Avoid Using Bathroom and Kitchen Exhaust Fans

There are times when it is absolutely necessary to use an exhaust fan in the kitchen or the ventilation fan in the bathroom. However, these fans pull cool air out of the space which means that more cool and conditioned air is needed to replace it. This can cause your air conditioner to work harder than it needs to work. Instead, only use these fans when it is absolutely necessary for maximum efficiency with your cooling unit.

Closing Vents to Unused Rooms

There are two sides to this theory – the side that says closing vents to unused rooms will increase efficiency and the side that says this decreases efficiency. So which one should you believe? For one thing, you should never close the vent to any room that has a thermostat in it. As for closing other vents, however, you should consult with the experts at your St. Louis HVAC company for suggestions regarding your particular home and cooling needs.

Ignoring Maintenance Needs

A heating and air conditioning unit is just like any other major appliance. It needs maintenance and upkeep. But many people who have these units installed think they cannot afford to maintain them and they wait until the unit breaks down before calling anybody. Some people don’t even replace their air filters every few months which is a simple and inexpensive procedure. This can ruin your unit’s efficiency and even cause it to break down. Your St. Louis HVAC company can maintain your HVAC unit on a regular basis to make sure it is always running efficiently. We can catch problems before they occur so you won’t have to worry about paying for the costs of major repairs.

These are just a few things that people do to sabotage their utility bill each month. By avoiding these mistakes, you can put more money back in pocket each month and enjoy your heating and cooling unit for many years to come. Please Contact Us Today At: 314-991-COOL (2665) & 636-923-COOL (2665)

Buying a Unit that is Too Big

An A/C unit that is too big for the space you want to cool may seem like a good idea, but it can actually cost you more money than necessary. Since it will cool off the area quickly, it will cycle through its on/off stages quickly which makes it very inefficient. It also won’t reduce humidity efficiently which is a must for keeping cool in the summer. Contact your West County St. Louis HVAC company for an evaluation of the size of air conditioning unit you would need for maximum efficiency.

Cluttering the Air Conditioning Unit

While keeping your A/C unit shaded with trees and shrubs, it is important to keep those trees and shrubs at a safe distance. If they are too close, the parts on the unit could become clogged. Too many trees and shrubs could also reduce ventilation. Both of these problems would cause your air conditioning unit to run less efficiently than it is designed to do.

Letting It Run Constantly

Keeping cool is important for many people. That’s why they let their air conditioning unit run for the entire day while they are at work. This creates a huge utility bill for the person. Instead of letting your air run all day, why not install a programmable thermostat? You can program your air conditioning unit to come on before you get home so the house will still be nice and cool and you won’t have to worry about paying those huge bills for energy you never use.

Putting Appliances Next to Thermostat

When you put an appliance next to a thermostat, it makes the thermostat think the temperature in the house is warmer than it actually is. This makes the A/C unit work much harder to try and keep the area cool. Keep your appliances away from the thermostat so it can get an accurate reading.

Use these helpful tips with your air conditioning unit and you will see your utility bills drop. You can also contact your West County St. Louis HVAC company Total Comfort for a complete evaluation of your home and its cooling needs. Or, simply pickup the phone now and Contact Us Today At: 314-991-COOL (2665) & 636-923-COOL (2665)

Get Energy Star Units

The Energy Star program is a program that has been endorsed by the federal government for nearly 20 years because of its dedication to making appliances as efficient as possible. If your HVAC unit does not have the Energy Star seal of approval on it, you could be throwing your money away on your electricity bill each month. But Energy Star is about more than just saving you money. The appliances with the Energy Star approval are also eco-friendly so you can do your part for the environment by making the switch.

Turn It Off at Night
In most parts of the country, it cools off at night. This is often true of the St. Louis area. So when the sun goes down, turn your air conditioner off and open the windows. Use a ceiling fan or another fan to draw the cool air in. There is no better feeling than the cool evening breeze flowing through your home on a nice summer evening.

Turn Up the Thermostat

You would be surprised how small of a difference there is between 74 degrees and 72 degrees in your home. So instead of keeping your thermostat set at what you usually have it set at, try turning it up a few degrees. You will still be comfortable and you probably won’t even notice a difference. Your air conditioning unit will, though.

