Cedar Falls, IA Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning Blog | Dalton Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc.

Tips for Keeping Your Home Cooler

August 2nd, 2021

It’s no secret that we’re dealing with an especially warm summer this year. If you’ve been outside at all, you already know that temperatures are stifling. This means your air conditioner is going under a lot of stress to do its job, right? If you had maintenance done this past spring, you don’t likely have much to worry about. Maintenance helps your air conditioner work as effectively and efficiently as possible, for as long as possible–especially if you keep up on any repair recommendations we make during this service.

Having a great air conditioner installed is also a good step in keeping your home cool. This means working with a professional to ensure your home is properly matched with the right air conditioner and a correctly sized air conditioner as well. Too big of an AC can be just as detrimental to your comfort and the system itself as too small of one.

So when you’ve got professional installation and professional maintenance under your belt, there’s nothing more you can do, right? Wrong! There are plenty of additional steps you can take to make sure your household stays cool this summer–potentially even cooler than you thought possible. Read on to learn more!

A Mid-Summer Check In: How’s Your Air Conditioner?

July 19th, 2021

Summer arrived in the blink of an eye and now we’re already halfway through. This is the perfect opportunity to check in with your home, your air conditioner, and yourself. One question that you should always ask yourself is this: “Is my air conditioner getting the job done?”

Summer is a busy time of year. The kids are out of school and at home, you’re planning vacations, and spending time outdoors. Because of all this, you might let your air conditioning services fall to the wayside. We don’t want you to do this, though. You should always keep your AC services at the forefront of your mind throughout this process.

If you’re ready to tackle any AC problems that you might have, then it’s time to schedule an appointment with our North Liberty AC repair company. We’re available to get you high quality service that’s going to improve your AC services without costing too much.

What Qualities Should You Look for in an HVAC Contractor?

July 19th, 2021

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When you live in a climate like ours, it goes without saying that your household needs an efficient and effective air conditioning system to improve comfort, and even your family’s health. And you need that AC system to work flawlessly, every day, every season, right?

Well, if you truly want all this, then it’s essential that you invest in professional air conditioning services with a team you can rely on. This kind of partnership isn’t one you just want to rush into–doing so could leave you with an AC system that’s not properly sized for your home, or could be incorrectly installed, preventing it from working as powerfully and efficiently as it’s meant to.

Whether you’re having a new cooling system installed, or maintaining or repairing an older system, you can count on our team. But how do you know that for sure? What should (or shouldn’t) you look for when shopping around for a quality HVAC contractor? Read on to find out!

Can AC Maintenance Be Too Late?

July 5th, 2021

There is only one scenario where it would be too late for you to schedule air conditioning maintenance and that is if the air conditioner has completely broken down, to the point that it is beyond repair.

Maybe your 15+-year-old system had a compressor failure. Or maybe you let a refrigerant leak go on too long and the system has died as a result.

Chances are, this actually isn’t the case for you. But if you skip maintenance consecutively each year, this could be your story. And consecutively is the magic word, here. Consistency with maintenance is much more important than the time of year you actually have maintenance done. Yes, we do generally recommend this service in the spring, before temperatures rise and you actually need the system on an hourly basis. This lets you get your tune-up on our schedule right away and lowers your risk of facing AC trouble when you need your system the most.

However, if you at the very least commit to getting air conditioner maintenance done once a year, it’s never too late. Here’s why this is so important:

Unique Ductless Needs to Be Aware Of

June 21st, 2021

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When it comes time for you to replace your outdated air conditioner, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the options available to you. After all, there are many! You might find it easier to go with the same cooling system you’ve always had–but what if this isn’t the most efficient way to go about it? In other words, what if it’s cheaper for you to go with another option?

It might very well be time for you to consider going ductless for your cooling (and heating) needs. Ductless HVAC systems are made up of a single outdoor unit, which is connected to up to four indoor air handlers. Each air handler can be controlled independently, making for a highly efficient and powerful option for homeowners looking for year-round comfort.

If not properly installed or serviced, however, you might run into a few repair needs that are unique to ductless systems.

What Can Go Wrong with your Air Conditioner’s Capacitors?

June 7th, 2021

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Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a magic wand for your air conditioner–if no matter what was wrong you could wave that wand and have the issue immediately fixed? Unfortunately, this isn’t reality. Your air conditioner is a complex electronic appliance with various wires, switches, capacitors, and more. And when something goes wrong, it requires a qualified and experienced team to get the system back up and running.

Fortunately, that’s what we are here for! Whatever the issue is, our team can resolve it. In most cases, air conditioning system problems can be attributed to one of two things–lack of maintenance or natural wear and tear. Either one of these can lead to problems with your air conditioner’s capacitors, which are vital to the performance of your AC. Never heard of them? Read on to learn more!

Nominate Dalton for The Courier’s 2021 Best of the Best Award!

May 31st, 2021

From May 31st through June 13th, The Courier will be collecting nominations of everyone’s favorite places for each category. We will then take the top 5 nominations from each category and place them into the voting period that will run June 21st – July 8th. The top 3 will be announced in the 2021 Courier Best of the Best publication in September.

NOMINATION PERIOD: May 31 – June 13
VOTING PERIOD: June 21 – July 8
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: September 5, 2021

You can nominate your favorite businesses in various categories here. Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc. would be honored to be considered one of your nominations!

The Truth about Your AC Compressor

May 24th, 2021

There are a number of different problems that can afflict your air conditioner as the years go by. This is especially true if you don’t keep up on your annual maintenance appointments—or biannual if you have a heat pump system. Given how hard and how long your air conditioner has to work, you could find yourself facing issues such as a refrigerant leak, failed capacitors, and damaged ductwork. Fortunately, most of these repairs are relatively simple fixes for our HVAC professionals.

There’s one air conditioner problem, however, that’s especially unpleasant to face—and that is a broken down or damaged compressor. The compressor is considered the “heart” of your air conditioner, and when it breaks down you aren’t just faced with a repair need—the truth is, you may need to replace your air conditioner altogether. Why is this? Read on!

Heed These Signs That You Need AC Repairs

May 10th, 2021

Let’s say it’s a hot summer day, and you’ve just come back inside after a hours spent enjoying the outdoors. You’re probably looking forward to relaxing, with your air conditioner bringing in powerful chilled air and keeping you and your family cool.

Imagine your surprise if, instead of coming home to a cool and comfortable home, you return to a living space that’s only a little bit cooler than it is outdoors if it’s cooler at all! Clearly, something has gone wrong with your air conditioner, right?

Of course, not all signs of an AC in disrepair are as obvious as this. Sometimes it takes a bit more intuition to know when to call us for professional air conditioning repair. Here are some signs you should watch out for:

Signs That It’s Time for an Air Purifier Installation

April 26th, 2021

Oftentimes when we get calls for HVAC repairs, the homeowners’ complaint isn’t specific, only that their indoor air quality seems “off.” It may be that the air feels too dry or every time they run their air conditioner, their allergies kick up. While your air conditioner might be partly to blame, what you really want to look at is what type of indoor air quality system you may want to have installed to truly address the problem.

One of these systems is the whole-house air purifier. We like these indoor air quality systems because they’re so effective—tackling the indoor air quality needs in your entire home. If you’re interested in this kind of installation, keep reading! And for more information, please reach out to our team.