Q-What Brands do you carry?
A-We sell Amana-Goodman-Daikin-Payne-Bryant-Heil-Gree- ICP-Google Nest and Honeywell products
Q-Do you work on other brands?
A-Yes, we will service all brands
Q-How much is a service call?
A-A weekday service call from 8am-6pm is $89.00 and includes the first 45 minutes of diagnostics
Q-Do you charge overtime for nights, weekends or holidays?
A-We charge an additional $40.00 for after hours service calls, weekends and the 4 major holidays for nonmembers ($129.00 ) but, no additional overtime rates are charged
Q-How long does it take to install an Air Conditioning System?
A-98% of the time it only takes one full day, but unforeseen circumstances do arise on occasion
Q-Do you work on Geothermal Systems?
A-Sorry, we specialize in Air-To-Air Heat Pumps only
Q-What is a Heat Pump and what makes it different from an Air Conditioner?
A-A Heat Pump is an Air Conditioner, dehumidifer and Heater all in one. Through a process known as "mechanical compression refrigeration" a heat pump can either remove heat from your home, or bring heat into your home ( yes even when its cold outside ). Heat Pumps are the most efficient and cost effective way to Cool and Heat your home for our geographic location year-round historically
Q-What is a "SEER" rating?
A-SEER is an acronym for "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio". It is a number arrived at by elaborate
laboratory testing and gives the consumer an idea of how efficient a Heat Pump, or Air Conditioner is
during cooling mode over the cooling season. Modern systems are now required to be at least 14 SEER
Q-Do you offer warranties on your work?
A-Yes, all repair work comes with a one year warranty on workmanship in addition to the 10 year parts warranty on all new systems honored by the manufacturer
Q-I bought my system from another company, will you honor their warranty?
A-We will honor applicable manufacturers parts warranties that are still in effect and verifiable with a $59.00 parts processing fee and any applicable Diagnostic/labor fees
Q-I bought an extended parts and labor warranty from a third party when I bought my unit, will you honor that warranty?
A-Sorry but no, those companies use their own HVAC contractors to perform repairs and will not reimburse us for our parts and labor
Q-What is the best temperature to keep my house at?
A-There really isn't a "best" temperature to keep your house at while you are occupying it. Air conditioning is solely for your comfort and health. So, keep it at the temperature you find most comfortable. Obviously the higher you set it at in the summer and the lower in the winter will save you a few dollars on your monthly energy bill
Q-Should I turn up the thermostat when I leave for work in the summer to save on my energy bill?
A-That's a tricky question. Modern systems are designed for how our weather is 90-95% of the time for energy efficiency. What this means is that when we are experiencing temperatures outside those common parameters e.g., teens and twenties in the winter and 90 plus in the summer, your system might get past whats called it's "balance point". This means that the heat is either entering the house faster than your system can remove it, or leaving faster than it can bring it in. In these situations you might not be able to achieve the temperature you desire all day. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since you are enjoying better energy bills the the majority of the year. So, to answer the question, we typically recommend raising the thermostat about 5-8 degrees if you will be gone for more than 5 hours during the day and the high is not expected to be above 88 degrees Fahrenheit. If your system can recover from that temperature difference in 45 minutes to an hour you are probably saving energy. If it has to run into the evening to get to your desired temperature we're not so sure. Of course if you are leaving for days in the summer; we recommend raising it to about 80 degrees so you will benefit from dehumidification while your gone. Our high humidity in the summer can cause mold and mildew issues inside your home if no dehumidification is taking place
Q-I've heard if I raise my thermostat more than two degrees in heat mode, I will use more energy. Is this true?
A-Most of the time yes. Most Heat pumps will work down to zero degrees Fahrenheit, but not particularly well at that low of a temperature. So, most systems have what's known as "Auxiliary heat" for those situations. Auxiliary heat is like the elements in an electric oven. They are back-up for when the heat pump can't do it all by itself. The problem is; they are far less efficient than your heat pump (about 2.5-3x less efficient). So, when you raise your thermostat more than two degrees at a time (not all thermostats, but most) your system thinks it needs help getting to the temperature desired and turns on the electric strips. Some thermostats can be set to wait a specified time before energizing to save on energy
Q-What's the difference between "Auxiliary" and "Emergency" heat?
A-Not a lot, they both come from the same electric heating elements, but it is considered Emergency heat when you choose to only use the electric strips for heating and it is Auxiliary heat when the thermostat decides to turn it on in conjunction with the heat pump
Q-I've heard air conditioning refrigerant eats a hole in the atmosphere when they leak?
