Have Your Changed Your HVAC Filter Recently? Here’s Why It’s Important

September 6th, 2021
man-holding-filter

If you polled all professional HVAC companies and asked them what is the one piece of advice they would give homeowners about their heating and cooling systems, almost all would give the same answer:

Please regularly change the HVAC system’s air filter! Every one to three months.

It’s a simple job, taking only a few minutes, and it makes an enormous difference in how the AC and heater run. Perhaps because it’s so simple, people often forget about it and leave the filter in place. When the filter becomes clogged, it creates serious problems that can lead to needing heating or air conditioning repair in Portland, OR.

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It’s Getting Time for Your Annual Furnace Tune-Up!

August 23rd, 2021
service-tech-and-furnace

Yes, it’s still summer, and we can expect more hot weather in the future. That doesn’t mean you can’t start planning ahead, especially when it comes to something as vital for the coming fall and winter as the furnace that keeps your family warm and safe. We have almost reached the time of the year to schedule regular furnace maintenance. 

We always recommend our customers have their furnace tune-ups and inspections done in September or October. This prepares furnaces in plenty of time for the arrival of the serious cold weather, and it takes advantage of a slower time of the year for our HVAC pros. When our schedules aren’t packed with emergency AC repairs, we have an easier time finding convenient slots for maintenance appointments.

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How Long Can I Expect My Water Heater to Last?

August 9th, 2021
water-heater-tank

Your water heater does one of the most important jobs in your house. It’s so important that you probably don’t think about it much. When you turn on the shower in the morning to get a fresh start to the day, hot water flows from the showerhead. After dinner is over, you have hot water from the kitchen sink tap to make cleaning utensils and dishes easy. Hot water when you need it is part of your daily routine, as expected as getting electricity when you flip a switch. 

But you will notice your water heater when it fails to deliver hot water. These occasional hiccups in operation are reminders that no water heater lasts forever. Eventually, you’ll need to schedule a water heater replacement in Vancouver, WA. 

How many more years can you expect your water heater to keep doing its job? A good question! We can give you an idea of its service life expectations below.

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Ductless vs. Central Air Conditioning—Some Facts to Know

July 26th, 2021
ductless-mini-split-in-room

Are you currently considering replacing your air conditioning system? Then you may already have considered having a ductless air conditioner installed rather than sticking with the standard central air conditioning of most homes. We encourage you to take a look at ductless mini split heat pumps (yes, most are heat pumps, so they heat as well as cool) as a possible choice. 

There are several facts to know that will help you decide between ductless cooling and central cooling.

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The Dangers of Running Your AC Too Cold

July 12th, 2021
frozen-ac

When the heat rises to its peak during the summer, it may be hard to think of getting your house “too cold.” You’ll want as much cooling as you can get from your AC so you have a retreat from the heat outside. 

Air conditioning systems, however, aren’t designed to provide a home with freezer-like temperatures—and you wouldn’t want your home as cold as a freezer anyway. It just sounds nice on a hot day. Even though you can lower the temperature on the thermostat down to 60°F doesn’t mean you should, no matter how hot you feel. Running an AC too cold can lead to problems for your air conditioner. Plus, you don’t need it that cold and can help keep out the heat if you raise it. We know this sounds backwards, but we’ll get into why this works.

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Does It Really Matter What Size AC I Get?

June 28th, 2021
air-conditioning-condenser-against-white-background

When you start to consider your AC installation options in Portland, OR, you’ll run up against several questions: Should you get a high-efficiency air conditioner? Maybe switch to a heat pump? Or go for special features such as a scroll compressor? One question that may occur to you is how big an AC you need, and whether it’s important or not if you end up with one that’s on the larger side.

To clarify: when we talk about the “size” of an air conditioner, we don’t mean the physical size or how much size it takes up. We mean the cooling capacity of the AC system, how much heat it can remove from the air. AC size is measured as “tons,” with 1 ton equal to 12,000 BTUs of heat removed an hour. (For a point of comparison, a window AC removes about 5,000 BTUs/hour, just enough for a single room.) Standard residential central air conditioners range from 1 to 5 tons of cooling power.