Use a Fan

People underestimate the power of ceiling fans and other types of fans in their home. Even if you are using a central air unit, a fan can work wonders in keeping your home cool. Have a fan or two circulating the air that the air conditioning unit is pumping out and you will definitely notice a difference in how often the unit turns on and how cool your home stays.

These are just a few suggestions and tips from your caring St. Louis Heating and Cooling company. Be sure to contact the professionals at our St. Louis HVAC company for more information about having a comfortable temperature in your house all year long.

Please Contact Us Today At: 314-991-COOL (2665) & 636-923-COOL (2665)

Set Your Thermostat at a Comfortable Level

You don’t need to have your home feel like an igloo during the summer months just to be comfortable. Unfortunately, many people set their thermostat way too low which can cost more money on their utility bill and reduce the life of their A/C unit. Be realistic about the temperature in your home and set the thermostat at that. The smaller the difference between the inside of your home and the temperature outside, the less your air conditioning unit has to work.

Know the Speed of the Fan

On hot and humid days, setting your cooling unit’s fan speed on “high” will be detrimental to your goal of cooling your home. That’s because it gives the unit less time to remove the moisture from the air before it blows into your home. For humid days, keep the fan setting on “low.” For the other hot days, set it on “high” for maximum cooling output.

Use a Fan
Ceiling fans are ideal for circulating the air through your house. Other fans are also great for doing the same thing. When you have the air circulating through your house, it stays cooler. Then you can turn up the thermostat and give your air conditioning unit a bit of a break.

Shade Your A/C Unit

Trees and shrubs are a good way to shade your air conditioning unit that sits outside. By shading it, the unit is more efficient and it can reduce its use of electricity by as much as 10 percent. That’s easy savings that you can just put back into your pocket.

These are just a few of the ways you can keep your home cool for less. For more ideas or an evaluation of your cooling unit, contact your South County St. Louis HVAC company before the heat becomes too much to bear. Or just give us a call: Please Contact Us Today At: 314-991-COOL (2665) & 636-923-COOL (2665)

For one thing, look at the accreditations that the company has. A reputable heating and cooling company should be accredited by several organizations, including the Better Business Bureau, the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) organization and even some local organizations. Some of these groups monitor the heating and cooling companies that have memberships in the organization to ensure that they are providing quality workmanship and good service to customers. If you don’t see any accreditations listed with the company’s ad, skip to the next company.

A friendly staff is also important when finding a heating and cooling company in St. Louis. You don’t want to deal with a staff and crew that treats you like a bother rather than a customer. Is the person friendly when you make your initial phone call? Do they answer all of your questions willingly and explain things in a way that you can understand it? Is the crew polite when they come to your home to give you a free estimate? Courteousness is essential when dealing with customers and if the staff isn’t courteous, consider looking for another HVAC company in St. Louis.

Before hiring a heating and cooling company in St. Louis, make sure the workers who are coming to your home are licensed and bonded. The HVAC technicians must go through extensive training programs before they can be licensed to work on and install heating and cooling systems. And being bonded is simply like extra protection for the consumer. It prevents companies from simply taking down payments and other money from the customer and never doing the work for them. There are scams involving HVAC companies that are not bonded so be sure to work only with companies that are bonded.

At Total Comfort Heating and Cooling, your St. Louis HVAC company, you will be pleased with our qualifications, our courteous representatives and the service and workmanship that we provide. Contact us today we can take care of all your heating and cooling needs and provide you with a free estimate.

At Total Comfort Heating and Cooling, we provide weekend AC repair in St. Louis 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. We have technicians that are on call around the clock so if your air conditioner goes out at any time, all you have to do is call us and we can send someone to your home within hours. It’s just that easy.

Our St. Louis emergency AC repair services are designed with the customer in mind. We want to make sure that you are as comfortable as possible at all times. That’s why we provide this emergency air conditioner repair service. You don’t want to go through an entire weekend without air conditioning when living in the St. Louis heat. And trying to sleep through the night sometimes without the cool air flowing through your home can just be impossible.

You can have our technicians come to your home any time of the day or night with confidence. We only allow licensed and bonded workers to go to the homes of customers so you can expect the utmost in professionalism and workmanship when you hire the staff at Total Comfort Heating and Comfort. Our technicians have years of experience in all aspects of the heating and cooling industry so they can get your air conditioner working again without the long wait.

