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What You Probably Don’t Know about Refrigerants

HVAC

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What you Already Know

I think most people can relate to the refrigerants used for a car’s air conditioner. You might have heard someone saying that the refrigerant needs to be recharged, especially with an older car. What they mean is that the freon (or refrigerant in newer cars) needs to be replaced because the pressure is too low. The refrigerant might have leaked, which is kind of scary when you think about the environmental implications. Most people know that they have to take a car to a repair shop to get this kind of work done. That same system and components are in your home’s heating and cooling system. If you have a heat pump, this refrigerant is used for both heating and cooling.

A Recent Change

A change just recently happened in January 2020 where a refrigerant called R-22, or freon, is no longer being produced. (It’s still available for a high price, but it’s being phased out.) A refrigerant called R-410A is being made now, and it’s much more environmentally friendly than R-22. HVAC units older than 2010 year models more than likely use R-22 refrigerant. So, if one of these older units has a leak, you’re not going to be able to recharge it any longer simply because the Freon/R-22 isn’t going to be available anymore. In other words, you’ll have to shop for a new HVAC system.

Proper Care and Handling of Refrigerant

Not just anyone is capable of having a refrigerant in their custody or using it to recharge a system. These substances are not meant for use by anyone except those with proper certification. Our technicians are EPA certified, and we are required by the EPA to track the use and storage of all refrigerants. That’s something we take extremely seriously because refrigerants shouldn’t get out into the environment.

If anyone has an HVAC system and thinks it might need to be replaced, repaired, or checked for refrigerant levels, reach out to us today. Request an appointment, contact us, or give us a call at 540-483-9382. We can set up a cool or heat check, depending on the season. We’ll also be able to check that the refrigerant levels are properly aligned with that particular piece of equipment.

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Here’s a 5-item checklist everyone can use for heating and cooling each quarter of the year:

Replace indoor air filters.

Everyone’s HVAC system has an air filter somewhere inside the home. It may be behind your return grille, it may be a whole house air filter that’s next to the HVAC unit, or it could be an air filter that’s just right on top of the unit. It’s so important that those filters are changed and maintained. One point I would like to mention about filters is that it’s easy to go to a big box store or hardware store and find filters marketed as being able to trap allergens. You need to be very careful with those types of products because they have very fine filtration, which can get stopped up really easily. Yes, they do catch a lot of stuff, but they’re not going to last anywhere nearly as long as a normal fiberglass filter. If you do get one of these types of products, you’ll have to replace them more often.

Clean and clear outside units.

Most people in our area have heat pumps, which have a unit outside of the house. Generally, it’s located along the outside wall of the house somewhere. In the fall, it’s a good idea to make sure there are no leaves near the unit. In the winter when we may have snow for a long period of time, make sure that there isn’t any snow buildup on or around the unit. Pollen or other debris should also be removed before it has a chance to build up. Additionally, you should make sure not to set objects like water hoses on top of the unit.

Keep indoor floors clean.

The floor around the inside unit—regardless of whether it’s a gas furnace or even an air handler—should be kept clean. This is where the unit draws in air, and sometimes there are leaks around the return air. If this area is really dusty or it has a lot of pet dander, it can get sucked up into the system. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep the floor around the return air grille clean. The filter blocks these things from getting into the system for the most part, but not around the unit.

Turn off water to humidifiers during summer.

The humidifier is an indoor item that isn’t needed during the summer. You wouldn’t want it dripping water, and you also wouldn’t want anything within the unit to malfunction. That’s why turning off the water to the humidifier during this season is a good idea.

Keep an eye on the condensate drain.

Most indoor units have a condensate line. Some units (like gas furnaces) will condensate year-round, while others (like heat pumps or air handlers) will just condensate in the summer. Just make sure that you’re keeping an eye on it because sometimes the condensate drains or the inside pan can get stopped up. If you see any water around the unit, you’ll definitely want to get it checked out before a flood or water damage occurs inside the house.

