It’s been a hot July and last week was a real scorcher...99-100 on the beach! If you’re reading this, you survived our recent heat waves. As for us...we just barely survived!

The Comfort Now Team put out a Herculean effort to respond to so many calls for help with broken or improperly functioning air conditioning systems, that we had a share a few of our favorites. As a team, we got a lot of air conditioners running again for local homeowners in a very short amount of time, but the issues probably could have been avoided in the first place...let me explain! As a homeowner, if you were to consider the enclosed tips to better prepare your home, you may keep from making similar calls to your local HVAC contractor during the next heat wave! As we mentioned, during the extreme weather, we fielded A LOT of calls with similar issues. Here are just a few examples of the calls we received:

The Basic Call for Service

“My AC hasn’t shut off for 2 days...it must be broken”

“It’s 75 (76,78,79,80) in my house...my AC is not working”

“The air coming out doesn’t feel cold...my air conditioner stopped working”

“I have a child, elderly person or pet at home and 78 degrees in my house is too hot for them...please help asap!“

Questions That Were Even Worse

“I have the thermostat set at 66 (65,64….62) and it’s only 69 (70….73)...why is my AC not working?”

“We got to the house at 3:00pm and it was 87 degrees in the house. We turned on the AC, it’s now 9:00pm and my house only cooled to 84 degrees...why is the AC not working?”

Some Newly Discovered Water Issues

"Water is dripping from the registers in my ceiling...I must have a problem!"

"Water is pouring out of the drain outside - I never noticed that much water come out before so something must be wrong!"

"Water started dripping from my lights" (now that’s a real problem!)

A Few of Our Favorite Calls

"My air conditioner is only 8 years old, I've never had it serviced or anything done to it and I've never had a problem...but it's not cooling our house now. Our neighbor Jim, Mary, Sarah, whomever said to call you; they said you would probably be able to help me out"

"Hey Bob, it’s Louie, remember me from high school? I know we haven't talked in almost 50 years, but can you help me with my AC problem?

So What Happened to Prompt These Calls?

Your AC system was designed for South Jersey weather conditions, but we’re living with the weather from Charleston, South Carolina at the moment. According to mandated standards for this area, cooling systems are supposed to be able to maintain temperatures around 72 degrees inside your home when the outside temperatures are around 87 degrees.

A typical air conditioning system should maintain the temperature inside your home between 15 - 20 degrees cooler than outdoor temperatures. If the outside temperature gets above 90 degrees, the temperature inside your home starts to rise as well; regardless of the setting on your thermostat. A general rule of thumb - the hotter it gets outside the warmer your home will be inside!

When we hit the mid to upper 90’s throughout July, most homes (and especially 2nd floors) get warmer...period! Unfortunately, when the nighttime lows begin to bottom out around 83 degrees, the AC unit is just getting the temperature down to where you want it in the morning - just in time for it to heat up again outside!

What Can You Do to Help Your House Cool Down?

When a hot spell is in the forecast, be sure to get the AC on and cool your house BEFORE it hits 90 degrees. Then follow our recommendations and tips outlined below to help your air conditioning system cope with the extreme weather conditions.

Look for maintenance issues BEFORE a heat wave is forecasted! Addressing simple maintenance issues or problems early on can often help your air conditioning unit properly cooling down your home on extremely hot days. These issues or problems may include:

• A dirty air filter (good maintenance is always key)
• A slow refrigerant leak (sometimes an easy fix)
• A blocked condensing unit - salt buildup (a common problem at the shore)
• Ducts leaking inside the home (efficiency loss is possible)
• An undersized or older air conditioning unit (time to call us)

But there is also a possibility nothing is actually "wrong" with your air conditioning unit...remember, properly cooling a home starts with the outside temperature! Here are a few tips to help you cool your hose down in extreme weather conditions.

Set the thermostat ahead of time! If you have a vacation home, leave the thermostat set at 80 degrees when the home is not occupied. This approach will give you better control of the temperature and humidity when the weather gets ugly and won’t run the system as much when we have normal temperatures in the mid 80’s. Also, you should consider a Wifi Thermostat and turn the temperature down well before you arrive for the weekend.

