Johnny On the Spot Blog: Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

When your air conditioning system breaks down, it can seem like a nightmare. Often, the problem can simply be a bad thermostat. Read on to learn five signs that you need a new thermostat in your Summerlin, Nevada, home.

Unexpected On/Off

If your AC system is turning on and off at strange times, you might have a bad thermostat. The thermostat’s primary job is to let the air conditioner know when it’s time to kick on to cool the home. If the wiring goes bad, it can fail to function correctly.

Thermostat Reads the Wrong Temperature

If you have a thermometer in the room next to your thermostat and they’re reading different temperatures, that’s one of the biggest signs you need a new thermostat. First, be sure that your thermometer is reliable. If it isn’t, call a service technician for help.

Sudden Increase in Utility Costs

If your energy costs are suddenly higher than your monthly norm, it could be because of a bad thermostat. When the thermostat isn’t reading temperatures properly, it’ll cause the system to work harder and more often than it should. As a result, it’ll drive your energy costs up.

Your Thermostat is Old

Another of the surest signs you need a new thermostat is that yours is simply old and outdated. Like any piece of technology, thermostats wear out over time. If your current thermostat is 10 years old, it’s likely time to have it replaced. Consider replacing it with a smart thermostat.

It’s Manual

If your thermostat is manual, it’s time to change it to a programmable model. This will save you money and keep things more efficient by allowing you to program your temperature settings for when you’re away or asleep. As a result, you’ll gain more control over your cooling and heating.

If you experience these symptoms or any other signs you need a new thermostat, turn to Johnny On The Spot. Call (725) 977-9461 to schedule an appointment today.

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The hot days we experience in and around Las Vegas, Nevada, can strain your air conditioning system. A low airflow issue can make your life unnecessarily miserable. Low airflow through your HVAC system can be an easy fix or symptomatic of a larger problem. Let’s look at some of the potential causes.

Clogged Filters

Dirty system filters can greatly reduce airflow because they’ve become clogged with dust, pet dander, smoke, hair and other household debris. Clogged filters can also impair your home’s indoor air quality and respiratory health. Filters have a limited lifespan, depending on the conditions in your home. Change your air filters every one to three months to keep air flowing effortlessly. As a result, you’ll reduce the strain on your system and prevent higher energy bills.

Dirty or Leaking Ducts

Dirty ducts reduce system airflow, and you should have them cleaned regularly. Air leaking from your ducts can take a toll on your system’s efficiency. Causes might include broken seals, damage from renovations, or inadequate planning and installation.

Blower Problems

The electrical motors in HVAC system fans and blowers drive the air through your system at calculated rates. They operate under harsh conditions and require regular inspection and maintenance to run at peak efficiency. If neglected, bearings and motors can fail. Older blowers and those that have not been maintained might need replacement or repair. A good maintenance plan can prevent many of these problems. As a result, you’ll avoid breakdowns and high repair costs.

Other Causes

Finally, sometimes system controls such as thermostats and circuit boards can fail or require adjustments. Underpowered systems often have shorter service lifetimes, eventually incurring costly add-ons, repairs or replacements. Air conditioning units that haven’t been balanced, installed or maintained properly can have cascading problems.

Low airflow in your home’s HVAC system can waste money, time and reduce comfort. Johnny On The Spot can quickly determine the cause of your low airflow problem and give you cost-effective and affordable options. Call us at (725) 977-9461 for an evaluation today.

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Air conditioning is essential when you live in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of the more common issues that can cause an air conditioner to malfunction is short cycling. This is when an air conditioner switches off and on repeatedly before completing its cooling cycle. Fortunately, this issue is repairable. Here’s everything you need to know about short cycling, including what to do when it happens:

Why is My Air Conditioner Short Cycling?

Short cycling is generally caused by common issues a professional service technician can repair easily. The thermostat, which regulates temperature and tells your air conditioner when to turn on and off, might need replacing. Or, the air filter has clogged. This prevents the filter from drawing in enough air, causing it to overheat and switch off. If your AC unit’s refrigerant levels are low, it might turn itself off to avoid overheating, as well. Further, a malfunctioning electrical board can cause an air conditioner to turn on and off at improper times.

