay cool, but it will also contribute to significant energy savings.

#3 Block Out the Heat

One of the most effective ways to keep your home cool during the scorching Florida summer is to block out the heat. By preventing sunlight from entering your home, you can significantly reduce indoor temperatures and lessen the burden on your air conditioner. Start by keeping curtains and blinds closed during the hottest parts of the day. Opt for blackout curtains or shades, which are designed to block out sunlight and provide insulation against heat.

In addition to using curtains and blinds, consider installing reflective window films. These films can reflect a significant portion of the sun’s rays, preventing them from heating your home. They are especially useful for windows that receive direct sunlight. Another option is to use exterior shading devices like awnings or pergolas, which can provide shade and reduce heat gain. By combining these methods, you can create a cooler indoor environment without relying solely on your air conditioner.

Properly sealing and insulating your home is also crucial in blocking out the heat. Check for gaps and cracks around windows and doors, and use weatherstripping or caulk to seal them. Insulating your attic and walls can also help keep the heat out and the cool air in. By taking these steps, you can maintain a comfortable indoor temperature and reduce your energy consumption, making your home more efficient and cost-effective during the hot summer months.

#4 Dehumidify Your Home

High humidity levels can make your home feel much hotter than it is, especially during the humid Florida summers. Dehumidifying your home can help create a more comfortable living environment and reduce the strain on your air conditioner. Here are some effective ways to manage humidity levels in your home:

• ‍Use a Dehumidifier: A dehumidifier can help remove excess moisture from the air, making your home feel cooler and more comfortable. Place it in areas that tend to be more humid, such as basements or bathrooms.‍
• Ventilate Properly: Ensure that your home is well-ventilated, especially in areas like the kitchen and bathroom. Use exhaust fans to remove moisture-laden air and reduce humidity levels.‍
• Fix Leaks: Check for and repair any leaks in your home, whether from the plumbing or the roof. Leaks can introduce additional moisture into your home, increasing humidity levels.‍
• Houseplants: Some houseplants, like Boston ferns and peace lilies, can help absorb moisture from the air. Adding these plants to your home can be a natural way to reduce humidity.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively dehumidify your home, making it more comfortable and reducing the workload on your air conditioner. Lower humidity levels not only improve comfort but also contribute to a healthier indoor environment.

Additional Tips

To further enhance your home’s energy efficiency and comfort during the hot summer months, consider using energy-efficient lighting. Traditional incandescent bulbs generate a lot of heat, which can make your home warmer. Switching to LED bulbs can reduce heat output and lower your energy bills.

Another tip is to use light-colored or reflective roofing materials. Dark roofs absorb more heat, increasing the temperature inside your home. Light-colored roofs or those with reflective coatings can help keep your home cooler by reflecting more sunlight away.

Lastly, consider installing a whole-house fan. This type of fan can help cool your home by pulling in cooler outside air and exhausting hot indoor air. It’s an effective way to reduce your reliance on air conditioning, especially during the cooler parts of the day or evening.

About Air On Demand

Air On Demand is a trusted leader in Miami for air conditioning and heating services. Since 2001, we’ve been dedicated to providing top-notch HVAC solutions with a focus on customer satisfaction and environmentally friendly technologies. Our team of certified technicians ensures that every job is completed to the highest standards, offering services from repairs and installations to maintenance and duct cleaning. Experience the ultimate comfort and reliability with Air On Demand.

Call us today or Contact us online for Air Conditioning efficient solutions in Miami and the surrounding areas

Answering Your Questions about Air Filters and Allergy Control

When spring arrives, we see allergy symptoms spike. Beautiful weather and fresh blooms bring lots of joy, until the coughing and sneezing begins. This may continue even when you stay indoors, unless you have a quality air filter to help keep things under control.

Here, we answer your questions about air filters and allergy control. Choosing the right air filter in Homestead, FL can be difficult, but our technician are here to help! Give us a call for more information about indoor air quality and more.

Why do you have to change the air filter?

When we tell people that it’s important to check the filter monthly and change it every three months, they have some questions. “What if my allergies aren’t acting up?” some may ask. “How will this help my family?”

Any amount of buildup within the filter has an effect on how well your air conditioning equipment runs. A clogged filter can prevent air from moving into the system, leaving it to struggle and wear down. Some air filters are more effective at controlling allergens than others, but they are really designed to protect your AC system from the damage of incoming debris.

Where is my air filter?

Your air filter is located near the air handler of your air conditioning system. At the air handler, look for a hinged opening you can lift to reveal a removable filter. Alternatively, you may find the register in the wall or, as is more and more common, in the ceiling. Air handlers have recently been installed more often in attics, so look for a register directly underneath this.

What is the best air filter for pets?

If you have pets in the home, quality air cleaning is a must. Usually, we recommend a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter to really help control pet dander. However, not every filter is right for any home. While we suggest a whole-house filtration system to really tackle the problem, be sure it is compatible with your AC system first.

Otherwise, look for a filter with a higher MERV rating (minimum efficiency reporting value). While your current filter is likely somewhere between 1 and 4 on the MERV scale, look for one closer to 11.

Should I get the best filter available?

Unfortunately, the answer to this is usually a no. A stronger filter does have a drawback. While it may block particulate from moving through, it can also block air. That means that, not only do you feel less comfortable, but your air conditioner works harder and wears down faster (just as if you had a clogged air filter).

What if you need additional allergy relief?

For some people, the air filters available for a home air conditioning system simply aren’t enough. You may need additional filtration—and that’s doable! Some larger filtration systems have a greater surface area to provide more media for particles to get trapped.

Otherwise, a whole-house air purifier may be right for you. Electronic air purifiers charge particles so they are attracted to surfaces of the opposite charge. Separating particulate from the air without blocking airflow. Some air purifiers have a UV light, designed to kill and sterilize bacteria, viruses, and other germs.

Call Air On Demand for air filtration services in Homestead, FL

How Professionals Clean Your Ducts and Why You Shouldn’t Trust an Amateur

When professional heating and cooling technicians clean the ducts in your home, you can count on cleaner air and a healthier living space. But we cannot say the same about when you let an amateur clean out your ductwork. Your ventilation system requires specialized equipment to make it clean, and that’s something that only a qualified heating and air conditioning technician can provide for you.

The Rotobrush and Other Systems

At Air On Demand, our duct cleaning specialists use the Rotobrush brand’s specialized air duct cleaning equipment to make your ventilation system cleaner. Powerful vacuums and long hoses perfect for any size of ductwork make these the ideal systems for most applications. Quality companies use equipment like this to get the job done, not just brushes.

The Process of Duct Cleaning

In order to properly clean the ducts, technicians take different techniques, but two things are consistent. First, a thorough inspection of the ductwork must be completed. This is important in order to make sure your ducts are in the proper condition to receive a duct cleaning. Then, vents and registers throughout the house are sealed off to keep contaminants from moving through the home. From there, technicians follow through with the work, inspecting it afterwards to ensure a completed job.

The Problem with Amateur Duct Cleaning

The problem with trusting someone inexperienced with duct cleaning is that they may not actually do much to help. In fact, an amateur cleaning of the ducts often makes the problem worse by just loosening up all the particles and allowing it to flow more freely into the air, or by causing damage to your ducts.

In addition, you should know about the dangers of trusting a door-to-door company or salesman for duct cleaning. A lot of scams exist in which technicians scare you with duct problems that may not exist, tricking you into paying too much for a service that may not even be completed.

Contact Air On Demand for duct cleaning service and more in Palmetto Bay, FL

Your AC System Should Not Run Out of Refrigerant

When our technicians show up to fix an air conditioner that is not quite doing its job, we often hear, “Does it just need more  Freon™ ?” Refrigerant, the name of the chemical blend used in air conditioners ( Freon™ is a brand name, likely not used in your air conditioner) can evacuate from an air conditioner over time.

But the thing is, it’s not really supposed to.

Refrigerant Is Meant to Be Recycled

Here is how an air conditioner (or heat pump) works. Refrigerant is able to absorb heat under the right temperature and pressure. It moves throughout the inside and outside components of the system, changing pressures and absorbing heat from the air inside of your home and releasing this heat outdoors, starting the thermodynamic process that cools your home.

You don’t “burn through” refrigerant, like you would burn through fuel in a gas appliance. Rather, because of the way it works, refrigerant is designed to stay within the AC system and to be recycled throughout its lifespan.

