A primary component of your HVAC system, which helps keep your home comfy throughout the year, is the compressor. Think of it as the beating heart of both heat pumps and air conditioners. When the compressor goes bad in a heat pump or AC system, it can derail the entire system from operating properly. In other words, it’s a good idea to know the signs of a failing compressor.

Ticking or Chattering

Before the core of your HVAC system fails, it can make an unusual ticking or chattering noise during startup. This noise occurs because the compressor is running into difficulties starting. Don’t ignore this sound. The ticking can be from a defective relay switch. This is when you want to seek out professional guidance from your local trained technicians.

Rattling or Rumbling

Hearing an unmistakably loud rattling or rumbling noise when the compressor is running? There may be a loose distributor motor, or a component inside the compressor housing may be thrashing about. When you hear either of these sounds, turn off your HVAC system entirely and reach out to your HVAC service technicians to resolve the issue to prevent further damage.

Too Hot or Too Cold

Depending on the time of the year, if your home’s interior is freezing cold or stifling hot, it may mean your compressor has already failed. If you’ve tried turning up or turning down the thermostat, and the compressor doesn’t kick in, don’t try to fix it yourself. Call for service, instead.

Tripping Repeatedly

Definite warning signs of compressor trouble are when the HVAC system keeps tripping the electrical circuit breaker or the circuit breaker in the box has failed to turn on after being flipped. The reason this may be happening is from the compressor overheating and trying to use too much electricity. Don’t continually reset the circuit switch as it may cause a latent fire hazard. Hot electrical equipment is never a good sign. It’s also not a time for DIY.

Call Cool Blew

When a compressor fails, you’ll need professional repairs. Call your HVAC technicians at Cool Blew any time of the day or night for help. Call us today at 623-872-2900 for your plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical servicing issues.

As we get ready to celebrate Christmas and bid farewell to 2021, our family at Cool Blew wishes you and your loved ones the merriest holiday and the very best in the new year ahead. We thank all of our loyal customers for another year. As your preferred local Arizona experts in HVAC and plumbing repairs and installation, here are a few things to keep in mind during the holidays:

Reduce Holiday Plumbing Stress

The holiday season means additional guests and extra stress on your plumbing. During this time of the year, you want to make certain your pipes and drains are prepared to properly function.

• Clear any clogs in sinks, showers, and toilets before guests arrive and make sure all toilets are flushing.
• Make certain to have toilet plungers on hand in all the bathrooms.
• Be careful of what you and your guests put down the garbage disposal by placing a garbage can nearby.

Be Electrical Safe

• Be sure to keep an eye out for these potential holiday electrical hazards.
• Check your Christmas tree, whether freshly cut or artificial, to make sure it is at least three feet from any heating source like fireplaces, space heaters, and vents.
• Don’t overload your home’s electrical circuits by running all your festive holiday lights and decorations, both inside and outside your home, at the same time.
• Remember to always turn off holiday lights before you go to bed or leave your house.
• Test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to make sure they’re working correctly.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive for HVAC Servicing

And remember, winter is an ideal time for HVAC service. By scheduling maintenance in January, February, or early March now, you’ll have the confidence of knowing that your HVAC system will be running smoothly when spring arrives. Unfortunately, many people wait for their HVAC unit to break down before they call for service. We refer to that as reactive service. Better to be proactive and get out ahead of potential HVAC issues. Our talented service professionals are trained at diagnosing and repairing small problems before they become major ones.

Call Cool Blew

Call us any time of the day or night at 623-872-2900 for any servicing issues that may pop up during the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for enjoying a delicious, home cooked meal with family and friends. But one of the busiest cooking days of the year can become a stressful situation where you’re in immediate need of an electrician, plumber, or HVAC professional. One bad decision can lead to a backed-up kitchen sink, garbage disposal not grinding, clogged toilet, broken heater, or an electrical emergency. These are just some of the common issues that may happen on the day you least want problems! Let’s help prepare you to avoid these Thanksgiving disasters.

No Heat

Thanksgiving family and friends have arrived. Suddenly, the heat stops working on a chilly late afternoon. Make certain the air filter has been replaced if it’s dirty, that the thermostat is set to “heat.” Next, check the electrical breaker box to make sure the circuit breaker for the heater hasn’t been tripped. Still not working? Give Cool Blew a call.

Electrical Outlets Overloaded

Family and guests may be charging their phones, the stove and oven are both on, the dishwasher is running, and you turn on the Cuisinart mixer to mash potatoes. Suddenly, the mixer stops working. Most likely, the culprit is a tripped GFCI outlet in the kitchen shutting power off to the mixer. Simply press the red reset button and the mixer will be ready to go. A blown fuse is another possibility. Can’t figure it out? Call Cool Blew.

