Q. How often should filers be cleaned or serviced?
A. Typically filters should be cleaned or replaced once a month.

Q. Do I need a permit?
A. Yes. On new systems and change outs, but not on service. Whether you live in the city or the country a permit is a legal requirement. The issuance of the permit is usually done before we start the job.  After the job is completed an inspection will be done.

Q. If I replace my old air conditioner with a new one, will it lower my energy bill?
A. Yes and in a big way. If you have an old machine built in the 70’s it was probably rated around 6 SEER when it was new and now is running something like 3 or 4 SEER. Replace it with a new 13 SEER unit or higher and cut your cooling energy bill by 70% or more!  The indoor coil must also be replaced at the same time in order to get the advertised SEER rating of the new unit and the rest of the system, (ductwork ) must be in proper working order.

Q. How much will it cost to install a new air conditioner?
A. It is impossible to quote a price with out first checking conditions at the job site.  We simply cannot determine what the price will be without knowing the size of the unit, SEER rating, location of the unit, the electrical, and the ductwork condition.

Q. What size of air conditioner do I need for my house?
A.  Air conditioners are rated in “tons” of cooling capacity.  One ton of air conditioning is equal to the amount of cooling you would get from one ton of ice melting in your home in one hour.  One ton of cooling is also equal to 12,000 BTUH (British thermal units per hour) and this 12,000 BTUH is further broken down into sensible BTUH (heat which can be sensed with the aid of a thermometer) and latent BTUH (“hidden heat” which cannot be sensed with the aid of a thermometer.)  This has to do with how much moisture removal is accomplished by the air conditioning system and gets fairly complex.

Proper sizing is not done based on the square footage of the home by itself. The proper size can only be determined from the results of a heat load calculation on your home.  The calculation takes into account the area of exposed walls, the glass area and whether it’s single or dual pane, the insulation levels in floors, walls and ceilings, any exterior or interior shading, the requested indoor temperature, and the volume of the house in cubic feet.

Proper size is critical to your comfort and savings on your energy bill.  Oversized units cost more to operate and short cycle so much that your house may become humid and uncomfortable.   Undersized units run all day long and still don’t cool the house.  Make sure you get the right size.

Q. Would it be ok to shut off a vent?
A.  You should keep 95 % of ducts open. Closing too many vents could put the compressor under a strain.

Q. What is a Variable Speed Blower and it’s benefits to HVAC systems?

A.