On average, for every degree you set back your thermostat, you can save 2% on your energy bill. Most people can't tell the difference between a room set one day at 70º and the next day at 69º. In fact, the difference in temperature between your nose and your toes is likely to be greater than 1º. Try a small 1º change in your temperature schedule and see how much you've saved compared to the previous month utility bill.

Thank You Air Max Customers. Hooray summer is over! We are now offering a FREE trip/diagnostic charge through the end of October 2015. This is a $65 value as our appreciation of your commitment to Air Max Heating & Cooling LLC. This FREE, no charge, zero cost trip/diagnostic offer applies to residential customers within the Jackson metro area and does not apply to commercial or out of town travel. Suggested repair and maintenance will be quoted following diagnosis. Call today at 601-939-0015 or visit us at www.airmax.ms or www.brandonhvac.net.

Winter....is coming. Just like in Game of Thrones, winter is coming, whatever that is down here in the South. It could be 45 degrees and raining, 34 degrees and bleary or 75 degrees and clear skies. In preparation for "whatever the weather" plan on scheduling preventative maintenance for your gas fired heater. A couple things can prevent your heat from working after "taking off the summer months". Here are some potential issues that could leave you out in the cold.

1.  Clogged pressure switch. Debris (rust, wasps, squirrels) falling from the flue vent either binds the blower wheel of the induced draft assembly or gets blown into the orifice which blocks the negative pressure from closing the pressure switch preventing your heat from working.  Eventually the furnace locks out or you give up and shut it off.

2. Dirty flame sensor. Oxidation build up on the metal probe of the flame sensor prevents a proper flame rectification signal to the control board and the furnace locks out or you give up and shut it off.

3. High limit trips. Excessive heat rise of the furnace causes the high temperature limits to trip open and locks out the call for heat until reset. The cause of this can be as simple as a dirty air filter, or a weak capacitor for the blower motor, or a dirty evaporator coil preventing proper air flow.

4. No pilot light (old standing pilot light furnace). Lack of pilot flame prevents the gas valve from opening. The pilot light could blow out from wind drafts down the flue pipe, or a weak thermocouple, or a clogged orifice/spud in the pilot light assembly, or a bad gas valve.

Another issue we see is a gas code/safety concern and that is a flexible gas line piped straight to the gas valve in your furnace. The problem is possible vibration of the flexible gas line rubbing against the metal edge of the furnace cabinet could create a hole and a gas leak. The correction is to have a solid black pipe "nipple" or fitting installed and then re-connect the flexible gas line.

Lastly, your thermostat is very important in your household comfort and energy savings. Have your thermostat evaluated and consider replacing it with a good Honeywell digital thermostat. An upgrade would be a wifi enabled thermostat like Nest or Honeywell. The money you save from using a accurate, smart program that features "away" or set back scheduling will pay for itself in energy savings.

These are some of the most common heating failures we come across which could be prevented with some routine maintenance. Please consider Air Max Heating & Cooling LLC, call us at 601-939-0015 and schedule your preventative maintenance today. Winter....is coming.

When it is 95 degrees or hotter outside, your central air conditioning will probably run non stop and the indoor temperature may rise. Why? The design conditions used in the original heat load calculation (if the hvac contractor performed a heat load, most "guestimate" based on square footage from previous homes in your neighborhood) was based on 95 degrees being the maximum outdoor temperature. The tonnage or Btu size of your AC was determined by the heat load calculation, 1.5 - 5 tons, for residential design. The air conditioners ability to remove moisture and heat from the air is maxed out after the design temperature of 95 degrees is reached. What can you do about it? Nothing short of closing blinds/drapes, turning off lights, don't use the oven or range, keep the doors closed, make sure your air filter is clean and your AC has been cleaned and serviced. Don't close supply grills in rooms or lower your thermostat to 50 degrees as this will cause the unit to freeze up when the AC "catches up" and the outdoor temperature goes down. The lowest thermostat setting is 68-70 degrees which can cause some AC units to freeze up. Oh, one more helpful hint... don't talk about your air conditioning cause it can hear you and may wig out to spite you.

Just Do It? You might want to wait for a professional HVAC Technician.  We have a customer who wants to do his own repairs and buys his parts from us. I normally don't sell parts to customers, but in this case I try to help him and his family by cutting costs and saving him some money. This time I sold him a condenser fan motor and capacitor to replace his failing motor that is squealing due to bad bearings. He has replaced a motor before so this shouldn't be a big deal.
I get an email that says he dropped the motor on the compressor copper line and hopes it's okay and what do I do with this red wire. So this time it didn't work out and he may have damaged the new motor and copper line. We are scheduled to come out and make the repair, but he has spent the night without air conditioning and is now "worse for wear".
So how did this "cost saving favor" work out? Not so good. It cost him a nights sleep, a service call to the home for two issues instead of the bad motor.  This job will now cost more if he did damage the motor or copper line. A qualified technician can make a correct and timely repair to the air conditioner, then check the status and function. The system may need cleaning, or have a weak capacitor, be low on refrigerant, have an overheated wire connector, etc.
Leave the DYI to cable TV shows and allow a qualified HVAC company do what it does best, service and repair. So next time you consider a DYI....Just Don't Do It. Call Air Max at 601-939-0015 and mention this blog for $25.00 off your service call.

Tech Tip Of The Day. Shut it off.
Shut off your air conditioner if it stops working. This might sound obvious but many home/business owners leave a malfunctioning AC unit on, hoping it will start cooling. A bad electrical part or even low refrigerant will cause excessive heat that melts wire insulation, trip/open limit switches, resulting in more time and cost. Immediately shut off your thermostat and breaker if you smell something hot or a burning. Call Air Max at 601-939-0015 for all your HVAC needs.

A sudden loss or lack of air flow in several rooms of your home or business could be the result of blockage due to a piece of loose duct liner (insulation). The liner is usually glued and sometimes pinned inside the metal plenum (box). Over time it can come loose and obstruct the air flow coming out of the plenum. A service cover or door can be installed on the plenum to allow access to fix the problem. Please call Air Max Heating & Cooling LLC at 601-939-0015. We are duct commanders.

Air Filters Delivered

Air Max Heating & Cooling LLC offers a complete line of air filters for your home or business.  We offer any size filter in 1 or 2 inch thickness in low, medium or high MERV rating. This is a great way to purchase that "hard to find" size filter and have them shipped to your front door. Check us out at www.airmax.ms and see how fast and easy it is to get your replacement air filter. We also sell and install Lennox indoor air quality equipment to provide you with healthy and clean air.