The average homeowner only has a basic understanding of the importance of the air filters in their air conditioning units, and even if they do have a deeper understanding, it doesn’t always mean they are changing them as frequently as they should. The type and maintenance schedule of your air filters has a huge impact on the air quality of your home and the efficiency of your system as a whole. Don’t get left in the dust (pun entirely intended): a better understanding of your air filtration system can help you keep it functioning properly and keep your family healthier in the process. Mechanical air filters are the most common type of filter in residential AC units. These filters are equipped with synthetics fibers that are tightly woven to trap stray particulate matter and dust that contaminates your indoor air. They can collect a startling amount of material, leaving you to wonder what took you so long to change it in the first place. The efficiency of air filters is rated on a scale called the MERV, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The higher the MERV ratings, the better it is at removing pollutants from the air, and the less frequently it needs to be replaced. Of the many varieties of mechanical air filters available, each has its own benefits and characteristics that make it more or less appropriate for your home. Below are the three most common types of filters that are appropriate for nearly any type of residence. Pleated air filters have a MERV rating of 10-13 and can remove up to 45% of the particulate matter in your home. Their accordion design allows them to have more surface area across the face of the filter, trapping more dust and providing better airflow throughout your space. A minimum of 18 pleats per foot is an excellent baseline standard for this filter. High-Efficiency air filters have a MERV rating between 14-16 and remove up to 85% of air pollutants. They have incredibly fine, porous surfaces that can trap even the smallest particles of dust, dander, mold spores, and bacteria cells. For serious allergy sufferers, these filters can even come treated with chemicals to kill the bacteria and mold that contribute to seasonal allergies. Fiberglass air filters were originally designed as a mechanism to prolong the life of your AC unit, not to improve indoor air quality. Thus, their MERV rating is 1-4, removing only 10% of contaminants in your air. These filters provide the baseline coverage you need, and while inexpensive, should be changed every 3-6 months. Watch your utility bills drop, your runny noses stop, and your overall comfort increase with proper filter maintenance. Your AC unit is one of the most advanced appliances in your home, so help it run smoothly with the best tools for optimum function. Not sure how to change your filter, or how often you need to? Give us a call at (949) 245-6320.

Most experienced homeowners would agree that regular AC maintenance is paramount to keeping their system functioning at its best and for saving money on utility bills. Tune-ups extend the life of your AC in the long-term and save you money on costly repairs in the short–term. However, many homeowners are hesitant about their standard maintenance visit because they are unsure of what to expect. We’ve compiled the top tips for AC maintenance to keep you informed on the basics of a typical tune-up.

Without proper maintenance, you can lose up to 5% in efficiency each year. Make sure to change your filters and schedule a tune-up annually.
Technicians will check coils, capacitors, compressors, and coolant levels. Expect your technician to explain all of the metrics, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
The average tune-up costs between $75 and $100.
You can lower your repair costs dramatically by signing up for a maintenance program.

Unlike many other appliances in your home, your air conditioner is a machine you rarely think about until you absolutely need it. Make sure you’re never caught in the heat or cold due to lack of maintenance. After all, this yearly ritual is crucial to your family’s comfort. We offer a full-service maintenance program that can bring you peace of mind, no matter the season. Visit our maintenance page more information on maintenance programs, or give us a call at (949) 245-6320.

After a few steamy summers and bitterly cold winters, you finally did it: you installed forced heating and cooling in your home. Congratulations! It was a financial and logistical hurdle, but the resulting temperate climate is totally worth it….right? Well, not if you are losing 20-30 percent of your treated air due to poorly sealed ducts. This is a common occurrence in many homes, even those with relatively new systems. While pinhole leaks in the seal of your ducts may seem minuscule, the sum of all these exit points results in high energy bills, limited airflow, and rooms that are difficult to heat or cool. Ensuring that your treated air doesn’t escape is key to getting the most out of your system. You may think that small leaks don’t have a significant enough effect on your efficiency to warrant a repair, but it can have a critical impact on your system’s performance. To convert the non-believers, we’ve compiled a list of the top five benefits of properly sealed ducts.

