No matter what your HVAC questions are, the pros at Air Current AC & Heat in Houston have answers. Whether you have questions about picking new HVAC equipment to best practices on care and maintenance, we can help. Our online FAQs answers offer a fast response for your convenience, but if you want to know more on any topic, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 713-257-9226.

Just like you need to take your car in to the shop for routine tune-ups, such as oil changes or inspecting probable issues, your home comfort system should receive the same kind of attention. Routine maintenance by a trained technician provides a variety of benefits to your HVAC equipment, which can help your systems work efficiently and prevent costly breakdowns.
The cost can fluctuate depending on the equipment size and different features, so we suggest contacting Air Current AC & Heat at 713-257-9226 to obtain a quote.
Two-stage heating allows the furnace to heat at two levels of output: high for cold winter days and low for mild ones. Around 80 percent of the time, your homes heating requirements can be met when the furnace is left on the low setting, enabling your two-stage unit to work for longer periods of time. Two-stage units also give more even heat distribution, fewer temperature swings, quiet operation, increased air filtration and energy efficiency.
Air Current AC & Heat has a selection of brands and models that are more efficient than ever and make it easier to find the best match for your home. There are innovative systems that make heating or cooling your home more automatic, functioning similar to cruise control to make small adjustments to help meet your comfort demands with energy efficiency. You can reach us at 713-257-9226 to learn more about the technology we carry.
Depending on how old your previous furnace was, you could experience a variety of differences. Furnaces today are designed to provide more even and efficient heating than ever before. Modern furnaces also better regulate temperature and air flow, moving more air over the heat exchanger than older furnaces.

Additionally, new furnaces are designed to integrate with other high-efficiency HVAC products, such as air conditioners. The air conditioner blowers offer your heating system an extra boost so it can deliver cool air around your home efficiently. Special features like variable speed motors will also help decrease noise associated with operating your equipment and easily meet your family’s airflow needs.

The Department of Energy recently boosted the minimum efficiency levels for air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units manufactured after Jan. 1, 2015, since heating and cooling contributes significantly to a homes total energy usage. The requirements vary by region, so call Air Current AC & Heat for the efficiency standards for Houston.
Air Current AC & Heat carries a number of HVAC products with high-efficiency ratings, which can help cut back the amount of energy they require to work. Aside from choosing products that have received Energy Star® certification or achieved high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, you might consider the following:

  • Making certain that your system receives regular maintenance by a trained professional can keep your system operating at its top performance.
  • Zoning systems enable you to heat or cool only specific areas of your home, so you wont have to pay to heat or cool spaces that you aren’t using.
  • Installing a programmable thermostat allows you to set the temperature in your home around your schedule. They can be programmed to give you the comfort you desire when you’re home and increase or decrease the temperature while you’re not around, helping you save on utility costs.
Air Current AC & Heat is well-known in the Houston area and you can rely on them to provide quality home comfort products. We offer a variety of innovative and high-quality products. We are dedicated to providing customers high-quality service and will make sure you find the appropriate solution for your home.
Improving your home’s indoor air quality starts with four basic strategies:

    • Poor indoor air quality leaves your home full of air pollutants floating around. So, to enhance IAQ, the first step is to get rid of as many pollutants as possible. You can easily do this by cleaning and vacuuming at least one time during the week, frequently washing linens and storing cleaning products safely.
    • Proper insulation is ideal for keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but it also makes it challenging for airborne pollutants to escape. We offer products that help swap stale air for fresh, filtered outside air.
    • Good ventilation and ongoing cleaning are a start, but air filters, germicidal lights and purification systems take your IAQ to the next level by capturing microscopic particles, killing germs and getting rid of particles while destroying chemical vapors.
    • Programmable thermostats will help control the humidity levels and temperature to help avoid particles and germs from building up while also keeping your home comfortable.

We advise that you meet with one of the professionals at Air Current AC & Heat and have them evaluate your home and current indoor comfort system. We can help you determine which equipment will be best suited to meet your needs.

