Ross Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.

NV License: 0076902
Residential Water Heaters License: 0080237
(775) 425-2525
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New Air Conditioning Options for Older Homes

May 15, 2020 by Ross

old home with outdated air conditioning

In Nevada, a home doesn’t have to be very old to not have central air. Because of our super dry, high desert weather, swamp coolers were the popular way to cool a house for decades. However, the summers are getting a little hotter every year. If you have an older home, whether it never had central air conditioning or it has an older system, these are your best options if you want a new AC:

Central Air Conditioners

Central air is the most popular form of whole-house air conditioning. Why? It uses a system of air ducts to circulate cool air throughout your entire house, whether it’s one floor or multiple floors.

In order to install central AC, a technician will first perform what’s called a load calculation. This will help determine the proper AC size your home needs in order to fully and properly cool.

Next, your technician will assess whether you currently have air ducts, and if so, what condition they’re in. A general rule of thumb is that ductwork installed prior to 1960 will need to be replaced.

Ductless Air Conditioners

Ductless air conditioners, or mini-split air conditioners, are a good alternative to central air systems. If you don’t want to alter the structure of a historical home, or you don’t want to invest in upgrading your ductwork, ductless air conditioning may be your ticket.

Ductless air conditioners are pretty easy to install compared to central air. You will still need to create holes in the wall in each room you want it installed in, but only to hook up the conduits to the compressor unit. These are not as big as the holes needed to install new ductwork.

Choosing the Right Air Conditioner for Your Home

There are pros and cons to each type of air conditioner. Consider the following when making your choice:

1. Customization. While central air offers a complete cooling system for your home, the temperatures you’ll find in each room aren’t always the same. A ductless system allows you to customize the temperature in each room — that means no more fighting over the thermostat.

2. Smart control. Unlike ductless, a central air system is fully wired to a thermostat. Older thermostats are manual, but newer ones are programmable or even smart, meaning they can be operated remotely from a smart device. In other words, you can set your home to cool down to the perfect temperature on your way home from the office — or vacation.

3. Add-ons. Unlike ductless, central air allows you to install various HVAC add-ons to your system. These include air purifiers, whole-home humidifiers, and energy-recovery ventilators. Air purifiers are especially helpful right now, when we’re so worried about viruses spreading through our home.

4. Energy. Ductless air conditioners tend to be more energy efficient, since they don’t require ducts (where a lot of air and energy leakage can occur). You can also choose which rooms of your house you want to keep cool, since they all work independently of one another.

5. Maintenance. Ductless systems require regular maintenance — more than central air systems. With central air, you might wash or replace your single air filter monthly. With ductless, on the other hand, you have to wash each unit’s filter monthly. Skipping this maintenance will inevitably cost you money.

6. Appearance. Ductless systems tend to be very obvious, since they’re mounted from the wall or ceiling. Some homeowners don’t like the aesthetics of this option.

7. Location. If your home already has functional ductwork, replacing your central air unit makes more sense than installing a new type of system. However, if there isn’t pre-existing ductwork, ductless may be a better choice. It’s also worth considering if you’re adding a new addition to your home, or you want to limit which rooms you cool.

Need help weighing your options or ready to start talking about a new air conditioner? Give us a call! We’re more than happy to talk you through your options to ensure you get the system that best suits your home and your needs. We’re serving our fellow community members and business owners with the utmost precautions for cleanliness and safety. As your neighbors, we want to help and we’re here to provide you with the best service possible.

Filed Under: Helpful Tips Tagged With: AC replacement, air conditioner, air conditioner replacement, air conditioning, air purifier, cooling, load calculation, new AC, new air conditioner, replace air conditioner

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Install Your New Air Conditioner

March 10, 2020 by Ross

kid reading comfortably in living room that has good air conditioning

It’s March already, and that means summer is right around the corner. Now is the perfect time to install your new air conditioner. Why? Summer and winter are the busiest times for HVAC companies like us. Service and maintenance appointments can be harder to get during these peak seasons — and more expensive! — because technicians are in high demand.