Improved indoor air quality is another indirect benefit of keeping your ducts properly sealed. Fumes from your garage, debris, and dust can enter through gaps and aggravate asthma or allergy symptoms. Keeping those tiny airways closed can increase your health.
Raised comfort levels are the most obvious result of well-sealed air ducts, as they allow your system to do its job effectively, resulting in cooler rooms in hotter temperatures and cozy warmth in the winter months.
Increased safety is a benefit that is often overlooked, but can be dramatically impacted by the quality of your duct system. Household gas appliances can sometimes release combustion gases through their ventilation system, such as carbon monoxide, that are toxic when inhaled. With a leaky duct system, these gases get “back drafted” in your home instead of released outdoors, causing major health risks.
Minimizing the carbon footprint of your home is a powerful way to protect the environment and live sustainably. Limiting the fossils fuels needed to power your system will conserve natural resources and help to sustain our planet, while still keeping you cool in the heat and warm in the cold.

Not sure if you have leaks in your ducts? Let us run a free diagnostic exam and find out! Contact Just Right Services at (949) 245-6320.

Going on vacation is supposed to be a way to break your routine, relax, and eliminate stress. But what good is a getaway if you come home to sky-high energy bills, or worse, a mini flood or fire emergency? Don’t let your lack of preparation get in the way of recharging your batteries. Prepare your home to maximize energy efficiency and reduce the risk of unexpected emergencies before heading out on vacation. Pre-vacation checklist:

Ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your home, providing them with your emergency contact information and a spare key
Unplug all small appliances and electronic devices
Turn off water valves to the dishwasher, washing machine, and all sinks
Put the water heater in vacation mode
Turn the thermostat to a temperature that is less comfortable, but still protects your pets and plants

By following these steps prior to your departure, you help to ensure that your time spent away will be carefree and budget-friendly. When you aren’t within range to address problems, peace of mind is priceless, and minimizing risk is the first step in achieving it. If you should have a plumbing, electrical, or HVAC emergency, please give us a call at (949) 245-6320.

When any device has been around for more than one hundred years, it’s bound to acquire a bit of mythology on its way. Air conditioners are no exception to this rule. What you thought was straightforward and foolproof about AC’s may likely be a myth. We’ve debunked the top 4 old wives’ tales surrounding the home appliance you thought you knew inside and out. ·The lower you set your thermostat, the faster your house will cool. Your unit is designed to run until it reaches its set temperature the rate of cooling is in no way affected by the difference between the current temperature and how low you set your thermostat. ·Duct tape is good for sealing ducts. In reality, duct tape doesn’t stay very sticky for very long. If you need to seal your ducts, we recommend using metal foil tape or air-duct mastic. ·You shouldn’t adjust your thermostat when you leave home. Many people think that their thermostat temperature will reduce energy costs by limiting the amount of “catch up” your unit has to when you return. However, this is (for the most part) a myth. If you live in a particularly hot climate, may be the exception to the rule. Otherwise, if you normally keep your home at 75 degrees, adjust your thermostat to 82-85 to save energy, and program it to drop to 75 thirty minutes before you return home. This way, you save energy without ever feeling the shift. ·Closing vents can save you money. It’s common to assume that closing vents will prevent airflow thereby reduce your bill, this is not the case. If your AC is on, it will blow the same amount of air regardless of the number of open vents in your home. In fact, keeping too many vents closed can cause pressure to build, resulting in eventual burnout. Don’t let the old myths about your AC keep you from embracing and adjusting to the reality of your unit. Heating and cooling technology are dynamic, which is why we publish a weekly blog to keep you in the loop! For any other questions, you may have, feel free to contact Just Right Services.

