ACI Northwest Blog: Archive for March, 2013

Electrical FAQ: Do I need a fuse box upgrade?

Monday, March 25th, 2013

When the electricity comes into your home from the street it needs to be distributed properly throughout your home. In older homes, the electricity coming from your utility company enters a fuse box that acts as the distribution point for the light switches, appliances and outlets throughout the home. While fuse boxes do have some advantages, there are several important signs to watch for that could indicate you may want to consider upgrading to a new circuit breaker panel. Contact the electrical repair technicians at ACI Northwest if you’re having any issues with your fuse box and need repairs or replacement. These are some of the problems that could indicate that you need to replace your fuse box.

Frequent Blown Fuses

Fuse boxes protect your home from dangerous levels of electricity by using fuses. If the current of electricity flowing through the fuse gets too high it will heat up the fuse and melt it, thus destroying the connection and “blowing” the fuse. If you start to notice that your fuse box is blowing too many fuses it could be a sign that there are some problems with the box and it needs to be replaced. Contact the Spokane, WA electrical professionals at ACI Northwest for any electrical repair that you need.

Marks Around the Fuses

When you see burn marks, rust, loose connectors or discoloration on your fuse box it is likely a sign that there are big problems. This is probably a good time to have your fuse box replaced with a safer and more reliable circuit breaker. Contact the Spokane, WA electrical specialists at ACI Northwest.

Benefits of Circuit Breakers

While fuse boxes are actually more sensitive to dangerous amount of electrical current, it can cause them to be a nuisance. Instead of using fuses to protect your home from too much electricity, circuit breaker use magnets. When the current of electricity gets too high a magnet is engaged and it flips the switch. This is much more convenient because you don’t have to go out and buy fuses (which can be hard to find).

For all your Spokane, WA electrical needs call the friendly electricians at ACI Northwest. Call ACI Northwest today!

Continue Reading

Electrical Tips: Electrical Problems Needing Repairs

Monday, March 18th, 2013

Electrical problems require immediate repair. While we depend on electricity to power most of the gadgets and appliances in our home, we also realize that it can be dangerous and that certain jobs are best left to the pros. At ACI Northwest, our team of Spokane electricians is committed to informing our customers about the electricity that runs through their home. It’s the best way to know how to recognize a problem, and pass it along to trained and certified professional. We hope you find the following tips useful! For comprehensive electrical repair, call ACI Northwest.

  • Flickering lights. This is a common problem. The cause could be a faulty circuit local to that fixture, or if occurs in several different fixtures in different rooms, that may indicate a fault in the main line. Occasionally, installing new CFL lights can flicker, too. If your household lights flicker when it’s windy outside, then it probably means the wires in the outdoor weatherhead are shorting out. They’re probably frayed. This can be a serious fire hazard.
  • Not enough outlets. While this may not be a problem in new home builds, older homes are notoriously modest with their distribution of outlets, which can be frustrating for the array of electronic and powered equipment we use today. This is not exactly a repair, but it’s not a good idea to use extensive surge protectors throughout your home instead of outlets.
  • Panel is over-wired. Your circuit panel is rated for a certain amount of circuits that it can reasonably handle. Your local electrician can install a subpanel or a new larger replacement.
  • Overlamping. When you put in a light bulb whose wattage is greater than that of the fixture—that’s known as overlamping. It’s dangerous because it can cause the bulb to melt the socket and the wire’s insulation. It can also cause arcing, a common cause of electrical fires.

Remember to keep you home safe by scheduling electrical repairs when you need them. For more information about our electrical services or to schedule an electrician to come to your home, call ACI Northwest today!

Continue Reading

Heating FAQ: What Do I Get with an HVAC Maintenance Plan at ACI?

Monday, March 11th, 2013

At ACI Northwest, we offer Hayden ID heating and air conditioning maintenance services and maintenance plans to ensure that you get all of your new and existing equipment needs met. This week, we’ve included a rundown of all the benefits of our service plan.

New Equipment

For new heating and cooling equipment you get the following:

  • Free home comfort and energy savings analysis
  • Complete home heat loss & heat gain worksheet to ensure proper sizing of equipment
  • Multiple options to fit the needs of both the home and customer
  • On the spot financing with multiple payment options
  •  All rebate paperwork completed by sales staff to ensure maximum dollar amounts.

For repairs you get, 24/7 Emergency service on all heating, air conditioning and heat pump systems, in addition to discounts for seniors and active and retired members of the military. Repairs for tank and tankless water heaters are also covered and you get a one year warranty on all repairs, labor and parts.

Premium Agreement Benefits

  • 20% discount on repairs and priority service
  • No overtime fees and 24/7 service
  • One year guarantee on repairs and transferable agreement
  • Two scheduled tune-ups per year and inflation protection
  • $50 towards a new unit per year of agreement

Maintenance helps to maintain efficiency for heat pumps and other air conditioning systems. No matter what type of heating and air conditioning system you have, keep in mind that a clean system is an efficient one. As a homeowner, you should change air filters, vacuum out vents, clean off coils, and make sure nothing is blocking the airflow to the outdoor unit. Call Hayden ID heating experts if you aren’t sure how to properly clean your air conditioning system.

We also offer commercial maintenance services, and our Hayden ID heating technicians are on call 24/7 for any emergency heating repairs. Call ACI Northwest if you have questions or would like more information about the maintenance plans or heating repair services that we offer in Hayden, ID.

Continue Reading

Air Conditioning FAQ: AC Systems Available

Monday, March 4th, 2013

Keeping your home cool is a huge priority for every homeowner. If you’re interested in replacing your current AC system with a new one there are several different options from which to choose. ACI Northwest provides comprehensive air conditioning services in Spokane, WA, including installation and air conditioning repair.  We thought it would be helpful for our customers if we put together some of the most popular air conditioning systems. If you have any questions about air conditioning system installation or repair, call the air conditioning specialists at ACI Northwest today!

Central Air Conditioning in Spokane WA

Probably the most popular air conditioning system is the traditional central air conditioning system. This type of system is basically a heat pump that can only provide cooling. These offer consistent and efficient air conditioning in Spokane, WA for homes of all different sizes.

Ductless Split Systems

Ductless mini split cool your home in a similar to central AC systems. Their three main differences are the use of individual room units, the lack of ducts and their ability to also provide heating. Ductless mini split systems have individual units mounted to the wall of each room in your home. This allows you to only heat or cool only the rooms that you are using. Depending on how you use this feature it could reduce the amount of energy that you use in your home.

Spokane WA Geothermal Air Conditioning

For people who are interested in seriously reducing the amount of energy that you have to buy to cool or heat your home, a geothermal system is the next step. Heat pumps are able to provide cooling by moving heat out of your home and exhausting it into the air. With a geothermal system, the heat is actually exhausted into the ground or into a water source (like a river, lake or pond). Geothermal air conditioning in Spokane, WA is one of the most efficient.

Spokane WA Air Conditioning Services

For all your Spokane, WA air conditioning repair or installation, contact ACI Northwest. Our technicians have years of experience working with all types and brands of air conditioning systems. We can help you pick out the system that’s right for your home and then install it for you. If you need air conditioning repair in Spokane, WA call us too.

Continue Reading