A-That used to be true. Older systems used a refrigerant known as R-22 among others. It is known as a CFC or Halogenated Chloroflourocarbon and did eat away at the ozone layer (which scientists now say is recovering). In fact is was so harmfully reactive with the ozone that one CFC molecule could destroy ten thousand ozone molecules! That refrigerant will be completely phased out by 2020. And manufacturers haven't been allowed to ship units with that refrigerant in them for some time now. There are still some systems out there using it, but not a lot are left
Q-My unit uses R-22. Does that mean I can't get the refrigerant for it after next year if it starts leaking?
A-After 2020 the production and import will be banned, not the use of existing supplies. I'm sure it will be available for some time after that date, although probably not cheap
Q-A technician told me that if my system is leaking, it's the law that it has to be fixed?
A-Not true, but you would be doing the earth a favor by making the repair. There is a law that says larger commercial systems that are known to be losing 30% or more of their refrigerant charge per year must be repaired, but there in no such law for residential systems that we have heard of
Q-My caps on my refrigerant valves are missing by my condenser. The last technician said I have to replace them because its the law?
A-True, there is a law that says refrigerant caps on residential units must be replaced when missing. They are not generally expensive unless you are buying locking caps
Q-I've heard the newest refrigerants cause global warming?
A-They don't "cause", but unfortunately they do contribute to global warming if allowed to escape from equipment. Very strict laws are in place to prevent this from happening anymore then necessary and is known as "de minimus". Which is just a fancy way of saying as little as possible
Q-Someone told me that if your air conditioner is replaced on a rainy day it won't last as long?
A-Not true, but probably what was lost along the way with that story; is that water, or air with its 17% highly reactive oxygen inside a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner is the worst thing possible for it. Modern refrigerant oils are known to be hygroscopic, which means they love water and will absorb it quite readily. Water and oxygen which is also quite chemically reactive (look back to biology class and the electron transport chain) will react with the refrigerant and oil over time to make acids and waxes that will eat away at the varnish on your compressor windings over time, plug metering devices, raise high side pressures, create an acidic PH condition in your refrigerant circuit and generally just wreak havoc on a system. Unfortunately, these are things that can take a while to show their ugly heads and by then the culpable party is long gone. To prevent all this nastiness from occurring; conscientious contractors caps pipes before installs occur and pull very deep vacuums on systems before opening the refrigerant valves which ensures 99% of all moisture and air are removed from the system, and install filter/ driers which hopefully capture anything else that is left
Q-I've heard my air conditioner is also a dehumidifier?
A-True, about 25-30% of of your systems capacity goes toward removing "latent Heat" or humidity. You might have noticed the pvc pipe outside your house dripping in the summer? This is the humidity from inside your home being removed
Q-Somebody told me there is "heat" in an ice cube?
A-True, heat is always present at all temperatures except theoretical absolute zero. It just isn't always enough to make us feel comfortable
Q-Is annual maintenance necessary on heat pumps?
A-Pretty much, yes. In fact if you read the warranty on new systems, the manufacturers reserve the right to void warranties if maintenance is not observed. It starts with you, check your filters monthly. If they look like they are inhibiting airflow, replace them. Not all homes need them replaced every month, but they should be checked monthly just mark it on your calendar. The rest is for the pros: routine maintenance should involve; Rinsing coils with special coil cleaning solutions, checking amperage draws on all motors, checking temperature drops across the indoor coil to ensure the system is working as efficiently as possible (it's been estimated 80% of systems are incorrectly charged with refrigerant), measuring capacitors to ensure they are in their most efficient operating range, Checking refrigerant pressures and superheat and subcooling when necessary, chemically purging and then vacuuming out condensate lines, checking contactors for signs of pitting and carbon build-up, ensuring your defrost cycle is operating, verifying heat kits are energizing completely, verifying ground wires are fastened properly for safety at both units on split-systems, tightening loosened screws, visually inspecting duct work for leaks especially around the air handler and visually inspecting wiring for signs of overheating due to loose connections, check that system has float switches installed and working properly so if your pvc condensate line did get plugged up due to insects or some other reason you won't have to replace your ceiling due to water damage. In addition to helping ensure the most efficient operation possible, maintenance adds system life and reduces the chances of interruptions of service. Plus, we give customers with maintenance agreements discounts on all parts and labor as well as preferred scheduling when things get busy
A-We sell Amana-Goodman-Daikin-Payne-Bryant-Heil-Gree- ICP-Google Nest and Honeywell products
Q-Do you work on other brands?
