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Thursday, August 28, 2014

What sets AirCool apart from other A/C companies??

So, recently we had a situation arise with a new client of ours. After a month of enjoying their new air conditioning system, they noticed a problem. The equipment stopped working for no apparent reason at all. They notified us of the issue, and we immediately dispatched one of our technicians to the home. One of the things that sets us apart is how we handle an issue for a client. We consider these types of situations "Emergencies", and always do our best to get someone out immediately to resolve the issue.

When our tech arrived at the home, he began to diagnose the problem with the equipment. Every once in awhile, there arises a "stumper" of an issue. The technician was able to get the system cooling again. Because of the particular situation with this system, he knew that there was something else going on in the electrical system. But, amazingly the equipment checked out fine. He ended the call, and the unit ran well for two more days.

Then it happened again, unfortunately. We promptly visited the residence and again got the system running. Another thing that sets us apart is being honest with the clients. We notified them of the situation, and assured them that the problem will be resolved eventually. We never run from issues that may arise, we always do everything possible to be accessible to the client. Low and behold it happened another time shortly after that visit, and we went there and restored cooling for them at 7:30pm. Both the client and us knew that the unit would probably quit again, but if it would give them a few hours of cooling it was worth it to us.

Needless to say after replacing nearly every component associated with the issue, there was only one more thing we could do to diagnose the problem. This ended up being the culprit. The finding amazed us all, and ended up being a learning experience. Turns out, an animal was frequenting the residence at night. It had chewed some of the wiring in a part of the attic which was inaccessible to a person. Also when we checked that wiring, it checked out fine with no shorts. The wires had been chewed bare and must have been close to each other, but not touching. When the animal would pass by, he must have been brushing against the wires, causing them to short at that moment. This would cause the ac system to fail.

The only way we found it was by replacing the wires that run through that part of the attic. We found no problem with them, but did it just in case because you couldn't see them. What also sets us apart is the fact that we will stay true to the client if an issue may arise, and provide a solution as expeditiously as possible. Most companies see these as a nuisance, but we see them as opportunities to build a stronger bond between us and the client. Because even though there are few problems, we believe how we handle them is part of what sets us apart from the others.

Stay Cool South Florida


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Save $$$ with these air conditioning tips.

Every little bit helps, so here's a few things to keep in mind:

  • One of the most important tips is to change your air filter once a month, or sooner if necessary. I discuss this in more detail in an earlier blog post: click here to view air filter blog. This is important to ensure that your family is breathing clean air, and that your system is not being overworked or damaged.
  • Turn on your ceiling fans in the summertime to help stay cooler. Make sure that your fans are spinning in the correct direction. During the summer, the fans should be put on “forward”.  In this mode, the fan blades should be spinning in a counter-clockwise direction. On the base of the fan, there should be a switch that reverses the direction.
  • Do not let the inside of your house get uncomfortably hot. The air conditioner cannot cool it down in a reasonable amount of time. AC systems are designed to supply about 20° of cooling, so 100° air would only be brought down to about 80°. 
  • It is not unheard of for an ac system to freeze up. If this happens to you, turn off the system promptly and place the FAN switch on "On". The ice will slowly begin to melt. Place some towels and or bowls under the unit as some of the water may drip under the unit. You can then call a professional. The technician will not have to return to your home, as the ice has already melted by the time they get there.
  • A system check-up can save you money by exposing potential problems with the system before they become major problems. Another way to help prevent problems is through a Preventative Maintenance Agreement.
  • Help prevent heat from entering your home by using drapes, blinds or tinting. Especially on the sides of the house which face the sun. For instance, in the morning you will want to close the east facing blinds. Then in the afternoon, you will want to close the west facing blinds. Keep in mind that using light colored shades can help reflect the heat causing light. Doing this will help you save money over time.
  • The outside unit can benefit from shade, so feel free to plant trees and bushes near to it. Keep in mind that the unit needs to be able to flow air freely, so you do not want to restrict it from doing so. Proper shade of an air conditioning system can increase efficiency by nearly 10%. You also never want to block access to the unit for repair people.
  • Be aware of heat producing appliances and lighting. Most appliances in the home produce heat as a byproduct. To make sure your ac system is working properly, never place heat producing appliances or strong lights near the Thermostat. This can give the system false temperature readings, and affect the efficiency of the system. The thermostast would then think it is hotter than it really is, and waste energy trying to cool unneccessarily.
I hope these tips give you a better understanding of how to save money. Some are simple, but all are very important to know if saving money is a top priority. Thanks for your time, and take care for now.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Make Sure The Evaporator Coil Is Clean.