While the appearance of icicles on your AC unit during the peak of summer heat may seem like a comforting sight, you’d be surprised to learn that this is not a good sign. Ice crystals should never appear on your air conditioner. It is an indicator that your system is working too hard to compensate, and it’s likely that the problem will only get worse. Over time, the ice will limit your unit’s cooling ability, and ultimately, could lead to AC failure. The good news is that this is an easily fixed problem with the help of an HVAC professional. We offer a free diagnostic to confirm the status of your system and will provide you with a number of options for repair. To help you best understand the components of your system and how it operates, we’ve broken down the sources of AC frostbite, so you can speak knowledgeably about the problem. Sources of AC frostbite: Dust, dirt, and grime that enter via the cabinet will gradually coat your coil and keep it from absorbing heat. Therefore, ice forms as a result of the coil being kept too cold. This is an example of why regular maintenance is essential to the health of your system. In this scenario, a visit from your technician will be required, as you cannot clean your coil yourself. Clogged air filters are the most common sources of AC frostbite. Their sole purpose is to keep debris from entering your unit, and as described above, debris keeps your coil artificially cool, which leads to the formation of ice crystals. By changing your filters once a month during the summer, you can avoid this problem and a host of other air quality issues. Depleted refrigerant due to a leak will cause the evaporator coil to lose its heat absorption properties. The remaining refrigerant will stay artificially cool, similar to the result of debris buildup and a clogged filter, and will damage your compressor. This is the most potentially damaging source of AC frostbite because a damaged compressor could mean replacing your entire air conditioner. Keeping these sources of frostbite in mind during the hottest months of the year will help you to better maintain your AC. Additionally, it will also allow you to identify signs of frostbite before they cause a larger, more expensive problem. Don’t hesitate to call us at (949) 245-6320 with any questions or concerns, or request a free diagnostic online !

As we mature, one of the greatest and most unwavering truths becomes abundantly clear: life is all about timing. From big life decisions to the everyday mundane ones, perfect timing can simply make life better. That same reality holds true all the way down to your home appliances, which function better or worse depending on when and how you run them. Just like your sprinkler system, your AC unit has optimal times and settings that allow the user to receive the greatest benefit without wasting energy. Adopt these strategies to ensure you are running your AC at exactly the correct time and level for its ideal use. Letting it run seems counterintuitive, but in fact, you waste less energy by maintaining a consistent temperature, rather than trying to cool your home after it has reached furnace temperatures. The cooler your home stays, the less your AC has to work to maintain a stable climate. Avoid setbacks by keeping your home within 5 degrees of your desired temperature. When you stabilize the indoor climate and avoid major temperature swings, your AC avoids wasting energy and supports your energy-saving goals. Program your digital thermostat to control your home temperature throughout the day. With modern technologies, it is even possible to vary your automatic controls by individual days of the week, depending on your schedule and preferences. Use this to avoid setbacks, but still save energy by automatically adjusting your thermostat 5 degrees warmer when you’re out with a scheduled return to an optimal 75 degrees when you return. Wifi Control takes the technology up a level. In short, a wifi-controlled thermostat allows you to control the temperature in your house via any device with an internet connection. This allows you to make adjustments remotely, keeping you in constant control over your AC. It takes some getting used to, but setting a schedule with your AC will help eliminate spikes and keep your cooling costs at a minimum. For more information regarding HVAC services and discounts for wifi-controlled thermostats, visit our specials page. If you’d like a free diagnostic exam, please give us a call at (949) 245-6320.

Before home technology was as innovative and capable as it is today, houses were built on the concept that more was better. Construction teams would install the largest and most powerful air conditioners to ensure that homeowners would never be left without enough oomph to cover their heating and cooling needs. Yet this has left many households pinching pennies just to afford these energy-hungry appliances, entirely defeating their ultimate purpose. Nowadays, advances in home capabilities have given us a much more accurate picture of how to regulate temperature. All that’s necessary for proper sizing of your AC unit is the amount in BTUs your home demands. What is a BTU, and how can I use it to select the right AC system for my home? BTU stands for British Thermal Unit, and in a nutshell, it is a measurement of energy. The higher the BTU, the more heated or cool air your unit will produce. Therefore, larger homes require higher BTUs to achieve optimum temperature. Now all that’s left to uncover is the amount of BTUs your home requires. Calculating my home’s BTU needs: For an average sized home, a typical cooling load falls somewhere between 60,000 and 80,000 BTUs. However, many other factors can influence the energy requirements, including quality of insulation, the location of your home, and type of windows. The general formula for determining a home’s cooling load is the amount in BTUs per hour and cubic feet per minute of airflow to maintain a 78-degree temperature in the house. If this calculation is beyond your capabilities or knowledge, don’t worry! There are simpler ways of finding the right system. Inspect your unit: Start by knowing your baseline, i.e. how much power you already have. By establishing a reference point, you can begin to develop a sense of whether you need to go over or under this number to find the right fit. Additionally, if your unit once performed well but is no longer making the grade due to malfunction, inspecting your unit for its serial number and manufacturer is the first step to replacing it. Ask your neighbors: Depending on where you’re located, homes in the same neighborhood tend to be relatively similar in size and layout. This means the heating and cooling needs should be about the same. Consult with your neighbors to get a sense of your local average, then make adjustments for the specifics of your home, including your insulation, layout, and windows. Online Calculators: With just a few key pieces of information (square footage, number of windows), there are a number of online calculators that are fairly accurate in their determination of your home’s BTU requirements. You can find manufacturer-specific or more general online tools to give you a general idea of your home’s energy needs. Manual J Calculator: The fool-proof way of finding the perfect AC is with a tool called the Manual J calculator, a piece of software developed by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America to calculate the exact cooling load of our home. This program gets incredibly specific, analyzing the exact airflow room by room and the types of appliances to determine your home’s exact energy profile. However, this tool is typically reserved for technicians due to its complexity and necessary training, so a home visit from your technician is necessary. Finding the right AC system for your home may seem like a logistical or a technical headache, but we can assure you, with these simple steps, you are already well on your way to making the right choice. We are happy to answer any questions or schedule a free diagnostic exam of your unit. Just give us a call at (949) 245-6320.

