Get Ready for Summer

Summer is Fast Approaching... Make Sure to get your Regular Service & Maintenance

Make sure your AC system is ready for the brutal Florida summer. Maintenance and service of the equipment for the upcoming season is crucial. In order to get ready for the hot conditions – make sure your filter is changed on a regular basis and your thermostat is set at 78-80 degrees when you are not home.

Tips for our residential customers: Always add a cup of bleach in the drain line whenever you change the filter and remember to do this once a month and a good idea is to do this when you get the power bill. If the filters are dirty the machine will run harder and longer and will drive up your energy costs. Need to learn how to change your filter or clean your drain line – call us today!

If you need a Schwenn technician to service your unit please call us to schedule an appointment at (407)-895-7550. 

Thinking Ahead

Preparing your Unit for the Winter 

Preparing both your office and home air conditioning for the winter will save you money and prevent system malfunctions: You can prepare your unit for the winter by (1) Making sure your thermostats are set to a comfortable temperature for winter temperatures, (2) Running the heater for a few minutes to burn off the year''s worth of accumulated dust, which is what causes homeowners, employees, and customers to think their building or home is on fire the first time the heat comes on and (3) making sure your system is "tuned up" for the winter by having the filter changed, drain line checked, and refrigerant levels checked to make sure their system keeps your family, customers, and employees comfortable throughout the winter.

How to Maintain your Air Conditioner

How to maintain you home air conditioner can be a little tricky. Although we post these videos it is always smarter and safer to call Schwenn Services. We have 24/7 Emergancy service and will be with you every step of the way.

"Concept to Completion"...That's the Schwenn way!

Please call us at 407-895-7550 is you have any questions or need to schedule an appointment.

How to Balance HVAC Air Flow

Balencing Air Flow

Having family coming over for the holidays? Usually we do not notice any air flow problems in the house until we cram it full of people. Prevent this before this happens to you. A house full of hot in-laws equals a miserable holiday! Make sure the air flow in your house is even and accurate before you invite over all your family and friends…How do you do this? Let’s take a look.

Basic Home Maintenance : How to Change an Air Conditioner Filter

How to Program your Thermostat

10 Most Common Problems for Air Conditioners

1. Outdoor unit does not come on

• No ac power to unit:
• Defective breaker
• Wire burned at disconnect
• Transfer to electrician
• Defective contactor
• Defective thermostat
• Defective transformer
• Wire burned off at contactor

2. Circuit breaker tips when unit turned on

• Weak breaker
• Grounded compressor
• Condenser fan motor shorted to ground
• Defective contactor

3. Unit hums but fan does not run

• Defective fan motor
• Burned wire
• Defective capacitor

4. Unit fan runs but compressor does not

• Burned wire at compressor
• Compressor out on overload protector:
• Adjust refrigerant charge
• Clean condenser coil
• Replace compressor if won’t reset
• Defective compressor
• Defective start capacitor
• Add hard start relay

5. Outdoor unit runs, no fan inside

• Defective blower motor
• Defective capacitor
• Evaporator coil dirty
• Dirty filter
• Wire burned off
• Defective fan center

6. AC leaking water inside house

• Drain stopped up
• Evaporator coil pan rusted out
• Unit frozen up

7. Ice on lines at u/s unit and at condenser

• Evaporator extremely dirty
• Dirty filter
• Low on refrigerant
• Defective blower motor
• Defective blower motor capacitor

8. Thermostat not holding temperature that is set for

• Thermostat not calibrated
• Defective thermostat

9. Several room in home warmer than others

• No dampers installed in duct system
• Air not balanced in system
• Balance system with dampers

10. Unit runs constantly

• Low on refrigerant
• Returns pulling attic air

Service your unit regularly - to help prevent these problems

If you are having any of these problems please click here to set up an appointment with an Air Conditioning Expert at Schwenn Services & Contracting.

Should I Replace my Air Conditioner

This is a question that comes up a lot in the air conditioning industry. Everyone is trying to be cost-conscious these days and when it comes to repairing or replacing your air conditioning unit, here are a few tips to go by…

REPAIR if…
Your AC system is less than 10 years old
Has been maintained annually
The cost is less then $500 to repair
It’s in good operating condition

REPLACE if…
Your air conditioning system is over 10-years old.
It will cost more than $500 to repair
You’ve never had routine maintenance performed on the unit.
It’s deteriorating.
Your monthly utility costs are high.
Your AC unit doesn't comply with current safety standards.