There are many reasons why the evaporator coil in an air conditioning system needs to be clean at all times. We all know that we have to change our air filter often, but do we know just HOW important it is? The obvious reason to have a clean filter is so the air can move freely through the filter, providing good air movement into the space to be cooled. If the filter is not clean, the air is restricted from flowing freely. Well, the same happens to the ac system if the coil in the air handler is dirty. Air cannot flow through the coil, hampering the airflow throughout the space to be cooled. This will cause the unit not to cool properly, making it hot and uncomfortable inside.

Now, the restricted airflow caused by a dirty evaporator coil can cause more problems than just a hot house or workplace. Every part of an air conditioning system works with every other part. Believe it or not, a dirty evaporator coil can damage the compressor in the condensing unit. Compressors are expensive to replace, and are the heart of an air conditioning system. No one wants to replace a compressor when a much less costly maintenance procedure could've saved the life of the compressor. A dirty evaporator coil inhibits the heat transfer from the air to the freon in the lines. This can cause liquid freon to return back to the compressor, which is damaging. So, one of the best ways to protect the heart of your system is to maintain a clean evaporator coil.

Another negative aspect of having a dirty coil in your air handler is the electric bill. Since the coil is dirty, air has trouble flowing through the coil fins as stated before. This makes the unit cool poorly, and run for longer intervals than usual. Because the system is struggling to cool the space, it is using more electricity. Since you pay for the electricity, keeping the unit running efficiently can have a detrimental impact on your finances.

We at AirCool Mechanical Systems Inc want you to save as much money as possible through your ac system. We have three methods available to you in order to determine if your evaporator coil need cleaning.
  1. We offer an "AC System Tune-Up" at a special price. This "Tune-Up" will determine whether your coil needs attention, or if your coil is in good shape. It will also discover and disclose to the client what else if anything needs attention with the ac system.
  2. We offer a Preventative Maintenance Plan to all of our clients. This ensures via yearly inspection, the condition of your evaporator coil. It is also a full system check, so you will be fully aware of the situation with the entire system.also
  3. We offer a coil cleaning service. We use a special acid cleaner to get into the center of the coil, cleaning it thoroughly and removing the solid dirt and dust particles from the coil.We also ensure that a clean freon charge is returned to the system.

If you have any questions about this topic, or would like to schedule AirCool for appointment, please call 305-254-8330

Monday, August 4, 2014

A+ BBB of Florida rating - AirCool Mechanical Systems Inc.

These days it can be tough to maintain an A+ rating with the BBB. Many companies claim this, but hope no one actually checks up to find out if it is a legitimate score. Many companies do not mention their BBB score because it is not up to par. Those companies who have managed to maintain an A+ rating, surely boast this fact proudly at every chance. There are many ways to lose your A+ BBB rating, but few ways to keep it.

BBB A+ rating
AirCool has had an A+ rating with the BBB of Florida as long as it has been in business. This is due to always providing the best service we can, and following up with our clients to make sure they are completely satisfied. We have lots of great comments and reviews to see there, and a few where issues were brought to our attention. The best aspect of the BBB's system is that when there is a review which points out an issue with our service, we are notified and given a chance to resolve the issue. This has happened a few times in the past with AirCool, but we have always managed to resolve the issue with our clients.

consumers choice award 2008
Most of the issues deal with a misunderstanding of the job to be performed, or the price of the project. Some can be due to not understanding technical terms described in invoices or work orders. Thankfully, we care about the client and their perception of value and quality. A quick reach out to the client to resolve the issue has always proved successful. We find that if we do the best job we can, we can all but avoid an unhappy or unsatisfied client. A company really has to work at being the best it can be, because it is easier to be lazy and do low quality work. We always go the extra mile, because we believe this is the best way to retain our clients and gain new ones.

Check out our Website's Homepage, and follow the link to our BBB rating and see for yourself. We have been around for over 17 years in this area. The whole time working to preserve our great BBB rating, by providing the best possible service. So, if you are looking for a trusted HVAC and air conditioning repair company, look no further. You can trust in our work, and in our highly trained technicians. When it's hot this summer, don't lose your cool - call AirCool.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Our Preventative Maintenance Contract:

We at AirCool Mechanical Systems Inc know how important it is to regularly maintenance your air conditioning equipment. Doing so will help retain the operating efficiency of the system, saving you money on monthly electricity bills. Also, it could uncover an small issue to be remedied which could lead to a major issue later. You also receive discounts on labor and parts if service is needed. Lastly, we give priority service to our PMC customers over regular customers. Call now to order your Preventative Maintenance Contract, or if you would like more information. We are always ready to take your call. Here is a breakdown of what our PMC includes, and what work we do for you:

Residential Preventative Maintenance Procedure (PMP):
 