At least, that’s the way the system is designed. Sometimes, refrigerant leaks from the system, and that reduces its ability to cool your home efficiently. You’ll notice that the space in your home is warmer and the air conditioner doesn’t run the way it’s supposed to, often cycling for far too long. In that case, something is wrong with the AC system.

Recharging Refrigerant Does Not Resolve the Issue

We call refilling refrigerant “recharging” the system. While it can help your air conditioner for a period of time, it is not a long-term solution. And long-term solutions are important if you expect the system to live out its lifespan and remain energy efficient.

For an air conditioner with low refrigerant to work properly, a technician should address the leak. Sealing refrigerant leaks may come at a greater cost, but the long-term results are certainly worth it.

Air On Demand offers AC repair in Pinecrest, FL. Give us a call to learn more about our services, or for more helpful advice

Just How Dirty Can Ducts Really Get?

When it comes to your ducted HVAC system—such as those used by central air conditioners, furnaces, or heat pumps—we often like to inform our readers about keeping them maintained. After all, the ducts are one half of the HVAC system. Without them, heated or cooled air generated by the unit would have no way of traveling into the rooms of your home.

One big problem is when your ducts become too dirty. That may lead you to ask, “What does too dirty mean,” and, “Just how dirty can the ducts really get?” We’ll try to answer that in today’s post.

Imagine 40 Pounds of Dust

Yes, 40 pounds. It’s estimated that, on average, a collective 40 pounds of dust will coat the surfaces of your home within in a year. All of that comes from dead skin cells, pollen, human and animal hair, fibers, and minerals from the soil.

Now, you’d never actually see your home get that dusty. We regularly sweep our floors and dust off our tables and shelves. But there’s one place that we neglect to clean every day, simply because we can’t reach it: The inside of your air ducts.

So imagine all the collective dust that enters our home every year, and it’s easy to see how it will collect in the air ducts without our knowledge.

Some of the symptoms your ducts are dirty include:

• Aggravated asthma and allergy symptoms.
• The rooms get dusty again soon after dusting them off.
• You can see dust hanging from the intake vents.
• You haven’t had your ducts cleaned in more than 3 years.

Our Climate is Perfect for Mold

Dust and moisture are the two ingredients that create mold. As we just explained, your ducts can collect plenty of dust, which includes the proper nutrition for mold, such as dirt, dead skin cells, pollen, and animal dander. And as for the moisture? Well, we don’t have to tell you that Florida is one of the states with the highest humidity.

Under the right conditions, your air ducts could become a breeding ground for mold, and it’s all the more likely here in Florida thanks to our climate.

You might have mold in your ducts if:

• You can see mold growing in the intake vents.
• You’re feeling headaches or nausea only while inside your home.
• There’s a moldy or mildew-like smell through parts of the house.

How to Clean the Ducts Out

A proper duct cleaning in Miami is not something that just any homeowner can do. Now, that’s not because we doubt anyone’s abilities to clean. It has more to do with the fact that the ducts are so inconveniently situated that it takes special tools and expertise to reach inside them and perform a proper cleaning.

Simply shoving a duster brush in the vent openings will only pick up some of the mess. Plus, doing this can actually loosen up more of the dust, making it even worse when you turn your HVAC system back on.

Is it time for a duct cleaning? Contact Air On Demand to schedule a service

Going Green Doesn’t End with Earth Day

When it comes to adopting environmentally friendly habits, most of us have a tendency to ‘go big or go home’. We want to ban the use of non-biodegradable plastics, and we want to do it now. We want to stop using fossil fuels, and we want to do it now.

Anything short of the above is dismissed as too trivial.

Contrary to what most of us believe, going green isn’t about making overnight changes, but adapting sustainable practices that can become a part of our everyday lifestyles. As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race.

Going green doesn’t end with earth day, it’s about practicing a lifestyle that gradually swaps out environmentally harmful products in favor of eco-friendly alternatives.

Here are 5 simple things you can do right now, without breaking the bank, to change the world for the better.

Embrace Digital Technology

The world is now digital-focused, which means you no longer need paper to get things done. You can send emails instead of letters. Instead of printing out files, you can save them to your computer and share them with friends using cloud-based apps such as Google Drive.

Switch the Lights off

We obviously can’t stop using electricity because it is a part of our daily lives., However, we can adopt small habits such as turning the lights off when leaving the room to save energy (and lower the bills).

This practice also extends the life of your light bulbs, which means you’ll have to buy fewer bulbs in the long run. This may sound like a very trivial expense, but it adds up over time.

Pro tip: If it’s sunny outside, open up the blinds and use natural light instead. It’s good for your health too!

Try to Use Reusable Bags

When doing grocery shopping, take a reusable bag with you instead of opting for plastic or paper bags. It’s completely wasteful and takes a tremendous toll on our planet. A single plastic bag can stay in the environment for several years – and often ends up in the bellies of unwary marine animals. Switching over to reusable bags could be the most powerful thing you could do to go green right now.

Power Down Appliances That Are Not In Use

In the consumer culture, we’re constantly plugged into our devices, which are plugged into the electrical grid. To many consumers, switching the appliance back on is too inconvenient so they would rather have them hooked in forever – which saves them a few seconds of having to wait till the device boots up.

But it’s also the quickest way to rack up your energy bills and may reduce the longevity of your device.

So turn your laptop off (and no, we’re not referring to sleep mode) and your television, and any other devices you have on standby mode. This will save energy and will also keep things cool.

Schedule Regular Maintenance for HVAC

If you’re not already on an HVAC maintenance plan, it’s high time you considered signing up for one. HVAC units are massive energy consumers that draw in huge amounts of electricity to keep us cool (or warm). When they inevitably lose their efficiency (due to wear and tear, grime, dust build-up, etc.), their energy requirements also go sky-high. And with it, your utility bills.

It’s time you invested in an HVAC maintenance plan to go green and save the earth—and your wallet will also thank you!

Ready to have your first HVAC checkup? Get in touch with the pros at Air On Demand for repairs, inspections, and recommendations to your HVAC unit

3 Little-Known Causes of AC Repair

When an air conditioning system breaks down, technicians often look to the usual suspects. Old age, refrigerant leaks, and just standard wear and tear can all be the reason an air conditioner is not performing properly, as you may expect. Some of the causes that are the “usual suspects” to a technician, though, may surprise you.

Did you know that these 3 things could cause your air conditioner a lot of damage—and that they commonly do? Many homeowners don’t realize that a dirty air filter, closed-off vents, or a faulty installation can do so much to affect the wellbeing of their central air systems, and these are all things that are usually preventable. Check out these 3 little-known causes of AC repair, and do what you can to prevent these possibilities!

A Dirty Filter

Many people associate the air filter in their home primarily with the quality of the air. Yes, an air filter can help to keep many allergens and pollutants out of the air. If you don’t suffer from allergies, or if you haven’t noticed any problems with the quality of your air lately, you may think it’s okay to skip changing the filter this month.

However, a dirty filter has effects well beyond the quality of the air. If the filter is clogged up with dust and debris, air may not be able to get through to be cooled in the first place.

This does more than make you uncomfortable. The blockage of air can actually cause the air conditioner to malfunction. The lack of airflow can cause the indoor evaporator coil to freeze, which forces the other components to become overworked and damages the coils. Be sure to change the filter every few months!

Closed Vents

Another common issue that can result in an air conditioner malfunction is one that many homeowners assume is actually helping. You may believe that closing off certain vents in rooms that are not actually being used can save you money. While we see the logic here, we’re sad to say it simply isn’t true.

Closing off vents around the home effectively closes off some of the space the air conditioner is designed to cool. The air conditioner may malfunction due to the lack of airflow, forcing it to short-cycle (run in brief spurts too frequently), and this can significantly wear down components.

Faulty Installation

Many people assume that any company they call advertising the best price for a new AC installation is the best one for the job. After all, all AC companies do the same job; it’s all about finding the people who will do it for less…right?

This isn’t quite right. If a technician is charging a lot less for a similar installation, it’s probably not what you need. This company may skimp on the installation, causing lasting problems with airflow or electrical function.

They might even install the wrong equipment, something that’s not quite the right fit for your home, which could lead to an early system replacement. Preventing AC repair begins with the installation!

