Cooling

In Northern California, summer always feels like it’s just around the corner. Californians have always loved to be outside; we enjoy more outdoor activities than we can list, from walking the coastline to hiking in the mountains. When the thermostat in our home creeps into the 70s, though, many of us turn to the cool comfort of our air conditioners. If your thermostat is rising, but your AC won’t turn on, things can get a bit heated.

Empower yourself to breezily handle cool air emergencies—and to head them off before they arise with regular maintenance and servicing. That’s where we come in. With over 25 years of knowledge and experience, there’s no HVAC issue Bell Brothers can’t solve. Whether it’s seasonal maintenance, unexpected repairs, or the installation of a new system, we’re your full-service heating and air experts—and Northern California’s trusted “No Surprise Guys.”

The Low Down on the Cool Down

Air conditioners can be pretty mysterious—just a strange metal box in the closet that keeps us cool. But having a basic understanding of how your air conditioner works can alert you when something has gone wrong, or help you to be as efficient as possible with your home energy use. The first step in becoming fluent in HVAC is to explore the main components of your air conditioning unit.

THE REFRIGERANT

This is the fluid inside your air conditioner that extracts the heat from the air. The most common refrigerant is now R410A.

THE EVAPORATOR COIL

These are the coils inside the indoor unit. They contain the refrigerant and their primary job is to cool the air as it enters the unit.

THE FAN

The indoor fan, or blower, is responsible for pushing all that nice, newly cooled air out into your home—and it’s one of the major components that contributes to the efficiency of your air conditioner.

THE COMPRESSOR

The air compressor pushes heat out of your home by pumping the warmed refrigerant gas into lines that travel to the condenser coil in your outside unit.

THE CONDENSING COIL

This is the big, humming box outside your home. By the time it reaches the condenser coil, the high-pressure refrigerant gas that’s traveled from the compressor is condensed back into liquid form. This process sends the heat that was collected from the air inside your home back into the air outside of it. Meanwhile, the refrigerant becomes cool again, returns to its liquid state, and is sent back through piping to begin the cycle all over again.

Beat the Heat with a New Unit Install

Most people like to think of themselves as pretty handy, but air conditioning installation can be a lot to take on—a difﬁcult task for anyone except HVAC professionals. When installing a new unit, there are many different components to consider, inside and outside your air conditioner, and making sure they all work together harmoniously can be daunting. That’s we highly recommend having a local Bell Brothers technician out to your home. Whether you’re combining a new air conditioner with an existing HVAC system or doing a complete overhaul and replacement, we offer the following services as part of the installation process:

LOAD CALCULATIONS

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing your old system with one the same size may be the wrong choice. Your original cooling unit may have been too large, or your new one may have a higher efficiency, allowing it to handle a higher heat load. Bell Brothers can provide you with accurate heat load calculations to determine what size system you need to efficiently cool your home.

UNIT DIMENSIONS

A new unit will likely be a different size and air conditioners can be configured in all different ways, with the fan and duct inlets and outlets located in various locations. Duct connections can also be different, located on the sides, bottom, or top of a unit, depending on who the manufacturer is. That’s why it’s important to have a professional assess if a new unit will fit into the existing space, and whether or not ductwork and piping might need to be altered for the new air conditioner.

UNIT PLACEMENT

Let Bell Brothers do all the heavy lifting for you. In addition to ordering and delivering your new unit, they’ll also be responsible for setting it in place and securing it to a pad, unistrut mount, or your chosen stabilizing structure.

INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING SYSTEMS

Hooking up your new unit requires that it be securely mounted in place with vibration isolator pads to reduce sound. Our technicians make sure your unit is secured and properly isolated, as well as connected to all the ductwork, plumbing, and electrical components necessary.

UNIT STARTUP

Bell Brothers ensures your unit not only starts, but is operating in tip-top shape for peak performance and efficiency.

Maintenance and Repair for Energy Efficiency

Car maintenance and AC maintenance actually have a lot in common—regular service checks, keeping parts oiled and greased, and checking belts to make sure they’re clean and in good working order. But many homeowners miss their annual AC maintenance checkups. Would you drive your car without having the needed oil changes? Failing to have your unit serviced can take years off its life. Bell Brothers recommends our 30-point maintenance check for your overworked Northern California air conditioner.

REFRIGERANT INSPECTION

We’ll inspect your refrigerant levels and pressure according to manufacturer’s specifications.

THERMOSTAT CALIBRATION

Proper cycle and temperature settings will be checked on thermostats, and adjusted as necessary.

ELECTRICAL COMPONENT EVALUATIONS

All wiring, contacts, capacitors, and relays will be evaluated and tightened. We’ll also inspect your outdoor disconnect for proper operation.

EVAPORATOR COIL INSPECTION

A full check of coils to ensure they’re clean and free of buildup will be conducted.

CONDENSATE DRAIN INSPECTION

A technician will check the condensate drain for any buildup in the line, and blow it free if necessary.

CONDENSER EVALUATION

A full inspection and cleaning of the outdoor condenser coils will be conducted to make sure there’s no buildup or debris.

CONDENSER FAN MOTOR INSPECTION

The condenser fan and blades will be inspected for damage and proper operation. They’ll also be well lubricated, if needed, to help prevent wear and tear.

STARTUP CHECK

We’ll perform an operational check to verify the correct compressor amps are met.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY CHECKS

A Bell Brothers certified HVAC technician will also perform additional safety and efficiency checks as needed, and recommend service options if parts need to be repaired or replaced.

Replacing Your Old Dinosaur with a Modern System

Regular maintenance checks will definitely extend the life of your unit. But, just like all machines, eventually the parts will wear out. An AC unit typically has a lifespan of one to two decades, depending on how well it’s been taken care of. The good news about buying a new, modern unit is that virtually all of the ones manufactured in the last decade are significantly more efficient, boasting a 14 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) or higher, which uses a third less energy than one with a 10 SEER rating. And, newer AC units make it easier to program your system, ultimately saving you money. Bell Brothers is here to walk you through the selection and buying process.

EXPERT BRAND ADVICE

We’ve worked with all the best brands, so our HVAC experts can give you first-hand knowledge about each manufacturer, and which unit may best fit your home and lifestyle.

A VAST SELECTION

Bell Brothers carries and services all the major air conditioning brands, so there’s no pressure to purchase from a particular manufacturer.

A FREE ANALYSIS

We pride ourselves in providing the highest level of customer service, including a free in-home consultation to provide you with a variety of options on replacement.

DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION