Questions & Answers

1 - What is a service call ?
Is the combine cost of a trip & diagnostic charge $78.50 dollars.

2 - What is a trip charge ?
The cost to send a vehicle & technician to your home
$22.50 dollars.

3 - What is a diagnostic charge ?
The cost to performed a system examination/diagnostic. $56.00 dollars.

4 - What is an air conditioner ?
Removes humidity.
Transfers heat.
Filters the air (i.e cleaning the air).

5 - What is the life expectancy of an air conditioner ?
With proper maintenance we have seen air conditioning system last 20 years! ( In Florida the averageis 8-13 years ).

6 - How can I save energy from my air conditioner ?
- Cleaning coils & blower. Dirty coils & blower inhibits heat transfer.
- Keep your system properly charged with refrigerant (Freon)
- Repairing leaking ductwork in the attic.
- Properly sized refrigerant (Freon) lines.
- Properly sized ductwork system.
- Balancing system air flow.
- Properly sealed exterior doors & windows.
- Properly insulated attic space ( R-22 minimum )
- Shut off all exhust fans when not in use.

7 - What is an air conditioning tune-up / check-up ?
- Lubricate all motors and moving parts
- Tightened all electrical connections
- Check all electrical controls for cracks, points pitted or burned, bulged, rusted & capacitance.
- Check motors current draw(amp) and noisy bearings.
- Check system operating voltage (200-240).
- Check for proper air flow.
- Check safety controls for proper operation.
- Check system refrigerant(Freon) gas levels.
- Check system operating pressures.
- Check condenser & evaporator coils cleanness.
- Air filters should be clean.
- Clean out condensate drain line or pump.

8 - What are the benefits of a preventive maintenance policy (PMP) ?
A program of maintenance can add years of trouble free cooling. The majority of systems replaced have failed due to lack of maintenance. Motors must be lubricated once per year. Drain pans should be flushed/cleaned often, electrical connections should be tightened. One benefit of annual maintenance is failing parts are spotted before damage to the system occurs. A contactor or any other electricalcomponent replaced before failure can avoid major costly repairs.
BENEFITS:
- Insures cooling comfort
- Equipment longer life
- Prevents costly repairs
- Avoid messy water leak damages
- Free trip charges
- Preferred customer pricing
- Automatic annual inspection

9 - What causes/prevent water leaks in my air conditioner ?
CAUSES:
- Ice on coils restricts the air flow.
- Algae can grow in this cool damp environment, blocking drain pan parts.
- Dirt or foreign matter causes water to drip off the coil instead of draining to the bottom.
- The unit is low on refrigerant(Freon), causing icing & rapid meltdown.
- No air flow through coil
- Dirty air filter
- In operative meetering device
PREVENT:
- Flush your drain line periodically.
- Consider a higher efficiency air filter.
- Have your system tune up and inspected regularly.

10 - How often should my AC system be checked or cleaned ?
Location, running time and type of system all effect how often a system will need cleaning. However, no matter how conscientiously you change your filters, your system should be checked once per year. It is always better to be safe then sorry.

11 - Why does dirt accumulate on AC system coils when I change my filters regularly ?
Even though you keep filters in the unit, dirt will accumulate on the coil and in the drain circuit. This is because most filters are only about 8-12% efficient and let a lot of fine particulate materials go right through. The evaporator coil is wet during cooling operation and collects a lot of this material on its surface or in the drain pan.

12 - What effects do dirty coils have on my AC system ?
Dirt blocks heat transfer which causes or contributes to all or some of the following:
- Compressor fan motor runs hot, lubrication breaks down (life is shortened).
- Cooling capacity is reduced.
- Humidity removal is reduced.
- Operating cost increases.
- Compressor valves can be damaged due to Freon floodback.
- Coil can ice over, stopping all cooling & possibly causing damage due to a water leak.
- Air conditioning systems usually do not ware out. They burn out from overheating.

13 - What is a Line surge protector (LSP) safety control ?
Is a device that is wired into your air conditioning system to protect against power fluctuations that happens in a fraction of a second and can cause serious damage to your compressor, motors, controls, etc. Both lightening strikes and local power utility company “spikes” can enter your home through the electrical wiring and attack any components that are connected to them.

