Articles tagged with: Houston AC Repair

Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company Part III

Date: May 30, 2017 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply
heating, air conditioning, certified

 

Why You Should Always Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company

Part III

Welcome to the Part III of our look at why you should hire a licensed air conditioning company.

Insurance

Insurance and Bonding.  There are risks involved when repairing or replacing an HVAC system. Because of that, you need to be protected. A licensed company will have the right state and local licenses. Additionally they will be bonded and insured.

An important factor in choosing the correct company is insurance coverage. Liability and coverage for your home, property, as well as your family, are provided by hiring a licensed company. Your homeowner’s insurance policy will not cover work done by an unlicensed company.

Bonding provides protection on top of a company guarantee. A surety bond is provided to cover job incompletion, poor workmanship, improper permits, or if a technician does not pay workers or vendors.  Most licensing boards require that contractors are bonded before applying for their license.

Permits Rules and Regulations. Local professionals know the latest requirements for your area. There are a number of rules and regulations, such as building codes, inspections, and permits required that HVAC companies must follow when installing or repairing a unit. The average homeowners are unaware of these requirements, however, a licensed company will know and follow them. Hiring the right company will reduce the chance that you’ll run into problems.

Involved Risks!

Here are just a few examples of just a few things that could happen if you do not hire licensed air conditioning technician.

  • Down the road, you decide to sell your home not knowing the proper codes or not having filed the correct permits can be an expensive issue. This will result in extra expense and delay the sale of your home.
  • You could have a fire due to faulty wiring.
  • Drain lines and float switches not installed to code could cause flooding and damage to your system.

Would your insurance cover it if not done by a licensed professional? Do you want to take that risk?

Continued Service

With a licensed company, you’ll have a peace of mind that any HVAC service you need will be done effectively and efficiently and they will offer continued service. Oftentimes, the person that offers the “best deal” quite frankly does not survive in the long run.  Unlicensed technicians cut corners and lack the skills and expertise to get the job done correctly. Some of them even moonlight as magicians.  When something goes wrong they disappear!  Instead, choose a licensed company that provides long-lasting solutions, and are there when you need them.

Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company Part II

Date: May 18, 2017 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply
heating, air conditioning, certified

 

Why You Should Always Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company

Part II

 

Welcome to the Part II of our look at why you should hire a licensed air conditioning company.

More on Knowledge

Professional have their Ducts in a row! Duct work is one of the most important parts of your air conditioning system. Professional ducting is essential to you home’s efficiency and clean, healthy air quality. Improper duct work will increase the risk of air leakage, mold, and an overworked system. 

System types. HVAC systems work differently depending on where you may live. When it comes to air conditioning systems weather, climate, humidity and the size of your home are very important factors to consider. A local, licensed technician will know and understand these factors and how they affect your system and air quality.

Warranties and Guarantees

Warranties. Protect yourself, protect your warranty!  Manufacturers may void the warranty if an unlicensed technician works on your system.  A qualified technician will gladly display his or her license number and will not hesitate to provide it immediately upon request. When in doubt, ask!

Guarantee. If you are a do-it-yourself-er or are thinking of hiring an unlicensed technician, consider this – Not only will your system’s warranty potentially be void, work not done by a professional does not come with guarantees. Your air conditioning system is one of the most expensive components and vital organs in your home. Licensed air conditioning companies offer guarantees.  In addition, bonding is required by most licensing boards prior to application. We will discuss bonding and what it provides for your peace of mind further in part III.

Before calling the number that you see on the sign that just popped up at the end of your street, weigh the risks! In Part III we will discuss the importance of insurance, bonding and additional risks involved in not hiring a license air conditioning company.

 

Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company Part I

Date: May 3, 2017 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply
heating, air conditioning, certified

Why You Should Always Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Company

Part I

We’ve all seen these “bandit signs” out there promoting a discounted service.  We came across this one the other day for an AC company and it brings to mind some horror stories of people out there offering cheaper. As we have seen time and again, cheaper is often not cheaper or better.

As a homeowner, hiring a technician to work on your air conditioner is a reality that will have to be faced at some point. It is important to hire a licensed technician to work on your system. Below are a few of some important factors to consider when deciding who to hire.

Training and knowledge.  

Licensed air conditioning technicians have the experience, advanced training, and certifications. In contrast, unlicensed individuals lack the knowledge to protect your investment. They cut corners by not going through the proper training and licensing requirements. Not having the certifications saves them money, consequently costing you money in the end.

Size Matters!  Licensed technicians understand this! Bigger is not always better! Installing the wrong sized system is a common problem. An air conditioner does two important jobs: temperature control & removing moisture. Removing moisture requires the system to operate for a prescribed amount of time. An oversized air conditioner will not run for the adequate amount of time to permit moisture and temperature control. Over the course of a day, an oversized air conditioner will have more start-ups and shutdowns.  Consequently, this will result in reducing the lifespan of your system. Your system will lose energy efficiency and moisture is left in the air.  Moisture leads to mold and is a serious concern.A licensed air conditioning technician will possess the training, the tools and knowledge to ensure the system for your home is correct.

Refrigeration levels.  When you hire an unlicensed person, often times the system will have incorrect amounts of refrigerant levels from the start. This will affect the performance of your system, result in higher utility bills, and unnecessary wear and tear on your system, thus reducing its lifespan. Refrigerants are dangerous, care must be taken when handling them. Licensed technicians are trained to determine the correct levels and have the knowledge to safely work with them.

 

Look for Part II soon.

It’s HOT!! Give your A/C a helping hand..

Date: August 12, 2014 Author: cdoelle Comments: 1 Reply

With Houston temperatures hitting the triple digits this summer your air conditioner is working harder than ever to keep you and your home cool.a/c, air conditioning, Houston, summer heat

Give it a hand by doing some simple things to keep it running smooth.

  • Change your filter often. With your unit working overtime it may be necessary to change the filter more often during summer months. Keep in mind that indoor pets can shorten the life of your filters as well. Clean filters will help keep a/c coils working properly.
  • Check your thermostat. Making sure it is registering the proper temperature will keep you aware of any signs that something may be wrong with your system.
  • When away, adjust the temperature. Increasing the temperature while away from home by just 2 degrees can allow your system to get a little rest while still keeping your home cool. Not to mention save you a little money.
  • Get a check-up. Yearly check-ups from the professionals can help maintain your system in the summer months and extend the life of your air conditioning/heating unit.

 

 

What is a TON of cooling?

Date: April 8, 2014 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

ice blockIn the old days, cooling was done by saving big blocks of ice. When cooling machines were first used, their capacity was rated by the equivalent amount of ice that would melt in a day, which is where the term “ton” came from in sizing air conditioning.

Today, a ton of cooling is defined as delivering 12,000 BTU/hour of cooling. BTU is short for British Thermal Unit. The BTU is a unit of heating – or in this case, cooling – energy. A window air conditioner is usually less than one ton. A small home central air conditioner would be about two tons and a large one about five tons.