Air Conditioning in Riverside

Let’s face it, there are very few things more frustrating than waking up from your sleep in the middle of a summer’s night to the horrible realization that your Riverside home’s AC unit has stopped functioning, leaving you and your family in an uncomfortable sweaty situation.

Not only is a malfunctioning air conditioning unit a real pain to deal with in the middle of the night, it can also pose many problems throughout the day and really needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

So, if you want to make sure that a temporary air conditioning problem in your Riverside home doesn’t turn into a permanent problem, then you need to call UCS Heating & Air Conditioning today and allow us to do what we do best. Our skill and expertise in all aspects of air conditioning repair means that we can deliver real and optimal results for you quickly and effectively.

Three Signs Your Home Has a Malfunctioning AC Unit

Whether the full brunt of summer is upon you or not, the reality of the situation is that you need to have a functioning AC unit at all times. At the end of the day, cold AC is one of the biggest perks of your home particularly during the summer months, but it is also one of those things that you probably won’t miss until it’s gone.

With that in mind, you should be on the lookout for signs of AC problems lurking beneath the surface level. So, if you want to make sure that you and your family’s comfort levels are maintained at all times and you are not trapped in the heat, then you need to keep an eye on these three telltale signs of AC damage:

1. No Air Conditioning: It should come as no surprise that the first warning sign that your home’s air conditioning isn’t working properly is the absence of AC altogether. So, if you have arrived home and have been greeted with a whole lot of nothing from your unit, then you need to call us at UCS Heating & Air Conditioning today and let us get to work on fixing your home’s HVAC system. Thankfully for you, we can diagnose and fix the problem quickly and effectively.
2. Water Stain: If you suspect that your home’s air conditioning unit isn’t working properly, then one of the most obvious signs is a water stain. It is often the case that the drain on the bottom of your AC unit becomes clogged and water backs up and flows into your home’s walls, damaging them.
3. AC Leaks: The final warning sign that your home’s air conditioning unit isn’t working properly are leaks. Low pressure in your AC unit can be a very obvious sign of a leak but generally most leaks are extremely hard to spot, and they can lead to more serious problems down the line.

Whether you are reading this in the heat and humidity of summer or the cooler air of spring or fall, the simple fact of the matter is that your Riverside home needs to have a functioning HVAC unit at all times. If you want to make sure you and your family are as comfortable as possible, then you need to contact us at UCS Heating & Air Conditioning. A properly functioning air conditioning unit is what keeps your home comfortable, particularly during the summer months. What most people in Riverside fail to realize is that this is also one of those things that you probably won’t miss until it’s gone.

So, if you want to make sure that your Riverside home is protected from the dreaded downside of humid stickiness, then you need to call us today.

Five Tips to Save Energy When AC is a Must

In an ideal world, we wouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars and countless amounts of energy every year on air conditioning, but the simple fact of the matter is that in Riverside, especially during the warm summer months, it really is a must! So, when the summer temperatures start hitting the 90 or even 100 degree mark, you need to make sure that your AC unit is working so that you and your family stay cool. However, just because your AC unit is on doesn’t mean that you can’t save money and do your bit for the environment. With that in mind, here are five tips to keep costs and energy levels down:

1. Keep Your AC Unit Lower at Night: What many people don’t know is that during the night, you don’t require the same level of conscious cool, and as a result you can keep your AC down and still remain comfortable. Turning your AC down to “sleep mode” during your sleeping hours can lower the output on a timer.
2. Use Window Units: If you are lucky enough to be the owner of a Riverside home that is larger than most, then it is likely that you don’t have to cool your entire home. A great way of doing this is installing a portable or window unit. The benefits of doing so is that it uses less than 50% of the energy that a larger central air unit would and can also keep costs down in the process.
3. Close Off Your Home’s Vents: Typically, the basement is traditionally the coolest room in your house. A great way of keeping your entire home cool for less is to close all the vents in the lower portion of your Riverside home. What this means is that the cool air will move down there naturally and by closing these vents, you can direct and force the air up to the rest of your home. This is a quick, easy and cost-effective way of keeping your home cool without having to spend more on AC bills!
4. Service Your Home’s AC Unit: One thing that can enhance the effectiveness of your AC unit while also keeping costs down is by servicing and maintaining your unit regularly. In Riverside, this is especially the case with pesky trees like Cottonwoods which drop seeds that stick to the filters and make the unit work harder.
5. Rearrange Your Furniture: In certain situations, something as simple as rearranging your furniture can enhance the cool air in your Riverside home. So, why waste your time, money and energy cooling the back of a couch or a kitchen cabinet when you could be enhancing the feel of your home right away. It is also possible to install plastic pieces on your vents which can force your air in a certain direction. At UCS Heating & Air Conditioning, we can do this for you quickly and efficiently.