For homeowners who want an easy way to keep their heating and cooling systems well-maintained, we offer a Diamond Club membership. Included with the membership is one free annual plumbing visit where a technician flushes the water heater and inspects the plumbing. It also includes two free maintenance checks for the HVAC: one for the heating and one for the cooling. This is an ideal plan to check the system and make sure it won’t encounter problems in the future. If you have any questions, contact us, or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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Right now, we’re really focusing on bringing on apprentices onto our team. We do hire people with no experience in all areas of the field, whether that be water treatment, plumbing, HVAC, HVAC/plumbing installation, or HVAC techs. Although someone might not have any experience or have absolutely no idea what they’re getting into, we can put them through a training program specifically suited for what they’ll be doing. One thing every technician within our company is definitely going to experience is a lot of training. It’s centered around the technical aspects of the job, but it also covers soft skills like how to communicate important details to our clients in an effective manner. The training process will take a different amount of time for everybody, but it generally takes around 6 to 8 months for someone starting at a very low skill level.

 

People coming from factory or assembly line work regularly tell us that they were tired of doing monotonous tasks. Some people just don’t thrive in an environment where they do the same thing over and over, every day. Fortunately, a tech’s day-to-day activities are very diverse. Our technicians visit one or more homes on a daily basis. The job could involve a shower faucet one day, then a toilet or a water heater on the next. The customer’s needs always keep things interesting and fresh.

 

Almost every aspect of a homeowner’s life is tied to relying on working plumbing (like running water, a working toilet, a working kitchen sink, etc.). Sometimes they can be upset about a problem or fearful about what it might cost to have it repaired. When we repair one of those fixtures to make them functional again, or even when we upgrade them to work much better, the job that we’re doing is extremely fulfilling. This is truly a customer service industry, and we sometimes say that we’re here to repair the client. I think we have the opportunity to really impact people and build relationships while we fix their plumbing problem.

 

One of our main values is family. (You can use the word team here whenever it’s in a professional setting). Whenever I think about family, what comes to mind is the people who have my back, those who I can count on, and those who I can be open with. But the idea of family also comes with expectations, tension, challenging times, and tough conversations. Those things exist in healthy families, and they are imperative for growth. I think it is very rewarding to be part of a family/team with all these qualities. If you get stumped on a plumbing problem as a technician, you can call another technician or manager for guidance and support. Our service managers have technical ability because they’ve been in the field themselves. I think that’s what brings the family atmosphere together.

 

For anybody interested in learning more about joining the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air and perhaps becoming an apprentice technician, visit WislerJobs.com. Once you apply online, Maryanne will field the application and start you through our process.

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The old adage that nothing lasts forever is true with so many things in our home, and a furnace is no exception. Furnaces have a finite lifespan of around 10 to 15 years on average, depending on multiple variables. Sometimes it might be advantageous to replace an old furnace even if it’s still working. Newer products/equipment are often much more efficient, which is especially important considering that the heating & air system is the #1 contributor to utility costs in your home. With that in mind, we recommend some steps to try to lengthen the lifespan of a furnace and make it last as long as possible.

Fixing Existing Issues

One of the things we see frequently is poor installation of the unit. It could have the wrong sizing of ductwork or the wrong size of unit put into the house. These factors lead to increased pressure and can cause the system to starve for air, which is very problematic. A furnace will experience premature failure very quickly if the unit has to work hard to get air out of the ductwork and into the living space. By resolving issues around incorrect installations, you can really extend the life of the furnace.

You aren’t stuck with the consequences of a poor installation for the lifetime of the system—there are some things you can do. For instance, you can make sure any air leaks in the ductwork are addressed. Sealing the ductwork and making it more airtight will help increase the efficiency of the system. Some pieces of the ductwork could also be replaced with more directional fittings. These are a couple of potential factors outside of the furnace itself that influence the system’s overall lifespan.

Maintenance

If the furnace is correctly installed, the easiest way to maximize its lifespan (which is probably overlooked more than anything else) is to simply change the air filters. Every heating and air conditioning system has a filter. Some systems have the filter located right behind the return grill, some have the filter at the unit itself, and some bigger whole-house filtration systems have the filter located somewhere near but not right at the unit. It’s easy to forget about the filter, so we recommend signing up for one of the many online programs that send filters to your house at a regular interval. It’s money well spent because once a filter gets clogged up, airflow going into the unit becomes obstructed.

Another thing you can do is get your system checked by a professional on a semiannual basis. Dirty air can run into the unit if the filter isn’t clean or if/when the filter is taken out. That dust, debris, and lint actually gets stopped up inside the unit’s coil. While maintaining the equipment, we clean the cabinet and the coil, allowing airflow to move much more effectively. (This is a maintenance item that must be done by a qualified professional.)