These are just basic guidelines to go by if you are unsure of what to do. Your best option would be to speak to an air conditioning professional that you can trust. Click here to contact us we will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about your ac unit.

Air Conditioning Can Help Stop Sleeplessness

With the current societal pressures in today’s down economy, more and more of us find ourselves with sleep problems. Stresses cause us to be restless and toss and turn in our beds. Our daily lives give us enough to sweat about. It doesn't help that the summer heat is rolling in and making our living spaces uncomfortably hot. Nobody wants to be tired, cranky and hot all of the time.

The good news is that air conditioning has a direct effect on our level of sleep. The cooler we are at night, the deeper we will sleep, and the better rested we will be!

Getting back healthy sleeping habits requires us to balance our behavior, and our environment. There are a couple of things you can do before bed to increase your chance of a sound sleep.

Behavior:

1. Avoid Caffeine
2. Drink Warm Milk
3. Do not eat a big meal for at least 3 hours before bed
4. Nibble a small snack
5. Follow routine
6. Stick to same night hour for sleeping
7. Do not work out for at least 3 hours before bed
8. Do not drink alcohol
9. Do not smoke nicotine

Environment:

1. Sleep between 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Keep your core body cool right before bed
3. Keep your hands and feet warm under the covers
4. Have a comfortable mattress
5. Avoid light and noise
6. Try a hot water bottle at your toes

The best way to keep our core bodies chilled before bed is simply to lounge around in the cool air of our A/C units.

Hopefully, this is some help and you can manage to get a good nights rest.

Weather Warning for Florida

BE READY - BE PREPARED

Summer isn’t even here and we are experiencing temperatures in the mid to upper 90’s. With such a hot summer in store your air conditioning systems will be putting out a lot of condensation (water). It is real important for you to make sure these lines stay clear. Make sure that the line that comes outside that always puts out water - is clear from grass clippings and dirt. When you’re A/C line does back up it will probably be on the weekend. Instead of going through the weekend trying to find someone to come out and waiting in the awful humidity - You can clean it out yourself. Use a water hose and go outside where the water is suppose to come out and squirt the water back the other direction for 2 to 3 seconds and that should break loose the blockage and allow the water to flow. This will save you the A/C repair costs and a hot nights sleep.

Make sure to keep the area around your drain lines clean

Window and Split-system AC Units

A window air conditioner unit implements a complete air conditioner in a small space. The units are made small enough to fit into a standard window frame. You close the window down on the unit, plug it in and turn it on to get cool air. If you take the cover off of an unplugged window unit, you'll find that it contains:

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A compressor
An expansion valve
A hot coil (on the outside)
A chilled coil (on the inside)
Two fans
A control unit

The fans blow air over the coils to improve their ability to dissipate heat (to the outside air) and cold (to the room being cooled).

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When you get into larger air-conditioning applications, its time to start looking at split-system units. A split-system air conditioner splits the hot side from the cold side of the system, like this:
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The cold side, consisting of the expansion valve and the cold coil, is generally placed into a furnace or some other air handler. The air handler blows air through the coil and routes the air throughout the building using a series of ducts. The hot side, known as the condensing unit, lives outside the building.

The unit consists of a long, spiral coil shaped like a cylinder. Inside the coil is a fan, to blow air through the coil, along with a weather-resistant compressor and some control logic. This approach has evolved over the years because it's low-cost, and also because it normally results in reduced noise inside the house (at the expense of increased noise outside the house). Other than the fact that the hot and cold sides are split apart and the capacity is higher (making the coils and compressor larger), there's no difference between a split-system and a window air conditioner.

In warehouses, large business offices, malls, big department stores and other sizeable buildings, the condensing unit normally lives on the roof and can be quite massive. Alternatively, there may be many smaller units on the roof, each attached inside to a small air handler that cools a specific zone in the building.

In larger buildings and particularly in multi-story buildings, the split-system approach begins to run into problems. Either running the pipe between the condenser and the air handler exceeds distance limitations (runs that are too long start to cause lubrication difficulties in the compressor), or the amount of duct work and the length of ducts becomes unmanageable. At this point, it's time to think about a chilled-water system

How Air Conditioning Really Works

­When the temperature outside begins to climb, many people seek the cool comfort of indoor ai­r conditioning. Like water towers and power lines, air conditioners are one of those things that we see every day but seldom pay much attention to. wouldn't it be nice to know how these indispensable machines work their magic?