When the temperature starts to climb, your HVAC system may have a hard time keeping up. After months of non-use, dust, debris, and a dirty filter are all potential barriers standing between you and a fully functioning AC unit. While it may seem like a hassle in the short term, proper maintenance is key to long-term use. Following these simple tips for getting your HVAC system summer ready and they will ensure you keep cool even on the hottest days. Clean house: grass clippings, leaves, and other yard debris naturally collects inside your unit, so be sure clean as much of that material out as possible. Fire your filter: odds are pretty good that if the same filter from last year is still in your unit, it may be time to swap it out for a new one. Depending on what kind of system you have, it’s typical to replace your filter every 3 months. Take a listen: when turning on your HVAC system for the first time after a long hiatus, you want to be sure and listen closely for any strange noises, such as rattling or rumbling that could indicate an impending system failure. Diagnose your ducts: while most of the air ducts connected to your HVAC system are hidden behind drywall, you can determine a few key diagnostic points by inspecting the ones that are visible. These will likely be found in your basement or attic and should be examined for rust and/or damage to the insulation. Part of being a responsible homeowner means tackling maintenance tasks before they become a bigger issue. Keeping your HVAC system running smoothly will not only keep you cool but will save you energy costs and spare you headaches for summers to come. If you have questions regarding the maintenance of your HVAC system, call Just Right Services for a free diagnostic exam at (949) 245-6320.

Seven Signs of a Slab Leak: How to Spot a Problem Leaks under the foundation of your home are undeniably aggravating, incredibly damaging, and can be costly if not quickly identified and fixed. The key to avoiding long-term headaches is early detection. Thankfully, there are a few key warning signs that can help you identify a slab leak.

Hot spots: a warm water pipe leak is the most common method of detection because it’s the most obvious. If a specific area of your flooring feels unusually warm, you may have a leak that’s causing the temperature to rise.
Mold or mildew under your carpets: the next place to check is under any carpeting. Smelling the odor of a damp basement in the middle of your living room? You could very likely have a leak on your hands.
Cracks in tile or bubbles in linoleum: different materials, same warning signs. Any changes, cracking, or peeling on the surface of your floor could indicate trouble below.
Cracks in baseboards or walls: sometimes a leak will keep your floors intact, and instead, present itself on your walls. Your slab is made from concrete and heavy metal, and when water flows where it’s not supposed to, the foundation shifts, causing your walls to split and crack as a result.
Faint hissing or splashing sounds: if you’ve turned off all running water in your home (faucets, toilets, dishwasher, etc.) and you still hear a distant splashing or hissing, it’s usually because water is indeed still running somewhere. It may not be easy to hear, but every potential leak is worth investigating.
Low water pressure: those unsatisfying showers aren’t just annoying- they’re a warning sign that something may be wrong with your plumbing. If the leak is coming from your main water line, even a small one can cause a significant drop in water pressure.
Unexplained high water bills: paying an arm and a leg for water all of a sudden? Even small leaks can add up over time, costing you money on your water bill, as well as a potential fine if your water district is limiting consumption.

If you are concerned about a potential slab leak, contact Just Right Services for a free diagnostic exam at (949) 245-6320.

Understanding Your Air Filtration System