For AC repair in Richmond Heights, FL, contact the friendly people at Air On Demand

Why Can’t I Feel the Air From My Air Conditioner

What’s the point of an air conditioner if it doesn’t emit a refreshing blast of cold air? While this problem isn’t common, it’s not unheard of. In fact, many kinds of air conditioner problems can result in low or warm air flow from your air conditioner. If you’re having any kind of air flow problems, the next best step is to call for AC repair in Homestead. You can also read more to see just how important it is to call when there’s an air flow problem.

Low Refrigerant

The most common types of air conditioners are refrigerant-based. Refrigerant is the generic name for the chemical that’s essential to your air conditioner’s cooling functions. Without it, there’s no way to remove warm air from your home!

If a leak appears in the system, it will gradually reduce the amount of refrigerant in circulation. This will lead to less cooling power, and—you guessed it—a reduction of cool air. Low refrigerant is almost always caused by refrigerant leaks, which can cause many more problems than just warm air flow, so make sure to call in for repairs at the earliest sign.

Frozen Evaporator Coil

This is another problem that can be caused by refrigerant leaks, but it can also be caused by a clogged air filter or from short-cycling.

The evaporator coil is what absorbs warm air from the inside of your home. If something prevents this coil from absorbing warm air—such as the above-mentioned refrigerant leak—it can cause the coil to get too cold. That leads to the entire coil freezing and will prevent cool air from blowing out.

Broken Blower Fan

The evaporator coil absorbs warm air, thus leaving cooled air behind. Then, that air is blown into the house by a fan that’s aptly named the blower. Of course, if this fan isn’t working, that air will have nowhere to go. Not only would this prevent air from coming out of the vents, but it can lead to a frozen evaporator coil.

Fan motors can burn out simply due to old age. If the AC has had problems in the past, it’s possible that excessive wear-and-tear have caused the fan to burn out early. Alternatively, dust on the fan blades can add unnecessary weight, which can lead to wear-and-tear or may simply obstruct the fan from rotating properly.

Thermostat Problems

This is the kind of thing that will make you feel like you’re going crazy. The air conditioner itself may be completely free of problems… no frozen coils, no broken fans, no leaks… Yet, the air coming out still isn’t as cold as it’s supposed to be.

When all else fails, the problem might simply be the thermostat itself! Communication to the AC begins with the thermostat, so a thermostat with an inaccurate reading could be what’s causing the problem all along. The thermostat could be busted, but it’s also possible that the thermostat was installed in a bad place, such as in direct sunlight.

Low air flow doesn’t have to be a problem! Contact Air On Demand today to schedule a service

Miami Air Conditioning Repair Guide: Causes of an AC Fan Running But Not Cooling

When an AC fan and the corresponding compressor and condenser unit run normally the result is properly cooled indoor air.  However, there are instances when an AC fan runs with no cooled air flowing in it.  Air On Demand is a Miami air conditioning company that provides AC services such as air conditioning diagnostics and repair.  We can help you understand the causes of an AC fan running but not cooling the indoor air.

Causes of an AC Fan Running but Not Cooling

The central air conditioner fan is designed to blow the cold air which has already been created throughout a duct system and into various rooms.  Generally if the AC fan is still blowing but the air is not cold there are a few main AC problems which could be the culprit.

• There could be a clogged condenser or dirty evaporator coils which will result in insufficient air-flow through the vents.
• A refrigerant leak could cause refrigerant levels and refrigerant charge to fall below what is necessary to actually cool indoor air.
• The thermostat could be acting up, which means electrical wiring may be to blame.
• The ventilator fan may be failing and thus running more frequently than it should.
• A faulty relay could be causing the air and the heat to both be running at the same time which means air is tepid rather than cooled.
• Poor insulation in a building or portions of a building could mean that air conditioned air that comes out of the vents cooled is not able to remain cool for very long because outdoor temperatures are heating the inside much faster than if proper insulation were acquired.
• Duct systems may also have leaks or insufficient insulation, which would cause air to flow into unused spaces like behind walls or under floors, rather than inside rooms where the vents lead.
• Dirty filters could be blocking proper air-flow throughout the ducts.
• A tripped circuit breaker for the outside condenser/compressor unit could leave the indoor air handling evaporator unit working without the cold air to accompany it.

It is easy to see that there can be any number of AC problems which could cause an air conditioner fan to continue blowing while the air indoors is never properly cooled.  Let the Miami air conditioning specialists at Air On Demand do a proper AC inspection to determine the true root cause of the AC problem and provide you with quality air conditioning repair services that will have your AC system back to blowing cold air in no time.

Why AC Maintenance Is An Investment That Pays You Back

What is the one system that you are going to rely on the most throughout the spring, summer, and, frankly, most of the year? Your air conditioner. You want to keep your AC system running properly. Being without it can lead to serious comfort problems.

There is a way to protect your air conditioner from a good deal of trouble over the next several months though. By scheduling AC maintenance in Miami you can reap the benefits of a service that both optimizes your system’s regular operations and prevents a large amount of trouble.

Maintenance is a service that pays you back in the long run. Let us tell you how!

When You Invest in Maintenance, It Helps You Save Money

There is more than one way that you will save additional money when you schedule maintenance. This is through prevented repairs and reduced spending on higher energy use.

First things first, maintenance helps to reduce the wear and tear that impacts your air conditioner. This allows it to reduce its use of energy thanks to improved energy efficiency levels. In fact, maintenance helps to prevent a drop of 5% in your system efficiency level. And a more efficient system is going to be less pricey to run.

In addition to this, maintenance will prevent up to 85% of the possible repair needs that your AC might need over the course of its lifespan. AC repairs are going to be more costly in price so preventing as many repair needs as possible is going to save you a lot of money and time too. In addition to this, even when repair needs do pop up they are likely to cost less than they would otherwise.

It Helps Your AC Last a Lot Longer

What is the most costly air conditioner service that you could need? That’s right, an AC replacement. Replacing an older air conditioner is going to be a long, tedious, and costly process so it makes sense that you would want to prevent an early replacement if at all possible.

Thankfully, regular yearly maintenance reduces the overall impact of use that your AC would encounter. This not only reduces the chances of repair needs as we mentioned but it also helps to elongate the timespan until you may need a system replacement.

Why Sign Up for a Comfort Service Agreement

One way to really make the most of your maintenance services? By signing up for a maintenance service agreement. Our maintenance program, the Comfort Service Agreement offers you the benefits of regular maintenance provided by a technician along with additional perks. These perks can include:

• Same-day services
• Members-only discounts and discounts on repairs
• Rebates on repairs
• And more!

Maintenance is one of the best investments you can make into your air conditioner because it comes right back to you through lower operating costs and reduced repair bills. Make sure to book your maintenance appointment now so you can enjoy a cool and affordable summer.

Contact Air On Demand to book your tune-up today

Get the Most Out of Your Panasonic Ductless Split in Miami

What do you want from the heating and air conditioning system in your Miami home? You want it to heat and cool your home; you want it to be durable; and you want it to be efficient. These are features that come standard with the Panasonic ductless mini split systems. We want our customers to be comfortable all year long. which is why we recommend Panasonic ductless mini split systems. Below we’ve outlined some of the benefits of ductless split systems and how you can make sure that you’re getting the most out of your system.

How Ductless Mini Split Systems Work

With a ductless mini split system, each room has its own evaporator coil, there is no need for ducts. This unit circulates air inside the room and either heats or cools the air. This unit is connected to a condensing unit that is located outside your home.

Zone Control

One of the main advantages of the Panasonic ductless mini split system is that it offers complete zone control in your home. Because each room has its own unit, you can turn on the units that you need to use. For example, if you know that you’re only going to use the living room and kitchen for the whole day, you can turn off the units in the other rooms. This saves you the energy of having to heat or cool the rooms that you aren’t using.

Efficiency

Ductless mini split systems also offer a high degree of efficiency for your home. A furnace uses a fuel source, like natural gas, to generate heat. But with Panasonic’s ductless mini split system, it simply moves heat from one place to another. In cooling mode, the ductless mini split system moves heat from inside your home to the outside. In heating mode, it does just the opposite: it takes heat from the outside air and moves it into your home.

If you have any questions about Panasonic ductless mini split system in Miami, call the experts at Air On Demand. If you’re interested in capitalizing on the benefits of a ductless system for your home, we would love to talk with you about it.