Air conditioners come in various sizes, cooling capacities and prices. One type that we see all the time is the window air conditioner, an easy and economical way to cool a small area. People who live in suburban areas usually have a condenser unit in the backyard. If you live in an apartment complex, you'll probably see multiple condensers for each dwelling. Most businesses and office buildings have condensing units on their roofs, and as you fly into any airport you notice that warehouses and malls may have 10 or 20 condensing units hidden on their roofs. At office complexes, you'll find large cooling towers that are connected to the air conditioning system.

Even though each of these machines has a pretty distinct look, they all work on the same principles.
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Lets’ examine air conditioners -- from small to huge -- so you know more about what you're seeing. We'll also look at some new, energy-efficient cooling methods.

Air Conditioning Basics
Most people think that air conditioners lower the temperature in their homes simply by pumping cool air in. What's really happening is the warm air from your house is being removed and cycled back in as cooler air. This cycle continues until your thermostat reaches the desired temperature.

An air conditioner is basically a refrigerator without the insulated box. It uses the evaporation of a refrigerant, like Freon, to provide cooling. The mechanics of the Freon evaporation cycle are the same in a refrigerator as in an air conditioner. According to the Merriam-website Dictionary Online, the term Freon is generically "used for any of various nonflammable fluorocarbons used as refrigerants and as propellants for aerosols."
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Diagram of a typical air conditioner

This is how the evaporation cycle in an air conditioner:

1. The compressor compresses cool Freon gas, causing it to become hot, high-pressure Freon gas (red in the diagram above).

2. This hot gas runs through a set of coils so it can dissipate its heat, and it condenses into a liquid.

3. The Freon liquid runs through an expansion valve, and in the process it evaporates to become cold, low-pressure Freon gas (light blue in the diagram above).

4. This cold gas runs through a set of coils that allow the gas to absorb heat and cool down the air inside the building.

Mixed in with the Freon is a small amount of lightweight oil. This oil lubricates the compressor.

Air conditioners help clean your home's air as well. Most indoor units have filters that catch dust, pollen, mold spores and other allergens as well as smoke and everyday dirt found in the air. Most air conditioners also function as dehumidifiers. They take excess water from the air and use it to help cool the unit before getting rid of the water through a hose to the outside. Other units use the condensed moisture to improve efficiency by routing the cooled water back into the system to be reused.

So this is the general concept involved in air conditioning.

Need a Tune-up?

Tune-ups are Essential
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We've been pretty lucky this year - some of us our turning on our AC units for the first time this year. The cold weather is finally gone! Some of us are not so lucky becuase we turned on our units and they are not working as well as we remember...

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Why not....

• Dirty Filter
• Low Refrigerant
• Clogged Drain Lines
• Dirty Blower Wheel

ALL of this can be prevented by semi-annual AC Tune-ups/Maintenances.

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mmmm  Schwenn Mechanical provides maintenance services to over 200 customers throughout Central Florida! We pride ourselves on lowering our customer’s energy costs and downtime, and increasing reliability and the life of their A/C equipment. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to show you the benefits so many Central Floridians already enjoy with Schwenn Mechanical Energy Savings Maintenance Programs
 

Maintenance Programs

Silver Program – 1 Year Coverage

• (2) Semi Annual precision tune-ups
• Additional 5% parts discount
• Please contact us for most recent pricing

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Gold Program – 2 Year Coverage

• (4) Semi Annual precision tune-ups
• Additional 5% parts discount
• No overtime charge
• Please contact us for most recent pricing

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Platinum Program – 3 Year Coverage

• (6) Semi Annual precision tune-ups
• Additional 10% parts discount
• No overtime charge
• Please contact us for most recent pricing

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Our energy savings maintenance programs provide you with the precision tune-ups your Power Utility and A/C Manufacturer recommend in order to maximize cooling, heating, and energy efficiency.

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Benefits:

• Lower Utility Bills
• Extended Equipment Life
• Fewer Repairs
• Improved Cooling Capacity
• 15% Parts Discount
• Priority Customer
• 24 Hour Emergency Service
• No-Hassle Scheduling

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Precision Tune-Up Includes: jjjjj

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Air Handler:

1. Inspect / tighten all electrical connections
2. Compare capacitor MFD against manufacturer specs
3. Evaluate evaporator coil and air handler cabinet
4. Measure and record amperage readings of blower motor
5. Check blower wheel for build up and proper balance
6. Inspect drain pan and treat with antibacterial pan treatment
7. Clear condensate drain with shop vacuum or nitrogen
8. Verify thermostat mounting, operation, and accuracy
9. Inspect heat strip components and safeties
10. Measure and record amperage from electric heat strip
11. Confirm float switch operation
12. Wash or replace air filter (provided by customer)
13. Take temperature spilt to help system efficiency

Condenser:

1. Measure and record amperage of condenser fan motor
2. Lubricate motor and visually check condenser fan blade for damage
3. Check refrigerant pressures and verify proper heat exchange
4. Compare compressor amperage readings with manufacturers specs
5. Take MFD readings on capacitors and compare with manufacturers specs
6. Inspect all electrical components for damage (Contactors, defrost boards, etc)
7. Check all valves, caps, and cores for refrigerant leaks
8. Visually inspect condenser coil and clean if necessary
9. Clean equipment exteriors and remove debris (leaves, dirt, etc)
10. Take superheat and sub-cooling readings to verify charge is correct

Heat Pump (If applicable):

1. Inspect reversing valve, coil, and defrost board
2. Verify operation and test defrost cycle
3. Confirm operation of crank case heater 

Our Service Department is ready to take care of any issues you may be having with your Air Conditioning system. We have highly trained personnel who are capable of working on any type of system. We are able to service a wide range of equipment, from large commercial chillers to typical residential air conditioners. As a Schwenn Mechanical customer, you will get a “small company” experience with quick response times and service with a personal touch, with the highly trained technicians and resources of a “large company.”

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 kkkkk Trust the Air Conditioning Professionals

Schwenn Services is fully licensed, bonded and insured Orlando air conditioning Insulation Company offering reliable AC service in Florida for over 25 years. Our customer’s satisfaction always comes first, and reliable, quality service is guaranteed.

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 Schedule your air conditioning maintenance today! Call 407-895-7550 or click here to contact us online!

Chilled-water & Cooling-tower AC Units

In a chilled-water system, the entire air conditioner lives on the roof or behind the building. It cools water to between 40 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 and 7.2 degrees Celsius). This chilled water is then piped throughout the building and connected to air handlers as needed. There's no practical limit to the length of a chilled-water pipe if it's well-insulated.

You can see in this diagram that the air conditioner (on the left) is completely standard. The heat exchanger lets the cold Freon chill the water that runs throughout the building.

In all of the systems described earlier, air is used to dissipate the heat from the outside coil. In large systems, the efficiency can be improved significantly by using a cooling tower. The cooling tower creates a stream of lower-temperature water. This water runs through a heat exchanger and cools the hot coils of the air conditioner unit. It costs more to buy the system initially, but the energy savings can be significant over time (especially in areas with low humidity), so the system pays for itself fairly quickly.

1. Cooling towers come in all shapes and sizes. They all work on the same principle:
2. A cooling tower blows air through a stream of water so that some of the water evaporates.
3. Generally, the water trickles through a thick sheet of open plastic mesh.
4. Air blows through the mesh at right angles to the water flow.
5. The evaporation cools the stream of water.

Because some of the water is lost to evaporation, the cooling tower constantly adds water to the system to make up the difference.
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The amount of cooling that you get from a cooling tower depends on the relative humidity of the air and the barometric pressure.
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For example, assuming a 95-degree Fahrenheit (35-degree Celsius) day, barometric pressure of 29.92 inches (sea-level normal pressure) and 80-percent humidity, the temperature of the water in the cooling tower will drop about 6 degrees to 89 degrees Fahrenheit (3.36 degrees to 31.7 degrees Celsius). If the humidity is 50 percent, then the water temperature will drop perhaps 15 degrees to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (8.4 degrees to 26.7 degrees Celsius). And, if the humidity is 20 percent, then the water temperature will drop about 28 degrees to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.7 degrees to 19.4 degrees Celsius). Even small temperature drops can have a significant effect on energy consumption.

Whenever you walk behind a building and find a unit that has large quantities of water running through a thick sheet of plastic mesh, you will know you have found a cooling tower!

Air Conditioning & Babies

Help Prevent SIDS

Orlando babies that live in our Central Florida heat should be growing up in households with A/C units. Babies become dehydrated much quicker than adults because of their perspiration prevalence. Leaving a small child restless in a hot room all night results in sweaty pajamas, sleepy eyes, and thirsty mouths.

More importantly there has been evidence to suggest that a baby’s sleep environment is a critical factor in the risk for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), which is diagnosed when the sudden death of an infant can’t be explained by other health concerns. Researchers who study SIDS found that simply having a fan in the room lowered a baby’s risk of SIDS by 72 percent. Babies sleeping on their backs and in cooler rooms have a smaller chance of experiencing SIDS than ones placed to sleep belly down in hot air.