As spring heats up, the scorching hot days of June, July and August are soon to follow!  For a limited time only, Cold King is offering a $75 Spring Tune-up.  Our 8 point health check includes:

• Clean Condensing Unit
• Check Opperating Pressures
• Check Freon
• Test Blower Wheel for Air Flow
• Test Voltage and Amp Draw
• Check Thermostat Operation
• Check Interior Vents for Air Flow
• Report of the Inspection

To schedule an appointment, contact us or call us at 718-605-1244!

With spring quickly coming upon us, many are finding themselves performing their spring cleaning chores sooner rather than later. To be truly successful in maximizing the full enjoyment of these spring and summer seasons, people need to remember the most important tasks that will help save money and make the most of the summer season. One of the most imperative steps to take is to prep your air conditioner for the summer. By taking the little amount of time to clean your air conditioner it will pay off both in comfort and in savings by keeping your home at lower temperatures with lower costs and a longer life for your AC unit. By following these simple steps, you’ll be able to complete this process for your central air conditioner to keep it running efficiently!

Step 1: THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT — Go to your outdoor AC system and shut off the power: you should find this easy if you can find the appliance shutoff box. It’s usually outside within sight of the outdoor unit. Some shutoffs pull out; others have a handle to pull down or a fuse to remove. If there isn’t anyone of those, turn off the power at the circuit breaker at the main panel that controls the outdoor unit.

Step 2: This is going to take place on your outside unit, in which you must clean the condenser coil. Inside the condenser coil is the fan which sucks in the air around the unit and in turn, sucks in the debris around it. This can consist of bugs, dust, grass clippings, dead leaves, weeds, twigs, dust, etc. After you’re sure that you shut off the power to your AC unit you need to continue with cleaning the fan motors. Some units have lubrication ports, and if yours does, apply five drops of special oil (not penetrating or all-purpose oil) for electric motors. You can find this type of oil for electric motors at your standard hardware store. But if its not the case in which many of the fan motors are maintenance free (refer to your owner’s manual) you don’t have to be worried about the lubricating oil.

Step 3:  Checking for leaks- Most often, the compressor of your outdoor AC unit will not need to be serviced as it is tightly sealed; however, if you notice dark oily patches around your system, it’s likely that there is a leak.  If the unit is leaking, contact us and DON’T tighten the joints yourself as this will only make the issue worse.

After completing these steps, your air conditioning unit should be prepared for spring and summer.  While these techniques will benefit the overall health of your system, it is a good idea to not turn your air conditioner on directly after completing the process, as a solid 24 hour period of inactivity will allow a warming element to heat the internal unit of the compressor.  As temperatures continue to rise and daylight savings time has taken effect, weekends and weeknights make perfect times to follow these simple steps!

It’s not uncommon for a hot water heater to die less than a decade after its installation and this is unfortunate because there are several small and simple steps that one can take to avoid a hot water heater’s untimely death. Just as it’s important for us to maintain our vehicles by avoiding crucially low gas levels and scheduling frequent oil changes, hot water heaters too need basic support. By following the few simple steps below, you can avoid a financial crisis and keep your hot water heater efficiently working for years to come.

Both electric and gas hot water heaters feature pressure release valves that should be checked bi-yearly. By maintaining proper pressure in your hot water heater, you will avoid the likely-hood of having inefficient low pressure levels or the opposite consequence of high pressure levels which can result in dangerous explosions.

1. Firstly, turn off the gas or electric to your heater. (Gas heaters will have a pilot switch that can be flipped to “off”)
2. Turn off the connection of cold water to the heater and place a large bucket or pan below the pressure valve.
3. Turning on the trip lever to the valve should result in a pop of air before the release of vapor or water. If no water is released then it’s usually time for a new valve to be attached. After attaching a new valve, connect a garden hose to the drain spigot.

After your tank has been drained, the system is then ready to be flushed.

1. Turn off the cold water and make sure that the gas or electric is disconnected to the heater.
2. Making certain that the hose is attached to the drain valve, open the pressure release valve.
3. After draining the tank, close the drain spigot and remove the hose. Be sure that the relief valve has been turned off.
4. Throughout your home, turn on all faucets before opening the cold water connection to the tank. When the cold water is reconnected, water should flow freely out of the spouts throughout the house. When you see that the water is flowing normally, you can turn off all of the sinks throughout the house.
5. After completing these steps, simply turn on the electricity or make sure the gas lever is switched to “run.”

By following these easy and effective steps, you will lengthen the longevity of your hot water heater. By maintaining proper pressures and flushing your tank twice a year, you’ll save money and avoid a potentially dangerous and costly disaster. If you have any other questions or need assistance with maintaining your hot water heater, please contact one of our friendly Cold King Corp professionals!

As summer comes to an end and fall begins, windows are opened and air conditioning systems are turned off, to be forgotten about until next spring. While your air conditioning system is far down on the list of important things to think about during the harsh colder months, your unit can easily be ruined by unexpected winter damage. By taking fifteen minutes or so to evaluate and prepare your AC system for the winter season, you can ensure that it will work the following spring.

• Shut off your exterior circuit- Each air conditioning system has an exterior circuit that is usually located in a gray box on the side of a house. By turning off the power to your AC system during winter months, you’ll guarantee that it won’t turn on during winter months. While this might seem trivial in terms of protecting your system, accidentally turning on the AC during the dead of January will be detrimental as the water filled condenser will freeze and be destroyed. By opening the box, you will see a red handle which should be pulled out, rotated and firmly pressed back into its place.

• Making sure seals are tight- External units usually have rubber tubes and seals that help protect your system. After turning the power off, check to make sure tubing isn’t cracked and seals aren’t broken. In the case of finding cracked seals or tubes, contact one of our friendly professionals at Cold King Air.

• Cleaning the unit- dead leaves, overgrown bushes, grass clippings and other forms of debris can prevent your system from functioning properly and decrease its longevity.

• Covering the unit- Covering an external unit might seem like a routine your grandparents would have been familiar with; however, unlike the dated fads of covered couches and cars, covering an air unit is truly beneficial and will greatly increase its lifespan. AC system protective covers are usually between $15 and $30 at major hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowe’s.

By allowing fifteen or twenty minutes to prep your air conditioning system for winter, you can increase the longevity of your system and rest assured that it will work when you turn it on for the first hot day next summer.

Cold King of Staten Island leads the pack when it comes to fulfilling our customer's heating and air conditioning service needs. Whether you need residential or commercial installation, service or repair for your air conditioning, heating or refrigeration, Cold King can surpass your expectations. After you've experienced our excellence in installation and repair, you can rest easy that we'll follow up with courteous, efficient customer service. Give us a call at 718-605-1244.  We'll meet with you and show you what we can do to keep your home warm in winter and cool in the summer.