Garbage Disposal Clogged or Kitchen Sink Backed Up

Your Thanksgiving dinner usually requires at least the entire day to prepare dishes for the feast. Sometimes during food prep and doing the dishes, food scraps that should have been thrown in the garbage can end up in the sink and down the garbage disposal. Fatty liquids like turkey gravy, potato peels, and leftover food off plates can turn the sink and disposal into a trash can.

Often, these items cannot be easily ground up by the garbage disposal blades, causing the disposal to stop working. Liquid and food may backup into the sink creating a real mess. To prevent this from happening, position a garbage bag or garbage can in an area near the sink where everyone can quickly scrape food off their plate. If something like a turkey bone has ended up stuck in the garbage disposal jamming the blades, the quickest fix is to insert a hex (Allen) wrench in the bottom of the disposal. Or, give Cool Blew a call.

Toilet Overflowing

Depending on the number of guests for your holiday meal, the toilet can be flushed four to six times the normal usage. All that flushing and toilet paper used can cause the toilet to clog and potentially overflow. Make certain that a trash can is placed nearby so guests don’t toss anything that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet. About 90% of the time, the quickest DIY fix is to use the handy toilet plunger to unclog it. If that doesn’t work, you can count on Cool Blew.

Call Cool Blew

If you do find yourself dealing with a drain or toilet that won’t unclog, a heater not blowing out warm air or an electrical outage, call your Valley of the Sun professionals for the fast, reliable service you deserve, any day of the year, at any time, even on the Thanksgiving holiday. Call Cool Blew at 623-872-2900 for servicing and repairs.

Hay fever season is here for an estimated 40 to 60 million Americans. If you’re one of the unlucky sufferers of this common condition, you’re probably already suffering from sneezing, sniffling, and itchy, watery eyes. Luckily, spring HVAC maintenance can remove many of the allergens that can cause symptoms of hay fever. Proper maintenance can remove pesky allergens like dust mites, mold, and pollen, helping you avoid irritating allergic symptoms. In fact, these common home contaminants found in your indoor air can be easily controlled.

Use high quality air filters

You know air filters are your first line of defense against poor air quality in your home. MERV is the filter industry standard. Filters with higher MERV ratings offer increased filtration. Look for MERV ratings of at least 8, with 20 being the highest rating. This will go a long way toward reducing indoor allergens. Replace air filters every month for best results. Dirty air filters not only will contribute to seasonal allergy symptoms, they also decrease HVAC system efficiency.

Clean the outdoor unit

The outdoor HVAC unit pulls in air circulating throughout your home. Airborne particles make the air in your home harder to breathe. Check for dust, dirt, and debris and clear it away from the unit frequently to keep allergens from being pulled into the system and entering inside.

Dust house vents

Even if you make it a habit to dust weekly you may forget to dust air return vents. Dust mites are the most common hay fever trigger, so cleaning your air ducts will get rid of dust mites and help reduce allergy and breathing symptoms. Cool air transported through air ducts can also lead to condensation and mold which is a major irritant for many allergy sufferers. Dust lingering in home vents and registers will blow throughout your home, so clean them on a regular basis. Use a damp or treated cleaning cloth to keep from kicking up dust particles and worsening your allergy symptoms.

Schedule an annual maintenance appointment

Spring allergy season is a great time to schedule HVAC maintenance.. Servicing by an HVAC professional will help reduce indoor allergens and ensure your system is healthy, and your air filtration system is dust and blockage free.

Cool Blew offers expert maintenance services, which can improve the efficiency of your HVAC system. Call Cool Blew today at 623-872-2900.

You enjoy being handy around the house, making common household repairs with a wrench or screwdriver. We get it! Saving yourself a great deal of money and honing your handyman skills is rewarding. However, HVAC maintenance and repairs simply shouldn’t be something to add to your list of do-it-yourself projects.

The following are just a few of the many reasons why it’s wise to only let a skilled, experienced HVAC technician maintain and repair your system:

1. HVAC Systems Need Professional Tools

HVAC systems need to be periodically serviced, repaired, and carefully calibrated with equipment and tools designed specifically for HVAC specialists. Everyday tools are not only impractical when it comes to fixing your HVAC system, they can be risky.

2. Safety Threats

HVAC systems require knowledgeable and experienced technicians who are trained to minimize the risks of working with flammable, pressurized gas, high electrical voltage and environmentally toxic combustion fumes that have the potential of causing injury or even death.

3. Decreased HVAC System Capacity

Do-it-yourself repairs and system tune ups have a high likelihood of decreasing the operating life and efficiency of your system. Without professional training, you can make mistakes with the system that could prove to be difficult to resolve in the future. And there’s always the chance that you can unknowingly turn a minor problem into something major, which can lead to expensive repairs down the road.

4. Voided HVAC Warranty

Replacing parts on your HVAC unit with generic parts or performing any do-it-yourself maintenance will likely result in a voided warranty. You must work with an HVAC trained and licensed professional as all repairs and maintenance usually require documentation by the HVAC manufacturer. In other words, to maintain your warranty, don’t do the job yourself.