Two Signs Your AC Unit Needs Repair Work

Truth be told, it is not very difficult to tell if your air conditioning system needs repairs. However, it is also true that many first-time homeowners in Riverside struggle to tell if their AC unit is broken or if it’s all in their heads. Here’s the thing, if you want to make sure that your AC unit keeps you and your family nice and cool when the summer season hits then you need to make sure that you keep a close eye on the following signs that often indicate that an AC unit is reaching its end:

• No Cool Air: If you are reading this then the likelihood is that your AC system simply isn’t doing what it should. If you find that, even at full blast, the air coming from your vents just isn’t as cold as it should be or used to be, then this is an indication that it is in serious disrepair and may need to be fixed immediately. An obvious symptom of a lack of cool air is a broken compressor. Alternatively, it could be a sign that your system’s Freon levels are too low.
• Poor Air Flow: If you have noticed weak or reduced air flow coming through your AC unit’s vents, then the likelihood is that the compressor has failed. However, if you notice that certain rooms in your home are receiving all the air while the others are getting very little then the issue might be with the duct work. Both issues are indicators that your AC system needs urgent repair.

No Relief From the Heat

In the summer of 2017 Riverside temperatures skyrocketed to the triple digits. August saw the heat record broken with 108 degrees, and in other parts of the USA temperatures rose to heights of 126 degrees. When temperatures get that high, the results can be disastrous. Dehydration, sunstroke, loss of appetite, and dizziness are all common side effects of being exposed to extreme temperatures. A triple-digit day can even be fatal.

If your air conditioning unit isn’t working, it is important you get it serviced immediately. Temperature changes of as much as a single degree can alter your body’s chemistry in many ways. On days of extreme heat with no HVAC unit nearby, those changes can be quite serious.

If you do not have access to a reliable HVAC unit at your workplace or home, call USC Heating & Air Conditioning today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We want to ensure that you are healthy and comfortable every single day of the summer. Mother Nature might think that’s too much to ask, but not USC Heating & Air Conditioning.

Dangers of a Faulty Air Conditioner

Did you notice that your conventional HVAC and air conditioning unit was acting strangely during the last major heatwave? Maybe your unit was making strange sounds, or maybe the fan sounded like it was spinning at half-speed.

At the end of a warm season, many air conditioners will begin to show signs of malfunctioning from overuse. But come the end of the heatwave, Riverside residents will forget about the air conditioner and its needed repairs entirely. We turn off the AC and tell ourselves the unit will ‘fix itself’.

But HVAC systems and air conditioners do not fix themselves. In fact, those neglected problems will only get worse over time.

When the next heatwave hits you’re going to need a well-maintained and functional air conditioner. Running your malfunctioning AC unit runs the risk of damaging it further and being left with no relief at all.

Here are just a few of the things that can result from neglecting to schedule regular maintenance for your Riverside air conditioner:

• • Decrease in Cooling Power – If your fan starts running at a lower speed, that means you are losing cooling power. During the cooler months people will either not notice this problem or they’ll dismiss it. But when summer arrives, you are going to want your fan running at full speed.
• • Increase in Electric Bill – When your air conditioner has a problem, it’s going to continue trying to keep your house cool. But these small problems will put stress on the air conditioner, causing it to work harder than usual. The AC unit will drain more power than usual. You might not notice this at first, but just wait until you receive your utility bill in the mail.
• • Risk of More Damages – When a problem isn’t fixed by a trusted repair person, the worse the problem will become. The continual stress will cause the unit’s components to wear down over time until one day your AC unit no longer works. Often this day comes when you need your air conditioner most.

Don’t wait for the day you need your air conditioner most to call for repairs. Ensure that your unit is always ready to keep you cool by scheduling regular maintenance.

Contact UCS Heating & Air Conditioning Today

Are you worried that your HVAC unit isn’t working as well as it has in the past? If you answered yes to this question, then it may need to be maintained properly and if you are in the Riverside area, then there is only one number you should call. Our skill and expertise allied with a competitive price point and a client-centered approach to customer service mean that we simply won’t be beat for price, quality or convenience.