Considerations for Spring Air Conditioning Installation in Miami

We’ve all seen it: the DIY plumbing job that sprayed water all over the house or the Weekend Warrior electrical box re-wiring that resulted in a big spark and a lot of smoke but no electricity.

While these two descriptions are a bit stereotypical of the standard do-it-yourself-projects-gone-wrong, the truth is there are some property projects that should not be undertaken by the average handy homeowner. One of these projects is installing a central air conditioning system in your Miami property.

First Up: Calculations

The first step in an AC installation is to find out exactly how much air conditioning is necessary to keep your home cool. Many people think the main – and only – way to determine this is from square footage. What really needs to be calculated is “heat gain” – how much heat your house takes on during a given day – and square footage will not give you this information. Instead, you need to calculate what is known as the J Load:

• How much insulation your home has
• Types and placement of windows in your property
• How the sun hits your property every day (orientation)

Second: Picking a Properly-Sized Unit

Size equals power in air conditioning terms, and if your unit isn’t powerful enough to cool your home, you’ve installed a system that won’t do its job. Likewise, if the unit is too powerful, air won’t circulate appropriately as the rooms will cool too quickly and the unit will shut off. In either case, the comfort level in your space is compromised.

Using the J Load calculation will help you figure out the size of the unit you’ll need. The size will be expressed in either tons or BTUs, where one ton equals 12,000 BTUs per hour.

Third: Picking an Efficient Unit

The efficiency of a unit is also important, as it correlates directly to the amount of energy it uses and the money you’ll spend when running it. Using the SEER number (seasonal energy efficient rating), you’ll see right on the unit’s packaging what its rating is; the higher the SEER, the more efficient it is. Current federal law requires that all new air conditioning units have a SEER of at least 13.

Fourth: Proper Placement

While newer units have gotten substantially quieter, no outdoor air conditioning unit is going to be really quiet. As such, you want to make sure the unit doesn’t get placed near or underneath bedrooms or living spaces where the noise will cause intrusion. Also, the outdoor compressor needs to be placed clear of any enclosures, as the top part is blowing out exhaust air. If the unit has any airflow restriction, its efficiency is compromised.

Fifth: Ductwork

The ductwork delivers the cool air, so it’s essential to have it inspected. Most times, the ductwork will need some kind of adjusting. Typical adjustments are:

• Upsizing the furnace blower
• Sealing the ducts
• Updating supply registers

No ductwork? You’ll need to put ducts in, and this requires the work of a licensed contractor.

Ready to Call an Expert?

It takes a great deal of skilled work to install an air conditioning system. Installation of an air conditioning system requires the use of other systems in your property, including the heating and electric, so the margin for error is quite wide. Call Air On Demand in Miami today and have a true air conditioning expert install your new air conditioning system.

Care for Your AC Even as It Cools Off

We’re hoping for cooler and calmer weather any day now, as temperatures slowly decrease in the relatively cooler fall and winter months. But even as it starts to cool down, you shouldn’t neglect the regular care and maintenance of your central AC system. That means two things:

• Schedule your fall maintenance appointment with a qualified HVAC professional.
• Change the filter this month, no matter what!

Today, we discuss why these tasks are so crucial to the performance and efficiency of an air conditioner. For more information, contact a local technician!

Schedule a Fall Maintenance Appointment

In many parts of the country, technicians recommend having two maintenance appointments per year, at least—one for an air conditioner (preferably in the spring) and one for a heater (preferably in the fall). That’s because you want to have maintenance completed before the weather gets extreme, allowing for better efficiency and system performance when you need it.

But in our part of the country, we use our air conditioners for most of the year. Weather storms bring extra humidity or it’s just plain hot, you need to keep your air conditioner running throughout a large portion of the year, which means you want to make sure it’s in the best condition possible.

Here, we recommend fall maintenance appointments for a tune-up and inspection of your AC, especially when severe weather could have an effect on the equipment. Your technicians will let you know if anything needs repair and they will make small adjustments here and there to potentially improve or restore efficiency.

Change Your Filter

You may not be aware of just how important this monthly task is to the performance of your AC. It’s not just for air quality purposes. A clogged air filter can do real damage to an AC system, causing the components to become overworked since the dirt restricts airflow.

For more information, contact our team. We can look over your system and see that the equipment is running smoothly, recommend repairs, and help your unit work more efficiently. For all of your AC needs in Cutler Bay, FL, call Air On Demand

Happy Thanksgiving from Air On Demand!

We want to take an opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Whether you’re a returning customer or you’re hearing about us for the first time, we appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. We hope you get the chance to enjoy the company of your loved ones, and to eat a great Thanksgiving meal!

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what you’ve been given, and we are thankful to have a great team and a thriving business. Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to give us a call anytime!

A Few Things We’re Thankful for at Air On Demand

• ‍Veterans and Current U.S. Military and Public Service Workers: Thank you for your service. We offer military and public service workers 10% discounts on service. Ask us about special financing for veterans through the month of November.‍
• Our Friends and Family: We wouldn’t be where we are without our friends and family!
• ‍Honest and Upfront Pricing: We’re glad we have the chance to offer all of our customers honest and upfront pricing for our services. Honesty is very important to all of us, and we are grateful to work in an environment where integrity always comes first.‍
• Our Team: We owe the success of our business to our talented team of technicians and staff members.‍
• Our Customers: We are thankful for customers new and old for choosing Air On Demand, and we hope you’ll call us for all of your air conditioning and heating needs in the future. We want all of our customers to have a positive experience with our team, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Contact Air On Demand for quality, honest air conditioning services in Cutler Bay, FL and throughout the Miami area

Satisfaction Survey

We want to know what our customers think of our service. If you have received air conditioning, heating, indoor air quality, ductwork, or pool services from Air On Demand please take a few minutes to complete our online satisfaction survey. We take into consideration your feedback and utilize this information to provide to the best customer service that we can. Air On Demand has been providing HVAC service in the Miami area for over 10 years and we want to continue to make our Miami, FL customers happy!

If you are looking for air conditioning installation, repair, or maintenance services in Miami, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, or the surrounding areas contact Air On Demand Air Conditioning today!

Are You Ready to Kiss Your AC Goodbye?

We totally get it — letting go of something you love is never easy! But here’s the thing: sometimes saying goodbye is for the better, especially when it comes to operating an older, outdated air conditioner!

There are plenty of signs that suggest the time has come to replace your air conditioner, and below, we’ve listed a number of them for you. All you’ve got to do is keep reading to find out more (and don’t be afraid to grab some tissues — we know how emotional this can be!)

So, Is it Time to Let Go?

There are a number of signs that suggest it’s time to let go of your air conditioner:

It’s Old

Although your AC was built to last, the average lifespan of an air conditioner is anywhere between 10 and 15 years. It’s simple: old, outdated air conditioners are not going to be as efficient as newer models. Therefore, if your AC has aged beyond this average life expectancy, it might do you well to consider a replacement.

It Requires Frequent Repair

Your AC should not require more than just one or two repairs every few years. If yours requires any more than that, it is likely that it needs to be replaced. As a rule of thumb, if you are spending 50% or more of the cost of a new system on repairs, it’s better to just bite the bullet and invest in a replacement.

It No Longer Keeps You Cool

The primary role of your air conditioner is to keep you and your family cool and comfortable when temperatures outside aren’t quite so cool. So, if your AC is no longer able to keep up with your cooling demands, it might be best to consider a replacement.

It’s Costing You More Money

If you find that you are paying more and more to keep your home cool, it could be that it’s time to replace your air conditioner. High utility bills are a sign that your AC is no longer efficient. Trust us: investing in a new AC might just be the best way to cut back on monthly spending.

You Need a Professional Opinion

If you feel the time has come to replace your air conditioner, be sure to call your favorite HVAC contractor in Miami. Only a certified HVAC professional can tell if you if your best option is to replace your older or outdated air conditioner.

And yes, there may be plenty of amateurs willing to provide these services for you, but remember, sometimes an attempt to save money could end up costing you much more in the long run. It is always better to call in a professional and get the job done right the first time around. Trust us, when it comes to your comfort and your budget, you don’t want to take any risks!

To schedule your air conditioning services, contact the team at Air On Demand. Trust Agent Green to Keep You Comfortable!

What Happens If You Skip AC Maintenance?