Why Short Cycling is Bad

An air conditioner that short cycles requires professional repair or maintenance. If you choose to ignore the problem, it’ll get worse. As a result, it’ll reduce your air conditioner’s lifespan in the process. This is due to the excessive strain short cycling puts on the unit’s fans, bearings and other components.

What to Do About Short Cycling

First, check your air filter and replace it if it’s excessively dirty. If this doesn’t fix the problem, a clogged filter isn’t to blame. In this case, the resolution is probably not going to be a quick, do-it-yourself fix. You’ll need to have your unit repaired by a professional as soon as possible to avoid causing further damage. We can diagnose and repair the problem quickly, leaving you free to relax and enjoy your air conditioning again.

Don’t put up with an air conditioner that isn’t working properly. Call Johnny On The Spot at (725) 977-9461 for help solving your short cycling problems.

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Homeowners in Las Vegas, Nevada, expose themselves to dust every time they walk outside. Dust isn’t only an outdoor problem, though. You might think your home is free from it because you regularly vacuum and wipe clean all your furnishings. But what you can’t see can harm you. One of the most hidden places where dust can collect in your home for years without notice is in your HVAC system’s ductwork. Here are three reasons to schedule professional duct cleaning:

Increase HVAC Efficiency

Your HVAC system’s filter does a decent job of trapping particle pollutants that circulate in your home’s air supply. But the smallest contaminants can still sneak through and collect in your ductwork. As a result, they can decrease HVAC efficiency and strain your system. Regularly changing the filter and scheduling duct cleaning are vital tasks.

Improve Indoor Air Quality

You spend most of your life indoors, and poor indoor air quality is one of the most significant threats to public health. Therefore, it’s imperative that you maintain good air quality in your home. Duct cleaning helps prevent poor IAQ by cleaning your ductwork of all the contaminants that can collect, including droppings from a pest infestation.

Ease Asthma and Allergy Symptoms

Do you suffer from asthma or allergies? Dirt ductwork can exacerbate your symptoms. Just think of all the dirt, dust, and pollen circulating in your home’s air and collecting in the ducts. If you have pets, you also have to worry about pet dander. By regularly scheduling duct cleaning, you’ll take an important step toward easing your symptoms.

Adding an air purifier is another way to improve your indoor air quality and breathe easier. For more information about increasing HVAC efficiency and maintaining healthy indoor air, contact Johnny On The Spot at (725) 977-9461 today. We specialize in performing everything from professional air conditioner repairs to duct cleaning services.

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Your home’s energy efficiency is easy to overlook. But it’s something that you’re paying for on a regular basis. If your air conditioner isn’t performing as well as it can, it’s costing you. If you’re looking for easy ways to increase efficiency in your Las Vegas, Nevada, home, try these tactics to trim your utility bills so that you spend less on comfort:

Schedule Regular AC Maintenance

Booking annual maintenance visits for your heating and cooling systems is one of the best things you can do for your energy efficiency. You should schedule air conditioner maintenance in spring or even summer. As a result, your AC system will operate efficiently.

We carefully inspect the system for any signs of trouble and handle essential tasks like:

• Lubricating moving parts
• Tightening electrical connections
• Cleaning the AC system

If your air conditioner hasn’t seen one of our maintenance service technicians in the last year, you’re overdue for this visit.

Evaluate Your Thermostat Settings

You should adjust your thermostat for maximum efficiency during the cooling season. In the warm weather months, keep the home slightly warmer than you do in winter. Adjust the temperature to be higher during the day while you’re away and at night when you’re sleeping. You’ll enjoy the best efficiency if you can maintain set temperatures for long periods of time — ideally eight hours or more. A programmable thermostat can handle all the work for you and help you trim your utility bills with smart adjustments.

Change the AC System’s Filter

You should change the filter in your AC system at least every 90 days. Inspect it once a month for visible dirt and dust. Change the filter as needed when you can see it’s dirty. If you have asthma or allergy sufferers in the home, increase the frequency of your filter changes, even if you can’t see a significant amount of dust. As a result, you’ll help ease symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers living in the household.