In addition to professional services, our St. Louis emergency air conditioner repair service also offers financing to many customers. If you qualify for financing, we can set you up on a payment plan so you don’t have to worry about the out of pocket expenses when we come to fix your air conditioner. You can still remain in total comfort and pay for the emergency air conditioning service in the months to come rather than waiting until you can afford to make the repairs and suffering in the heat all that time.

At Total Comfort Heating and Cooling, we specialize in weekend AC repair in St. Louis 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Call us any time of the day or night for all of your heating and cooling needs.

Please Contact Us Today At: 314-991-COOL (2665) & 636-923-COOL (2665)

That’s one of the reasons that preventative maintenance is so important. It is much less expensive to maintain your air conditioning unit throughout the year to make sure it is working at its optimal efficiency so it doesn’t have to work any harder than it has to. Just performing the preventative maintenance procedures or hiring a professional to do it throughout the year can drastically reduce the risk of your A/C unit breaking down on you at the most inopportune time.

However, just like any other appliance, an air conditioning unit will start to wear down and need repairs every once in awhile regardless of how much preventative maintenance you perform on it. That’s why our company – Total Comfort Heating and Cooling – offers financing for your air conditioner repairs. When you call us, we can start the paperwork immediately so you won’t have to wait very long to get your air conditioner repaired even if you can’t afford the entire cost right away. We offer a variety of financing solutions to meet your budgeting needs so you don’t have to suffer in the brutal heat any longer than necessary.

At Total Comfort Heating and Cooling, we have been serving the residents of St. Louis for over 25 years. We have a great reputation in the area because of the workmanship and courteous attitude that we provide for each and every customer. There is no job too big or too small for our crew and we can provide financing for almost any job that you hire us to do. We also strive to beat the prices of our competition so we can be the most affordable heating and cooling company in the area. You won’t find our willingness to finance your air conditioning repair service with other St. Louis HVAC companies. We are unique in that we work with your budget so you don’t have to go without air conditioning at any time of the summer.

One of the things that our company prides itself on is the fact that our technicians are some of the best you will find in the greater St. Louis, MO area. We only use licensed technicians who know what they are doing and have experience with various aspects of the heating and cooling industry. In addition to being licensed, our crews are also bonded. That means you can hire us with complete confidence to repair your air conditioning unit to your satisfaction. And since our teams of technicians have many years of experience in the HVAC field, they can also offer you suggestions about preventative maintenance and other tips on how to get the maximum life from your heating and cooling unit.

Our company doesn’t just serve St. Louis, though. We have a far-reaching service area that includes a number of cities and towns. Our service area extends to Affton, Ballwin, Berkeley, Black Jack, Breckenridge Hills, Bridgeton, Charlack, Chesterfield, Clayton, Cool Valley, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Des Peres, Edmundson, Ferguson, Fenton, Florissant, Hazelwood, Kinloch, Kirkwood, Jennings, Ladue, Maryland Heights, Mehlville, Olivette, Overland, Rock Hill, St. Ann, St. John, Sunset Hills, Spanish Lake, Sycamore Hills, University City, Webster Groves, Wellston, and Wildwood.

We serve the zip codes of 63140, 63141, 63143, 63144, 63145, 63146, 63147, 63150, 63151, 63155, 63156, 63157, 63158, 63160, 63132, 63133, 63134,63135, 63136, 63137, 63138, 63139, 63124, 63125, 63126, 63127, 63128, 63129, 63130, 63131, 63163, 63164, 63166, 63167, 63169, 63111, 63112, 63113, 63114, 63115, 63116, 63117, 63118, 63119, 63120, 63121, 63122, 63123, 63101, 63102, 63103, 63104, 63105, 63106, 63107, 63108, 63109, 63110, 63171, 63177, 63178, 63179, 63180, 63182, 63188, 63195, 63197, 63199. If you don’t see your area listed, call our office to see if we can make arrangements to service your area, too. Please Contact Us Today At: 314-991-COOL (2665) & 636-923-COOL (2665)

In addition to repairs, we can also provide an evaluation of your entire heating and cooling system. Is your ductwork designed for maximum output and efficiency? Are your vents strategically placed for the maximum cooling effect? Would you benefit financially from a new Energy Star heating and cooling unit which could save you hundreds of dollars each year over your old worn out and dated heating and cooling unit? These are all things that we could address if you contact us for an evaluation. In some cases, we can even finance those services to help you start enjoying maximum efficiency as soon as possible. With AC repair/furnace repair and much more and financing available, you can be basking in your cool home in no time at all.