14 - What is a time delay relay safety control ?
It is an optional device that automatically provides the delay protection required before a compressor restart. This allows the compressor to start with no load on it. As well as power outages.

WHAT DOES IT DO?
When power is temporally lost due to power outages or system is cycled on-/off-on rapidly at the Thermostat while a compressor is in operation and quickly restored, the compressor tries to re-start against unequal pressure, applying enormous strain to the motor winding in the compressor. Which is a major contributor to compressor failure. Normally the system requires 3-5 minutes on the off cycle for the pressures to equalize. Your compressor may still have many years of life and dependable operation left. Remember compressors don’t wear out they burn out.

15 - What is a power booster safety control ?
It significantly reduces the amount of time your compressor is on start-up overload.
Your air conditioning compressor consumes more power on start-up than any other device in your home. A compressor may consume 45,000 watts of power while the motor is trying to start-TEN times more power than it uses while running. In-rush current can damage the compressor’s motor and that motor may start-up more than 10,000 times in a single cooling season.
FACTS:
Old wiring
TV Screen flip flop
Circuit breaker situation
Low voltage situation
A/C unit more than 5 years old
Compressor hard to start
Computers restart on their own
Lights dim when A/C comes on

16 - Why should a compressor contactor be replaced even though it is working ?
If your technician finds burned and / or pitted contact points,1 he will recommend
contactor replacement because:
The amount of electric arcing will be greater when they are pitted.
The full surface of the points cannot make contact.
The points can became so hot that they fuse and the unit runs constantly.
Fused points with the indoor unit not running can damage the compressor.
Replacement now will save a service call and possibly more expense later.

17 - How do I know my system has a refrigerant (Freon) leak?
- It should never be low on Freon unless your system has a leak.
- Your home is not cooling enough.
- Your system appears to be operating longer than normal.
- You energy cost appears to be higher.
- Your system could freeze up & cause a water leak.
TO FIND A LEAK:
- Visual inspection for traces of oil leaking with the Freon.
- Using a high viscosity bubble leak detector solution on joints and connections.
- A halide (flame color change) leak detection tool.
- Electronic leak detector solution.

18 - Is compressor replacement a good economic decision ?
YES: If the system is in good condition otherwise and less than six years old (or compressor is under warranty.
If older than five years & the compressor is not in warranty, consider unit/system replacement.
Because: Today’s systems are more efficient. Savings money on operating costs.
Your new system will come with a five/ten year compressor warranty. Replacing your compressor will leave you with all other old and unwarranted plus only a one year compressor warranty.
The difference may be less than you think with operating savings factored in.

19 - How can I keep my AC system from costly repairs ?
Perform an AC tune up annually. A proper Tune up can and will catch possible equipment break down. See Preventive Maintenance Benefits

20 - Isn’t better to have an air conditioning system larger (1-2) tons than we need. So it does nothave to work so hard ?
Absolutely not. As a matter of fact it would be better to be a little undersized rather than oversize (1-2) tons more.
Why:
Because the temperature (F) drybulb of the air in the space is only controlled by the thermostat shutting down the AC compressor a lot sooner than required. However, the humidity in the space may require more AC compressor running time to remove sufficient humidity to be effective.

21 - What are biological pollutants?
Biological pollutants are or were living organisms. They promote poor air quality and may be a major cause of lost from work or school, and of doctor an hospital visits. These pollutants can travel through the air and are often invisible.
Some common indoor biological pollutants are:
- Animal Dander (minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin)
- Dust Mite and Cockroach parts
- Infectious agents (bacteria or viruses)
EFFECTS:
- Watery eyes
- Runny nose and sneezing
- Nasal ongestion
- Itching
- Coughing
- Wheezing and difficult breathing
- Headache
- Fatigue

22 - Where can I find biological pollutants in my home ? www.cpsc.gov
- Air Conditioning units
- Dogs and cats
- Heating and air conditioning ducts Water damage areas-damp
- Basements, attic, and crawlspaces Bedding
- Bathrooms Closet on outside wall
- Carpets Laundry room with un-vented dryer
- Humidifiers and dehumidifiers
- Refrigerator drip pans