Most homeowners believe that air conditioners make it cooler in your house, but it actually removes the heat from your home, directing the hot air outside. That hot air flows across a cold indoor coil where refrigerant in the lines sends the heat to the coil in your outdoor unit, releasing the hot air outside. This process continues until the indoor temperature reaches the desired level that you set on your thermostat.
Due to the increasing amount of energy used by heating and cooling systems, the Department of Energy (DOE) hiked up the minimum efficiency levels for air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged units manufactured after January 1, 2015. These levels are determined based on region and carry varying requirements based on your location. Air Current AC & Heat can answer any questions you may have regarding these minimum requirements and let you know what choices are available when you’re in the market for a replacement system.
These numbers are located on a nameplate or sticker that is near your systems service panel. The sticker is white with black letters and have both of these numbers located near the top of the sticker. M/N denotes model number while S/N is your serial number.
There are a handful of ways to determine what size system is right for your home, but the most reliable way to choose a system is by having your local Air Current AC & Heat technician come out and perform a load calculation. This calculation considers your homes: square footage, insulation value, amount of insulation, and a number of other factors.
The short answer is Yes. Dirt and other debris can hinder your systems ability to work efficiently. For heat pumps, it is common to have frost or ice on them during the winter, but they also feature defrost controls to ensure they work efficiently in those kinds of weather.
Two-stage cooling means that your cooling unit has two levels of operation. When summer is its warmest, the high setting kicks in, and when its cooler or more mild, the low setting handles the duties. Most of the time, the lower setting can take care of your cooling needs, but even when the high setting kicks in, you may not realize it because it can maintain such even temperatures for your comfort. This can also mean a quieter cooling system, greater efficiency and improved humidity control.
When your cooling unit freezes up, there are a couple of reasons why it could be doing so. The most typical reasons include: dirty filters, low refrigerant, a dirty evaporative coil and a faulty blower motor or relay. A dirty filter is something you can fix as a homeowner, but the others need to be completed by a professional like those at Air Current AC & Heat. Contact them at 713-257-9226 with any additional questions.
Picking the best thermostat for your cooling system comes with a lot to think about. Thats why its nice to have such a big variety of choices from Air Current AC & Heat. Whether you’re searching for a programmable or non-programmable thermostat or want to join the smart home trend, there are a variety of thermostats that you have to pick from. Some thermostats will depend on what type of heating and cooling system you have, but the team at Air Current AC & Heat will be able to help determine what options are best for your needs and your budget.
Heat pumps can be a tad confusing due to their name, but they actually cover both your heating and cooling needs all year. When its hot outside it runs like an air conditioner in that it removes heat from your home, but when it cools off, the process gets switched around and it collects heat from outside and brings it inside. Heat pumps are also very efficient, and may produce up to two or three times more heat than the energy it uses.

Of course we advise you to also replace your indoor system, but this is why:

      • All outdoor cooling systems have a matching indoor unit that they are intended to work with to ensure efficient performance. When they aren’t paired with the other part as a complete system, efficiency can suffer.
      • As with most products, advancements have brought about newer, more efficient ways of doing things. Heating and cooling systems are no different. These improvements most importantly include improved heating and cooling efficiency, but also involve improved air handling, filtering and noise pollution reduction to name a few.
      • Heating and cooling systems that are more than 10-15 years old usually need to be replaced. Not only do they feature outdated technology, but they are also less efficient than more recent models. Getting a new indoor unit at the same time means you’ll have a matched system to provide you with improved comfort and efficiency for years to come.
The communication module on your home energy system might send the system’s performance records for each module to a website. You should visit this website to learn more about the system’s status, energy production and environmental benefits. The site also shares carbon offsets as it happens.
In most locations, rain will clean the solar modules off automatically. If you live in a dusty or industrial area, periodically spraying the modules with water could help improve performance. However, detergents and high-pressure hoses should never be used to rinse solar modules.
The right thermostat for you depends on your heating and cooling equipment. Air Current AC & Heat sells programmable and nonprogrammable thermostats that can help increase the efficiency of your HVAC systems. View our available products or contact us at 713-257-9226 to learn more.
Heating and cooling can make up a significant amount of your utility bill. The innovative and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products available from Air Current AC & Heat can help decrease these costs. If you’re shopping for a new heating or cooling system, look for products with high SEER ratings for air conditioners and AFUE ratings for furnaces. SEER and AFUE are a measure of system efficiency, and the greater the number, the more efficient the product. Besides purchasing a new home comfort system, think about these additional factors:

      1. Is your system regularly maintained? Whether it’s a furnace or air conditioner, HVAC systems will work more efficiently after regular maintenance checks.
      2. Do you need a zoning system? If there are areas in your home that are rarely used, a zoning system will allow you to heat or cool only the most used areas of your house.
      3. Are you taking advantage of a programmable or smart thermostat? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, programmable thermostats may decrease your heating costs by up to 35 percent, and your cooling costs by up to 25 percent.

Zoning equipment gives you the ability to section off parts of your house and control the temperature differently in each room. Zoning equipment is best for when you have areas of your residence that are seldom used or when you and your family are constantly in disagreement of how hot or cold it ought to be inside. Zoning systems are nearly silent and efficient, enabling you to have more control over the comfort of your house. Find out more about the zoning equipment available from Air Current AC & Heat.