A-Yes, we will service all brands
Q-How much is a service call?
A-A weekday service call from 8am-6pm is $89.00 and includes the first 45 minutes of diagnostics
Q-Do you charge overtime for nights, weekends or holidays?
A-We charge an additional $40.00 for after hours service calls, weekends and the 4 major holidays for nonmembers ($129.00 ) but, no additional overtime rates are charged
Q-How long does it take to install an Air Conditioning System?
A-98% of the time it only takes one full day, but unforeseen circumstances do arise on occasion
Q-Do you work on Geothermal Systems?
A-Sorry, we specialize in Air-To-Air Heat Pumps only
Q-What is a Heat Pump and what makes it different from an Air Conditioner?
A-A Heat Pump is an Air Conditioner, dehumidifer and Heater all in one. Through a process known as "mechanical compression refrigeration" a heat pump can either remove heat from your home, or bring heat into your home ( yes even when its cold outside ). Heat Pumps are the most efficient and cost effective way to Cool and Heat your home for our geographic location year-round historically
Q-What is a "SEER" rating?
A-SEER is an acronym for "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio". It is a number arrived at by elaborate
laboratory testing and gives the consumer an idea of how efficient a Heat Pump, or Air Conditioner is
during cooling mode over the cooling season. Modern systems are now required to be at least 14 SEER
Q-Do you offer warranties on your work?
A-Yes, all repair work comes with a one year warranty on workmanship in addition to the 10 year parts warranty on all new systems honored by the manufacturer
Q-I bought my system from another company, will you honor their warranty?
A-We will honor applicable manufacturers parts warranties that are still in effect and verifiable with a $59.00 parts processing fee and any applicable Diagnostic/labor fees
Q-I bought an extended parts and labor warranty from a third party when I bought my unit, will you honor that warranty?
A-Sorry but no, those companies use their own HVAC contractors to perform repairs and will not reimburse us for our parts and labor
Q-What is the best temperature to keep my house at?
A-There really isn't a "best" temperature to keep your house at while you are occupying it. Air conditioning is solely for your comfort and health. So, keep it at the temperature you find most comfortable. Obviously the higher you set it at in the summer and the lower in the winter will save you a few dollars on your monthly energy bill
Q-Should I turn up the thermostat when I leave for work in the summer to save on my energy bill?
A-That's a tricky question. Modern systems are designed for how our weather is 90-95% of the time for energy efficiency. What this means is that when we are experiencing temperatures outside those common parameters e.g., teens and twenties in the winter and 90 plus in the summer, your system might get past whats called it's "balance point". This means that the heat is either entering the house faster than your system can remove it, or leaving faster than it can bring it in. In these situations you might not be able to achieve the temperature you desire all day. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since you are enjoying better energy bills the the majority of the year. So, to answer the question, we typically recommend raising the thermostat about 5-8 degrees if you will be gone for more than 5 hours during the day and the high is not expected to be above 88 degrees Fahrenheit. If your system can recover from that temperature difference in 45 minutes to an hour you are probably saving energy. If it has to run into the evening to get to your desired temperature we're not so sure. Of course if you are leaving for days in the summer; we recommend raising it to about 80 degrees so you will benefit from dehumidification while your gone. Our high humidity in the summer can cause mold and mildew issues inside your home if no dehumidification is taking place
Q-I've heard if I raise my thermostat more than two degrees in heat mode, I will use more energy. Is this true?
A-Most of the time yes. Most Heat pumps will work down to zero degrees Fahrenheit, but not particularly well at that low of a temperature. So, most systems have what's known as "Auxiliary heat" for those situations. Auxiliary heat is like the elements in an electric oven. They are back-up for when the heat pump can't do it all by itself. The problem is; they are far less efficient than your heat pump (about 2.5-3x less efficient). So, when you raise your thermostat more than two degrees at a time (not all thermostats, but most) your system thinks it needs help getting to the temperature desired and turns on the electric strips. Some thermostats can be set to wait a specified time before energizing to save on energy
Q-What's the difference between "Auxiliary" and "Emergency" heat?
A-Not a lot, they both come from the same electric heating elements, but it is considered Emergency heat when you choose to only use the electric strips for heating and it is Auxiliary heat when the thermostat decides to turn it on in conjunction with the heat pump
Q-I've heard air conditioning refrigerant eats a hole in the atmosphere when they leak?
