Making your home more efficient can pay off in a big way over time. There are many different tests we run to test the efficiency of a home. One of those is a blower door test. A blower door test will find all the places that a home is leaking air. There are often a lot of small leaks in a home. They could be around doors, windows, electrical outlets,...
View Article Continue ReadingAt ALPS, air quality and HVAC services go hand-in-hand. When we come to your home to repair any of your HVAC components we always recommend continued maintenance of your units by regular cleaning and replacements when needed to avoid build-up, excess dust and wear and tear on your units. In the meantime, to preserve your HVAC unit in your home there are easy ways to avoid the dust layering that...
View Article Continue ReadingAs the recent winners of Angie’s List’s Super Service Award, the ALPS team knows what it takes to provide our customers with top-notch service on a daily basis. We pride ourselves on never leaving customers without solving the problem and some of our customers have even turned into lifelong friends. For almost 40 years our family owned and operated business has routinely provided Orange County homeowners with all their HVAC...
View Article Continue ReadingOur natural first reaction to something not operating correctly is usually: why is this not working? Our second reaction is to promptly Google the issue, trying to find an easy solution. But when it comes to our air conditioning and heating systems, technical difficulties are trickier than replacing an old light bulb in your refrigerator. Here are general answers to the top 3 most common questions homeowners have in regards...
View Article Continue ReadingAir conditioners are blissful during those hot, Southern California summers that are becoming longer and longer every year. They cool us down, re-energize us and leave us feeling refreshed and ready to take on the heat. But have you ever felt congested, like you may have a head cold, despite it being 90 degrees out? Because most air conditioners circulate old air as opposed to new air from the outdoors,...
View Article Continue ReadingWith rising heat waves that are becoming more and more common even in the “winter”, most of us living in Southern California cannot get away with just using ceiling fans or portable fans to cool us down anymore. Temperatures are likely to rise before cooling off in the near future and an uncomfortably warm house or apartment is sure to make anyone a bit cranky. If you do not have...
View Article Continue ReadingIn our business, we get a lot of calls for HVAC repairs when it’s either really hot or it’s really cold. Because we live in Orange County, an area where the temperature is temperate most of the year, most people don’t use their AC as much as someone who lives in Arizona, or heater as much as someone in Alaska. We might have it set to heat our homes, or...
View Article Continue ReadingOn January 1st, 2015, new standards of efficiency from the U.S. Department of Energy went into effect. Among these are higher SEER standards than in previous years. Now, you may be asking: what does SEER even stand for, and what do these changes mean for me? SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is the standard given to air conditioning systems in order to measure their efficiency. In more familiar terms,...
View Article Continue ReadingProblem Every once and a while, we get a call from a concerned customer who asks: “Why does it smell like a dirty locker room when I run my A/C?” If that sounds familiar, then believe it or not, your A/C system may have Dirty Sock Syndrome. How would you know if you have Dirty Sock Syndrome and not some other issue causing a foul odor? Well, with Dirty Sock...
View Article Continue ReadingReminder for all you homeowners out there: The best time to schedule an inspection for your HVAC system is before the high temperatures of summer come around. So, while you’re doing some spring cleaning this month, think about getting a check-up for your hardworking HVAC system as well! Here are a few tips you can follow to get the most out of your HVAC system this summer. 1. Check your filters...
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