By the time the heat waves start to hit, you’ll want your AC to be working at full capacity. Don’t try to drag a dying AC into one of Nevada’s hot summers. It’s not going to be able to keep up. And not only will it be harder to get fast, affordable service mid-season, you’ll also be completely miserable if you get stuck waiting for a repair or replacement.

Sometimes folks like to take care of big AC installations during fall or winter, but those aren’t the ideal time, either. You don’t want a brand new unit sitting idle during the harsh, wet winter months. Then it’s just aging — and requiring maintenance — for no reason. That makes spring the perfect time to install your new air conditioner. It’ll be freshly tuned up and ready to keep you cool during the hottest months.

Signs Your AC Needs to Be Replaced

Planning a new AC installation ahead of time will save you time, money, and a lot of stress and discomfort. Not sure if your AC needs to be replaced yet? Here are some telltale signs:

1. It’s really old. If it’s over 10 years old, it’s time to consider replacing it. If it’s 15-20 years old, you need to face the music: your AC is on borrowed time. You can check out our tips for replacing AC in older homes.

2. It’s having a hard time cooling your home. If your AC isn’t keeping your home comfortable, then it’s not really serving its purpose anymore. It’s time to let it go, and make way for an air conditioner that does its job.

3. It’s breaking down. If your AC has needed a string of repairs, or it’s had a major breakdown, it’s probably more cost-effective to replace it.

4. It has other remarkable symptoms. If your AC is really loud, has a funny smell, or is leaking, then at the very least it needs some maintenance. One of our technicians can take a look to see if the problem is easily fixable or serious enough to warrant a new unit.

Contact Ross for a New AC Installation

Whether you’re ready to make a change, or need more information on the differences a new AC will make to your home and energy bill, call Ross. Now is the perfect time to have AC We understand that a new AC is a big decision — we’ll help you make the choice that’s right for you.

Filed Under: Helpful Tips Tagged With: AC replacement, air conditioner replacement, new AC, new air conditioner

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Ross Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.

1220 E. Greg Street, Ste. #14
Sparks, NV 89431
Phone: (775) 425-2525
Fax: (775) 425-2526
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Testimonials

We have a very old furnace and A/C system and had a lot of problems with it until we found Ross Heating. Damian is very honest and able to fix both the heating and cooling system for us. As our house…
Jean D.
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Ross Heating converted our 3 old nasty oil furnaces into 3 new natural gas, high efficiency furnaces with air conditioning. This was a lot if work as we need gas lines from city, power for AC and ever…
Clayton S.
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Had an oil furnace that needed to be switched out to natural gas. Ross Heating gave me a fair estimate on paper of parts and labor. He was very thorough on the work and did the job correctly and to co…
Chris O.
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I can’t recommend Damian Ross and Ross Heating and Air Conditioning enough! Damian came out on a Sunday in the heat of the summer and stayed until the house was cool. Reasonably priced, independent an…
Joell S.
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Ross Heating and Air Conditioning is a wonderful small business in Northern NV. They are very accommodating with scheduling the 2 times a year check ups on my furnace and air conditioning unit. My sc…
Elizabeth E.
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Wow! Our air conditioner quit right in the middle of a record heat wave. I found Ross Heating and Air on Yelp. They had a good review and were close, so I called. My call was taken by a pleasant woman…
Dan T.
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I can’t begin to express the excellent service Ross Heating & Air provided to me. Not only was their service call/routine maintenance half the cost of all the other heating & air conditioning companie…
Raquel B.
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Very personable and prompt. Discovered AC didn’t work over the weekend and was able to fit a service call in for the next day. Got it fixed and very reasonable parts & labor.
Al L.
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Ross did a heating check up, filter change and AC installation for me. They are honest, friendly, reliable and a pleasure to work with.
Danhui N.
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Ross Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.


1220 E. Greg Street, Ste. #14
Sparks, NV 89431
Phone: (775) 425-2525
Fax: (775) 425-2526

Recent Updates

  • Smart, Programmable or Manual Thermostats — What’s the Difference?
  • New Air Conditioning Options for Older Homes
  • Last-Minute Summer AC Prep

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Address: 1220 E. Greg Street, Ste. #14, Sparks, NV 89431 | Phone: (775) 425-2525

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