 1.  Clean out drain line and pump
 2.  Lubricate motors where applicable
 3.  Tighten all electrical connections
 4.  Check electrical controls for burning, cracking and pitting
 5.  Check voltage and amperage on all motors
 6.  Check operating pressures for proper freon levels
7.  Check and adjust blower components
8.  Check thermostat calibration
9.  Check temperature in and out of the cooling coil
10.  Check for proper airflow
11.  Rinse condenser coils
12.  Clean or change air filters (client provided)

 
Benefits
 1.  You receive three annual PMPs
 2.  15% discount on parts & labor
 3.  15% discount on service calls
 4.  10% discount on new AC equipment
 5.  Priority service
 6.  No trip charge
 
Terms and Conditions
 1.  Repairs are guaranteed for 30 days from date of repair
 2.  Priorty service is provided within 24 hours from time of call
 3.  Repairs and services provided during regular business hours
 4.  Agreement is transferable and not refundable
 5.  PMPs are performed from October thru March
 6.  No overtime rates for emergency service

Monday, July 21, 2014

AC system freezing? Here's a tip...

So, the unfortunate has happened and your air conditioning system is frozen. You noticed that the unit was not cooling properly, and found that there is ice inside the evaporator. You will ultimately need service if you are not an experienced ac technician. This is not an easily remedied problem, and there could be many different reasons why it is happening. An experienced technician will be able to properly remedy the problem.

If you experience this issue, there is something you can do to have the issue fixed faster. If the coil is still frozen when the technician gets there, he or she will need to defrost it before they begin to work on it. So, to save time on the service call you can begin to defrost the unit while waiting service. To do this, you will need to have your unit running on fan, but not cooling. The thermostat has two switches, a fan switch and a cool/heat switch. You want to place the fan switch on ON, so that the fan will continue to run and help melt the ice. Then you want to place the cool/heat switch on OFF.

This will not repair your ac system, but it will help you get the system repaired quicker. The technician will not have to wait for the ice to melt to repair the system. Many times they will leave and come back when the system has melted. I hope this helps you save a little time, and keep you in the cool longer. One way to help prevent getting to this point is to have regular maintenance on your system. Clean the area around the ac intake or return. Always have a clean air filter in place, as a dirty coil is one of the leading causes of freeze-ups. Best of luck, and remember we are always here to help. Until next time, take care and stay cool.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Is it really important to change my air filter regularly.



air-filter
Air Filter
Everybody knows that you are supposed to change your ac system's air filter every month, but there is more to know about why that is and what more you can do to preserve your system.
Firstly, the air filter is there to catch as many solid particles as possible and remove them from the air you are breathing. It also catches the solid particles and prevents them from getting into the Evaporator Coil. This is the most basic function of the ac air filter. There are many types of filters to buy, later I will get into which ones are which, and how to save money on purchasing them. As long as you have a basic air filter in place in your air handler, you will increase the life expectancy of your air conditioning system. If you are looking for more function out of your air filter, then you may considering one which also removes tiny particles which can pass through regular quality air filters.

Electronic air filters are in fact more efficient at removing tiny particles of pollutants from the air.
electronic-air-filters
How an Electronic air filter works
The diagram above explains how the electronic air filter works. It contains a traditional air filter in front to catch particles. After this, the next section of the filter is charged or ionized which charges or ionizes the tiny particles in the air which pass by regular filters. When these charged particles pass by a collection plate, they are pulled to it removing them from the air. Like a magnet attracts paper clips, the particles are attracted to the collection plate. The collection plate needs to be cleaned periodically, but usually not as often as a standard air filter. To learn more about these filters and others, visit our web page dedicated to Air Filters on our website. These filters are much more efficient at cleaning the air than standard filters.

A similar type of filter is the electrostatic air filter, which is better than standard filters but not as good as electronic air filters. The electrostatic filter generates a static charge which causes the pollutants to "stick" to the filter increasing it's efficiency. Not only is it good to filter the air for the cleanliness of the coil, but it is also imperative to maintain air quality. These filters need to be cleaned periodically, although after too long need to be discarded. Anti-microbial agents can be applied to these filters to help ward off mold and viruses, but they are still not as efficient as electronic air filters.

Below is a chart on the efficiencies of different types of air filters which may help you determine the best filter for your needs.
air-filters
Air Filter Efficiency Chart


If you want to save money on air filters, here are two solutions:
  1. Call around and heavily research all of the stores in your area which sell air filters. Browse the Internet for online shops which sell and deliver air filters. Decide which quality and price is best for your situation.
  2. Or, order your filters from us and have them delivered to your doorstep. When you order a years supply, the cost of one filter comes out to roughly $7-$8 each. This price is very hard to find any other way, and the convenience is unbeatable. Call us today to ask us about ordering filters, or if you have any other questions. (305) 254-8330
I hope I helped explain a bit about the benefits and differences of air filters with this post. More informative posts to come, thank you for reading.

AirCool Mechanical Systems Inc.
Serving Your Area Since 1997