In a classic heat wave (3 days over 90 degrees) it could take a whole day to get the air in your home properly conditioned. Remember, if it’s 87 degrees in the house, the air temperature is 87 degrees, the walls and cabinets are 87 degrees and the couch and beds are also 87 degrees. It takes a longggg time to cool all that stuff off! And did I mention how the AC sacrifices a lot of cooling capacity when the humidity level in your home is high and all the "stuff" in your house just sucked up that humidity like a sponge...YIKES!

Speaking of humidity, an air conditioner helps dehumidify your home but it is NOT a dehumidifier! Ceiling registers can drip water because the humidity is too high in the house or a room (showers). Ceiling registers can also drip because there is no insulation behind them and the heat of the attic is hitting the cold registers causing condensation to form. Put those two things together and you have yourself a little internal rainstorm. Homes with high humidity should be addressed in other ways...if you have this problem, give our team a call, we can help with this issue.

How Can You Get Your System Fixed Quickly in a Heat Wave?

We hate to turn down referrals or friends, but we value the fact that our existing customers have been loyal to us over the years. For their continued loyalty, we insist on taking care of their needs when they need us the most. Our suggestion - don’t wait until you have a problem to align yourself with an HVAC contractor to take care of you when needed. It has been our experience that NO contractor in our region has enough staff when extremes weather conditions hit our area - be proactive!

Regardless of the fact that it gets real hot, real cold or our area is hit with a really big storm (like Sandy), most contractors prioritize emergency responses to existing customers first! If you align with a contractor that offers a good service plan, the plan will usually include priority status over non plan customers - we call it our “front of the line” service. Having your HVAC system serviced or maintained once every 6-7 years is generally not enough so get a professional to take care of it in an emergency. Getting your system serviced regularly will keep it running the way it was designed; while also having your contractor available when you need them the most.

BTW, that water coming out of the lights is usually a clogged drain or a result of a dirty indoor coil that the air passes through. We generally would have caught that issue during our regular maintenance checks and you may have avoided more of these type of issues if maintenance had been done more often. This would have also saved you from painting or replacing that ceiling! Food for thought...

Finally, everything wears out and around here, the ocean makes things wear out a bit quicker! Cars, outdoor furniture, door knobs, aluminum windows and HVAC equipment all take a hit from the salt air. National surveys say the average life of HVAC equipment across the country is about 15 years. With today’s equipment on the islands (unless it has coatings to protect it from coastal conditions) the life expectancy is about 8-12 years. If you have a system that was manufactured when big hair was in vogue, congratulations, you have doubled the average life expectancy of your HVAC equipment, but the end is near my friend!

At the moment, there are great incentives available in our area from our local utility companies. We also work with quality manufacturers that frequently offer rebates as well. An Example - a small entry level HVAC system (qualifying heater, AC and indoor coil) can be installed for as little as $79/month right now - call our office for details!

Do you run your tires down until they’re smooth...we hope not! Your HVAC system will eventually need to be replaced, so budget for replacement accordingly and get it done in a timely manner BEFORE it stops working!

Have you heard about Carrier Coastal Systems designed specifically for Jersey Shore homes?

Get to Know the Carrier Line of Products

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Check out the short video to the right to learn more...

If you are looking for an air conditioner designed to withstand the rigors of the Jersey Shore environment that comes with one of the best warranties you'll find for a coastal unit, take a look at the Carrier Coastal System...you can learn more about the benefits of a Carrier Air Conditioner by downloading their product guide below...

Download Your Copy of the Carrier Air Conditioner Brochure Here...

Are you ready to experience true comfort in your home? Download this product guide and learn a little more about the benefits of having a Carrier Air Conditioner installed in your home...

If you have additional questions about the Carrier Coastal System Air Conditioner, pick up the phone and give us a call at 609-400-1005, we have the answers you need!