We talk about the importance of getting regular AC tune-ups each year on a regular basis. We want to make sure that everyone gets a chance to learn how helpful this service is. With this said though we understand if a lot of people are still questioning if this service is truly worthwhile. Can you skip it for just one year, maybe two, and get alright?

While skipping air conditioning maintenance in Pinecrest, FL isn’t going to set you up for an immediate breakdown, there are problems that will pop up because of it. Below we want to explain what the impact of skipped maintenance can be so you know exactly what the risk is that you might be taking…and why it is better to get that tune-up each year.

The Consequences of Skipped Maintenance

If you are considering skipping system maintenance this year, we want you to understand fully the risks that you may be facing as a result.

Reduced energy efficiency

Each year that your air conditioner goes without maintenance it can lose up to 5% of its energy efficiency. That means that each year you run it without getting it a tune-up, the system becomes increasingly inefficient and, by default, more expensive to run.

Minimized system lifespan

An air conditioner that isn’t maintained won’t break down overnight. However, it is more likely to need replacement much sooner than it would otherwise. Without maintenance, you are likely to need an AC replacement after only 10 years of use.

Reduced effectiveness

Another issue that can arise from skipped tune-ups for a year or more can be that your air conditioner is less effective at cooling your home. This is because small problems like dirt build-up, loss of lubrication, and overall wear and tear are allowed to accrue for longer and worsen as a result, undermining the cooling process.

Increased repair risk

Increased strain on your AC can result from skipping maintenance which can increase the chances that you need repairs more frequently. Without maintenance, you can end up needing repairs on a nearly yearly basis. In contrast, a well-maintained system can avoid up to 85% of the repairs that it could need otherwise.

Possible voided warranty

A good number of air conditioners actually require regular maintenance to keep their warranty intact. That means that the choice to skip an air conditioner tune-up for even one year can present the risk of voiding your system warranty. This may not present an immediate problem but it can sting pretty badly if you need a repair in the near future that you now have to pay out of pocket for.

As you can see, while maintenance does take time and money, it is well worth both of these resources. This is because maintenance is going to benefit you far more in the longer run, and will even help you save money too.

Contact the experts at Air On Demand to schedule an AC tune-up today

Price Increases and Supply Shortages: What You Need to Know

We are headed into summer which means a lot more dependence on our air conditioners. Unfortunately, services for these systems are going to be a bit harder to take care of–courtesy of COVID-19 of course.

Across the country, there are shortages of equipment and supplies. What’s more, increases in pricing for needed materials like metal are also making things harder.

First and foremost, this means there are delays in acquiring equipment, parts, and materials needed to do a lot of AC services. While we will always do our utmost to serve our customers, things might take longer the later into the season we get simply because of these delays or shortages.

Our advice? If you need to schedule an installation or major repair for your AC unit, now is the best time to do so. Secondly, if you don’t need a repair or replacement, make sure to hop on that maintenance appointment to ensure you can keep your system running through the year.

The team at Air On Demand will always do our best to keep you informed and keep you comfortable. Contact us to learn more or to schedule an AC service

Why Won’t My Heater Turn On?

We often have to tell homeowners to get their heater serviced sooner than they think they need it. If you notice any strange sounds or drop in performance, it’s easy to ignore at first, but the issue can get much worse with time. There’s one problem, though, that will send any homeowner rushing to the phone book (or an online directory) to find the nearest, fastest service: a broken-down heater.

We may not use our furnaces very often in Florida, but if you own a home with central heating, you expect it to work when you do need it. There could be a simple solution, but, of course, you might need professional service. Read on to find out the reasons your heater won’t turn on, whether you can fix it yourself, and what kinds of problems require professional service.

Tripped Circuit Breaker (or Blown Fuse)

It may simply be that the furnace has tripped the circuit breaker. Reset the furnace circuit breaker at the electrical panel or replace a blown fuse (if you have an older box). Keep in mind, however, that if the circuit breaker trips frequently, you likely have a bigger problem with the electrical components and wiring that requires expert repair.

Thermostat Troubles

Have you double-checked and triple-checked that the thermostat is set properly? It’s common for us to show up to repair a system, only to find the thermostat is still in cooling mode!

Broken Reversing Valve

If you own a heat pump (a heater and air conditioner in one), the reversing valve is responsible for ensuring heat can move into a home in the winter (not just out of the home in the summer). A broken reversing valve is a common heat pump repair, especially when the heat portion of a heat pump only gets occasional usage.

Safety Switches

If you own a furnace, safety switches within the unit ensure the furnace does not run if conditions are unsafe. A safety switch may keep your furnace from coming on due to a potential leak—or it may be malfunctioning and need replacement. This is one reason it’s important to call in technicians when you cannot solve the problem by adjusting the thermostat or resetting a circuit breaker.

Schedule service for your furnace in Pinecrest, FL with Air On Demand today!

How Does a Heat Pump Work?

We often recommend heat pumps to our customers looking for a new central air conditioning system—especially if they complain about a lack of heat for those rare colder days. It seems silly to have a separate whole-home heating system in our area. A heat pump allows you efficient whole-home heating and AC from a single system that uses the same components for both.

How a heat pump works in AC mode

Essentially, a heat pump is just a standard central air conditioner, with a few extra parts. It has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, just like any other central AC system. It has a refrigerant line that connects those portions, and refrigerant moves in a circular pattern from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit and to the indoor unit—so on and so forth until a cycle is completed.

Refrigerant changes from liquid to gas mode when it goes through the indoor evaporator coil. As it does, it’s able to absorb heat from the air in your home. When it moves outside, it releases heat as refrigerant turns from gas to liquid form (without releasing any refrigerant). This heat removal process is essentially what cools your home.

How it works in heating mode

If you can move heat from the air inside of your home and disperse that heat outdoors, you can also move heat from the air outside to the space in your home. That’s how a heat pump works. An extra reversing valve changes the flow of refrigerant, allowing it to move in the opposite direction and absorb outdoor heat to move inside.

This works even when it’s very cold. In fact, today’s heat pumps work as temperatures approach freezing, meaning they’ll have no problem in our climate. And they use less energy than many other central systems! Ask your technician for more information.

Contact Air On Demand for AC services in Palmetto Bay, FL and the surrounding areas

Why You Can’t DIY Duct Services

We hate to break it to you, but you just can’t do your own duct services. While we certainly can’t stop you from trying, we think you’re going to have a bad time. And it’s not because we think you’re incapable of doing it. Rather, it’s the fact that duct services require tools and techniques that just aren’t available to the average homeowner. We’ll explain further down below:

Duct Cleaning

Think about how much dust accumulates in your home on an annual basis. According to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, it’s about 40 pounds worth! Some of that will definitely get into your air ducts over time, but it won’t be easy to clean.

Cleaning the ducts has many benefits, such as improving your indoor air quality and helping clear away debris from sensitive components. All it takes is one cleaning every few years to keep your system in good standing.

Unfortunately, you can’t just shove a feather duster in the duct opening and expect to have it all cleaned thoroughly. Special vacuums and brushes are required that only a professional of duct cleaning in Miami would own. Plus, a cleaning without the proper technique might actually loosen up more of that dust, thus making the problem worse.

Duct Leak Sealing

Duct leaks are one of the big killers of efficiency. If you find that your energy bill is higher than usual even after having your furnace or AC repaired, then it could be due to leaks.

It’s estimated that nearly 30% of air in the ducts can be lost through leaks. If that air is coming from your AC or furnace, then you can bet that you’re losing out on a lot of money every time you turn on your HVAC system.

Although hearing that may make you want to jump in your attic and start sealing those leaks, we don’t recommend it by any means. Finding all the leaks in a duct system requires special tools and years of experience spotting leaks. Plus, you have to make sure that pressure levels are maintained after the work is done—something you can only do with a duct leakage tester.

Duct Replacement

Another reason you shouldn’t rely on yourself or an amateur to do duct sealing is that sealing might not even be the best solution. In some cases, the ducts have fallen into such disrepair that having them replaced is really the best option.

We can’t recommend DIY duct replacement because, frankly, even a lot of HVAC professionals don’t do it right. One common reason that we replace the ducts in homes is because the original duct design is causing airflow issues. Designing ductwork is an art as much as it is a science. Crimps, sharp bends, and extended lengths of ductwork can reduce airflow, so they need to be designed with all of these things in mind.

