TACLB013011E
Bells and Whistles
Perhaps when dealing with various air conditioning contractors in the past they merely came out and installed Just an Air Conditioning System for you, as a result the drain pan later overflowed causing ceiling damage. You were lucky that irreplaceable family pictures were not ruined. All of this problem could have been avoided by the installation of a little float switch that would have simply shut the unit off before damage occurred. Why weren't you told about such a little device? These devices and others that can minimize damages to your home or system are covered here for your need to know.
Float Switches
There are basically two different types of overflow protection for your drain pan, a mechanical switch with a float, or an electronic water detection system. Either one will shut the system off in the event of potential drain pan overflow that could result in ceiling or other property damage.
Programmable Thermostat
These allow the user to offset the temperature during periods when the system is not in use. Savings in this geographical location can be as high as 15% for combined A/C and heating uses. Savings vary according to SEER rating of equipment and actual times and temperature setbacks.
Pressure Switches
These are devices that could provide your compressor some protection. If your system were to have either a blower fan failure or a condenser fan failure, irregular refrigerant (Freon) pressures could cause compressor failure. These types of controls shut the system down to prevent compressor failure. Needless to say a fan motor replacement is much cheaper than a system replacement.
Hard Start Kits
If your system is running, and stops because of a power interruption or thermostat wars and instantly restarted, it places the compressor in a hard start situation. During this restarting period the compressor may use up to 6 times the amperage to try to restart and may actually stall. During this period damage occurs to the internal wires that make up the compressor motor because of heat generated by the amperage. Hard Start Kits provide the compressor with extra electricity to give it the needed boost to start reducing the amount of damage. Elite high priced systems come with hard start kits from the factory, because they know that statistically speaking it just about doubles the life of the compressor when installed on a new unit. Many years ago all units came with hard start kits and lasted many years. The practice was discontinued because of cost and the need to be price competitive as a manufacturer. These units can still be added to any unit new or old and will generally extend the life of the compressor. These should not be confused with cheaper imitation after market soft start kits that do not offer the same protection.
Time Delay
Time delays for the outdoor A/C unit prevent the system from short cycling. They allow time for the internal pressures to equalize to minimize wear and tear on the compressor from hard start situations. They work best when used in conjunction with a hard start kit.
Blower Off Delay
When your A/C system shuts off the cooling coils remain cold for 2 minutes after each cycle. A Blower off Delay allows your blower fan to run an additional 90 seconds to 2 minutes to purge all of the cold from the coils. This allows the A/C unit to start 90 seconds to 2 minutes later after each completed cycle. When you consider that a properly sized system will cycle 4 times an hour, or 96 times in a day, 672 times a week, or 2688 times in 30 days. Essentially it is almost like getting up to 2 minutes of free air conditioning after each cycle. In 30 days that would be up to 5376 minutes or over 3.7 days of Air Conditioning for the minimal cost of the fan. The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) recognizes this as a device that increases efficiency rating and lowers operating costs. These can be added to systems that do not already have a blower delay system incorporated into a normal run mode for cooling.
High Efficiency Filters
NOTE: High Efficiency Filters can damage your compressor if the return air is not properly sized. Since the refrigerant must vaporize from a liquid into a gas in the cooling (evaporator) coil and this is dependent on air flow, lack of airflow can cause liquid to return back to the compressor. Liquids cannot be compressed mechanically, but it can shatter valves and pistons inside and require a costly compressor replacement.
Germicidal Lamps
High efficiency filters when sized properly can keep your cooling coils clean and improve indoor air quality. Also known as ultraviolet air cleaners, use C wavelength ultraviolet rays. Wavelength A and B are known for skin cancers. C is considered to be safe; however exposure to the rays can still cause burns. These units are installed in a method where exposure cannot occur. The ultraviolet light kills fungi, bacteria and viruses in the air by damaging their DNA where they cannot reproduce. Some models have been associated with destroying odors and assist in keeping the cooling coil clean. Ultraviolet light is normally found in sunlight. Funny, regardless of the number of tons and tons of dirt we stand on outside, sunshine cleans the air. Studies show that after only 14 days without ultraviolet light from the sun, emergency rooms start filling up due to the flu cases during the winter months.