Do you need AC maintenance or other services to increase the efficiency of your system? Contact Johnny On the Spot today at (725) 977-9461.

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Dealing with the summer heat in Las Vegas, Nevada, requires a functional air conditioning system. The last thing you want to worry about is your HVAC system breaking down on the hottest day of the year. Keep an eye out for these warning signs of an impending HVAC breakdown.

Airflow Problems

If the air isn’t flowing properly through the vents, or you feel warm air when the system is set to cool, it’s important to get this issue checked out. A sudden airflow change is often an indicator of problems in the compressor, which is one of the most vital components in your system.

Warm air could be caused by a refrigerant leak, which one of our HVAC service technicians should also inspect. We can determine the cause and help you decide whether a repair or replacing the unit altogether will provide a better result. As a result, you’ll reduce the risk of future problems.

Unpleasant Odors

A number of odors can come from an HVAC system. If you catch a whiff of a burning smell, this can indicate that the system is overheating. A burning odor is normal when the system is new or has just been turned on for the first time after the winter. But it should dissipate quickly.

An ongoing burning smell often indicates a serious issue. A musty odor might mean your ducts have moisture in them, which can impact your indoor air quality.

Strange Sounds

An HVAC system always makes some noise when it operates, especially when it’s cycling on and off. However, you should have any grinding, squealing, banging or other abnormal sounds inspected further. These noises could mean a component has slipped out of place or become damaged. As a result, the system won’t operate properly until a service technician finds and fixes the issue.

Are you experiencing any of these concerning signs with your HVAC system? If so, and need AC Repair in Las Vegas or any other HVAC or AC related issue including installation, contact Johnny On The Spot by calling (725) 977-9461.

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You already know that outdoor pollution and environmental toxins can impact your family’s health in a big way. But did you know that the air quality issues lingering inside your Summerlin, Nevada, home can contribute to serious health problems, too? Read on to discover three major air quality threats that lurk indoors.

Dust Mites

If your family members are constantly sneezing indoors, it’s easy to pin the blame on dust. In most cases, however, dust mites are the real culprits. These microscopic critters thrive in dusty environments and leave behind waste that easily becomes airborne and triggers sneezes. At Johnny On The Spot, we’ve found that vacuuming carpet and cleaning surfaces can help keep dust mites under control. Changing the HVAC filter regularly can also improve air quality in every room of your home. As a result, you’ll breathe cleaner and fresher air.

Cleaning Products

Before you break out the big guns, it’s important to know that harsh cleaning products can also contribute to poor indoor air quality. Rather than using commercial-grade sprays and scrubs in your home, we recommend using more natural products. You might be surprised at how well natural cleaners can work in your home. If you’re sick of poor air quality, you’ll love the clean, fresh air you can create by switching to these natural products, too.

Air Fresheners

When your home’s air seems stale, it’s easy to cover up bad odors with a quick spritz of air freshener. These sprays might smell great. But in most cases, using air freshener can make your indoor air quality worse. Many air fresheners release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can aggravate your family’s respiratory system over time. Instead, our team often suggests installing a whole-home air purifier. This device connects to your HVAC system.

Want to keep your family safe from these common air quality threats? Call the indoor air quality experts at Johnny On The Spot at (725) 977-9461.

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Airborne allergens are infiltrating the air as springtime gets closer and ushers beautiful weather across Anthem, Nevada. Prepping your home for better indoor air quality this spring should be a top priority. There are lots of simple tips and tricks for improving indoor air quality, like changing the HVAC filter and using an air purification system.

Change the HVAC Filter

One of the most common reasons heating and cooling units quit working is because of a dirty filter. Once the filter clogs, it impedes airflow to the point that the system will overheat. This can result in expensive repair and replacement costs. It also worsens allergy and asthma symptoms by deteriorating the air quality in your home.

Change or clean the HVAC filter at least once a month. If you have indoor pets, check it once every 15 days to see if it has clogged with pet dander. Also check the positioning of the air filter. It should be secured tightly to the filter frame. If there are gaps, this allows unfiltered air to make its way into your heating and cooling system. As a result, it worsens indoor air quality.