Call Cool Blew Instead

We know that it can be appealing to attempt a DIY project like HVAC maintenance. But, stop before you start. For expert HVAC maintenance that will keep both your warranty protected and give you peace of mind, call Cool Blew instead at 623-872-2900.

A trained professional can detect HVAC issues before they cause bigger system problems. The benefits of using a trained HVAC professional will far exceed the potential damage you may incur by doing DIY servicing and cleaning of your system.

Spring is rapidly approaching with temperatures climbing, and flowers already in bloom. As you prepare for the seasonal shift, don’t forget HVAC maintenance.

The optimal time to schedule air conditioning maintenance is now. Damage or stress placed on your system over the past months can be addressed with some springtime attention. Air conditioning maintenance includes a professional inspection, tune up, and cleaning by a trained Cool Blew technician. We highly recommend scheduling bi-annual HVAC system tune ups—one in the fall for heating, and one in the spring for your air conditioner.

Why Is Spring the Right Time for HVAC Service?

Triple-digit temperatures will be here soon, requiring you to flip the switch on your air conditioner. It’s no surprise that late spring and summer are peak times for HVAC repairs, placing HVAC technicians in high demand.

When you schedule a professional tune up prior to when the peak temperatures hit, you’ll be guaranteed a convenient appointment. You’ll also gain the peace of mind knowing that your system is ready to keep you cool all summer long. Post-winter repairs can also be handled proactively.

Why put off HVAC maintenance for when we’re in the midst of a scorching heat wave? Be prepared by taking the preventive route. Schedule professional maintenance now, and you’ll be glad that you did this summer.

Springtime Maintenance Checklist

During maintenance service, one of our technicians will perform a tune up and cleaning that includes:

• Air filter – Clean or replace if needed
• Bearings – Inspect for wear and lubricate
• Blower motor – Measure amperage and voltage
• Capacitors – Inspect and test
• Compressor – Monitor, measure amperage and volt draw, and wiring connections
• Condensate drain – Flush and treat with anti-algae
• Condenser coil – Clean and remove debris
• Contactors – test and inspect for burned or pitted contacts
• Duct work – inspect for energy loss
• Electrical disconnect box – Inspect for proper rating and safe installation
• Electrical wiring – Inspect and tighten connections and inspect for exposed wiring
• Fan blade – Inspect
• Indoor coil – Inspect
• Refrigerant – Monitor operating pressures
• Safety devices – Inspect for proper operation
• Service valves – Inspect for proper operation
• Thermostat – Test for proper operation, calibrate, and level

Residential Preventive Maintenance

Don’t forget to ask about our residential preventive maintenance agreements. You can gain valuable benefits, including priority service, discounts on repairs, no overtime fees, and more.

Call today to schedule your spring maintenance with Cool Blew at 623-872-2900.

With hay fever season approaching rapidly, it’s a great time to showcase one of the most integral components of your HVAC system—the air filter. HVAC filters help keep your home clean and healthy. But there is more than one option when it comes to choosing a filter. Here are the types of air filters to choose from and a few details to help you make the right choice for your household.

Fiberglass

These are the most common and most affordable option. Fiberglass air filters are effective in helping to keep your system efficient, but they’re not the best choice for removing dust and pollutants from your indoor air. If you’re prone to allergies or other respiratory problems, you may want to consider a higher-grade filter.

Pleated

Fabricated from polyester or cotton folds, pleated air filters are more effective at filtering particulates than those made from fiberglass. Filtering performance of pleated filters is determined by the number of pleats. The more pleats, the greater the performance. Both fiberglass and pleated filters should be swapped out at least once a quarter. Here in the desert, it’s a good idea to get on a regular monthly schedule of changing your air filter.

Washable

Although more expensive than disposable fiberglass or pleated filters, washable filters can save you in the long run. They can be easily cleaned, so you don’t need to replace them. It’s important to clean them according to the recommended schedule determined by the manufacturer. You’ll want to ensure the filter is completely dry before using it to prevent mold and bacteria growth.

Electrostatic

Electrostatic air filters attract dust and airborne particulates through electrostatic charge, preventing them from being blown through your home. These filters come in both washable and one-use models.

HEPA

High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are a good choice for homeowners with allergies and respiratory conditions. They have been proven to be effective in screening up to 99.97% of contaminants. The US Department of Energy recommends this type of filter in homes and businesses.

UV

Using ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and viruses, UV filters have become more popular since the start of COVID-19. However, it’s important to note that these filters are better at killing microorganisms than screening dust and other pollutants. This is why some recommend using a UV filter in conjunction with a standard air filter.

Cool Blew – Your HVAC Experts

Have questions about HVAC filters? Call Cool Blew today. We’re here with the answers and the service you need to ensure your home is comfortable 24/7/365.