Air Conditioning

Closeup of air conditioner fan.

Vailes Home Services is your #1 HVAC contractor in Fishersville, VA, and the surrounding communities. We are the leading company for all of your air conditioning needs. If you need repairs, maintenance, or a brand new system installed, the technicians at Vailes Home Services are the qualified and professional crew for the job.

We provide the highest quality service for your air conditioner. We also aim to educate and inform our customers. Informed decisions are good decisions. We want you to feel confident we are qualified to perform the service for which you are hiring us.

Air Conditioning Basics

The four main components to your air conditioner are:

Condenser: The condenser is the outside metal unit and where the gas from the compressor is condensed into a liquid. The gas entering the condenser is very hot. The temperature is then lowered, so the gas can convert back to a liquid.

Compressor: The compressor is inside the condenser. It circulates the pressurized refrigerant, to concentrate the heat, and changes the low pressure gas to high pressure.

Evaporator: The evaporator is the part of the system inside the home. In simple language, it absorbs the heat from your home.

Expansion Valve: The expansion valve controls the amount of refrigerant in your system.

All of these pieces are connected by a copper tube that handles refrigerant, creating a closed loop. Heat is collected in the evaporator, sent outside to the condenser. The heat is removed, and the cool air is recirculated back into your home.

AC Facts

An Air Conditioner Doesn’t Create Cool Air.
What happens in the AC process is actually the removal of heat from the air. Your AC uses a chemical called refrigerant to remove heat and transfer it outside. The warm air runs through the lines and coils in your unit and goes from liquid to gas and back again. During this process, the refrigerant removes the heat and transfers it elsewhere so that when the air comes out the other side, it is cool.

Your AC Will Remove Humidity.
Lower humidity helps the overall comfort level in your home by making you feel cooler, even if the temperature is the same.

Your Air Filter Needs To Be Checked And Replaced Every Three To Six Months.
(depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations)
A dirty air filter restricts your air flow, which reduces efficiency, costing you money, and over time can put stress on your unit and could cause a costly repair.

Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance.
Your air conditioner needs regular checkups to keep it running in tip-top shape. Having regular annual preventative maintenance will bring your system longer life and fewer breakdowns over all.

SEER
The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) measures air conditioning and heat pump cooling efficiency, which is calculated by the cooling output for a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input during the same time frame. A higher SEER rating means greater energy efficiency.

At Vailes Home Services, we provide all the services you need to keep your AC running in top-notch shape. Call us at 540-942-0198 for repairs, maintenance, or new-system installation.

How Much Money Can You Save with a New Air Conditioner?

Our SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2) energy savings calculator can help determine how much you could save on your utility bills. Simply enter your current unit’s SEER value and compare it to a newer, more efficient SEER2 unit. You can even customize it to better match your home’s system for a more accurate calculation.

 

SEER2 Energy Savings Calculator

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This calculator does not guarantee actual costs or savings and is only to be used for educational purposes.

Customize to Your Home

Adjust these settings for a more accurate calculation:

State

Province

Region

Rate (¢/kWH)

Tonnage

Average Annual Cooling Hours***


Historical Comparison

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** Data from U.S. Energy Information Administration
*** Data from 2002 EPA study

** Data for Canadian cities from nrcan.gc.ca
*** Data from weatherdatadepot.com

Need Air Conditioner Service?

Contact the experts at Vailes Home Services.

Call us at 540-942-0198!

Casey is very professional, courteous, knowledgeable and skilled. He’s also willing and patient to take the time to answer questions or concerns and to explain technical or service related issues. I trust and appreciate his expertise and care. I highly recommend Vailes!
- Sharon K.

I have been a Vailes customer for many years and have only experienced consistent customer care and service in the Vailes tradition. .Technician Casey Hiett followed in the high standards Vailes is known for; he called to inform me of his expected arrival time, introduced himself and his co-worker, proceeded with a thorough explanation of the work he would perform, made sure I understood the process and asked if I had any additional questions for him. The assessment included checking the unit both inside and outside in a prompt manner. He was professional in his assessment and the results and recommendations were clear and easy to understand. Both technicians used booties when they entered my home, which I appreciated. In my experience, Vailes hires only experienced and qualified technicians; courteous and knowledgeable .

- Dolores S.

Thank you Michael for your wonderful service 🙏 👏 I appreciate you so much taking your time to fix our air conditioner. And giving us good advice. Thank you again and have a blessed day 🙏 ☺️

- Belinda M.

Jake, Casey, and Lance came to help us with our AC on a HOT July day ~ they were FABULOUS! Our AC went out on a Saturday night, and Jake called us right back. We asked if he could come the very next morning ~ we were working for six hours (forecast to be very hot) and we crate our shepherd while we're away and didn't want him that hot for that long. Jake showed up at 8 am, as scheduled, and he got it working within 90 minutes or so. However, he cautioned us that our unit was pretty dirty (it's outside) and that that could be keeping the unit from running efficiently. It had also tripped our breaker, and he said that the breaker could be the issue. Anyway, it worked, and we were happy and left to work. When we returned, the AC was off again, and the breaker had been tripped, so we flipped it, got it working, but then it went off again. But the house was 78 ~ cool enough for our long haired dog. Jake was SO courteous and sweet and desirous of making sure we were all taken care (in addition to being professional). Jake had been SO helpful in giving us extensive information (lest something went wrong again) that we knew what to ask for when we called again Monday morning. Within two hours, Casey and his apprentice Lance came out ~ also SO friendly, sweet, knowledgeable, and professional. We felt most comfortable with all three of them in our home. They had it running in 90 minutes after replacing our breaker and cleaning the unit. We decided to go ahead and buy a service agreement (should have done it the last time they were out a year before when we just wanted maintenance), so now they'll be out to maintain it every six months. Our unit is 10 years old, so right now we're just hoping it lasts another few years. But bottom line: they were FAST, efficient, and most sweet and personable. We are thrilled with their service (and thankful for their haste so we didn't have to worry about our dog overheating!) Whenever I call (during business hours), I never have to be on hold or leave a message ~ Laura always answers. And when I called Saturday night to leave a message, I got a call back in less than 20 minutes. Seriously ~ who offers that kind of service any more? The guy who came out last year (I unfortunately don't remember his name) was also wonderful. VERY happy with this company and grateful for their prompt attention to our urgent need! Wish other service providers were this reliable.

- Denise H.

Michael did a fantastic job replacing my rain tight disconnect and belt drive blower motor. He is extremely knowledgeable, incredibly competent, and so very professional. His attention to detail is really amazing – I feel very confident in the quality of his work! Thank you!

- Tamara A.

Michael was extremely knowledgeable, professional, and polite. He quickly determined what the issues were and was able to handle the repair/maintenance items right away. I'm so pleased with this company!

- Tamara A.

Was having problems with my AC unit called Vails up and they were able to send someone that day in a few hours they had a repair man here. With what was going on with AC was very tricking and hard to result but it all work out and got it figured out what the problem was. From the service man Michael to everyone in the office Special Julie handle things in a great way with customer service kindness's they care about their customers they check to make sure everything went well afterwords.

- Myrla S.

Laura in the office was able to get us quick service when our AC stopped working. Casey was very professional, polite and informative to our problems and questions. And he got the job done! I highly recommend Vailes for any HVAC needs – as well as plumbing and home improvements.

- Gayle “Mishi” M.

Vailes Home Services proudly provides HVAC service to Fishersville, Staunton, Waynesboro, Afton, Churchville, Grottoes, Stuarts Draft, Swooope, Verona, and the surrounding communities. Visit our service area page for more coverage details, call us at 540-942-0198, or request service online today.