Install an Air Purification System

Installing an air purification system is one of the smartest moves you can make to improve your home’s air quality. Give careful consideration to the purification system you install as many of them only capture particulate matter. To remove gas and chemicals from the air, you’ll need an air purifier that uses an activated carbon filter. Many of today’s newer air purifiers can kill even the smallest of pathogens, including:

• Bacteria
• Animal dander
• Pollen
• Other pollutants

You have two basic options to choose from when installing an air purification system. You can install a portable version or a built-in air purifier. A built-in air purifier connects directly to the HVAC systems and provides whole-home air filtration. Only certain air purifiers will be compatible with your HVAC system. Therefore, it’s important to consult with a professional before proceeding with an installation.

Do you want to have your home assessed for various indoor air quality solutions? Contact Johnny On The Spot at (725) 977-9461.

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A well-maintained heating system should operate without any odor. If there’s an unusual smell coming from the vents in your Las Vegas, Nevada, home, try to determine the cause as quickly as possible. If you notice the scent is stronger when the heater cycles on, call Johnny On The Spot right away. You should never ignore furnace odors.

Rotten Eggs

The smell of sulfur or rotten eggs is something you should never ignore. Natural gas is invisible and odorless. However, gas companies add chemicals that will give it this unpleasant odor so you can detect a leak.

If you notice a smell like rotten eggs in your home, ventilate the space and get out of the house. Contact your gas company for further instructions, but do not stay inside if there is a potential gas leak.

Mustiness

A musty odor is unpleasant and can eventually affect your health. Quite often, this smell develops because of a dirty filter or filthy ductwork. Begin by changing your air filter regularly, especially if you have pets. If this doesn’t solve the problem, we’ll determine if air duct cleaning is necessary.

Burning Odors

When you first turn on your furnace during the heating season, you might notice a smell like something burning. This is merely dust burning off in the unused system. The odor will go away after your system runs for a few cycles. If you’re dealing with a persistent burning smell, it’s time to reach out to a professional for help. Our service specialists can pinpoint the cause and take corrective action.

If there’s a metallic scent, it might be an issue of damaged wires. Odors that seem electrical in nature could also indicate a problem with the motor. In these cases, you should turn off the furnace and contact us so that our service specialists can inspect the issue.

Take action as soon as you notice unusual furnace odors. Contact the experts at Johnny On The Spot at (725) 977-9461. We offer prompt heating repairs that protect your home and system and keep you and your family safe.

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North Las Vegas, Nevada, can see a wide range of temperatures throughout the four seasons. Therefore, you’ll need an HVAC system that works properly to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures year-round. If your system isn’t making the grade, it’s time to consider a replacement. There are several budget-friendly ways that you can improve HVAC efficiency.

Clean the Ducts

Duct cleaning can have a big payoff. When air moves through your HVAC system, it can pick up debris that builds up in the ductwork. Contaminants in the ducts affect your indoor air quality and can make you sick. Additionally, the buildup also causes energy waste because the system has to work harder to deliver air. Clean ductwork allows for efficient airflow, so you benefit from improved efficiency and lower energy bills and repair costs. Of course, you’ll also appreciate the improved indoor air quality.

Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat offers more control over your HVAC system no matter where you are. Many homeowners miss out on this innovation because they think the advanced features mean the devices are expensive. However, there are many options today, so smart thermostats are quite affordable. Some thermostats can automatically raise or lower the temperature based on activities at home or whether anyone is present. Others can provide energy usage reports along with energy-saving tips.

Check Your Insulation

The insulation in your home will also impact how well your HVAC system operates. Insulation is essential for preventing heat transfer. If there’s not enough of the material, or there is none in the most important areas, you will have a harder time regulating indoor temperatures. As a result, the HVAC system will use more energy as it tries to maintain the right temperature. Our service specialists will provide advice regarding all the factors in your home that can affect HVAC efficiency. Call Johnny On The Spot today at (725) 977-9461. We are happy to provide services that help you improve HVAC efficiency in every season.

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