Please Contact Us Today At: 314-991-COOL (2665) & 636-923-COOL (2665)

While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact amount that a new AC unit can save you each month because of the many factors that would need to be discussed, it is safe to say that a new energy-efficient air conditioner would provide significant savings if your current unit is more than 10 years old. Today’s air conditioners need to meet standards and regulations set by the federal government in order to be sold in the United States. And in order to get approved as an Energy Star air conditioner, the unit has to exceed the government’s standards by at least 10 percent.

Let’s crunch a few numbers to give you an idea of how much you can save by replacing your old air conditioner with a new one. For this example, let’s assume that you are paying $.112 per kWh, or kilowatt hour. If you have an Energy Star air conditioner that has a BTU rating of 10,000 and an EER rating of 10.8 and you use it for 1,500 hours during the year, you are going to be paying about $155.56 just for the electricity that your air conditioning unit uses. If you reduce the EER rating to 8.0 EER, you are going to pay about $210 each year for your air conditioning. Reduce the EER to 6.0 and you will pay close to $300 each year.

As you can see, the higher the EER rating is on your air conditioner, the lower your utility bills are each year. If you do decide to replace your old air conditioning unit with a new Energy Star one, be sure to dispose of your old one correctly. Some of the fluids and coolants used in the older models can be hazardous to the environment. Contact the professionals at your local St. Louis HVAC company to do the job for you so you don’t have to worry about a thing besides what you’re going to spend your extra money on this year.

How Many BTUs do You Need?

BTUs, or British Thermal Units, is how an air conditioner’s output capacity is measured. The more BTUs an air conditioner has, the more air it is able of blowing out. If the room you are trying to cool is between 400 and 700 square feet, you should look for an air conditioner with no fewer than 10,000 BTUs. If that room gets a lot of sun, the minimum should be 11,000 BTUs. If you are buying a central air unit to cool your entire house, you should contact a professional air conditioning company to determine the size of unit that you will need.

Does it require special installation?

When shopping for an A/C unit, you want to make the installation process as simple and painless as possible. Choose a unit that requires the minimum amount of installation so you can put it in and start cooling your home within minutes.

Does it have practical features?

Today’s air condition units have a variety of features that you can choose from. For instance, digital controls help you keep the room at the ideal temperature so the unit will shut off once it reaches that temperature. You can also get air conditioners with remote controls so you can turn it on and off or change the settings without even getting out of your chair. Timers are also ideal so you can have the air conditioner come on about 20 minutes before you get home from work so you can come home to a cool room without letting the unit run all day.

These are just a few of the things to consider when choosing an air conditioning unit to help you get through the summer. If you live in the St. Louis area, you can call Total Comfort Heating and Cooling to have a unit installed that will cool down your entire house. In a Missouri heat wave, who wouldn’t want that?

By not only upgrading your equipment, but also by evaluating your entire home’s energy strategy will help to save you money and lower your energy usage.  Installing an energy-efficient furnace or cooling system will also help with lowering costs and will have a positive impact on your energy bills.  By also employing a whole-house approach, your new heating and cooling system will be able to work more effectively and provide you with lower costs and the heating or cooling system can operate more efficiently.

By combining the proper heating and cooling equipment in combination with proper maintenance and service (while using the appropriate amount of insulation,  sealing, and proper thermostat settings), you may cut your energy use and lower your monthly costs for heating and cooling in St Louis.

Contact Total Comfort in St. Louis for more information about our high efficiency cooling systems and our energy efficient furnaces and heating systems.  We offer many different products and service options to help keep your heating and cooling costs low.  We understand the summer in St Louis, and are proud to provide fast, professional service on your existing heating and cooling system.  We offer a number of other services to keep your summer cooling costs down as well.

Our current promotions include a cooling system tune-up that can provide that extra push to keep your cooling unit working at maximum capacity.  We are also offering $30 off on our Summer Service Calls when your cooling unit is not working properly or needs to be serviced.

For more information about lowering heating and cooling costs in St. Louis, contact the professionals at Total Comfort at 314-991-COOL (2665) & 636-923-COOL (2665) or by using our secure contact form.  Because our “Our Commitment is your Total Comfort”!