HVAC Contractor Blog | Residential Heating and Air Conditioning

Can a Heat Pump Work as a Comfort Solution for My Home?

June 5th, 2023

If you’ve heard of heat pumps, then you probably already know the big advantage they have as HVAC systems: they can operate as both heating and cooling systems. Essentially, heat pumps are air conditioners that can switch the direction they move heat, so they can both remove heat from a space and bring heat into it.

Heat pumps are becoming more popular each year, but here in Minnesota, most people still rely on an HVAC setup that pairs an air conditioner with a furnace (gas or electric). It’s familiar, it works for most homes. So why consider heat pumps in Eden Prairie, MN for home comfort? Do they live up to their promise as a year-round all-in-one comfort solution?

Answering this question requires looking a bit closer at heat pumps and how they operate in Minnesota weather.

Some Special Tips to Help Your AC This Summer

May 22nd, 2023

The most basic way you can help your cooling system run more efficiently and effectively this summer is to arrange with our team for professional air conditioning maintenance in Minneapolis, MN. If you’ve already done that, then you’re off to a good start for summer cooling.

In this post, we’ll explore some of the “next steps” to improve your AC’s performance, efficiency, and reliability through another warm and humid summer. Once we go beyond maintenance, there are many ways to help your air conditioning system work its best.

Let’s Talk About Your AC (And If You Need More)

May 15th, 2023

Spoilers for this post: You probably don’t need more refrigerant! If you do, it’s a repair situation.

We thought we’d get the crucial information out of the way first, because people often have mistaken assumptions about how air conditioners use refrigerant. They might hear from a source that it’s a good idea to get the refrigerant “topped off” before summer rolls around, or that you’ll need to have routine refrigerant refills to ensure the AC doesn’t run out of it.

To which we’ll ask: “When was the last time you needed to have the refrigerant in your refrigerator refilled?” We’ll bet the answer is never—unless the refrigerator was broken.

Well, the refrigerant in an air conditioning system is the same. Unless the AC is leaking refrigerant (in which case call us for air conditioning repair in Eden Prairie, MN), you won’t need to have any additional refrigerant put into it during the system’s service life.

How Cool Can My AC Make My House?

May 8th, 2023

This is a good question to ask, because answering it gives us a chance as HVAC professionals to explain more about what an air conditioner does and doesn’t do. Any air conditioner has limits, and when you understand what those limits are and why they exist, you’ll have an easier time finding the ideal comfort settings during the summer.

We’ll use our expertise at air conditioning in Minneapolis, MN to answer your questions about your AC’s power.

Let’s Beat the Summer Humidity This Year!

May 1st, 2023

Minnesota is the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. Actually, the number is 11,842, depending on what you include as a “lake.” That can certainly make for beautiful scenery, but it has an unpleasant side effect during the summer: humidity. Also mosquitos, but we’re not talking about mosquitos in this post.

When the summer weather arrives, and it will be here soon, humidity can turn a warm day into an unbearable one. The reason is that humidity acts like a blanket around you: it traps heat in your body by slowing down how much heat you can release by perspiration. Humidity doesn’t make the temperature hotter, but it will make it feel hotter—sometimes by 10°.

Would you like to get control of the humidity in your house this year? We can help with some tips as well as with our services.

Some Basic Tips for Lowering AC Costs This Coming Summer

April 24th, 2023

Summer will arrive fast and the air conditioning systems in your home will switch on to perform their valuable service.

It’s a service that costs money, however. The compressor in an air conditioner consumes more electricity than almost any other residential appliance with the exception of an electric water heater. The reason you see your electric bills rise in summer is mostly due to running the AC.

We want to help you save money with your summer cooling, so we’ve put together some basic ways to cut down on what you pay to run your AC. If you need AC repair in Minneapolis, MN, reach out to our team.

Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better With a New AC

April 17th, 2023

An essential part of getting a new air conditioner is finding the right-size unit. We don’t mean the physical size of the air conditioner, but the size of its cooling power and its capacity. You want to ensure you have an air conditioner that’s big enough to cool your house, but which isn’t too big.

“Wait a minute,” you might think. “Why is it a problem if the AC’s too big? Isn’t it better to err on the side of too big rather than too small?”

You’re not the only one who has thought this when getting a new air conditioner. We’ll explain why bigger isn’t necessarily better with an air conditioner. In fact, it can often be a disaster!

A Big Spring Question: Should You Replace Your AC Before Summer?

April 10th, 2023

In our last post, we talked about the most important way you can prepare your air conditioning before summer: professional air conditioning maintenance.

Although maintenance is essential for an effective and efficient cooling system, you may have to face a larger issue this spring—what if it’s better to replace your entire air conditioning system before the hot weather arrives? No air conditioning system lasts forever, and at some point, you’ll need to make the choice to get a new AC installed, preferably before the AC breaks down on its own and forces you to replace it. You always want to make an upgrade to your cooling system on your schedule, not the ACs!

As experienced professionals when it comes to air conditioning in Minneapolis and St. Paul, we can help you out. Let’s look at several factors that may convince you it’s time for a new AC. The best way to get a solid answer is to consult with our technicians. We’ll give you honest answers about the future of your home cooling.

Welcome Spring! And Welcome Air Conditioning Maintenance!

April 3rd, 2023

It’s officially spring! And the weather is … okay, it’s still pretty cold outside, but it’s warmer than it was. Highs in the 30s are better than sub-zero temperatures.

Even this slight warming is a reminder that the summer weather is approaching. Now that we’re in the transitional period of spring, it’s a good time to talk about scheduling your air conditioning maintenance.

“But I had maintenance done last year!” you say. Hey, that’s great. Maintenance, however, is something you need to have done every year if you want to get the most out of your air conditioning system and enjoy it for the longest possible time. A proper maintenance regimen has numerous benefits and prevents a host of problems that would otherwise make cooling your house a serious and expensive chore.

If you need a reminder about why AC maintenance is such an important service, here are the benefits that come with it:

Understanding Furnace Certification

March 27th, 2023

Inside a gas furnace. Focus = the top of the middle flange. 12MP camera.

“Furnace certification? What’s that?”

If you came here because you’re asking this question, we have the answers you need. We can also help you when it comes to furnace certification in Minneapolis, MN. Furnace certification is a crucial part of service to ensure you have a safe and energy-efficient furnace.