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Information About Current HVAC Equipment Shortage Concerns

June 18th, 2021

The HVAC industry is currently experiencing a shortage of equipment parts, leading to price increases for contractors purchasing vital parts and units from manufacturers. Both manufacturers and some contractors are having trouble keeping important items in stock to meet needs. We want to take a moment to discuss what is happening and what it means for you, our customers.

Why Are There Shortages?

Several factors have created this situation. The normal supply chain has encountered multiple disruptions from events like the novel coronavirus pandemic, the “Black Swan” event in Texas, and an accidental blockage of the Suez canal because of an overturned freighter. When combined with a rise in demand as people anticipate a summer of record heat, the strain on the supply chain has created both shortages and a rise in prices. In some cases, manufacturers have hiked up the cost to contractors by 6–10% and may not have necessary equipment in stock to ship. 

This is not a permanent situation, but it’s caused alarm among homeowners who are concerned about the vital comfort of their households during Summer 2021.

What This Means for You

We don’t want you to worry, because the Clawson team is always here to help you. We have a highly experienced staff of technicians who can quickly diagnose problems with your AC and offer multiple solutions for repairs or replacements so we can best meet your needs in the current circumstances. We have excellent relationships with our distributors to get the parts and units needed, often before smaller contractors can. 

However, we encourage you to take action soon if you have an air conditioning concern or if you think you will need new equipment installed this season. This quick action will help prevent delays and see that your household’s comfort needs are met.

Clawson Heating & Air Conditioning is “Connecting people to Comfort”! Don’t delay calling for AC service this summer. 

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My Heat Pump Won’t Switch Out of Heating Mode! What’s Wrong?

June 1st, 2021
cold-house-warm-house

A heat pump is one of the most convenient home comfort systems available because it can work as both a powerful cooling system and energy-efficient heating system—year-round comfort in a single package. 

But if you discover one day that your home’s heat pump won’t switch over to do half of its job, you’ll be uncomfortable, unhappy, and wondering if you need to schedule heat pump repair.

Since the hot weather is now arriving, you may be in the position when you expect your heat pump to change over to cooling mode and work as an air conditioner. If you turn on your heat pump and the only air you get from the vents is warm air, there are several possibilities for what’s happening. The answer may be simple. Or you may need to call our technicians to examine the heat pump and see what needs to be repaired. Below we’ll look at several examples of what might be wrong.

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Reasons Your AC Can’t Cool the House Enough

May 17th, 2021
flushed-man-before-fan

Air conditioning systems have limits. For example, a residential air conditioner can change the indoor temperatures a maximum of 20°F from the outdoor temperature, and thermostats won’t allow temperature settings lower than 60°F (which is too cold for most people anyway). But if a central air conditioner is properly sized and installed, it will be able to provide enough cooling for a house to keep it comfortable throughout even the hottest summers.

If your air conditioning is not managing the job of cooling your house, either never getting to a comfortable enough temperature or creating uneven cooling with hot spots in some rooms, then you may need air conditioning repair in Oregon City, OR, or possibly even a replacement system. 

Below we’ll examine some reasons you may have an AC that’s struggling to do its job.

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What to Know About High-Efficiency Air Conditioning Systems

May 3rd, 2021
air-conditioner-condenser-3D-render

Are you looking to have a new air conditioning installation this spring? If so, you have several choices to make about what type of AC to get. For example, you might decide to have a heat pump put in rather than an air conditioner, which takes the place of both the AC and the heater. If you’re staying with a central air conditioner, you can pick a model similar to the one you currently have, or you may wish to look at the newest high-efficiency models.

Just the words high efficiency are tempting—people imagine a system that will chop down on their bills. But there are some facts to know about high-efficiency air conditioners that will factor into your decision. We’ve got the important low-down on going for high efficiency.

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