Remember, it really starts with homeowners making sure to keep up with changing the filters. From there, it’s about making sure the system is checked on a semiannual basis. If you have any questions, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air today. Request an appointment online, contact us, or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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When it comes to choosing a new heating and air system, I think it would be wise to pay attention to three main priorities: comfort, safety, and money savings. Here are some questions to ask as a good starting point.

Comfort

Improving airflow goes a long way toward improving a home’s overall comfort level. Someone might decide to replace the heating and air system because they always have to bundle up with a blanket on the couch, or because a bedroom or basement is much colder than the rest of the house. But before taking out an existing system just to put the exact same thing back in, you might want to ask the question, can the issue be solved by redesigning the ductwork or putting in an extra return instead? In many homes, the original design of the heating and air system isn’t very good. You’ll want to optimize the airflow (out of the vents and through the return) in bigger rooms and/or rooms with high heat loss.

There could also be issues with the sizing of the actual system itself, especially in tract homes or contractor-built homes where they try to skimp on the size of the unit. The basement might be colder than the rest of the house because the thermostat is upstairs and there’s no way to regulate the temperature (which we fix by using zones). The bottom line is, you should focus on comfort. On a hot or cold day, ask yourself, is there anywhere in the home that I’m not comfortable? The question could be explored by a consultant or professional.

 

Safety

When it comes to safety, air quality is a relevant consideration for every system. It’s pretty rare for a heating and air system to have mold inside of it simply because of the sheer amount of airflow. But if the system hasn’t been working properly, the filters haven’t been changed, or the vents have all been shut off, airflow will be drastically reduced. This can cause condensation and lead to moisture buildup, which is the perfect environment for mold growth when combined with a warm area. Mold is definitely a safety concern for the health of the individuals in the home.

 

For natural gas units, LP (liquid propane) gas units, oil-fired systems, or maybe even diesel units (if the system is extremely old), it’s important not to minimize the concern for safety. A good question to ask is, Do I have a gas system? From there, you might want to ask, is it vented properly? Is it up to code? Maybe have the flames tested to see if they burn clean. Those issues can influence carbon monoxide, which could actually go into your duct system and be dispersed throughout the home.

Money Savings

How much it costs for a heating and cooling system to do its job can result in overpayment. You’ll want to ask, how old is my system? What is the current SEER rating? Is hot or cold air being wasted from leaks as it travels through the ductwork? The current SEER rating gives you an idea of whether or not the system is as efficient as necessary. Technology has come a long way over the last 20 years, so if you have a system around that age, it’s probably largely inefficient and costing you extra money each month to heat or cool your home.

We offer both heat and cool checks, depending on the time of year. These checks are free right now, so if you call in and get it scheduled, we’ll uncover any issues when it comes to comfort, safety, and money savings. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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Plumbing is a part of the home that sometimes gets forgotten, but I would say that its integrity is just as important as the safety of an electrical system. Once water gets into a material like wood, the two won’t interact very well with each other. The resulting water damage can be extremely traumatic to a home. You’ll end up having to rip out and replace all the affected surfaces. Being able to prevent unnecessary emergencies like these is one of the main reasons why a plumbing inspection is important. Nobody will be able to prevent everything bad from happening, but you can definitely go a long way.

 

It’s a best practice to maintain the systems that you’re responsible for. We commonly recognize that certain things need to be maintained, like our bodies, our cars, or even the painted walls in our rooms. (Most of us know better than to use a car without ever maintaining it.) Other items that also need to be maintained might sometimes get neglected, maybe because we don’t really see or notice them on a daily basis. Plumbing tends to be one of those things—if/how you maintain it will determine how much money it ends up costing you. For instance, if you don’t flush your water heater, sediment buildup will cause you to pay more on your utility bill.

 

You’ll want to make sure that you’re doing maintenance a little bit at a time so you won’t suddenly be surprised by an emergency issue or an unnecessarily high utility bill. We offer a Diamond Club membership that includes maintenance visits for plumbing, heating, and air. Clients with a membership just need to reach out to us and schedule their inspections. Current Diamond Club members get two free HVAC visits per year (one for cooling and one for heating), and one free plumbing visit per year. For more information, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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