A-That used to be true. Older systems used a refrigerant known as R-22 among others. It is known as a CFC or Halogenated Chloroflourocarbon and did eat away at the ozone layer (which scientists now say is recovering). In fact is was so harmfully reactive with the ozone that one CFC molecule could destroy ten thousand ozone molecules! That refrigerant will be completely phased out by 2020. And manufacturers haven't been allowed to ship units with that refrigerant in them for some time now. There are still some systems out there using it, but not a lot are left
Q-My unit uses R-22. Does that mean I can't get the refrigerant for it after next year if it starts leaking?
A-After 2020 the production and import will be banned, not the use of existing supplies. I'm sure it will be available for some time after that date, although probably not cheap
Q-A technician told me that if my system is leaking, it's the law that it has to be fixed?
A-Not true, but you would be doing the earth a favor by making the repair. There is a law that says larger commercial systems that are known to be losing 30% or more of their refrigerant charge per year must be repaired, but there in no such law for residential systems that we have heard of
Q-My caps on my refrigerant valves are missing by my condenser. The last technician said I have to replace them because its the law?
A-True, there is a law that says refrigerant caps on residential units must be replaced when missing. They are not generally expensive unless you are buying locking caps
Q-I've heard the newest refrigerants cause global warming?
A-They don't "cause", but unfortunately they do contribute to global warming if allowed to escape from equipment. Very strict laws are in place to prevent this from happening anymore then necessary and is known as "de minimus". Which is just a fancy way of saying as little as possible
Q-Someone told me that if your air conditioner is replaced on a rainy day it won't last as long?
A-Not true, but probably what was lost along the way with that story; is that water, or air with its 17% highly reactive oxygen inside a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner is the worst thing possible for it. Modern refrigerant oils are known to be hygroscopic, which means they love water and will absorb it quite readily. Water and oxygen which is also quite chemically reactive (look back to biology class and the electron transport chain) will react with the refrigerant and oil over time to make acids and waxes that will eat away at the varnish on your compressor windings over time, plug metering devices, raise high side pressures, create an acidic PH condition in your refrigerant circuit and generally just wreak havoc on a system. Unfortunately, these are things that can take a while to show their ugly heads and by then the culpable party is long gone. To prevent all this nastiness from occurring; conscientious contractors caps pipes before installs occur and pull very deep vacuums on systems before opening the refrigerant valves which ensures 99% of all moisture and air are removed from the system, and install filter/ driers which hopefully capture anything else that is left
Q-I've heard my air conditioner is also a dehumidifier?
A-True, about 25-30% of of your systems capacity goes toward removing "latent Heat" or humidity. You might have noticed the pvc pipe outside your house dripping in the summer? This is the humidity from inside your home being removed
Q-Somebody told me there is "heat" in an ice cube?
A-True, heat is always present at all temperatures except theoretical absolute zero. It just isn't always enough to make us feel comfortable
Q-Is annual maintenance necessary on heat pumps?
A-Pretty much, yes. In fact if you read the warranty on new systems, the manufacturers reserve the right to void warranties if maintenance is not observed. It starts with you, check your filters monthly. If they look like they are inhibiting airflow, replace them. Not all homes need them replaced every month, but they should be checked monthly just mark it on your calendar. The rest is for the pros: routine maintenance should involve; Rinsing coils with special coil cleaning solutions, checking amperage draws on all motors, checking temperature drops across the indoor coil to ensure the system is working as efficiently as possible (it's been estimated 80% of systems are incorrectly charged with refrigerant), measuring capacitors to ensure they are in their most efficient operating range, Checking refrigerant pressures and superheat and subcooling when necessary, chemically purging and then vacuuming out condensate lines, checking contactors for signs of pitting and carbon build-up, ensuring your defrost cycle is operating, verifying heat kits are energizing completely, verifying ground wires are fastened properly for safety at both units on split-systems, tightening loosened screws, visually inspecting duct work for leaks especially around the air handler and visually inspecting wiring for signs of overheating due to loose connections, check that system has float switches installed and working properly so if your pvc condensate line did get plugged up due to insects or some other reason you won't have to replace your ceiling due to water damage. In addition to helping ensure the most efficient operation possible, maintenance adds system life and reduces the chances of interruptions of service. Plus, we give customers with maintenance agreements discounts on all parts and labor as well as preferred scheduling when things get busy