If you’re thinking about working on your own ducts, don’t do it! Save yourself the time and call up a professional. Contact Air On Demand today to schedule a service

Why Duct Cleaning is as Important as Spring Cleaning

We know it is almost summertime but some of us are still going through the process of spring cleaning. Daily lives can get busy so it makes sense that cleaning things up post-winter can take a while. There is no time-limit on spring cleaning thankfully but we want to help make sure that you don’t miss any tasks that will be helpful to your comfort.

One task that you want to make sure to take care of before summer arrives is duct cleaning. While your ductwork may be out of sight, this doesn’t mean it should be completely off your mind–after all, whatever is sitting within your ductwork is what can get blown into your home!

This is why we recommend duct cleaning services as a part of your spring cleaning to-dos.

Wait, My Ducts Can Get Dirty?

Believe it or not, your ductwork does get dirty. It doesn’t happen rapidly, which is why we find many people who don’t know about the fact that their ductwork can get dirty at all. While there is a filter that captures a lot of dust and debris that might otherwise enter your AC system, it can’t capture everything and all those airborne particles that get into your system have the ability to enter your ductwork. Over the course of a year or two, this means a pretty significant build-up of debris that can get blown into your home anytime you use your air conditioner or your furnace.

Benefits of Cleaning Your Ductwork

So, if it takes a long while for your ducts to get dirty, then what is the point of cleaning them out? A little dust never hurt anyone right? Actually this is wrong. While dirty ducts take a while to build-up all those contaminants can have an effect on your comfort and your indoor air quality.

Here are some of the positive differences that duct cleaning can have:

• ‍Improved IAQ: When you remove all the dust, fur, and other debris that may have settled in your ductwork, you are preventing it from being continuously blown into your home. This means preserving a better level of indoor air quality in your home.‍
• Improved HVAC Operation: While dust may not seem like a potential hindrance to your HVAC system, a build-up really can weaken your AC’s ability to deliver a reliable source of cool air.

Duct Cleaning Isn’t a DIY Job

All too many people who learn about the fact that their ducts need to be cleaned think it is a matter of grabbing a dust rag or a vacuum and trying to get the job done themselves. The reality is that you need to have a professional technician do the job, otherwise you run the risk of seriously damaging your ductwork. What’s more, without the right tools, there is likely to be a lot of loose debris in your ducts and your home.

When you need a professional to perform duct cleaning in your home you can reach out to Air On Demand for reliable services.

Contact us today to schedule

How a Ductless Mini Split System Works

We know there are a lot of people out there still living without central AC. If you’re in Florida, you’ve probably already found a way to stay comfortable—and that most likely involves using a portable air conditioner or a window AC unit.

These systems are not very efficient. Your window unit can only cool a single room. And, chances are, it doesn’t do a very good job of it.

A ductless mini split is different. Learn how this system can deliver whole-home, single-room, or multi-room cooling efficiently and effectively, and call our techs for more information.

Ductless Mini-Splits Have Indoor and Outdoor Components

Your ductless mini split system works just like a conventional central air conditioner or heat pump. Like a standard central AC, it has an outside unit that contains a compressor and a condenser coil. And like a standard AC, there are inside components as well. Refrigerant cycles from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit using refrigeration to cool the home—removing heat from the air inside and transferring it outdoors.

The Inside Components Are a Little Different

A traditional air conditioner has inside components as well, but the difference is that these are located in a central location. That’s because most AC units are connected to central ducts that can distribute air throughout the home.

A ductless system has one or multiple indoor units, mounted up on the wall where you can see them. You can have one for every room or zone of your home, if you’d like, although most ductless systems are limited to four indoor units for each outdoor unit.

No Major Renovations Necessary

The indoor blower units on the wall connect to the outdoor cabinet with a refrigerant line. Your technician will only really need to drill a hole in the wall to connect all of the components. That means no major renovations.

And your new system will be designed to cool the space in your home. Efficiency ratings are comparable to those found on standard AC units, so you can expect to save if you were relying on multiple units before. And the convenience of a central thermostat is worth it.

Contact Air On Demand for ductless mini splits and other AC services in Homestead, FL

Signs It’s Time for Duct Cleaning

We call it “duct cleaning,” but this service actually does more for your HVAC system than just the ducts. In fact, duct cleaning might be the one thing that can elevate your HVAC system’s efficiency to the next level.

We’re a company that offers Miami duct cleaning services, so allow us to explain what duct cleaning is and the signs that you might need it:

What Is Duct Cleaning, Then?

As the name suggests, this is a service in which we clean out the inside of your HVAC system’s air ducts. Ducts will accumulate dust over time, just as your shelves and tables do throughout your home. You can think of duct cleaning is a regular part of your HVAC system’s “hygiene.”

During a routine duct cleaning, you can expect the dirt, dust, and other buildups in your ducts to be swept and vacuumed out with a combination of professional tools and techniques. But in addition to that, you should also expect to have your air conditioner itself cleaned out.

Signs You Need Duct Cleaning

Duct cleaning isn’t necessarily something you’ll need every season—it largely depends on your personal preferences and how dusty or dirty your environment is.

Dirty ducts can trap contaminants and cause them to circulate throughout your system over and over, so it might make sense to have them cleaned sooner than just annually.

Aside from that, you can have them cleaned if you’re having trouble with the following things:

Reduced Cooling Power

Forcing your AC to blow around dust and dirt can have minute effects on your efficiency. Over time, it can add up, but it’s not as big a threat as dust accumulating on:

• ‍The blower fan: Too much dust has enough weight to impede the blower fan. This can contribute to it wearing down faster and burning out the motor.
• ‍The condenser coil: This coil—located in the AC’s outdoor unit—lets off heat regularly. If too much dust is insulating the coil, it can cause the AC to overheat.‍
• The evaporator coil: On the other end, you have the evaporator coil, which is located in the indoor AC unit. Too much dust on this coil can reduce cooling power and, eventually, cause it to freeze over.

Gradually Increased Cooling Bill

With reducing cooling power comes an increase in your cooling bill. Whenever your AC has to work longer than usual to provide your home with cooled air, it’s going to come out of your energy expenses.

Sometimes, a set of dirty ducts and AC can be the one thing that’s holding an HVAC system back from achieving its maximum efficiency. If you’ve never had your ducts inspected before, now is a good time.

Difference in Air Quality

Not every homeowner will notice a reduction in air quality, but for those who are sensitive to allergies and asthma, they can experience relief after a thorough duct cleaning. If you or a family member suffer from bad air quality during the year, dirty ducts could be stopping them from feeling relief.

Contact Air On Demand today to schedule an appointment for duct cleaning

3 Reasons to Schedule AC Repair Right Away

Waiting a while to do the things we don’t want to do can be tempting. But, usually, taking care of problems right away is the better choice. You may not want to get your oil changed, for example, but you know that your car will suffer as a result of that action. You might not want to vacuum, but you know your allergies will act up if you don’t. And you may not want to clean the bathtub, but you know it gets harder and harder to clean the longer you wait and allow dirt to build up.

Waiting to repair your air conditioning system may seem tempting. You want to put off spending money for as long as you can, after all. But it turns out that the longer you wait, the worse things can get. It’s so important to repair your air conditioner the moment you notice a problem within the system. Here’s why.

#1: Problems Within an Air Conditioner Can Worsen

The problem within your air conditioner may not seem like a huge deal at this moment. Perhaps it is raising temperatures in the home by a couple of degrees more than you’d like. Maybe you hear a clicking or a humming noise, but not enough to really feel bothered.

But what seems like a “small” issue now can get a lot worse with time. Right now, you may simply need to add refrigerant and seal a leak, tighten an electrical connection, or clean off the coil. But with time, your air conditioner can wear out. The motor is under strain when one component is not functioning properly, and the entire system has to work harder as a result. When you finally do call for repairs, you may end up spending far more than you would have early on.

#2: You Spend More on Your Energy Bills

Besides, the longer you wait, the higher your bills will be. Problems within an air conditioner prevent the system from running smoothly. That means that it requires more energy, and that can really add up. You may feel like you are saving some money by waiting a bit to schedule repairs. However, the longer you wait, the more money you are likely to spend cumulatively on repairs and higher monthly bills.

