Air Conditioning
Ben's Heating & Air Conditioning is your #1 HVAC contractor in Portland, OR, 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 Ben's Heating & Air Conditioning 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.
How Much Money Can a New Air Conditioner Save You?
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:
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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
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 Ben's Heating & Air Conditioning, we provide all the services you need to keep your AC running in top-notch shape. Call us at 503-233-1779 for repairs, maintenance, or new-system installation.
“Great job guys. Thx again Walt and Connie”
“Joe did a great job replacing blower motor and thanks to Brett for figuring out issue. Thx again Walt and Connie”
“Excellent. Tim's whole crew installed new air conditioner and resolved problem that was caused by replacing blower motor which was pulling to much electricity on our 20 year old furnace. It now runs like champ!!! Thx Tim for getting your guys out so quickly to solve problem since my sister-in just got out of hospital during the hot weather and needed to stay cool. We will continue to use Ben's and will recommend to others. We will always call Ben's first for our air and heating needs. Great family run company for years. They really got us out of pickle quickly. Thx again Walt and Connie”
“Bruce is beyond a first-rate and an exceptional company representative. He is what is needed today and what we have not had in years, great customer care and how a representative should be. Bruce exemplifies excellence and extremely hard work. He went out of his way on a few times to satisfy us. From start (Dana) to install/replacement (Bruce), this company is the only I will continue to go to and recommend. Ben's Heating and Air need to keep Bruce, if not, he will make any company the one to go to.”
“Anthony is awesome! He was super friendly and attentive to the finishing touches of the job at hand. I needed my A/C unit moved from my back patio to the side of the house and he did a fantastic job of making that happen, all whilst my puppy got underfoot. He did a great job and left the place without a mess too. Thanks again, Anthony!”
“Chris is a badass. Need I say more? Everything you'd want from a person doing work inside your home — efficiency, friendliness, honesty, great workmanship and good communication about everything going on. I needed my A/C unit moved from my patio to the side of the house. This was all done as expected and I am very pleased with the results. You rock, Chris!”
“Everyone I dealt with was a pleasure to work with. Lincoln built me a great quote and explained all my options for A/C units, and Chris and Kenny did a fast and seamless install. Will definitely be working with Ben’s for any home heating/air projects in the future.”
“Gordon did an excellent job of installing both central air conditioning and a new gas furnace. Tim assisted and both were professional and cleaned up afterwords. We still have four items that remain to be completed. They are: finish installing the UV light in the plenum, reconnect the water heater closer to chimney, repair plaster in ceiling where furnace vents out, and test run furnace.”
“My father, James a Larson, is 90 years old and very hard of hearing. He had asked me to be there while the service was performed. Justin called ahead of time to let us know he was on his way. Got a big star for that. Upon arrival, he introduced himself to both of us. Star two. Asked us what the problem was and then excused himself and went about his work. Explained that even though the air conditioning unit was an older model all systems were working properly. Justin did mention that by 2020 service on models with freeon (spelling) would become more complex. Appreciated Justin's work ethics. His friendliness. His job well done. Stars three, four and five. Thank you Justin”
Need Air Conditioner Service?
Contact the experts at Ben's Heating & Air Conditioning.
Call us at 503-233-1779!