#3: A Sudden Breakdown Could Be a Major Problem

When your air conditioner breaks down, making that repair becomes a frantic decision. You may call an inexperienced handyman, just because they are available. You might spend a lot more than expected on emergency service, and you’ll have to stick around whether or not you’re supposed to be at work or anywhere else.

Rather than waiting for your air conditioner to break down, why not make that repair now? You’ll feel more comfortable, save some money, and avoid the huge stress that goes along with an emergency repair.

For more information and to schedule your air conditioning repair in Coconut Grove, FL (as soon as possible!), contact the experts at Air On Demand today

3 Signs You Need an AC Replacement

Uh-oh. The heat is really starting to creep into your home. While this is nothing that you haven’t dealt with on a hot summer day, it is problematic because your air conditioner is supposed to be running at full blast right now. So why isn’t it working and keeping your home cool?

We know it is the last thing that people in this area want to hear, but there is a chance that you might need an air conditioner replacement in Miami. However, if this is the situation to deal with, we strongly advise getting the process started now!

Let’s talk about the warning signs that you may need a new AC so you can get your replacement taken care of ASAP.

3 Indicators You Need a New AC

Wondering if you need to get your air conditioner replaced? You don’t want to bother paying for a system that won’t work anymore. Here’s how to tell that you need a new system.

You Need Frequent Repairs for Your System

Even if you’ve gotten maintenance for your system each year, you will still need repairs now and then. The issue arises when you need repairs as often as you need maintenance. When your air conditioner encounters repair needs once a year or more, then this system is really struggling to get by and you are better off upgrading your system.

Air Conditioner Repairs Have Gotten Too Expensive

Another warning sign of an air conditioner on its last leg is when it encounters a repair need that is far too expensive. When you encounter a repair bill that is egregiously pricey, it is a good idea to do a price comparison with the price of a new system. Could the money for the repair be used to pay for half or more of a new system? If so, then your money is better used for that system replacement.

Your System Is Too Old

Lastly, make sure to talk to a professional if your air conditioner is getting too old. While your system may still be functioning, if your system is 15+ years old, it won’t be as effective or as efficient as a more up-to-date system. Newer air conditioners will be better able to cool your home in an efficient manner, meaning that you’ll enjoy more comfort without a higher monthly energy bill.

Schedule Today to Combat System Delays

If it is looking as if you need a new air conditioner, the sooner you get this job started the better. Supply chain delays have added to the amount of time it may take to get a new system so the earlier you start this process, the more likely you are to get that new AC before your current one fully breaks down. Just make sure to work with a professional technician to get your AC replaced correctly.

Need a new air conditioner? Schedule your installation with Air On Demand to get the job done right

Help! Water Is Leaking from My Air Conditioning System!

This is one of the most common calls we get for air conditioning repair, and we understand just how frustrating a leak can be. The level of severity depends partly on the location of the indoor fan coil unit of your AC system. If it is located on the ground floor, you may not even notice the issue for a long period of time. If it’s located on the ceiling or in the attic, a leaky air conditioner can do damage to the property. In either case, mold can potentially develop, which is a problem you always want to avoid.

Why Does It Leak?

So why does in air conditioner leak? The answer has to do with humidity. Air conditioners, as you may or may not know, remove heat from the air in order to cool down a home. In the process, they also remove moisture from the air, and this dehumidification can make the air feel even cooler since your body can evaporate sweat with ease.

As a coil inside of the evaporator unit of your air conditioner cools down, moisture can collect outside of it as warm air blows past. Think of it like the condensation that forms outside of a glass of lemonade that is cooler than the air around it. The condensation on the evaporator coil should drip down into a pan that is angled and leads to an outdoor drain. But if there’s something wrong with the setup, this could just leak into your home. Here are some potential problems.

• Broken condensate pump (this is sometimes included to help move moisture out of the pan)
• Poor placement of the tray
• Improper tray angling
• Clogged condensate drain forcing water to back up
• A freezing coil that causes water to leak as it thaws.

Any of these problems should be checked out by a trained technician in your area.

Is water leaking from your air conditioning system? Get in touch with the professionals at Air On Demand right away and we’ll make in out to any home in the Pinecrest, FL area as soon as possible

Save Money in 2016 with More Efficient Air Conditioning and Heating

Together, your home air conditioning and heating systems use up more energy than any other system in the home. In Florida, air conditioning is of particular concern, as inefficient equipment forces some of us to make adjustments to the thermostat that make us feel a lot less comfortable so that we can save some money month to month.

We’re here to help you save in 2016 without sacrificing your family’s comfort. Check out a few helpful efficiency tips!

Schedule Maintenance

Air conditioning and heating maintenance visits include an investigation of the most important components of the units. This way, you can schedule repairs before something goes wrong with the system, and this may cost less than repairing a completely broken down AC. Maintenance visits also include a tune-up and cleaning that can help the system to run at peak efficiency, reducing your overall bills.

Learn to Use Your Thermostat Efficiently

In 2015, we learned that the majority of homeowners with a programmable thermostat do not actually know how to use it. Understanding your thermostat allows you to use it more efficiently, since you can actually have the system turn on and off automatically even while you are far away. Consult your manual, check for an online guide for your particular model, or consult a local technician. Raise the temperature setting by 10 degrees (in warm weather) while you are away to save each month.

Replace Older Heating and AC Equipment

Finally, if your heating and AC equipment is over 10 years of age, it may be a good time to resolve to replace it. Newer heating and cooling systems have higher efficiency ratings than they did in the past. In fact, any time you replace a system that is decades old, you are likely to save on monthly costs (as long as it’s the right size for your house).

Air On Demand offers air conditioning services in Palmetto Bay, FL and the surrounding areas. Call us today!

We Want to Help with Your New Year’s Resolutions

This year, we want to help you reach your goals (some of them, at least). Keep us in mind for all of your air conditioning and heating needs throughout the year, and we can help you tackle some of those New Year’s resolutions. Take a look!

Happy New Year from Air On Demand!

Spend More Time with Family

How can an air conditioning company help you spend more time with your family members? In so many ways! Our comfort systems are high-efficiency, high-performance units sized precisely for your home, so you can always come home to comfort. With one of Air On Demand’s Premium Quality systems in your home, you can be more excited about coming home for family dinners or your weekly game nights.

Another way we help homeowners spend more time with family is with our maintenance plans. These help prevent air conditioner breakdowns so that you don’t have to make an emergency call to a technician in the middle of movie night or right before you planned to go out.

Save Money

As always, Air On Demand’s equipment and services are competitively priced. We always work to find the most cost-effective solution to a problem with your unit, and we make sure you understand your options.

We can also help make your home more efficient with energy-saving upgrades that effectively lower your monthly bills. Smart thermostats make it easier to make efficient choices for your home. And when it’s time for a new system, we will help you find a high-efficiency air conditioner that saves money for years to come.

Finally, our money-saving Comfort Shield maintenance plans may restore efficiency to older cooling and heating equipment. All of our plans include discounts on repairs and Bonus Bucks toward equipment replacements.

Get to Know the Community

Finally, it’s always been our resolution year after year to get to know the people in the neighborhoods we serve. Get to know your community better by supporting local businesses! We have been a trusted name in the community since 2001, and we’d love to meet you.

Air On Demand provides air conditioning and heating services in Cutler Bay, FL. Call our team today!

4 Benefits of a Smart Thermostat

This is Florida so most, if not all of us, are concerned with keeping cool and comfortable throughout the year. You work hard to make sure that your air conditioning system is kept in great condition with regular maintenance and timely repairs. You even take the extra step of checking on your home’s sealing and insulation to make sure that none of the cool air your AC produces is being wasted.

Now, what if we told you there was one more factor that could seriously help or hinder the efficiency of your air conditioner? Because there is, and its the thermostat. It’s true! One of the best ways to help your AC unit do the best job it possibly can is by making sure your thermostat is up to snuff. And a smart thermostat capitalizes on this.

What is a Smart Thermostat?

A smart thermostat is a thermostat that offers you the best in technological advancements to help control your home temperature. Gone are the days of giving a tiny level minuscule nudges to the left or right. With a smart thermostat, you can instead enjoy an easy-to-use dial or pad where you can control your home comfort. However, that depends on if you want to use the wall-mounted portion of your thermostat because with a smart thermostat you can easily control your home temperature from your phone or tablet.

4 Benefits of a Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat has a variety of benefits that come with it that we think you should know about.

• ‍Saves Energy: With the help of a smart thermostat you can optimize your energy efficiency. A smart thermostat provides more comprehensive control over your home temperature because it offers the option to do things like create programs to adjust your home temperature throughout the day or reduce use while you are at work.‍
• Provides Comfort Convenience: The next time you notice a heat spike while at work you won’t have to worry because you can access your smart thermostat from your phone, tablet, or computer to adjust your home comfort.‍
• Keeps the Home Balanced: Rather than returning to a home that has reached unbearable temperatures and having your AC struggle to bring it back down to normal, your smart thermostat can be set to keep your home at a balanced temperature all day, meaning less work for your cooling system.‍
• Tracks Energy Use: A smart thermostat can often track your energy use throughout the days, weeks, months, etc. By giving you an insight into when and where you use the most energy, your smart thermostat can help you optimize or reduce your energy use.

Can I Install a Smart Thermostat Myself?

While a smart thermostat is easy to install in some cases, it is always best to reach out for help with installation from an HVAC contractor you can trust. That is why it is great to work with the team at Air On Demand, because we are known for being reliable and trustworthy.

Contact Air On Demand today to learn more about how we can help you keep cool

Do You Want to Go Ductless?

This is a question that anyone in the Miami area may want to ask themselves at least once. Whether you have a home with ductwork or not, you can always consider the installation of a ductless system. You can even add a ductless system to assist a ducted system if your home has imbalanced cooling!

But let’s back up. If you haven’t considered opting into a ductless AC system in your home before now, you might now know what the benefits of this kind of system are. So let’s start there so you can make an informed decision about whether or not this system is right for your home.

How Does A Ductless System Work?

Ductless HVAC systems in Miami can be a great addition to any home. These systems are set up to provide great comfort throughout your house through the use of a combination of one outdoor unit that is connected to a number of air handlers. These components are connected by conduits that handle the flow of refrigerant and disposal of condensation.

With this set-up, a ductless system can be, well, ductless! This makes them helpful for older homes or smaller homes that don’t have the ability to handle ductwork. It can also make them a great addition to homes with ductwork but that is a topic we will address below.

The Main Perks of Going Ductless

So why install a ductless system in your home? It is because these systems can provide you with some incredible benefits which include:

• ‍The ability to customize your comfort: The air handlers that make up a ductless unit are going to be able to be run individually or in tandem. If you want uniform temperatures throughout the home or you want to cool one part of the home, you can.‍
• Great energy efficiency: Ductless systems are going to help you save on your energy usage too. They need less energy to get the job done, especially if you use one air handler at a time.‍
• Quiet operation and saved space: Ductless systems have a more compact setup than most of their ducted counterparts. This means they take up far less space around your home and they tend to produce fewer decibels of noise during operation.‍
• No need for ducts: It’s in the name! Ductless HVAC units don’t need ductwork to get the job done. That makes them ideal for small homes, like a studio, or older homes that cannot use ductwork. Ditch the window unit and get quality comfort instead.

Can You Combine a Ductless and a Ducted System?

A bit earlier we mentioned that, even if you have a ducted system you plan to keep, you can choose to add a ductless air handler to your home. This is true! There are homes around the country that struggle with uneven cooling. Maybe it is the floor plan of your home that is problematic or perhaps you have a new addition to your home that you’d just rather not outfit with ductwork. These are instances when adding a ductless unit can be a great decision!

Ready to add a ductless HVAC unit to your home? Contact Air On Demand to schedule an appointment

Why You Should Be Concerned about Leaky Ducts

There are a lot of mechanical and electrical parts to an air conditioner that all work together to keep you cool. Protecting some of these parts with annual air conditioning maintenance may help to keep the system around for longer, prevent repairs, and keep the whole system performing better and more efficiently. Unfortunately, one area of the AC is too often neglected: the ducts.

Duct Leaks Are All Too Common

Studies have shown that the majority of the ducts in the United States leak air to some extent, with the typical home losing about 30% of the air produced to the ductwork. Ducts may form cracks at the joints or seams, or there may be a leak where the ducts are becoming loose. This is not an easy problem to locate as the ducts are usually kept hidden from plain sight.

As air leaks out of the ducts, it transfers to the unoccupied areas the ducts run through. This may include the attic or a crawlspace in the home. You miss out on this leaked cool air, but the system continues to work hard to lower the temperature in the building. This raises your bills and also may force some components of the AC to fail due to exhaustion.

Detecting and Sealing Leaks

Keep in mind that not every technician is equipped to detect and seal leaks in the ductwork. You will have to locate a ductwork specialist if you want to ensure that no part of your AC is overlooked. If your air conditioning parts fail frequently, for example, it may not only be an issue with the system itself. There could be leaky ducts causing the system to work a little too hard.

You cannot seal the ducts with some tape and a flashlight. You’ll need professionals who have the proper tools to handle the job if you want to make sure all leaks are sealed correctly.

Contact the professionals at Air On Demand for quality duct sealing and other ductwork services in the Pinecrest area

3 Ways a Ductless AC and Heating System Makes You More Comfortable

Think you can’t get comfortable in extreme temperatures if you don’t have any air ducts to accommodate a whole-home heating and cooling system? Think again! Ductless air conditioning and heating units can keep you just as comfortable as other central air and heat systems.

1. Whole-Home Comfort

Unlike small window units and portable air conditioning and heating units, a ductless AC and heating system can make multiple rooms in your home more comfortable. You get an outside condenser unit (that looks like the outside portion of many central air conditioning systems and heat pumps) as well as individual blower units for the rooms of the home. The blower moves cool or warm air directly into the room, and it does so effectively and efficiently for whole-home comfort like you’d get with a ducted system.

2. Zone Control

More than likely, you and your family members have had a couple of disagreements about what the temperature should be in the home. With a ductless system, each indoor unit has its own thermostat. This allows you to control one room individually, separate from the others, meaning everyone gets a custom temperature for whatever room they are in (but there is still a master thermostat that controls all of them at once for even whole-home heating and cooling).

Everyone is a little more comfortable and disagreements in the home decrease. It can even help you to save money since you can run just one indoor unit at a time, if you so please.

3. Peace of Mind

We all feel a little bit better running the systems in our homes when we know that they are conserving energy. The efficiency, safety, and longevity of a ductless AC and heating system can give you peace of mind each and every time you run it. Look for a system from a top brand with a high SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio)—preferably a SEER over 16—so that you know you’re saving more money and helping to protect the earth’s natural resources.

Contact Air On Demand to schedule ductless heating and cooling installation in Miami, FL

Reasons Your AC Coils May Freeze

They are small but incredibly important to the operation of your air conditioner. What are they? Your air conditioning coils, and there are two sets of them: the condenser coils in the outdoor unit and the evaporator coils in the indoor unit. When there is a problem that affects how these coils operate, your entire system can be affected. One of the telltale signs that there is a problem with your AC’s coils is when ice forms. Simply scraping off the ice does not repair the problem, as the ice is a symptom of the problem, not the cause. This is why air conditioning repair is necessary when your system freezes, and the people you can count on to repair the issue is Air On Demand.

Reason 1: Dirty Air Filter

It’s such a quick fix that is almost seems impossible that a dirty air filter can cause such problems with your air conditioner. But alas, it can, and the sooner you have your air filter changed, the better off you and your system will be. Why does a dirty air filter cause such problems? Your AC system needs an exact amount of air flow to operate; dirty air filters act as a restraint because the air can no longer pass through it. Once the air flow has been stunted for a period of time, the heat release/cooling process is affected, and one of the results can be ice formation on the coils.

Reason 2: Refrigerant Leak

Your air conditioner was manufactured to work with an exact level of refrigerant; when this level isn’t exactly where it should be, the entire system is imbalanced and the heat release and cooling process doesn’t work as it should. Why does ice form? Ice forms because with a refrigerant leak, the hot parts of the system stay too hot and the cool parts stay too cold. Condensation forms because of the disparity in temperatures, but then quickly freezes onto the coils.

These are just two reasons why you may see ice develop on your AC coils, but the bottom line is that ice formation indicates a problem, and as soon as you see ice, it’s time to schedule air conditioning repair for your Palmetto Bay property. The experts at Air On Demand bring over 3 decades of expertise to every job, so call us today!